Chapter 5: So Long Fermata!

Author's Note:

Oh boy! So, this one might need a reintroduction. This story is called Imagine. It's about a snivy named Sky (nicknamed Sky) who has the power to bring his imagination to life in the most literal sense possible. Unfortunately, procrastination knows no bounds, so it's been on the back burner for a full 5 years at this point. I believe I posted a preview of what was supposed to be this chapter back in December of 2018, but never got around to it. XD

In any case, naturally, the previous chapters have become rather outdated in terms of both my writing skills and style, but I've tried to keep the core themes and ideas intact. Going forward I may rewrite the older chapters and do some restructuring, but for now, thank you for reading, and have a nice day!

-EMG

Ruby's House:

Gentle, midsummer rays crept through the gaps of the window shades by the time I awoke. I was late, or at least I should've been. My mother's absence was enough to occupy my sleep-drunken mind as I ignored the temptation of my pillow and padded over to my door. "That's right! We're leaving today." I sighed. The espeon had been left out of the conversation surrounding our upcoming expedition, so I expected at least some resistance when she found out. Scratch that. I expected to be woken up early for a proper discussion, yet despite the severity of the mayor's request, she'd let me sleep in.

Drowsily, I nudged the door with the tip of my muzzle and stepped into the hall.

A peculiar combination of sweet and sour assaulted my senses as I padded off toward the kitchen, where my mother was preparing a batch of sitrus berry pancakes. Her lavender eyes were fixed on the stove, yet her tail gave a light flutter, telling me she knew I was there. "Good morning, Dear! Did you sleep well last night?"

I tore my nose away from the alluring scent of breakfast. "Mmm? Oh yeah, yeah. Ever since I met Sky, I haven't been able to have nightmares. That snivy's a good luck charm." I chuckled and took a seat. "Anyway, where's dad? Did he leave already?"

The espeon shook her head and began setting the plates. "Your father worked the late shift last night, so I'd imagine he's still sound asleep. Don't worry, he'll be awake in time to see you off." She reassured, sliding a fresh stack of pancakes below my still-sleepy muzzle. "Go ahead. Eat your fill before it gets cold."

My thoughts snapped back to breakfast mode in a slight panic. "What am I thinking?!" My tail brushed lightly against the back of my chair as I reached for my plate along with a bottle of syrup. "Amazing as usual Mom! Where'd you learn to cook this good?" I smiled contentedly, proceeding to finish off my plate.

She chuckled. "It's a family talent. I adopted this recipe from my mother when I was just a kit," she hummed. A nostalgic look came into her eyes. "Maybe someday I'll teach you."

"Family talent? Like who?" I levitated my empty plate over to the sink and turned the faucet. "You bring them up a lot, but I don't actually know much about our family. From the way you describe them sometimes, it seems like they're pretty important. To pokemon other than us, I mean." I gave the plate a good rinse, freeing it of any leftover syrup, before placing it in the washing machine.

My mother didn't respond. She looked…conflicted? "I suppose that's true." She shook her head. "Give me some time to think on it, Dear. If they didn't live so far away…" She trailed off.

While I finished rinsing the utensils, a knock sounded from the front door, followed by a light shuffling on the porch. "Who could that be this early in the morning?" asked the espeon as she padded for the door. It was strange. Aside from the morning mail, our house was remote enough that visitors rarely came. A part of me hoped that it was the mayor. He'd given us barely any instructions during our discussion of the expedition. I wouldn't be against some form of direction.

"Mrs. Jade? Huh... I could've sworn we had the address right. Do you know where Ruby li…" The speaker cut out, and in their place spoke another, more confident voice. They were female, but it was hard to make out their words from the kitchen. "Oh!" The two seemed to converse. "Right, uh. Is Ruby up?"

