Episode 25: A Live Event Trial
Episode 25: A Live Event Trial
On the border of the black and white ruins, Elise and her Tropius all landed to gather their bearings. It was impossible to tell whether it was night or day with that darkened void before them. The corrupted land started so suddenly it was like a line had been drawn onto the sand in greyscale. Everything within it was eerily silent and lifeless to the extent that the sun couldn’t be seen. Meanwhile, the desert sands outside retained their harsh natural conditions.
Lucca, Mimia, Shelly, Crystal, and Ruby all sat with their backs to each other on the edge of this dark realm metres away from Brine and the soldiers. As oblivious as the Steenee queen preferred to be, even Elise knew not to dare try and get a word out of them so readily. They had been sat like this for what must have been hours, yet no one spoke or moved from the spot.
“Okay. That’s enough water for me. I should be good to go,” Brine handed a canteen to a Lilligant soldier. “Thank you. You really saved me.”
“Brine,” Elise realised she wasn’t mourning. “What happened?”
“I should be asking you. It’s a miracle you girls all showed up when you did and had everything we needed. How did you know where to find us?” Brine replied.
“I got an emergency letter from Shelly. He sent it through the Treasure Orb, so I knew it was an emergency,” Elise answered. “He even said to bring the Tropius. I just didn’t think… whatever’s going on would be this bad.”
Brine faced the ruins. “That’s Vilé. To you, that’d be the place that Kusha came from.”
“Kusha? That funny Wigglytuff?” Elise put a hand on her hip.
“She was there when this happened. Alongside Azu, one of our closest companions. They, alongside all the other citizens, perished in that,” Brine explained. Elise gasped and covered her mouth. “The entire city was living on a tightrope, and that tightrope tore when we arrived. All Bestia in the region drained, and well, you can see the result for yourself.”
Elise watched as Brine walked off to join the other warriors. She was solemn for a moment, and then clenched her fists and walked over as well. She went to Shelly and Lucca, but didn’t face them. “Okay. What now?”
Neither Pokémon replied, but Shelly’s Gospel Vibe turned red.
“I asked you lads a question. What now?”
“We’re supposed to be Shining Warriors,” Lucca began. His voice was dry and weak. “I was warned, and yet I…”
“And yet you what?” Elise asked, still not looking at him.
“It’s my fault. It’s my fault all those Pokémon died. I can’t just say ‘I messed up’ this time. So many Pokémon, even Pokémon I cared about. I couldn’t save them. I let them down, and it cost them their lives,” he trembled.
“So we go back to my first question. What now?” Elise glared at him.
“Elise lass, please. Not now,” Shelly shuddered.
“You guys are the Shining Warriors. The whole world’s counting on you. No matter what happens, you have to keep going,” Elise said. “Don’t try to tell me I don’t understand this. I lost my whole world when Gladys died and Shelly had to leave. But life keeps moving. If I spent all my time mourning, the Pokémon of Van Aken would suffer. If you guys spend all your time mourning…”
“But what if I mess up again? I’m not strong enough!” Lucca snapped to her and raised his voice. “All this time, I’ve been committing murder in the name of my own justice, my own belief it was for the greater good. Now that I’ve lost someone who meant so much to me, it’s almost like I finally understand how important one life is. I was a fool to believe I had any right judging the worth of that. But it’s not just one person who meant the world to me, it was gods knows how many other Pokémon that died as well. How am I supposed to go on?”
“… But she’s right,” Ruby said, getting their attention. She looked furious. “I hate it. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it so much, but she’s right. If we give up now after coming so far, what happened here could happen to all the rest of Heroica. To us, and all the other Pokémon in the world.”
“I’m not saying to forget here. Never forget here, that this happened. But you have to do what you have to do,” Elise continued. “And think about it… would Azu and Kusha wanna see you like this?”
Lucca finally got up and stared at Elise. “… She’d have a go at me.”
“So we go back to my first question. What do we do now?” Elise asked.
“We do things as a team,” Crystal spoke up. She was still facing away from the group, but looked over her shoulder at them. “No more sneaking off or secret agendas. No more hiding feelings from each other. If something’s up, we have to talk things over, like a team.”
“Crystal… I said we’d do that before, but I didn’t stay true to it,” Lucca looked down and laid a flipper on his chest.
“Lucca,” Mimia frowned with a whine.
“I tried to kill her. I thought that was the best action to take. Even though Mother Bun killed herself in the end, it was my actions that led to this. This result is because of me,” Lucca announced. “Shelly, I should have listened to you. I’m a Shining Warrior, I should be trying to save everyone, not just the world.”
“You have to actually understand what you’re talking about and do something about it, though,” Shelly replied. Lucca nodded. “You have to mean it, Lucca.”
“Pardon me for sounding like a prince again… but I’m ready to accept any punishment you guys want to give me. Whether it be by your own judgement, or Heroican law,” Lucca said. “I ask that you bear with me for the remainder of this journey first, though. We have one trial and fountain left to awaken. Once we finish this journey, trial me for everything I’ve put you all through. Please.”
