Chapter 20 - Surprises
Selbst wenn wir in gemeinsamen Ländern leben und gemeinsame Sprachen sprechen, sind wir Pokémon Kreaturen, deren Formen und Arten so unzählbar erscheinen können wie Sterne am Himmel. Und doch haben wir trotz aller Unterschiede eines gemeinsam: die Fähigkeit, die Kräfte der Welt, in der wir leben, zu nutzen.
Warum das so ist, bleibt bei Wilde und Zivile gleichermaßen in Mythen und Folklore verborgen, wobei einige sagen, dass unsere Stärke die Macht unserer Götter widerspiegelt. Dass, ob groß oder klein, mächtig oder schwach, wir alle Träger einer endlosen Energie mit grenzenlosem Potenzial sind. Diese Energie hat im Laufe der Jahrhunderte viele Namen erhalten, die wir heute als „Äther" kennen.
Der Besitz eines von Äther erfüllten Körpers ist das Zeichen, das Pokémon von anderen Lebewesen in unserer Welt unterscheidet, in denen oft Potenziale verborgen sind, die über das hinausgehen, was uns natürlich oder intuitiv erscheint. Und doch wissen wir aus unseren Aufzeichnungen und unserer Folklore, dass es möglich ist, die Weisheit zu besitzen, diese Macht zu manipulieren, auch ohne sie selbst ausüben zu können.
Es heißt, dass Menschen in ihren letzten Lebensjahren eine große Fähigkeit entwickelt haben, den Äther von Pokémon zu manipulieren. Einblicke in diese Weisheit und die Wunder, die dadurch gewirkt wurden, sind in den bis heute erhaltenen TMs und VMs zu sehen. Seltsame Relikte, die mit einem geeigneten Attacken-Lehrer einen größeren Einfluss auf den Äther des Körpers eines Pokémon haben können als wochenlanger Unterricht durch auswendig gelernte Wiederholungen.
Wozu Menschen sonst noch fähig waren, indem sie solche Kräfte manipulierten, wissen wir nicht, abgesehen von wirren und widersprüchlichen Geschichten über fantastische Maschinen und großen, strahlenden Glanz. Basierend auf den Geschichten über die anderen Wunder, die die Menschheit vollbracht hat, scheint es jedoch sicher zu sein, zu dem Schluss zu kommen, dass sie sich ohne den Glühenden Blitz sicherlich in etwas viel Größeren hätte werden lassen.
- Auszug aus »Das königliche Lexikon der Wissenschaften und Künste«
The path from the outlook and the Reshiram statue down to the 'Lower Streets' proved much simpler than Irune expected. After retracing their steps down to the first intersection of the raised street they came from and turning right, she and the rest of Team Forager came across a collapsed span of raised street that had been turned into a ramp heading down to ground level.
Being on firm ground aside, these 'Lower Streets' weren't that different from the cityscape they'd left behind on what Dalton called the 'Upper Streets' above them. The main difference was that there were more open areas between them, some of which looked like they'd still be in shade from the towering monoliths all around them even if the sun weren't currently setting. The main difference that stood out was that these Lower Streets were less rigid and grid-like based on the lines of open spaces she and her teammates came across. In spite of the various shacks that now filled the gaps between the towers, they clearly once aligned with the platforms above. Perhaps those gaps had once used to be broad boulevards of some sort.
What really surprised her was the way that the Lower Streets looked better-kept than the better-lit upper levels, even if she supposed the candle and Luminous Moss lanterns around the shops that were starting to be lit up might have helped with that. Irune supposed it made sense that Pokémon would prefer their homes to be closer to places where they could draw water more easily, but it was still a bit surprising. She'd heard during her wanderings over the past year that in larger settlements, that quarters in higher floors which weren't easy to fly out of were usually less desirable and cheaper to live in for such reasons.
Even if she understood the practicalities behind why that was so, something about Pokémon not wanting to be high up never made sense to her. There was always a liberating feeling from being up high and looking down on the world, one that made her wish sometimes that she'd been born as some other Pokémon who could just spread their wings and fly away as they evolved.
She cast a wistful look up at the streets and towers above her, before looking back down towards her teammates and realizing that she didn't recognize the surroundings of the street they were presently in. Had she been that distracted from constantly glancing skyward? Maybe she had been, since she couldn't remember ever coming across another place quite like these streets during her wanderings in the past year.
Or hearing another place like it for that matter. One of the things that stood out after Irune paid closer attention to her surroundings was that she could hear Hightongue being spoken, and lots of it. It was a language that Varhyde's nobles and educated Pokémon were supposed to favor, and she'd learned enough of it from the village school to at least address a Pokémon as "Herr So-and-So" or "Frau Such-and-Such" to be polite when she had to, along with a few phrases she'd picked up on the run which were… much less polite. But even so, much of the ancient tongue was a mystery to her, enough so that most of it might well have been a string of harsh and throaty growls. And yet, she was hearing honest-to-goodness conversations in it on the street—even between the likes of shopkeepers and their customers!
"Dankeschön, kommen Sie wieder!"ᴰ¹
Including from a shop that was coming up on their left which smelled of broth. The speaker was a Druddigon who was dismissing a Cubchoo with a bowl of soup towards a set of simple wooden tables and stools that spilled out into the street before turning back to a pot behind the counter. … "Scarlet Dragon's Soups"? Maybe those runes over the shopfront weren't meant to be read in Commontongue. If they weren't, then that'd make them… "Shardragos Suppen₁", at least if she was remembering things right. It certainly sounded really flowery for the name of an eatery, but it definitely rolled off the tongue better that way.
"Lyle, what about those two? You think they look like promising marks?"
Irune raised her head after hearing Kate speak up and saw her motioning off towards the counter as Lyle turned his head. Gods, did they really have to do this right now? She turned back towards the shopfront, just in time to see the next customers cross their path and approach the counter: a Dusknoir with a scarf with a sigil that looked much like a flame on a green background. And there alongside him, was a Charmeleon draped in a hooded cowl of the same color who was casting glances about nervously.
… Maybe she'd been spending too much time around Outlaws like these three, since the thought crossed Irune's mind that the pair did seem rather distracted. Though this wasn't just another random marketplace full of nobodies who'd go off on their merry way, they were quite literally on the doorstep of the king and court whose soldiers had been chasing her for the past year.
"Don't risk it, Kate," Lyle said. "We're in the Administrative District, remember? If we get caught stirring up trouble, there will be a ton of guards up on our ass."
Thank goodness Lyle at least wasn't interested, even if she doubted it was from any real sense of idealism. Kate pouted but otherwise gave no protest before she and her other teammates continued on. Irune began to trail after them, but even so, part of her couldn't help but be curious about the Charmeleon and Dusknoir at the counter as they began to pass.
