Fairy 6.19: The Royal
Pixie

Skysong wants you to talk to a tree. Not even a tree on her team. On her mate's. You barely interact with her pokémon, except when the eevee harasses you. Someday they might leave forever with no warning. You would have no way to stop it. Best not to get attached. That's how you get situations like Flightless and Eggbreath. None of them are even worth getting attached to anyway. A frog, a confusing bird-mammal, and an eevee.

And the cloud. You will be polite to the cloud.

Skysong says she'll translate. She usually leaves that to Eyerock. She thinks this is important. Odd. What could a tree have to say? Sitrus tags along when you reach the solid ground where she's staying. Skysong asks you to find a big, flat, open space. It's not hard. There aren't a whole lot of trees near the water. Here. You've seen water trees elsewhere. This is more of a sand and rocks beach.

When you find one, she takes a blue, white, and red ball off her sash's final spot. (She says she's just storing it there, that it's her mate's pokémon, and you believe her… for now.) Red forms on the ground. And goes up. And up. And up. What kind of—

A tree, right. She told you that. You'd just assumed a pokémon tree would be smaller. This one has legs, a tail, and three faces. That's too many. Multiple tails is perfect. Faces? No. Who would even be in charge?

It's getting hot and you would like to get this over with. You yip at the tree. He takes a few steps back and bends down to see you. Rude. Showing off how freakishly tall he is. Then he squeaks. What?

{Hello, little one. How may I help you?}

"I don't know. Skysong told me to be here."

She sighs. "Tell her about why you left the island."

He groans softly before beginning to speak in his weird, high-pitched cries.

{A long time ago my kind used to live on all of these islands. Then, slowly, we were removed from all but one. Now we are stuck on one small island with no good way to leave. For some of us to have offspring, others must leave. Otherwise, there will no longer be enough room to stand in the sun.} You've realized why Skysong wants you to hear this. She thinks you can be friends with the tree because he also lost his mountain. No. You will not be friends with a tree. They hate the cold. {We must be strong to hold on to our final home. I was among the weakest of my kind. It was right to do so for the good of the species. So I went with Genesis when she offered me a way off the island.}

"Your mom kicked you off?" You don't really care. You feel bad for the tree but there isn't anything you can do about it.

{No? I chose to leave because it was the right thing to do.}

Your ears perk up. "No one forced you?"

{No one.}

"What if you hadn't wanted to leave? Would they have killed you?"

{The others might have judged me. I would not have been attacked or denied light.}

…then…

"Why would you choose to leave home with a stranger?"

{It will help the ones I care about.}

That's. No. You can't do that. It must be different. There's something different.

"Why did you lose the other islands?"

{Humans. The pokémon they brought. The pokémon that were here. The humans wanted more untrampled land with sunlight for planting crops. Their pokémon attacked us for them. Then, when we were weakened, the wild grassland and forest pokémon fought us to expand their own habitats. We lacked the strength to hold onto our land and sun so they were taken away.}

You look towards Skysong. Why are you not surprised it's the humans' fault.

{it usually is,} she agrees. You're glad that she's reasonable. For a human.

"What if so many of you decided not to leave that you all got defeated and died? Would you start kicking the weak ones out? Killing them?"

The tree shuffles on his feet. It's so much louder than when humans do it. Even if he's only moving a few inches at a time. "We have not had to decide that, yet."

Then he doesn't understand. There's something different. He's not like you.

Sitrus knows the ninetales beneath the meadow. She calls him The Fallen Voice. For a moment after she tells you she's distant, eyes tracking something that isn't there before she shakes herself.

"I'm almost surprised he's still alive. He was already ancient when we last spoke, even for your kind. That was over a century ago now."

Sometimes you forget that Sitrus is old. Really, really old. So old she can't even guess how old she is.

"I would like to speak with him when you go."

You hesitate. Wendy thought that no one but you should hear about Poli'ahu. "It's about a nine-tails secret. Or a fairy secret. Sorry."

Sitrus rolls her eyes and huffs. "If the fairy child knew it, I almost certainly will. I was The Overseer of The Great Canyon for decades. I've learned most of the secrets there are to know."

Fine. You can just… see if she's heard the name. "Poli'ahu." It's just a whisper. There's no one around but you have to be sure it's not overheard. Wendy seemed very serious about that.

"The snow goddess. What of her?"