"Why hello, Sky. You can call me Evelyn. We're not in class right now. And yes, this is Ruby's house. Thank you, Serena." I heard her chuckle. "I'm guessing she didn't tell you, but I'm her mother." She paused. "Ruby! Your friends are here!" She called from the entry. My tail fluttered about as I wrapped up the dishes and met the three in the entry.

Sky averted his gaze as I approached. The dream walker was back in his snivy form. So much for learning about fur care. Despite how talkative he seemed the prior day, the snivy was as reclusive as ever. Serena, on the other paw, was beaming pure enthusiasm. Ryan was there too, but it seemed the riolu was more concerned with the state of the flower he'd just pulverized than a proper hello. "Morning guys!" I yawned. "You didn't tell me we were meeting here, Serena."

The vulpix fixed her sapphire eyes on my tail. "Well no, but something tells me you don't mind." She chuckled. "Come on! I can fix your fur while Sky gives you the news!"

"Wait, I have to do it?" The snivy slouched.

"You're a part of the group now aren't you?" Serena eyed him curiously.

"Of course!"

"Then yes." She stuck her tongue out at the snivy, then turned her attention to Ryan.

"Ryan! Hurry up, will ya? You can apologize to Evelyn in person." Without giving the Riolu a chance to respond, Serena slipped into the house and made a beeline to my room, dragging Sky along with her.

Ruby's Room:

"Sorry you guys missed the pancakes." I sighed. I figured I'd break the news right away, given how unexpected their arrival had been. I mean, usually these types of meeting are held in parks or something, right? Who talks about business in their bedroom? Then again, if my mother's tales of exploration teams were to be believed, explorers had it rough. One room to share and with males to top it off. Ryan was a great friend, don't get me wrong, but living with him? No thanks. If I had to choose a roommate, it'd rather stick with good ol' Serena!

Sky shook his head, waving off my concerns with the shake of a vine. "No worries! Mom packed snacks." He flashed a childish grin. "Speaking of, we've got plenty of gear. Water, food. All the essentials. And more importantly, all the stuff I can't create." He chuckled.

"All of that power and you can't make food." I chuckled and joined Serena atop my bed, brushing against her plush pelt as I plopped down onto my belly. "A shame. I was going to ask you to make me pancakes on the road."

He shrugged. "Sorry. No can do. These hands aren't built for cooking. Trust me, I tried." He winced. "Any amount of heat and they just burn. Nearly gave my mom a heart attack." He shuddered.

I paused and glanced at Serena. The vulpix' pelt was like a heated blanket against my flank. "That so?" I eyed him curiously, then shifted my gaze to the map Ryan borrowed from geography class. As confusing as the snivy was, Serena had already grown attached to him. Not that it was a bad thing. Arceus knew the girl needed more friends, but I just hoped there weren't any extra feelings in the mix. It would almost certainly fail. That vulpix loved to cuddle. Poor Sky would wither away in no time!

"Yeah. With these gloves, they at least stand a chance against friction, but otherwise, they're fragile." He sighed. "Anyway, the news!" He choked out beneath Serena's impatient stare. "Serena's mom spoke with my mom. Says the mayor finished finalizing our paperwork. As of today, we're official adventurers!" He grinned, prompting cheers from Ryan. The riolu hadn't been paying attention to our prior conversation, but that bit of news got his attention. "More importantly, we're clear to go whenever. We can come back and all. Go to class and everything if we want, like we weren't even gone. But homework and grades don't matter."

"So, what I'm hearing is, the Autumn Summer plan is still on!" I snickered. "We've gotta get them together! They'd be great!"

Serena looked a bit more enthusiastic about that than visiting her father again. Whatever happened between them... She hadn't even told me. Still, it was refreshing to see my girl experience things on the mischievous side for a change!

"That's more like it!" Ryan pumped both fists in the air. "No homework! Whooo!" He cheered. "So! What are we waiting around for then? Shouldn't we hurry?"

"We're plotting a course first." Serena sighed, eying him tiredly. "We can't leave without deciding where to go first. My bet's on Timbre Village. As much as I don't want to agree with the mayor, it's the closest settlement to Melados, and it has an inn." Ouch. The mayor.

