Pokémon Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Refracted Differences

[Sparkfire]

Refracted Differences

A duo of seasoned explorers arrive on an island adorned with ancient ruins. However, there seems to be far more to this otherwise unimportant island...

When it comes to reviews, Please do not comment on the pacing of the first few chapters. I am quite aware that it is atrocious.


The Refracted Universe has an official discord server! Hop on in if you want to see some exclusive behind the scenes work!

https://discord.gg/SuEe45gunS​

 

[Sparkfire]

Chapter 1: Snowfield Island

​

14th Aegigam, 675th Year of the 2nd Era

A long journey, finally at its end. Snowfield Village was an interesting ruin. Our investigation revealed that it was once the capital of something called the Crystal Continent, though such a continent no longer exists in our time. However, there have been reports of what appear to be underwater ruins in the seas north of the Mist Continent. It can therefore be easily deduced that this island, and the Lost Fog Peninsula are part of the Crystal Continent, which has long since sunk beneath the waves. This sunken continent requires some more research. However that will have to be done at a later date, as Spark and I have decided to return home.

After several months of exploring the Lost Fog Peninsula and Snowfield Island, Spark and I were finally headed home. We had traveled all the way to the Mist Continent to investigate the newly discovered ruins of Snowfield Village.

Since Spark was quickly pacing around the ruined fountain, fur on end, I could tell my partner was eager to head home, even without reading her aura. I don’t blame her; exploring is really fun and exciting, but nothing compares to sitting down and enjoying a nice cup of tea at home with a book in my paw. At least for me, anyways. Spark more prefers to pull small harmless pranks on the inhabitants of Treasure Town.

The only problem with getting home is how we’re going to get off this island. We’re in the middle of the worst winter the Mist Continent has ever seen, which means it’s not ideal to go through the mountains. But on the other hand, Lugia’s having his yearly tantrums so that means sailing across the waters without Lapras is also out of the question. Seeing how we were trapped, Spark and I had both agreed to search for a potential hidden exit.

Potential, because the documents I recovered spoke of the Crystal Continent being some kind of final defense. We figured that they’d have a passage out in case anything went wrong.

“I’m gonna search the houses, Wind! You go to the temple!” Spark yelled as she took off. I sighed. As usual, Spark didn’t care for tact or planning, and just ran into the problem head-on. Ultimately, I headed to the temple, figuring it was pretty likely to hide such a passage. I stopped in front of the majestic statue, depicting an ancient Crystal king. It was of a Pokemon I did not recognize, A rounded, duck-like creature, with faded red and blue colouring. Noticing a plaque, I attempted to decipher what it said.

King Po__g_n t__ 2nd, _h_ l__t h___n r__ic. _ay __ fo_ev_r r__t in p__ce.

Most of it was so badly faded, I couldn’t make it out. I’d have to cross-reference it with my notes to figure out everything it said. I went back to searching for potential hidden areas when a flash of yellow barreled into me at a high speed.

“Oof!”

“Sorry Wind, I just got so excited I had to run and find you! I located what seems to be an old guard barrack! Perhaps our tunnel is in there!”

I slowly picked myself off the ground, dazed.

“And you didn’t think to slow down when you got here? I’ll be surprised if you didn’t dislocate anything, partner.”

“Hey, I said I was sorry! Geez!”

That’s Spark for you. Highly impatient, and very hard to keep up with. Yet we were still perfect partners, for reasons I don’t yet understand.

Disregarding that, I let her lead me towards the guard barrack she mentioned. Like the rest of the village, it was mostly intact. However it seemed like it didn't belong. It had to have been built quite recently but given the neglect many of the decaying structures showed, combined with the ancient and imposing temple which reeked of a forgotten authority planted seeds of doubt towards that thought. It almost felt placed for our use.

“You know, now that I think about it, it doesn’t seem like it was an original part of the village. Should we still try it?”

It was rare to see Spark doubting herself like this.

“Of course. What does it matter how recent it is if it provides a route around the mountains and the oceans?”

She nodded in agreement. I opened the door, seeing as Spark was unable to due to being a quadruped. She ran aside almost immediately; I was a little more cautious and made sure I didn’t run face first into a wall like she did.

“OUCH!”

“You really should learn not to run ahead, Spark. You’ll just keep face planting into walls.”

She shook herself off. “No matter. Let’s just look for some kind of tunnel.”

Looking around, the interior was uncharacteristically fancy for a guard's barrack. The walls were covered with manners of treasures, crowned with a diamond chandelier that hung from the ceiling. However, our attention was focused on the plain door opposite the one we had entered from. An abrupt, chill wind surged through the front door, bringing with it fistfuls of snow. Spark shivered at this new development; it seemed as if that door was our only option.

“L-let’s go, W-W-Wind… I-I’m f-f-f-f-freezing.” Spark stammered. I quickly opened the door and sent her through first, before following and ensuring this door was closed behind us. It was surprisingly sturdy, given the strong winds blowing outside and the weight of the snow.

What we saw next was not what we expected. It was a large room with a fireplace in the center. Several bookshelves lined the walls, while what seemed to be a list of books was on the nearby chair. Looking at the wall by the fireplace, we both noticed a fur coat, seemingly tailor-made for Spark.

“What is this place…?”

Spark didn’t care to question it, she went over to the fireplace to warm up after the sudden blizzard that befell us. I, on the other hand, started to investigate the room. Or, more specifically, the nearby bookcase. While searching it, I came across a suspiciously familiar title, The Temporal Crisis. I grabbed it and put it in my bag, wanting to read it and see if it was indeed what I suspected it was.

I looked over at Spark. She had somehow managed to get the coat on. What worried me most, however, was how she was uncharacteristically gazing into the raging flames. Hoping to figure out what was wrong, I approached Spark and let my aura flow a bit. She was exhausted. Perhaps we’ll spend the night here before looking for a tunnel out.

Upon reaching her, she still seemed to be chilled to the bone. She appeared to be too cold to speak. I decided to tell her what I had decided on.

“Given your current condition, I think it would be wisest to spend the night here to help you warm up. We’ll search for a way off the island tomorrow, when you’re feeling better.”

She nodded in agreement. I helped her get settled, as she was still shivering despite the raging fire. Knowing that my fur was thicker than hers, I lay down next to her, snuggling in close to share my body heat.

Good night, Spark. See you tomorrow.”

She fell asleep, and a few minutes after, I followed suit. Tomorrow would be the day we left Snowfield.

 

[Sparkfire]