She remembered hearing a lot of stories about heroes or kings wearing capes while growing up. She supposed that she'd also heard plenty of stories of Pokémon on Exploration Teams that wore garb that wasn't too different like Reunion Capes…
Was the cape one? Since Dalton didn't say anything about Exploration Teams hanging around this district. The Axew turned and drifted over towards the pair as the Dusknoir patted at the Charmeleon's back, and watched the Ghost-type push him towards the counter with a gentle shove.
"There's not many other places in Varhyde where you can practice your Hightongue just by going about daily life on the street, Lohe," the Ghost-type said. "The chef here's fluent, and I'll pay for whatever you want. So go on, order up!"
Maybe they really were an Exploration Team, since the two seemed to know each other quite well. Even so, something felt off about the pair. The Charmeleon looked over at the counter and visibly gulped before saying something under his breath. Irune couldn't make out what the Fire-type was saying at first until she drew a little closer, and her ears began to pick up on a nervous stammer.
"I… Uh… H-Herold? Is this really a good idea?"
Irune paused and blinked after hearing the Charmeleon's voice. Some of his words sounded slurred, almost as if he'd been drinking a lot. Except, from his expression and gait, the 'mon was very much sober. Was it a lisp of some sort? And why did it sound vaguely familiar…?
She thought it over briefly until it dawned on her. It sounded familiar to her because it was. It was like the one that Cade used to have growing up together in her hometown. Except she remembered her friend's being a lot less noticeable.
Irune heard movement and looked up to see the Dusknoir's red eye peering down at her. She stumbled back with a stifled yelp and turned her head at the sound of approaching footsteps from the street. It was her fellows from Team Forager, who were looking on with wary pauses. The Ghost-type narrowed his red eye into a sharp glare that prompted Irune to scoot away uneasily. Whatever ideas any of them had of robbing the two, they were definitely gone now. Irune could already tell that picking a fight with these two was a bad idea just from looking at them. Why, it was as if the Dusknoir was defending family!
"Sei nicht so nervös, mein Kind. Welche Bedenken Sie auch immer bezüglich Ihrer bisherigen Begleiter haben, ich bin mir sicher, dass Sie hier bessere finden werden. Das ist schließlich Ihr Zuhause!"ᴰ²
… Could the two be family somehow? It'd certainly didn't seem plausible and Irune couldn't make heads or tails of most of what the Dusknoir said, but something about it stood out to her:
She could've sworn she heard the Dusknoir call his companion his 'child'.
"Don't drift off like that!"
A quiet hiss snapped Irune to attention as she felt a paw clamp onto her arm and tug her along. She turned her head up, where she saw Lyle frowning down at her, with Kate and Dalton just behind. The Quilava hurried her along as some more chatter came from the direction of the eatery, right as a voice filtered over from the direction of the counter.
"A-Ah… G-Guten Tag.₂ I-Ishh- Ich bin der Glutexo, u-und ich möchte eine Suppe bestellen."ᴰ³
Irune blinked briefly and peeked back towards the shop. It was the Charmeleon again, who was staring across the counter with a nervous, uneasy smile as the proprietor shot him an askew look. Was… it normal for Hightongue to sound like that? She briefly noticed Dalton staring off at the counter himself from the corner of her eye, as Lyle continued pulling her forward.
"Come on, others are going to notice you stopping and staring at strangers like that."
Irune shook her head and continued down the street along with the rest of her teammates until they reached an intersection. They made their way left and found themselves on a street that had been planted with trees along its sides. The shopfronts drifted by as they passed as Irune couldn't help but cock her head at Dalton as a nagging thought lingered in her mind:
Why had Dalton stopped to stare at the two Pokémon at the soup shop himself? Did he notice something about those two that Lyle and Kate didn't?
"How come you looked at those two Pokémon at the counter, Dalton?" she asked. "Were they Pokémon that you met from when you were in university?"
"Not at all," the Heliolisk answered. "I can't speak for the Dusknoir, but I'd have remembered that Charmeleon from back then if we'd met somehow."
That comment got Lyle and Kate's attention as the pair turned their attention over to their Heliolisk teammate. Irune at first was going to ask what Dalton was getting at when it occurred to her that she probably already knew the answer:
He must've somehow recognized the Charmeleon's accent himself.
"Because the 'mon was dressed like some wanna-be noble and was obviously terrible at Hightongue?" Kate asked. "Otherwise, I'm not sure what you're getting at-"
"He was speaking with a Rothäuter's accent."
Irune paused as Lyle and Kate both looked visibly taken aback. Kate opened her mouth briefly as a thought seemed to cross her mind only to catch herself. The Sneasel flattened out her ears, before rolling her eyes with an unimpressed harrumph.
"Ha ha, really funny pun there, Scales," she said. "Charmeleon have red scales, so clearly he was a-"
"Kate, I'm not joking," he replied. "That really was a Rothäuter's accent."
Something stirred inside Irune from the way Dalton said that word. It wasn't as mean-spirited as some of the times she'd heard it thrown around in the past, but it still bothered her. And before she knew it, the words were already coming out of her mouth.
"Th-That's not true! Pokémon from Edialeigh in general speak like that!"
Irune bit her tongue and froze as her teammates stared at her. She should've known better than to blurt that out. Especially when it never seemed to help Cade when she tried to stand up for him from the village bullies. Dalton remained quiet and blinked, before shaking his head and pawing at his injured arm's shoulder with a low sigh.
"I don't know how you know that, but I suppose that would be a bit more accurate, yes," he said. "Though I'm not really sure what other Pokémon from Edialeigh you'd expect to run into on this side of the Sundered Sea."
There was a long silence afterwards. That Charmeleon, a soldier? Why the 'mon looked like he'd be more at home being apprenticing alongside the glassblower's son back in her hometown! Lyle and Kate must've been thinking similar things, since the pair both seemed to have visible twinges of discomfort as they spoke up.
"I mean, I suppose I've heard stories of 'mons in our army sometimes being levied young… but why would there just be a captured Rothäuter wandering around the streets of the Kingdom's capital?" Lyle asked. "I thought the ones that got dragged over here were put to work doing stuff like picking fields or clearing mines from the last invasion."
"I suppose somebody in the army thought that he was too valuable for that," Dalton scoff. "But I don't think we should worry too much about it. Whatever's going on with him doesn't concern us and the further we stay away from getting entangled with more matters involving the army, the better."
Irune fell quiet and decided not to press the topic further. Dalton did have a point, even if she wasn't sure how much longer they could all stay ahead of the army given what happened to the others she'd traveled with over the past year-
No. Things didn't have to end like that again. At least some of her teammates could make it to the Divine Roost with her this time.