“You dumb, handsome idiot,” Ruby spat. “We’re not gonna just give ya a punishment and then have you act like you’re off the hook when it’s done. You’re responsible for killing every last Pokémon that lived here. You’re going to live with that fact for the rest of your life.”
“I need you to promise me you won’t try to kill anyone else,” Crystal begged. She looked more anxious than ever. “If you really understand how valuable one life can be, then stop making it seem so easy!”
Lucca glanced at them both, though it was a struggle. He couldn’t keep eye contact, and opted to face the black and white ruins. Nothing but the silence of the dead world. “I swear it. I will never take a life ever again.”
“You’re strong, Lucca,” Mimia said, and nuzzled up to him. Lucca gave the Stufful’s chin a rub, and nuzzled back lightly in return.
“I’m not. I just have a lot of learning and growing up to do,” Lucca responded. He finally looked at Elise, who was as stern as earlier. “We have to get to the east. There’s an area called the Colour Citadel. That’s where our last trial is.”
“The Colour Citadel? That’s been the talk of the towns,” she put a hand to her hip. “It’s been under construction for quite some time, aye? Er, that famous Pokémon is leading up the building project.”
“That’s it. Wait, how do you know about it?” Shelly raised an eyebrow.
“We’ve been doing a lot of investigating of our own since you left. We can fly and talk, if you’re comfortable,” she suggested.
“Fly?” Crystal cocked her head.
“Me and the Tropius came this far for you. We might as well fly you across the desert, unless you guys actually like walking, for some reason. It’s so hot it makes home seem tame,” Elise answered.
…
“When I took over, I’ll admit I didn’t know what to do. I know I learnt a lot in school, but Mama never taught me anything about ruling a kingdom,” Elise began. She was sat on the back of an elegantly clothed Tropius, with Shelly and Brine hugged up behind her. The others were in couples and had their own Tropius who leisurely flew beside her. “When the councillor showed me the list of stuff Mama dealt with, I started crying again. It was embarrassing.”
“Being a royal’s hard enough even when you’re a kid. The grownups really expected you to take over just like that?” Lucca cocked his head.
“I dunno what it was. Kusha sent me a letter one day sayin’ she wasn’t gonna be back for a while, even though we were still dealing with the damage the knights did to us. Everythin’ felt like it was gonna go down, and I was ready to wilt,” Elise continued. She was concentrated on the world ahead while she spoke. The evening winds were cool, and everything was quiet up high. “I just… realised I had to grow up? Shelly, Kusha, and Mama weren’t gonna come back to tell me what to do, and all the soldiers needed a leader. So after a few days of being a spoilt brat, I picked up that list and started going through it all.”
“You and chores don’t go well together,” Shelly commented. That made her giggle, and she glanced back at him.
“You’re right, and they still don’t. But this was different. It was a list of stuff Mama wanted to do; you know? I didn’t do them because I couldn’t do them,” she continued, and this time she looked at Lucca. “You were right. She wanted to mount a conquest of Heroica after the Shining Warriors left.”
Everyone gawked and exchanged glances.
To think that my excuse turned out to be true. This shouldn’t validate my actions, but it does feel good to know I wasn’t completely wrong, Lucca thought to himself, looking down.
“So I tore up the list and started trying to rule things my way. We have a lot of scientists and techy girls making boats and other vehicles, right? As well as Pokémon researching Wonder Orbs and stuff. It’s super cool and special, so I had them start working on a holiday boat for us. Then a few soldiers went to Heroica. Not as soldiers, but as Pokémon on holiday,” Elise explained. Everyone was even more surprised. “If I sent everyone together, it’d look like an army, right? But if only a few of us went, we could learn how to go to Heroica safely. As well as how to approach the important Pokémon and stuff. I wanna do it all safely, and show that even though we’re foreigners, we mean no harm.”
“I can’t imagine the Van Akens were happy about dropping all their war stuff,” Brine assumed.
“They aren’t. I’m hoping they don’t kick up a fuss and understand what I’m trying to do,” Elise hung her head and sighed. “If we start trading with Heroica, and then Heroicans come to visit us while we go to visit them, we basically get the same result, right? Except nobody has to die doing a pointless war.”
“An attempt at peaceful trade with the Pokémon of this realm… You’re doing a noble thing, in my eyes,” Lucca replied. “Although you might not agree, you mustn’t think ill of your Pokémon, either. What you’re trying to do is a very new idea to them, after the generations of fear mongering from the previous rule. You know us as Heroicans, but do your Pokémon know us?”
“Did I make the wrong choice?” Elise asked in worry.
“Not at all. You’re easing in your Pokémon’s presence by going to Heroica, first. A slow and steady experience. Hopefully your Pokémon come back with positive stories which will spread, and public opinion on Heroica can change,” Lucca explained.
“Sometimes I forget you’re like, an actual prince. You actually know what you’re talking about, don’t you?” Ruby commented. “It’s a real change from the guy who didn’t know how shops work.”
“It’s always the shop,” Lucca hung his head. “It was one time. Was it that bad?”
“It really was,” Crystal agreed.
“This is simple trade strategy stuff, though. Don’t you get it?” Shelly asked.
“I’m not a prince, but even I get it,” Crystal joined in.
