Hybrid: Topaz Edition

by LuxBeacon

Our story centers around Topaz Heart, nephew of Volkner. He has set his sights on becoming a gym trainer worthy of the Sinnoh League, but in order to do that he takes risks. So many risks. Assaulting smugglers, beating up gang members, infiltrating terrorist bases, actually crazy rivals, getting lost underground and being a huge nerd. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

37. Arc 6 - Lux & Nyx (Ch37)

{}=Pokemon Speaking; []=Telepathic Speaking

---

It has been quite some time since we've stepped on the beautiful sands of Sunyshore City. Spring is soon to blossom and thus new life shall be birthed across the land. My valiant friends continue to grow and foster new bonds, but soon it will be time for them to return to the field of battle. Regardless, until that day comes there are other matters that must be attended to. For a hero is not one with the mightiest sword, but those who bear hearts of compassion and action.

---

~x1x~

PoV: Topaz Heart

Location: Grocer's Market, Sunyshore City

Time: Late February - Noon

"Have you ever tried sweet and sour peppers?" I asked Holyn, holding up a jar of them.

He eyed the peppers bobbing in the jar. {Nope, are they any good?}

"The best, especially in a sandwich. Not even that spicy," I explained, reaching for my favorite spicy mango hot sauce. "Now if we add this to the mix then we're really cookin', especially with some juicy steak."

Holyn's eyes sparkled at the thought. {Can I try it?}

"When we get home, but for now I need to show you the tea section. This market has the best selection from regions all over the world," I explained, hyping him up as well. It was a requirement to love tea to be on my team, coffee lovers be damned.

{Y'know,} Amethyst called down, perching on top of one of the shelves, {If you really missed something I could just. Warp here, grab it, and come back. So if you forget something, it's no biggie.}

Violet smirked a little as she grabbed some dried fruits and canned olives. I cringed at the olives, but when it came to plants, she seemed to have very little preference so I knew they wouldn't go to waste.

I pouted at Amethyst. "I'm sure the surveillance team will have the most difficult time tracking down the thieving, warping Meowstic in the city. Plus, we got the list, so we should be able to get everything today."

{It's not stealing if we leave money in its place,} Amethyst retorted. {Or something equally valuable. Just because I could doesn't mean I'm about to.}

"Good," I affirmed as I began scanning the shelves before eyeing a peculiar item. I picked it up and turned around to face everyone. "Hey, do you wanna try-"

"No," Violet and Amethyst said in unison. Violet followed my gaze, let out a deep sigh and rolled her eyes. "I suppose your human tendencies have to show themselves somewhere…"

"It's just a snack!"

Amethyst, meanwhile, batted it out of my hand, put it away, and lifted me up like she was scruffing me to place me away from the shelf. {No. Bad Topaz. We don't try-} She did a double take on the package. {Squash flavored chocolate coated cheese with sugar sprinkles. What does that even mean? It's rhetorical, before you even think about justifying getting this.}

"Okay, but hear me out-"

{I can and will fill your mouth with cotton balls if you try me here.}

{I didn't know you liked… uh…} Holyn eyed the package ominously. {Stuff like that…}

"He does not," Violet said flatly. "He is morbidly curious and adept at convincing himself otherwise until it is too late."

"It looked like a new experience! Aren't you all just a wee bit curious as to how the hell all those flavors meld together?" I asked excitedly. "Would the squash overpower the chocolate? Would we be able to discern how cheesy it is? Is it a good morning or afternoon snack?"

"In a similar way to watching a volcano and wondering how quickly lava would melt the flesh from my bones, yes," Violet continued, looking back at the shelves. "Something I have not experienced, but doing so would be detrimental to my health."

{And you subjected Rogelio to these thoughts? Shame, Topaz. Shame,} Amethyst chastised.

The more they berated me the more sense they began to make. I scrunched my face in thought before nodding in agreement. "Well when you put it like that… definitely something Donut would disown me over."

He's quite particular.

Amethyst rolled her eyes. {Understatement of the week, yeesh.} She groaned in exasperation, before pausing a moment and raising an eyebrow in thought. {To change the subject, d'you think you could grab the stuff on the next part of the list? Me and Violet can handle the bit after that.} She looked at Holyn. {And if Topaz finds something you think would make Donut or me gag, you tell him no, okay?}

He saluted her eagerly before dragging me towards the synthetic meat aisle. I gave Amethyst a look as I followed behind him, pulling the cart alongside me.

I wasn't the best when it came to shopping for proper cooking. For one thing I tended to find lengthy cooking too bothersome, but even so good home cooked food was worth the effort.

I picked up two packages of ribs before showing them to Holyn. "Which one looks better?"

He sniffed each one before picking the right one, so I placed it in the cart. We continued onwards until he looked back to see Violet and Amethyst keeping a great distance away from this particular section of the store.

{Isn't it easier if we just all shop together?}

"In this case it's better this way. Violet is uncomfortable even looking at synthetic meat, even though it's not made of pokemon meat. The very concept of a human eating a pokemon makes her physically ill," I explained. "But she understands everyone else likes it and carnivorous pokemon need it, so we just get it separately and then come together once we've gotten everything. She'll only get near the stuff to cook it for a pokemon, no other reason."

{Ooooh, that makes sense. She's always so thoughtful, so it makes sense she'd be careful about that,} Holyn noted. {I'll keep that in mind.}

I smiled down at him as I picked up less controversial items. "She'll appreciate that. Now do you want turkey or beef meatballs?"

We continued for a bit longer before we got all we needed, hiding the meat products behind some juice products so they weren't immediately in Violet's face. When we reunited with them we found the duo inspecting some produce. All around them there were families bustling about, gathering stock in preparation.

"Synthetic meat collected," I announced. "We almost done here?"

Violet nodded, holding up what looked like a strip of almost woodlike dried grass. "For Zenara."

"Oooh, never seen that brand before, where's it from?" I asked.

"Eterna," She replied simply.

"Mm, that's where Flax is from. I'm no botanist or herbivore, but it looks like something even Donut would like nibbling on" I said while studying it.

{Eterna's got a lot of good stuff around it,} Amethyst noted. {Nice that there's so many different shops run by all sorts of people from loads of places, even right before a snowstorm. Usually you wouldn't find this unless you were actually close to Eterna.}

"The perks of living in the region's merchant capital," I stated proudly.

Products from all over the region were either delivered to Sunyshore, Canalave or Snowpoint for exporting to other regions. In exchange, we import loads of goods from other regions which have blossomed shops from all sorts of cultures to thrive within the city. Snowpoint primarily imports needed goods, while Canalave was relatively mellow compared to the bustling metropolis that is Sunyshore City so our economy is prosperous.

This prosperity provided us with a series of convenient stores from all over the world. In this case we were at a typical Sinnohan grocer's market for the familiar essentials. Next on the list was to get Donut some pastries from a Unovan bakery. After that I wanted to head to a Johto farmer market since they had a lot of what we needed for better quality. Everything was always within walking distance and if it wasn't we could take the monorail.

{Hey, if the city is supposed to be a sunny shore how come we're getting a blizzard?} Holyn asked.

"Despite our light disposition, we are still in Sinnoh and it is still winter, so we get some bursts. But it's not as bad as other sections of the region. I dunno how bad it gets in Oreburgh, but we'll be fine especially since we're preparing ahead of time," I elaborated.

"Sunny shore is a name derived from climate, a blizzard is weather," Violet said simply, though she looked at Holyn's reaction to see if he needed an explanation. The tilt of his head said enough. "Climate is the typical weather and temperature, measured over months or years. Weather is moment to moment. For instance, Pastoria has a humid climate. Some days may be drier than others, but the average is humidity."

{Think of it like this,} Amethyst noted. {Donut's disposition is that he loves sleep. But he's not always asleep. But just because he's up and about, or you wake him up early, that doesn't make him a morning person right?}

Holyn nodded. {When you explain it like that, it really makes sense. Donut's no morning person, but even I've seen him awake during it. Even though he usually really doesn't wanna be.}

{Exactly,} Amethyst nodded gladly.

"Speaking of the impending blizzard, didn't you want to get some extra supplies for the wild pokemon in our neighborhood?" I asked Violet.

Amethyst just chuckled. {Topaz, you really think she didn't already do that run? If it helps Pokemon, she'll move mountains.}

"I have yet to see any of the Kalosian Pokemon we liberated," Violet stated. "I only hope that their lack of request for aid means it is unneeded and not from mistrust."

"If they don't trust us, they might trust the local rangers. We have to hope they believe in at least one person that has got their backs," I suggested. It didn't seem to totally assuage her concerns so I continued. "After the blizzard is over we could go to the Great Marsh ranger station and request an update in person. Volkner hasn't reported any new trouble in a while, but that could change any day."

{I've been keeping an ear out, and still haven't heard anything yet,} Amethyst soothed while sitting on Violet's shoulder. {Maybe humans wouldn't pick it up, but if they need help? It'd reach my ears somehow.}

{Can't Rogelio help out with this? Since he likes bringing people closer together,} Holyn suggested.

"True, but… it feels right that we reach out first since we were involved. Until proven otherwise I'm going to maintain the thought that the Kalos pokemon do not want our help, but if we cross paths again we'll happily offer it," I stated. "That aside, you two found everything you need for now because I'm ready to head to the Alola grocer. The owner promised me fresh, imported plantains and avocados."

Amethyst's eyes brightened up. {Hey, speaking of, you think next time you go to Alola, we could tag along? I've always been curious about what it's like.}

I nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, we can go during the summer! Prepare yourself for loads of baked goods though, my family owns a bakery and even if you try to avoid them, the carbs will find you."