Chapter Two: A Soul of Silver
​

Under the dead of the night, a figure slipped into the guard barracks. Her mind whirled with worries, but most of all for the only visitors she’d had in centuries. Had they taken shelter, or would she need to dig them out of the snow? She only had one way of knowing…

~~~~~


Howling winds woke me up, the fire guttering as it wound through the walls. Still, it was warm enough to keep Spark fitfully asleep, if not me. Being careful not to wake her by accident, I got off our shared hay pile. I reached into my bag, searched it for a moment, and grabbed the copy of The Temporal Crisis I had placed there last night. I was about to begin reading it, but something felt off.

Allowing my aura to flow forth, I sensed that we weren’t alone. Somewhere, in this firelit room, there was an ancient presence, though not as powerful as that of a legendary. I focused on that presence. By focusing, I was able to follow it until I located her. A Crystalline Ninetales. Her beauty was blinding, as if she were a queen above all, yet she seemed humbler and shier than even the poorest of Pokemon. And yet, it was not her beauty that I was taken aback by. It was her feeling of relief. It was so strong that I nearly fell over from its intensity.

“Oh thank Arceus! You’re ok! I was worried you had…” she trailed off, not bothering to finish her thought.

“What?”

“I g-guess I should explain?” she stuttered.

“An explanation, yes. What is this place?” I asked. “It clearly isn’t an original part of the village.”

“This guard barrack? I created it, about… what’s the year?”

“It’s the 675th year of the Second Era,” I told her.

“I created it 600 years ago, which was about 400 years after the fall of the Crystal Continent. I always had it hidden from view, in fear from the outside. I only revealed it to you and Jolteon because of that blizzard… I was worried for your safety.”

“You… live here?”

“I’ve lived here for the last 900 years,” she replied, seemingly proud of that fact.

“So… you’ve been watching us? These past few months?”

Her pride turned to embarrassment. “You’re the first Pokemon in centuries to set foot in Snowfield Village. Of course I’d be watching you!”

I calmed myself. She clearly didn’t mean any harm.

“The coat?” I asked, gesturing towards Spark.

“Designed specifically for Jolteon. Consider it a housewarming gift.”

“Well… Thank you. You may have saved my partner’s life. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

She relaxed herself. Breathing deeply, she asked me why we had come.

“We’re an exploration team. We heard about an untouched island off the Mist Continent and decided to check it out. I don’t think we quite anticipated the weather.”

“An… exploration team?”

“Exploration teams are Pokemon dedicated to discovering the world and uncovering new treasures. The two of us are one of the best teams around.”

“Why not just use magic?” she inquired.

“Magic? Like the fairy types?”

“You don’t know about magic? Isn’t it one of the most abundant sources of energy around?”

“No, Only fairies can access it. And they don’t like sharing. Why do you mention magic?”

She seemed intrigued. “Interesting, the Crystal Continent always had a strong affinity with magic. They could use magic to see for kilometers across the world, into other civilizations, and even out into space. They had no need for explorers.”

That got my attention. A Continent with a heavy focus on the studies of magic? Surely they would have had a lot of treasure. Finding it would mark Team Tsunami as one of the greatest exploration teams known.

“Ninetales, do you think you could help Spark and I uncover the Continent?” I asked, hopeful.

“Oh, please, call me Aurora. I don’t like my species name very much. As for helping you uncover the Continent? N-no, I’m sorry. The Continent was sunk to stop the approaching Voided Army. Uncovering it would unleash a terror that the world is not prepared for. But I can let you take some of the treasure from here, if you’d like?”

I looked over at Spark. She was still sleeping comfortably, but knowing her, she’d be up shortly. She never slept much longer than I did.

“No thanks. Just knowing about it is enough for now.”

She sighed. “Thank Arceus,” she muttered. “I don’t have to part with anything.” She seemed to notice the book in my bag. “You can go ahead and keep that. I don’t read much anymore anyways.”

“Thank you.” By this time, Spark had woken up. I could sense she still wanted to go home. After looking around a little, she noticed us talking. She came over, clearly ticked off at me.

“Mind explaining exactly what you’re doing with her, Windrunner? I don’t need you running after some other lady,” she hissed. “And don’t say nothing, because I know that’s a lie.”

“Calm yourself, Spark. This is Aurora, she probably saved your life last night. I’d be thanking her if I were you.”

With a “Hmmph, if you say so,” Spark turned. I sighed. I always knew she was hot-headed, but never saw her as the jealous type. Regardless, I just had one final thing to accomplish.

“I… I’ll be right back, Aurora. I need to do some damage control.”

I hurried after Spark, heading back out into the village. I chased her through the central plaza, finally calling out to her as I reached the fountain.

“Spark! Wait up! I need to talk to you!”

She stopped and looked at me. “It’s about that Ninetales,” she spat angrily, “isn’t it? You can forget about that.”

“N-no, Spark, I needed to apologize to you. While it’s true, I shouldn’t have gone off to talk with her before you woke up, I’ve also been a little more harsh than I should’ve been with you.”

“Is that all?” she asked. I nodded. “Wind, we’ve both been short-tempered lately. But yes, you shouldn’t have gone to talk with the Ninetales before I woke up. Gives the wrong impression to a lady, you know.”

I was relieved that she was over it so quickly. Spark typically holds a grudge about this kind of thing, though I suspected it was only because it was me that it was different.

“I’m glad we can agree that I’m the one in the wrong here.” We both laughed. It was good to have her back to normal. “Now how do you feel about finally heading home?”

She quizzically looked at me. “How? We both know now that there isn’t a tunnel off the island, and the waters and mountains are still too dangerous!”

She had a strong point, although our supplies were running extremely thin. I figured Aurora could help us. Spark must’ve read my face, because she was none too pleased when she realized my train of thought.

“Oh. You mean her,” Spark said, a little dejected. She looked away from me. After what felt like hours, she finally spoke up again. “Tell you what, Wind, let me do the talking and there won’t be any other problems.”

I wanted to counter that. But thinking my options through, not letting Spark have her way would just result in another argument. Sighing, I gave in. “Yeah, alright. I guess you’re right, Spark.”

With that minor setback out of the way, I accompanied her back inside for her talk with Aurora.

Upon our return to Aurora’s room, she was nowhere to be found, besides an empty fireplace with a hole. The tunnel twisted and turned downwards several times, before opening up into a much larger, much grander room. With a ceiling taller than Mt. Horn, artworks framed in diamonds, and doors the size of Lugia himself, it was evident that this was the legendary Seaward Chamber.

“Who dares enter my home!?” echoed a voice. It didn’t sound like Aurora, though. It was much more booming. Much more… legendary. “Whoever you are, prepare to face the almighty guardian of the seas!”

As Spark and I prepared ourselves for a battle against the very beast keeping us trapped on the island, another voice rang out. I recognized it as Aurora’s.

“Master Lugia, please! They bear no ill will towards you! They were simply searching for me!”

There was silence for a few moments. Then, the doors flew open.

“AURORA! Have I not told you that we do not interfere with the business of the surface-dwellers!?” Lugia prepared his Aeroblast. “I shall blow you all off the face of the planet!”

Aurora jumped in front of us. Before Spark and I could even process what was happening, a blinding light shone, then a boom sounded, before slowly fading out. When the light finally faded away, we were back in Snowfield Village.

Spark looked around, more confused than I. “Wh-wha? Where’d Lugia go?”

“I teleported us away just before his Aeroblast hit. As strong as you may be, Lugia is at his peak strength right now. You’d be no match for him.” Aurora explained. “Now, I understand you’re wanting to go home?”

“Uh, er, yes, we are. Wait, how did you-?” Spark stammered out.

“Your supplies are running thin, you’ve been here for several months, it’s obvious, really. You simply haven’t left because the mountains are even more dangerous at this time of year, and, well, you’ve already seen that Lugia’s angry.”

Spark sat back. I could sense she was annoyed, she really wanted to fight Lugia, but at the same time, there was a bit of gratitude. I’m guessing she was having trouble focussing on one of her two extremes, annoyance or gratuity.

“Aurora, you referred to him as ‘master’. Is he-?” Spark got cut off by Aurora again.

“I want to say yes, but after what just happened, I don’t think I work for him anymore.” I noticed Aurora looked a little upset after she finished saying that. “So… I wanted to ask… er… how do I…?”

“Speak up! I can’t hear you!” Spark shouted.

“Spark, if you keep shouting, you’ll never hear her,” I reasoned. It was true, she could be loud when she wanted to.

“Says you! I have great hearing!”

“...Says the Jolteon who failed to hear Loudred in the mornings,” I retorted, playfully.

“Says the Lucario who didn’t hear a word Chatot said!”

“Says the Jolteon who…”

Our friendly bickering went on for some time, with Aurora looking between us, clearly confused by the whole ordeal. When we eventually stopped, Aurora finally had a chance to speak again.