“And lemme guess. You too, Brine?” Ruby rolled her eyes.
The Pikachu turned away, but was blushing slightly and twiddling her digits. “It’s just a good idea, don’t you think?”
“Hmpf! Geez guys, I wasn’t saying it wasn’t,” Ruby pouted.
Elise’s Tropius let out a cry and lowered its head slightly, letting her look over it. They were reaching the edge of the continent where the sea was visible. Night had fallen and the sky was clear, so the view was mostly a dark ocean that glistened with moonlight.
Hilly fields had replaced the desert a while ago, but now there was a pleasant chill of coastal wind and a few mountains in the distance. Straight ahead of them, the fields ended at a coastal cliff just separated from a tall island. On the island awaited the citadel Panzer mentioned: a massive, cylinder-shaped tower lined with arch windows. It was taller than them despite them flying, though it didn’t reach the clouds. A drawbridge connected the island to the mainland, where a town could be made out at the foot of the tower.
“That stone tower’s huge. That’s what they’ve been building all this time? That’s the Colour Citadel?” Brine remarked.
“Our last trial and fountain,” Lucca said sternly. And the home of this supposed archfiend…
As they approached, show lights and bonfires became visible here and there across the structure, as well as its navy colour theme. Unlike Vilé, the materials and layout of the land fit Heroica, so those lights emphasised the grandeur. Elise took them around the citadel once before landing not far from the bridge, as there was no room elsewhere for her squad.
“Not using knights for guards. Makes a nice change of pace,” Crystal remarked. A couple of Dragonite were the ones keeping watch, though they were curled up as if they were asleep. A single eye opened as the group drew near, and then they got up.
“State your purpose for… oh my goodness!” the first dragon greeted them. “You’re here already?”
“They really were expecting us,” Shelly said.
“Of course we were. That is the reason this place was built,” Dragonite replied. He exchanged glances with his comrade, and then they stumbled aside to let everyone through. “Please, make your way through. Go send word to the boss, the guests of honour are here!”
No one made a comment as the other Dragonite took off into the town. The bridge was surprisingly long on foot, but it gave them a nice view of the calm oceans beside them. The waves were quiet even as they crashed up against the mainland cliffs. A Druddigon and a Garchomp guarded the town itself, but both stood aside and bowed to the group as they passed.
It doesn’t feel like I deserve this. But it’s also about time we had Pokémon actually treat us like heroes. What am I supposed to do to accept this honour? Lucca was perplexed by the whole idea.
The town had a simple layout. The main street was well paved, and despite having a few patterned stones, wasn’t uncomfortably hard to walk and slide on. The Colour Citadel was straight ahead of them, while side roads led to the other facilities. Every single building here didn’t have half the grandiose of the tower before them, being either a rectangular spot or a typical dome shaped like a Pokémon’s head. Everything had signs to tell what it was, and they all had plenty of green space between them too, so it was impossible to get lost.
The real surprise was the sense of warmth Lucca got from it all. Possibly because it was late, not many Pokémon were around. Those that were, they chilled with a casual conversation outside the buildings or towards the edges of the town where the sea was visible. The climate was cool, the chatter was calm, and best of all, there wasn’t a single knight in sight.
“I don’t want to jinx it, but… this isn’t what I was expecting,” Brine commented. The lights in town were giant fire candles, a bonfire, or smaller candles, some carried by Pokémon. Even the show lights turned out to be natural; there were Chandelure happily sleeping inside of glass cylinders. The cylinders were set up on giant rotating fans on the floor.
“We’ve seen our fair share of places where more than meets the eye, but… if I recall correctly, you said Panzer recruited Pokémon from Girage Field to build this place, right?” Lucca questioned.
“That’s right. She must have recruited from all over, too. It makes sense it’d be really homely and community focused then, wouldn’t it?” Brine remarked.
“Can we do what we came here to do? The sooner, the better,” Crystal said. Lucca nodded and made his way to citadel. At last, there were four knights there. Crystal immediately retracted from her haste to hide behind the group, while Ruby stood guard over her.
“Halt! Visitors or not, this spot’s off-limits until it is safe to open up,” one knight informed, while the others crossed their weapons over the entrance. Lucca tried to get a peek in before he responded, but all he could see were dark walls that glistened with gemstones.
“Er, I don’t really know how to go about this… this was kind of built for us,” Lucca replied, holding his amulet forward. Mimia barked and did the same, leading to the others showcasing their amulets.
“Goodness, that Dragonite wasn’t lying. Well welcome to Treasure Coast, if no one else has said it already,” the knight replied, and calmed down. The others withdrew their weapons too and saluted. “We still can’t let you through I’m afraid.”
“Why? You guys literally built this thing to guard everyone during the last trial, right?” Brine objected.
“That is true. But it’s the boss’s orders not to let anyone, even the warriors, through. We weren’t expecting you so soon,” the knight explained. “As far as I’m aware we’re putting on the finishing touches, so it shouldn’t be too much longer. Likely even tomorrow. I’m confident in that one.”
Lucca turned back to the group and put a flipper to his head. “I don’t really get what’s to hold us up, but it’s probably best we don’t make a ruckus.”