She laughed. {Last time I asked Donut about Alola the bakeries is all he talked about.}

"Last time I took him he didn't wanna leave," I laughed as we strolled towards check-out enjoying our little chats. Traveling was nice, but it felt even better to be back in familiar territory enjoying the mundane.

---

~x2x~

PoV: Jade Forrest

Location: Forrest Residence, Sunyshore City

Time: Same Day - Noon

"So what do you wanna do when we get back?" I asked Flax, who sat upon my shoulder with Shizu striding by my side, loyally. "Course, Imma eat my burger first, but after that?"

We were strolling home after I'd gotten a cheeseburger and fries from the local Unovan burger place. I've no clue how Unovans get it to taste the way they do, but they've never made me miss Galarian food, I'll tell you that.

{Can I watch you paint something evoking the warmth of spring? I want something pleasant to look at before the snow ruins everything,} Flax asked simply.

{How bold,} Shizu sarcastically stated.

"What if I painted roses resiliently growing through a snowstorm against all odds?" I suggested.

{No thank you,} He replied immediately. {I would like nothing with snow. I would like the warmth of spring to distract me from the impending frost.}

I sighed, conceding to his whim. "A sunny spring day with blossoming flowers coming right up then."

Flax gave the smallest smile at my response. If he had it this way all my artworks would be variations of the same warm, floral themes. Which didn't bother me, it was my absolute favorite aesthetic, but even I enjoy some variation.

We walked over to our frontyard to find Mum talking to Garland over the fence, a pleasant surprise. I hadn't seen him since I'd gone to Sandgem. When I got back from the Sandgem Lab he had texted me saying he was visiting family outside the city. This was our first in-person encounter with Rogelio's blessing upon me.

How long will it take for him to notice? More importantly, what does Dijon's voice sound like?

Garland caught sight of me as he waved me over. He seemed to be in a good mood, judging by his vibes as he seemed to have been enjoying the conversation. Garland has never had a problem talking with Mum, although it was clear many of her topics he wasn't particularly invested in.

Although, he often still indulged her. He wasn't even hurting from a lack of friends and their bond was totally platonic, so I figured the proximity effect was strong or he was just really nice. I remember ages ago I asked him why he even bothered and he simply told me he found it consoling.

I'm still learning to know what he meant.

As we walked over, he grinned. "Afternoon, Jade, Flax, Shizu. Is Gautier with you?"

"He's not a fan of walking long distances," I said, summoning him from his ball.

Upon entry he looked up at Garland and gave him some pleasant blinks. {Good to see you again, Garland.}

I smirked smugly to myself at Gautier's words. Due to our extended time together I've come to be able to understand his words as well. The other pokemon I cannot say the same, but at least no one can say I cannot bond with my own team.

"I'm surprised you're back from visiting your family already. Didn't you hear about the blizzard?" I asked.

He nodded. "Someone has to make sure our garden doesn't bear the brunt of it. They can, sure, but it'd be nice for them if they don't have to."

I could see Dijon pulling some covers over the plants, looking over and waving with a leaf. {Hello everyone! Nice to see you again!} His voice was cheery and light, as expected, though there was a hint of raspiness to it. Like he'd inhaled too much smoke and never really fully recovered.

That tracks considering his burns.

Shizu barked in return. "Sup!"

"Garland was just telling me about his trip," Mum interceded. "It sounded so lovely that it's a shame he had to cut it short. I told him I could handle his garden while he was away, but he's such a gentleman and told me they've got it."

{It does seem like a lot to manage and I can't even picture Lucrecia lifting up hoes and compost bags,} Gautier inquired.

"You catch on quick," I sighed.

"What was that?" She inquired dangerously, glaring at us both.

"Gautier caught on to Garland's gentlemanly nature is all," I covered.

She did not look convinced. "I can't speak pokemon, but I can speak bullshit, honey. Remember that."

Desiring to curb her edge while the edges of Garland's lips crept upward, I hopped onto a new topic. "Mum aside, do you and Dijon have time for some sparring? We've been training at Sandgem, but I've come to realize that the Mount Stark tournament was not enough of a push," I insisted.

The two of them glanced at each other, then at me. "I don't see why not, but I'm surprised to see you in such a rush for it."

{I disgraced myself and my team and have lost the trust of higher authority,} Flax declared solemnly. {I humbly request due discipline so I may weed out my weakness.}

{Of course there's no complaints towards me. My performance remains excellent,} Shizu proudly proclaimed. Flax ignored her.

"It's a long, tedious, stressful story," I sighed.

"Now Jade, Garland and Dijon just got back from a trip and are busy with their own errands, we shouldn't distract them even further," Mum chastised me.

Garland looked at her. "We never said no. Just that it's surprising." He waved us over. "C'mon then, I'll open the gate."

When Mum said gate, it was this grand iron barricade with intricate designs meant to show off. When Garland said gate, he meant the flimsy gate to the garden and yard behind his house.

Past the gate were our training grounds nestled where we could go relatively wild. Neither of us were keen on destroying our own property, but it was convenient and any stray attacks likely wouldn't reach any of our homes. There was a lot of workout equipment Garland used for his own personal training and once I met Flax, he trained me with.

In one of the crates I removed two practice hatchets, the weapons Garland had been teaching me to use. I never knew why exactly, but I always figured since he was a gardener it just made sense.

Aesthetics are everything for artists.

Flax, Shizu led Gautier to the battlefield with Dijon and Garland on the opposite end. Mum took a seat on a bench closeby sipping some lemonade. Funny how she was just protesting us sparring and suddenly she's cool with spectating. Even now she loves a good fight.

That aside, I found my place in the field to face off against Garland, who fought unarmed as per usual. He didn't need armaments for me though, I wasn't anywhere near his level.

{How strong are they? I don't want to break anything,} Gautier asked.

Shizu laughed. {If you can't size them up just from looking you've got a long way to go. You'll get the picture once things get rolling.}

{Jade wants to show you off, so remember your training and support him, alright?} Flax informed him. He blinked in understanding.

I glanced at Gautier before looking back at Garland and Dijon. "We've learned some new tricks at Rowan's lab. I think you'll be proud of our development."

They smiled as they settled into their stances. "I'm sure we will be. No time like the present, right?"

I nodded as I prepared my two hatchets. "Engarde!"

I charged at Garland with Gautier covering my back with a webbing, whilst Flax and Shizu targeted Dijon. Garland simply stood there, waiting, while Dijon extended his vines. Not to attack, just in preparation.

Once I reached Garland I ducked low to hit his legs. If he jumped, Gautier's webbing would catch him, slowing down his future movements. Meanwhile, Shizu and Flax ran in a streamline formation with Shizu burning Dijon's vines before they could coil around them, with Flax prepping some poisonous needles for when he got close enough.

Garland swiftly grabbed one of my arms and threw me back into the webbing Gautier made, while Dijon used some still unburned vines to skate around the battlefield and send small chunks of dirt hurtling for Flax and Shizu.

I was too straightforward, let's try something else.

I reoriented myself in midair and sliced the webbing before it could coat my body as I landed neatly on the ground, eyeing Garland. Gautier waddled up beside me, so I picked him up and threw him at Garland all the while he pulsed with Bug Buzz. I maintained a safe distance as I strafed around the attack's range, trying to find a more advantageous spot so my other teammates could attack him.

Course Flax was busy deflecting mounds of dirt with Magical Leaf, protecting him and Shizu from harm, although she couldn't use her fire in this position. Garland held out an arm, one of Dijon's vines quickly wrapping around it and pulling him out of range of Gautier. Leaves sprouted along the vine, which Garland pulled off and threw at us like darts before he was let go and stood right where we'd began, Dijon staying close but not too close.

"Not bad, but you're still being too straightforward. Gautier is a cocoon stage bug type, lean into his defense for area denial instead of trying to force him to be mobile before he's ready," he advised.

I eyed Gautier's current position versus Flax and Shizu.

He's much closer to Garland and Dijon than them. Good.

"You're right, so I'll find him a more suitable opponent. Swap Shizu!" I commanded.

Gautier's body blinked as he slowly began to dematerialize. On the other end, Shizu charged her body with fire, relaxing her dark energy to make the transition smoother. It was slower than I'd like, I imagined the tension of battle was causing it. Ally Switch activated, swapping the positions of Gautier and Shizu.

As soon as she could, Shizu charged straight towards Garland, burning all in her path emitting a smog alongside her. Meanwhile, Flax let loose a barrage of Pin Missiles at Dijon whilst Gautier's body readjusted to the switch.

Dijon detached a vine, Garland using the vine like a whip to knock the Pin Missiles out of the air while Dijon let out a cloud of swirling petals, blowing away the smokescreen. Even though the petals themselves burned to cinders, there was no longer any obscuring where Shizu was to throw off his Grass Knot, tripping up Shizu enough for the two to dodge to either side fairly easily.

{Damnit, fuckin' vines!} Shizu cursed.

"That's enough to stop you, Shizu?" I shouted.

She rolled on the ground before righting and igniting herself. {I'm still on the hunt!}

It's hard to get close when he can use vines even better than Flax, but what he can't utilize is the power of poison. Just need Flax to get closer.

"On me, Flax! Gautier, keep us oriented, Shizu charge ahead!" I commanded.

Flax used a vine and reeled himself onto my back as I ran forward, while Shizu charged once again into the fray.

Gautier's body blinked ominously ready to deter the next onslaught. Instead, Dijon's petals glowed brightly before letting a burst of light into the sky, illuminating everything around us in brilliant sunshine.

Sunny Day. They're fighting riskily today if they're willing to empower Shizu.

