"There are a lot more people here than I expected," Lillie stated as she shuffled into the front row of seats set before a stage with her precious Alolan Vulpix comfortably in her arms. The lights were dim, but she could clearly see the seats that had been reserved in the front for herself, her mother, and Mister Bill. And there were already two others next to them. "Miss Melanie, Mister A.J., you both made it already?
The young man merely gave a slight grunt in acknowledgment as he rested his head in his hand, elbow propped up on the armrest. He clearly wasn't in a talkative mood. Then again, she imagined he wouldn't be in much of one since the incident and the reveal that he had actually been working with the International Police.
That had been a… story, to say the least. All of it.
"I was able to leave the pokémon in the care of some reliable individuals for the moment, thankfully," said the Caretaker of the Pokémon Shelter in a gentle tone as Lillie took the seat next to her, giving the young trainer and her partner a welcoming smile. Then she turned her attention to Bill. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Mister Bill."
"Likewise," Bill answered. He had come dressed in a simple shirt and trousers for the occasion and took a seat at the end, leaving Lusamine next to her daughter. "I'm happy to see you doing so well after that incident."
Given that Lillie had been involved, her mother and Bill had been informed that some thugs had come to harass the shelter. They left the finer details out in their report to the police due to A.J.'s request and his apparent involvement with a higher authority, but the police still notified Lusamine. They had to given that Liligant had technically attacked two people.
Her mother's response had been that she was doing what she was supposed to, protecting Lillie, and so there was nothing wrong with it. But when Lillie brought up that she thought she saw a Battle Aura for a moment, she and Bill had taken her to do some testing. Thankfully it seemed she was okay, with them labeling it as likely being a "side-effect" of her exposure that would eventually be expelled with enough time.
But seeing her eyes so cold still sent a shiver up Lillie's spine at the time.
"The damage has been repaired and the pokémon are thankfully moving on," Melanie said. Then she turned her attention to Lusamine. "And it is a pleasure to meet you in person, Miss Lusamine."
"The pleasure is mine," Lusamine responded. "My daughter and Bill have told me much about your work. It makes me happy to see that such efforts are being made, though sad that it's a necessity. If my own condition were better or I had access to my full facilities, I would gladly assist more."
"No, your daughter and Lilligant have been a wonderful help," Melanie told her. "The pokémon adore them both. Especially the younger ones, who love it when they play with them while I'm too busy."
"Then I'll have Lilligant continue to assist even after Lillie's departure," Lusamine decided. "She loves being around such young and eager pokémon that appreciate her."
That was right. Time was moving along and now that her mother was in a comfortable position to begin her treatment, Lillie would be doing as other girls her age who took on the trade of a Trainer and begin her journey to improve herself.
So soon Lillie would be departing from Cerulean City.
"Ah, Azuria stated that Zinn was apparently insistent he wanted Lilligant to see his performance." Melanie extended her hand towards a small, empty section that was cordoned off. "She and the other smaller pokémon you all might have brought can enjoy it there as well."
Lusamine decided to let Lilligant free from her ball and into the section. And since there was enough space, she had Clefable join her. Bewear and Milotic were too large, and Mismagius was still sleeping at the moment.
"Would she mind if I let Bellamy and Shuckle join them as well?" Lillie asked. There was a chance that Shuckle would simply go to sleep, but she imagined that Bellamy would enjoy the performance.
"I'm certain she would love for them to see it as well," Melanie assured her. "Snubbull might enjoy it too."
The mention of the Fairy Pokémon left her expression to dampen somewhat. "Snubbull… isn't with us. He insisted he didn't want to come and ran off like he's been doing every day since then."
"…I see," Melanie murmured, her expression softening as well. She had known Snubbull even longer than Lillie, so hearing he wasn't doing well after getting hurt for her sake had no doubt been hard to take.
That was when A.J. spoke. "He's off training."
Lillie perked up at that. "Huh?"
"He thought he was strong after beating Gyrados only to immediately get crushed with barely any effort," the Ace Trainer explained. "His pride is in tatters, made worse by the fact that he wanted to protect you all and failed. The only thing he can do is push himself to get stronger, so he's running off to do just that. I have one of my pokémon keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't cause problems, but if you try to coddle him it'll just hurt his pride worse."
The conversation died there as he refused to elaborate further. He had apparently had his pokémon keeping an eye on their places since what happened. Or so he said considering they hadn't noticed any of them, which was chilling in its own way to know. All she could do was take his word for it as she released her two little pokémon to join the others as Bill allowed his Espeon and Umbreon to join the group, while his Clefairy copied Koko and sat on his lap.
The already dim lights slowly faded out into darkness to signal that the performance was about to begin. The voices of the audience around them petered out and were replaced with quiet anticipation. The eyes of everyone fell onto the stage as they awaited the arrival of the Coordinator who had taken the Kanto circuit by storm….
And the darkness was banished by the light of a miniature sun that appeared above the stage.
The Flower Pokémon stood with his eyes closed beneath the radiant sphere that shed soft sunlight. It was probably the calmest that Lillie had seen Zinn, considering his normal eagerness towards Lilligant. But he sat there with a cute Heat Rock necklace that complimented his naturally beautiful floral appearance, basking in the soft shroud of his Chlorophyll ability.
Then a soft chime began to play. The ringing of a bell that was pleasant to the ears. A soft and inviting sound, it rang over and over. And, as if to announce the beginning of the performance in earnest, Zinn slowly opened his dark eyes and took his audience into his vision, his smile widening ever so slightly when he saw the Flowering Pokémon was among them.
Zinn then began to dance. It was elegant as one would expect. Every movement in time with the pleasant chime of the gentle bell on the ears. But then there was a crescendo as the chime drew itself out and the Flower Pokémon threw his hands into the air before he spun himself around, leaving a viridian pulse to surge out from beneath his petals in all directions.
Lillie's breath was stolen. Most of the crowd was enamored as the dance left short grass and vibrant flowers to envelope the stage. It was almost as if he had transformed the world around him into a flower field in the middle of a warm, Spring day.
Zinn seemed invigorated by the response as he began to spin even faster, releasing a gentle storm of pink petals that spread out beyond the stage and into the air, pulling their gazes above to where the petals fell like snow. And when they looked back to the center of the stage, Azuria had appeared in an elegant dress.
And she was standing in the center of four Flower Pokémon instead.
In tandem, the four began to spin around her as she moved with a complimenting dance like she was one of them. The rustle of the grass joined with a wondrous scent that slowly filled the air and captivated their senses. They continued to move for an uncounted time until the light transitioned into soft moonlight instead.
