During Summer and Olive's battle against the mysterious Hamsetrin, Olive evolved into a Grovyle after refusing to surrender. With her new strength, she was able to hurt the cloaked man's Manectric, which caused the villain to retreat. Summer and Weldon then met Aster, the current Hoenn Lorekeeper and member of the Draconids. The woman told the two about a prophecy that could impact more than just the one who is destined to hear it. The training now complete, the group begins their journey to Lavaridge Town for the next Gym battle. Along the way, they participate at a local glass blowing festival. But the festivities are interrupted with screeches and metal. What is the cause of the disturbance, and can Summer and Weldon save the festival?
Chapter 29- A Glass Melody
I sat on my bed at the Fallarbor Town Pokémon Center, catching up on the latest news on my Pokégear.
Lightning yawned as she kneaded the blanket. "What's going on, Summer?"
"Hm… Mainly the same things, like the cable car service to Mt. Chimney is still down."
"Will that impact our trip to Lavaridge Town?"
"It shouldn't since there is a path that does go straight to the town."
"That's good. But it would be cool to be on top of a volcano. Well, except for the heat coming from it."
I laughed. "We can see if they fix the cable car service. Though I don't know how you and Weldon would fare if we go up there."
"Speaking of Weldon, he's out late again. What time is it anyway?"
"8:30, why?"
She curled up. "Shouldn't you go look for him?"
"Why just me?"
She smirked. "I'm already curled up, Summer. If I get up, I have to do my sleep ritual all over again."
I playfully petted her. "I'm sure he'll be back soon. Though he has been doing it more frequently. I wonder what's up."
Weldon entered the room, covered in sweat.
Puzzled, I said, "Hey, Weldon. Did you just come back from a jog?"
He chuckled, wiping his brow. "Yeah, getting more steps in and all that."
"But you've been running a lot more than usual. Everything okay?"
"Totally. I just wanted to work on my cardio, that's all." After he stretched a bit, he said, "Oh, there's a glass blowing festival tomorrow on Route 113. Since we're heading in that direction, do you want to check it out?"
"That sounds good to me. I've heard a lot of great things about it, but I actually haven't been to it."
I thought I saw him breathe a small sigh of relief, but he replied, "Great! I should probably shower. See you in a bit."
Once he left, I asked, "Doesn't Weldon seem a lot more eager than usual, Lightning?" But when I got no response, I saw the Electric type was fast asleep.
I smiled and retired for the night.
The next day…
After saying goodbye to Nurse Hajitsu, we returned to Route 113, where there was a lot more activity than normal. The falling ash covered tents instead of just grass, and people were wandering around the different rows of vendors selling food and various kinds of tableware, jewelry, and mirrors.
A large wooden building named the Fallarbor Glass Workshop opened its doors to visitors, and I felt the heat from the furnace without stepping inside. A sign posted outside read, "No manufacturing fees for hand-blown glass items today."
I smiled. "Oh cool. We can see if we can use the ash we collected during our training sessions to make something."
"Like what?" Lightning asked.
"Figurines, vases, flutes… Those kinds of things."
"That's really cool! How much do we have?"
I looked inside my Soot Sack. "Hmm… It's a good amount for some flutes. Are you going to get anything, Weldon?"
For some reason, he looked nervous. "M-Maybe… I haven't decided yet. I-I'm going to look around to see what I can make with my soot."
"O-Okay. I can come-"
"No, no! It's okay. You should enjoy the festival with Lightning. I'll join up with you two later."
He briskly walked into the stalls with the artisan goods.
"He's acting weird again, Summer…" Lightning crossed her arms. "Wonder what he's up to."
I stroked my chin. "Me too. I didn't detect any extreme emotions from him, as far as I could tell, so he should be okay. Come on, let's look at the glass ornaments."
She nodded, and we strolled down the main row of vendors. As I marveled at the glass Pokémon figures, I heard a voice I haven't heard in a long time.
"Oh, Summer! I didn't expect to see you here."
I turned around and smiled at the brown-eyed man with a dark brown ponytail. "Smith! It's good to see you again."
He brushed some ash off of his light blue shirt and olive slacks and adjusted his leather satchel. "Likewise. Are you still traveling with Yuki?"