“I wanted to… er… I… I wanted to, um…” -she shifted her paws a bit- ”join your team… if you’ll let me?”

Spark and I looked at each other. I was worried Spark would disapprove, given what happened yesterday. But to my surprise, she agreed. With her approval, as she’s kinda the leader, I agreed as well. “It’ll be nice to have someone else around.” I giggled a little bit. “Spark can be a little annoying at times.”

“Hey!” she squealed, giving me a playful headbutt.

“Ok, ok, I’m sorry!” I held my hands up in mock surrender. “Just don’t bite!”

Spark leapt at me. Deftly dodging, I countered with a quick jab. Spark faked a look of pain, but retaliated with another leap. This one knocked me over.

Spark and I continued to play-tussle for a while afterwards. Aurora even joined in after a couple minutes. We just spent the rest of the day getting to really know Aurora before we left for home.

 

[Flaze]

Okay. I'm gonna be honest here. I feel like there are some interesting ideas that could be explored in this fic. You don't see too many PMD stories with pre-established exploration teams and I particularly like the idea of having a character from an older era of the pokemon world who could talk about how things have changed. It's a really useful worldbuilding mechanic that allows one to explore how the two eras are different from one another and raises a lot of questions.

This applies to the characters as well, Aurora and Wind in particular feel like they have the base for characters that could be interesting to explore further down the line, especially Aurora with her relationship to the past and her connection to magic that could prove troublesome for the team as she integrates more into this new society.

However, if there's something that this story suffers a lot from in these two chapters is pacing. Everything happens so quickly, with so little time or detail given to every moment that it kind of feels like the story is just flying through itself without a care, like even it isn't interested in diving deeper into what we see. Wind's narration is a pretty big factor in here too. His voice sounds very disinterested, with no description of the surroundings, his feelings or even a deeper look at what each of the characters do and how they react.

The way characters act is also pretty...off. In one moment they could be joyful and in the very nest they could be all serious, one moment they're arguing and in the next they're best friends. It feels like they're shifting and changing according to what the story needs them to do and that could really hinder their characterization.

I hope I'm not sounding mean when I say all that, I'll try and give more concrete detail and hopefully be able to give some useful advice on how you could improve on them, though I'm not the best when it comes to giving concrete advice myself either.

A long journey, finally at its end. Snowfield Village was an interesting ruin. Our investigation revealed that it was once the capital of something called the Crystal Continent, though such a continent no longer exists in our time. However, there have been reports of what appear to be underwater ruins in the seas north of the Mist Continent. It can therefore be easily deduced that this island, and the Lost Fog Peninsula are part of the Crystal Continent, which has long since sunk beneath the waves. This sunken continent requires some more research. However that will have to be done at a later date, as Spark and I have decided to return home.

After several months of exploring the Lost Fog Peninsula and Snowfield Island, Spark and I were finally headed home. We had traveled all the way to the Mist Continent to investigate the newly discovered ruins of Snowfield Village.

Here there's a big of a clash in styles. The first paragraph is in italics which tells me that its purpose is to work as set up and the fact that it's from Wind's POV tells me that it's either something he's writing or something that someone is reading.

The problem is that the next paragraph, and the story itself actually, uses the exact same POV and prose style, meaning that there's no difference between that first one and everything else. So it's confusing when the first paragraph feels like it's trying to highlight something when there's really nothing that separates it from everything that comes after.

“I’m gonna search the houses, Wind! You go to the temple!” Spark yelled as she took off. I sighed. As usual, Spark didn’t care for tact or planning, and just ran into the problem head-on. Ultimately, I headed to the temple, figuring it was pretty likely to hide such a passage. I stopped in front of the majestic statue, depicting an ancient Crystal king. It was of a Pokemon I did not recognize, A rounded, duck-like creature, with faded red and blue colouring. Noticing a plaque, I attempted to decipher what it said.

Here there are a few notes. We technically don't need Wind to tell us that Spark is brash and charges head-on without thinking because we just saw her take off. Spark's voice and action coupled with Wind's sigh tells us that she's more hot-blooded and rasher than Wind and it also tells us that it's an aspect of her that he's learnt to deal with.

Second, I feel like you could build on this paragraph more. We don't really know what a Crystal King is and I feel like the description we get is a little too barebones, considering even Wind doesn't know what it is.

Lastly I feel like the last couple of sentences here could've been in their own separate paragraph, maybe one where you can also give us more detail on the temple and what Wind can find there.

“And you didn’t think to slow down when you got here? I’ll be surprised if you didn’t dislocate anything, partner.”

“Hey, I said I was sorry! Geez!”

That’s Spark for you. Highly impatient, and very hard to keep up with. Yet we were still perfect partners, for reasons I don’t yet understand.

That last paragraph feels unnecessary and also falls into telling. Wind can tell us that they're perfect partners but at this point we haven't actually seen them work together, or heck, we haven't even properly seen them together in the first place. Stuff like that is better of shown, maybe by having Wind check up on Spark to see if she really didn't hurt herself or something that shows us more directly that they care about each other.

The other reason why it's unnecessary is that we already know Spark is impatient, the dialogue and the earlier passage I commented us told us as much.

Disregarding that, I let her lead me towards the guard barrack she mentioned. Like the rest of the village, it was mostly intact. However it seemed like it didn't belong. It had to have been built quite recently but given the neglect many of the decaying structures showed, combined with the ancient and imposing temple which reeked of a forgotten authority planted seeds of doubt towards that thought. It almost felt placed for our use.

It's hard for me to imagine what the barracks actually look like when we don't have a clear picture of the village itself. Give us more description on the village, show us more detail when they're exploring it and the temple and maybe also give us more detail on why these barracks seem more recent than the town. Is it something in the way it's constructed, maybe it doesn't look as dilapidated or as abandoned.

“This guard barrack? I created it, about… what’s the year?”

“It’s the 675th year of the Second Era,” I told her.

“I created it 600 years ago, which was about 400 years after the fall of the Crystal Continent. I always had it hidden from view, in fear from the outside. I only revealed it to you and Jolteon because of that blizzard… I was worried for your safety.”

This exchange goes by really fast for me. We get a lot of mentions of eras and centuries but it feels like Aurora is just spitting this info out with very little input from Wind. If you turn it into a proper conversation between the two then it'll help these worldbuilding details come out more organically. It would also help if you give us more narration as well as more detail on Wind's reactions to what she's saying. I know that the point is she's saying all of this to eventually tell us she's been around for 900 years, but you can still build up to that reveal.

Her pride turned to embarrassment. “You’re the first Pokemon in centuries to set foot in Snowfield Village. Of course I’d be watching you!”

I calmed myself. She clearly didn’t mean any harm.

I don't know, Wind, she still seems pretty suspicious. That's another thing you could give more detail on. Why does he just suddenly decide to trust her like this? Is it something in her eyes, her movement, is Wind feeling her aura? I feel like he gives in to her words pretty easily considering they're essentially in her territory and he was completely untrusting of her a few paragraphs ago.

“Spark! Wait up! I need to talk to you!”

She stopped and looked at me. “It’s about that Ninetales,” she spat angrily, “isn’t it? You can forget about that.”

“N-no, Spark, I needed to apologize to you. While it’s true, I shouldn’t have gone off to talk with her before you woke up, I’ve also been a little more harsh than I should’ve been with you.”

Spark's and Wind's interaction here is really....weird. Spark reacts as if they were a couple but we haven't gotten any indication of that earlier. Also the way her characters shifts so easily feels a little forced, like the story just wanted them to have this exchange to tease at a current or future relationship between the two. Also...it's a little weird to think the two of them are such a perfect pair if Spark distrusts Wind so easily the minute she sees him talking to another pokemon.

So are they friends? a couple? It would be great if we could get more details in that regard and in regards to their past in general, throughout these two chapters.

Spark and I continued to play-tussle for a while afterwards. Aurora even joined in after a couple minutes. We just spent the rest of the day getting to really know Aurora before we left for home.