If they didn't, Irune wasn't sure if there'd be enough time for her to try again.
"Tch, preaching to the choir there," Kate harrumph. "Though just how long are we supposed to keep our paws to ourselves, Scales?"
Irune turned her head over towards Kate as she folded her arms with an impatient tap of her foot. Dalton briefly narrowed his eyes, before speaking up in hushed tones.
"Until we reach the marketplaces, Kate," Dalton insisted. "We haven't even made it across the river yet! Do you see anywhere around here that looks like a marketplace?"
Irune let her eyes wander and looked off down the street where much to her surprise, above the crowds, there was a rusted metal archway straddling it with some sort of sign and a string of lanterns hanging from the top. She blinked a moment, before she raised a claw to point it out.
"Wait, but isn't that a marketplace right over there?"
Her teammates turned off in the gate's direction, while she got up onto her tiptoes to try and get a better view. She could only make it out in brief snatches from taller passersby, but just past the gate, the street they were on widened out. On the other end, it was a broad boulevard with two rows of trees running its length with an inner section trafficked by Pullers and their wagons and swifter Pokémon, and on either side were outer fringes that hugged rows of shopfronts.
Ones that were packed with Pokémon filing in and out of them, with a worryingly large number of their patrons clad in armor plates of various styles.
Had they walked up to a garrison? Irune didn't see any walls or fortifications ahead, but where else was one supposed to see so many Pokémon outfitted like that? She turned towards Dalton, and noticed he was visibly blanching and backpedaling. As good a sign as any that this marketplace was somewhere they didn't want to get close to.
"Irune, that's Arsenal Avenue," Dalton chided. "It'd be smarter to try and steal from just about any other marketplace here in Newangle City."
'Arsenal… Avenue'? The more she looked at the street with its shops and the armored figures milling about it, the more the name seemed to fit. Gods, it was like someone had made a market specifically for the soldiers of Lacan's Fähnlein!
She bit her tongue and turned away. If Dalton thought it best to just move along as someone who once lived in this very district, it'd be wise to not question his judgment.
She began to retrace her steps up the street, only to notice Lyle stopping and shooting a puzzled look over at their Heliolisk teammate.
"Actually, wait," the Quilava said. "Not that I'm exactly eager to chum it up with a bunch of Grünhäuter, but what the hell kind of marketplace is this, Dalton?"
"Holy crap! They've got armor on display over there!"
Irune and her teammates whirled around where much to her alarm, Kate was already halfway over to Arsenal Avenue's gate, ducking past other Pokémon as she beelined up to display not far past the gate… one that had a few sets of armor arrayed on sets of posts meant to mimic the bodies of Pokémon. Irune felt a flash of heat beside her and saw fire pouring out of Lyle's vents as his mouth hung open in shock. There was a moment's pause, before the Quilava threw a paw over his face with a low grumble.
"Come on," he sighed. "Let's make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble."
A thousand thoughts swirled around in Lyle's mind as he, Dalton, and Irune ran past the gate and into Arsenal Avenue, with his wonderings about if Kate had lost her damn mind taking up most of them.
He tried not to think too hard about the sheer number of Pokémon in armor all around them and kept his head down.
By the time they made it to the shop they saw Kate headed off to, she was already gone and there was nowhere left to go but further down the street. As they carried on, he noticed that the ground floors of the surrounding buildings were crammed with shopfronts that plied all sorts of wares: scarves and Looplets, Seeds and Wands of various types, and of course a stall here or there selling lucky charms, even if Lyle wouldn't have called that 'armor'. Some of the shops lived up to the street's name more directly, with various plates hung out on display, some of them white or tan from their cloth having not yet been dyed. Reshiram's Fur, there had to be more armorers on just this one block than in all of Moonturn Square!
Amidst the blur of passing Pokémon, Lyle caught a glimpse of black and red at a shopfront off to his right. Sure enough, it was Kate: idly poking and prodding at a set of armor made for a bipedal Pokémon about her size. Lyle shook his head and approached as the Sneasel continued to paw at the plates, Lyle's ears pricking after he heard it rattle and jangle from her tugs.
"Oh hey, it took you all long enough to catch up. Is this thing made with mail?" Kate asked. "I didn't even know that they sold armor like this."
Lyle flattened his ears as frustrated fire danced on his vents. Irune and Dalton didn't look much more amused either, with the Heliolisk of the pair having visible sparks arcing on his hide. Dalton stepped ahead before Lyle could say anything, and latched onto Kate with his good arm, sharply tugging her back towards the street.
"Hey! I wasn't done!" Kate protested.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure you weren't," Dalton grumbled. "Let's just get out of here before we run into-"
The Heliolisk turned and stumbled into a wall of green up ahead, the Electric-type falling and jostling his splinted arm with a sharp yelp. Lyle looked up and felt his eyes shrink to pins after he see the wall of green was the green scales of a Tyranitar. One clad in green armor.
Gods, Dalton really was right about coming here being a bad idea-
"Watch where you're going, civvie!"
Lyle yelped and jolted upright at the sound of a bellowing roar. His attention shot back towards the Tyranitar as he gave an annoyed brush at his flank before the Rock-type leveled a sharp glare down at him. A flash of black and red tipped him off to Kate hurriedly slipping past the Tyranitar, as Irune went for to Dalton on the ground. His mind went blank in a panic until something snapped inside, as Quilava turned and tried to dive ahead into a Quick Attack. He felt his head hit something hard, and heard a sharp growl from above. He gulped, as he realized the soldier had cut them off from going back out onto the street.
"Disrespectful little twerps! Aren't you at least going to apologize to your betters before you try to scurry off?"
Lyle breathed in and out as his heart pounded in his chest. It was like dealing with Nils all over again, if Nils were twice as tall and he didn't have a chance in hell fighting against him. The Quilava felt fingers dig into his hide and looked off to his shoulder to see Irune hiding behind him. Off to his side Dalton's eyes seemed to take on a fiery tinge and he could've sworn he saw sparks on his scales. Was- Was Dalton really just ready to slug it out with this 'mon?
… No, they couldn't afford getting in trouble over stupid crap like this. Least of all in a place where there'd be more Pokémon like this right on the street next to them. There weren't even money or goods on the line, all they needed to do was just give the 'mon what he wanted and move along.
"... Tut mir leid, Herr Despotar₃," the Quilava muttered. "It won't happen again."
He pinned his ears back as the words left his mouth. He knew that it was the realistic solution to his problems, but having to suck up like always left a bitter feeling in his stomach. Thankfully, it seemed to satisfy the Rock-type, who brushed past him with a sharp huff.
"I'd hope not, Quilava!" the soldier spat. "This isn't a public museum! Either buy something, or make way for those of us who have actual business here!"