"You've heard of the old gods?!" Could you use the mind link? Maybe. It's quieter. Skysong probably isn't listening. She could. You can sometimes hear her conversations if she's nearby and you really try to listen. Skysong is not nearby. She and Eyerock are with Shirona working on her dragon care speech. You're back in the air conditioning of her room. Liar took most of her team as well as Eggbreath, Flightless, and Shattered Eyes for training. Growlsleeper took her team on a walk. Should you risk it…? No. This is fine.

"Indeed. They came from beyond the stars before the Tapu. A few are still around. Some have died or gone back to wherever they came from. I've heard that Poli'ahu put up a fight before going back to her mountain. Never met her. The Captain tried, once, but the ninetales got upset when we walked off trail. Almost killed him when he said who he was looking for. He decided to just go back."

The nine-tails don't want people talking to their mother. Is that just humans? Will they try to stop you? Maybe you could climb the mountain alone. But not if all the others stood against you.

Kalani could have made it. She was strong…

…a dog beat her bloody in mere breaths and then snapped her neck.

"You want to meet her?" Your eyes snap up to Sitrus. How did she know that? "Just a guess."

"Wendy said Poli'ahu could help me evolve."

"I see. I always wondered how the exiled vulpix evolved."

She didn't know.

"Don't tell Skysong any of this."

She just stares back at you. "You know that she will want to know why you're climbing the mountain. Eventually, you will have to tell her."

That's… you don't have nine tails. You don't have to. Yet.

"She doesn't have to know everything about you, but she should know things that are important to you and will involve her. You would want the same from her."

Wait. That reminds you.

"What did you say to Skysong?"

"You're going to have to be more specific."

"When she asked if I could fight. I got withdrawn. You talked. She was crying afterwards. What did you tell her?"

"Ah, yes. That. I was simply making sure that the battle truly was your decision rather than one she had used her control over your life to influence."

"And she cried?"

Sitrus shuffles around and faces the window. Away from you. "I was upset. I believed her to be backsliding to old habits and made it clear that they would not be tolerated when your safety was at risk. I would also not give her moral or legal cover from the consequences of her own reckless or malicious decisions. While upset I may have insinuated a certain pattern of carelessness."

"That's it?" She insulted her. Lots of people have insulted her. Sometimes she cares, sometimes she doesn't. When she cares she usually gets angry, not upset. "I wanted to fight. It was for me."

"Yes." She sits down. It doesn't make her much shorter since her legs are so small. "I know that now. I would have known sooner had I simply listened to her. I was venting frustrations in an inappropriate manner at an inappropriate time."

You sit down. A tail or two swishes nervously. There's a fight going on and you don't want to pick sides. "You were angry at her before?"

"She assumed the duty of caregiver with its associated benefits and responsibilities. She learned her charge was suffering from an injury with an unknown cause and proceeded to leave him for an extended period of time without addressing the symptoms or learning the underlying malady. A blissey who acted thusly would be permanently disgraced."

This is about her brother, right? "They were twins. She wasn't his mother or something." You would never have let one of your siblings boss you around. Even if you had lost your mother.

"She assumed the duties by choice, regardless of circumstances. The consequences of her failures are her own. Would have been her own. I… did not have complete information."

You keep looking up at her. None of this is actually making sense.

"I had presupposed support, training, and maturity that did not exist. In doing so I assigned blame incorrectly and caused undue distress."

"I don't know what that means, either." Sitrus is weird, sometimes. Gets very concerned about things that don't matter. A lot like the humans.

She takes a sharp breath and starts to slowly shuffle around the room. "I have raised children that grew to be caregivers. There is a method to it. First, the happiny is showered with love and support while still having firm, safe boundaries to learn within. This teaches them the importance of good caring and how to recognize it. As they grow, they are slowly taught the intricacies of the healing arts. By the time they have their own eggs they can maintain their own ward, only coming to me for advice in difficult situations. I had assumed Cuicatl had such training before being allowed to assume a ward. Instead, it appears as if she was never properly cared for herself or given training beyond basic material tasks such as cooking and cleaning. Even after assuming a ward, she did not have a clear figure to seek advice from as needed. The failure to train her is borne by her ward and at least explains her own shortcomings as a caretaker, even if it does not absolve her of all responsibility."

Your ears perk up. No clear figure to seek advice from? Skysong had people to care for her. Did she lie to Sitrus? "She has a father."

"No, dear. She does not."

"She told me she does. Did she lie to me?"

"No. She lied to herself."

