{}=Pokemon Speaking; []=Telepathic Speaking

With a restructuring of their home, comes a restructure of their lives. Our heroes may have completed a journey, but they are changed by it. Not so much as to make their home no longer theirs, but enough to alter the activities they would naturally engage in. So let us continue observing our heroes' journey- what's that, young Elekid? That's a writing convention? Why did I not get this from Sir Topaz' memories-

~x1x~

PoV: Topaz Heart

Location: Backyard - Sunyshore City

Time: Early April - Noon

And in April comes new routines. It's been a few days since the backyard has been renovated and already everyone was getting in their chance to enjoy it. All except Volkner who used the extra quiet to tinker more in the house. Now that there was nothing to look forward to, I felt I could finally settle down and get back to my projects.

I was sitting on a bench in the yard under a shady tree alongside Holyn and Cenza, who were keen to see what I was up to. I had written a report for Professor Rowan on the new pokemon and developments I had witnessed during the Great Marsh mission, along with submitting the data I had recorded. Jade even let me use the footage his video drone collected to send along with. Kleavor, shelled Sliggoo, Primeape's evolution, Donut's black lightning, the diverse amount of species we encountered and more were sent.

Luckily, the Professor got back to me within the hour of me sending the report and seemed… genuinely elated by what we discovered.

"Thanks to your discoveries Topaz, you have progressed long stagnant research of mine," the Professor explained as he pulled out a dusty journal. "Kleavor and the shelled Sliggoo are documented pokemon from the first ever Pokedex devised in the Sinnoh region."

"Oh wow, seriously? Why haven't we heard about them before?" I asked.

"It's been many centuries since this pokedex was created, Topaz. There have been countless new immigrants to the region that brought in their own pokemon that may have shifted the land, as well. Add in the modernization of the region and it's not impossible to believe these pokemon have become less common," he explained succinctly.

Endangered, extinct etc.

He began turning pages in the old pokedex. "Your report correlates to what Professor Laventon and his aides recorded here, and matches their illustrations. Black Augurite is used to evolve Scyther into Kleavor, a species that held a long lineage of nobility and was important for the residents of southwest Sinnoh," the Professor explained. "The shelled Sliggoo you found is called Hisuian Sliggoo. It seems long exposure to the minerals found in the Great Marsh formed a shell to better protect Sliggoo from the elements. If they manage to grow stronger in the rain they will evolve into Hisuian Goodra."

"Hisuian forms…" I whispered in awe. "How many are there? Can I have their data?"

"Of course. I'll send what I have prepared for the next pokedex update when it's more complete. I can use the data you've collected to update Kleavor and Hisuian Sliggoo's entries. Naturally, I'll keep the details secure for the sake of your friends' privacy," the Professor assured me.

Hell yeah, I wonder what other pokemon Sinnoh, or well Hisui, has got hidden.

"As for the Primeape evolution, that is called Annihilape. A very difficult evolution to achieve, but Primeape in some regions have adapted to reaching the requirements more consistently. I believe their entry is in the 9th generation update…" the Professor began checking his own pokedex when he frowned. "Hmmm… so this is what they've amassed for the 9th update?"

I frowned as well. "Is it too little?"

"They're incorporating data from Paldea and Kitakami regions," he noted carefully, squinting at the data. "Nonetheless, you've done well as a field researcher. I'm sure it was overwhelming to keep so many pertinent mission details in mind, yet you've formulated your report so eloquently. Cynthia herself will actually be quite interested in this as well, especially pertaining to the oddly high amount of Cyndaquil and Quilava you found in the Oozaru Bog."

"We did find an artifact with Cyndaquil on it back in January so clearly they've been here for ages. Maybe since the Hisui days?" I asked, hoping for more information now.

The Professor huffed. "You'll get your data, Topaz. My standards are too high to deliver without absolute certainty. For now, have a pleasant afternoon."

"You too, Professor," I replied as we ended the face call.

{He sounded really proud of you!} Holyn cheered, sitting on my right.

{So all that data collecting will allow more people to understand pokemon like Tanya and Wynn?} Cenza questioned. {Like what he did with Rogelio?}

I nodded in earnest as I prepared another face call I had scheduled. "Yup. Maybe one day with more information we'll have a bunch more Hisuian pokemon in the modern day. So they're no longer forgotten."

{Who are we calling now?} Holyn asked.

"Julius," I answered. "I want that 9th gen update."

{Who is that again?} Cenza asked.

"You weren't there. Julius Montello is a researcher we met at the Oreburgh Expo who gave me the 8th generation update," I quickly explained. "He also made the string compound for my grappling hook in his lab. He's updated when it comes to pokemon tech innovation."

{When we first met him he had this really nice Arctozolt pal with him,} Holyn added.

A few seconds later, Julius' familiar face appeared before me. He had striking curly purple hair, dark skin, teal rim glasses, silver eyes and slight facial hair. He wore a blue button up under a white lab coat.

In the corner of the screen was an iced tea. The lab behind him looked different than usual. And in his lap lay a sleeping Eevee I had never seen him with before. Upon closer inspection of the Eevee's tail I noted hints of blue and pink fur coalescing.

"About time you called Topaz. I was just in the middle of reading your report. You really just find every single anomaly you can, huh?" Julius yawned. "Oh, do I spy Holyn? How's it going?"

Holyn waved in delight, while I looked at Julius' background. "Is that the same lab you're usually in?"

Julius looked around quickly. "Oh this? Nah, I work in Fuschia City now, you didn't know?"

"I've been in a swamp for a week and recovering from the swamp for two," I stated bluntly.

He took a sip from his drink. "So funny story, my facility's funding was cut, so we had to stop all our work and put up all the pokemon we were caring for for adoption."

"Ummm…"

Julius leaned forward, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I know, it sucked. Some bigshot in Macro Cosmos, prolly those fuckers Rose and Oleana, needed the lab and booted everything that was unnecessary. Apparently, that included most of the staff. We made sure they didn't get the pokemon though and fortunately a lot of us researchers took them in or found trainers to adopt them. Arctozolt included, I found a nice family for her in Circhester."

Macro Cosmos is that huge conglomerate right? They couldn't help out the staff and pokemon better?

"Well, at least they're not homeless or being abused," I sighed. "What about you?"

"Considering how my all expense paid lodging sent me an eviction notice, I had to find a new job. I was considering a place in Sandgem or Sunyshore since I'm actually pretty interested in your friend Vika's gadgets, but Fuschia was also gonna pay for lodgings and their project suited me well," Julius explained.

"Why not find a different lab in Galar? Why move so far away?" I questioned.

He stroked the fur of the sleeping Eevee gently. "Fun fact, I'm not from Galar either. I'm originally from Kalos, but I go where the research is. I'm not really interested in tying myself down to one project; I want to involve myself in all sorts of passions. This is my first time working in Kanto though. Quite a culture shock and this city has got ninjas everywhere. The lab is on par with my old one though, so anything you want, I can make."

He scanned the room around him before leaning in. "Right now I'm working with pokemon formerly experimented on by Team Rocket. It's kind of hush hush though. Can you keep a secret?"

"What's one more?" I said, leaning in.

He nodded as he looked down at the Eevee sleeping peacefully on his lap. "My primary patient is this little one. An Eevee that can evolve and devolve into an Espeon or Vaporeon. Now this technically isn't new, but Team Rocket has managed Eevee that can evolve and devolve into three evolutions, but those experiments were especially heinous. This Eevee is the offspring of one the experimented Eevee with genetic alterations to achieve Espeon. It's highly unstable, but my job is to stabilize them and help them to lead a healthy life."

Well, fuck. Not unexpected from Team Rocket, but holy shit. Never heard of a pokemon de-evolving besides Slowbro and Slowking… I guess Eevee is so malleable Rocket tried to exploit that.

"And all these developments happened in a few weeks!?"

"Yup. And that's why I live a freelance lifestyle. Helps I'm not married with kids or anything like that. So I can contribute to projects that need me," he explained. "I know you're a gym leader's kid so battling is your future, but judging by your report I think the type of work I do might be your calling."