Lyle looked over at Irune and saw that she'd come out from behind him and was sporting a fierce scowl much like Dalton's. Except, there was a minor tremor running down her scales, as if she was about to explode. Lyle set his teeth on edge as he remembered that inexplicable power that came over Irune back at Primordial Woods, and then again in Errberk Village. Now definitely wasn't the time for her to be throwing that around. He went behind the Axew's back, and sharply tugged at her shoulder.
"Come on, Irune. We're not supposed to be here anyways."
Irune breathed in and out briefly as she shook her head and followed along, Dalton still stood his ground like a gottverdammter idiot for a moment, prompting Lyle to hurriedly motion at him with his paw to come along. The Heliolisk hesitated, before he relented and trailed after them with a low harrumph. Lyle hurried down the street with the two as the crowds and trees along the boulevard drifted by. After going down the block far enough for him to be convinced the Tyranitar was safely out of sight and earshot, he pinched his brow and turned towards his teammates with a sharp frown.
"Gods, would it kill you two to read a room sometime?" the Quilava snapped. "What on earth do you think would've happened if we actually took a swing at that guy?!"
The Heliolisk and Axew both fell silent for a moment. Curiously, there seemed to be what almost looked like a flash of guilt over Irune's face. Had that power of hers almost come out back there? He thought to ask her, when he was answered by a low grumble as Dalton turned away with a bitter frown.
"We could've ended things in a way that didn't involve letting that damn Grünhäuter walk all over us," he muttered. "Not that there's we can do much about it now."
Lyle flicked his ears and shot an askew glance. What on earth was Dalton's story with the army, anyways? Sure they were Grünhäuter and enemies, but the Heliolisk just seemed so bitter every time they had to deal with them somehow.
… Didn't his own brother used to be in the army? Did it have something to do with that?
"Uh… wait, did we see Kate run deeper down the street while we were talking with that Tyranitar? Otherwise, how do we know we're going the right way?"
Lyle turned over to Irune looking over at him worriedly and then looked down Arsenal Avenue. He… wasn't sure if he had an answer to that. The Quilava gaped around the sea of Pokémon, and tried to make sense of the crowds surrounding them as he kept searching for any sign of Kate or her plumage. All of a sudden, he felt a poke at his flank and shot up with a sharp yelp as his vents flared to life.
"You know, you're less likely to get run over in the street if you stand in the center median where all the trees are."
He whirled around along with his teammates. Sure enough, there was Kate, stretching her arms behind her head with an impish grin. The Quilava rubbed at his flank growling under his breath, before narrowing his eyes into an irritated scowl.
"Seriously, Kate?!" he snapped. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Yeah! And what was the big idea of just abandoning us back there?!" Irune fumed.
"Bold of you to assume that I did," she answered. "I was keeping an eye on you the entire time… oh, and on that pompous windbag's money."
Lyle and his teammates blinked after hearing the sound of jingling coins and saw Kate pull out a large drawstring bag from her satchel. One that they didn't remember her having before coming into the city.
"Though are you sure that this isn't a good place to steal from marks, Scales?" the Sneasel asked. "Since that last 'mon we ran into was loaded-"
"Kate, put that away!" Lyle hissed. "We're in a public place!"
Lyle hurriedly shoved the drawstring bag back into Kate's satchel before leading her and their teammates over a quieter alcove off to the side of the street. After taking a moment to wait and make sure they weren't being overheard over the sound of the passing traffic, Dalton pinched his brow and let out a low sigh.
"How on earth did you stay alive on your last crew taking stupid risks like that?" he muttered. "Seriously, why didn't you just go ahead and steal from Graf Wellenhafen while you were at it?"
It was a question that Lyle sometimes wondered himself, even if he already knew the answer: because she was damn good at getting in and out with other 'mons' stuff and had teammates to back her up whenever she fell short. She always had an eye for opportunities that Alvin's brawn and his ability to stay on his toes made achievable, even if part of him wondered if they had been pushing their luck a bit too much lately.
He noticed Irune brushing up against the trunk of a nearby tree and watching the passers-by as their ranks were as thick as ever, including those in the crowd who were passing dressed in various sets of armor. Not all of them in army greens, either.
"Why are all these 'mons buying armor anyways?" the Axew asked. "Isn't that just something that's given out by the army? Who are all these Pokémon?"
"Mostly better-heeled soldiers and mercenaries who are looking for extra protection," Dalton explained. "The Kingdom's standard issue armor is built in segments designed to be used across as many Pokémon as possible and only provides so much defense before it gets damaged beyond use. If you want something that better fits you, or has something like a mail layer to make it more durable… this is the sort of place you'd come to in Newangle City to get it."
Kate shuffled her arms briefly before leaning up against the trunk their tree. She raised a brow, before raising her voice with a wary, questioning tone.
"So… they'll just sell to anyone with money, then?" she asked. "Since just saying, if we wanted] some armor… we could always get it while we were here."
Lyle threw a paw over his face and saw Dalton and Irune's jaws drop. Good gods, he didn't remember Kate being this slow to quit while she was ahead back in the Foehn Gang. He pinned his ears back and leaned in, tugging at her with an impatient hiss under her breath.
"Kate, we're not stealing armor on a street filled with Grünhäuter!" he snapped. "We 're already lucky that you didn't get spotted ripping off that Tyranitar earlier!"
"Hey, I just was going to say we could get it, not steal it. I'm not that reckless," she insisted. " Besides, we don't need to steal it in the first place. That Tyranitar was planning on buying stuff from that armorer, so there has to be enough for us to be able to afford something with it."
Lyle tightened his muzzle into a deepening scowl. Kate had always been a more daring type as an Outlaw, but this was just ridiculous. She seriously expected them to part with a bag that was obviously full of money before they'd even left Arsenal Avenue? Dalton and Irune took the suggestion little better, as Irune flusteredly stumbled over her words and struggled to tamp her voice down as she spluttered in protest.
"H-Huh?!" Irune exclaimed. "But that sort of money would be good enough for-!"
"Us to buy some protection," the Sneasel insisted. "After everything we've been through so far, do you really want to try making it to the Divine Roost without something to give us an edge?"
Lyle blinked for a moment and gave a quiet wince after one of the lingering wounds on his upper back flared up. He ran a paw over it and trailed off in his thoughts. Even if snagging the money off that Tyranitar wasn't the smartest thing that Kate had ever done… she still had a point with her argument. They'd gotten badly chewed up just going through Primordial Woods. Would having gone through it with even a partial set of cloth armor have really made things worse for them?
And with the way Lacan had tracked them down on what otherwise ought to have been a smooth flight… they were probably going to need to go through a couple other Mystery Dungeons just to get close to one of the Divine Roost's approaches.