Wasn't Spark distrusting of Aurora earlier? I know that they just bonded over freeing her from Lugia and the like but she sure accepted her real quick. I know that Spark is painted as someone that's volatile but there's a difference between doing things rashly and just switching from one mood to the next without much thought. It's also a little weird for Wind to behave like this since the prose and his dialogue painted him as someone serious and calculating.

And well, those are some of the few examples I noted but there are a lot throughout the first two chapters. I particularly don't like how the team ended up being formed as it happened really fast, I feel like for them to get together we should've waited like 2 or so more chapters, to really develop Aurora and their relationship more and highlight her situation.

I'm not saying this fic can't be good, I think it has potential and every story can be good if executed right, I just think you need to expand more on what you have and give us more detail on the characters and world we're going to experience.

 

[canisaries]

Hey there! Read chapters 1 and 2. Here are my thoughts.

Chapter 1: Snowfield Island

Chapter Two: A Soul of Silver

It seems the first chapter is marked with a numeral but the second with a word, which I'm guessing you didn't intend for.

It was of a Pokemon I did not recognize, A rounded, duck-like creature, with faded red and blue colouring.

Stray capital. I also think this could use a colon instead of a comma (It was of a Pokemon I did not recognize: a rounded, duck-like creature, with faded red and blue colouring).

What we saw next was not what we expected.

I'm not really sure what they would have expected after already being surprised by the first room looking so unexpected, so this line falls kind of flat.

we both noticed a fur coat,

Whose... whose fur was it made of? 😟

What worried me most, however, was how she was uncharacteristically gazing into the raging flames.

For someone that's been partners with this person for a longer time and says they make a perfect team, he's pointing a lot of relatively normal stuff out as being strange for her.

Spark didn’t care to question it, she went over to the fireplace to warm up after the sudden blizzard that befell us.

Run-on sentence. Would be better to either split or replace the comma with a semicolon.

Allowing my aura to flow forth, I sensed that we weren’t alone. Somewhere, in this firelit room, there was an ancient presence, though not as powerful as that of a legendary. I focused on that presence. By focusing, I was able to follow it until I located her. A Crystalline Ninetales. Her beauty was blinding, as if she were a queen above all, yet she seemed humbler and shier than even the poorest of Pokemon. And yet, it was not her beauty that I was taken aback by. It was her feeling of relief. It was so strong that I nearly fell over from its intensity.

I think this paragraph would benefit from some splitting for dramatic effect. One option:

Allowing my aura to flow forth, I sensed that we weren’t alone. Somewhere, in this firelit room, there was an ancient presence, though not as powerful as that of a legendary. I focused on that presence. By focusing, I was able to follow it until I located her.

A Crystalline Ninetales.

Her beauty was blinding, as if she were a queen above all, yet she seemed humbler and shier than even the poorest of Pokemon. And yet, it was not her beauty that I was taken aback by. It was her feeling of relief. It was so strong that I nearly fell over from its intensity.

Howling winds woke me up, the fire guttering as it wound through the walls.

As they wound through the walls? It would refer to the fire.

I got off our shared hay pile.

Nothing about hay was mentioned in the previous chapter despite them going to sleep in it?

No, Only fairies can access it.

Accidental capital?

Finding it would mark Team Tsunami as one of the greatest exploration teams known.

It's kind of strange that this team of a Jolteon and Riolu/Lucario would name themselves Tsunami, which is a very water-themed word, but I guess it's their choice to make.

Her pride turned to embarrassment. “You’re the first Pokemon in centuries to set foot in Snowfield Village. Of course I’d be watching you!”

I slightly question why Wind wouldn't have noticed her before with his aura sense, but it also seems like something you turn on and off rather than having it on all the time, so I guess I can believe it.

A Continent with a heavy focus on the studies of magic? Surely they would have had a lot of treasure.

I don't see the immediate connection here?

She came over, clearly ticked off at me.

There are certain spots like this throughout the prose where something is told when it could be shown. Sometimes the "telling" isn't even there in place of "showing" but in addition to it, such as in the following quote:

She seemed intrigued. “Interesting,

By the dialogue, we could have known that she was interested without being told that she was intrigued (=interested). Redundancy such as this usually comes off as spelling things out for the reader, which can feel patronizing, but also forgoes the opportunity to give details to color the visualization further, such as the Ninetales' eyes widening or ears perking up.

We are also able to tell that Spark is upset around the first quote due to her dialogue. There, a detail to help color the prose could be her fur bristling or her eyes narrowing or her ears pinning back (if you want to go for feline body language - in canine body language, this is submission), etc.

“Mind explaining exactly what you’re doing with her, Windrunner? I don’t need you running after some other lady,” she hissed. “And don’t say nothing, because I know that’s a lie.”

So it was at this point that Spark started to seem very strange and unreasonable to me. I initially thought she was kidding, because getting mad that your teammate was talking to another person that happened to be a woman without you present - not because you want to be part of a discovery, but because you don't want him to talk to other people - is disturbingly clingy and controlling, even abusive.

With a “Hmmph, if you say so,” Spark turned. I sighed. I always knew she was hot-headed, but never saw her as the jealous type. Regardless, I just had one final thing to accomplish.

“I… I’ll be right back, Aurora. I need to do some damage control.”

I hurried after Spark,

Spark is only mentioned as turning around, but how the story continues implies that she was running away.

“N-no, Spark, I needed to apologize to you. While it’s true, I shouldn’t have gone off to talk with her before you woke up, I’ve also been a little more harsh than I should’ve been with you.”

“Is that all?” she asked. I nodded. “Wind, we’ve both been short-tempered lately. But yes, you shouldn’t have gone to talk with the Ninetales before I woke up. Gives the wrong impression to a lady, you know.”

“Oh. You mean her,” Spark said, a little dejected. She looked away from me. After what felt like hours, she finally spoke up again. “Tell you what, Wind, let me do the talking and there won’t be any other problems.”

This is where the story really turned sour for me. Not only is Spark actually serious with this completely unreasonable outburst, Wind considers it justified and genuinely thinks he's in the wrong for just having an innocent, normal conversation. A conversation with someone you'd definitely want to find out more about, not just because you're in that location specifically to study and explore things, but generally because she's a stranger that offered you a place to stay. Now, of course there are plenty of people out there that don't realize they're being abused and/or their abuser has distorted their perception to think that the abuse is justified, but Wind has only been rational up to this point and seems like the voice of reason in the story. This leads to the narrative appearing to portray this kind of situation as normal and healthy as well, which is very disturbing.

I was relieved that she was over it so quickly. Spark typically holds a grudge about this kind of thing

A few paragraphs ago, Wind said he never saw her as the jealous type?

“Your supplies are running thin, you’ve been here for several months, it’s obvious, really. You simply haven’t left because the mountains are even more dangerous at this time of year, and, well, you’ve already seen that Lugia’s angry.”

I'm now wondering how the two survived on the island for so long if they barely survived with the help of Aurora last night.

“Aurora, you referred to him as ‘master’. Is he-?” Spark got cut off by Aurora again.

“I want to say yes, but after what just happened, I don’t think I work for him anymore.” I noticed Aurora looked a little upset after she finished saying that. “So… I wanted to ask… er… how do I…?”

This whole Lugia serving thing came and went pretty fast... I think it would've been better for Aurora to inform the two of this before, possibly warning them prior to taking them directly through the place Lugia lives. We also get minimal information on the nature of the relationship between these two - it seems we find out she serves Lugia, and then it's already over and forgotten about. She seems to nonchalant about it, too, and it makes me wonder what made her stick around Lugia that long if he was such a bad boss and she had no qualms leaving him now. Were there material to show a kind of change of heart on her part, the courage arising to no longer take crap from that overgrown baby, it would've given her character more depth as well.

“Says the Lucario