People keep assuming I'm gonna inherit the gym. Volkner is not old, he's gonna run it for ages. As for me… that's for me to figure out. Although, the professor said the same thing…

I looked away contemplative. "Well… I never said battling was my future," I admitted before shaking my head. "Anyway, the 9th generation pokedex update? Do ya got it? I know you do."

"Oh yeah, the big update," He said, adjusting his glasses as he typed away on a computer close to him. "I do have it, I'm just not sure about authorizing it to you yet…"

"Is there a problem? Even if it's not finalized, some information is better than none."

He cringed, scrolling through. "Well, it's been active in Paldea for years now, but other professors are unsure about the validity of certain species. It's an Ultra Beast situation. So they're dragging their feet and looking at some of them… and I can see why. What are Professor Sada and Turo putting in this thing? Area Zero, huh. Maybe I should go there next."

Kukui did say the Ultra Beast situation was iffy. Also classifying Silvally as a legendary pokemon got so many religious scholars heated.

I rolled my eyes. "It's fine. Maybe I'll see something that might relate to what I've seen. Clearly I'm prone to odd interactions with every pokemon I have a significant interaction with."

Julius scratched his head before shrugging. "Sure, why not? A data exchange is only fair." He tapped a few more buttons and I got a ping on my dex. "Authorized by yours truly, Mr. Montello. Anyway, I'm gonna get back to reading this report. I just started your evaluation of the grappling hook and I've been dying to know how awesome my compound is."

I opened up my pokedex with a grin. "Spoiler alert, it was perfect. But thanks Julius, I'll give you my thoughts on this later. Best of luck with your work."

Holyn and Julius exchanged goodbyes so I could finally begin navigating the 9th gen update. I connected my pokedex to my laptop so both Holyn and Cenza could see the new pokemon.

{I'm kind of excited. Pokemon we've never seen before. They prolly look way different than us,} Cenza squeaked.

{What if they're all giants that make us all look like Joltik!?} Holyn gasped.

I could only chuckle. There would be a few surprises for sure, but pokemon are pokemon. Many of the ones here would have the same queries for Sinnohan pokemon.

{What's goin' on with new Pokemon?} I heard Amethyst from behind us. I turned to see her floating in, holding a sandwich. {I convinced Violet to take a break, I decide to see what you're up to, and turns out it's something cool.}

{Topaz was talking to all his professor contacts all over the world and the second one gave him a new pokedex update!} Holyn answered. {The 9th generation… wait, which one are Cranidos in?}

She raised an eyebrow at me before looking at Holyn. {4th, that's the Sinnoh one. Cenza and I are in the 6th.}

{Ooh, out of all of us whose earliest in the dex?} Cenza asked.

{Out of everybody here it'd be Donut since he's a Pikachu. He's 1st gen at #25, so really early. Ironically if he were still a Pichu he'd be 2nd gen,} Amethyst answered as she glanced back at me. {Is this the fabled update with Annihilape in it? Will it include the exact countermeasures that Violet anticipated before she even saw them fully?}

"Join us and see," I invited her as we all skimmed through the dex.

Cenza and Holyn were quite a bit more invested than Amethyst and myself, likely because besides what they've seen in person they haven't seen most of these pokemon. Unless they were really interested, I didn't linger on any one for too long. This was just a cursory glance to learn names, types and appearances. Amethyst didn't object either.

For the most part I didn't really see anything notable. If I'm being completely honest, I preferred eastern pokemon over western, Alola the exception. Yes, I was more accustomed to them, but Violet and Amethyst have informed me of so many western pokemon immensely influenced and oftentimes malformed by humans that I can't look at many of them the same anymore.

It was only near the end did I find the more questionable entries. Namely because they were all sketches from Paldean novels of prehistoric and cybernetic creatures. How they were discovered in this giant, unholy crater in the center of the region. I had a multitude of questions there, but according to the entries they were supposedly real it's just… no one was brave enough to go check and verify besides two professors who refused to send sensible data.

There was also data on four evil legendary pokemon, but all they had were pictures of swords, chalices, tablets and beads from an eastern region taken to Paldea. After that it got a bit random with some pokemon from Kitakami, a small eastern region with a culture surrounding masks.

I now understood why the professor was confused. Once we finished I hummed in thought before addressing the others.

"So… what'd ya think?"

{I liked the pictures of the imaginary ones,} Cenza answered.

{Yeah, why can't they all be pictures?} Holyn asked.

"Well, for the first 150 we had proper images except for Mew who had drawings, so they were classified as mythical until we received more data. I guess some regions go all in with the artbook look… honestly, Jade would be a fan of that sort of documentation," I joked.

Amethyst hummed disapprovingly. {Well at least Rowan isn't putting this out off the bat. I'd need to check with Violet, but just from a glance? A lot of this feels… dishonest? One sec.} She paused a moment before her eyes lit up. {Duplicitous. That's the word.}

"Well, it's still under review so a lot of the entries tend to get flagged. Somehow something fake always sneaks its way in," I explained. "People tried inserting Mewthree into the pokedex for years after all. Bet they were satisfied with the 6th update though…"

She rolled her eyes. {We saw that, that was egregious. I guess there's a good reason it's still under review, then.}

I looked over the numbers once again, noting something interesting. "The 9th generation looks like it's gonna push the dex into the four digits. Kind of amazing how evolutions for common pokemon like Primeape are only being recorded so much later."

{It's been a while since anyone found new Megas, but I'm still hopeful.} She smirked. {I hope you find one that lets me become some outer god insane thing, that'd be fun.}

I shook my hand. "Megas are only temporary, evolution is forever! We should be looking for Meowstic's secret evolution method. Maybe then you'll finally get three tails."

{Maybe they've got like, eyes on the tails or something. That'd be fun,} she chuckled.

Holyn looked disturbed. {Actually Amethyst, I think you look perfect just the way you are. With only fur on your tails. And nothing else.}

She laughed and rubbed his dome. {I meant fake ones. Eye spots, y'know?}

{To scare people? I think you're already pretty good at that,} Cenza chuckled.

{Yeah but it'd give a lot more to the 'eyes in the back of my head' jokes, and maybe it'd come with some crazy new ability. Like how Gardevoir can make gravity wells.}

We happily continued theorizing potential evolutions for her and the rest of our friends. While there wasn't much of anything to see in the current dex for our group, we had fun taking guesses. For all we knew, we could make those guesses a reality.

~x2x~

PoV: Topaz Heart

Location: Sunyshore City

Time: Early April

With the region becoming warmer and spring coming in strong, the construction of the backyard couldn't have been finished at a better time. It was the perfect climate for everyone to lounge around at all hours and thanks to that, I've begun noting everyone's preferred chill-out spots.

Donut and Cenza I often found poking out of one of the many tunnel entrances scattered around the property. While it is ironic to find electric types enjoying being grounded, as rodent pokemon the security of a burrow was familiar and safe. Otherwise, Cenza spent her time tending to the freshly planted flowers within the yard while Donut… was still a homebody. Closer to the kitchen so he says.

Holyn found his peace at the rock garden. I sometimes find him rubbing against the sand and rocks of the garden before taking a nap. Lou rarely relaxes as he always finds something to stay productive, but if you can get him to hold a conversation he'll get comfortable.

In this case, Meliae has managed to call him to the barn a few times so she could ask him some questions while he sat on the bug type perch. Otherwise, he was always flying about so much even I had a hard time keeping track until I called upon him.

All I could hope was that he was eating and sleeping.

Jade and his crew came around often to appreciate their hard work. Gautier would hang out with Holyn and Zenara with whatever new venture they had planned for the day. Shizu would set the bonfire ablaze and then nap within it till night fell and she wandered off somewhere. Flax observed all the flowers on the property daily, ensuring they were growing well, but I did find him actually holding conversations with Cenza.