"Don't most places have inns?" Ryan groaned. "I'd rather we venture somewhere more exotic! Aren't you curious about the big cities?"

Serena's tails twitched in amusement. "Oh, I'd love to! Unfortunately, it wouldn't be in our budget. The bigger the settlement, the harder it is on the poké. We'll have to sleep in the woods if we visit anything larger than a small town."

"Really?" The riolu sighed, flopping back onto a stack of cushions and pillows. "We need some extra dough."

"Funny you should mention it." My mom cut in, the espeon slipping in without a sound. "I had a chat of my own with the mayor this morning. Once you arrive in Conifer, I'm sure Guildmaster Broadleaf wouldn't mind funding your exploits." She sat against the door, laying her tail across her paws. "You might as well join while you're at it. It'll net you perks on travel and resources if anything."

"Speaking of the guild." Sky chimed in. "First I've heard of it."

"When Obsidian said new, he meant it." I gestured wide with my paws for emphasis. "It's only been a year since it was founded. Supposedly the guildmaster is from someplace abroad. A real celebrity."

As if it had a mind of its own, the leaf of Sky's tail perked up. "So, we'd be recognized as explorers? Like, an official team?" He grinned. "Sign me up!" The snivy rolled up the map and stuffed it in our newly-bought supply bag. "Looks like we have a goal to work towards. Timbre Village first then?" He nodded to Serena, then leaped from the bed with ease. "Come on! The sooner we go, the sooner we can rest! And I can't carry all three of you. It'll be a long walk."

"Speaking of." My mother approached me and offered an affectionate nuzzle. "Remember not to travel too far from Timbre until I catch up to you!" She cautioned. "I'll be but a day behind at most. I've given you more than enough poke for a hotel stay, so keep that in mind.

I threw my forelegs around the espeon's neck and nuzzled her in return. "I promise." I grinned. "Who knows? Maybe all the training you and Dad gave me as a kit will come in handy!"

Timbre Village:

As luck would have it, we found ourselves at the village border before noon. Browns became greens as the dirt-laden path gave way to fertile soil, from which sprouted a layer of plush, fine-trimmed grass. It was a path of grass! Course, colorful meadow grass lined the edges of the path, expanding for miles on either side. "Much better!" I sighed. The dampened, lush blades soothed my tired pads as we approached the village entrance. A simple wooden sign stood before us, driven into the soft soil between hedges that dwarfed our tiny frames. Despite the haste of its construction, the village's name was etched into its surface and painted with care. Even the footprint runes were properly accounted for, carved similarly just below.

"Well that's cute!" Serena cooed as we approached, curiosity etched into her muzzle like an eevee in a sandbox. "I wish Melados had setups like this. Everything's all professional over there."

"If you say so." I sat down, letting the path's moisture well up between my toes. "I'm just thankful to be off that trail. All that dust was drying out my paws."

"I didn't notice anything." Sky called out from the hedge; his snout half obscured by the bush's leafy form. The snivy had pressed onward into thicker grass to get a view of some rich-mon's landscaping. "Was it that rough?"

"Again, you don't have paws, Sky. There's a difference." I raised a forepaw for emphasis. "Then again, I'm not sure what those stubby feet of yours are. Are they vines?"

He popped his snout out of the bush and padded back toward the sign. "Not a clue, but they're covered in scales if that helps." He gave the sign a second glance before peering further in. Partway into the village, the path split off into several walkways, each flanked by darker, yet equally trimmed grass patches. Smooth, grey stepping stones rose from the soil in the makings of a plaza, and I was more than fine with stepping between the cracks as we padded forward to join what little traffic the village had to offer. "I think it's quieter here than out on that trail." Sky chuckled.