The Quilava briefly worried that Dalton and Irune were going to think that he'd gone mad for even entertaining the idea, but strangely enough, neither of them raised their voices in protest. He looked aside and spotted Irune glancing up at Dalton's splinted arm, and the Heliolisk doing much the same himself. He and the others had gotten most of their bandages from the night before off by now, but even then, the lingering scrapes and scuffs were there for everyone to see.
There was a moment of relative quiet as Electric-type paused in visible thought, before he shook his head back with a low sigh.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Kate has a point," Dalton murmured. "The Mystery Dungeons that specifically lead up to the Divine Roost are said to be particularly treacherous. We'd be fools not to try and get any advantage we could before going into them."
Lyle… wasn't expecting Dalton to say that. Kate clearly wasn't either from the dumbfounded look she had on her face. It faded almost as quickly as it came, as the Sneasel cracked a cheeky grin and gave a playful jab at the lizard's hide.
"Hah, I knew you weren't a total pill, Scales!" Kate cheered. "How many Outlaws do you see strutting around in sets of-"
Dalton cut her off by brushing her claw aside and shot a stern frown down at her. Was there still something about Kate's idea he didn't like?
"But if we have to spend it on this street, we're not buying armor," he insisted. "Even if it didn't make us stand out like sore thumbs in front of all these Grünhäuter, it'd get torn up after enough skirmishes."
Hrmph, Dalton could've just said that it was time to move on, except… for some reason, the Heliolisk didn't seem like he was in a rush to leave. Was there something else sold here on Arsenal Avenue that he thought would help them? Kate and Irune both looked similarly confused by Dalton's reaction, with the Axew holding her head at a puzzled tilt in reply.
"But then what are you suggesting we should buy?"
It was a fair question, really. Even if Lyle wouldn't have been terribly surprised to learn that there were places that made them on this street, it wasn't as if trying to buy something like a cannon or a dart-thrower would be a better idea even if they could somehow afford one. Looplets, perhaps? But there was no reason to hang around here to get them when one could usually find Looplet crafters within spitting distance of any Guild. He turned back to Dalton, just in time to see the Heliolisk raising a hand and pointing off down the street.
"Something that will last permanently and isn't sitting on our bodies for the world to see," Dalton replied.
Lyle followed Dalton's fingers and noticed he was pointing at a cramped, dingy shopfront with a Rotom and Joltik at a counter that ran along the street. He turned his attention back to the shopkeeps as they inspected a glinting disc that a Clefable handed over. He wasn't sure what to make of it, before he saw pair pass a small bag of coins over to the Fairy-type before he drifted off, and the Joltik carefully slip the disc into some sort of clear sleeve afterwards before ducking into the shop with it.
Was it a junk shop of some sort? Lyle wasn't sure how any of the ancient relics or odds and ends that such places peddled would help them. He felt a prod at his shoulder and saw Kate walking ahead with his teammates, motioning with a claw for him to follow.
"Come on, Lyle. Let's see what this place has got."
Lyle carried along with his teammates for the cramped shopfront, wondering what on earth about it had caught Dalton's eye. Lyle looked up and got a better look at the shopfront as they neared. On the signboard over the entrance, there was a painting depicting a cheerful Rotom surrounded by disc-like shapes. Beneath it were runes with the name of the shop—'Amp's Augments'.
It suddenly dawned on him: those discs were tay-emms. Or else something like one. Those two Pokémon had parted with a decent amount of coin for that disc, and those were the only ones he could think of that would justify that expense on a street full of armorers.
"Greetings, and welcome to 'Amp's Augments'. The fastest Move Tutor this side of Arsenal Avenue," the Rotom crackled. "Got a technique in mind you'd like to learn today?"
So that's what Dalton had been getting at! Learning a move was just the sort of leg up they'd need to get through a tougher Mystery Dungeon, and it really would be easier to hide from the passersby on the street.
"... 'Move Tutor'?"
Lyle peeked over his shoulder at Irune as she blinked puzzledly and eyed the Rotom with a skeptical frown. The Ghost-type was wholly unfazed, and floated up towards with a cheery crackle.
"Surely you've all heard of a 'move tutor' before? You know, a teacher who helps you pick up moves beyond what your body can naturally learn," the Rotom explained. "Watt and I run one of the few shops on this street that can get you started with a fresh move in mere minutes!"
Wait, 'Watt and I'? He turned back towards a set of stairs that headed deeper into the shop just in time to see the Joltik returning from further inside. Did Amp mean to say that he and this 'Watt' were the only two Pokémon that worked at this Move Tutor?
Lyle folded his arms and peered down with a dubious frown. Something smelled about this alleged Move Tutor. Discs like tay-emms needed to be interpreted to have any effect and doing so was a feat that only a small number of types of Pokémon could manage on their own.
And last he was aware, Rotom weren't one of them
"Hold on a moment. Why should we believe your tutoring will work again?" Lyle insisted. "I haven't heard of too many Move Tutors who could teach others from tay-emms that weren't Porygon."
"Not without the right tooling anyways," Amp rebutted. "Pay attention to the Reader on the counter."
Amp motioned with a tendril off at a case of some sort on their counter as Watt pulled off a cracked sheath made of ancient resin. Underneath was a scuffed, strip-like object that sported a faint, red sigil that looked almost like two comets swirling in on each other and was topped by a cracked circle with worn buttons of some sort.
He thought that the sigil looked familiar, but before he could gather his thoughts, the Rotom slipped into the object. The color of the strip abruptly changed as a layer of electrified plasma settled over its surface. It rose off the counter and into the air as tendrils sprouted from the sides and a pair of eyes popped up over where the circle up top was. Much to Lyle's surprise, the strip suddenly split wide almost like a jack of some sort, as Amp gave a cheery wave back.
"Convince you enough? Or do I need to also demonstrate that the 'Beeoh-dah-ten' Transmitter on this thing is still functional?" he asked.
Lyle stared dumbfounded at the device hovering over the table, staring at it much as if it were an enchanted stone. Kate and Irune similarly looked stupefied while Dalton only seemed mildly fazed by the sight. Had the Heliolisk seen something like this before in the past? If so, what the hell was it?
"Ah! How are you doing that?!" Irune cried.
The ghost in the shell twirled about, and motioned inward with an electrical tendril, closing his eyes with a contented buzz.
"Humans left behind many relics after they vanished in the Great Flash, some of which were specifically built for my kind to indwell and manipulate like this tay-emm reader."
Lyle didn't know that there were machines that could do that. Gods, that thing must've been as old as the ruins all along the street they were walking on! Lyle turned his head in time to see Dalton blinking and eying the device Amp was indwelling, as he inspected the reader and the comet-like sigil on it closely.