It was as if they had danced from day to night. Tired, they all slowly lowered themselves onto the grass that began to slowly disintegrate into viridian motes that rose into the air. Then they closed their eyes as the light petered away and darkness once more reclaimed the stage.
Silence rang out as everyone took a moment to process what happened.
Then the lights came back on and Azuria was standing on the stage as it had been before the performance with a microphone in hand. "So, did everyone enjoy our opening performance in our city's brand-new Contest Hall?"
The response was applause and praise, which indicated they most certainly did. Lillie was among them, with Koko yipping in her lap. Their pokémon in their seating area also joined in, showing that everyone truly enjoyed the show—except A.J., who seemed intent on being stoic.
She gave them all a wink before flourishing her arms. "Aww, thanks everyone~ We have more performances for all of you, starring the lovely pokémon that I met here in this wonderful place. This is our appreciation to Cerulean City, the city of flowing waters and blooming flowers that we call home!"
[-A Lily Blossoms in Kanto-]
"That was amazing!" Lillie's voice came out jovial, followed by an excited yip from the Alolan Vulpix next to her as they entered the backstage room. The performance had only just come to an end and the audience for the opening of the Cerulean City Contest Hall had begun to depart from their seats. But she had to come and sing praises for the performance she had witnessed.
There were roughly four performances that Azuria and her pokémon had put on, each one telling a different story through them. And while they had all been impressive in their own way, the last one especially got the crowd excited. The entire audience had stood up in applause—except A.J. But that was par the norm for him, Lillie had come to realize.
The excitable Bellossom immediately came over towards Lilligant, who naturally followed her trainer's daughter as usual. The Flower Pokémon turned around slowly to show himself off along with his Heat Rock before making an inquiring sound. The Flowering Pokémon responded with a slight turn of her head and a soft sound before giving a nod. His response to that was to jump into the air with a somersault before trying to hug her… which was intercepted by Pieri as he used Teleport to transition him into Gracie's waiting arms.
"And you were so cool on stage," Azuria sighed as he wriggled in the Rabbit Pokémon's grasp before smiling as Melanie and A.J. entered the room next. "Thanks for coming. We really wanted to show you what we've been practicing all this time."
"It was very impressive," Melanie said in earnest as the Butterfree fluttered closer to them, his eyes fixed on his former trainer. Even Lillie could tell he was still looking for validation from his former trainer when she recalled what happened back when they had first met. "Didn't you think so too, A.J.?"
He only crossed his arms before shifting his head up towards the Butterfly Pokémon that fluttered slowly near him. "Like I said before, you weren't suited for battles. You're better off on the stage where you can really shine. Keep it up."
"Furee, free! Free!" Pieri chittered happily, bobbing his head while his compound eyes glimmered. It was enough to leave the Coordinator and all of her pokémon to smile at the sight. Even Zinn stopped struggling long enough to give them a moment.
"An inquiry, zzt!" Rotom said as he floated over, the living pokédex parking himself in front of her. His screen then displayed a video clip of the finale of the performance, which had her literally dancing in the air with Lopunny while surrounded by hearts, musical notes, and flower petals before vanishing in a burst of what looked to be stardust. It had been the most breathtaking sight. "How was this possible, zrt?"
"It's because of the hard work these guys did," she said. "We spent months working on all of them for this day."
As she explained it, Pieri handled most of the teleporting that allowed them to vanish and reappear, often when there was something that obscured the vision of those on the stage for a split moment. That required taking advantage of his compound vision to remain aware of the state of everyone and then transition them from place to place. And because of Safeguard he could use his various powders to add to the atmosphere and special effects, which he could manipulate with his Confusion.
And while Lolo was normally somewhat slow to respond in battle given that he was a… well, Slowbro, he had a good memory. So once the routine was set with his response speed in mind, he could carry it out with his impressively tactile psychic abilities, which were what allowed them to float and dance in the air.
Lopunny was naturally graceful and humanoid enough that she could wear clothing more suitable to people and imitate movements. That made her the perfect actor or dance partner for Azuria, given they were close to the same height. The fact that they were so in sync with one another meant even a complex dance number was within their abilities without making mistakes.
As for Lynn, Sing and Attract were always visually appealing, and Heal Bell was pleasant to the ears. But because she also had Copycat, she could borrow the techniques of the others and double down to add to them. So if they needed to replicate something she could do so from off-stage while the others did their own thing, making it so she was an entire visual effects team in one.
Then there was Zinn, who had a lot more variety than she expected. Lillie had known that his abilities, such as using Sunny Day and Grassy Terrain. were useful for enhancing the abilities of a Grass-Type Pokémon and, with his Chlorophyll ability, he could become very fast and hit hard in battle. However, it took time to set them up, which made them difficult to use in combat. That wasn't the case on a stage where they could turn an otherwise mundane setting into a meadow. And then there was the fact that he had Moonlight, which transitioned his Sunny Day into night, but also Double Team, which he could control individually similar to how Elio's Crobat could.
"…The techniques you've taught him aren't just for show," A.J. said after hearing her out. "He's your Ace in a battle, isn't he?"
Her response to the sudden question about the capabilities of the Flower Pokémon shifted the mood somewhat. "And what makes you think that?"
"The Grassy Terrain gives him regenerative properties, while Sunny Day enhances his speed, and both increase the power of his Petal Dance. It might take time to set up, but that's why you taught him Double Team. And even if he gets hit badly enough, Moonlight's effectiveness is also bolstered by having Sunny Day active. That's the kind of composition that a Gym Leader would prepare for an Eighth Badge challenger."
That caught Lillie by surprise along with Lilligant, whose gaze shifted back toward the Flower Pokémon who remained within Lopunny's grasp. He merely shrugged in response to their gazes.
"…Coordinators train their pokémon for both effectiveness and elegance," Azuria said after a pause. "Just because I don't go after badges doesn't mean that my pokémon can't defend themselves if that's what you're asking. I've been a trainer just as long as you have."
The incident at the Pokémon Shelter still weighed on their minds, as well as the secrets he told them. The ability to steal someone else's pokémon and then turn them against others, leaving them like the Vulpix they had seen. Lillie had been terrified at the thought of someone taking one of her pokémon, just like when her mother had taken Nebby away and was hurting him.
A.J. had his own pokémon taken and had seen what was happening to them. He had to be the most worried of them all, so they understood why he kept it a secret. But still, it had been a heavy topic at the end of the day.
"…Was it really right to hide that information from the police?" Melanie asked him. "Shouldn't the International Police be working with the local authorities?"