Shizu's body flared even more as she and Garland bounded across the battlefield. Garland seemed to glide on the grass to the side of Shizu's charge, tripping her up before doing the same to me and tangling up Flax's arms with his vine despite our resistance.

Meanwhile, it seemed like each one of Dijon's petals were firing miniature solar beams at Gautier. Not to harm, but more than enough to keep him from focusing.

But I didn't need complete focus from him.

He resisted the solar beams and his carapace was thick. Dijon was pulling punches, so we had to take advantage. I could faintly see a wave of psychic energy reverberate through the air before it collided with my body, pushing Flax and I toward Garland. I cringed a little at the messy psychic manipulation, but I allowed it to flow through me so I could utilize it myself.

Flax used the close proximity to attach a thorned vine to Garland's wrist, injecting a weaker poison, just something to make him a little slower. Before he could yank Flax off, I cut the vine connecting them, freeing both of Flax's arms so he could begin firing Toxic Spikes.

Garland only had to raise his arm for one of Dijon's blasts to burn the vine remnants away before taking off his jacket and using it as a shield from the spikes. The toxic spikes that landed on the ground were quickly enveloped in small balls of dirt and vines, Dijon depositing them away while continuing to use his vines to glide around the battlefield.

"I hope you know I expect you to dispose of those after this," Garland chastised as he shook off the toxic spikes from his jacket before rubbing where Flax injected him. "We don't need my garden getting poisoned, do we?"

"We've got Gautier, it'll be way easier now," I smirked as Flax righted himself on my shoulder. "Shall we keep going?"

{I don't see much of a point, Shizu can't seem to pull her weight today. In fact she seems to be throwing it all over the field,} Flax spat.

Oh?

{Fuck off!} Shizu barked, the fire around her growing more intense. {Don't give me shit just because the others don't think you're worth shit!}

I eyed her flame with intrigue. Sooner than I expected, but I like where this is going.

{Be nice,} Dijon interjected. {You're fighting us, not each other, remember?}

{When has infighting ever benefited?} Gautier questioned.

"When your allies' incompetence is holding the team back," I answered him, eyeing Shizu. "Sometimes there's no time to censor yourself. Just say what you mean and have that ignite their will to change. So Shizu… If you want Flax to be nicer, perhaps you could give us a bit more oomph," I added, stoking this new fire. I noticed Garland and Dijon share a look when I said that, even though Mum didn't.

{...what?} Shizu snarled, incensed by such slander.

I turned to her casually, Flax perched on my shoulder judging her. "I know you're capable of more than this. You've hunted down some large prey in the past, right? Hunger used to be your motivation, yes? Well, right now your motivation should be your own pride as a huntress." I turned back to face Garland. "We will not be the laughing stock of our peers. Donut, Amethyst, Lou? You should be able to beat them all and yet you can't. Flax beat Claydol and Gautier has already proven his utility to be quite valuable. If you keep lagging behind it's only a matter of time until Zenara surpasses you as well."

That was all it took for Shizu's entire body to become engulfed in red flames. Whatever snow that laid around us swiftly melted as the temperature began to increase. I turned to face her proper as her maw turned to a snarl of absolute fury at the prospect of prey outdoing her. Garland and Dijon watched carefully as Gautier waddled to my side.

{She's fueling her body with the sunlight…} Gautier whispered.

The red flame gradually became blue and then finally purple before it settled comfortably on her body.

This heat… I can tell it burns. I wonder how much.

I turned back to Garland with a pleased expression. "She's close to the edge, but she needs one last push, yeah? Can you two help with that?"

The two nodded, Garland cracking his knuckles and rolling his neck while Dijon shook himself out, spreading new vines before they turned in unison to Shizu. And, as one, beckoned towards them with their hand and leaf.

I picked up Gautier and took a healthy step back as I watched Shizu vanish into darkness, before reappearing right where I had been using the speed of Feint Attack.

{You wanted to see my pride as a huntress, Jade?} She snarled as she passed me by. {Burn it into your retina!}

She leapt forward towards Garland and Dijon once again, leaving purple flames wherever she stepped. Dijon focused his solar blasts into a point, letting loose a shining blast of light directly into her face.

It dispersed the flames just enough for Garland to swiftly elbow her in the nose before he and Dijon glided away on vines. She bounced back quickly, righting herself. She spit a wall of fire on the grass path they slid upon, causing each to jump out of the way.

The fire spread quickly, leaving less room for them to move. The heat was relentless, but I stayed closeby.

If what Rogelio said was true, our bond should give us strength. I doubt he had this in mind, but whatever.

Dijon warbled softly, the orb above shining slightly brighter. The light seemed to suffuse him before spreading to Garland, then the two split. Dijon slid away, pulling himself wherever he liked with his vines, and Garland used what he left behind to swing about.

Every so often, whenever Shizu got close, he'd kick a bit of dirt up at her or throw one of the balls with a toxic spike in it at her. Even that was risky as the sheer firepower she was emitting occasionally caught onto their vines, causing undue damage to them.

Not long after, the small cloud in Dijon's leaves was sent bursting into the air. It quickly spread into dark gray clouds, rain beginning to pelt down on the three. For Shizu, though, it turned to steam as soon as it touched her flames.

{The rain, huh?} She growled.

"I'd like to still have my grass healthy at the end of this, if it's all the same to you," Garland stated. "I'm sure you can handle it."

{I thank you for the extra challenge, actually,} She scoffed, but I could see her fur had grown patchy in some areas. The Houndour line's fire was cursed and while they had high tolerance, even they've been recorded destroying themselves with their own hellfire.

A safety precaution for them, while toning down her unintentional self harm. They always think about everyone else first in a fight, huh?

{I'll help regrow anything she burns,} Flax offered to Garland.

He simply gave Flax a knowing smile before turning his attention back to Shizu. "Now, show us what you can do. Don't worry about holding back."

{I never do,} Shizu then turned to Dijon, her eyes glowing black as she barked a wave of black energy over him. He shook himself slightly, but kept on smiling.

Torment. That'll force his attacks to be more predictable.

I eyed the field of battle and Shizu's gradual exhaustion. We were losing her spark, I had to keep it lit.

"That fire of your burns with your dark past, right? You're fueled by the blood of your past prey. Don't let their lives be wasted at this moment." I reminded her, causing her to glance back at me curiously. "There's less grass and less fire now, but also more mud. You're at a movement disadvantage. Don't bother with fire until you know you can burn and use your darkness to the fullest. Understood?"

She turned back to her opponents. {Understood.}

She once again disappeared, even faster now using the rain to disguise her body more while using Feint Attack. Even I had trouble telling her true body from an afterimage. Her ranged attacks weren't going to work in this condition, she had to get in close and give it her all.

Garland nodded towards his tool shed, and Dijon sent a vine towards it. The rain made it easy for Garland to slide over, Dijon keeping Shizu guessing with a hail of bullet seeds and razor leaves intermingled. Even coated in water, they couldn't do too much to her as she got right up in his face for a bite.

Until Garland promptly kicked her in the side of the head, having just swung off a vine. Mud splatted onto his boots as he stood up, rotating a trowel in his hand like a knife. "Care to test your mettle with me?"

Ghastly flames of will-o-wisp began to circulate Shizu's body.

{Mettle or metal, it all burns in the end.} Her maw frothed with ebon energy as she launched an intense Dark Pulse straight for him.

Garland swung up on a vine before expertly lobbing mud into the will-o-wisps and into her face, giving her a harder time keeping her flame lit.

Considering she didn't have hands and the rain was only doing so much, she couldn't wipe the mud off. Her flame was weakening, teetering on the edge of becoming blue again. Despite all of this, her body continued to boil as her stance grew weaker.

"Shizu…" I muttered to myself. "Come on now…"

Flax glanced at Shizu, then me, then back at her. {Must I do everything for her?} he said before he stood up on my shoulder and cleared his throat. {Get your act together and fight like you've got a spine, you lazy, narcissistic bitch!}

Shizu's eyes shot wide open as the mud burned off her face. The remaining will-o-wisp flames returned to her body, turning it a blazing purple once again. Her body became surrounded in an orb of purple fire as it got larger and hotter. Concerningly hot.

Everyone glanced at Flax in genuine shock before turning back on Shizu. Garland and Dijon each barely dodged the lashing ebon energy, although the heat alone from the attack caused them to wince. Dijon fired some Bullet Seeds into the flames, but it did nothing as they continued to expand.

{She's become frenzied. She'll turn everything to ash to win,} Gautier stated in calm awe.

{Perhaps I went too far…} Flax stated carefully as I considered the situation.

Can her pokeball even reach her through all this? These flames are too intense, it'll destroy everything… Wait, what about Mum!?

I grit my teeth as I took several steps back until a familiar arm grabbed me. I looked back to see Mum holding on to me, pulling me away from a stray lash of fire. "Mum?"

"I've got you, love," she assured me with a surprising level of calm as she led us all behind the bench several yards from the battlefield. She held me close with her back shielding me from the flames

{We'll protect you,} Gautier instructed as he and Flax escaped my grip to stand in front of the bench.

Flax created a wall of vines that Gautier reinforced with psychic energy so they wouldn't burn up immediately, stopping the brunt of the heat, but I doubted it'd take an explosion. Several of Dijon's vines shot up, caked in mud and further reinforcing the wall.

"Mum, lemme go, I need to help Shizu!" I squirmed, but her grip was tight.

"Trust in Garland to talk her down and trust Shizu's desire to not hurt us. She's a good girl, she's just a little frustrated is all. This is her time to let it all out," Mum assured me, stroking my hair.

She's so… different now.

As Mum said, I could hear Garland's voice through the flames. "Jade's relying on you, Shizu. Flax, Gautier and Lucrecia too, even if they might not say it. I know you've got it in you. Dijon does too. So don't let us down. Sear away any doubt and show us the depths of hell are right to fear you!"