“That might work out for the best,” Ruby said quietly. She sounded oddly nervous then, and then her stomach gave her away, and she blushed.
“Really, Ruby?” Crystal groaned.
“… Has anyone eaten anything since got to Vilé?” Mimia asked. The group exchanged nervous glances. “She has a point. My stomach’s eating itself.”
“That’s a fair plan, ain’t it? Everybody rest up until the morning, then go tackle the last fountain when you’re full on strength,” Elise agreed.
“I just realised… Elise, how are you still awake?” Shelly wondered. She put a hand on her hip. “I mean, you had to use a Luminous Orb to stay awake before. You always get really tired at night.”
“Oh I thought it was clever. The bow around my waist? It’s a new thing some of the scientists were making. It stops status ailments!” Elise bragged.
“Whoa, equipment like that exists?” Brine gasped.
“And it looks so stylish, too. I thought it was just a pretty ribbon,” Crystal remarked.
“Buuut it has its drawbacks. It’s made from heal ribbon and other stuff, so I get really hungry wearing it,” she admitted as her stomach rumbled. Everyone hung their heads. “I hope you don’t mind if I join you!”
“I was wondering what all the excitement was about. The dragon guards were right,” a new voice said aloud.
“Mum?” Brine’s eyes widened. Off to the side was the familiar Raichu, alongside two other familiar faces: Smokes, the rough Charmeleon, and the Esther, the flashy Pikachu in a pop star costume. The trio waved, so the group ran over. “You guys are here, too?”
“Long time no see. Put ‘er there old pal,” Smokes held out a claw to Ruby, who shrunk away. “Aww really? The cold shoulder? My tail’s going out, man!”
“You stink so bad I can smell it from here, so I’d rather not,” Ruby grumbled.
“There was a lot of activity from this corner of Heroica, so my next mission became to investigate. I caught this guy, and this little babe apparently wanted to see you, so I killed three birds with one stone,” Feather explained.
“Right,” Lucca went quiet. All we’re missing are Fionn and Lilan, and everyone we know would’ve gathered here. Lilan and his Roserade father… I doubt they’ve travelled out this far.
“Well then, go on!” Feather nudged Esther forward.
“Wa-wait, things like this you can’t just talk about in front of everyone!” the Pikachu’s face went bright red and she flailed her arms.
Right, this as well, Lucca watched her sternly. I’m face to face with the law again, and the Pokémon that was trying to bring me down with it in the first place. But this time, there’s no running. Only acceptance and reasoning.
“Hrrg, I mean it, I’m not gonna run my mouth here. Just keep it cool, you guys wanna talk about grownup stuff, right?” Esther complained.
“Yes, somewhat… shall we talk over food? It’s on me,” Feather proposed.
“Oh gods, please,” Ruby fell face flat. “Anymore of this and I’m gonna shrivel up.”
“I think you’d just shrink to normal Cyndaquil size,” Crystal rolled her eyes.
“And your head would grow bigger. Oh wait, it’s gettin’ bigger anyway,” Ruby groaned.
“I’ll take that as a healthy yes! Follow me, they have this great ramen place,” Feather laughed. She paused to wave at Brine. “You’re joining us, right? Can’t be all embarrassed to hang with Mama now, can ya?”
“How can I be embarrassed by a mother I don’t even know? Ugh,” Brine folded her arms and turned away.
“Uh-um, what’s ramen?” Shelly asked. Feather made an exaggerated gasp.
“You’ve never had it?” she asked, and Shelly shook his head. “Well now we have to go, don’t we? I’ve lived the high life so long I forget that ramen’s a rarity in Heroica!”
Lucca could only utter a sound as they walked off. Mimia was the only one to notice him, and barked to get his attention. “S-sorry. I’m coming.”
“Just be yourself,” Mimia said to his surprise. “Being bitter towards you right now is unproductive. So let everyone else have fun.”
“I guess so,” he nodded, and then caught up with the others.
He kept to the back as everyone chatted, however. He knew that deep down they hadn’t recovered from what they had experienced earlier, yet looking at them now, it was as if it was a distant memory to them. Brine and Feather was a one-sided teasing, Ruby and Crystal exchanged witty remarks here and there, while Shelly and Elise were getting entranced by the shilling of ramen.
I thought Crystal was focused like me, but it’s almost like they’ve forgotten why we came here already. I don’t know if I can even blame them. This place just feels so… homely, Lucca realised as he took another look around. The difference between here and Vergrace was merely the architecture and setting. The Colour Citadel was obviously a tourist attraction, yet this felt like a place Pokémon could live and build a community more than anything else.
The only knights around were the ones guarding the tower. Nothing else had patrols or guards or authorities. Most Pokémon were smiling. As they neared Feather’s oh so amazing restaurant, a delicious flavour filled the air. It brought his own belly to rumble, and he rubbed the back of his head as he got a few looks from others.
This place feels like there’s no reason for me to have my guard up at all. No one’s even carrying any weapons. What exactly has Panzer built here, and why? He asked himself. They happened to pass a stump of wood that had a map pinned to it, though it was basic and painted by a Smeargle. There’s multiple restaurants, a few carriage stops, inn and campsite, even a theatre and a library. She built a town. Panzer built a town.