Sitrus huffs and turns back towards you. Her mouth is pursed. She usually ends conversations when she's like this.

"The Fallen Voice. I will accompany you. If he wishes for me to leave, I will do so."

Sitrus struggles to walk down the slippery stairs. You simply bounce down a few at a time. This feels like home. Even if the water in the air tastes salty and it smells too much like humans for your taste.

"Slow down, child," she pleads. "My legs are not long enough for this."

You curl up and watch her slowly, slowly, slowly descend. Does The Fallen Voice know you're here already? Should you yip to get his attention? Would that be rude? When Sitrus finally catches up she makes the decision for you.

"I'm not walking further. He can meet us here. Hello! Friend! I have returned."

Nothing. Sitrus sits down. Still nothing. You look at her. "Should I scream?"

"He heard. Be patient."

The tunnel lights up in the distance. The light grows closer faster than you would have imagined an elderly nine-tails could move. It softens as the nine-tails stops running and starts confidently striding forwards, as is befitting your species.

"Sitrus. It has been quite some time."

"Indeed. How do you fare?"

"No younger, but better than I should be at my age. You?"

"Much the same."

She turns towards you. The Fallen Voice speaks before she can.

"I see you have returned. Tell me, have you found an answer to my question?"

"Yes. Tapu Bulu keeps us from expanding."

He flicks a tail. Probably in surprise. You're very smart. "I see. Who told you this?"

"A fairy bug on Poni."

"A totem," Sitrus adds. "She heard it from Tapu Fini."

"Yes. She is correct. Dear, may I see your tails?"

You lay them out. So many. Almost a full nine.

"Not quite ready for evolution, but coming close. Is that why you have come here?"

"Yes." You have other questions, but those are less important.

"Our mother rests in a temple near the top of the mountain. You will feel its pull as you ascend. Once you have nine tails you must climb alone and face her judgment. Should she find you worthy, you will be granted the proper power and status of a nine-tails."

"And if I'm not worthy?"

After everything… everyone who's told you that you aren't… it's possible that your species' mother doesn't want you, either. Two mothers have already rejected you.

"You may ascend again in a year's time and argue your case."

That's not too bad. More than Avalanche offered.

The elder lets out a long breath and fixes her gaze on your ear. "How did you lose that?"

"Kalani. She adopted me. I tried to get away, and…" Do you tell him that you asked that a nine-tails be killed? That you're the reason your mother is dead? Would he kill you for it?

"I heard about it," he says softly. "I'm sorry for what you've been through."

He's apologizing? To you? That's not something nine-tails do. Even for things they did.

"Long ago I swore to protect the vulpix who find themselves exiled from the mountain. I have failed in that duty. Failed you. Over and over again."

Then he's barely trying. You only met him once. On accident. "What are you doing here, then?"

He lowers himself down. Wraps tails tight around his body. Like he's cold. Hurt. Scared. "There was a war a long time ago," he answers. "We had nowhere to expand. Not enough food to support an ever-growing population. It was clear that something had to change but no one wanted to order the unimaginable. So there was a war among our kind over food and offspring. I watched it rage for far too long, unwilling to do what was required. I thought there was another answer. One I would think of with just a little more time. But as blood pooled on the mountain and the rivers turned red, I realized there was no more running from my duty as the Elder of Elders, Voice of the Gods. I called the nine-tails together and decreed that only two offspring would be kept from now on. All others were to be exiled or killed."

"Ho'olio," you whisper. The mother who smothered The Mountain with her love.

"My daughter," he answers. "I killed my grandchildren. It was necessary. I had avoided the hard but necessary things for too long. But I could not stay after doing it. I left with the exiles to find a new home for them. I was already ancient. So old that I feared I would not live to see it through. I asked Our Mother for her blessing so that I could live long enough to finish my duty. She agreed and continues to preserve me after long, long years of nothing but failure."

"Why not this place?" you ask. "It's cold. There's prey. Good place."

"I thought so, too. Tapu Koko would not allow it. He granted me a battle for the right to stay with the vulpix. I scratched him. For that he allowed me to stay. I lost. For that he demanded the kits leave. I wandered the islands for years trying to find a place, but none of the Tapu would let me stay. When the humans came they took in a few at a time, but always under their own rule. They would not let us hold our own territory. That has been the most anyone has granted us in centuries. It is still far from enough. Our Mother does not believe I have fulfilled my duty. She curses me to live on until I find a way."