"This goes a lot deeper than a couple of thugs who thought they were tough because they were in the lower rungs of the hierarchy," he said. "They've already lost their licenses for what they did and are being detained, and their pokémon have been confiscated and are unlikely to ever be returned to them. As far as everyone else knows that's where it ends. But if they were found with the badges and those balls, the situation would drag all of you further into it. You wouldn't be able to keep making people and pokémon happy and actually doing something to better the world if you always had to watch your backs."
That might have been true but it clearly didn't sit well with most of them as Azuria sighed and crossed her arms. "Just one thing. Was the reason you came back to Cerulean something to do with all of this?"
"The assignment I'm on is irrelevant to this particular incident," was his response, meaning he wouldn't say anything further on it. Then he reached into his pocket and produced what looked to be a ball in an inactive state. The coloration was unique enough that Lillie could identify it as a Heal Ball once he enlarged the ball. "Anyway, this is the last loose end. Come out."
The ball shook softly before bursting open. Light speared out to the ground next to him to reveal a small pokémon standing on all fours with bright brown eyes fixated on them. Its fur coat was a soft brown hue that darkened at its paws, while the red tufts of hair and bushy tail that was split into six curled tips were red with the hue of a soft flame. The ends of the tail wagged before it bounced up on its hind legs with an energetic, "PIX!"
A hitched breath escaped the girls as they found themselves staring at a Kantonian Vulpix playfully bouncing up and down, eventually rising on its hind legs while pressing its forepaws against Melanie's leg to support itself while staring up at her and yipping while wagging her tail.
"Her case was relatively light enough that she was purified without any problem," A.J. said to the unasked question. "The thing about Shadow Pokémon is that just because they don't respond doesn't mean they don't recognize their situation or the people who tried to help them."
The Pokémon Caretaker's teal eyes stared into that of the Fox Pokémon before her legs lowered into a crouch and she scooped her up, embracing her in a hug. "I'm so glad you're better now!"
She responded to the gesture by nestling her cheek against the young woman and purred. "Vul, vul."
"Pix?" Koko trotted forward and let out an inquiring sound, only to be met with a similarly cheerful greeting as Melanie let her down. It brightened the young Alolan Vulpix's expression as the two of them began to play. "Vulpix!"
"Thank you," Melanie told A.J. as she rose back to her feet. "She had been in the back of my mind since you brought her in. Seeing her like this made everything worth it, but what'll happen to her?"
"That's up to you two," he said before he lightly tossed the ball towards the Coordinator, who extended her hands and caught it. "She didn't have a trainer prior, so it's common practice for lighter cases to be introduced back into the wild discreetly by Pokémon Shelters or be adopted by trainers who can be vouched for to treat them well. Do what you want with her."
That said, he turned and left through the door without another word.
"…Can't he ever just be straightforward?" Melanie said in a somewhat exasperated tone before looking over to the ball in Azuria's hands. "He was probably thinking of handing her to us this entire time the moment she was cured with him as the sponsor if we were willing, or to transfer her to another shelter."
Lillie ruminated on that. For some reason, he was starting to remind her of her brother. It was nice he really did have their well-being in mind even if he couldn't just admit it. But she still wondered why more boys couldn't be more open with their feelings like Elio and Hau.
"He probably remembered the fuss I made when I first saw Koko on the train too," Azuria reasoned. "And since you're normally busy with the shelter, that'd leave her to me to take care of."
"Will you?" Lillie asked, curious about their decision. It wouldn't be a surprise if they didn't feel they were in a position to take care of another pokémon with everything that happened. Especially considering it was centered around her, as sad as that was.
"She's adorable and it'd been considering for a while looking into finding a Vulpix to add to my performance," Azuria said before leaning over and addressing the Kantonian kit, who had been listening in after the door shut. "Are you okay with that?"
The young Fox Pokémon bobbed her head. "Pix!"
[-A Lily Blossoms in Kanto-]
In a clearing nestled within the mountainous forests adjacent to the Cerulean Cape, Snubbull stood on wavering legs. The pink puppy had patches of his fur covered in a glaze of frost and bruising, eyes half-lidded but firm as quivers ran through his body. Still strong in spirit, he stared down at the Fresh Snow Pokémon directly across from him.
Further away were the Lightning and Intertwining Pokémon. Fee was hiding behind a tree at the edge of the clearing with a stock of Berries, while Arks was overseeing the two combatants as glimmering, white-and-blue laden mist began to surround Glacian. Then the Ice-Type reared back and drew a deep breath, a bud of white pooling within his half-opened maw that left the blades of grass surrounding him coated in rime as the temperature around his body dropped.
Then in a single exhalation, he unleashed a pure white streak of raw chill from his ice pouch—Ice Beam. It shot forward with an arctic howl as the white glare accompanied by a plume of frost devoured the distance between them. If it struck head-on then all that awaited the target was a frozen embrace of the bitterest, bone-biting cold.
Snubbull had become all-too-familiar with that over the last few days, and so it merited a desperate escape. He threw his small body to the side and let the momentum roll him out of the path, the beam continuing its beeline for scant moments before petering out. Then, he got his stubby little paws under him and darted forward to strike back as the air around his mouth began to waver and smolder.
Glacian's dark blue paws trampled the frozen grass as he ran forth to meet the head-on attack. The air around him crackled as jagged ice began to take shape, forming crystalline teeth with wicked points that were ready to snap down as flames from Snubbull's maw wove themselves into a fiery replica from which embers scattered as the distance between them shrank to zero.
Two maws snapped shut as fire and ice pantomimed the motion. Heat viciously attempted to devour the cold and pierce into the underbody of the Fresh Snow Pokémon, but unlike before there was no artificial sun to bolster its strength and the ice was the dominion of Ice-Types. Melted ice turned into water and water snuffed the flames in mutual destruction as the forceful exertion of polar elements left a lukewarm fog cloud swallowing them.
Then yellow, brief flashes in the fog appeared before Glacian emerged from it the thinning veil with a pink blur on his tail. Streamers of electricity were lancing from the Fairy Pokémon's protruding maw as the fangs themselves were wreathed in the hue of lightning itself. They arced between his lips as he lunged forward and attempted to drive them into the frigid, teal fur.
The Fresh Snow Pokémon lips pulled back into a wry smile as he eluded the attempt, a somersault that carried him out of range of the half-formed fangs woven of thin electric streamers. Frost-laden mist accompanied the motion as with an exhale Glacian sent out a spray of Ice Shards in retaliation. Hastily formed and brittle as they were, the chunks of ice still slammed point-blank into his dense skull and toppled the puppy backward.
Snubbull's tiny body quivered as he attempted to rise once more to continue fighting. But the lingering pain and mounting aches took their toll. He collapsed with his snout in the soggy grass, a strained voice groan slipping out of his maw as he lay there in agony.