Jade himself would hang out with me. Not much has changed there, just our location. When we didn't feel like talking he'd take out his art supplies and draw while I read a book. Oftentimes I'd drag Violet along to come join us in relaxing. She acquiesced more often than I expected, although she spent most of her time on her tablet. Even so, she sat with us till she was needed elsewhere.

I did notice though that she was spending much more time either in the barn when Meliae was in there, or in a tree somewhere. Amethyst was never far away, but both of them seemed more at ease when around greenery than in a workshop. Meliae would go on regular flights, also enjoying simply napping in the yard when the sun was out. Sometimes it could be hard to tell if she was actually napping though, or just resting with her eyes closed as Rheneas and Zenara talked next to her.

Rheneas, like Cenza and Donut, was a big fan of the burrows. She'd be peeking out of one quite often, though I'd also see her spending time in the mud pit with River and bouncing up into trees. Zenara, meanwhile, was as ever a fan of the training dummies. She did spend time with Holyn at the rock gardens or up in a tree with Violet and Amethyst though. More than once I caught her hanging onto a branch, just because she could now.

Today though she wanted some real training, someone experienced in martial arts. Someone whose father is an elite level Infernape who has passed on his techniques to his only son. Someone who… would really rather just tell her what to do from the sidelines as he drank a milkshake.

{Why do you want to learn martial arts from me? Isn't that what Roland's for? He's got those huge ass barrel hands for a reason ya know,} Donut groaned from his napping spot.

Zenara stood before him with a fired up expression. She'd been taking it easy alongside everyone else, but she's been ready for proper training since she evolved. And for some reason she elected Donut as her training partner for today. Holyn, Rheneas, Cenza and Gautier sat on the sidelines waiting to see if she could actually convince Donut to help her out.

{You figured out that black lightning stuff! You know what walking on two legs and four is like, Roland's always been bipedal. And he can make his tails into really long whips, neither of us can do that. We've fought together more too! And didn't you wanna push yourself more, since everybody believes in you?}

{Come on Donut, we're rooting for you!} Cenza cheered.

{Awww, that's sweet… but you should really save that belief for after I finish this nap,} Donut yawned as he turned away from Zenara.

Zenara grinned wildly, picking up Donut. {I knew you'd say that, which is why you gotta beat me before you nap!}

One thing Zenara loved about being a Flaafy was having access to hands as she could now carry things. Donut doesn't mind being carried, he honestly prefers it. But he does mind being disturbed. He squinted in annoyance from being moved out of his sleeping position as his tail began to glow a bright orange as he slapped Zenara off of him before landing in a battle position.

{Oooh, she's got him going now!} Holyn cheered.

"Now where's it gonna go, I wonder?" I mused.

She slammed her fists together, sending a shudder of electricity running through her before making her tail shine bright. Tendrils of energy crackled across her. {I know you're not gonna fight me unless I give ya a reason to, so I waited until after you napped. Your next nap's only gonna happen after I'm down for the count!}

{Sheesh,} Donut huffed, {that'll take forever.}

"She just wants to learn a bit more about your hand-to-hand combat style. You trained together when she was Mareep. Consider this the next stage," I appeased him.

Donut sighed deeply eyeing an eager Zenara before his hands were enveloped in an orange glow. {Well, since I'm up we might as well do it right.}

Zenara's grin grew wider, fist pumping before getting into a battle stance. {Yessss, let's go!}

Whether he was sleepy or being mentorly, Donut started off slower than usual. He dashed ahead, meeting her head on with some lightning quick jabs that she managed to block. She countered with a punch that he met with a kick, pushing each back.

The next volley of attacks went on a bit longer with the same conclusion. This time Zenara charged ahead and while she was getting a better idea, she hadn't quite mastered her bipedal running form. Either way, Donut took a firmer stance readying to parry. Zenara threw her first punch which Donut diverted away. Her second punch, he blocked. The third he jumped over before tail slamming her backwards.

In response she flexed her own tail, considering how to use it against him. She hopped on her feet, thinking of ways to kick more effectively. Their body types were different, but the idea was similar. She just needed to refine what she had in mind.

Their bouts became more dynamic as they each used their arms, legs and tail against each other. Donut began dancing around her faster, forcing her to think on her feet. If he was low on the ground he tended to use capoeira styles which were wild and powerful, so she knew better to avoid getting careless as he could hit her knees.

In the air he seems vulnerable, but he danced around her strikes with ease. She saw how easily he could get past her defenses, so if he did she fluffed up to lessen his blows. Training against his back-attacks was the hardest as whirling around takes time, but swinging blindly with her tail wasn't efficient either. It wasn't perfect, but by the end of training she became more dexterous with blocking his blows even from behind.

While still blocking his punches, she looked at him curiously. {I wanna see if I can take your black lightning, but I don't wanna make you hurt yourself. Would it hurt you if you used it?}

Donut finished his volley before leaping backwards. {Well, my mom always said Volt Tackle is supposed to hurt, so if I'm really using it then it'll hurt a bit, yeah.}

She tilted her head. {Does it gotta be Volt Tackle?}

{I dunno, I've only ever used the black lightning with Volt Tackle that one time. And it hurt like a bitch… maybe if I use less…} he pondered. {It's fine though, if I'm already up might as well do it right.}

{Hopefully this goes over smoother than the last time. I saw the devastation that move caused and I'd like to not see it repeated in our own city,} Gautier noted.

{I can take it!} Zenara called out. {And Amethyst can make sure nothing breaks! I just don't want Donut to get hurt too much.} She looked at him and grinned. {But if you wanna work stuff out, I'm game!}

Donut sparked experimentally, rolling his shoulders as he determined his capabilities. {...I'll give it a go, but after this we're taking a break!} He demanded before turning to Gautier. {No need to get Amethyst, this won't be messy.}

{Ready when you are!}

As soon as she finished her sentence, Donut's body sparked with the same black lightning that coursed through him at Oozaru Bog for a split second. He quickly transferred the energy to his right fist before the air popped and he… vanished. No, not quite, there was something there. His afterimage.

I turned to where Zenara was standing to see she had reacted quickly enough to put up her guard. She had blocked with her head, which would be concerning for most, but as a sheep with a wooly head she was tougher than most there.

There was a clap of thunder as lightning erupted from their clash, but quicker than I could blink there was only a trail of electricity where Zenara was.

I looked over to see she'd been sent skidding backward, using her tail to help steady herself as much as she could. She was sent careening straight off the property's ledge into the sandy beach below, a bolt of lightning rising up over the fence from where she landed.

Donut rubbed his fist, as black lightning coursed through his body in recoil. It wasn't pleasant, but with such a limited and controlled usage he could manage. And as he promised, there was no need to call Amethyst, no damage was sustained to the yard. Not a blade of grass was singed.

Flawless control, Donut.

{Zenara?! Are you okay!} Rheneas called out, starting to hop over.

The response we got was a very excited {Woooo!} echoing off the cliffs.

Rheneas just blinked in confusion before looking at me. {How is she okay?}

"Lou," was all I said.

{For Zenara, ending light sparring isn't good enough until someone goes extreme on her for at least one attack,} Cenza explained. {Lou makes sure to keep her on her hooves by hitting her with multiple extreme attacks no matter the session.}

{I have more questions, but I don't think those ones have answers,} Rheneas sighed.

{She'll be fine, see,} Holyn assured her as Gautier psychically lifted her back over to them all.

The black lightning that afflicted Donut was coursing through her wool now, making it hard for Gautier to get a proper grip on her, but he managed. There was a searing black mark where she withstood Donut's punch though.

{So how was that?} Donut asked.

{That was awesome! I'm gonna figure out how to do that!} she cheered before looking over at him. {And that definitely counts for me being down for the count, thanks!}

{Awesome. That took less time than I expected, go me I guess,} Donut hummed. {Anyway, as usual, you pick up quickly. Topaz prolly has a billion ideas on how to create your own martial art, but I can be convinced to give you my personal advice. You know my usual price.}

Zenara just laughed and grinned at him, laying on the ground and thinking. I did notice though that the black lightning started to converge on her tail, and it shone black for a moment before going back to normal.