Oh. Your kind have tried to build a home like Eggbreath and Flightless have talked about. They failed.

"What if we fought the Tapu and won?"

"Then there would still be the humans. They are greedier than the gods."

Yes. They banished the trees. But if someone was the strongest human, stronger than the Tapu, they could make a home and force everyone to recognize it.

There is a strongest human. The island challenge is about finding one. Skysong is on the island challenge.

"What if we fought the humans, too?"

"Perhaps."

Then there's a path to a home, even if you have to tear it away from the gods first.

Sitrus takes her ball back immediately after being let out. She stuffs it into her pouch like having it in the open air burns her hands. Noci could carry it so you could travel to the cave, but that's the only time you've ever seen it used. Shirona and Skysong are in the hotel room. Skysong seems exhausted. Shoulders sagging, head tilted forward. Barely awake. Shirona is sitting in a chair at an odd angle, feet and arms on one side, hips on the other, looking at you with a human expression you don't know. Her dog stands nearby. Kalani's killer. You try not to look at him.

"Did you have a good trip?" Skysong asks.

"Yes. I figured out something." A few somethings, even.

"Oh?"

"How to evolve." Sitrus is right. You're going to have to tell her eventually. And maybe if you tell her she'll trust you enough to help you with the other thing. "There's a—a very old fox on the mountain. She can help me do it. I just have to get nine tails and climb it."

"Can I help or do you have to do it alone?"

"Alone." If the nine-tails don't want humans to meet the goddess then you won't take a human there.

"I can help you train if you want. It's a harsh—well, you know more than I do."

You never tried to climb the entire mountain at once. Never went anywhere near the peak. Avalanche never invited any of the vulpix to go with her. Are they keeping vulpix away on purpose? The Fallen Voice told you that you would feel the goddess's presence.

"Yes. I need to be stronger." You've wasted too much time. Kalani helped you grow, but you haven't trained much since she died. Just a little as the trial approached. That will need to change. Especially if you want to defeat a god and the strongest human. You take a deep breath. "…I have another myth to tell you."

Skysong tilts her head. Invites you to continue. Shirona sits a little straighter.

You don't tell her about the goddess. But you do tell her about the war with Tapu Bulu, about Ho'olio, The Fallen Voice, the deal with the humans.

"If I can fight the humans and one of the Tapu, then they'll have to give us a home. I—we need to be strong enough for that."

Skysong looks to Shirona.

"I'm not getting involved in Alolan affairs like that. Although I wonder if Lusamine's oil rig base could work. None of the Tapu would have claim to it, right?"

"But how would we get it?"

She takes a sharp breath in through her teeth. "That's the problem. I think VStar controls it. They're probably not going to last too long, but their owner might still hang onto it. It's an idea. Not one that can be acted on right now, but maybe an opportunity will present itself down the line."

Skysong turns back to you. "I was thinking about going to Japan after the island challenge is over. But… I guess I owe it to you to stay and at least try to beat Selene. If the others are up for training, I can do it. We'll need to get a real sixth team member, unless Sitrus is willing to fight…"

"No."

"Then someone else. And wait until Cuepiltia evolves. After I get my Class V. Now I'm busy and—" She takes a deep breath, holds it, and slowly releases. "We'll have a team meeting about it."

You're a lot less confident about this staring down Skysong's other pokémon in the park. Most of them don't like you. Now you're asking them to fight a god for you. There has to be something to bribe them with, right? What do they want? Eggbreath likes biting things. Maybe you can tell her that gods are tasty? Oh! And the new vulpix home would have lots of snow for Flightless. You have no idea at all what Shattered-Eyes and Eyerock want. They're weird. Maybe Skysong could give you help, but the meeting is now and she was busy and it's too late.

"Well, Pixie."

Focus. Do you tell them? How much do you tell them? There are humans nearby. Not many. Just one running at the other end of the park. It's dark out and humans sleep at night. Even if no humans hear, Eyerock is a spy. Everyone knows that. You shouldn't tell it everything. Or really anything. But you need them to fight for you… A little. You can tell a little. What you want.

"I want to make a home for vulpix who get kicked off The Mountain. The Tapus and the humans say no. I want to fight the strongest human and one of the Tapu and then make a home for the vulpix."

Simple. Three steps. You like threes. It's just a very hard three steps. Even just the third one is hard to imagine. What would it look like? Who would run it? What happens when the vulpix grow up and have their own vulpix and suddenly it isn't big enough?