“Hey big blue, we’re gonna order without ya if you stare all day!” Feather called him over.
“Right,” he replied and hurried over. “Wait uh… what’s all this?”
“We get seated at tables or on those mats. You tell the waiters and waitresses what you want, they give the orders to the chefs who cook it, and then it gets delivered straight to the table,” Feather explained. “Figures a bumpkin like you would be clueless at a restaurant. But don’t hold back, I promise it’s all on me this time. You just make sure you eat as much food as you can fit in you!”
“Oh no, we couldn’t! If it’s for the Shining Warriors and your trial is soon, it’s wrong to profit,” the Indeedee waitress corrected her. “Please, don’t fret about price at all!”
“You’re going to regret that, you know,” Ruby smirked.
“That guy’s stomach is bottomless,” Shelly giggled.
The Indeedee seemed surprised and gave Lucca a curious look, making him rub the back of his head. She smiled and bowed anyway, and walked off to tend to other duties. Before long, the group were seated, though at separate tables.
“Alright, you need to cool down a bit,” Feather slammed her paw in front of Lucca, making him flinch. “I dunno what’s on your mind, but try and have a good time, yeah? I’m through with trying to kill you guys.”
“It’s not that,” Lucca frowned. I’m not really ready to talk about Azu and Vilé, though…
“… Alright, fine I get it. You guys just wanna get the important biz out the way first. Last trial and all that,” Feather sighed and shrugged. “Part of the reason I had the seedling sit with us, too.”
Elise cocked her head. “Me? A seedling?”
“Cute nickname,” Brine tucked her paws behind her head.
“So I’ve been snooping around as much as I can to try and find out what this place’s big deal is. I managed to overhear that Panzer has the Armlet of Transmutation,” Feather began. Lucca, Mimia, and Brine became focused. “So one thing’s for sure, that dead Flygon wants to put on a hell of a show.”
“Do you know what’s going to happen?” Brine wondered.
“The Armlet of Transmutation is a powerful artefact that allows the wielder to transform freely, ignoring all the laws of nature. A Flygon that’s meant to be dead having their claws on that? It speaks for itself what they plan to do with it. In hindsight, anyway,” Feather explained. “So I’m here, and it’s my mission to find a way to get into the citadel so I can confront Panzer and try to stop whatever this is before it happens. You guys might be my best chance at that.”
Forcing our way in is possible, but after what we did at Vilé… it’s okay if we find a way to do it without killing anyone, right? Is something like that even possible? Lucca hung his head to think hard about it.
“The jokes on you. The guards turned us away,” Brine informed.
“Precisely why we have the means to work together on this. Mum and daughter, Shining warriors, a foreign queen looking for intel… it’s a pretty bold party,” Feather remarked. “Let’s see, other stuff to discuss… don’t you think this whole setup is weird, too?”
“The only weird part about it is how casual everything seems. I expected knights to be everywhere. They’ve been crawling around every other place we’ve been to,” Lucca shook his head.
“Exactly. They go around recruiting Pokémon from all over Heroica, claim they’re gonna build something for the last trial, and it’s this big colosseum tower thingy, with the most wholesome town at the base of it,” Feather reasoned. “It’s got secret base written all over it. Truth to be told, having to babysit Smokes and Esther is holding me up a bit.”
“That’s a colosseum?” Elise asked, and gestured toward the tower. The others nodded. “Are they going to make the Shining Warrior trial into a live event?”
“A live event?” Feather cocked her head.
“Yeah, uh… that is it, right? I’ve read that colosseums are where big events like special battle tournaments and stuff happen. If they gathered all these Pokémon and they won’t let you in, that might be why,” Elise wondered.
“That… makes no sense,” Brine gave a cheeky grin.
“Hold on, don’t write it off. She might be onto something,” Feather rubbed her chin. “It’s no secret that the Shining Warriors don’t have the best public reputation due to previous generations actions. So why would she want to put you in the limelight?”
To potentially fix our reputation would be the dream come true. That or to let the world know we really can use Bestia again, Lucca stared at Feather. Both are what I want, but they seem so unbelievable. If only there was something, anything that could give us more of a sign about what this is all about.
“Speculation will get us nowhere,” Mimia stated.
“Eh, it makes good talk while we’re eatin’. Unless you’re saying you’ve got facts for us,” Feather teased. Mimia didn’t say anything however, and curled up on his pillow as if to sleep. “H-hey! Don’t sleep at the meal space! Geez, there’s not knowing the high life, and then there’s not having tact at all.”
“Sorry… I feel out of place here,” Elise admitted.
“Hey, don’t sweat it. You’re new to this whole royal leader thing, right? Just take notes and be yourself. Being one of us doesn’t mean you have to be like the storybooks. You lead Pokémon in the way you know works,” Feather winked at her. “Speaking of getting to chill, our food is here. The first round, anyway.”
“Oh gods, that does smell good,” Lucca shuddered as a bunch of Indeedee showed up, each carrying two bowls of steaming ramen. Whatever plan we come up with, I can’t be hasty anymore. Maybe food will help me get my mind off things.