"It is pretty early." Serena glanced around, her gaze centering on a large, white-stone fountain that stood tall in the center of the plaza. "At least there's a fountain to enjoy." The vulpix offered. Hedges similar to those at the entrance encircled the plaza, above which rose the rooves and chimneys of at least a dozen brick-assembled homes.

"So!" Serena's voice cut through the silence. "My mom and I have been here a couple times before. Never for anything exciting, but I picked up a few interesting rumors some time ago. I think they're worth our attention."

"What kind of rumors?" Sky's tail perked with interest. "Like the ones about me?"

"Not in the slightest." The vulpix assured. "Timbre has a local legend that may help us out. Something about crystals, deer and sleep?" She shrugged. We'll need to hit the books on this one, so while Ryan and I are at the library, why don't you explore a bit of the village with Ruby? We may need a local's help, so ask around."

"What good would that do?" He sighed. "I'd rather check out the library. I'm awful with small talk."

"Yeah, and I hate books." Ryan fumed. "Why does he get to walk around?"

"Because I need someone to take notes." Serena huffed, then looked to Sky. "Sky is, well… Try telling someone who can enter dreams not to daydream." She glared at Ryan. "I won't accept any complaints. Consider this a way to pay me back for all the unpaid tutoring I gave you in school."

Sky's shoulders sank. "Man, now I'm a daydreamer?" He shook his head. "I love reading, I'll have you know!"

"Why?" The vulpix nudged him playfully. "Dream is your name. I'd say it's reasonable to assume that you might daydream at times." The rosy vixen rose to her paws and glanced around as if searching for a building. "Found it!" She grinned. "Ok! Ryan and I will be right back. You two might want to hang around here for a bit longer just in case. It's a small place, so you might miss someone if you walk around too much." The vulpix offered before taking Ryan's paw and guiding him off toward the grassy paths once more.

"Alright then, Sky. Let's get a move on!" I pumped my paws into the air, but Sky seemed much less enthusiastic. Seemed he was a daydreamer after all.

The snivy frowned. "Say, Ruby." He paused. "About your dad. He's and umbreon, and your mom is an espeon. Are you..."

"Adopted? Yes, I am." I shrugged. "I mean, it's not like there's an issue. Whoever my real mom was doesn't matter to me. Evelyn's the one and only as far as I'm concerned." I chuckled. "Still, not knowing the rest of my, apparently, huge family is a bit daunting. I've heard there's this girl, Eve. Real big talker, that one. Evelyn talks about her all the time. About how she's an up and coming star with some crazy powers." I snickered.

"Jokes on that cousin, though." I puffed my chest out proudly. "I have a friend who's twice as cool!" I snickered. "In all seriousness, they're all overseas. It's hard to know your family history if they're not here, you know?"

Sky nodded. "I suppose that's kind of unfortunate, yeah. At least you might get to meet them soon!" And get to rub it in Eve's face! "So uh, does everyone else know?"

"Serena does, but Ryan?" I fidgeted my paws. "He's different. Serena and I go waaay back! Like, we're talking eggs in the same nursery. Like I said, our parents were friends." I shook my head. "But Ryan's a different story. Our parents were friends and we grew up together, but he's a guy. It's not the same." I sighed. "And then my mom became our teacher. I thought it'd just make things complicated. I was going to tell him when we graduated, but you're seeing how well that went right now." I groaned. Nothing was ever simple with my family, or my friends for the matter. Sure it was fun, but I just wished things would slow down for once! Give me time to think! "Besides, he's not stupid. He's bound to have caught on by now. I can tell him once all of this dreamscape stuff is settled."

Sky looked at a loss for words. He definitely regretted asking. Unfortunately for the superpowered snake, that secret was now his as well! "Anyway, let me know if you see anyone we can ask about the legend. I know Serena wants us to explore, but we just got here. A girl's gotta rest up."

"Right…" He nodded. "Well while you do that, I guess I could do a few laps around the fountain. We can't see everyone from here." The snivy proposed, then padded off for the fountain, leaving me to my thoughts."