"... How on earth did you two get this?" the Heliolisk asked.
"Family heirloom. Or at least mostly, anyways," Amp replied. "Though are you really surprised at a tay-emm reader turning up here in a city that's already full of human relics?"
"They're not anywhere near as common as they used to be in the days of legend, but readers like these still turn up every now and then. Their pieces that are still usable can be put together into working units like the one Amp's in right now," Watt explained. "That's what keeps us in business competing with the likes of those Porygon which you're probably are more familiar with."
The thing must've been worth a fortune. Lyle would have had half a mind to just grab the reader and run, but even if they weren't surrounded by tough fighters, it likely wouldn't end well. From the way that Amp and Watt handled it, it'd probably break from so much a strong shake. And they wouldn't exactly be learning any moves without someone who knew how to use it.
Lyle watched as Amp settled the device against the table and clamped it shut, before pulling his orange body from it. The layer of plasma melted away, revealing the battered resin and the swirl-like sigil that had originally been there as the Rotom floated about him and his teammates curiously.
"Satisfied?" the Ghost-type asked. "If so, what sort of services can we provide for you today?"
Lyle blinked for a moment and wasn't sure how to respond. On the one paw, they were already pushing fate by just lingering here around Arsenal Avenue with that money Kate stole. Though then again, they were right here. He didn't know how much money Kate had snagged off that Tyranitar, but surely it had to be good for at least one or two of them to learn a move.
… It was hard to argue they didn't desperately need a leg up for the rest of their journey. And there weren't many things a 'mon could buy with ill-gotten gains that were easier to hide than a tutored move. He'd experienced that firsthand from his time in the Foehn Gang, and the Will-O-Wisp he'd learned back then was about the only thing of that time he'd been able to hold on to.
But on the other paw, the going rate for being taught even simple moves from a Move Tutor commonly went over a thousand Carolins. Or two to three times the amount in Poké. Why, they could buy everyone a good set of Wonder Orbs with that sort of money, or some decent Seeds and Wands, or…
Thump!
Too late. Kate had already thrown the pilfered bag of coins out onto the table and made the decision for everyone. A few gold-colored coins spilled from the sack, leaving Amp and Watt to stare blankly at it, as Kate folded her arms with an impatient click of her tongue.
"That depends. What sort of tutoring can we buy with this?"
Lyle blinked as Watt pawed through the bag and pulled out coin after coin, each sporting a polished shine like they'd been minted just yesterday. Blauflamme, just how much money was in that thing? It just seemed to go on and on, to the point where Dalton gasped briefly and Irune stared at the gleaming baubles with mesmerized awe. Watt seemed taken aback himself, as the Joltik assistant counted up the last few coins with gaping incredulity.
"... Fünftausend₄. Th-This is Five thousand Carolins!" the Joltik exclaimed. "How are a bunch of scruffy-looking types like you walking around with this sort of coin?!"
F-Five thousand Carolins?! He'd thought that there was only enough in there for one or two moves to be tutored. Why, this would teach the lot of them anything the Rotom had in stock! Even Hyper Beam if he had the tay-emm on him! That sort of money could've taken them through Primordial Woods with a loadout that'd make any team of Hunters blush in embarrassment. Over and over again.
Lyle reflexively raised a paw back to reach across the table and snatch the coins back. There was no way in hell that it made sense to just dump that money into learning moves when they hadn't even been eating properly. He then heard a wince and turned and spotted Dalton shifting his splinted arm.
Lyle caught himself and let his paw drop back to his side. Right. All the gear in the world didn't mean anything if they couldn't actually get through the Mystery Dungeons they needed to go through. The ones that fed directly into the Divine Roost were supposed to be among the most treacherous in Varhyde and Edialeigh. Perhaps in all of Wander. And what if they got into a fight while getting out of Newangle City? Would they really hold up against the local guards just with their present strength?
Amp and Watt were both looking at the lot of them. The Quilava bit his lip, as his words came to his mouth without him even thinking.
"We just have different priorities really," Lyle insisted. "But you didn't exactly answer my friend's question. Prices haven't exactly been stable lately, so what can we get for all this?"
Amp looked down at the money skeptically, and then back at Team Forager's members. Lyle pinned his ears back and felt heat flash up along his vents, wondering if the Rotom sensed something was wrong with them. The Ghost-type lingered a bit, before giving a small buzz and taking the bag for himself.
"It should cover at least one move for each of you," Amp answered. "Maybe more, maybe less. I can cut a bit of a discount if all four of you pay for a session, but it all depends on what you choose to learn."
That… was honestly relieving to hear. It wasn't as if they all needed to be tutored something expensive like Hyper Beam... so who knew? Maybe there'd still be a decent chunk of the money left over afterwards. Enough that they could put it towards food and shelter away from prying eyes, or for supplies to get them by in places where it was too dangerous to just steal whatever they needed.
When he looked at it that way, he supposed the way forward was only obvious…
"We'll do it," Lyle said. "It's just… we'd like some time to think over what we'd like to learn, since this isn't a trivial decision."
"We've got a list of moves that we offer tutoring services for in the waiting room inside," Watt said. "The weather's been getting chilly lately, so why not make the decision in a warmer place?"
"Besides, I'd need a quieter environment than this to tutor in anyways," Amp chimed in. "As soon as you make up your mind inside, we can go ahead and get started."
The Rotom motioned with a tendril to follow as Watt took the tay-emm reader and resheathed it before propping it on his back and heading inside. Lyle and his companions traded brief glances with one another, before making their way up the steps to the threshold of the shop's interior. Lyle made it to the top of the steps, before sucking in a breath and stepping forward.
"Alright, let's see what you've got for us to pick from."
Sophia beat her wings as the wind went passing by through the sunset sky. It always seemed to carry lots of memories during flights like these. Some of them were happy like ones of her flying along with her father during one of those rare snatches of relative peace as she grew up while the world seemed to be spinning apart. And then there were the others that… weren't.
She tried not to dwell on them too much and focus more on her surroundings. There was the river below, along with the refugee encampments that filled in the closer one got to Newangle City. Up ahead were the city walls, tall stretches of concrete which ringed the city—anchored by ten towers looming at least three times their height. She'd been told while growing up that back in ancient times, those towers housed massive machines that somehow gathered energy from far, far away and turned it into tamed thunder. The same tamed thunder that humans were said to power lights and other pieces of machinery they made. Both in the days of man, and in the early years after the Great Flash.
They had stopped working after Wish and Reality first clashed in their new world, and now over a thousand years later, all that remained of them were their decaying husks. The towers, and of the ramparts that Klaus the Founder had built between them.
"That's the East Gate just up ahead. We should check its Wehrturm₅ first."