A problem for later. After you fight a god.

"What's a Tapu?" Shattered-Eyes asks.

"A god," Skysong answers.

"What's a god?"

"A really strong pokémon."

He clacks his mandibles. "Sounds fun. Let's do it."

Flightless shrieks and your ear whips down to your head. Too loud. Why is he like that?

"We can do it! I'll challenge a god and show my parents how strong I am."

That sounds a lot like something you would say. Before you learned that there's no going back. "Do you want them to take you back?"

"What? No. If I beat a god then I'll be way too good for their company."

That makes sense. If he can beat a god. If.

Not even the Eldest of Elders could do it.

Coco growls. It carries words through the ground and into your bones. "One condition."

She's looking at you with one of her too-big eyes. It's about the size of your head and boring right into you.

"Yes?"

"I make you a home. You don't disturb mine. No fighting. No marking my things. No insulting me or your other teammates. You try having a home here while you fight for a new one."

It's a lot to ask. Too much.

You're asking a lot, too.

"Fine," you hiss. You won't be happy about it, but you'll do it if it makes a home for all the vulpix kicked off the mountain.

Eggbreath—no, Coco—moves her head towards Skysong—Cuicatl—

{Skysong is fine.}

Forgot she can do that. So annoying.

Coco moves her head towards Skysong. The act is small but still takes more power than you breaking into a sprint. "Who's the strongest human?"

"The human we'd have to beat is Selene. She has a lunala…"

She keeps speaking. Selene. Firemane. Part of you knew that. You're going to fight the pokémon she chose over you and see if you were worth a spot on her team. She has the moon. You remember telling Kalani not to fight the moon, that even she wasn't strong enough—and she wasn't. Kalani lost when they fought. Are you stronger than her?

Coco snorts. "What does the moon taste like?"

"I don't know," Skysong responds. "I'm not sure anyone knows."

"Then I'll be the first to find out."

"Noci?" Skysong asks.

[Affirmative.]

That's a yes, right? That's good? You never know with them. They don't give any reasons for the decision.

"We'll need to do a lot of training and get a sixth pokémon. But that will start after I get my Class V. It's just." She sighs. Her eyes are shut. Her heart rate is slower than usual. Her shoulders are still slumped. Still exhausted. "It's a lot right now. I can help more in a few days."

Is that all there is left? That means you're close to meeting Eggshell and asking what another ninetales, one abandoned as a vulpix, thinks about this. Maybe she can help?

Skysong is tired. Best to end the meeting now.

"Thank you, everyone."

Cuepiltia shrieks again and your ear flies back down. Why is he like that?

The grass eevee has been staring at you. You're trying to ignore it. Do what Coco wanted. But surely he can't mean eevee, right? He's not even on Skysong's team. You can defend yourself from him when he's so rudely looking at you. So you finally approach.

"I heard you're helping other people," he says. You just stare at him. See how he likes it. "I'm proud of you."

You hiss at him. How dare he mock you? You're not entirely sure what he's mocking you for, but he's definitely mocking you.

He flicks its leaf and settles back down into a ball on the floor.

"Guess I couldn't hope for too much."

Of course not. Eevees can't hope for anything. They've been cursed since birth.

"Your kind aren't the only ones who need a home, though. If you just talked to other pokémon with humans you'd find most of them have the same story as you. Just a little different. Will your home let them in?"

"We aren't taking eevee."

He gives you one final look. Annoyance? Good. You annoyed the eevee. Then he twists onto his back and pretends to be asleep.

There are far too many humans at the event. Not even the one you tolerate. Well, Skysong is here, she's just in a separate room with Shirona. She left you with Sitrus to try and find Eggshell. Sitrus can't move well in the crowd but at least people get out of her way. Not that you're walking anywhere in particular. It's hard to pick an exact scent in this mess of humans.

One gets in your way. And doesn't leave it. She bends down to look at you and you finally focus on her.

Spirits. There are spirits everywhere around her. The black falsefur she wears is practically woven with them. They cling to her skin, hang from her hair, have practically fused with her essence. She might be a spirit herself. "Hello, keokeo. Are you lost?"

You shake your head. You don't know if the spirit human would understand you.

As if reading your mind, she pulls out a pokéball. "I can have Bailley talk for you if you want." A ghost forms on the ground. Just a little taller than you. She looks like a human creation. You can practically see the stitches holding her together. Except for her mouth. That's metal. A long wisp of smoke trails off from the back of her head. You're not sure you've met this type of spirit. You don't want to meet them again.