This is, as far as I could tell, the first time Wind's species is actually given. I had assumed Riolu/Lucario before due to the mention of aura and this being a PMD fic, but there was nothing explicitly confirming either before. The species only being given at the end of the second chapter means that everything before that requires the reader to blank out Wind's appearance, meaning they can't visualize the scenes completely, which at least to me unnecessarily hurts the immersion. The character being a Lucario isn't exactly a plot twist, so I don't see why it couldn't have been established earlier. It could have even been in the summary, although I myself prefer not to consider summaries part of the story as they can vary from place to place or even be missing.

---

General Thoughts

This fic to me had an interesting premise that engaged me from the get-go: studying a mysterious continent lost to time à la Atlantis. The addition of Alola forms and fairy-only magic as being important to this lost kingdom strengthened my curiosity... but I have to say, after that whole thing with Spark, my desire to read on decreased considerably. It's not really because of that one thing alone, but more the fear of characters continuing to be written that way, which would turn that one problem into a consistent one.

There's also the fact that the little inconsistencies (e.g. the hay) and plot elements that feel sudden (e.g. Aurora's servitude of Lugia) seem to hint at insufficient planning to me. It feels as though certain choices have been included without a proper check on how they mesh with the preceding material or how things earlier in the chapter could be revised to foreshadow the elements better. Writing on, I would encourage more checking like that to help produce more cohesive storytelling, which typically tends to keep readers better engaged.

In any case, you still have a solid premise, and I believe that people not as sensitive to what I reacted so strongly towards here will enjoy reading this. Good luck with further writing.

 

[Sparkfire]

Chapter Three: Deepening Mysteries
​

It felt weird, waking up the next morning and seeing two sleeping beauties. Aurora and Spark, despite previously holding a one-sided rivalry, were all tangled up in each other. Deciding not to interrupt their beauty sleep, I carefully worked our exploration bag out from under Spark. I set aside about a half hour to start reading Astrali’s The Temporal Crisis. As I progressed, I realized that it wasn’t just the title that was eerily familiar, but the story written closely followed that of my own journey. Feeling a little chill, I put the book away with the intention of reading with Spark later.

I then grabbed my quill and journal, opening the page to the nearest empty one. Using my aura to wet the quill, I entered today’s journal entry.

16th Aegigam, 675th year of the Second Era

I know, I know, I don’t typically write entries so close together, but so much happened yesterday that it feels inappropriate not to do so.

I should start with the morning. Spark had recovered from a near-death experience thanks to the coat we found in the mysterious room the night before. Since I was the first to wake up, I allowed myself to feel Spark’s aura, hoping to check on her condition, only to notice an unknown presence. I later learned this belonged to Aurora, a Crystalline Ninetales.

Aurora. Where do I even begin? She’s very timid, for one. It took some effort to locate her. She’s also beautiful. Not as much as Spark, in my own opinion, but still breathtaking. I’ll be surprised if Pokemon don’t crash into each other admiring her. Aurora is also one of the braver souls we’ve met. She saved us from Lugia’s wrath, not something many would be willing to do. I guess that means we owe our lives to her.

I would call this expedition a success. We proved the existence of the Crystal Continent, after all. To top that, we also gained a new team member in Aurora. I really hope she has fun with us.

I am worried for her though. To be a member of a famous exploration team? It might be too much for her. I can try to help her fit in, but it will ultimately come down to how she feels. Not every Pokemon is cut out for exploring.

We’re heading home today. Aurora should be able to teleport us past the mountains, and then we’ll make our way to Noe Town. From there, it’s just a simple Lapras ride back to Treasure Town.

I have to admit, in a weird sort of way, I’ll miss Snowfield Island. Despite its coldness and sudden storms. It truly does feel like an ancient village come back to life. Perhaps, with a civilization so engrossed in magic, they left a passage through time. I’d love to experience the Continent before it sunk. A journey for another day, though.

On another note, I started reading that book I picked up yesterday, The Temporal Crisis, and it’s eerily similar to my own story. Astrali… they wrote this book. But in the early first era, how would they even know about this? It’s been almost 2000 years since this book was written, so unfortunately the answer is lost to time. My mind again flows back to the idea of an artificial passage of time...

I closed the journal afterwards. Both ladies were still fast asleep. Understandable, I guess, they did wear themselves out yesterday. Despite my better judgment (really, all the choices I felt I had were terrible), I chose to wake Aurora up first and do damage control later. This was because I had yet to properly thank her for yesterday, though I also wanted to know if she could teleport us off of Snowfield before we made that our final plan.

I had to think for a bit about how to wake her up. Any kind of noise was out of the question, as I didn’t want to wake Spark up, but pretty much anything else was fair game. I quickly listed the options I had for waking her up. A small fire? No, that would probably spread pretty quickly and burn the place down. Tapping into her aura? Probably not a good choice for someone I just met yesterday.

That left just a variety of random massage techniques I typically used on Spark. I immediately decided against the Paw Massage and the Special, as the former I only use for Spark, and the latter would be wrong to do in someone’s sleep. That left the Quadruped Back Breaker, the Frontal Paw Fix, and muscle relaxation therapy. I ruled out muscle relaxation therapy, since it’s rather similar to the Special, leaving the two possible options as the Quadruped Back Breaker or the Frontal Paw Fix.

The Quadruped Back Breaker, despite the name, was designed to help the back return to its natural position for a quadruped Pokemon. Spark typically has need of it every night as she’s constantly running into walls and other Pokemon, causing it to pop out of place rather frequently.

The Frontal Paw Fix involves a deep cleaning of the Pokemon’s forepaws, which helps the muscles loosen up and prevents sprains. It sees use every other week or so. This seemed to be the best option, but there’s a slight problem.

Remember how I said they’re tangled up in each other?

Yeah, Aurora’s forepaws are under Spark. And I’m not really comfortable working on hind paws. Given the situation, I decided on the Quadruped Back Breaker.

Using my aura, I located the area where her spine was most unnatural. Instead of immediately launching the back breaker, I took a moment to refresh myself.

Remember to use a series of precise yet gentle strikes along the back of the Pokemon. Stop if you feel bone to avoid causing any permanent damage to the Pokemon. Repeat four times or until the Pokemon’s back returns to its natural position.

Feeling confident that this would work, I prepared the first round of strikes. Launch. I felt her stir a little as her back shifted, but it wasn’t enough. Second round. There was a bit more movement here, but Aurora slumbered still. Third wave. This time, she woke up.

She looked around, a little groggy, a little confused, but she was awake. I let her take a few minutes to fully wake up, as well as untangle herself from Spark. As she worked to detach each tail from Spark’s unusually staticky fur, she looked at me questioningly. Even though I might dislike telepathic communication, I decided it was the way this time, as to not wake Spark up.

Why did you wake me up instead of her? After that little incident yesterday, that would be the wiser option, no?

I have my suspicions about the real reason Spark exploded on me yesterday. However, I felt it best to understand you better, as a team member. I feel Spark would just get in the way right now. I hope you aren’t too mad at that reason, I thought back in response.

I understand perfectly. But there is something else you wanted to talk about.

You know?

Yes. It was a perk of learning under Espan. He taught me 6 of the 7 forms of Crystal Magic. I can also see a more curious side of you at the current moment.

I see. So… about Lugia.

What about Lugia?

While we were down there, and I believe you mentioned this yesterday, but you called him master.

You wish to inquire further details? I’m sorry, but even if we are team members that is something I still prefer to keep to myself.

I see. I shouldn’t be too surprised, I guess. We did just meet yesterday. Anyways, I had a question for you.

Another?

Yes. I was hoping you’d be willing to teleport us off the island. It’s a particularly brutal winter, so the mountains are dangerous, even for a Lucario. And, well, Lugia’s tantrums mean that we can’t exactly sail around them either, I explained.

I see. If that’s all you’re worried about, I think I can manage that. You can rest easy, Wind.

Aurora cut off the telepathic conversation after that. Even without reading her, she was still being quite secretive around us. Not unreasonable, I suppose. As I turned away to plan a route home, I couldn’t help but feel that Aurora may be the key to unlocking the secrets of the Crystal Continent…

And this Astrali… The book he wrote regarding the Temporal Crisis… Who were they? How did they hold this prophetic information? The answers I sought eluded me still.

 

[Sparkfire]

Chapter Four: Lasting Memories
​

Aurora left to go prepare herself for a massive teleport. She said that it would take some time to be ready, so I was hoping to talk with Spark before we left. She was still asleep, but I could tell she’d be up soon. It was just a waiting game now.