Soft steps reached his ears until a shadow was cast over him. He turned his head and peered at the Fresh Pokémon looking down upon him. Glacian prodded him with his paw a few times before quietly barking. "Gla-gla?"
Snubbull wasn't nearly ready to call it quits. His pride wouldn't allow it. But, since that day, the Fairy Pokémon had been made to realize more bitterly than ever that, even if the spirit was willing, the flesh was frail.
The puppy had thought he was strong. He had just triumphed over the mightiest foe he had ever faced before. He had sharpened his fangs to where he could clash with even larger fangs than his own. Yet he had been taken out in a single punch—like he was nothing.
His pride had been shattered. But more than that he could remember the voices calling out for him as he lay there, unable to move. There was nothing worse than being helpless as the others were threatened and he was unable to do anything. He couldn't face any of them after that.
Not until he was stronger.
And the only way to do that was to push himself further than before. To strengthen his jaws. To sharpen his fangs. To fight.
He stood up. Feeble as his flesh was, wracked with aches and pain, his spirit remained steady and stalwart. Enough that he forced himself back onto his quivering paws and he challenged the Fresh Snow Pokémon once more. "B-bulll…"
"Jol." That was when Arks called for his younger sibling to pull back as several berries came plopping down in front of Snubbull. A Sitrus Berry and an Oran Berry to dull the aches and pains. A pair of Leppa Berries to reinvigorate his fangs. Fee had tossed them over with her ribbon-like appendages as Glacian reluctantly moved back as their older sibling stepped forward to present the next challenge towards Snubbull's growth.
Writhing streamers of electricity danced across the Jolteon's frame. Though not the eldest of male siblings, he stood proud and powerful. Lacking the sloth of his elder brother, driven to seek strength, the Lightning Pokémon was the Thunderclap of the Cerulean Cape.
The Fairy Pokémon had yet to land a single blow upon the Lightning Pokémon. He was the fastest among the siblings and likely the fastest pokémon in the Cape. He was the obstacle that Snubbull needed to overcome to become stronger and he could not rest before doing so.
Not if he was going to become stronger.
Snubbull devoured the berries as quickly as possible and readied himself for the next round. Lightning may ravage his muscles. Frost may bite his bones. But so long as he was resolute in spirit he would get right back up regardless of the aches and pains.
Until his fangs were strong enough to protect the kind human who had taken care of him. "BULLLLL!"
[-A Lily Blossoms in Kanto-]
Ghost flames flickered in the darkness as pale wisps of fire left shadows to dance. Mystical Fire divided into small orbs slowly ringed the group of travelers. It acted as their sole source of illumination within the cavernous depths of Mt. Moon.
The mountain itself was rather famous within Kanto, now consisting of a system of modestly lit and artificially carved tunnels. These created a pathway that would lead to Pewter City from Cerulean City, meant for Trainers who wished to complete their Gym Challenge. However, there were still countless natural tunnels that formed a labyrinth belonging solely to the native pokémon.
It was in these tunnels that Lillie now walked, trying to keep her breath tempered as she ventured through the stygian darkness with Koko nestled in her arms. She and Koko, along with her mother, Clefable, and Mismagius, had been following Bill's Clefairy for quite some time now according to the clock on her Pokégear.
The journey had been marked by unnatural silence, only broken by the scarce conversation and light singing done by the Fairy Pokémon acting as their guide. The darkness constantly pressed against the ring of flames conjured by the Magical Pokémon, and the shadows played tricks on her mind in the form of silhouettes, so the lack of extended vision was already leaving the young trainer rather tense. Then there was the fact that they hadn't run into a single pokémon so far despite how long they'd traveled.
Lillie knew should be grateful for that. Her mother had brought her here as part of a surprise, and having to deal with waves of the infamous Zubat population and territorial Paras was an unpleasant prospect this deep underground. But the absence of all of them felt horribly unnerving.
"You're tense." The simple and soft statement pulled her emerald eyes from the shadows and instead towards her mother. "Are you nervous, Lillie?"
"…The lack of random encounters to this point has gotten me a bit shaken up," Lillie admitted. "It's strange that we haven't run into any other pokémon this entire time. Since we're away from a pathway traveled by people, I thought more of them would be here."
"Oh, that's because of Cecilia and Mismagius." She gestured towards the ring of fire dancing around them. "Most of the pokémon here are Troglofaunal, so they tend to have either excellent dark vision, smell, or hearing. Mystical Fire serves to ward the former away because it would be too bright for them, while Cecilia is currently using a less potent Sing to make any nearby pokémon lethargic enough that they won't risk coming towards an unknown intruder in their territory."
"So that's why you told me not to bring any Repels," Lillie asked, having realized that must have been why Koko had been so quiet. She must have been teetering on falling asleep until now. "You had this method in mind."
"Subtle methods are often best if you don't want to disturb the local pokémon," Lusamine explained. "The scent from Repel lingers a lot longer than you would think, more so in confined spaces such as this. It would agitate them and that could cause other lasting problems—which just wouldn't do since we're here as guests tonight."
Her curiosity had grown to the point of almost bursting by now. Just about everyone else except her knew what was going on. "Guests for what?"
Lusamine only pressed a finger to her lips to express that it was a secret for the moment before turning her attention toward the duo of Fairy Pokémon ahead of them. Cecilia was practically carefree as she hopped forward with each step, while Clefable seemed to waver between excitement and nervousness. Both of their fur had been groomed and washed the night prior and they carried small items in their grasp.
In the case of Cecilia, she was carrying a bundle of Leppa Berries in her tiny arms. Lillie presumed she took it from the Berry Trees outside of Bill's Cottage, so she didn't question it. But Clefable had a small stone that had a smooth texture and a dark gloss that made it look like a small piece of the night sky made solid—a Moon Stone. That was a lot rarer and Lillie was unsure if she found it somewhere along the way or if someone had given it to her.
A few more minutes later Lillie picked up the scent of fresh air and noticed the darkness seemed to be thinning. Faint light was making its way into the caverns. They must have been close to an exit now.
Cecilia confirmed as much as she stopped her joyful jumping and turned to face them, gesturing further ahead and to the right. "Fai-fi! Clefairy?"
"Cecilia, you can go ahead and take them to our seats," Lusamine told the small Fairy Pokémon. "Mismagius and I will catch up, but there's one final thing I want to prepare since this is as much a reward for Clefable as it is for Lillie. We'll be there shortly before you begin."