The heat erupted, smoking purple flames rising up into the air like a funeral pyre for an entire city. Bright light shone around the sides of the wall, the hissing of the rain sounding like spirits of the damned sent scattering.

Shizu's howl split the air, growing louder and deeper as flames roared in waves against the ground. The roar of her flames bellowed, waves upon waves of the inferno blitzing around us until slowly, finally, they died down.

When we looked out from behind the wall, the arena was unrecognizable. Cobbled stones were glowing bright orange, almost melting into the blackened, cracking ground. Ash and dust caked the field, as charcoal husks of grass snapped and were carried away by the wind. I couldn't see the flowers of the garden for the mud-caked, charred vines that walled them off, just like the vines on our wall.

In the middle of the blast, where flames still grasped at the earth, stood Shizu. Her pointed tail whipped to either side, gleaming horns lit from below by the flames still leaking from her mouth. Piercing red eyes stared up at the sky, the bones of her past prey cresting across her back. A small skull sat at her chest, while a proud expression adorned her face.

Garland let out a deep sigh, Dijon's Protect slowly fading now that it wasn't needed, the two standing side by side. "That was… eventful." He looked at Shizu. "Congrats on the evolution, and the souls of my grass are definitely crying in harmony from it."

She looked back at the rest of her body and whipped her impish tail curiously before walking over to Garland and Dijon.

{You'd throw a fit too if you had that little weed bitching in your ear while you're getting pelted with an entire garden and then some.} She gave him a dour look though. {I kid though, I never wanted to hurt your plants.}

He sighed again, waving his hand dismissively as the vines around the flowers lowered. "Don't get too torn up about it. Dijon made sure the flower gardens didn't get torched, and grass grows back." He looked at her, a smile in his eyes. "Ash can make for fertile soil, you know. Given time and care."

He rubbed her head, smile spreading. "Good on you. And sorry about the mud. I would've tried to help you evolve another way, but it seemed wrong to try and divert the way things were going at that point."

She leaned into him fondly. {Don't worry about it. It's all corpses in the grave.}

Dijon jumped over, petting her with his leaves. {Congratulations on the evolution! It's definitely one of the coolest I've ever seen.}

{You should've seen Lou's. And he calls us performers? Pah!} She scoffed.

Mum finally let me go so I ran over to see Shizu properly. She was at least double her height and would be taller than me if she stood on her hindlegs. The only Houndoom I'd seen in person has been Flint's and while she wasn't as big or powerful, she was absolutely stunning.

"A body more befitting of a true huntress," I noted. "There's still so much more you can do ya know. I can't wait for you to show us all."

She barked in agreement. {Our quarry will never escape me, I'll make sure of that.}

{You better keep your word,} Flax added on, perching himself back on my shoulder.

She laughed. {Better hold me to it then.}

Flax tilted his head at her response, but he didn't retort back. Instead, he nodded. She was definitely more mature now, she would've called him something abhorrent for ruining her fun.

{I had thought you were going to burn everything to the ground,} Gautier noted.

{Sorry about-}Shizu began.

{Ah ah ah, don't apologize for that. The fear that coursed through my body as you began to envelop everything in those lavender flames… it resonated to my core. I want to see your hellfire burn evermore till there's nothing left.} Gautier serenaded her. {You've reminded me once again why I came all the way here and why I have never considered regretting it.}

Shizu turned to him with interest. {Now this side of you is much more fun.}

"Well, while I'm glad for your evolution I should be thanking you all for shielding us from the fire," Mum added, fanning herself. "I know it's been cold lately, but this isn't what I meant when I said I wanted to warm up."

"I have to agree, barbequed humans are not in season and never should be. Thank you everyone," I concurred. I turned back to Mum who while a little frayed, seemed okay, putting me at ease. "You handled yourself well out there, Mum. Never seen you so cool."

"I actually haven't felt this smoking hot since your father bought me that silk red dress," she joked before pouting at me. "And I'll have you know I used to be a professional pokemon battle commentator back in Galar and a damn good trainer. Besides, I've seen too many Max Flares to lose my nerve over something like this!"

Guess I've been underestimating her.

Garland looked back at the arena, putting his hands on his hips. "Well, forget about disposing of toxic spikes. Grassy Terrain can help, but I don't quite think we can regrow everything before the blizzard. I'd like to at least start and not just let the snow pile up on top of charcoal and ash, though."

"Perhaps I could assist you in sowing the land anew to be even stronger than what it once was? Slash and burn is not my typical agricultural method, but I sense many strong bonds were forged here and I do not wish to see it remain marred," A new voice echoed from behind Garland.

We all turned in its direction to see a familiar white deer floating up to us. Garland and Dijon looked thoroughly confused by the new stranger and even moreso by my general lack of a reaction, along with the dawning awe on Mum's face.

"I'd wish you a warm salutations, but I prefer a colder climate. Regardless, Garland, Dijon, Lucrecia, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, but I hope to make you friends. My name is Rogelio the Calyrex."

Garland and Dijon looked at each other before extending a hand and leaf respectively. "Well, Rogelio, can't say I'm familiar with Calyrex. But thank you for your help all the same. Though given how Lucrecia's jaw is liable to hit the ground, I'd wager you're not just any passerby. You've got a way with words, at least."

Rogelio eagerly floated over to them and shook both their hands. He seemed to really enjoy these small greetings.

{Aren't you supposed to be a secret?} Flax questioned.

"I see no reason to hide myself from my friends' trusted family. Besides, I've been wanting to meet them. I'm actually a bit saddened you have yet to tell them about me, Jade," Rogelio whined.

Mum placed her hands on her hips. "Is this the secret you've been hiding from me, Jade? Is this why you can speak to pokemon now? Did that professor perform experiments on you without your consent?"

Garland patted her on the back gently. "Easy. One thing at a time, Lucrecia, Professor Rowan wouldn't do that. That's Galactic's motto. How about we all talk about it inside so we can wind down. I'd say that Shizu's evolution deserves something special, and I'd enjoy sitting down frankly."

Mum took a second to compose herself. "Alright, you win, Garland. This is the ideal time for a tea party, specifically with the expensive set my mother-in-law gifted me for Lumifrost! I'll even make something with plenty of rawst berries to soothe everyone's burns. And during this tea party Jade can enlighten us all as to why Galar's king has returned to us… in Sinnoh."

{Unusually direct for colonizers to send their king, but I guess modern times need modern methods,} Dijon muttered to Garland, earning a chuckle from him. He then turned to Gautier. {I don't mean to offend of course, it's just that Galarian royalty has meddled a lot in Sinnoh history, yet never quite like this.}

{I'm aware and it's a valid point,} Gautier affirmed.

"I'd noticed you'd suddenly gotten quite good at reading your team in ways you weren't before," Garland noted. "So I wouldn't mind a nice chat before our new friend helps regrow my garden. Although, Lucrecia?" He noted, looking over at her.

"Yes, Garland, I have strawberry raspberry cheesecake as well."

He paused, realizing while he wasn't going to ask that, he was very glad to hear it. "Not what I was gonna ask, but much appreciated. What I will ask is that you let everyone tell stories at their own pace. I feel there's quite a bit we need to hear before prodding." He gave a grin to me and Rogelio.

She waved him aside as we followed her to our house for tea. "I'll have you know I prodded plenty of information out from cheeky trainers to learn their secret training regimen back in the day, but fine fine. They better not skip a single detail though!"

---

~x3x~

PoV: Jade Forrest

Location: Garland's Training Grounds, Sunyshore City

Time: Same Day - Afternoon

After one extensive tea party, everything was explained to Garland, Dijon and Mum. They took it pretty well, finding the whole story rather unique, but a fascinating tale. Mum seemed like she had a multitude of things to say, but kept them to herself. I wanted to pick her brain on that actually since she knows a lot about Galarian culture, but I had to help Garland clean his yard and the training ground as promised since that whole event distracted him and Dijon for so long.

Fortunately, a nature legend expedites the process.

"I keep a bit of a clearer patch in the middle for the arena, but beyond that I like to see what grows and cultivate it as it comes." Garland showed Rogelio the area he usually kept as the arena, notably centered with his house and the fencing around it. "That, and I'll make sure there's a path to each of the plots with some cover crops on the sides."

"Remember, it's still winter so there's no need to do anything too fancy. We just need the place fixed up a bit," I reminded him as I handed him a bag of grass seeds.

Rogelio stroked his chin as he took the bag. "Understood, I'll see it done."

He stuck his paw inside the bag, causing the seeds to glow. He then began floating around sprinkling seeds where the land had been ravaged by fire and battle. Wherever they landed they immediately took to the earth, regrowing the lawn anew and spreading rapidly. The toxic spikes that remained upon the ground were dissolved and used as fertilizer. When the grass went off its desired path, Rogelio would fly in and divert it elsewhere.

In a matter of minutes all the grass that had been torched or unearthed had been replaced beautifully. The training field was looking more so how it looked beforehand, albeit the new grass seemed to shimmer subtly. The rocks needed to be fixed, but Holyn could help with that. Once satisfied Rogelio floated back towards us awaiting Garland's examination.

Garland just whistled. "You did that in no time at all. Excellent job, and thank you. It's quite a load off our minds for the land to be green again."

"It was quite a simple fix. The land, even torched, has been well tended so the seeds took to it easily. I expect when it regrows properly it'll be hellfire proof," He affirmed.

Garland looked fondly across the garden before sitting down, resting a hand on a knee. Dijon sat next to him, and patted the ground with his leaves. {Even if Rogelio did all the regrowing, I think it'd be nice if we all sat and appreciated it for a minute.}

It was getting cold and dark so I wasn't keen on sitting around, but I relented. "If ya say so."