Huh, that's odd. A unique reaction? I'll bring it up with Violet later.

~x3x~

PoV: Topaz Heart

Location: Sunyshore Gym - Sunyshore City

Time: Early April

"And here is where we'll begin your training, Meliae! The best place in the world, Sunyshore Gym!" I said, gesturing to the magnificent building before us. I didn't miss the side-eye Violet gave me, but she didn't say anything.

Meliae gazed at the building curiously. {I hear much more whirring internally. I take it that it has to do with those of electricity dwelling within?}

{Yeah, our gym specializes in electric types, but we have some psychics and steels too. The only grass we really have is Rotom-Mow and Flax sometimes, but a gym is a gym. They're made for training,} Donut explained.

{Hmm.} She turned her neck to look at me. {Two questions. First, where does someone of my stature enter? And second, would those within mind if I watched their training first? I would prefer to see the tempo before beginning.}

"We could go through the backdoor, but it'd be faster to recall you and then summon you when there's space. As for watching, totally, no one minds," I answered.

{It's midday so everyone should be in the thick of it. A good time to observe,} Lou added.

{We could join in so you can see us train some more too!} Zenara piped in.

Meliae made an acknowledging rumble before looking to Violet and Amethyst. {If it will be the quickest, then I am alright being recalled and released. But I would prefer if it was done quickly.}

Violet nodded, grabbing the orange and green Pokeball that was Meliae's before looking up to her for affirmation, while Rheneas hopped into Violet's arms from Meliae's back. When Meliae gave a nod, she recalled her, though I noticed Violet seemed less than pleased about it. The moment she had been recalled, she took off like Lou might've, sprinting into the gym with Amethyst waving at us behind her.

Zenara looked at us with a smile. {See you in a second!} and then she was right after them.

{For someone so naturally good with tech, watching Violet using pokeballs feels unnatural,} Donut noted.

"Agreed. Let's hurry up and make sure she doesn't summon Meliae on something fragile," I added as we followed behind them.

We ran by Destiny and her team chilling at the front desk, appeasing her quickly so she wasn't concerned as to why we were running through the building as we ran past today's challengers to the training area.

Thankfully even for a pokemon as large as Meliae there was still room to work out and fly. Although, the weather was getting much nicer so more training was beginning to take place outdoors.

We caught up with Violet and company to watch her summon Meliae in a place that shouldn't cause any issues. Meliae materialized immediately, blinking to adjust her eyes, still unused to the many sensations pokeballs had.

What she saw was a few dozen trainers and Pokemon all sparring against one another, the room fairly plain save for scattered generators to help keep electric energy up.

The sudden introduction of a gargantuan grass dino distracted several battlers, her brown and green contrasting starkly with the yellow and gray of the room. More than a few got smacked by an attack they were about to dodge before Meliae was summoned.

Violet held up Rheneas so she could hop back onto Meliae, who did so happily while Meliae gazed across the room thoughtfully. {Not quite what I expected, but I wasn't sure what I'd find here, so I suppose that makes sense.}

"Now what do we have here?" a familiar voice spoke up. We all glanced towards Zachary and Medicham jogging over to us, gazing up at Meliae before eyeing the pokeball still in Violet's hand. "You finally got your third teammate?"

Violet glanced over at him. "She requested to join with myself, Amethyst and Zenara. We obliged, and I am honored she joined us."

"This is Meliae, we met her in the Great Marsh," I explained. "Rheneas, the Spoink, is her friend so she came along. They're gonna be living with us from now on."

"Tropius and Spoink, huh. I've never worked with either before, but as you can already tell I'm pretty good with psychics. The only grass type I've ever worked with has been Flax. Though, we do have an Emolga Volkner got from Elesa, so that's some flying type rep albeit vastly different," Zachary noted.

He then looked between us all. "I assume they're here to train right?"

Meliae chuckled lightly, settling down to watch the spars that were kicking up again while Amethyst explained. [In a bit, first she wants to watch what the gym's like. Get a feel for the tempo, general skills, that sort of thing.]

[Hmmm, most electric types train in speed and maneuverability, so that might not apply well as inspiration, but mixing different types together can foster interesting results. I hope you find the gym satisfactory for your training purposes,] Medicham addressed Meliae.

She glanced at Medicham before looking back to the battlefields. {I believe I will. I know I have much to learn from those who can't simply throw their weight around and expect that to be enough.}

{Now that we are here, we may as well begin. Zenara, Holyn, Cenza, are you ready to train?} Lou asked. He knew better than to ask Donut or Rheneas if they wanted to.

{I've been working on some new tactics for Iron Tail based on Donut's advice so I really wanna try and get it working consistently,} Cenza cheered.

Zenara's fists became a blur as she shadowboxed for a moment, sparking with excitement. {I've been waiting to train here again now that I've got hands! I'm more than ready!}

{Topaz, what should I do today?} Holyn asked me.

I took out my pokedex to double check what I had in my progress notes. "Well after all the fights in the Great Marsh, you've catapulted in strength. I'd suggest working on mastering Zen Headbutt and then we can see if we can begin learning Head Smash. Cenza, I'd also like to see how you fare against some opponents I picked out for mock battles. As for Lou, looks like Ganelon requested you for target practice."

{Am I the target?} He asked.

"Yes."

{Excellent. The aim, speed and power of his attacks are the perfect motivators for me to enhance my maneuverability,} Lou buzzed at the challenge. Rheneas gave him a weird look.

With that everyone diverted off to complete the tasks assigned. Donut and Rheneas chatted away while half watching, half discussing burrowing techniques upon Meliae's back. The Emolga Zachary mentioned earlier introduced herself to them as well before joining Donut and Rheneas in conversation. Meliae on the other hand remained quiet as she was focused on all the exercises that took place.

Medicham was aiding Holyn in harnessing his inner psychic energy. He told Medicham all he had to do was think really hard and Zen Headbutt would appear. Medicham was working really hard to try and accommodate that mindset while also teaching him the nuance of how to wield that power. He could activate the move just fine, but I knew the move could manifest as a shield, a projectile barrier, a psychic enhancer for allies. It was the most literal brain power move, it had many applications.

Once it looked like Holyn was about to burst a blood vessel, I suggested they switch to kickboxing which Medicham obliged with ease. His fighting and psychic instincts fought for attention constantly it seems, so even he was done with all that.

Cenza spent her sessions sparring with various pokemon close to her size, Minun, Elektrike, Shinx etc. She got knocked around a lot, much to Violet's concern, but she had really toughened up since we had first met her. They pushed back, she pushed back harder by either dazzling them with fairy moves or binding them with Iron Tail using her dextrous tail. She even developed something of a rivalry with a competitive Plusle.

Lou was having his fun with Volkner's Octillery, Ganelon. His attacks were faster than a speeding arrow and Lou had to dodge all of his attacks from up close with minimal space. The more they trained, the faster Lou got. But the faster Lou got, Ganelon adjusted to increase his own skills thus leading to both of their rapid improvements. It was a perfect pair.

Zenara was training mostly with other Pokemon that could be bipedal or quadrupedal, like Pikachu, Pachirisu and Heliolisk. Her strength had gotten a boost, that wasn't the problem, and she was much steadier on her feet than she had been just a couple days ago. But she wanted to make certain she was up to her own standards in a fight before building on her skills. After so much time as a Mareep, she'd still catch herself about to roll before remembering she could just punch. Not to say she didn't roll, of course. Her sparring partners were caught off guard a couple times when she rolled in to do a double overhead haymaker or just slam into them.

Needless to say, she was having the time of her life.

"Everyone is in top form today. All their stats have gone way up and their elemental affinities have never been so high," I noted, showing Violet and Amethyst the drastic data differences in the pokedex for our teams from before and after the Great Marsh mission. "Even Lou jumped way up. He makes how he was before look like he wasn't even trying."