There weren't that many pokemon to choose from. Serena had used the time excuse, but all things considered, this was a pretty small village. Several sharp, excitable giggles broke through the calmness of the fountain as a group of kits, a plustle, minun, and pichu, batted around a ball nearby. Very cute, but too young. "Maybe their mother's around?" I wondered silently. Elsewhere, a growlithe and mudkip duo had taken to a set of benches to chat, accompanied by an electrike, pawmi, and goomy. The trio had fallen asleep it seemed, though all five wore matching bandanas. An exploration team perhaps? "They might come in handy."

"Ruby, over here!" Sky's voice cut in from the other side of the fountain, or rather, it would have had the snivy not taken a shortcut straight through the darn thing. "I found someone!" He choked out, coughing against the downpour of water as he retreated.

"Here we go." I shook my head and padded around the fountain to meet him, sunlight reflecting off the snivy's dampened scales as if to highlight his mistake. "I don't think the fountain is for bathing." I giggled. The remark was enough to prompt a small chuckle, but it seemed Sky was preoccupied for once. An eevee, no more than our age, eyed me curiously as I spoke. Her eyes were a soft, blue-tented green, and her pelt, while still the usual brown, featured a rose-pink undertone as if it'd been dyed. "Oh, uh. Hey!" I gave a gentle wave. "You found someone?"

Sky nodded. "This is Aloe! She mentioned something about a dark portal, so I figured I'd call you over."

"Mentioned? More like mumbled." Aloe sighed. "You sure you're not friends with a nosepass?"

I whirled on Sky. "We're supposed to ask around, not eavesdrop." I sighed. "Sorry if we bothered you." I knelt an apology. Sheesh. At times it seemed like Sky was the most enlightened, chill guy in the world. And others... Well, he was the opposite!

Aloe's eyes lit up with worry. "Oh, no he wasn't bothering me. It's the opposite." She shook her head. "Do you two know about the strange portals that have been opening up lately?"

"A bit more than that, I'd say. We've been inside one." I frowned. "Wait, did one appear here?"

Aloe shook her head, the eevee kneading at the ground uneasily. "Not in the village thankfully, but my friend, Basil. She's a big fan of weird stuff like that." She shook her head. "We live together… Out in a forest a bit to the east of here." Her eyes widened. "We're not dungeon 'mon, if that's what you think!" She squealed. "Not that they're um... bad or anything, but we just prefer the woods." She stumbled over her words. Anxious, much? "We're not all that great at foraging, so every so often we travel to Timbre to restock on food and supplies. Long story short, our latest trip took us past one of those portals. She couldn't help herself, and well…"

"She fell in." I nodded. "Wait. How long ago was this?"

"It's been a few days since then." She tugged at the grass nervously. A few days? How resilient was this girl? "I traveled the rest of the way to see if I could find help, but most of the locals are either elderly or folks with family to take care of."

I glanced back at the group of explorers from before. "Why not those guys? They seem pretty capable."

"Oh, them." She sighed. "Their leader, the Mudkip. He tried to help, but it seemed they were already on a crucial mission. Their client wouldn't let them off the hook. The electrike, I mean."

"So that leaves us." I sighed. That jerk. How snot-nosed did you have to be to turn down a trapped 'mon over your own wallet? "Hey, Sky. Since it looks like we're about to go dream surfing again, could ya get Serena really quick?" I asked. "There'll be hell to pay if we just up and disappear on her." I meant to add, but the snivy was already gone by the time I looked back, replaced by a gust of wind and a puddle of water on the floor. "Right, superspeed." I shook my head. "So uhh, what can you tell me about Basil?"