Meanwhile, at the other table…
“C’mon, you were making such a big deal about it!” Smokes whined playfully.
“And I told you, I can’t! There’s a time and a place, and this ain’t it!” Esther complained.
“We really travelled halfway across Heroica just for you to get cold feet? That’s a disappointin’ adventure.”
“What’sit to you? This ain’t about you!”
“I’m sure you would just be disappointed if you had to go home without saying what you wanted to say.”
“Smokes, I’m serious! Now’s an awful time to talk about serious stuff!”
“Honest life advice, little girlie? There’s never a good time to talk about serious stuff. So either ya go for it or regret it later.”
“And how far’d that get you? You’re the arrested Charmeleon over here, and I’m the famous idol.”
“Pssh-krrt! Keep that under wraps ya rascal!”
Crystal, Ruby, and Shelly were opposite the duo, and stared as Esther and Smokes poked and slapped each other with each exchange. They occasionally exchanged awkward glances or shrugs, and Crystal couldn’t help but bury her face in her flippers as other Pokémon began to give them looks. It was a wonder that Feather’s table weren’t stepping in to break up the bickering.
“Apologies for the wait. You must all be hungry,” an Indeedee announced as she presented them all with a couple bowls each.
“Oh finally, I’m so hungry,” Ruby said. She gave it all a look over first, and drooled at the steam in her face. “Oh man, I’ve never had this stuff before but I hope it tastes as good as it looks. Let’s eat!”
“It’s just noodles,” Shelly commented, and wrapped a bit around his scalchop. “Noodles… and soup and veggies.”
“Oh yeah, that’s ramen!” Esther got his attention. “You slurp it all up, and then drink the broth after.”
“Oh so all of it’s edible, huh?” Ruby licked her lips, and then dove in.
“You can have mine,” Crystal shifted her bowls over. Ruby gave a muffled cheer into air, trying to dull the heat. “Wait, is it possible for fire Pokémon to burn their tongues?”
“Eheh, it’s a funny thought, isn’t it?” Shelly giggled. “This is good, though. There’s so much flavour…”
Smokes noticed Esther staring at Shelly, and cocked a smirk. “I’m serious, you know. Look, the other guys are all occupied with their food. Anythin’ you wanna say, it can stay at this table.”
“Wa-wha? No, not now,” Esther squeaked.
“Okay, seriously. If I have to sit through that again, I’m gonna kick one of you,” Ruby complained, making the Pikachu blush. “You have somethin’ to say to us huh? Then just out with it. I hate it when Pokémon beat around the bush.”
“I have a feeling I know what this is about, too,” Crystal looked down.
“I don’t mind if it’s important. It’s clearly weighing on you lass,” Shelly added.
“See? Even they’re cool with it. So out with it, lil’ missy,” Smokes encouraged her. Even so, Esther stared with the lightest blush on her cheeks.
“You sure? You promise to keep it all here at the table?” she asked. Ruby was face deep in her second bowl already, but she waved, while the others nodded. “O-okay. Well, here goes.”
She wound up staring again, and then took on nervous gestures until Smokes nudged her. “Just say it!”
“It’s, um, about Shelly. I, um, well… I like you,” Esther confessed, playing with her paws. The Oshawott gurgled and choked on his noodles, and then spat out so hard something came out of his nose.
“Eek, Shelly are you alright?” Crystal gasped as he got up to take care of a coughing fit.
“Geez, that look like it hurt!” Ruby got up to rub his back.
“… I meant say it, not spray it,” Smokes grumbled and turned away.
After a minute of coughs, sniffles, and gritty breaths, Shelly got a hold of himself. He didn’t sit back down, though. “Wha-what?”
“I. Yeah. I like you. When you don’t have stuff comin’ outta your nose,” Esther said cutely. She was twiddling in her seat and blushing to avoid eye contact.
“I uh… erm,” Shelly stared back. His Gospel Vibe flashed pink, but he shook his head to try and gather his thoughts, sneaking glances at his friends. Both Crystal and Ruby turned away though, and both appeared annoyed.
“I know we kinda have a lot of weird timing on stuff, but I heard a lot about you from Feather, and after I saw everything you guys did… I dunno why, I can’t stop thinking about you. It helps we’re the same age and all that,” Esther had her own round of nervous poses. “Wouldn’t you like to date? This is a lucky once-in-a-lifetime shot with a cutie like me.”
Shelly gulped. “I don’t know… wha-what about… Elise is right over there. And we… you know, that night when Ruby went on stage…”
“Oh that stuff, don’t worry about that stuff. You’re not involved in that, right? That was that Brionne guy, and the Cyndaquil. You’re you, you’ve got nothin’ to do with ‘em, right?” Esther put a paw on her hip, and leaned sultrily.
“… Lucca is my brother, and Ruby is my friend… we’re all Shining Warriors,” Shelly pointed out.
“Oh wow, I didn’t know that guy was your bro. That… could be a bit awkward, I guess. But I don’t care, that’s all that’s important, right?” she said with a giggle. Shelly’s leaf finally lost its pink colour.
“Why me?” Shelly asked.