After a few more minutes, Spark woke up. Initially, she was a little confused as to where Aurora was, but that didn’t last as she noticed me, sitting on the chair, just waiting.

“Where’s Aurora, Wind? Were you two-”

“Relax, partner, she’s only outside preparing our transport home. We’ve had no interaction aside from that.” I knew that was a lie, but I was hoping not to cause another meltdown.

Spark relaxed a bit.

“That’s ok, then. So we’re finally going home?”

“I hope so. After teleporting, we’ll still have to make our way back to Noe Town, but we’ll be off Snowfield Island. That’s the important thing right now.”

Spark was about to respond, but Aurora beat her to it.

“ALRIGHT, WE ARE READY TO GO!” she yelled. Beckoning to Spark, I made my way to the outskirts of Snowfield Village, where Aurora had been setting up the site. She had many of her favourite books in the bubble, along with her favourite treasure.

“Come on in, you two! This is how Crystal teleportation works!”

We stepped inside the bubble --well, stepped is the wrong word. It was closer to controlled floating-- to see both Snowfield Island and the Mist Continent Northern Plains.

Seeing our slightly confused looks, Aurora decided to inform us on why.

“Allow me to explain. This bubble is known as the Grand Leap. It’s used to cross great distances with no effort. It shows you the place you are leaping from, in case you need to go back and grab something, and the destination. It does take some time to actually arrive at the destination, however, you don’t have to lift a finger to get there as the bubble does all the work. It was designed this way because the Crystallians loved to watch as the land below them moved. It allowed them to take in the true beauty of their continent.”

Spark and I looked around, awestruck. We were witnessing but a fraction of the Crystal Magics that Aurora had told us about.

“If we are all ready, I would like to make the Leap now.”

Spark nodded in response. I did the same.

“Then off we go! May our travels be safe and our transport uninterrupted!”

We watched as the swirls of the bubble erased the image of Snowfield and the Northern Plains, and it began to float upwards. Spark was particularly mesmerized by this sight, while I took it all in and truly enjoyed it.

After a few hours, we were over the oceans. Flying over the oceans felt very familiar to the Sea of Time. As I recalled it, the painful memories came back to me.

We’re traveling through the Hidden Land with Grovyle, searching for the Rainbow Stoneship. We’re battling Dusknoir, as he desperately attempts to stop us. Grovyle’s taking Dusknoir back to the future. We’re on the Stoneship, flying towards our final challenge.

I guess Spark noticed my melancholic look, because she came over to try and cheer me up.

“You’re thinking about Grovyle, aren’t you?”

“Not just Grovyle, Spark. Our entire adventure through the Hidden Land. Our battle with Dusknoir.” I paused.

“...And before you disappeared,” Spark finished for me. “I can understand why you might be melancholic. These are memories you didn’t want resurfacing.”

“No, they’re just very painful. So much loss and betrayal… and then as I was… as I was…”

I didn’t want to finish that sentence. It was just a little too much for me. The moments leading to my demise… and my resurrection. I didn’t like to think about it.

“It’s ok, Wind. I don’t like to think about it myself. It is pretty painful, but you have to remember it was for the better of the world. For Temporal Tower. But most of all… for you, and Grovyle, and Celebi… It was your mission before you lost your memories, but you took it up again without hesitation. Even while knowing that it would be your end. Wind, there’s nothing to be ashamed about. You’re the bravest Pokemon I know.”

Even though I wasn’t looking directly at her, I could feel the warmth of her smile as she leaned into me to calm my nerves.

“...Thank you, Spark.”

Several hours passed. Aurora kept reading her book, while Spark fell asleep on my legs, content as can be. As for me? I got lost in my thoughts again. I wondered if Grovyle and Celebi had been spared, just as I had. I wondered what became of Dusknoir. But most of all, I was thinking about Spark. It was obvious that she wanted me as her mate now, even if she wasn’t ready to admit it. The way she tried to cheer me up, the way she was a little protective of me. I thought about our future. What if we were mates? Would I be happy with her for the rest of my life? Would she be happy with me?

My thoughts were interrupted by Aurora.

“We are almost there, Wind. You might want to wake your partner up, as we shall have to set up camp almost immediately. It is pretty late.”

I hesitated a bit before deciding to ask Aurora a question.

“Aurora… Have you ever lost someone you care about?”

I know it was a tough question, and I’d understand if she didn’t want to answer.

“Did this come up from your discussion about the Hidden Land, and Grovyle?”

“Kind of… but also from my thoughts about a potential future with Spark.”

“I see. Normally, I would refrain from answering, but I think this time… It was my mother. She meant everything to me. She protected me, taught me about the world and how to interact with other Pokemon… But she died a long time ago. Before the Second Era. Much of the village was saddened, and they started dying afterwards. It was almost as if she was the life of the village. Since then, I have lived with Lugia, who provided me with the Ice Stone I used to evolve. And until recently, I protected his domain in exchange, scaring off intruders. Until you two came along.”

“What changed your mind about us?”

“Astrali.”

“Astrali?”

“Yes.”

“How did Astrali have anything to do with it?”

“The books they wrote about you guys, Wind. The vast achievements, your many grand adventures… I want to be a part of it. A part of history.”

“You referred to Astrali as they. I take it you didn’t know Astrali?”

“No. No one knew Astrali. We just knew they existed.”

“Surely someone had to know them.”

Aurora paused. She seemed lost in thought. “I guess my mentor might have.”

“Your mentor?”

“Espan. He was one of the greatest Crystal Wizards of our time. He also always seemed to have a copy of Astrali’s newest works. I suppose it is not too farfetched to assume they were friends. If they were, Espan never told me.”

Espan? I didn’t recognize that name. You’d think some Pokemon would’ve named their child after a great Crystal Wizard.

I decided that I likely wasn’t getting any more info about Astrali out of Aurora, so I changed the subject.

“ So, going back to my original topic, I’d like to know how you took the death of your mother. It must've been very difficult.”

“It was hard. I became quite the troublesome kid. I would break down homes, steal produce, anything to try and fill the void,” she paused, looking a little regretful. “And now, I think I have.”

“Us? How can we fill the void your mother left?”

Aurora paused for a moment. “I do not know. It just feels right for me to leave with you. Almost as if this is where I truly belong. With you and Spark.”

I accepted that answer. After all, everyone searches for their purpose in life at some point. As for me? I’m still searching.

All I can say for certain is that I made some memories tonight.

 

[IFBench]

I’m here to review chapters 1-4 of this!

First up, chapter 1! I really like the journal entry at the beginning. The dating scheme is very interesting, and the entry itself nicely sets up some lore, the background for the story, and what our two current protagonists are doing here. Nicely done!

After the entry, there’s some description and some internal comments by Wind on her partner. These do a good job at explaining Spark’s personality, as well as beginning to paint a picture of what the relationship between the two is.

One small complaint about this part, though, is that it isn’t very descriptive about the surroundings. I know that there’s a fountain, some houses, and a temple, but I don’t know very much about them other than that they’re not in good shape, so it’s hard for me to visualize it. I’d suggest adding some more description here, going a bit more in detail about the positioning and appearance of things.

For example, right here:

“I’m gonna search the houses, Wind! You go to the temple!” Spark yelled as she took off.

I don’t really know anything about these houses other than that they exist. I’d suggest maybe adding “to the right, towards a set of dilapidated buildings.” after “took off”, to show both the positioning of the houses, and the state they are in.

And here:

Since Spark was quickly pacing around the ruined fountain, fur on end, I could tell my partner was eager to head home, even without reading her aura.

I know that the fountain is ruined, but not where it is, or to what extent. Maybe you could add “in the center of the crumbling village” after “ruined fountain” to show its location. I’d also suggest maybe adding a line about Spark either nearly colliding or actually colliding with a piece of rubble during her pacing. That’d both show just how badly damaged this fountain is, and also help show Spark’s clumsiness.

King Po__g_n t__ 2nd, _h_ l__t h___n r__ic. _ay __ fo_ev_r r__t in p__ce.

I quite like this! There’s just enough information here to allow the reader to infer some of what’s written here, but not enough to completely give it away.

I love the banter between Wind and Spark right after this. You really capture the feel of lighthearted arguing between two close friends.

It had to have been built quite recently but given the neglect many of the decaying structures showed, combined with the ancient and imposing temple which reeked of a forgotten authority planted seeds of doubt towards that thought.

This line feels a bit awkward. It feels like a bit of a run-on. I’d personally suggest adding some periods to split it up a bit. This is just a nitpick, though.

“L-let’s go, W-W-Wind… I-I’m f-f-f-f-freezing.” Spark stammered.