I sat down alongside them with the rest of my team with Rogelio eagerly joining in, muttering something about the joys of bonding activities. Garland and Dijon just stared quietly at the garden and the sky for a minute, before they looked at each other. A small smile crossed their faces as they began tapping the ground rhythmically, a pattern slowly emerging.

Gautier leaned, over eyeing them. {Why are you repeatedly tapping 'thank you' into the ground?}

I whirled back to him. "You know morse code?"

{Considering my upbringing, this is the bare minimum,} Gautier explained drolly.

Dijon looked at Garland. {We should tell them.}

He nodded, glancing at us. "It's something we used to do back in Helheim. The ground, rock and steel types among us would tap the ground to send seismic signals to the wild Pokemon of the area. Asking for help. The rest of us tapped the ground so it wouldn't look suspicious, just like we were being weird." He put a hand on Dijon's back. "After we got out, it only felt right to learn 'thank you' instead of always just tapping 'help us' into the earth. It certainly answered, after all."

"Oh… did they ever help you?" I asked.

Garland leaned back a little, chuckling. "Did a little more than that. They had the whole place up in a panic, 'cept us. Steelix and Golem were tearing it to shreds. Still can't thank 'em enough." He looked over. "We're glad to have helped, but if you don't mind, we'd like to not spar around fire for a few weeks. And before you start beating yourself up, we knew what we were getting into." He looked at Shizu. "I look forward to forming a bond with a kind Houndoom."

Shizu nodded respectfully as I recalled as a child when I first met them, when I first moved to Sinnoh. The strange duo covered in bandages and when they finally took them off, I saw burn scars and frayed petals.

"Was it a Houndoom that burned you two?" I asked, carefully.

"Not just them. Some were them, some others. A few were involuntary friendly fire, but those I don't count. A few explosions, too, when we tore up the building in Veilstone."

{Why did they want to hurt you both so badly when they needed you? Were the experiments not enough torture?} Flax asked pointedly. I believe every time they told him a Helheim story he added another torture method to inflict on Galactic when he met them. The details were important so he could know how much pain to inflict.

Dijon gave him a sad smile. {Who said that wasn't what they were testing? How well we could survive.}

{I see,} He looked straight ahead, adding that to his memory.

Garland tapped Rogelio's shoulder. "I might not be familiar with everything about you, but it's important for you to know what happened before you were born. With this specifically, since I figure you'll need to deal with it while we're all still around."

"Champion Cynthia warned me that if I stay in the Sinnoh region Galactic might accost me and perform similarly heinous experiments on me as well," Rogelio stated simply.

I hadn't considered the risk he was in for staying in the region.

He continued. "Topaz and the others said I could go anywhere I like and I'd like to stay in Sunyshore despite that. Coming from experience, do you think that is foolish?"

He shook his head. "The opposite, actually. Sure, staying in Sinnoh means you're right where they'll go after. But at the same time, we know they're out there. We know you're here. If we see you all the time, and then suddenly we don't? Something's clearly wrong. If you left for another region, we wouldn't have a clue what was happening."

"Thank you, I needed to hear that. I just didn't want to burden my friends with my presence," Rogelio admitted.

Dijon and Garland looked at each other, shaking their heads before Dijon put a leaf on Rogelio's back. {We're glad you're here. It's not a burden to fight for, to protect your friends and family. It's just what you do. And we're glad to do it.}

"You must get that from Topaz," I stated offhandedly as Rogelio looked over. "Staying quiet and handling things on his own is so like him. Although I wager it's because he isn't thinking compared to your selflessness."

"That reminds me," Garland noted as he looked back at me. "I wanted to congratulate you on burying the hatchet with Violet and Amethyst. I know that wasn't easy, but it's good you did it. I'm proud of you."

I turned away embarrassed. "Well, I can't give my own pokemon shit for not trying hard enough if I don't lead by example."

{I think you still would and just gaslight us into thinking you're not,} Shizu snidely stated, earning a laugh from Gautier.

Dijon snorted, looking over at us. {Well, you get along in your own way at least.} He tapped Garland on the shoulder, who nodded.

"You know how I've told you I can't give you all the answers to the questions you ask, Jade?"

I nodded. "Some were because it was too fresh, some were because you were too young, and others were because they aren't just my secrets to tell. The first two I'll answer when we can, but I'd ask you to bear with me and Dijon until all of us are comfortable. Everyone who got out, that is."

"I'm in no rush, take your time," I said coolly, before eyeing my team, then Garland. "But I do have a question I think is fair to answer at this point…"

It feels too blatant to ignore at this point.

"You can understand pokespeak, right Garland?" I asked pointedly.

He hummed to himself. "I've got a better grasp on it than most non-Pokemon, let's say."

I hummed, considering his careful wording.

A grasp? Well clearly he can, he just refuses to openly say it. So does that mean other Helheim survivors can speak to pokemon? Now I feel stupid for not asking him more about this on Mount Stark.

I studied Dijon, looking for anything I hadn't noticed before.

Dijon and Proton don't seem to be too different from other Sunflora or Electivire, so were only the humans affected? Garland and Vika are pretty strong too, but from what I know about their pasts they weren't fighters. They had to fight for their lives during Helheim, so maybe that's how they began getting so strong. But if it was just a slight power boost he wouldn't be so secretive about this. There's so much more here that he won't tell me.

I caught Garland's eye again. He sighed before elaborating somewhat. "That's a secret that's not just mine to tell. Trust me, I'd tell you if it wouldn't cause problems for my family. So please, for us, don't dwell on that too much. For now, just keep in mind we had to do everything we could to communicate with anyone who'd help us. That included learning languages we wouldn't naturally learn."

I frowned, this evasiveness didn't sit well with me. Maybe all the secrets were driving me crazy.

It's just my team and Rogelio here, why can't they tell us? We can keep secrets, it's not like everyone else doesn't have their fair share. Will I always be the last person to know anything?

I felt a paw on my hand and looked down to see Shizu staring me down. She didn't look radically different, but I was still unused to it. Especially her keen eyes. {It's not our place to pry after everything they've done for us, especially today. Garland's secrets aren't the ones we should be afraid of, so don't bite the hand that feeds you.}

He gave a smile to Shizu before looking back at me. "I know it feels like something we should be able to tell you. But we can't. This isn't that I feel you can't keep a secret. It's that no one can know, not until more is done. I'd say too many people know, but we deal with it. We have to." He grimaced, glancing at the sky again. "Forget Galactic, word travels. Even if it's just a Starly sitting on a roof, it'll circulate. I'm sure some word already has. But they know it's a secret. Pokemon tell their own stories, and we weren't the only ones taken by Galactic. But if word travels where it shouldn't? We'd have all of Kanto, Unova, Galar, probably Kalos on our asses. Rose would forget the pleasantries and take you hostage just to get whatever he could on us. Add Galactic waiting for the right moment, and that sort of chaos is giving it to them on a silver platter."

He sighed, looking at me again. "It's not just me not telling you something. It's me keeping my word to other folk. And I don't say this lightly; the world as we know it is at stake if we give Galactic that kind of opportunity."

I remained silent as both Shizu and Garland stared me down.

Perhaps I'm poking a Bewear I'm not ready for. These secrets are frustrating, but I don't want us to catch the fallout of the secret being exposed. And clearly I'm not the only one frustrated about them here.

"Alright, I'll drop it." I got up, turning to everyone. "But there's still some stuff to clean up, right? Let's get to it eh, it's freezing and dark."

{I don't want to huddle with Shizu for warmth,} Flax pleaded as he clung to the slightly warm Gautier.

Shizu barked at him. {Awww, are ya sure? I can make you real toasty in just a second.}

Garland chuckled to himself, standing up along with Dijon. "So I take it you'd like some warning if I ever take you to see my family in Snowpoint."

{They can come here where it's a reasonable climate and I won't die if left outside for five minutes,} Flax retorted as he hopped onto my shoulder.

"Fair. But there's something special about the places nobody goes." He looked at us with a grin. "I'm sure you could draw some truly stunning artwork of those places when you find them."

"Perhaps when the blizzard hits I'll be inspired," I mused as we got to work.

---

~x4x~

PoV: Topaz Heart

Location: Home, Sunyshore City

Time: Late February - Day of the Blizzard - Midnight

I stared out the window, watching the snow blanket the world. As predicted, it was the first major blizzard of the year for our corner of the region. All day I hadn't seen a single human outside, all electing to stay indoors where it was warm and safe.

On the contrary, I saw more ice types today than I had seen in ages. All enjoying the isolated streets of human civilization. Communicating in ways I could not understand, for this was the ideal day for them.

At this hour, I spotted a few Snorunt walking down the street as if it were an everyday affair, shortly followed by a glimpse of what I assumed was a Froslass before she disappeared in the snow. I turned my attention to the living room, our fireplace still lit, warming the room to a pleasant temperature.

On the couch laid Volkner, embracing the warm fire as he slept with absolute peace. He enjoyed days with intense weather, whether to battle in or to relax in. According to him, there was something comforting about everyone hunkering down and letting nature run its course. By his feet also laid a sleeping Froberge, curled up comfortably, equally enjoying the fire's warmth.

On the other couch was Jade, lazily watching a video on his tablet attempting to stay awake. Shizu was relaxing by his side although throughout the day we had caught her lounging in the fireplace. Her new form interested me, but she still primarily kept to herself. She seemed more dignified though. Flax and Gautier on the other hand were asleep in their own little beds.