Timbre Pass - East:

It felt strange to set out without securing a place to stay first, yet the moment Sky returned with Serena and Ryan in tow, we hit the road. As it turned out, the wilder grass that surrounded the entrance paths wasn't just for show. The village as a whole was surrounded by the stuff, and so were the paths. Tall meadow grass flanked us on both sides as we followed behind Aloe, its thin, needle-like blades poking and prodding at my pelt if I strayed too close. Curiously, our eevee guide was hardly phased by it and often ventured out into the bush-like turf to get a better view.

"How can you stand that stuff?" I shuddered as the eevee emerged from the grass once more. "I can hardly handle walking alongside the stuff. How are you able to just dive in?"

Aloe tilted her head slightly as if that were an odd thing to ask, letting her tail brush lightly against the verdant tufts as we padded onward. "What, the grass?" She chuckled. "I'm betting you're just not used to it. The larger towns and cities are fancy, so I've heard. Where I'm from, this is pretty much all there is, save for the trees. It's hard not to adjust to it."

"What about thorns and stuff? Wouldn't they stick you?" I winced. I'd heard horror stories of kits back home wandering into thorn bushes and getting scratched up. It happened to Ryan more times than I could count! Then again, the clumsy pup couldn't navigate his way around the halls half the time without slipping.

"If you're not paying attention, maybe." Aloe grinned. "Anything that does stick, we take turns sorting out at the end of the day. Basil and I fix each other's fur all the time." She shook her head. "Gives us time to discuss something more than just weird myths and legends."

"Speaking of." Serena cut in. "Has she ever mentioned anything about crystal deer? I could've sworn Timbre had a bit of folklore surrounding something of the sort, but I couldn't find anything about it at the library."

"I wouldn't be able to tell you, honestly." Aloe sighed. "I can hardly keep up with her when she gets going about something like that. You're free to ask her yourself though!" She bit her lip nervously. "If we can find her, that is. It's been days."

"She'll be alright. If it's anything like the last portal we went into, I doubt it's all that bad." Sky grinned. The snivy didn't seem all too bothered by the grass himself, dipping in and out of the thick tufts as he pleased.

Serena grabbed his arm the next time he emerged and nudged him forward. "That's fine and all, Sky, but it might help a bit if we pick up the pace. I doubt Aloe wants to wait all day."

"Oh no, he's fine." The eevee waved her paw dismissively. "There should be a split in the path somewhere close. If you see the grass open up a bit, the portal's nearby."

Sure enough, a small, circular clearing soon emerged, marked by an equally dusty intersecting path toward the center. The shorter, mushy grass of the village also made its return. Unfortunately, it seemed the summer weather hadn't been as kind here as it had been in the village. Dry mounds of the stuff crunched uncomfortably beneath our paws as we made for the intersecting path. Dry bits of grass poked at my pads as we slowed to a stop, and I had to bite back the urge to flee. "See anything?"

"She doesn't need to. I remember that whirring sound." Sky inched closer to the intersection, then bolted for a nearby patch of grass, pulling it back just a bit to reveal… a hole. Floating in midair? "You know, now that I've gotten a good look at that thing, it makes even less sense." I sighed. The portal seemed almost electrified as we approached, its outer, ring-like surface flashing innumerably with blackened lightning. "And it looks even less safe," I mumbled, pawing at the loose grass nervously. Had I been paying more attention the last time; I may not have joined Serena in the first place.

"It's the same, alright." Ryan inched closer, reaching a paw out to touch it, only to have it batted away by Serena. "What? I wasn't going to touch it!" The riolu pouted. "Not yet at least." He grinned. "Heh. Come to think of it, the look on your face when we entered the first one was priceless, Ruby!"

I bit back the urge to push him in and settled on a glare. "And so was yours when you got us trapped in that tree." I flashed him a grin as I sat down to free the dry grass from my paws.

"Don't get too comfy. We're going straight in." Sky called back.

"You can stay behind if you want to. I'm sure you've had enough of this thing by now." Serena eyed Aloe for confirmation.

A look of worry crossed the eevee's muzzle, but she didn't back down from the portal. "As much as I'd like to sit out, knowing Basil, she won't listen unless I'm there. If she's alright, she's probably lost in thought. You guys won't get through to her."