Sophia looked left past her wings as a current of air rocked her wings. Lacan pulled forward from using a Tailwind behind her and motioned with his helmeted head at the top of a tower just north of where the Eastern Gate straddled the river. It was part of the fortifications the city's defenders used, ones that had been built on the ruins of ancient civilizations that nobody fully understood.
Sophia watched as Lacan entered a dive for the tower and followed along. As she neared the Wehrturm and the surrounding walls, every now and then, she would make out spots that had been visibly patched with stone and mortar and others that still sported ancient scorch marks. Scars from battles and sieges past, like the ones that preceded the fabled Sack of Angle City, or from attacks from the Endbringer.
They and the camps full of unfortunates below were stark reminders of why she, Lacan, and the rest of Fähnlein Stärke₆ couldn't afford to fail. Of why their mission couldn't afford to fail. No matter what it took for them to secure its success.
The empty air quickly ended as Sophia watched her shadow fall over the top of the wall and its parapets. She saw Lacan come to a stop on an open stretch cleared for landing fliers, and beat her wings to brake in the air as she came to a perching stop beside him. As usual, Lacan didn't waste any time seeking someone out, and promptly stomped forward towards a group of guards centered around a Toucannon who were lazing about playing a game with those picture cards that were popular among the commonfolk. A game came to a swift end as Lacan spat a gout of blue dragonfire just over their heads and scattered the group with a chorus of sharp yelps.
"For gods' sake, get off your feet and at least try to look alert!"
Sophia quietly grimaced as the Toucannon and the other soldiers got up with sour glares leveled in their direction. Ones that swiftly slid off their faces at the sight of the armored Salamence and his wings spread wide. She supposed that was one way to tell that Lacan had was stressed right now. While the Salamence had a bit of a temper at times, she didn't remember it normally coming out this quickly.
"Who on earth is in charge of this Wehrturm?" the Dragon-type demanded. "There is an urgent matter that requires him to be immediately briefed."
"You mean 'requires her to be immediately briefed'."
Clawed footsteps against stone tiles rang out as an Empoleon in green plates entered from the left of Sophia's vision—a Hauptmann based on the design on her scarf. The Empoleon approached and glanced between her and Lacan, before turning the corners of her beak down into dubious frown.
"Though it's usually me who's questioning Pokémon that pass through here," she said, quietly sizing up Lacan's scarf. "You're certainly far from the frontlines… Oberst Brutalanda. Who are you two and why are you here harassing my subordinates during their break?"
"That would be Graf Wellenhafen, Impoleon₇," the Salamence tersely answered. "I need to know the passengers of so much as every dinghy that went through the East Gate's river entrance today."
The Empoleon's mouth hung open along with a furrowed brow. That… was probably a sign that she and Lacan needed to take a few steps back and explain things a bit more.
"Apologies for any inconvenience we may be causing you and your subordinates, Frau Hauptmann. But we're here in pursuit of a group of fugitives wanted for crimes against His Majesty's realm," Sophia explained. "We have reason to believe they may have passed through your gate."
The Empoleon's expression didn't change and she briefly started to speak only to catch herself. Probably words that the Empoleon thought better of in light of her and Lacan's relative rank. Sophia raised a wing for attention, only for the Water-type to cut her off with a shake of her head and a quiet scoff.
"I'm sorry, but why are you two carrying out the duties of common Gendarmen on the home front?" the Empoleon demanded. "Does His Majesty's army have nothing better to do with its Stabsoffiziere these days?"
"Normally it would, but these are unusual circumstances, Frau Impoleon."
Sophia shifted a satchel off her shoulder and began to root about it with her beak, before settling on a wad of wanted posters that she raised up for the Empoleon to take. The Empoleon briefly studied them as Sophia returned her beak into her satchel and fetched the envelope which contained their royal commission signed by King Siegmund—one which had grown creased from the number of times she'd had to produce it on behalf of her and Lacan's behalf over the past year. After finding it, she passed it along afterwards to the Hauptmann, as Lacan let out a low, impatient rumble from the back of his throat.
"If this was a matter that could be entrusted to local Gendarmen, I assure you, His Majesty would've done so long ago."
The Empoleon opened the envelope and began to read the letter inside. The routine had become almost predictable for Sophia by now. The reader would go down the lines of runes with a skeptical frown or some similar reaction, which would linger until reaching the signature and pawprint of King Siegmund himself at the bottom.
And the Empoleon, like so many others before her, widened her eyes briefly at the sight. She hesitated and folded the letter back up, before turning back to the Toucannon among the roused guards just off to their right.
"Soldat Tilo, go and review the logbooks of the East Gate's entrances," she ordered. "There's only so many parties that come in with Axew, and if any of the other three were with her, they'll surely make hers stand out."
The Toucannon hastily saluted by putting a wing over his armored chest before vaulting off the ledge of the wall and entering a dive. Sophia supposed that one way or another, they wouldn't be kept waiting for an answer for long. The Empoleon approached Lacan and began to talk as Sophia's attention drifted off towards the sprawling city off on the other side of the walls—towards a veritable thicket of wooden and thatched roofs nestled in and among ruins of the past. Ones which towered above them like rocks above a shallow sea.
The Corvisquire quietly sucked in a breath and set her beak on edge. If the Dyad and her companions had come here through that raft, this would be where they were spotted first. But… who was to say that they just showed themselves at the gate? Someone had apparently smuggled them into Moonturn Square and she'd only learned of their presence thanks to the four being spotted after a series of clumsy attempts to steal from the townsfolk.
… What if it happened again? Sophia wasn't sure if four regiments could find the Dyad in that maze of buildings, let alone their Fähnlein's roughly four hundred troops that were presently able-bodied. The Corvisquire turned away, just in time for her to notice the Empoleon brushing at one of her plates and skeptically frowning at Lacan.
"Though, if I may go ahead and ask, Graf Wellenhafen, but what on earth is going on here?" the Water-type asked. "It may have been a while since I was last deployed for frontline combat, but you can't expect me to believe that His Majesty would seriously be this concerned over a band of four Outlaws."
"That is a matter that doesn't concern you," Lacan harrumphed back, narrowing his eyes. "His Majesty deemed apprehending those four a matter of utmost importance, and that should be more than sufficient to justify a simple log check."
The Empoleon shot a sharp scowl back in response. Sophia supposed the pair's reactions to each other were only understandable. It was always a frustrating experience whenever her own curiosity was brusquely rejected by a superior like they were doing to this Hauptmann. At the same time, it was hard to fault Lacan for being short of patience after their recent ordeals.
There was just always a part of her that felt uncomfortable seeing him like this. It felt so jarring when thinking back to those days when they were both young together in her hometown…
She supposed they had greater concerns at the moment. The Corvisquire hastily stepped forward and cut in with a wing. She turned to the Empoleon, and lowered her head with an apologetic bow.