"As expected. They all excelled and continue to improve," she spoke calmly, though I could see her eyes glistening with pride and adoration. "I am glad I was able to be there for Zenara when she needed it."

"I'll need to take a look at Jade's team to see how they've advanced. We might start seeing some more evolutions soon," I cheered in excitement. "If Zenara evolves again, she could use a mega stone. And Shizu is probably at the level where she could handle mega evolution, if she wants. Some pretty exciting stuff to look forward to… if we get the stones that is."

She hummed thoughtfully, watching Zenara. "Perhaps…"

Amethyst nudged me while Violet considered whatever it was she was thinking about. {Hey, they're rocks, right? You find any in your mining adventures?}

"Never. I asked Cynthia about how to find them and she said besides luck you'd need a pokemon who can sense specific elemental energy and go way deeper. I've never been too deep in the underground and I'm still teaching Holyn about seismic sense. But once we're confident, we can take some time off for an expedition and find an Ampharosite! Some have been discovered in Sunyshore's Underground section before, so if they can find it we should be able to as well."

After a minute or two, Violet looked at me. "Topaz."

"Hm?"

"Excluding battles, how much research has been done into mega evolution? Does that fall within Professor Rowan's jurisdiction?"

"No, that's Professor Sycamore of Kalos, but he studied under Professor Rowan as a student. Mega Stones are also surprisingly common in Alola, so Professor Kukui has done his fair share of research into them as well," I answered quickly before screwing my face. "He didn't like everything he saw though."

"I am aware of the intense pain inflicted on some Pokemon through mega evolution, yes. Ampharos seem to not fall within that category, and Zenara would adore another chance for growth, which is why I entertain the thought. My query is more as to how much is known beyond how they impact a battle. Where the stones originate from, for instance."

I noticed Meliae tilt her head slightly lower while watching the fights. Appears we caught her interest. That aside, I began to ponder Violet's question. Despite having no pokemon with known mega evolutions, I loved rocks and they were badass rocks. So studying them and their history was a pleasure, but I didn't have a singular answer for this question.

"So in Kalos, where they're most prevalent, it seems like a weapon charged by legendary pokemon created most of the mega stones after it was fired at an opposing army," I began. "Meanwhile in Hoenn, the mega stones are the result of a meteorite that was destroyed by Rayquaza, likely imbuing whatever that mineral was with legendary essence."

"For Alola, some say it's Zygarde's doing, but that's the least known." I stroked my chin thinking about the rest. "As for other regions, I'm not totally sure. The Sinnoh Underground is a very strange place. They are there, just in fewer numbers. So perhaps… is there something in the ground that spawns them naturally? Maybe… some element we aren't aware of depending on the pokemon that live on the surface."

She hummed to herself before pulling out her tablet, fingers flying across its screen as several windows opened up. I saw some of the video Jade had taken from his drone without the blur, along with several pages of research on evolution in general, but what exactly was going through her head, I didn't know. Amethyst just chuckled, leaning into Violet and watching the sparring. {We're gonna ponder stuff, you got Violet's thoughts racing. Meliae, if you need anything answered, just let us know, alright?}

{Mmm,} she rumbled, curious as to their thoughts but leaving them to it while she went back to watching the battles.

Rheneas, who'd been fairly quiet this whole time, hopped down amidst the group. {You guys never stop, do you?} She looked at Donut. {Well. You do, at least.}

{Right!? It's always something new with these people. But it usually leads to something interesting. Painful, but worth it in the end,} he added.

"Working with pokemon and like minded humans is the most I could ask from life. Every day is a new discovery or improvement. We took a few weeks break, but now we're ready to get back to the grind," I answered Rheneas eagerly.

She chuckled wearily, shaking her head a bit. {Yeah, you have fun. I'm gonna take a few notes from Donut. Whatever Lou's doing is way too much for me. I wanna be healthy and getting shot at seems like a bad way to do that, but he's crazy, so.}

{He's been like this from day one, keep in mind,} Donut added.

{I'd believe he started ramming people as an egg.}

{Looks like he's focusing on his own training for a while which means we get some peace, but if they start forcing me back onto the training grounds I'm not going alone, Rheneas,} Donut warned her. {I'm no longer the only one who'll bitch and moan the entire time, we need to do it as a unit. Make them regret making us exercise.}

That got a laugh out of her. {That I can get behind.}

As we continued watching everyone train, Roland and Froberge stepped onto the training field talking about something. They both looked vaguely annoyed which meant none of the challengers that made it to Volkner managed to leave an impression. Froberge sauntered off elsewhere to take a nap, so I waved over Roland to come chat with us.

{Meliae, Rheneas, you're finally here. Finished training already?} Roland asked.

{Yet to begin, actually,} Meliae shook her head. {I wanted to observe the general skills and fighting styles before joining.}

{And what have you gleaned so far?}

{That I have a long way to go if I'm to utilize my size and strength properly.} She nodded slightly towards Amethyst. {I know she could defeat me easily, but I see many others could likely do so who aren't nearly so strong.}

{Well at least you're self-aware. That skips the whole 'I'm big so I always win' issue. I've heard the Snowpoint Gym has that issue often with spry young Abomasnow and Mamoswine,} he recalled. {Seeing as I have spare time, how about we battle?}

She chuckled, pondering for a moment before nodding. {You rarely learn if you always succeed, and if you're anything like what I've heard from Topaz, this will be a sheer cliff of an uphill fight.}

{Erm… are you sure about this, Meliae?} Donut questioned, genuinely worried for her. {I know you think we're all strong, but Roland is a different beast.}

{Which is exactly why I want to face him,} she affirmed resolutely. {Seeing how strong those you consider are strong will help me put things into perspective, pace myself and learn where I have to reach.}

{I like your mindset. Let's go then,} Roland said, leading the way. Donut muttered something about warning her as he and Rheneas hopped off her back.

Once Roland and Meliae took to the battlefield, nearly everyone in the gym stopped to watch the face off. Roland was large for his species, yet Meliae towered over him regardless, facing him down without fear. In a corner I spotted Volkner talking to Destiny about work, keeping an eye out.

{Any rules you'd like and how much damage are you willing to endure today?} Roland asked. {I ask because I want to know if you truly want to experience an 8th gym pokemon's true power or if you'd like to be fit enough to train right after.}

Meliae deliberated for a second before responding. {No rules come to mind, beyond a preference that you show me your ability beyond being able to simply walk through what I throw at you. That shows me little. As for how much damage I'm willing to endure?} She laughed a roaring laugh. {I intend to give this my all, so a part of me would be insulted if you didn't reciprocate.}

{And this is why she's the muscle of the two of us,} Rheneas whispered to Donut. {She's no Lou, but she's definitely a little crazy herself.}

{I think it's warranted because she's a giant flying tree. Who's gonna step up to her in the wild?} Donut whispered back.

{I see then,} Roland pondered as he turned to me. {Topaz, referee.}

"Got it," I said as I ran to the ref spot. I noticed Violet and Amethyst had stopped conversing amongst each other and were now watching intently. "The spar ends when one side is unable to continue fighting. With that, let the battle begin!"

As soon as I said go, Meliae stamped the ground, grass growing out of the earth before her wings glowed, sending a shining orb of light into the sky, hovering above the duo. She began to take to the skies before Roland helped her. With slight embers kicking up around his feet to keep the grass from entangling him, he'd sprinted over, one of his fists encrusting itself with ice as he uppercutted her straight in the stomach. The impact alone sent her upwards a few feet, and she shut her eyes tightly before opening one, glaring down at Roland.

With a powerful beat of her wings she took off properly, sending whirling tornados converging on Roland and occupying the path behind her. He was a streak of lightning as he darted between each, none even close to hitting him. Meliae took the brief moment of reprieve to send glowing seeds the size of a room hurtling towards him, each shuddering with barely contained power.