"Alright then, Sky! You're up first!" Serena called. Then, before the snivy could react, she leaped forward and tackled him into the portal, leaving the three of us behind to bargain for our place in line.

Once the others were out of earshot, I smirked. "Oh, Ryan~. You're up, buddy."

Timbre Pass Rift:

The smell of salt assaulted my nose as I came to, half buried in a substance far viler than the dry scraps from outside. Sand! "Ugh! Gross!" I dug myself out of my confinement, only to find that my fur was just fine. Not a spec had clung to my fur. In fact, it wasn't the slightest bit wet. "Alright, if we're cool with taking home souvenirs from these places, I call dibs on this stuff!"

"Seriously, sand?" Ryan groaned, spitting out a mound of the stuff and rolling onto his back. "Haven't you been to the beach before?"

"If you can find me a beach in the real world with sand that doesn't get caught in your fur, I might just marry you." I shook my head.

Ryan sat up; a bewildered expression plastered across his muzzle. "Oh really?"

I nodded. "Fortunately, that kinda stuff only exists in dreams, my guy!" I flicked the riolu's muzzle playfully with my tail, then padded off to look for the others. Unlike the last dreamscape which, although a stretch, at least matched the idea of a tree, this one was completely off-mark. A full-on beach stretched out before us, complete with an ocean and waves. Tall, tropical-looking trees stretched upward in the distance behind us in the formation of a forest. "If the sand is perfect here, what about the forest?" I pondered, however, before I could put the theory to the test, the sound of waves hitting sand drew my attention back towards the shore, where a brilliant sunset was on full display. "Wow…"

"There you are!" A familiar voice called out as Serena joined me once more. "What happened? Why didn't you call out?"

"Pretty sure I blacked out." I shook my head and leaned forward into a gentle stretch. "At least I didn't end up in a tree this time! So, what happened to the snivy? He get lost too?"

Serena flashed a sly grin. "Yes and no. Didn't end up here with him, but I'm pretty sure he's down there somewhere. Sky's never been to the beach." She flicked her tails toward the shore. "Aloe is here too. I bumped into her while searching for you two." The green-eyed eevee gave a short wave, then returned to scanning the shore.

"Guess we're looking for pawprints then?" I glanced back at the forest. The place was so tightly packed with foliage that not even a joltik could pass through unscathed. Then again, if we were dealing with another pokemon who'd grown up out in the wilderness, I wasn't sure what they'd be comfortable with. "Right? There's no way those trees are preferable to this."

"Is that your friend?" Aloe cut in. The eevee sat forward, squinting hard at the coastline ahead. I followed her line of sight down to the shore where what looked like a stick figure with a tail was waving its arms for attention.

"That'd be him." Serena stood up, offering me her tail for support as I rose to meet her. "Come on. I'll bet he found something."

The scent of salt only grew stronger the closer we drew to the shore and, despite how close we'd gotten to the ocean itself; the sand never grew any soggier. "Seriously, I wish I could bag this stuff up." I groaned.

"It might return to normal if we carry it out of the dream world." Serena sighed. "But I'll collect some for you before we leave. I brought a spare bag." The vulpix stuck her tongue out at me, only to receive a gentle shove in response.

"Should've known you'd come prepared." I chuckled. "Alright then. Pawprints…" As Sky came into full view, it became apparent that he wasn't alone. A gray-furred, fox-like figure sat with their back to us, their coat lightening into a dark, forest-like green at the tips of their paws, or what we could see of them at least, as well as a short, dark green tuft atop their forehead. Dark gray, eevee-like curls circled their neck like a mane. A dull, green undertone seemed to mingle with the darker grays, while the lighter shades seemed almost blue. "Is that a zorua?"

"Basil!" Aloe raced forward and nearly plowed into the unsuspecting zorua, who only seemed to stir at the sound of the eevee's voice.