"No, she's in Kanto right now. I'm actually traveling with someone else."
"That's good to hear."
"Why are you in Hoenn and not on Sunburst Island?"
"Oh, I'm taking a bit of a vacation. I always like to come to the local art festivals around the world to learn new skills to incorporate in my crystal making. It's been a long time since I attended the crystal blowing festival in Hoenn, so I thought I'd come here."
"That's really cool. Actually, your brother's in Hoenn as well."
He chuckled. "That is one of the other reasons why I took this vacation. I can't wait to see Ty compete. It's been a while since I've been to the last one."
Suddenly high pitched shrieks interrupted the festive atmosphere. Several Skarmory divebombed the tents, causing people to flee in various directions.
Smith immediately led us under a pine tree and scanned the Steel type Pokémon. "That's odd. Skarmory usually avoid the festival, and they know when it occurs."
I stroked my chin. "I wonder why they're so angry then…" Then, as one swooped by us, I noticed its crooked flight pattern. "Wait a minute… I think they're confused!"
"Then in that case."
Smith took out a yellow glass flute from his satchel and ran back into the open. He played the flute, which emitted a melody consisting of musical notes and soft chirps. The Skarmory stopped in midair, their senses immediately returning. Seeing the tents and people emerging from their hiding places, the three returned to the mountains.
"Summer!" Weldon cried as he ran over. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, Weldon. How about you?"
"I'm okay. I was still waiting in line when I heard the shrieks."
Smith rejoined us. "Oh, you must be the person traveling with Summer. I'm Smith. I'm sure you met my younger brother, Ty, already."
My rival nodded. "Nice to meet you, Smith. I'm Weldon. Thanks for helping Summer."
The man glanced at us before beaming. "I was glad to help."
A young woman wearing a green dress and a white apron ran over, her brown hair slightly coming loose from her tight bun. "Is everyone okay?"
"Oh, Aki," Smith greeted. "We're fine. It's been a while hasn't it?"
"Smith! It definitely has. I haven't seen you since the arts festival in Unova. Who are your friends?"
"This is Summer, her Raichu, Lightning, and Weldon."
Aki grinned. "It's nice to meet all of you. You're the last people I need to check up on, so let me let my husband know everyone's safe before we catch up." After a quick phone call, she turned back to us. "I'm sorry all this chaos happened. I'm sure Smith told you about the typical behavior of the Skarmory who live here."
"Yeah, Smith mentioned that to me," I replied. "I also saw they were confused. If they normally avoid this event, then something must've disoriented them."
Aki stroked her chin. "Well, the only thing I can think of is that the Skarmory came in close proximity to the endemic Spinda."
"Spinda?" Weldon asked. "What are those Pokémon?"
"Here, I can show you." I took out my Pokédex and looked up its entry.
The screen showed a cream-colored panda-like Pokémon with red spots spread over its body, including its long ears and stumpy appendages. But the most unusual feature was the black swirl eyes. [Spinda, the Spot Panda Pokémon. It is distinguished by a pattern of spots that is always different. Its unsteady, tottering walk has the effect of fouling its foe's aim.]
My rival said, "I can see why they would be the source of the confused Skarmory."
Aki nodded. "The Spinda like to do their Teeter Dance ritual when the half moon and stars are in the right place in the sky. But the thing is, that day is not today. It's actually a few days from now."
I crossed my arms. "Then we should go find them and see why they started their ritual early."
"But how can you learn about that?"
"Oh, Weldon and I can understand Pokémon language with our translators."
As I showed her the device on my ear, Aki's eyes grew wide. "I've heard about those devices! Then it should be easy to talk to them. Thank you. The Spinda usually live on the mountains where the ash doesn't reach. It should be close to here."
"Great, thanks. Are you ready to go, Weldon?"
"Yeah, just one second." He turned to the woman. "Aki, I collected enough ash. Can you make the things we talked about before while I'm gone?"
He handed her his Soot Sack, and she looked inside. "Oh, good. This should be plenty. I'll make sure this gets expedited. Do you have anything you want to make with any collected ash, Summer? I can ask my husband to make it a priority as thanks for helping us."
"Oh, sure. Are these enough for some flutes?" I handed her my Soot Sack and she analyzed the contents.