Roland knocked the first two away like large softballs before leaping up. He'd plant his feet on a seed for the briefest moment before launching off of it, using the ensuing explosion to launch him even quicker towards the next. Meliae stopped as soon as she saw he was using them to get closer, flying further away as Roland flipped over the last one and used it to propel himself towards her.

She dove to the side, clearly expecting him to continue and launch himself again once he hit the ground. When he instead shot a strand of electrical webbing onto the ceiling and swung himself around towards her once more, she gave a look of befuddlement and awe mixed with irritation before sending a storm of leaves hurtling towards Roland.

Even though he could've simply swung through Meliae's assault, he instead showed his dexterity by swinging around the storm, tails lashing to send him darting in unexpected directions. When she went to fly away again he shot a web onto her chest, reeling himself in with his entire body crackling with electricity.

His haymaker sent her hurtling to the ground once more, before he used his other hand and coalesced several orbs that spun around before lighting a brilliant, burning red.

Before the dust had even settled from her thunderous impact with the earth, he was sending a hailstorm of blazing weather balls right after her. From within the dust and now smoke gouts of flame erupted one after another, only ceasing when they began exploding prematurely.

Meliae let out a roar, a gargantuan beam of solar light and energy erupting from the ground and towards the incoming assault, making each detonate safely away from her before she aimed directly at Roland.

He simply dropped from his web, using the next weather ball he'd been about to shoot to glide safely down the solarbeam like a grind rail. Then his whole body erupted into yellow, blue and black lightning, his form becoming blurred into a jagged silhouette. You could only see his eyes, the black markings across his body, and the small grin on his face from finally cutting loose, even if for a moment.

And then he elbow dropped Meliae, an ear splitting clap of thunder roaring throughout the room. The earth and walls shook with its ferocity, a cloud of dust, smoke and lightning erupting from the impact site.

The whole room was quiet, waiting for the cloud to clear. After several long moments, Roland's tails waved it away simply. He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, grinning slightly. Next to him lay Meliae, very unconscious. But she had a small smile on her face all the same.

"Meliae is unable to battle, Roland is the winner!" I declared, hyped by the tinge of electricity and the flow of the battle.

It was short, but oh so sweet. Roland had come so far from the time he had fought Heimdall all those years ago. There was a raucous cheer from the entire gym as Roland bent a knee to Meliae.

{I can tell you have years of experience from your time in the wild. I'm genuinely impressed with what you managed to pull off during our bout. I expect to see you in the gym tomorrow morning for training,} he said respectfully as he stepped back to let Violet, Amethyst and Rheneas check on Meliae.

Donut scampered up behind them. {I figured this would happen. Fighting Roland when he's dissatisfied gets intense. She uhhh alright?}

Amethyst nodded as she and Violet were patching her up. {We're gonna get her to the center in a second, but she's fine. Definitely beat up, but nothing serious.}

{I figured. Roland knows how to hurt ya just enough to send his message,} Donut noted.

Rheneas, meanwhile, was in awe, terrified and dumbstruck all at the same time. Until she looked at me and Donut and just yelled {What do you mean he can just do that?! How does anyone do that!?}

{Didn't you see a bunch of cool stuff when we were fighting the Heterupts? I thought you were used to our brand of destruction by now?} Holyn asked Rheneas, running up to us.

{But you were all tired! That fight took a ton out of everyone except Lou and Amethyst, but even still! Roland just walks up, goes 'you wanna fight' and then starts doing all that before walking off like he just… I dunno, ate a generator or something!} She flailed her arms in his direction. {He's fine and he just did all that like it was nothing!}

{Maybe we're desensitized or…?} Donut questioned, looking at Holyn who simply shrugged.

{It's different when you grow up with it. I still get stunned by what Roland and the others are able to do, but it also makes me want to do it on my own one day. So I keep training,} Cenza answered.

I noticed Violet hesitate for the briefest moment as Zenara walked up to her, smiling. {I wanna keep training, go make sure Meliae's okay, okay?}

Violet gave her a thankful nod. This time using a Pokeball seemed easier for Violet as she recalled Meliae, Rheneas hopping over before Amethyst warped them to the Pokecenter.

Zenara, meanwhile, gave us a happy wave before running over to Roland. {That was so cool! Teach me how to do that!}

{Errr, I did a lot this time. I suppose this is my punishment for showing off,} Roland pondered as he wondered which part to teach her first. He couldn't decide so he changed the subject. {I have to say Zenara, you've grown more attentive to Violet's needs as of late. Evolution suits you. You're maturing.}

That threw her off for a second before she shook her head to clear it, grinning up at Roland brightly. {Thanks! She and Amethyst have been helping me figure out… brain things. I can say arithmetic now!} Her smile dimmed and deepened slightly at the same time. {And I know that she's got a lot in her head, so if I can make choices easier, then I'm gonna.}

{I'm glad for you both to see you each move on to the next stage of your partnership,} he praised her. {As for what I can teach you, I suppose we can try working with Electroweb. I assume Lou taught you the move ages ago.}

{Yup! And now I know you can use it to do stuff like you and Topaz did!}

{Oh yes, Topaz knows how to as well. Lou, Topaz, you're joining this training session as well!} Roland commanded.

Lou practically materialized at Roland's side upon the mention of his name. {Yes, perhaps with arms it'll be easier for Zenara. I am with you, Sir Roland!}

"Finally, something I have firsthand experience in. Let's have fun with this Zenara!" I cheered.

{Yeah! Let's go!} she cheered right back, running ahead of Roland excitedly.

~x4x~

PoV: Topaz Heart

Location: Flax's Eden - Sunyshore City

Time: Early April

"So do I get paid for helping you around your house or…?" I inquired as I added more soil to the garden.

"No, because you openly do things out of the goodness of your heart and since you're such a devoted friend, you'll help me for free," Jade replied as he planted another rose.

"I don't know when or where that was ever said, but if you feed me we'll call it even," I replied.

"There we go," Jade smirked as we continued working.

Today Jade dragged me from my intended plans to help with his garden. Over the years it's become even more radiant. Filled with hyacinths, tulips, poinsettias, marguerites, peonies and especially roses. The small rock pond was crystal clear, the little decorations fit the scenery beautifully and overall it was prolly the most pristine places in Sunyshore. It was a pleasure to spend time there, especially in the spring.

Lou and Cenza came along with me this time as they're both surprisingly good at gardening. Cenza added the bit of fairy essence that Jade usually had to order to the flowers. Lou knew some interesting techniques he's learned from Clover to tend to flora which he applied here. Gautier lifted plants and tools around with psychic energy and Shizu as per usual was asleep.

Flax himself was in his element, happily humming to himself. Anywhere else he had a neutral to dour expression as mostly everything disinterested him. Tending to his eden always had him carrying an expression of pure bliss, one I had never seen outside the confines of the garden. As long as you don't fuck anything up, he's actually really nice.

I began to reach for the pruning shears when Flax placed a rose on my hand.

{Jade, can you handle the pruning instead of Topaz? If he cuts off too many healthy stems, I'll have to start cutting off fingers,} Flax said with a gentle smile as I quickly handed the shears to Jade.

You see? Regular Flax would've said that with malice. This was just a gentle warning. Either way, I'm no gardener, but I was trying to learn in order to help around the greenhouse.

{I'm surprised you're not supervising Zenara's training today,} Gautier questioned.

{As of late she's been training with Donut in martial arts. With each day her intelligence advances and with that she's learned how to motivate him each day. Today she's promised him boston cream donuts with whip cream with a caramel macchiato,} Lou explained as he sprinkled pollen on a sunflower. {Focused training with Donut is best for her right now and him as well, so he can utilize black lightning more efficiently.}

{But I never figured you'd be here helping out Flax with his garden,} Gautier noted.