“Why not? You’re really cute. And I know you’re pretty cool, too,” Esther started twiddling again. “It doesn’t have to be now or anything, I guess. Once your quest is over, we can go all sorts of places and do all kindsa things.”
“I don’t…” Shelly muttered. He snuck another glance at Crystal and Ruby, who were both still annoyed at the scene.
“Don’t look at me. This is your mess, I don’t get a say in it,” Ruby snapped at him.
“Sorry, Esther. But it doesn’t make sense to me,” Shelly finally sat back down. “I do think you’re cute too, and I’m pretty flushed you like me, but I just can’t. I can’t be with someone so loosely.”
“Loosely? It’s only a date or two, just to see how things go,” Esther sung.
“I can’t. I don’t feel strongly enough about you. And I have a lot on my mind right now,” he hung his head.
“This could take your mind off of it, you know,” Esther bat her eyes at him.
“I’m sorry Esther. But no,” he said.
“It’s primo love treatment. I can show you a new world you never imagined,” Esther teased.
“Oh lay off already. He said no,” Ruby butt in. Crystal was surprised.
“Didn’t you just say you had no say in this? You don’t get to speak for him,” Esther pouted at her.
“And he spoke for himself. He said no,” she stated. Esther got cross. “You’re a famous pop star, right? Surely you get a lot of fans askin’ you out and all the other gross comments?”
“H-huh?” Esther replied.
“Just ‘cos you’re a girl, that doesn’t mean that doesn’t apply to you, too,” Ruby stated. “He said no. You’re just forcing yourself on him, now.”
“It is uncomfortable to watch,” Crystal agreed.
“Gotta agree, that was kinda pushy,” Smokes commented.
“Aww gee- ugh, argh! Rargh, this is why I said it was bad timing!” Esther starting pulling at the bow on her ear. “But nooo, just do it, why’d I listen to a stupid fire type like you?”
“I am really curious, though. We almost drowned you, were responsible for your friend’s death, and left you trapped on Van Aken, even during the knight attack. If this was anyone else, they’d want to kill us,” Shelly remarked. Esther’s face went bright red.
“I am not explaining that one to you,” she replied. “Just forget it, let’s go talk about something else!”
Shelly kept staring at her until she faced the table again. “What, what is it? Stop staring at me. Your food’s getting cold!”
“Ehee hee hee, you’re a weird lass,” Shelly smiled cheekily.
“Not somethin’ I can’t fix,” Ruby teased as she sneakily released fire under her last bowl. The others were nervous someone would see, but she stopped before long and was back to slurping up her food. “Tastes like it just got delivered!”
“Wait, you really ate everything? All four bowls?” Crystal gasped.
“Are you really surprised?” the Cyndaquil gave her a cheeky grin.
“I could use seconds too, if that’s okay,” Shelly admitted.
“You guys, you eat too much. You’re gonna make yourselves sick,” Crystal cried. “You especially, Ruby. You’re always complaining about being fat but here you are eating like a Snorlax every day. And we have a big battle coming up, you’re gonna be too sick to fight!”
“Whaaat? Sis, when has that ever happened?” Ruby retorted.
“Remember when you ate all of Suzie’s cheese snacks and then tried to go swimming?” Crystal replied.
“Ack! C’mon that was like, five years ago or something. I’m not like that anymore.”
“Says the one that just inhaled four bowls of noodles. You ain’t changed a bit.”
“Ooh, wait a minute. If you were hungry, why didn’t you just say something’, sis? You shouldn’t have given me your stuff,” Ruby calmed down.
“Oh right, you haven’t eaten at all. Are you okay?” Esther asked.
“I can’t eat, Ruby. You know that. I’m not hungry, I’m not tired, I can’t feel anything. I haven’t slept in weeks. I’m not alive anymore!” Crystal ranted. “Seeing you continue to take that for granted and pretend it’s not happening is just getting insulting. Why the heck can’t you understand that?”
“I… wait I just thought… I dunno. Have you tried eating recently?” Ruby asked. Her voice was unusually soft there, soft enough to get everyone’s attention.
“Yes. Yes I have. I always throw it back up immediately. Unlike you, who says they’re gonna do stuff and then doesn’t actually do it, I try and learn,” Crystal rambled irritably. “I’m not alive, Ruby.”
“Me? I do the stuff I say, we literally just talked about me going on stage to fight that Ribombee. You can’t claim I do nothing!” Ruby raised her voice.
“Then stop being such an immature child and actually start eating better! And stop treating me like a child with all this patronising!”
“I feel like this is coming outta somewhere. Are you saying I’m fat?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying. You’re fat. Overweight. Obese. You’re always complaining about it but you’re never doing anything! And now the whole Undine thing is just your excuse to be lazy,” Crystal ranted. Ruby looked like she was going to flare her back, and her face twisted with every word. “We’re supposed to be saving Heroica, yet here we are watching these two imbeciles fight about dating while you gorge yourself to no end. Do you actually care about anything? Anyone? Other than yourself?”
“Crystal, Ruby, stop!” Shelly came between them. Ruby was about to lash out, but his angst stopped her. “This isn’t like you.”
