Hi everyone. Here is the next chapter. Sorry for the long delay.

Chapter 6: A Starry Night

Questions about the glass and footprints Cinder found were still filling my head. Wren offered to stay with me in case there were any criminals in the area. We decided to head to the Pokémon center to check on our Pokémon and my egg.

When we arrived, I handed my egg to the nurse. As he was checking it with one of his machines, someone ran through the doors and I heard a familiar voice. "Please, I need to make sure she's OK. I got into a battle with some jerks at the observatory. They had like four Pokémon and I only had two. It wasn't fair."

"Kate?" I asked in surprise.

"Oh, hey Sky," she said back. "I wish I could talk more right now, but my Pokémon need healing as soon as possible. We took a beating. If it wasn't for Team Astra, both Ember and Nymph would have fainted."

"Nymph?" I asked.

"A Tinkatink I caught," she explained.

"Excuse me," the nurse suddenly spoke up. "The Pokémon in your egg is totally healthy. You can come take it and your friend can see me now."

I thanked him and moved out of the way so Kate could head to the counter. As I stood with Wren, I checked my Pokéscan to see if anything special was happening here in Amica Town. An article popped up, explaining that the Pokémon festival would be held tonight despite the fire. Reading that made me feel excited. The Pokémon festival was a fun event that took place every year. My parents would take me sometimes when I was little. There were rides, games, food stalls, special shops, and different contests to participate in. Sometimes special guests like gym leaders or Elite Four members would show up, but that didn't happen often.

Kate's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "my Pokémon are both healed, thank goodness. Wren, you're here too? I didn't see you there."

"oh yeah. Hi, Kate."

"Hey guys," I said as an idea came to me. "We've all been through a lot today. How about we go to the Pokémon festival to have some fun?"

"That sounds great," said Wren.

"Are you sure you want me to come with you?" Kate asked.

"of course," I replied. "You might be a competitive battler, but you're also our friend. We wouldn't leave you out of anything."

"All right! Cool! Thanks, guys!"

With that, we headed out of the Pokémon center toward the festival grounds. I could hear the sounds of many people as we got closer.

"Looks like Team Astra's doing security," Wren observed. "A couple members have Machoke with them. Kate, what's that other Pokémon? I've never seen it before."

"Whoa, that's a Beedrill. They're probably using it to scare off anyone who might think of causing trouble. Better not let it get too close to Flora, Sky."

I laughed at the joke as we headed past security and through the entrance. "What do you want to do first?" Wren asked.

"How about we try some games?" I suggested.

"I'm in," Kate said excitedly. "I bet I can win a grand prize."

Kate rushed forward, and we followed after her toward the Game Alley. Most of the games were being played by younger children, but we managed to find one that was open. The goal of the game was to throw darts at balloons. If we hit five balloons in a row, we would win the grand prize. There were also prizes for hitting three or four balloons in a row. Wren tried first. He hit two balloons in a row, but missed the third one.

Kate started cracking up laughing. "Nice try. Now let me show you how a real pro does it." She aimed for the first balloon, but missed it entirely. "It's harder than it looks," she admitted.

Then it was my turn. The worker in charge of the game told me which direction the balloons were so I was able to aim. I actually managed to hit three in a row, but lost on the fourth one. My prize for getting three in a row was a figurine from a new movie, Primarina and the Grimsnarl.

"What should we do next?" Wren asked.

"Kate, why don't you pick?" I suggested.

"OK. Why don't we get some food at the Taste of Laria booth? It'll be good to get in a nice meal before we set off on the road again."

"Good thinking," Wren and I both agreed.

We walked over to the area, where many delicious foods from all over the region were being sold. I decided to order some pasta Amicata, a pasta dish made with a slightly spicy sauce that gave it a nice flavor. Kate ordered some ghost pepper poppers, which were a specialty in Avalet City while Wren ordered some baked goods from Sancot City. We also got some food for our Pokémon and sat down to eat.

"I'll never understand how you can just eat spicy food like it's nothing, Kate," Wren said as he munched on his sweetbread.

"I have been eating stuff like this since I was a kid. My mom used to live in Avalet, so when we moved to Syrut, she would sometimes have food from a restaurant in Avalet she liked delivered to us. We like to joke that members of our family are born with iron in our stomachs."

We continued eating our food and chatting for a while about different things. As we were finishing, we heard what sounded like a small commotion.

"I wonder what that was about," I said. "Let's go see."

"I hope it's something good," Kate added, as we headed away from the eating area.

After a little while of walking, we stopped and joined a crowd that was gathering. I was about to ask someone standing nearby what was happening when suddenly, a voice spoke over a microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special treat in store for you today. A member of our very own Elite Four has offered to put on a show for you all. Please give a warm Amica Town welcome to Starla."

We all clapped and cheered excitedly. Kate began talking about a mile a minute. "Starla's like the face of the League. The other members are more reserved and usually don't appear in front of everyone like this. She used to be an actress before. There are so many crazy rumors about why she stopped acting, but none of them are true. Someone with that much drama behind her would never be hired for a position like this. The real story is that she just wanted to try something different and started training her Pokémon for battle. The next thing she knew, she was offered the position she has now."

"She's beautiful," Wren mumbled shyly.

The crowd stopped cheering, and I could hear someone, who I assumed was Starla, walk over and stand in front of the crowd. Then she began to speak. "Hello everyone. It's been a long time since I've visited Amica, and I am very happy to be here. Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for, let's get things started. Whimsicott, Ninetales, Rapidash, Altaria, it's show time!"

Four Pokémon were released from their Pokéballs, Kate began gushing excitedly again. "That Ninetales is from Alola, and that Rapidash is from Galar! So cool!"

The Rapidash galloped around, and I suddenly felt a cool mist fill the air. I assumed Ninetales was using icy wind while riding on top of its back. Next, I heard Altaria flapping its wings as it flew through the crowd. Tiny, fluffy balls began falling down toward us. Whimsicott was using cotton spore. Then all of the Pokémon gathered together and let out a victory cry as they jumped in the air.

We all began cheering very loudly as Starla spoke again. "it has been a pleasure performing for you all tonight. Thank you so much for coming. To any challengers hoping to compete in the League, I wish you the best of luck, and I can't wait to see you at the top."

After she began to leave, the crowd dispersed, and everything started winding down. Wren turned to me and Kate. "Hey guys. I'm going to be staying at my aunt's house for the night. You can stay with us so you can get some good sleep before we all head out tomorrow."

"Really?" I asked. "Thanks."

With that, the three of us exited the festival. It was a nice break from the events that happened earlier today, but I couldn't help feeling that there would be a lot more danger ahead on my journey than I first thought.