Lou buzzed. {He's a valuable and staunch ally whom I respect. Of course I'd help him. I won't let our past grievances or mutilation threats tarnish our camaraderie. Besides, fostering relations between comrades utilizing methods taught to me by other allies is an excellent way to spend my time.}

{I see…} Gautier blinked as he psychically dug a hole. {When it comes to everyone, besides avians, you're more mellow than you appear.}

{Mellow?} Lou buzzed surprised, as he gently sprinkled more pollen. {Hmmm, I wouldn't say that… I just reserve my more extreme tendencies for training and enemies. This moment requires a gentle touch to strengthen a beneficial relationship. As Marjorie relayed to me when I asked her about how to become more diplomatic for my lieutenant duties.}

{Oho, what else did she have to say?} Gautier asked, now invested. Lou, always ready for long in-depth explanations, continued on so I focused my attention on Flax and Cenza.

I was hesitant to speak on any of Flax's relationships, but it seemed like they were… friends? A pairing I never anticipated, but unlike most people Flax doesn't sneer when she gets too close to him. He still does that to Shizu sometimes. Rather they worked side by side, digging holes for Flax's new experimental roses to go in.

{I bred these roses right before winter began so I didn't have a chance to plant them then, so I'm eager to see how they'll turn out,} Flax explained animatedly to Cenza. {They need a small touch though.}

{Hm, what's that?}

{Well, I bred them with special Roseli berries Dijon had imported from Johto, but they only grow in areas with high concentrations of fairy types. So I assume these roses can only be grown with the aid of a fairy type. Which is why I need your help because you're the only one I know,} Flax admitted before carefully considering his next continuation. {And I trust you…r abilities.}

Cenza's ears perked up. {Really!? My pleasure! I've really been practicing my control so I can-}

{Start now, please?} Flax interrupted, gesturing to the seeds he planted.

{Oh! Will do!} She cheered as she focused and began filtering her essence directly into the soil as Flax observed the process.

"When did they get so buddy buddy?" Jade remarked, as he pruned roses.

"Buddy buddy? Well for Flax's standards, I suppose that's true," I chuckled. "I'm just glad to see everyone's more comfortable with your team and that you're all taking it easy for a bit. What's next for all of you, by the way? I never asked what you did with the drone footage."

"Now that I'm feeling better there's some events my mom wants me to attend. Best case scenario, I bump shoulders with the right people and get a movie deal. I don't care for shows, too much commitment and not enough pay," Jade admitted before eyeing me. "But if you ever need us again, as long as there's pay, we'll answer the call."

"What? You've gotten a taste of heroism and need more?" I teased.

He huffed. "I won't lie, it's nice to finally be appreciated for all the effort we put in, so I'm not against giving it a few more go's. Chairman Rose and Macro Cosmos liked enough of what we did at Oozaru Bog and gave us a big bonus for pokemon preservation. Naturally I prove everyday why I'm the best person to be his face for Sinnoh."

I chuckled amused although I didn't really understand his side of things so much. If he wanted to make money I had no problems helping him out, but it looked like he had it under control.

"So after this I was thinking we could order in some-" Jade paused mid sentence as he squinted towards the sky. "The hell?"

Ironically he didn't have the best eyesight despite being an artist, but considering all the books I've read, neither did I. There was a large mass circling the garden, but we couldn't make it out due to the sun's glare and distance. After a few observatory circulations, the large mass slowly began its descent towards us. To Flax's disinterest.

He stood beside Cenza, squinting alongside her as to what the mass was before his pleasant expression turned deadly as he raised his rose arms upwards and began prepping a particularly prickly poison sting.

{I can't knock them out of the sky, they'll land in the garden. A few well placed stings should get the message,} he muttered to himself as he locked on.

That escalated.

{Wait, I think that's-} Cenza began to protest when Lou flew directly in front of Flax, blocking his shot.

{Is it not a bird, why haven't you shot it yet?} Flax demanded dryly.

{Because our unidentified flying individual is familiar and friendly to us all,} Lou explained calmly as we were finally able to make out the large leafy wings of Meliae.

Flax lowered his roses, sheathing the thorns hidden within them, his expression softening lightly but he still wasn't pleased with this interruption. We all had to brace ourselves a bit at the flapping of her wings as she slowed her descent. Flax and Cenza quickly covered where they planted the seeds to ensure they weren't blown ground shook when Meliae landed, Violet and Rheneas hopping off her back while Amethyst floated beside them.

{Oh thank goodness, Meliae you scared us,} Cenza breathed in relief.

Meliae looked around at us all before her eyes fell on Flax. {Ah, this must be your garden you mentioned.}

{Oh, it's just you,} Flax noted, relaxing a bit more.

{Rheneas and myself were keen to scout out your city, while Violet came along to explain what we saw. I saw a garden while we were flying and wanted to see it closer than I could amidst the clouds.

{Same here!} Rheneas hopped over to Cenza curiously. {Planting stuff?}

{Yup! Jade asked-}

"Dragged," I corrected.

{Topaz for help, so Lou and I came along. I asked Holyn too, but he was binge watching a drama and it looked really… intense. So he's back home,} Cenza explained.

Rheneas gave her a weird look. {I thought we had enough drama for months at least… if it makes him happy, I guess.}

{His choice in television is infamously unique,} Lou explained as he hovered closer to everyone. {So how's the city so far? I know it's vastly different from the marsh, but it has its appeal.}

{Too big and too small,} Amethyst noted. {I'll let them explain though.}
Rheneas nodded. {It's like the entire place is filled with glass and metal Grandtrees. I've never seen so much sand and rock in one place either. If I couldn't hear the ocean wherever we went I'd be concerned at how much ambient humming there is.}

{Whereas for myself,} Meliae continued, {your 'streets' aren't built for someone of my size. I hadn't initially intended on flying to explore the city, but it's much easier than trying to not knock over buildings while just trying to explore. Frankly I'm concerned that I'd break your shiny walkways if I stood on them.}

"I assure you my family's work isn't so flimsy that any random pokemon could break them," I informed her. "Snorlax roam all over the city, so we built them with that in mind. As for the humming… well the electric types like it."

{I cannot personally say the same, but I see how this city would be the perfect place for them,} Meliae noted before mulling something over. {I've seen cities from afar in the skies over the years, but never one remotely like this. Metal bridges that absorb the sun connecting spires of rock in which people live upon. The salty sea breeze and hot sun against my leaves is refreshing. While I'm not quite as fond of beaches, I know Tropius from other herds with tropical fruit that would love them. Currently though, I'm still weighing how I feel about this place.}

"So your elegant garden is a welcome respite," Violet said to Flax.

{Mmmm,} was Flax's only response.

Jade took note of his partner's taciturn response. "He appreciates the compliment, but Flax is extremely particular about who can enter the garden, especially without him there. Back when we met Lou we had to arrange a meeting as to which pollinators from Route 222 can or can't come. So you can imagine he's not really a fan of unexpected guests descending from the sky."

{Especially ones the size of houses. My flowers are delicate and are easily trampled,} Flax added.

{My apologies then, I simply wanted to see this garden. Would you take an orange and its seeds as an apology before we depart?} Meliae questioned.

{Oranges, hmmm…} Flax huffed, as he surveyed the garden. Not filled with a single fruit besides some berries in a dedicated corner. Otherwise, it was purely flowers and herbs.

{Maybe you could make roses that smell like orange zest,} Cenza suggested, garnering his attention.

Now that he liked the sound of as he turned to Meliae. {Orange trees do have charming flowers… I can work with this. Thanks.}

Flax gestured to the garden. {Outside of this garden there's mostly buildings, rocks, solar panels, sand, water and electrics. I can manage because I am small and have my eden to return to every day, but I doubt there's anything of interest for you in the main city unless you enjoy causing traffic jams.}

"I wouldn't say that's all there is…" I objected.

He ignored me turning to Rheneas. {As for you… you'll probably be fine here. I'm sure the wild Munchlax can show you the secret spots they enjoy so much if you give them treats. You might like them. Not as if I know anything about what a Spoink would like though.}

Is he giving them advice? He's being helpful by choice? He really has grown a lot.