Violet and her team were up in their room, likely still awake, but they had prepped for bed rather early so possibly not. My team and Cenza were in my own room, probably asleep. Lou finds the cold makes him drowsy and Donut takes every chance to sleep. Holyn and Cenza were likely watching a TV drama.

Hopefully it's appropriately rated.

As for Rogelio… he woke me up as soon as the blizzard started to tell me he was going on a long walk. Considering he had yet to come back I felt I should've been concerned, but his species literally originates from the tundra so I assumed he was just enjoying a fraction of that.

Affirming each of their positions I returned to my own task. With a lamp by my side, I carefully began inlaying a malachite gem into a bracelet I had crafted. It had been some time since I had tinkered with much of anything. While jewelry making wasn't particularly utilitarian, the finished products were so pretty.

I turned a page in the instruction manual that Cynthia had got me for Lumifrost. "Didn't turn out exactly how I expected, but I think any merchant would feel honored to sell it on the market. I wonder if that peddler from Oreburgh, Lyle, would buy it," I hummed proudly to myself as I placed it next to the other trinkets I'd made today.

Suddenly, I heard a burst of movement from Violet's room while Amethyst flew down the stairs, an urgent look on her face. {You're up, good. Get medical supplies and make sure the backyard's clear. We'll be back in a few minutes.}

I leaned over to look out the window to our empty backyard covered in snow. "Like clear of snow or…? And where are you going, it's nearly 1am."

{Pokemon effective against psychic types. I got a signal from the Espurr we saved, we're going to help.}

Before I could even form a response, I saw Violet running down the stairs. She was in full heavy snow gear, goggles over her eyes and her face set in determination. Zenara ran down right alongside her, looking much more serious than I was used to seeing from her. Without even a word, the two jumped towards Amethyst, who turned back to them and enveloped them all in a lavender glow before they teleported away.

I stared dumbfounded by the sudden appearance and disappearance of them all, but the gist of the message was received. Jade removed an earbud and eyed where their bodies had been.

"The fuck?"

"They left to rescue a pokemon," I explained as I headed to my room so I could get my team, medical supplies and winter clothes.

It didn't take long for me to rouse Lou, Cenza or even Donut when I informed them of what had happened as we all made our way downstairs. We were treating Espurr so I gathered the medical supplies we used for mammalian pokemon primarily and waited by the backdoor with everyone watching the backyard.

By this point, Jade and his team were also awake, but simply eyed us from a distance.

{This is our first contact with any of the Kalos pokemon since October and during a snowstorm, no less,} Lou noted. {You say the Espurr kitts were attacked by psychic hunters?}

I nodded. "Considering the weather it's likely Froslass or Sneasel. Four small mammalian pokemon, brimming with psychic energy and bundled up in one place waiting out the storm. It's easy and bountiful prey for them."

I thought back to when we had liberated the Kalosians. I hadn't personally interacted with them much, but I did recall once they saw Amethyst there was a hint of fear, before being replaced by gratitude. Perhaps they weren't sure they could trust her due to Benedetto's Meowstic being one of their perpetrators, but she had quickly assuaged that fear at the time.

Even now they trust her… it's good they can still manage that.

{Do you think they need back-up?} Holyn asked. {They've been gone awhile. Should we go look for them?}

I shook my head, remaining focused on the backyard. "They have more than enough power to handle this. If they didn't, they would've got it."

Satisfied with my answer we waited in silence. I didn't bother waking Volkner or Froberge. We could handle this, they deserved to sleep.

Not even a minute later, we watched as a lavender glow rippled into existence in the middle of the yard. It burst into Violet, Amethyst and Zenara, though now Violet was holding a blanket close in her arms with Zenara huddled against it. Without even looking back, Amethyst flew over to a tree in the yard and, for lack of a better word, excavated its roots. Snow and dirt flew out at either side like she'd thrown a boulder in a pond, but the tree and roots themselves were left untouched.

Within seconds two large mounds of dirt were piled on either side, a hole with a fairly small entrance nestled between the roots of the tree.

Without skipping a beat, Violet slid into the hole and Amethyst flew in while Zenara turned around and ran towards us. {Topaz! Loulou! Did you get the supplies?}

{Why aren't they coming inside!?} Donut questioned.

"We're about to find out," I retorted as I picked up the first aid kit, opened the door and ran outside with everyone following behind me. Now we have an excessively large backyard that's mostly unused and this specific tree was quite a few meters away, so trudging through several inches of snow slowed me down initially. Until Lou picked me up and carried me over to Violet and Amethyst.

{Hold on,} Amethyst called from the hole before floating up. {First, thanks. Second, go slow. They're startled, we don't want to upset them more than they already are. Make sure they know who's coming in.}

"Alright then, a greeting," I said, hyping myself as I knelt towards the whole. "Espurr, it's me, the human boy that helped ya out!" I didn't want to shout, but the wind was too loud. "I'm Amethyst's friend. I was with Dedenne, Pikachu and Charjabug, remember?"

There was some concerned murmuring I could barely hear from inside before I saw Amethyst's shoulders relax ever so slightly. {You can come in, along with Donut and Cenza. Lou…} She looked over. {They're gonna need a little convincing first. Can you wait?}

{They're unfamiliar with my new state… I can remain outside,} Lou muttered quickly, backing away from the tree. Holyn followed suit.

She nodded in thanks, before floating back down the hole. {Also? You and Violet have been named. You're Lux, she's Nyx.}

"They gave us names?" I questioned, before shaking my head. "Got it."

She grinned slightly before looking back. Three of the Espurr were huddled around the fourth, who Violet was tending to. They were shivering much worse than the others, and they already had a bandage around their head and torso.

"Sneasel," Violet whispered, the howling of the wind much quieter in the hole. "The shadow energy worsened the cold."

She didn't look over, continuing to juice a Lum berry and mix it with some other juices already in a small bowl.

I could barely see the injured Espurr, as two of the others were standing protectively over them, hiding them from view. The third was standing in front of all of them, still shaking but determined to keep watch. I felt a vague psychic nudge. Nothing like Gautier, more like… the psychic equivalent to being sniffed. Seemingly satisfied, they relaxed slightly and said something to Amethyst.

She nodded. {This is Lux, Donut and Cenza. Lou is outside.} Their eyes widened and they said something else. {He's okay, he evolved. We didn't want him to scare you, and Lux made a new friend he's with. They'll keep guard, okay?}

They nodded slowly, glancing back as Violet helped the injured one drink the juice. Then they looked back at me and screwed up their eyes in concentration for a second.

[Help?] It was faint, like they were far away. And without the clarity of Amethyst or Rogelio. Nonetheless, the message was clear enough. But they weren't asking if we were helping. More if we could help.

"We'll help you. We'll help all of you," I declared as I opened up the medkit. "Cenza," I called, "Can you extend your fairy aura over them to calm their nerves? It'll help dispel Sneasel's lingering aura."

She moved without hesitation, scampering up the four. {Take a deep breath.}

She closed her eyes and focused as a gentle pink wave began to wash over them. The effect was slow as she was dispersing it between four entities, but the tension was gradually exiting their bodies.

{I'll warm them up,} Donut said, as he removed heat rocks from my bag and began placing them around the four, stimulating them with slight jolts so they could begin warming the hollow faster. It was slow going, but already the kittens began moving closer to the warmth of the rocks.

Violet glanced at Donut as he placed more. "Thank you."

He simply smiled and continued.

The front Espurr looked back, swapping out with another one to watch over their sibling. The new one ran forwards, hugging Cenza tight and saying something over and over. She began to tear up at their words, but she hugged them back exuding even more of her fairy aura.

I couldn't focus on that right now, as touching as it was. I had to focus. "Can I see the wound?" I asked.

Violet looked to the two Espurr hiding their sibling, who hesitated before looking at Cenza and their other littermate. They then moved enough for me to see. Not away from their injured family, just so I could see them.

Their eyes were closed currently, but tightly, wincing. The bandage on their head was already stained slightly red, whereas there was more blood soaking into the bandage on their side. I noticed their ears were curled up even tighter than usual, and that the other two's ears were slightly lifted. Giving psychic energy to the one in need.

Violet bandaged the wound and the other two are supplementing with their own psychic forces. All four seem to be suffering from stress and exhaustion, likely due to the harsher environment in Sinnoh. Judging by the severity of the wound, they're liable for infection, although the intense cold would have helped sterilize the wound. For now we ought to purge them of Sneasel's lingering essence and revitalize them. Although we should really take them to a Pokemon Center or at least inside…

I pulled out a colbur and oran berry that I handed to Violet. "Mix these with the lum and it'll help purge Sneasel's darkness even faster. Oran is easier on the stomach than sitrus, so we can use more of it in the mixture."

I'll have to tell my school teacher that their tips helped me out.

She nodded, quickly juicing them and adding it to the mixture. She gave the Espurr a moment to breathe before gently moving the bowl towards them again. Waiting patiently for them to drink as much as they could, she glanced at me. "There are leeks in my bag. Take them and apply it to a bandage before we change these. To help close and disinfect the wounds."

"I'll add a splash of-"

[Wait,] I heard Amethyst abruptly in my mind. [They're familiar with plants. Trust me, if we weren't worried about them freaking over a bottle of human concoction, Violet would've pulled out the max potions and full heals ages ago. We wanna make sure they don't panic at something unknown.]

Right. Espurr are resilient, especially these four, but when pushed too far even they can't stop the overload. Gotta adapt to the circumstances and what we have.

As I began preparing the bandages, Donut moved closer to the Espurr. He was around their size, a tad bigger, so far from intimidating. He couldn't communicate like a psychic, but they were all mammals. Familiarizing them with his scent would help with the proceedings.