Clefable slouched at that, turning her dark eyes towards the ground. Her blunted fingers tightened around the Moon Stone and the antennae serving as her wings seemed to fidget. It was the most nervous that Lillie had ever seen her. "Faaa…"
"Clefable, don't be so nervous," Lusamine told her while gently brushing the curled tuft of her hair. She then embraced the Fairy Pokémon in a maternal hug. "I'm sure they'll love you as if you were one of their own."
The Magical Pokémon tilted her brim in agreement while bringing her ribbon-like appendages around Clefable as well. "Magius. Ma."
Sandwiched between the two of them, the nervousness that had been threading Clefable's posture seemed to melt away under their reassurance. She nodded her head as they pulled away, wearing a brave smile. "Fable!"
Then Mismagius turned her attention towards Lillie. Or rather, her hood. "Maaagius?"
I-I'll be good, zzt, Rotom responded abruptly, shifting within her hood. The living Pokédex had been eerily quiet since Mismagius had pulled it aside briefly before they entered the tunnels. Lillie wasn't sure what the Ghost-Type had said to Rotom, but it hadn't uttered a single word until now out of what she assumed to be unbridled fear. I promise, zrt!
Mismagius huffed before turning back to the Clefairy and nodding. "Ma."
"Fairy!" Cecilia let out an energetic cheer and gestured for them to follow before she began hopping towards the entrance.
Lillie, even more thoroughly confused by the situation than before, followed the pair of Fairy Pokémon as they led her out of the caverns. She could at least grasp from the conversation that whatever surprise her mother had in mind for her would involve Clefable. And considering it was the home of the local population of Clefairy, she suspected it had something to do with them as well.
That said, her breath stalled when she set foot out of the confined tunnels and laid eyes on the beautiful scenery.
The ground beneath them was now a meadow leading down into gently sloping ridges. It was laden with grass and shrubbery, all of which whistled softly as a breeze rolled throughout the area. The argent sheen that ran along the tips seemed almost like waves running over the surface of a dark green sea as they made their way toward the center of the area.
There, at the bottom, was a flower garden of white lily blossoms that shone brightly in the moonlight. They grew out of a large pond that seemed to have white stars mirroring the sky above spread throughout the dark water. And at the heart of that pond was a large, dark boulder that jutted out of the water.
The sky above was unveiled and unblemished by the artificial lights of the city. Countless stars dotted the infinite expanse like jewels spread across a raven curtain. Their colors spread from white to red to blue and each of them glimmered and twinkled like they were vying for her attention.
But all of them paled in comparison to the blue moon. The celestial body was nearing the apex of the sky, ringed in a captivating halo that cast its light on the opposite side of the ridge. She could only imagine that it would continue to drift until it reached the highest point in the sky and shone down like a spotlight on the gardens.
"Fai-Fai!" Cecilia called out to Lilie and Koko, both of whom remembered to breathe after being drawn into the sight of it all. The pair of Fairy Pokémon were further ahead of them, near a dense collection of shrubbery. Once Lillie caught up with them, Bill's pokémon turned back to the shrub and pointed her tiny finger toward it.
Her body began to glow a sparkling pink hue before the motes of light turned a shade of green. They then trailed through her body before finally flowing into the shrub from her finger. The flora rattled softly before the leaves themselves parted like a curtain being pulled to the sides, allowing them to head inside. Cecilia then jumped into the newly formed entrance. "Clefairy!"
Lillie stuck her head through the entrance and once more found herself surprised by what awaited her inside. The collection of shrubs was a single and spacious room. It was as if a naturally formed bunker somehow found its way into the mountainside.
The ground past the entrance sloped downwards into a compacted soil floor, while the roots themselves ran up the sides of the walls and ceiling in a lattice pattern that overlayed the velvet-smooth and waterproof leaves. There was a makeshift window where a break in the pattern alongside one of the walls exposed the leaves that were parted by Cecilia gesturing to it, explaining the pair of high-powered binoculars could be seen on the high-legged long table beneath it with a pair of chairs to match.
Cushions lined one side of the walls, spread out and color-coded. Opposite them was another desk that had a portable refrigerator next to it. There was a laptop with some other portable machinery next to it that might have either been a portable healing machine or a pokéball transferer.
"What is this place?" Lillie asked Cecilia, who strung together an excitable series of noises that Lillie turned to Rotom to translate. It was apparently a Secret Base that Bill created by having her use Secret Power, which allowed her to manipulate the collection of shrubs into forming it. Lillie recalled Azuria mentioning that technique before, but she didn't know that it could be used to make a place like this.
Koko gently liberated herself from Lillie's grasp and made her way over to one of the cushions, an icy-blue color in particular. She then touched her nose to it and made a yipping before laying down on top of it and flicking her tail. That caused a thin layer of frost to form on top of it rather than seep into the materials. "Pix!"
With the Secret Base now open, Cecilia then turned to Clefable and exchanged words. Clefable responded with a slight quirk and soft murmur as she held up the Moon Stone. It seemed she was uncertain about it before Cecilia hopped up and down with what seemed to be optimistic cheer and reassurance. That seemed to be enough to satisfy Clefable as she waved to Lillie before leaving with Cecilia, leaving the trainer alone with Rotom and Koko.
Lillie took to looking around the Secret Base further until Lusamine and Mismagius came through the entrance a few minutes later. Her mother's gaze spanned the interior of the bunker, unhidden admiration reflected in her eyes. "How comfy for a minimalistic observatory. That man continues to impress me."
"Observatory?" Lillie quirked her head to the side. "Are we here to watch something involving the Clefairy and Clefable?"
Lusamine nodded. "I suppose the time for secrecy has passed now. The truth is that Bill has told me about a ritual dance that the colony of Clefairy in this region performs once a month when the moon happens to be full and reaches its apex. And it just so happens to be tonight, so I wanted us to watch together before you leave."
Surprise couldn't even begin to cover what Lillie felt at that moment. The behavior and habits of Clefairy and Clefable in the wild were scarcely recorded due to how secretive that line of pokémon tended to be. They possessed excellent hearing to the point where even happening upon them by chance was unlikely unless they wanted to be found or in rare circumstances like how her mother stumbled upon Clefable as a Cleffa.
Now it made sense why there was a Secret Base here. Using Secret Power coaxed nature itself to become a place he could watch in secret without disturbing them. They wouldn't be able to see it from above and it was far enough away to be out of earshot. "Wow, that sounds amazing. And Clefable is taking part too?"
"That's right. I wanted to do something nice for her since she's been so supportive of us, so what better way than to help her get in touch with her distant family here in Kanto? But that's not the only surprise tonight."