"Hmm? Aloe?" The zorua turned just in time to catch the incoming eevee, who seemed to almost crumble in her presence. "What?" Basil looked up at us, her violet eyes scanning each of us curiously. Green markings replaced the usual red as the zorua's expression grew more confused. "Did something happen?"

Aloe looked up at her friend, baffled, yet somehow unsurprised at the same time. "Did something…" She cut herself off. "Basil, you've been gone for two days! Of course, something happened." She groaned. "It was that weird portal. I told you it was dangerous."

A wave of guilt washed over the zorua's features as she gently pet her friend. "So, you did." She shook her head. "Sorry! I didn't realize how long it'd been." She glanced up at the sky. "I don't think the sky's changed at all since I arrived. It's like this place is stuck in time." She sighed. "It's really been two whole days?" This girl. Sheesh. Was she really ok?

Aloe nodded and stood up slowly, gradually allowing her friend to do the same. Once Basil was up, however, she had trouble staying up. "Oh geez!" She wobbled, before being caught by Aloe. "There's my answer." She chuckled, then glanced back at the ocean, seemingly peering off into the distance. "But you know, I wasn't just sitting here. We're standing on an island right now, and there's some sort of mainland way off in the distance." She gestured out towards a large, yet fuzzy stretch of land far out from the shore. "I could've sworn it was closer when I first arrived."

"Well, this place is a dream." Sky cut in. "I wouldn't be surprised if the island moved."

Basil shook her head, as if stricken by an idea. "No, not a dream." She paused. "I tried swimming out to reach it, but no matter how far I swam, it never got any closer. I had to leg it back quick before I got too tired to swim." She frowned, then turned to Sky. "Who're you anyway? What made you think this place was a dream? I'd say it's much closer to something like… Like a chunk of some messed up reality. Kind of reminds me of the tales of the Turloff. That old myth!" She chuckled to herself.

"Basil!" Aloe gave the zorua a soft tug which seemed to break her out of her thoughts. "Yes? Oh!" She shook her head. "I did it again, didn't I?" She glanced back at Sky. "Sorry about that." She chuckled. "Still, uhh. Who are you guys? I don't think I've seen any of you around Timbre before."

"They say they're travelers from Fermata Town." Aloe explained. "That's Sky, or Dream. I think the others prefer Sky." She chuckled. "And then there's Serena, Ruby and Ryan." She named each of us respectively.

"From Fermata? Isn't that the place with the ancient tree?" She pondered, then shrugged. "Well, it's good to meet you all. I'm guessing you helped out Aloe, so that makes you alright in my book!" She nearly stumbled once more. If it weren't for her friend, she'd have a face full of magic sand by now. "Right. I think we should get back to the village before we talk any further. I can't travel very well if I can't even work my legs properly."

Serena frowned. "Travel? Aloe, you didn't say anything about traveling. What do you mean, Basil?"

"Traveling with you lot of course!" She grinned. "This snivy's got me curious, and the fact that you even believed us is just the chance I've been looking for!" I'll let ya in on the plan later.

"Wha? Basil, we're not…" Aloe sighed, and turned to Serena. "Sorry about her. I uhh. I hope you don't mind us tagging along then? Trust me, she'll just follow you anyway."

Serena looked almost overwhelmed, but nonetheless, she relented and agreed. "I did bring extra supplies just in case." She chuckled. "Just umm, try not to get lost in any more portals, ok?"

"Oh, wait!" Sky whirled my way. "Ruby, the crystal thing!"

"Already on it!" I called back. Unlike the last place we'd visited, this one was rather straight forward. Plus, it seemed Basil had already found the darn thing. All I had to do was smash it, and the portal reappeared before us.

Basil's eyes widened in response. "Hey! I've been trying to touch that forever!' She pouted. "How come you could-"

"Less talk, more walk!" Aloe instructed. "We can theorize when your legs aren't jelly!"