{You were all really brave today,} He gently comforted them. {We're all really glad you let us know when you needed help. We'll make sure you're all warm and safe, wherever you are. No one can hurt you while we're around, okay?}

They nodded, still huddling close to one another. One of them asked him something, somewhat curiously, somewhat afraid.

{Yup, we all live here together with even stronger adults that keep us safe. We're all a big family that helps each other everyday,} Donut affirmed.

The other one looked at Amethyst, asking something else that just made her smile. {They're bright people, and any mean shadows Nyx would chase away.}

Is that where they got these names? Light and night?

"Lux, bandages," Violet said, preparing to apply fresh, better bandages soaked with the juice of medicinal leeks. I readied them as she removed the old bandages from when she had triaged Espurr, finally getting a proper look at the wound.

It was almost unnerving how clean the cuts were. They looked less like something sustained in a fight, and more like a surgical incision. The one on their torso zagging abruptly in a different direction, where they'd tried to pull away.

The blood pooling from it made much more sense now, as well as why Violet began applying the bandages tightly there first. Even if a wound on a psychic type's head might be serious, it wouldn't matter if they died from blood loss first. Fortunately, it didn't seem like bone was scratched in either wound. It hadn't gone quite that deep.

An attempted kill from a Sneasel… their predatory skills are truly frightening, but it looks like they couldn't do as much damage as they liked. Amethyst and the others must've intervened before then.

As Violet removed the bandages I moved in quickly to apply the new ones. Even with the heat rocks beginning to generate a decent amount of warmth and the bodies of their siblings, Espurr was concerningly cold. I tried to be gentle so as to not stir Espurr needlessly, while also ensuring the tightness of the dressing in order for it to actually stay on. Once finished, Cenza poured her fairy aura directly into Espurr to ease some of the distress.

[We shouldn't let them stay here,] I telepathically voiced to Amethyst. [It's too cold and uncomfortable. The snowfall won't break for a while either.]

[Trust me, I know,] Amethyst replied, a pained twinge to her voice. [But that's why Violet ran around grabbing supplies. We're expecting to stay the night with them here, since it's really unlikely they'd take kindly to going in a house right now. A den? That they know, that's safe. Human constructs? Not so much.]

[I can see that much, but none of us are physicians. They need to be tended at a Pokemon Center,] I urged.

She grimaced, looking at Cenza. [What're your thoughts? You or Donut would be the best candidates to convince them.]

[Why not yourself? They bonded to you even back then,] Donut asked.

[Violet and Topaz are the only two humans they're willing to trust right now. Either of them trying would risk shattering their faith in humans altogether. Sure, maybe it'd be thinking they're well meaning idiots, but it still means they can't be relied upon,] Amethyst elaborated. [By extension, that puts all of us who're with them into question. And if I try, they'll panic and start seeing more similarities between me and Benedetto's slave Meowstic. Having their mind poisoned by cruel humans. Cenza is the one who got help for them along with everyone else, and I trust Violet's research. Benedetto never really interacted with Pikachu.]

I nodded along as I turned to Donut and Cenza. [Do you think you two can convince them? You can't afford to mess up, mind you.]

[I promised we'd keep them safe,] Donut restated. [That hasn't changed. Right Cenza?]

[I want to help every single person Benedetto hurt, starting with them,] Cenza affirmed.

One of the Espurr mewled questioningly towards us. It seemed they could sense our private silent conversation and wanted a vocal response.

Donut stepped forward to that one specifically before turning to Violet. {Nyx, be honest. How is the little one doing? Do you think they're best here?}

"No," she replied immediately. "None of us are medical professionals. Ensuring their safety requires such people."

He turned back to the kit, they seemed the bravest. Perhaps the oldest or at least the one taking the leadership position right now. {I'm sure you've all made loads of tough decisions ever since you came here, but I need you to make a few more to save your littermate's life. I'm going to say something none of you will like, are you ready?}

They looked at each other, then at their injured sibling, before looking back and nodding.

{There are these places called Pokemon Centers that provide healing and safety for all pokemon,} Donut explained.

{After everyone helped me sneak away from the cages, I ran with all my might until I found Lux and the others to help me. After we escaped the evil Mankey troop they took me to the Pokemon Center and saved me,} Cenza explained, to support his point. {I didn't know what any of it meant or who they were, but they did everything to keep me safe even though I was a stranger that brought trouble to them. Even though Lux and Nyx are humans and I'm a stranger from far away, they showed me more compassion than I've ever felt in my life.}

I took a pause at her statement. I've never pried into Cenza's past, but maybe it wasn't the best?

{Pokemon Centers are run by pokemon… and humans,} Donut warned. {But the humans there are what your sibling needs right now. They can save their life and will let you all go feeling better than ever.}

{Donut and the others went there after they beat the poachers and the Center saved them after they were hurt,} Cenza continued. {The people there are really nice and it's not so scary when you're all together.}

Amethyst and Violet were spot on; even though it was Cenza and Donut saying it, I could see them trembling. Not just from the cold, but as if their psychic energy was about to go haywire. The one Donut addressed looked at Cenza and asked something.

Cenza smiled at them. {I'm fine and it surprised me too, but I've learned there's many bad humans, but also so many good. And the best humans made sure us pokemon had places to be safe.}

{You remember how I told you Nyx helped me like she's helping you?} Amethyst spoke up. {She's a human, but she did everything she could to make sure I was okay. I know it sounds like we're lying to you, but I promise, there's more like her and Lux in the world.} She grinned, putting a hand to her chest. {And if they're not nice, I promise I'll beat them all up. Just like we did with the enslaver. Okay?}

None of the three looked particularly excited about the prospect. It wasn't until the one who'd been silent until now spoke up that they started talking amongst each other. There was a lot of pointing out of the hole, at us, and glances over at their wounded sibling. Until finally, they looked at Amethyst in unison and the one Donut addressed said something.

She sighed in relief, looking at me. {They agreed, so long as we promise to stay with them the whole time.}

"Without a doubt," Violet said immediately.

Donut breathed a sigh of relief whilst Cenza thanked them profusely for trusting us. I patted both their heads fondly at their successful negotiation.

"I'll call Nurse Joy and let her know we're coming."

{That'd be best,} Amethyst sighed. {Wasn't there that one who came to see us after the whole thing with the slaver? Can you request her specifically or something?}

My mind drew a blank for a second. "Oh the one from the resort that treated Cenza?"

"And who came to make certain we would recover after the final bout," Violet reminded me.

{Oh I've wanted to see her again! Can you please get her, Lux?} Cenza pleaded.

I gazed down at her precious eyes and the three adorable kittens waiting for me to make good on my word. I collected myself and smiled down at them all. "Of course, give me a few minutes. I'll be right outside."

I scooched out of the hollow to once again feel the strong winds and snow pelt against my body. Lou, Holyn and Zenara had remained vigilant awaiting our return, with Lou and Zenara emitting a soft, warm glow of electricity to keep Holyn warm.

As I took out my phone I rubbed Holyn's chin. "I'm sorry we're taking so long, you can head back inside."

He leaned into my touch. {I go where my team goes.}

I smiled down at him as I found the Hotel Grand Lake Center's number and called them up to ask for her. I didn't know her real name, but I took care to note her physical characteristics. The Nurse Joy on the phone thankfully seemed to know who I was talking about only to inform me she wasn't working tonight.

Anxiety filled my throat for a second until the Nurse told me she'd give her a call and see if she can get her to head to the Sunyshore Center. I waited for what felt like a frigid eternity, in which I huddled up with the outdoor mons, but finally Nurse Joy returned on the line.

"Topaz, hello?"

"Did you get her?" I asked.

"Yup, right before she went to sleep too. I had our Nurse Alakazam teleport her to Sunyshore Center and she's awaiting you all there," she informed me.

I breathed the deepest sigh of relief. "Thank you Nurse Joy, I'm sorry for the trouble."

"No trouble at all, Topaz. Now please, save those Espurr," Nurse Joy pleaded.

"We will," I promised before hanging up and returning to the hollow.

Everyone, including Violet, had curled up around the Espurrs to warm their bodies as the heat rocks weren't working hard enough. Amethyst looked up at me from her curled position and immediately had her answer.

She looked at the Espurr. {I'm going to teleport us over. Are you ready?}

One of them said something that made her laugh bitterly. {I get that.}

Violet then bundled the four up in a blanket like before, holding them close before walking out with everyone. From inside the house, I could see Jade watching from a distance. As soon as we were all together, Amethyst took a moment to focus before the same glow from before enveloped us all and dropped us in the main lobby of the Center.

It was completely empty, any traveling trainers likely fast asleep in their rooms. There was the usual night shift Nurse Joy and Chansey I was familiar with at the front desk, but sitting at a table closer to us with a stretcher was a woman wearing a bonnet with strands of orange hair peeping through. She wore generic pink scrubs, a stethoscope around her neck and a jacket, by her side sat a Flareon with vivid fur.

We each recognized the other and closed the distance. "We really need to stop meeting like this," She joked, but her tone was professional. She immediately honed in on the bundle in Violet's arms. "The four Espurr, right? One was slashed by a Sneasel? Anything noticeably wrong with the others?"

"Cold and extremely anxious," Violet replied. "An unfamiliar structure, and a human one at that."

"We can take care of both," She assured, as she knelt down to speak to the bundle. "Hello Espurrs, my name is Clementine and this is my good friend, Saffron." The Flareon yipped to alert them. "Your friends asked us to take really good care of you all. If you ever feel too uncomfortable please let us know. Is it okay for us to treat you?"

Violet moved the blanket enough for them all to see her. They all looked at her warily, unsure if she was actually going to help them. Before one just nodded slowly, looking at Violet. "They requested we stay with them, for their peace of mind and safety."