I’m pretty sure there should be a comma instead of a period at the end of Spark’s dialogue here. Aside from that, I like the use of many stutters to show just how cold Spark truly is here!

I am VERY intrigued by this room the two found! The lit fire, the fur coat perfect for Spark, the Temporal Crisis book, and all that combined with the barracks looking more recent than any of the other buildings here suggests that someone knows our duo is here, knew they would find this place, and is looking out for them. Very interesting!

Overall, a good first chapter that hooks the reader in, sets up the setting and some of the characters, and ends off in a very intriguing way!

Now for chapter 2! First of all, I LOVE this title. It functions threefold: As a reference to a mainline Pokemon game, telling the reader that Lugia is likely involved in this chapter, and gives a brief glimpse as to what the third member of the team will be like.

As for the chapter itself, the small bit at the beginning is very good! It shows our mysterious watcher, confirming that she lives here, and that she cares about Wind and Spark.

The section after that is pretty interesting! It’s just Wind and our mysterious watcher, a crystalline Ninetales! (Side note, I really like that name for an Alolan Ninetales. Fits very well both generally, and is significant in the context of the story.) The personality, intentions, and some backstory of the Ninetales are established here in a pretty organic matter through Wind’s questioning, as well as explaining a few odd details like the coat perfect for a Jolteon, and setting up a lot of intrigue via the first mention of magic in the story, as well as the Voided Army! Nicely done!

One small nitpick, though:

I reached into my bag, searched it for a moment, and grabbed the copy of The Temporal Crisis I had placed there last night. I was about to begin reading it, but something felt off.

This section confused me the first time I read it. I initially thought that it meant that Wind was going to begin reading it last night, but felt something off then, and decided to wait until morning. After reading the next paragraph, I now know that Wind was going to begin reading it after he had taken it out of his bag, but I feel like that last sentence could be adjusted to make that clearer.

Maybe something like this? “I began to turn to the first page, but stopped before the words became visible. Something felt off.”

Anyways, next is the argument between Wind and Spark. I quite like how Spark uses Windrunner’s full name to show her anger!

Ooh, classic secret passage behind the fireplace! I like it!

And here we have Lugia! As well as Aurora, desperately trying to convince Lugia to back down. I’m very intrigued by the fact that she wasn’t able to do so, and that Lugia seems to dislike Aurora now after learning about what she did. I wonder how badly this’ll all come back to bite the group later on in the story.

“...Says the Jolteon who failed to hear Loudred in the mornings,” I retorted, playfully.

“Says the Lucario who didn’t hear a word Chatot said!”

Love these lines. They’re funny, tie back into Explorers, and eases the tension between Wind and Spark!

And Aurora joins the team! Hooray!

I really like how the chapter ends with first the initial two members of the team playfully tussling, then Aurora joins in after a while. Really shows that she’s part of the team now!

Overall, a solid follow-up to chapter 1 that answers some questions, while adding more, and establishes the third member of the trio.

Chapter 3 is next! The bit at the beginning transitions from cute with Aurora and Spark tangled up in each other, to erie with the Temporal Crisis book. An interesting transition, but it was pulled off well.

Interesting that Wind doesn’t tend to write journal entries close together. I wonder why that is?

The journal entry is mostly a rehash of what happened in the last two chapters, but in a retrospective light, and a bit more insight from Wind, which I like.

I love the section where Wind is internally debating how best to wake Aurora up. It’s a nice touch that Wind has names for all the waking-up techniques he uses.

And looks like we have our first look into Espan here! I’m excited to learn more about them.

Aurora has some secrets she’s keeping. Very interesting.

The ending where Wind pondered some of the questions he had is very good!

Overall, a pretty good chapter that sets up some things to be revealed later, and has some fun character moments.

Last for now is Chapter 4! I find it pretty interesting that Spark is still not completely over the possibility of something going on between Wind and Aurora.

“ALRIGHT, WE ARE READY TO GO!” she yelled.

A very small nitpick, but this entire sentence being in all caps feels a bit awkward. Perhaps you could change it so that either only the first or last word is in all caps?

The bit with the Grand Leap is very good, giving Wind, Spark, and the reader a tantalizing glimpse into the crazy things that magic can do! Nicely done!

We’re traveling through the Hidden Land with Grovyle, searching for the Rainbow Stoneship. We’re battling Dusknoir, as he desperately attempts to stop us. Grovyle’s taking Dusknoir back to the future. We’re on the Stoneship, flying towards our final challenge.

I really like this part! The sudden jumps from event to event emphasizes how long it’s been, and how Wind only remembers the important parts, as well as showing just how traumatizing the final act of Explorers was for him.

The bit where Spark comforted Wind was great. I really got a sense of how close the bond was between these two.

The conversation between Wind and Aurora afterwards is also pretty good, delving deeper into Aurora’s backstory, and why she chose to go along with the team.

I love the callback to the chapter title in the final sentence of the chapter.

Overall, a very good chapter that sheds some light on Wind and Aurora, as well as leaving that enticing hook of the wild things magic can do.

I really enjoyed reading this all! You do a great job at setting up an interesting world! I look forward to reading more!

 

[Nubushi]

Hello, I'm here from the Review Blitz, reviewing Chapter 1.

To start with, I liked the travelogue-like paragraph at the beginning for the way that it established some atmosphere (this being a log of the characters' travels) and also some characterization for Wind, who seems a bit more thoughtful and literary compared to Spark.

Just as a caveat, I am mostly fandom-blind for PMD, so this may be due to that--but I did find the places and their relationships to each other a bit confusing. Snowfield Village is an island? And it's part of the Mist Continent (or is it just nearby?), but it used to be part of the Crystal Continent?

I'd also like to note that I enjoyed all the references to the pokemon-bodies of your characters--for example, Wind saying that he likes to have a book in his paw. These really help them to come alive and to bring out their pokemon-ness.

I also liked this:

a flash of yellow barreled into me at a high speed.

This helps show with actions what Wind had stated before about Spark's hastiness--but it also just makes a lot of sense that as a jolteon, she would like dashing around at high speeds.

Yet we were still perfect partners, for reasons I don’t yet understand.

It would be nice to see some things in the story that show the reasons why, though; for example, some ways they complement each other, or that each has something the other lacks, or that they are able to compensate for each other's weaknesses. I do get from this chapter that their personalities are very contrasting, but maybe the way they complement each other could be brought out more in future chapters?

So, the building that the two characters explore in this chapter is pretty suspicious. You call the oddity of it to readers' attention in pointing out how new it seems compared to the other buildings. But although Wind notes that it seems like the room inside is made for them (with a blazing fire, a cloak for Spark, and books for Wind), neither of them seems to be worried. That, I felt, was a little strange. I did peek ahead and see that the barracks isn't a bad place, like a trap for Wind and Spark to lull them into a false sense of security or something like that, but so it does make sense that you don't want to drop hints left and right about this being something they should be wary of--but is there, on the contrary, anything that makes Wind sense that this place is not dangerous, and it's not created by something malicious that means them harm? Just a thought.

Oh, and also (this came to mind after taking that peek at chapter 2), it might be a good idea to hint that the blizzard is coming a little earlier in the chapter--unless I overlooked something, there's no mention of the current weather until all of a sudden they're at the barracks, and a cold wind comes in. In the case of a blizzard, those don't usually come out of nowhere (unless it is magical), so there should be some sort of warning--a cloudy sky looking ready to snow at any time, for example--that the weather could turn bad.

Overall, you have your two characters exploring this village and looking for a way out, which gives the plot its initial tension. They haven't found it yet, but they did find this mysterious building, which gives a bit of interest to lead into chapter 2, and also the mysterious delibird statue, which I expect will turn out to be important sometime later in the story.

 

[Navar]

Hi Spark, Navar here. I’m going to review all four of your chapters here, and maybe in the process I’ll make you feel a bit better about your writing. I read your fic before, but I didn’t review it, so take this as my opportunity to do so. My reviewing style was already explained when I reviewed the oneshot, so I won’t waste time on that. Without further ado, here I go!

Chapter 1​

The opening prose is a book narration, which serves as a way to worldbuild. And that’s good, loved how you handled that scene, short, but effective, if I may add. It’s off to a good start.