"This amount is enough for the Battle Flute set. Is that fine with you?"
"Yeah, that's actually what I want."
"Great! I'll hand these sacks to Hai. Good luck, and thanks in advance."
I turned to Smith. "Do you want to come with us, Smith?"
"Actually, I'll stay here to help repair the tents and make the requested items."
Aki giggled. "You are pretty good with glass blowing, Smith."
"I did learn from one of the best. I hope you find the Spinda soon, you two. They do tend to be skittish around people."
"Thanks, Smith. We'll keep that in mind. Come on, Weldon."
He nodded and we headed north towards the mountains. To save time, we flew on our Flying types and scanned areas where there was no ash. After a few minutes, I saw a plateau where eight Spinda were lying on the ground. I motioned to Weldon, and we landed next to them.
I observed the Normal types, which appeared to be either sleeping or unconscious. I walked to the largest one that had reddish stars and spots on his ears and gently shook him. "Hey, are you okay?"
He blinked and sat up, slightly wobbling. "Woah…that was some party…" he said in a smooth, almost drunk tone. Then he noticed me. "A human… That's cool…"
I raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to be scared of us?"
"Eh… We met…a human not long ago… He seemed…okay…"
Weldon frowned. "What did that human do?"
"I think…he gave us some…delicious food… Then we danced a lot… Much livelier than our usual ones… And now…we're just lying here…"
I saw in the center of the dizzy Pokémon were remnants of orange, purple, pink, green, and tan Berries.
"Do you recognize them, Summer?" Weldon asked.
"Kind of. They look like Figy, Wiki, Mago, Aguav, and Iapapa Berries. I haven't worked with them too much, so I don't really know their properties."
My rival's face darkened. "I do. They restore a Pokémon's health, but only if the Pokémon likes that flavor."
"What do you mean?"
"For example, a Pokémon who dislikes spicy food but eats a Figy Berry will become confused. The same can be said for the other four Berries."
"I see. But why would the Spinda do that then?"
The Spinda noticed a leftover Aguav Berry. "That one was…especially tasty, even though…I hate Rawst Berries."
Weldon raised an eyebrow. "Huh? But Rawst Berries are naturally bitter. Are you saying that you ate an Aguav Berry without realizing it was bitter?"
The Normal type swayed back and forth. "I guess so… Strange…"
"Well, anyway," I interrupted. "That's not the main reason why we're here. Spinda, do you know what day it is today?"
"Hm? Oh…it's almost the half-moon festival… But why do I…feel so tired?"
"You and your clan must've done an intense Teeter Dance," the Kantonian surmised. "After all, that attack must've caused the local Skarmory to attack the glass blowing festival."
"WH-WHAT?!" the Spinda screamed, startling his fellow Pokémon awake. As they stumbled to their feet, he continued, "Oh…no! We hurt the humans…who manage the fields below…so we could continue our…traditional dance… I feel bad…"
The other Spinda echoed their leader's sentiment.
I smiled. "No one was hurt, so don't feel bad. The people at the glass blowing workshop were worried about you."
"Then we must…do something to…apologize! But…the only thing we're good at…is dancing…"
Weldon replied, "I think we can work something out."
"What do you have in mind?" I asked.
He gave me a sly smile. "You'll see, Summer." He turned to the Spinda. "Can you meet us in the valley around sunset? In the meantime, we'll head back and get everything prepared."
The leader nodded, though with a slight tilt. "Sure…"
Weldon and I flew back down and rejoined the quieter festivities. However, the visitors were helping the vendors and artisans repair their tents or the glass blowers by doing menial tasks.
"Summer, Weldon!" Smith called out as he and Aki ran over. "So, what happened?"
I explained, "The wild Spinda accidentally ate some Berries that caused them to use Teeter Dance in confusion. It is a little ironic, to be honest."
"I'd say," Aki noted. "But I'm glad it was just an accident. Plus, we should have everything back up and running for the closing bonfire."
The group of Spinda arrived, swaying back and forth.
"Oh my! It's the group of wild Spinda!" Aki exclaimed. "What brings them here?"
Weldon said, "They want to apologize for causing the havoc earlier by dancing for everyone."