"That's quite alright," She replied warmly. "Do you mind carrying them to the treatment room?"

She didn't need to be asked twice. Violet followed right behind the two, Amethyst floating right above the bundle of Espurr and Zenara right by her side. I followed suit with Donut and Cenza only to notice Lou had yet to move.

{Lou?} Donut questioned.

{I would be an alarming sight for pokemon so vulnerable. It's best I stay here,} he stated stoically.

{That's not tr-}

{You promised you'd keep them safe, Donut,} Lou reminded him. {Don't waste your sympathies on me. Go be with them.}

With slight hesitation Donut nodded as he ran after the others. Lou and I exchanged a quick glance before I followed suit to where the others had gone.

The room Clementine had chosen was large, much larger than what'd be used for Espurr typically, but it was more than enough space to fit in all the extra people.

I watched Violet gently set the Espurr on the bed, stepping away enough for Clementine to do her thing but close enough for her presence to be felt.

Clementine quickly but gently began tending to them. First came the injured one, who she unwrapped the bandages just enough to see. She asked Saffron to get some anesthetic, which she explained would make it hurt much less. While she prepared that, she gently explained that she needed to close the wound. That it would heal faster that way, and to do it she'd need to stitch it back together.

The other three were concerned, but after Saffron and Amethyst assured them that because it wouldn't hurt after the anesthetic, they calmed down a little.

The Espurr were still cautious of her and she knew that, so she went slowly but efficiently to best treat them. She praised the work we had done already, using the bandages we'd applied to keep the wounds clean before she properly cleaned, anesthetized and stitched them back together before re-wrapping them.

It was clear she had done this before, who knows how many times. Most trainers' pokemon are born in the wilderness, so I assumed handling them was a part of Nurse Joy training. Especially the ones scared of humans. Either way, once she had finished the general treatment the exhaustion of the night had finally begun to catch up on the kittens.

Clementine leaned back examining them all with a soft smile. "It's time for bedtime, little ones."

Saffron pushed over a small cart holding an advanced basket of some sort. Clementine then placed each sleepy kitten inside the basket where they each curled around each other, with the injured one in the middle. She pressed some buttons on the exterior of the basket and the interior began to glow a soft pink.

Once everyone looked well adjusted she walked over to us. "Everyone is stable, I don't foresee any immediate problems for now or the foreseeable future. That basket is designed to soothe young psychics so they can recover from trauma more easily. It'll help them all sleep more soundly after the night they've had. You all made every right call with these four. I wouldn't have been able to treat them if they didn't trust you all so much."

Violet shook her head. "I simply did what I could. Amethyst is the one who heard their call while Zenara kept them warm and safe."

Amethyst rolled her eyes. {Yeah, and you're the one who grabbed all the stuff we needed with your fancy opposable thumbs and helped loads along the way.}

Clementine hummed, amused. "You three seem even closer than the last time I saw you. You know what your dynamic reminds me of? How any time a ranger brings a pokemon to us, they always defer praise to their partner pokemon before anything."

{That's definitely Nyx to a tee,} Donut noted, taking care to still use her pseudonym in the kittens' presence.

Amethyst chuckled. {Something something twice, something something nickels. Y'know, maybe we should look into researching them again.}

"That reminds me," I remembered, turning to Amethyst. "What's this about Lux and Nyx?"

{Well, when we were all wrecking Benedetto's shit we never got the chance to introduce ourselves to any of the Kalos pokemon. Sure, they might've heard a stray name here or there, but it was hectic and loud. So for the most part we're just nameless pokemon and two humans,} she explained, as she pointed to me and Violet. {There's so many humans in the world that we can't just call you all 'human'. Pokemon have their own names for the world around us, including humans. Like how Donut calls you Zio or Lou calls you General.}

"Oh, huh. Well they never told me that," I noted eyeing Donut.

{It wasn't relevant,} he objected.

{Anyway,} Amethyst continued. {They didn't give me a full story because dealing with psychotic weasels, but I'm guessing it's cuz you surround yourself with electric types and you're kind of… bright, I dunno. You've got light vibes. Nyx meanwhile is more serious, has violet hair so maybe that gives them night vibes.}

"Huh, valid," I shrugged.

Violet turned to Clementine. "How soon will they heal?"

"The three healthier kits will be fine after a good night's sleep and breakfast, but they could benefit from some extra nourishment while we're here. I imagine it must be difficult to split food between all four of them. Especially during Sinnoh's winter," She noted. "The injured kit I would not suggest sending back into the wild until their wound no longer bothers them. It'd be damning if it re-opened while they're foraging or hunting for example, plus the stress from it may cause accidental psychic outbursts. Considering the size of the wound in comparison to their body, the current weather, season and conditions of their siblings I would say… at least a week. Non-battlers tend to recover slower."

Amethyst thought for a moment before putting her paws together, aiming them towards Clementine. {In your professional medical opinion, would the mental health benefits of a quickly excavated den under a tree outweigh the comfort but potential stress of a house?}

I noted Amethyst was simultaneously speaking verbally and telepathically. It was something she had been using to more easily speak to new humans. Considering how Clementine didn't seem surprised, I assumed she was familiar with the technique.

"It depends. Would you say the house you're considering would be unsuitable for them? Is it your house?" She asked.

{No, it's more about how comfortable they are in human structures in general. Also it's Lux's house, we're living there for now.}

"You can call it your house too, you guys have a room and all. I don't mind," I reminded them.

Amethyst just looked over with a sad smile. {And we appreciate it, but it's not our home. We haven't been able to go back for a long time, but it's still our home, y'know?}

I wasn't sure what to say, but thankfully Donut spoke up first. {All the big pokemon and Volkner in the house would prolly scare them. If we can fix up that den and make it a bit deeper, it should be fine even in this climate,} Donut suggested.

"Our home is a bit too busy for them," I loosely translated. "But the den is on our property."

Clementine hummed again. "Well… they are wild pokemon, so it would be what they're most used to… as long as you make sure the den is stable and reasonably clean. Make sure the tree doesn't cave in on them."

{I made sure the root system wasn't disturbed, so I don't think anything will happen. And considering it was dug up about twenty minutes ago, I don't think it's had time to get dirty yet. So it'll mostly be double checking and sprucing it all up,} Amethyst said with a slight grin. {Can't match Lou at digging, but I can do a good job when it counts.}

Clementine chuckled before turning to the sleeping kittens, crossing her arms sadly. "So these are more victims of those awful poachers, huh? They're young, far too young. They must've been taken from their mother before they were weaned. It's a miracle they've all survived for so long."

I eyed the four kittens carefully, trying to recall how they'd looked before. Thinking back on it now, they were around Cenza's size when we had met them and now they're around Donut's. They were babies that still needed their mom and were taken away from her.

Benedetto… even after all this time you find new ways to disgust me.

{They'll be okay,} Amethyst said confidently, looking at Violet. {I found my way to Nyx, and they did too. Dunno if they'll stick around like I have, but whether they do or not? They found their safe entrance to Sinnoh.}

Violet inhaled sharply before Amethyst smiled, the two hugging each other. After a long moment, Amethyst spun around to look back at Clementine. {Besides, they've got each other. Sure, Sneasel can be pricks, but I'm sure we can help them learn Thunder Wave and how to chuck rocks at 'em before they move on. They got through the worst part of their lives, if Arceus has any grace. They can get through the rest okay.}

{And if they ever find a lack of grace in their lives, we'll be there to help them,} Donut added.

{Like we promised,} Cenza affirmed.

Clementine smiled at us all. "I'm glad you're all in their corner. Now, that's everything Saffron and I can do for now. I told the nurse on shift about your situation, so she'll let some of you stay the night. The rest of you should head home and come visit tomorrow."

{We'll stay,} Amethyst volunteered immediately. She didn't even need to look at Violet or Zenara to know that they agreed. {I'm not really mom material, but between us? We know how best to handle scared, cranky and or hurt Espurr.} She looked over at me. {Besides, someone's gotta explain to Volkner and Jade what's been going on.}

{I'll stay too,} Cenza insisted. {I want to be there for them the moment they wake up.}

{I guess we'll leave it to you four,} Donut noted. {We'll see you in the morning then.}

I nodded as I turned to Clementine and Saffron. "Will you two be able to keep treating them?"

They mutually smiled. "I'll tell my boss to assign me here for the rest of the week."

I sighed in relief. "Thank you for coming all this way despite the conditions. We really needed you both."

"I'm glad we could be useful. Get home safe."

With that we said our goodbyes and headed back home. Although he hadn't seen the kittens directly, Lou was relieved to hear they were all well. Once I returned home Jade was the only one awake. He didn't ask many questions, only where Violet and the others were and if the problem was resolved. I answered honestly and he immediately went to bed. The rest of my team followed suit, thinking about the kittens' well-being.

---

Question: What liberated Kalos pokemon do you want the group to reunite with?

---

Gym Trainer: Topaz Heart

Brothers in Arms: Lou (Vikavolt), Donut (Pikachu), Holyn (Cranidos).

Deck: Fool, Devil, Strength, Hermit, Fortune, Hierophant.

x

Human Companion: Violet

Pokemon Family: Amethyst (MeowsticF), Zenara (Mareep).

x

Gym Leader: Volkner Beacon

Main Team: Roland (Electivire), Froberge (Luxray), Zerbino (Magnezone), Marsil (Ambipom), Ganelon (Octillery), River (Mudkip).

x

Blooming Celebrity: Jade Forrest

Co-Stars: Flax (Roselia), Shizu (Houndoom), Gautier (Dottler).

x

Allies: Cenza (Dedenne), Rogelio (Calyrex).