{Sand is nice to roll in, but it's not my favorite,} Rheneas sighed. {Hard to bounce on, but the ground in the city is super easy to move around on. Nice and solid.}

{By the way, Rheneas, can you swim? With your pearl, tiny arms and uhhh… no legs?} Cenza inquired as if the leg situation was a sensitive subject.

{Yup! If I'm going slower I can paddle along, but if I need to go faster I can spin. If I need to go faster than that, then I ask Meliae for help.}

{Now I need to see it in action,} Gautier insisted.

{I'm not River, but I get by. Worst case scenario, I'm psychic. I can levitate, sorta.}

Meliae looked at everyone inquisitively. {Do you enjoy this city any more than we? I know some thrive within it, but none of you strike me as particularly enamored with this landscape. Sans the humans besides Violet, of course.}

{It's where everything that matters is, so it's better than everywhere else. I've no intention of leaving,} Flax answered first. {There's nowhere else in this world that interests me currently. That trip to the swamp will suffice for now.}

Hm, if I remember right, he came from Gardenia's gym in Eterna. Doesn't seem like he's partial to it at all. I've never heard him mention it at all… or any of his past. Strange since he moved here so young.

{I was born and raised amongst humans so that's all I know,} Gautier admitted. {I was raised in a gym specialized in honing psychic talents so it is psychically crowded so to speak. In Sunyshore there's less psychic noise, but the slight buzz in the air from the latent electrical energy in the land stimulates my radar capabilities. I also very much enjoy living with Jade and his family, so I would say I am quite fond of living here.}

{Your group's dynamic is the most unfamiliar to me so far, but I've seen you're quite comfortable with your current situation,} Meliae praised.

"I'm a wonderful patron, what else is there to say?" Jade boasted.

"Speaking of hosts, I think this is the first time Violet and Amethyst have been to your place," I recalled.

There was never really any reason for them to come around this part of the neighborhood besides Garland's shop. Also they weren't particularly super fond of Jade nor close with his crew, so it made sense they've never been near.

"Impressed I imagine?" Jade questioned confidently.

"Flax's garden is immaculate, and though he may not welcome me, I am honored to have laid visage upon it," Violet spoke, inclining her head towards Flax.

{It's definitely way nicer than most of the city, I'll give ya that. Sorry Topaz, human buildings just aren't as cool or pretty as what's going on here,} Amethyst grinned.

"You guys keep talking about the buildings like that's all there is to see," I weeped in my corner. Amethyst chuckled at my faux lamentation.

{Someone's hard to please,} Flax noted, genuinely serious.

She shrugged. {I like the vibes of the shrine to Xerneas and Yveltal more, and you've already made it clear we're not welcome here. You asked my thoughts, I'm giving them.}

Flax gave her an incredulous look. {You land in my garden with a pokemon the size of a house without warning and you're surprised I don't welcome you with open petals? Unfortunately we don't all have your eyes so when a large shadow descends upon us you should understand our alarm.}

{I've been your size, trust me. I get it,} Amethyst appeased him. {And you definitely don't gotta tell me what it's like to be on edge twenty four seven. We also didn't mean to scare you and it's on me for not giving further notice. I don't want to start a fight, especially since if I were in your position I'd be pretty pissed too, but I just want you to know this.}

Flax folded his arms, awaiting her response.

{While we don't always get along, I can tell you right now. Anyone who tries to hurt you, your garden-} She gestured to everyone around us, including Jade and Shizu. {Or our friends. I'll rip them apart. As for how much I like your garden, let's not forget that when considering the best places in the city, yours is in the running even against a place where Xerneas and Yveltal have taken root.}

Flax stared directly into her eyes intensely to find any semblance of falsehood. When he did not, he relaxed his arms, nodding. {I'll hold you to it.}

{I know you will.}

{Flax,} Cenza spoke up, catching his attention. {Since you can't be here all the time why not get some help. Someone who doesn't mind guarding your eden so you don't have to be on edge quite as much.}

{That's what Shizu is for.}

{Too much pollen fucks up my nose,} she replied. {Besides, I can't fight my best without using flames which he hates.}

{Gautier, Mama Lu and Papa Forrest then,} he added.

{In the case of a real threat you'll need more than us to stop it, I'm sorry,} Gautier admitted. {Also Jade's parents both work, so they're often away on other errands.}

I'm sure Mrs. Forrest could distract the intruders until someone strong gets there.

Flax turned to Amethyst. {You can see why I'm tense. Whether it's my personality or my being as a Roselia I just can't relax knowing my eden can be destroyed in a moment's notice if I'm not there. I am not against restarting, I do it every winter, but the thought of it being destroyed prematurely sickens me.}

{Well, if you want more people who like flowers around, maybe some of the Flabebe, Floette and Florges from the marsh?} Rheneas piped up. {You helped them protect their home, I'm sure they'd be happy to help you protect yours.}

"Oh from the Rosary Sanctum?" Jade recalled. "You think they'd come all the way over here?"

{They like flowers.} She then gestured all around her.

{I can carry them here. It'd take less than a day,} Meliae replied.

{You'd go through all that trouble? To help me out?} Flax asked, genuinely confused.

She gave him a look. {And you didn't to help us?}

{Well…}

{Excuse him, Flax isn't used to having friends or being liked. He's still adjusting,} Shizu answered in the background.

{You're not even worth cussing out,} Flax retorted, not even bothering to look at her, but Cenza and Gautier did chuckle at the sound of Flax breaking some of his thicker skin.

{You are a good ally Meliae. You understand the little people in life,} Lou complimented her. {You too Rheneas. With my training soon you'll-}

{Lou.} Meliae interrupted. {Chill.}

{I actually prefer to heat up- ah you meant metaphorically. I will attempt!} Lou buzzed as he rose into the air. {In exchange for assisting my good comrades of Forrest manor, I will showcase locations more suitable for a Tropius!}

I thought for a second. "Why not show them the cliffs around the gym and the forest right next to it? I think she'll like that area when the city gets too overwhelming."

{I look forward to it. And later we will make a trip to Rosary Sanctum, to see who would like to come help,} Meliae added, with Rheneas hopping up onto her.

Violet looked at Flax. "May I take a picture of your garden? To show those at the Rosary Sanctum what you must protect."

Flax nodded. Violet quickly produced her tablet and took a picture, looking at him once more. "I will delete the photo if you are uncomfortable with me having it afterwards."

{Take as many as you want. Flowers are fleeting, but pictures last,} Flax replied. {By next year most of them will be replaced anyway.}

Violet then proceeded to turn in various directions, taking at least three dozen pictures. Flax watched her patiently, pleased that she found the niche areas he worked especially hard on. Once she finished, she inclined her head to him before jumping up onto Meliae.
Before Amethyst floated off, she gave Flax a sad smile. {You may hate me. But enjoy your home while you've got it, y'hear?}

Flax frowned before turning away to tend to his flowers as Amethyst floated to Violet's side. Only then did Flax reply. {I don't hate you.} Was all he said.

I saw Amethyst give a small smile in return.

"Well this was fun, next time you guys wanna visit just call ahead, alright?" Jade suggested.

"You rarely do when you come over," I noted.

"You're different."

{Said the pot to the kettle,} Amethyst called.

Meliae lowered her head a bit for Flax. {I'll be sure to give notice when I return with the Flabebe, until then farewell.}

{See ya later then,} Flax replied.

{When you get back home I wanna tell you about why I love Sunyshore!} Cenza shouted.

Meliae smiled at the prospect. {Please do, I'd love to hear all the reasons why you all chose this city as your home.}

With that Meliae took off, Rheneas was waving goodbye as they followed Lou off into the sky. We all waved in turn before resuming our gardening. While Sunyshore wasn't the perfect place for everyone, I like to think we were all happy enough here.

Group

Gym Trainer: Topaz Heart

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

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

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Human Companion: Violet

Pokemon Family: Amethyst (MeowsticF), Zenara (Flaaffy), Meliae (Tropius).

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Blooming Celebrity: Jade Forrest

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

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Family: Cenza (Dedenne), Rogelio (Calyrex), Rheneas (Spoink).