"As I'm sure you're well aware, Frau Impoleon, but the Founder himself was recorded as saying that there are circumstances where some truths must be kept hidden due of the needs of reality," she explained. "I wish that we could be more frank with you about our mission, but this is one of those circumstances where it'd be negligent of us to not heed that ancient wisdom."
The Empoleon shot a sidelong glance in return but otherwise kept quiet. Probably the best that could be hoped for, really. The Water-type seemed to be weighing whether or not to press further, when the sound of hurried wingbeats rang out. Sophia turned her head for the outer edge of the city wall, where the Toucannon from earlier was flying up from below onto the wall's ledge, panting for breath.
"Hauptmann Gulkin, those thieves are there in the logbook!" the Toucannon cried.
Sophia beat her wings out subconsciously and fought back a startled caw. Everyone's eyes fell on the flustered Toucannon, who hurriedly gave a salute over his heart before speaking up.
"They passed through as passengers on a raft that went through Berth #5 of the East Gate four hours ago," he explained. "Same scarf patterns that you reported and everything!"
Sophia's heart skipped a beat as she turned over to Lacan. At once, a tense, dangerous look settled over the Salamence's face, and he turned over to Hauptmann Gulkin with an impatient cock of his head out toward the city.
"Then we will be in need of your subordinates' aid to find them, Frau Hauptmann," Lacan said. "Pass word along to them and to your superiors that these posters are to be copied and distributed. And that your forces should make themselves available to take direction from 'Fähnlein Stärke' for this search effective immediately."
The Empoleon paused and blinked in reply, and for a moment, Sophia thought that she would have to step in again and try and assuage Gulkin's pride. Except, the Water-type seemed to have a flash of realization come over her eyes, as she grabbed at a satchel about her shoulder.
"... Wait a minute, did you say 'Fähnlein Stärke'?"
… She'd already heard of them before? Sophia felt a twinge of unease come over her. Fähnlein Stärke was a phantom which, outside of their royal commission, existed only in records deep within the Generalstab. Ones which would be sealed away if not outright destroyed after their mission was complete. Their pursuit of the Dyad hadn't ever taken them to the royal capital in the past year, so how on earth did Gulkin already know of it?
"Yes, I realize that it's a bit unusual for Pokémon of our rank to be directing such a small unit," the Corvisquire started. "But-"
"Because if so, we'll go ahead and start looking for those Pokémon like you asked, but we can't take orders from you. Or at least not just yet," the Empoleon explained. "I received a directive from the Hofstaat itself three days ago that if any Pokémon of Stabsoffizier rank from Fähnlein Stärke arrived at the gates or walls, that I was to inform them to appear before His Majesty for a summons."
The Empoleon pulled out an envelope of her own and pulled out its letter, unfurling it between her flippers to read. Sophia stepped forward and at once saw the same signature and pawprint on it at the bottom, along with row after row of runes above them. Ones that as she read them to herself, made her face twist into a deepening grimace.
"I don't suppose His Majesty said when the summons was supposed to happen after we arrived?" Lacan asked. "Since this really is a matter that-"
"It says to come immediately upon receiving notice, Lacan."
She pointed out the last few runes towards the bottom of the paper for her Salamence companion, just above the signature and stamp. She watched as his own eyes went back and forth reading the lines. Their movements grew slower, as the reason for the summons had been spelled out as clear as day:
King Siegmund received their correspondence after they'd captured the Dyad earlier this week, and he wanted to know why they hadn't brought her before him since then.
Sophia traded a nervous glance over at Lacan, who appeared to be on edge himself. His wings were held low, as he looked aside and screwed his eyes shut with a tired sigh.
"Wunderbar₈."
Author's Notes
Words and Phrases:
1. Shardragos Suppen - "Druddigon's Soups"
2. Guten Tag - "Hello" / "Good day"
3. Despotar - "Tyranitar"
4. Fünftausend - "Five thousand"
5. Wehrturm - "Defensive tower"
6. Stärke - "Strength", used here in German-style naming convention for the name of a military unit.
7. Impoleon - "Empoleon"
8. Wunderbar - "Wonderful"
Dialogue:
D1. "Dankeschön, kommen Sie wieder!" - "Thank you, come again!"
D2. "Sei nicht so nervös, mein Kind. Welche Bedenken Sie auch immer bezüglich Ihrer bisherigen Begleiter haben, ich bin mir sicher, dass Sie hier bessere finden werden. Das ist schließlich Ihr Zuhause!" - "Don't be so nervous, my child. Whatever your misgivings about your past friends, I'm sure you'll find better ones here. This is your home, after all!"
D3. "Ich bin der Glutexo, und ich möchte eine Suppe bestellen." - "I am the Charmeleon, and I'd like to order a soup."
Teaser Text - Special Thanks to TorchicBellow for Translation:
Even when dwelling in shared lands and while speaking shared tongues, we Pokémon are creatures that come in forms and kinds that can seem as uncountable as stars in the sky. And yet, for all our differences, we share a common thread—an ability to wield the powers of the world that we live in.
Why that is so remains shrouded in myth and folklore among Wilder and Civil alike, with some saying that our strength echoes the might of our gods. That whether great or small, mighty or feeble, that we all carry flickers of an infiniteᵃ energy with boundless potential. This energy has gone by many names through the ages, which we know in the present day as "Ether".
Possessing a body imbued with ether is the mark which distinguishes Pokémon from other life in our world, which often hides potential beyond what comes naturally or intuitively to us. And yet, we know from our records and folklore that it is possible to have the wisdom to manipulate this power even without being able to wield it by oneself.
It is said that in their twilight years, humans developed a great proficiency at manipulating the ether of Pokémon. Glimpses of this wisdom and the wonders that were worked because of it can be seen through the tay-emmsᵇ and fow-emmsᶜ which have survived to this day. Strange relics that, with an appropriate Move Tutor, can leave a greater impact on the ether of a Pokémon's body than weeks of tutoring through rote repetition.
What else humans were capable of through manipulating such power, we know not beyond muddled and conflicting tales of fantastical machines and great radiances. Though based on the tales of the other wonders that mankind accomplished, it seems safe to conclude that were it not for the Great Flash, they surely could have transformed themselves into something so much more.ᵈ
- Excerpt of 'The Royal Lexicon of Sciences and Arts'
a. Semantic translation. A more literal one would be "endless", with the "endless energy" in the original text alluding to the same concept as "infinite energy" does here.
b. Derived by phonetic approximation of the original letters.
c. Derived by phonetic approximation of the original letters.
d. Semantic translation. A more literal one for the portion following the Great Flash would be roughly "they surely could have become something much greater".