"I'm looking for a human." You don't know her name. Poison hair is wrong. "Purple hair. She has a ninetales."

Bailley does not speak. The strange human seems to hear her, anyway, just a second later. "That would be Sina. She should be somewhere around here…" She looks around the room. It occurs to you that she's short for a human. A little young, too. About Skysong or Growlsleeper's age. She snaps. "Found her. Come on, follow me."

She goes slow enough that Sitrus can keep up. You appreciate that. It takes a while to part the crowd around you, but you do find Poisonhair eventually.

"Sina!" the human calls. "I brought you a keokeo. She wants to speak with you."

Poisonhair looks at her in confusion before looking down. She focuses on your ear. "Oh, Pixie! I take it you want to speak to Eggshell."

You nod.

"Right, I'll let her out outside. She can cause trouble in crowds. Or outside of crowds. She loves trouble, that one…"

It's very rude of her to judge a nine-tails. Maybe things were boring without her? Or maybe she's just solving problems and the humans don't appreciate it. She's a very odd nine-tails with her…mate…but she's still a nine-tails and deserves some respect.

Eggshell releases a burst of cold air upon coming out of her ball then whips her head around to look at you. Probably not used to meeting unfamiliar vulpix. She leans down to sniff your head. Her breath pushes down where your ear used to be and burns. Not for long. She leans back and looks down at you.

"How did you lose it?"

"Kalani."

She blinks. Twice. "Tell me."

So you do. It's nice to tell someone who can understand. Sitrus is great but she doesn't get it. Eggshell can. At some point Poisonhair and Sitrus have to go in and listen to Skysong. You should, too, but you don't know when you'll get this chance again. You keep going.

As you talk Eggshell wraps you in her tails. You almost purr despite the sad story. So nice. You'd almost forgotten how nice this was. At the very end you hesitate. Should you tell her? An edited version? Would she kill you for approving the death of another nine-tails?

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Oh. She isn't pushing.

That's what makes you tell her.

At the end she leans down and starts licking the fur on your forehead, careful to avoid the scar.

"If she hurt a vulpix, she deserved to die. That was what we were running from. What I have sworn to never do."

It warms your heart to hear that. You weren't wrong. Someone—a nine-tails—agrees.

"I still miss her."

"I will, too. It was good to meet another nine-tails."

She keeps grooming you. For a few lovely minutes you mourn in silence together.

"I have a plan so this never happens again."

She pulls back and looks at you. So you tell her. Throughout the entire thing she stays still and passive, betraying nothing. Then, when you're done, she leans in and resumes grooming.

"Bad plan," she says between licks. "Impossible. If the elder couldn't do it, if Poli'ahu couldn't do it, then neither can you."

"I'll have help."

She growls but moves on to grooming your neck. Not too angry. "Not enough."

"What else is there? Just suffer on the surface?"

That causes her to fully withdraw and start pacing. "I'm not happy here," she says. "Neither was Kalani or any other nine-tails I have met. How could I be? But I have my mate and children and can make my own snowstorms. Sometimes I forget that I am unhappy. You can have that much. I think it is enough."

"And rely on a human?"

She growls. "I do not like it, but mine has done nothing to betray my trust."

Upset. At you? No. At the world. Best not to make her more upset. How to word your next question…

"You're mated with an eevee."

She stops pacing. Was that too much?

"Yes. He's sly. Empathetic. Clever. I am proud to have him as a mate."

"An eevee."

She huffs. "The mountain rejected us. We can reject its beliefs."

You don't think you can accept that. Seeing an eevee as… attractive? It makes your fur stand up and your skin crawl.

Eggshell slows down and sits next to you. "Maybe you can't see it. That's fine. It took me a long time."

You find yourself talking about less important things. What you're saying doesn't matter. Just that you're talking to a nine-tails who doesn't hate you for what happened with Kalani. By the time you've almost forgotten about the humans one of the nearby doors is thrown open and Skysong walks out. Her breaths are erratic. You can hear quiet sobs and faintly smell salt. There aren't any pokémon with her.

That's concerning.

You look up at Eggshell. You don't want to go. You should.

She raises up a paw and starts to lick it clean. Permission to go. She'll be fine on her own.

You get up, brace yourself for the hot air away from Eggshell, and run back to Skysong.