The glass blower's wife frowned. "That is a lovely gesture, but the Teeter Dance will cause everyone to become confused. We don't want to cause any more issues today."
The Normal types were saddened, but Weldon gave them a reassuring smile. "You won't have the confusion issue if you play them." He pointed to the newly made Yellow Flutes on a cooling bench.
"Oh! What a smart idea! That would definitely cancel out the effects of the Teeter Dance. I'm sure everyone will enjoy this surprise." She counted out the number of Spinda. "Since there are eight of you, we'll need eight flute players. With me, Smith, and the people at the glass blowing workshop, we need one more person to play."
"I'll do it," Weldon offered, surprising me.
"Great, Weldon! I know you've been practicing only for a few weeks, but I'm sure you'll do great. Let's head inside and make sure everyone knows the proper notes. Summer, can you guide the Spinda to the bonfire? It's near the edge of the festival so you can't miss it."
"S-Sure."
Weldon left with the adults. Now alone, I was still taken aback, but did what Aki asked. It was funny; I now knew what he was doing while we were staying in Fallarbor Town, but I still felt that wasn't the only reason why.
One hour later…
As the sky slowly grew darker, the visitors gathered around a large fire pit. The glass blowing workshop owner, Hai, stood on top of a small wooden footrest while four workers, Smith, Aki, and Weldon were positioned nearby with flutes in hand.
"Hello, everyone, and thank you for joining us for the 23rd Annual Fallarbor Town Glass Blowing Festival. Although we had some unexpected events earlier today, I'm happy that everyone pitched in to keep our event going. As a special treat with our traditional bonfire, a local group of wild Spinda have volunteered to dance for all of you. But don't worry, my team and I will play our Yellow Flutes, which prevent the confusion effects from their Teeter Dance. Now then, please enjoy the Teeter Dance Flute Concert!"
Lightning and I cheered with everyone as the Spinda waited for the flute players to start. Once the soft yet peppy notes played, the Pokémon hopped up and down and spun around, occasionally murmuring some words. Though the crooked yellow notes were trying to escape from the ring of Spinda, the melody from the combined flutes made them dissipate.
Lightning was enthralled by the entire spectacle, but for some reason, I was more focused on Weldon. Despite him saying he only had a few weeks of practice, he played just as well as the more experienced workers. I could feel the emotions coming from his playing; it was gentle and calm, yet strong and bold. Just like him.
I continued to be speechless once the music ended and everyone was applauding. I only returned to reality when Lightning tapped on my arm.
"Are you okay, Summer?" she asked. "You've been really quiet."
"O-Oh, yeah, I'm fine. It was…it was great…"
"It definitely was. Especially Weldon, right?"
"Wh-What?"
She snickered as the owner was about to address the audience.
"I'm glad you all enjoyed our performance. The waived manufacturing fee for our products has ended now, but if you would like any flutes, just like the ones we used in tonight's performance, please let us know and we can schedule the payment and free delivery. Thank you all for coming and please enjoy the rest of the bonfire and festival."
As the crowd slowly dispersed, Weldon rejoined us. His face had the same shade of color as the flickering flames.
"That…That was amazing, Weldon," I praised. "I couldn't tell that you only had a few weeks' worth of practice."
"Thanks, Summer. Aki's a really good teacher. I'm just happy I didn't mess up."
"Summer, Weldon!"
Aki and Smith arrived with two medium-sized paper bags.
The glass blower's wife grinned. "Thank you both so much for helping us save the festival. Not only were we able to continue, we may have just gotten a new tradition with the Teeter Dance Flute Concert. The Spinda allowed us to move our festival date to their usual time so we can continue to foster our relationship with them. As thanks, here are the items you both asked for and some extra figurines on the house."
"Thanks, Aki," I replied as I accepted my package.
After Smith gave Weldon his, he said, "I'll be helping Aki and Hai with the remaining deliveries. It was great to see you again, Summer. And it was nice meeting you too, Weldon. I hope we'll see each other again at Ty's race."
I nodded. "We'll definitely try to make it, Smith. Bye!"
After we separated from the adults, we sat on a nearby bench. I took out my presents: a Battle Flute set consisting of Red, Blue, and Yellow Flutes and a lovely glass Spinda figurine.
I turned to my coach and presented him with the tricolored box.