“What is like me? Maybe you just want me to be pretty girl number whatever, you lovesick little… pervert!” Crystal cringed.
“Whoa hey, now that’s straight up wrong,” Ruby pointed at her.
“The only reason you’re nice to me at all is because you think I’m pretty. You didn’t know anything about me, you still don’t know anything about me! Hell, you stopped talking to me when you found out about the dead body thing!” Crystal leaned forwards. “You didn’t care about the real me. Nobody cares about the real me!”
That response made Ruby loosen up. She stared, open mouthed, and her eyes wavered ever so slightly. After a blink, she returned to the usual, determined, always angry looking Cyndaquil. “I really underestimated how bad you were.”
“So it’s my fault, huh?” Crystal grumbled.
“That’s not what I mean! I- urf,” Ruby stumbled about, but avoided eye contact with everyone else. “I knew you couldn’t eat. I knew you stopped sleeping, too. I knew that whatever’s wrong with you got worse after that trial on Van Aken. I still don’t even wanna believe that you… the way you attacked Feather. I always thought if we just kept going with the journey that I’d figure somethin’ out. After all, Azu figured me out.”
“Well good for you,” Crystal folded her flippers and turned away.
“I never really thought about how that felt.”
“I can’t feel, Ruby!”
“You keep saying that, but here you are snapping at me and Shelly, for stuff that’s not really like… our thing. It’s our problem, I know I’ll figure out my weight eventually,” Ruby replied. “Arf, that’s not my point. You’ve not slept once since then. Or eaten a thing. And your outbursts are getting worse. I dunno how that feels, not for that long. But it has to be agonizing.”
“Agonizing?” Crystal turned back to her.
“Yeah. You get to watch me enjoy food, and Shelly get all flustered when someone praises him, or Lucca and Mimia do some silly stuff together, I dunno. While you stay awake for longer than any other Pokémon would. I guess it’s super tiring, but you don’t get tired or hungry, so what happens?” Ruby explained. Crystal tried to answer, but all that came were flustered, exhausted movements. Ruby nodded, and held her sister’s flippers. “I’m sorry I’ve messed about for so long. But you’re right. We need to get to the bottom of this. We can save you; I know we can.”
“Oh don’t pretend you suddenly care about me. The only reason you’re here is to kill your mother’s killers,” Crystal turned away, but Ruby tightened her grip.
“The hell does that guy matter if my sis is killin’ herself? I mean it, Crystal,” she stated. Crystal let out a breath, and their eyes met. “You and me, we’re gonna get through this. Life can’t go back to what it was ‘cos of whatever Suzie was on about, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make it better.”
“Aren’t you a realist? We don’t know how to—”
Crystal was silenced by a hug. Ruby held the Piplup tight and buried her face into their shoulder. Unlike before, there was no shuddering. Ruby didn’t blush or squirm or freak out because she was cold and stiff, even when she wrapped her flippers around the Cyndaquil’s back. In fact, it felt like Ruby relaxed even more.
“Yo-you’re right. I dunno how to save you. But I’m gonna. I’ll do whatever it takes. You’re not gonna stay suffering like this,” Ruby said quietly. She almost sounded like she might cry.
“Roooaaawwwrrggh,” Smokes let out a fake, exaggerated yawn and stretch. “Wow that got dramatic. Guess now your food’s really cold, huh?”
“Smokes?” Ruby said without turning around. When she did, she had the most determined yet livid glare a Pokémon could have given. “Take life advice on when to keep your mouth shut.”
“Uh,” he gawked at her.
She didn’t wait for him to figure out a response, she just marched over to Lucca and the others. “Hey! We’re done here, and we’re gonna go snoop around.”
“Wait, what?” Lucca gasped.
“Ruby,” Crystal whispered.
“I’m gonna go find some stuff out about this place. You look like you’ve eaten, come get a move on already!” she clarified.
“Wait, we shouldn’t cause trouble,” Lucca objected. He seemed to catch her focused look, and went quiet. “I dunno what’s gotten into you, but I can’t let you make any trouble. When we’re done here, we go back to our tents, or the inn. For the night. Just wait until the citadel opens.”
“Seriously? That’s your plan now? Coward,” Ruby shook herself. “Whatever. Shelly, you staying too?”
“I’m not sitting here. I want to help Crystal, too,” he nodded.
“A proper investigation? I’ve had my fill, so count me in,” Brine jumped to her feet.
“Girls, guys- ah, we shouldn’t… cause any problems… for these Pokémon,” Lucca trembled.
“It’s not like we’re going to sneak around and kill Pokémon behind your back,” Ruby replied. “If you still wanna eat, don’t stop ‘cos of me. I’m outta here.”
That little confrontation silenced the whole table even as the group left. The words cut deep. Deep enough that Lucca felt like he might cry. They repeated in his head over and over, and brought back all the thoughts he didn’t want. Mimia’s whine brought him back to the moment, and he scanned the table. Feather had an odd smirk, while everyone else was lost.
“Sorry. I… I need to be excused,” he breathed out, and slid away. Mimia barked a few words, and then galloped over. “I’m not… gonna go with them. I-I think I just need to sleep.”