She then pulled a miniaturized ball from her pocket that had a design that was almost an inversion of Koko's Premier Ball. The pure white exterior was lacquered jet black instead, with bands of red hemmed by gold and white. Setting it into an active state, Lusamine then handed it over to her. "I'm sure she'll accept you."
Taking it gingerly into her grasp, Lillie looked down at it and then back up to the retreating figure of her mother. She then pressed the button to release it from inside, causing the ball to pop open. There was a flash of light as the energy conversion took place and the pokémon within took form in front of her.
It was as if something had taken a rainbow and the clouds that supported it from the sky and molded them into a beauteous filly that came up to her stomach—possessing a quadrupedal body mostly covered in sleek fur that was a shade of white with a touch of blue-gray, a gently protruding horn rising from the crown of its head, and clouds dyed soft shades of purple and blue in place of a mane, a tail, and fetlocks.
Lillie was lost for words as a pair of intelligent, light-blue iris on a purple backdrop shifted up to meet her emerald eyes. Then the young equine let out a soft snorting sound and trod forward before brushing against her abdomen. Slender hands came up and brushed against her mane almost reflexively as she balanced herself on her rear foot.
Her appearance had perked Koko's interest as well. The young vixen rose from Glacian's cushion and hurried over eagerly. She then let out an inquisitive murmur while pressing her dark-blue nose up toward the newcomer.
The presence of the Fox Pokémon elicited a calm glance and quirk of the head. Then the filly shifted her head down and prodded Koko with her snout. It seemed she held just as much inquisitive novelty to the young equine.
"I made the right call after all," Lusamine said, sounding pleased with herself while standing halfway across from the base. "If there was anyone she would accept, it would be you."
"Mother, is she a Ponyta?" Lillie asked while crouching down to show them both affection by softly running her fingers along their fur. The filly looked to be smaller than a Ponyta normally found in the region according to the pokédex entry she'd read, at maybe around a little over two-and-a-half feet tall. Oh, and the lack of flames.
Analyzzzzing now…please hold…zzzt… Rotom chimed in while floating overhead and snapping a photo. Data not found within database, zzrt!?
"Similar to how Koko is a regional variant of that developed Ice-Typing due to its habitat, this little one is a regional variant from a land called Galar with inherent Psychic-Typing," Lusamine explained while pulling out a small guidebook and extending it out to Mismagius. The Magical Pokémon used her ribbon-like appendage to bring it over to Lillie. "This will help you understand her behaviors and how to care for her since your little Rotom doesn't have information on caring for a Galarian variant within its database."
Lillie obtained Galarian Ponyta Care Guide!
Taking the guidebook in hand, Lillie flipped to the Table of Contents first and became acquainted with the names of the chapters before turning her attention to the labeled 'Meeting your Ponyta for the first time.'
"Hmm… it states that 'Unique Horn Pokémon are usually cautious around most people until they can meet their gaze and sense they don't have hostile intentions'. Is that what you mean about her accepting me?"
"That's right." Lusamine shifted her gaze away from the Unique Horn Pokémon. "It's said that they can read the hearts of those they stare into the eyes of, so no doubt she senses the part of me that I'm most ashamed of. Fortunately, she's been raised around people enough to have a broader tolerance and not run away. But she isn't usually comfortable if I get too close, so I've been using Mismagius and Clefable as intermediaries since I obtained her."
"I'm sure that there must be another reason that she gets nervous," Lillie said. "You're not a bad person."
Her mother only smiled sadly at that. "Lillie, part of me still has those same impulses that led me to do everything I did. I'm better at recognizing and suppressing them, but until the neurotoxins are completely out of my system they aren't going away. And once the procedure begins my behavior will likely become even more erratic."
Lillie knew that her mother had become cripplingly lethargic at times due to the lingering remnants of Nihilego's neurotoxins. There were good days, where she would wake relatively normally, and bad days, where her slumber would last for quite some time. The fact that she had managed to stay awake the entire day and even climb up Mt. Moon was likely only because she was pushing herself to see tonight through to the end.
But the removal of the rest of the neurotoxins would throw her body, mind, and emotions into disarray. So much so that it had to be done incrementally with periods of convalescence between them. Lillie had been told as much before.
"I've already taken measures to make sure my pokémon will be cared for during the times I won't be able to," Lusamine continued. "And I explained to them that, regardless of how I act after tonight, not to do anything I order that contradicts what's best for me according to Bill or Wicke. Mismagius, Lilligant, and Clefable will also keep an eye on Milotic and Bewear to make sure that they don't end up being taken advantage of by me in that state as well. And if I become too difficult to manage, they'll all be sent back to the Aether Foundation until I've fully recovered."
Lillie quietly acknowledged that would be best. Mismagius, Lilligant, and Clefable wouldn't obey her if they saw her mental state deteriorating because they loved her. But Bewear and Milotic would listen to her no matter what her current state was for that same reason, and forcing the other three to keep them in line would be unfair. So having them all sent off as a last resort was a safety protocol they had to consider for everyone's sake.
But her mother would truly be alone then. "…Should I stay a little longer? Just until you're through the first few rounds?"
Golden hair swayed as she firmly shook her head. "You've done more than enough, so it would be wrong of me to delay your growth to cling to you any longer. And… perhaps it's a bit selfish of me, but I don't want you to see me when I'm at my lowest again. I want the last memory you have of me to be a happy one that will last until the next time we are reunited. By then that sweet Ponyta will be able to look me in the eyes with an unbroken gaze."
There was nothing more that Lillie could do for her mother by staying with her. She had already made her resolve despite being aware of everything that would follow. She had taken precautions and ensured that her own pokémon would be well taken care of if she was unable to. And now she had given a gift pokémon to her daughter that could judge the heart itself, meaning no matter how strongly she lied to herself the truth would be known.
All Lillie could do was honor her quest and continue her journey. Even so, it weighed heavy in her heart enough that she felt compelled to go over and hug her tightly.
Lusamine returned the embrace just as tight, holding fast to the point where she didn't want to let go as she looked to the entrance of the Secret Base. The moon was almost at its apex and in the distant night sky she could see star pieces descending from the ridges of the mountain. The daughters of the moon would begin their dance soon.
[-A Lily Blossoms in Kanto-]
Clefable found herself lost in thought as she gazed upon the heavenly body above with an unbroken vigilance.
When was the last time that she had seen Mother Moon so voluptuous and full? When was the last time she felt the argent blanket that she cast down wash over her? When was the last time she felt herself being filled as she drank in the silver milk spilled from her bosom, unspoiled by the artificial lights of man?
Not since she had been little more than a newborn.