Weldon was surprised. "You…want me to have your flutes, Summer? But why?"
"Well, I want to thank you for being such a great coach. I figured they'll be useful during battles or even outside them. You know what the Yellow Flute does. The Red Flute cures infatuation, and the Blue Flute awakens sleeping Pokémon. "
He smiled. "Thanks, Summer. That means a lot."
"So what did you get, Weldon?"
"I got a glass Spinda figure too, along with a glass camelia for my mom…" He clenched his bag tightly, and I felt his strong nervous energy. Then, he took a deep breath.
"I also made this." He took out a gray box showing a Black Flute and White Flute.
I gasped. "A Pokémon Encounter Flute Set?! Those are usually hard to make since you need a lot of ash. How did-?" Then I came to a realization. "Is that… Is that why you've been gone while we've been staying in Fallarbor Town?"
He adjusted his hat. "You've been working so hard that I…I wanted to surprise you with something nice. I know your interest in meeting and helping Pokémon, so I asked Aki if she could not only make the flutes, but also teach me how to play them. I've played the violin before, but never the flute."
"I didn't know you play the violin."
He chuckled. "I'm full of surprises, Summer. I'm sure you know, but the Black Flute repels wild Pokémon, and the White Flute attracts them. I thought they'll be helpful in case you encounter situations where you'll need either flute."
He handed me the beautifully packaged box.
"Thanks, Weldon. No one outside my family has ever given me a gift like this."
"You're welcome, Summer. If you want, I can teach you how to play them. Aki showed me how to play all of the flutes, and they're really easy to learn."
"Yes, please. I like music, but I'm not the best at playing it."
He then took out the Yellow Flute and for the rest of our time at the festival, he taught me something outside of battling for the first time.
From the nearby mountains, Hamsetrin spied on the pair of young Trainers and frowned.
"So, they figured out what happened. At least they don't know it was me who gave the Spinda those Berries. That buys me some time to create a new strategy."
His hologram device activated, revealing his master, Rekishi.
Hamestrin turned to the digital face. "Yes, Master Rekishi?"
{Have you succeeded, Hamsetrin?}
"Unfortunately, no, Master."
His superior sighed. {This isn't like you, Hamestrin. You're one of our best agents, yet you have not been able to eliminate this target as efficiently as your previous ones.}
"Don't worry, Master. I will continue to stalk the target and find more of his weaknesses to exploit. I have not failed a mission, and I will ensure this one will not be the first."
{Very well. Let us know if our other divisions can aid you in any way.}
"I will. End transmission."
With the device off, he continued to watch the pair converse over a yellow flute. This scene reminded him of something, yet he couldn't place it. Suddenly, someone flashed in his mind. It was a young woman with long brown hair and green eyes.
The man clenched his teeth and rubbed his head. What the-? Why did I get that image all of a sudden? I've never met that woman before…yet she looks familiar… It doesn't matter; I have no past, and I prefer to keep it that way. Now, to formulate my next plan against the target.
Summer's Pokémon:
Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, Blaze Ability, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut
Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Air Slash
Aurora (Dewgong, female): Calm Nature, Thick Fat Ability, moves: Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Signal Beam
Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch, Grass Knot
Rocky (Steelix, male): Lonely Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Stone Edge, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail
Olive (Grovyle, female): Timid Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Fury Cutter, Screech, Mega Drain, Quick Attack
Weldon's Pokémon:
Venusaur (male): Serious Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Solarbeam, Body Slam, Sludge Bomb, Vine Whip
Fearow (male): Adamant Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Drill Peck, Steel Wing, Fury Attack, Aerial Ace
Golem (male): Bold Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Rock Slide, Earthquake, Rollout, Double Edge
Gyarados (male): Sassy Nature, Intimidate Ability, moves: Surf, Ice Fang, Payback, Waterfall
Arcanine (male): Naughty Nature, Flash Fire Ability, moves: Hyper Beam, Extremespeed, Flare Blitz, Fire Blast
Electabuzz (male): Rash Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunder, Mega Kick, Thunder Punch, Shock Wave
Questions for the Chapter:
What did you think of the glass blowing festival?
What did you think of the gift exchange between Weldon and Summer?
What is Hamestrin's next plan?