She had been hatched for only a short time. Her eyes had only opened for so long. Her steps were so heavy and slow. Yet the moment she laid eyes on Mother Moon and felt her gentle rays grace her, it stirred something deep inside of her—an instinctual and primordial longing to return to the embrace of the mother.
So, like the rest of her colony, she tried to cross the sea of stars to return to her once more by jumping with all her might. However, she was but a small thing that had yet to even have wings to sail free of the bounds of the earth. Or balance herself while exceedingly close to the side of a mountain as a strong wind sent her on a long fall...
Yet that had guided her right into the arms of her second mother at that moment, delivering her to those who would care for her in place of her colony. Her kin could not stand being alone, and in the place of those whose side she could not return to these people became her family. They showered her with affection and made her so happy that she finally gained wings that would bring her closer to Mother Moon's embrace.
And so, as she was loved, so too did she love her earthbound family.
However, they couldn't understand the primordial longing she felt in the same way others of her own could. It was something that came from within her and not something she could share with them… neither the yearning nor the splendor.
The joy and the burden had been hers alone for so long.
Until now.
She heard the soft and eager mewls of the young over the night breeze. The eager chirrups of the adolescents over the rustling of the flowers. And the inquisitive voices of the elders from on high. The sounds drew her gaze from Mother Moon to the mountaintop beneath her voluptuous form where pink fairies floated down from above with wings draped in silver and white.
The younglings who lacked their wings were nestled snuggly in the embrace of those whose wings had reached a maturity that rivaled her own. And those whose small wings had yet to unfold carried with them small berries, fruits, and even mushrooms to be feasted upon. Old and young, small and tall, her kin had arrived one and all.
To revel in Mother Moon's presence until dawn.
One of them took to the front of the colony as they landed amidst the flowers without a sound. Around her neck was a piece of a star strung with a cord and atop her head was a crown of flowers whereas the others only sported one. There was no doubt she was the matron—the eldest of the colony who oversaw the rest.
Clefable felt a lump in her throat as the matron inquired, in a soft tone. Who is it you bring, sister who dwells outside of our home?
A sister! A sister! One from a far-off home! Celica cheerfully intoned. She wishes to revere the mother and brings with her a gift from above!
Eyes fell upon the glimmering stone that she held between her small palms. Those which were called Moon Stones by men were rare gifts from the mother, not mere stones bathed in her light. Steepled in her milk and then cast down from the night sky, they gave strength to her children so that they might one night be able to fly home.
How rare. How rare. A sister from afar.
An elder sister who brings a precious stone at that. How rare for a single night.
Such fortune. Such fortune. The work of the mother no doubt.
She brings us an elder sister and a step closer to embracing her in a single night.
The murmurs of her kin came to an end as the matron held her hand up. As she gazed long upon the newcomer in silence her fears bubbled up once more. Had she not been accepted? Will she be rejected? Should she dared not hope?
Mother's touch is faint upon you. Bleached by a strange light. Much like the sister who accompanied you, no doubt you will not stay beyond the night.
But a sister you are. And an elder sister at that. So, we welcome you, dear sister from a far-off land.
Let us offer your gift to the mother so you may bathe in her light. Then you may join us in reverence to Mother Moon until she descends when Father Sun rises.
With the matron's words spoken gently, and her judgment passed, she gestured for the newcomer to follow as they approached the still surface of the pond where the monument to the mother sat. Her wings shifted as the gossamer rays bathed them with their glow and made her light as air. Then she bound along the surface of the water, leaving ripples in her wake until she reached where the sacred stone sat.
She followed with the same motions, caution in her steps. As she did so she noticed there were even more stones beneath the depths. They had been cast into the water, which came up to her waist. And when she reached the center of the pond the matron bid her to do the same. The fairy watched the gift from the mother sink beneath the surface with a soft plink, joining the rest that numbered more than she could say.
Then she noticed a soft glow bathing her from behind. It was the same radiant feeling as when she had first seen Mother Moon burning bright in the sky. She turned her gaze slowly to the monument to the mother that sat at the heart of the pond and bore witness to a truly marvelous sight.
Now that Mother Moon had reached her highest point in the night sky her greatest gift was dark no more. It instead shone as brilliantly as she did, her silver milk spilling freely from the stone. It washed over the dark surface of the water meant to mirror the night sky, and the offerings to the mother cast into it began to shine like the jewels she cast throughout the raven blanket of the night.
How radiant! How radiant! Mother graces us tonight!
Again! Again! She shines her light!
One night! One night! When she shines bright!
Ascend! Ascend! We will join her in the night sky!
The fairies chanted one and all as they were washed in the silvery light. Their bodies became so light that they began to rise. Untethered by gravity now that Mother Moon had risen high, they danced around the earthbound moon with their mother watching from the night sky.
[-A Lily Blossoms in Kanto-]
"I can see now why Bill would come here to observe them time and again," Lusamine said with the enthusiasm of a scientist at heart. "I'm certain they've broken the known record for highest unassisted ascendance among their kind. And to think he kept such a thing a secret for this long…"
It was known that Clefable could float when under the moonlight. But there was a difference between simply floating slowly to the ground after bounding up and then outright flying without the need to come down. There was no lift or even physical motor movement that would keep them aloft, and they weren't using psychic adjacent abilities to do so.
"They're actually dancing in the air!" Lillie said in a cheerful tone as she observed their dance through the binoculars alongside her mother. "I know they could jump high and slow their fall. But this is…wooowwww…"
Unlike her mother, whose mind was more scientifically inclined, Lillie was bewitched by the spectacle of it all. The faeries had taken flight with wings of silver, shedding sparkles over the fields of luminous white lilies as they sang and danced. It was pure magic in her eyes.
Want… to… record... data… so badly…. zzzz… The Living Pokédex was floating in one of the corners of the window and using the zoom feature of its internal camera to observe the dance. Even if it wasn't as powerful as the binoculars it could still make out better details than their own eyes could.
That was when the Magical Pokémon crept up behind it in that instance with her dark body draping it in silent warning.
It waved its appendages in fear and drifted closer to Lillie in response. I remember! No recordings, zzztt! Not a zzzingle one!
Part of the agreement for showing them how to get here was specifically to keep the square a secret. Such a massive Moon Stone was no doubt one-of-a-kind, and the Fairy Pokémon were rare to find to begin with. Many would love to know of this place, whether it be countless researchers or those who would exploit them for profit. So, Lusamine had told Mismagius to make it perfectly clear to Rotom that it wouldn't be keeping any records of any kind regarding what they found here…
Or else.
"It looks like some of them are even evolving!" Lillie said excitedly, which left Lusamine to turn her attention from the cowering Rotom to the sight happening in the heart of the square. Though rare, Clefairy have been seen performing their own little rituals to the moon elsewhere. They differed depending on the region and it was largely theoretical speculation, but researchers believed it was habitually done to stir up affection for the young pokémon so that they would have a better chance of reaching adolescence.
Cleffa were among pokémon who only evolved in captivity once they were affectionate with their caretakers. Once their biological needs were met and they had accumulated enough metabolic energy to bring about evolution, the chemicals released from the feelings served as the trigger to undergo the process. The Cleffa in the square were being fed with various foods that were rich in energy and nutrients and then taken into the air to dance with the older members of their colony, an act that naturally made them feel so joyous that if they were ready to evolve it would serve as the trigger.
At least that was her prevailing theory behind such evolution. One of the Clefairy evolving into a Clefable while in the air surprised even her. "Oh my. Those clever little darlings have even figured out a way to evolve without catalyzing their Moon Stones."
Normally, when a pokémon uses an Evolutionary Stone, they expend the energy within the stone to act as a catalyst for them to undergo an evolution. That process destroyed the stone from the sudden flood of energy into their bodies, hence why they could never be used twice. But a common exception to the rule was evolutionary stones that were above a certain size threshold like the one in the heart of the pond.
Such stones were so massive that they could never be catalyzed by an individual or even a group of pokémon, so they couldn't be used to evolve directly. But, if she had to theorize, it still gave off the evolutionary energy they needed for evolution once they accumulated enough of it within their bodies to naturally evolve over the course of their lifetimes. By adding smaller Moon Stones around it and into the water surrounding it, they had amplified the effect to the point it was saturating the atmosphere around the square.
That's likely why those flowers are also white, she speculated quietly. The presence of the Lunar Rock and its reflective qualities were likely the reason for the abnormal conditions within the square, from their ability to dance without descending to evolving without direct contact with an evolutionary stone. With enough of them, there was a chance they could likely get as high as the upper atmosphere depending on if the effects were multiplicative or not.
No human had taught them as such. If anything, human interference would have made it impossible to reach that conclusion. The Moon Stones would be expended in evolving them one at a time, but that meant some would never be able to evolve since there was a finite amount. Yet they had found a way to obtain results that made what should have been a one-in-a-thousand occurrence common enough she could make out more Clefable in this single colony than those observed in several others combined and enhanced their habitat to be perfectly suitable for them.
Lusamine understood perfectly well why Bill would keep this a secret to all but a few. As both a researcher and someone who understood the conservatory efforts toward pokémon. That made her more grateful that he told her so that she could spend this moment with her daughter.
"Pix!" A sudden yip from the Alolan Vulpix and a soft light pulsing from behind pulled their attention away from the sight long enough to see that the vixen was jumping up and down around the Galarian Ponyta, whose fluffy fur had begun to shine rather vibrant colors.
"Nuea, you're glowing too!" Lillie exclaimed excitedly as she left her seat and went over to the filly, who lived up to her namesake based on the Alolan word for Rainbow. The guidebook mentioned that she could absorb life energy from the atmosphere and store it within her mane but seeing it glow so bright was under exceptionally rare circumstances. "Rotom, take a picture of this!"
The Living Pokédex looked towards its ethereal overseer. Can I. zzt?
Mismagius nodded. "Ma."
Watching her daughter nestled up close as the vibrant mane illuminated the Secret Base while her Alolan Vulpix perched next to them, Lusamine sincerely wanted to thank Bill for making tonight possible. Words wouldn't be enough at this point. But Bill didn't lack anything that she could think of to show her gratitude beyond words, and anything rare he could obtain rather easily considering his connections.
The only thing he seemed to struggle with was his first-generation Porygon since the Up-Grade Disk failed. The Virtual Pokémon hadn't managed to integrate it successfully, and further improvements would take a true expert when it came to artificial pokémon. Faba might be able to do it, but Gladion isn't going to let me speak with him.
Faba's intellect was never in question. He was probably one of the few minds who could match Mohn or her own, and that was why he was part of Project Type: Full. Even if he couldn't factor out why its temperament was unstable when her son could, they had been trying to create a creature that could deal with the Ultra Beasts. She was certain he could at least be able to give the Porygon a suitable upgrade.
The problem was Lusamine had been unable to make direct contact with him at her son's insistence. The anger towards Faba for his participation in the creation of Type: Null and everything else was perhaps justified, but the man was too intertwined with the Aether Foundation to simply be fired and too knowledgeable as far as talent went to let go. Thus, he was demoted instead, and his position transferred over to Wicke.
Fortunately, even though her son was still upset with her, Lusamine knew Wicke could be convinced to pass her request along. She and Faba were among the oldest and most trustworthy staff since back when her husband had been there. If Lusamine explained the situation Wicke would understand and could convince Gladion since he would listen if it came from her.
But those thoughts could wait until tomorrow had come and the sun had risen.
Tonight belonged only to etching this moment forever into her memory.
And it would be her source of strength for the trials to come.
[-A Lily Blossoms in Kanto-]
The night passed into dawn and the revelry ended when the silvery moon gave way to the radiant sun.
Lillie went to bed behind thick curtains that blotted out the rising dawn after Kadabra had Teleported them all back home. Sleep took her with dreams of dancing faeries until after Noon had come. Then she woke again and saw to it that her pokémon were fed before it was time to say farewell.
Okay, get close to one another, zzt! Rotom gestured with his two appendages for the group to bundle up closer as they decided to commemorate with a photo at the mouth of the bridge.
Lillie stood in the front and center of the group. Her pokémon were on the ground in front of her, with Nuea lying on the ground while her head was raised. Shuckle, Bellamy, Snubbull, and Koko were all in front of her with the fluffy mane behind them providing a backdrop as they stared ahead.
Lusamine flanked her to the right, drawing closer to her daughter with one arm on her shoulder and the other resting on top of Milotic as she stuck her head out of the pond. Bewear stood behind her with Mismagius braving the sun to smile while she hovered over them. Clefable and Lilligant both stood to the right of the two with relaxed postures and smiles.
Bill was on her left, with the entirety of his pokémon surrounding him. Haku mirrored Milotic and stuck his head out of the pond for Bill to stroke, mindful of the horn on his head. Celica meanwhile rested on his other arms, tucked against his chest. The Eevee Family stood at the base of his feet, the mother and father paired with their children around them, while Bard and Poly both hovered off the ground above him.
Perfect, zzt! The Rotom Dex's screen displayed a thumbs-up before it shifted into a timer. Zzznapping picture in five… four… three… two… one…zero!
Click-click. *Flash*
And with that, it was time for Lillie to say so long to Cerulean City and move on to the next step in her journey in Kanto.