Introducing Wind and Spark, the main duo of your fic. WIth this little narration, the differences between how they act are well done, and explain the dynamic I hope to see more off: the serious and the casual. Overall, it’s a fun dynamic to read, good job.

Descriptions, like usual, the bane of a writer’s existence; but not in this case. Wind is a reliable narrator, I think, and the way it was handled was satisfying for me, another point for you.

Overall, I think this opening chapter was handled well, as it introduces a mystery(What happened to the Crystal Continent?) while also making sure we know how the main characters think and act. Despite that, we don’t know everything about them, so it opens the door for me, a reader, to want to know more about them.

This chapter is bite-sized, like most of the others, and while short, it was sweet, I’m going to read the second one now.

Chapter 2​

Ice girl is here! Aurora’s presence was strong, and adorable, especially when she gave Spark a coat, I like the addition of her to the main cast, fits nicely with all the others, and there’s a lot of things you can explore about her! As another point, Wind described so much about her that I could swear he was crushing on Aurora(uh, that may be true, considering what you talked about on Discord). Well, I liked it anyway, haha.

Hopefully we’ll find out more about that fox later on(I say this with my knowledge of the other six chapters)

Also, Spark is funny, she barely woke up and already had that jealous moment, which made me snort a bit, a nice change of pace from the wholesomeness from before but still, a good moment for me to read. I’m a fan of your main cast, and they work well with one another. Can’t wait to see more of what you have to offer with those three.

Oh, Lugia is here too. Of course, he’s super dramatic, fitting for a Legend, but alas, that made Aurora the new member of Team Tsunami!

And I loved how the last moment described the three playing, while also trying to know more about Aurora, you managed to express a lot in a few words, for that, I give you kudos, Spark.

Now I’ll go to the next chapter, but yeah, reading this again is making me like the story even more, don’t give up!

Chapter 3​

Wind’s a bookworm. Also, question, how do you even wet a quill with aura? I guess I’ll just use my suspension of disbelief on this one, but fair enough. Back to the plot.

Wind is surrounded by pretty ladies, the dude is also a chad(don’t take this seriously, I’m memeing, not making fun of that). Anyway, he writes a lot, that’s a nice way of giving exposition, since he’s basically writing to the void(oh God, am I Wind?), but actually he’s just explaining to us, readers, smart move there.

Interesting massage techniques, those names scared me for a bit, but after the explanation, I suppose it makes sense in the context of an aura user like Wind; of course, he’s delicate and graceful, that’s good. Characterization moments are always nice, good job in that area. Adding to that, it’s an unusual way of using aura, but it made itself work, and it worked well.

Now, telepathy, I didn’t know Ninetales could do so, but hey, I’m not complaining about it. It’s also very nice of Aurora to communicate using that in order to not wake up Spark, I mean, she might throw another fit like before because jealous is her middle name. Again, not a complaint, just a comment!

And this conversation between the two explained more about Aurora. I’ll admit, having Wind and Spark already being famous explorers weirded me out at first, but it’s working so far, and with the addition of Aurora, the trio has a good chance of getting that sweet character development. With that in mind, I’ll go to the next chapter now, still loving the story!

Chapter 4​

CRYSTAL TELEPORTATION IS SO COOL! Phew, now that I took that out of the way, time for me to scream about this chapter’s.. Heavy stuff.

For starters, yeah, the scene reminded me of the Hidden Land from Explorers, and that stung me, God, that game always makes me cry… I didn’t do it this time, though, not because it was bad, but… I was empty, man those characters feel like real people. Wind and Spark have their own issues, and they’re partners, growing together and learning new things. This was a sweet moment, but probably a bittersweet one, good work there.

To end this chapter, more backstory for Aurora, her past is interesting, and I found myself invested in it, keep it up.

My final thoughts: Your story is good, your characters are lovable and your word expands on the foundations of the Explorer games, those worldbuilding sections are amazing, the magic system is also great, and honestly, Explorers is, my favorite entry in the entire series, so I’m a little biased, but overall, this was a nice experience. Reading again, I mean. So please, don’t give up on your story, keep it up and you’ll fulfill your dreams for sure! Thank you so much for writing RD, you got this man!

 

[Sparkfire]

Chapter Five: Respite...?
​

As per usual, I was the first one to awaken. We landed late last night on the other side of the mountains, and promptly set up camp. We planned to stay here for a bit to replenish our supplies for the road back to civilization, given the plentiful bounty of berries and granal plants. Or at least, I planned. I knew Spark would be ecstatic to be able to cook again, and not being on the road gives us time to plan out a good route back to Noe Town. Don't want to wander into a bandit's den, after all. Even if we'd easily defend ourselves, it's not worth the effort to care for a wound even with a replenished supply bag.

I was careful to keep an eye on camp as I went about the collection of the berries. This area, though relatively safe, was prone to outlaw raids. The last thing I wanted to do was conduct a rescue mission in the harsh wilderness of the Mist Continent, after all.

The mountains loomed overhead as morning became afternoon. I felt a chill as the wind picked up and brought a flurry of snow down from the peaks. I made my way out of the berry bushes, only to be slammed into yet again by a certain Jolteon.

"Oof! Watch where you're going, Spark!"

"I knew exactly where I was going, Wind! You just got in the way!"

"I got in the way!? I was out here first!"

"Which means you were in the way!"

I was about to keep arguing, but I noticed that my tail fur was getting soaked. I slowly pulled my bag out from under my back. It was dripping with berry juice.

I sighed. "Well, whatever. An entire morning's worth of berries has just been ruined. Perhaps you should help me replace them?"

"No way! I was going to check out the backwards waterfall! And you're coming with me!"

"I'm afraid not, Spark. I'm going to replace the supplies I just replenished. It's still a long way back to Noe Town, after all."

Her face dropped when she heard that.

"Fine… If you're going to be that way, Wind, then I'm going to drag you along. You need to let loose and relax sometimes. So whether you want to or not, you're going to see these waterfalls," she declared. Well, she sure recovered from that quickly. But then, she always does.

"Spark… We really need these supplies-"

"We have all day to collect supplies, Wind! Surely you can spare a few hours to have some fun!"

And without a further word, she grabbed my fur with her teeth and started dragging me towards the falls. Rather awkwardly, of course, as she couldn't quite see over my ears.

Let me tell you, being dragged by the fur is not fun. It's painful. It almost feels like your fur is being pulled out. Combine that with the thorny path she was dragging me over, and you've got a one-way ticket to pain. And holy Arceus, we Lucario are prone to pain. At least it makes me stronger...

Spark wasn't doing much better. She was tripping over her paws, brushing every thorn bush in existence, and generally wasn't having a good time.

"Hey, Spark? Fine. I'll see myself to the falls. You seem to be having a hard time."

"Nonsense!" she cried out, a tad muffled by my fur. "If I let go, you'll just run back to the field!"

"And have to deal with you dragging me around? Just put me down and we'll head to the falls!"

"Fine, but you're gonna deal with the consequences if you run back to the field, Wind."

"Yes, it would not be pleasant to get stung by your fur again."

"Oh, be quiet, Wind, it's not like your spikes don't hurt me!"

Spark put me down and went to go nurse a couple of her sores. And then I got to thinking…

Before remembering we left Aurora behind. I bolted upright, looked at Spark, and began to make my way back to the campsite.

"Where do you think you're going, Wind!?"

"To get Aurora!"

She looked at me, a little confused. "Aurora?"

"Yes! We've left her alone at camp, Spark! We can't leave her behind!"

The gears clicked into place, and she was immediately racing back towards camp. Except…

"OUCH!"

She ran headfirst into a cliff face. I sighed. Then, I went up to her and pulled her off the wall. She'd knocked herself out, meaning I now had to ensure she got back safely. Considering the speed she was at, there was also a high likelihood of brain damage... We'd definitely need a skilled healer to fix that. Master Mawile, I thought, but she operates out of Treasure Town, and we're in the wilderness of the Mist Continent, about as far as you can get from there.

Maybe there'll be a healer in Post Town or Redcliff Town? Those places are closer, and they are the center of a couple of important areas.

As I thought about what to do, I attempted to pick her up. As I lifted, I remembered just how heavy she was. Grunting, I made my way back through the berry field. I carefully maneuvered my partner out of harm's way, ensuring that no thorns lodged themselves in her pelt. They'd be a pain to clean out later and could also cause severe infections. As I stepped out of the field, I sighed in relief.

"Remind me never to carry her through a berry field again..." I mumbled, not expecting anyone to hear me.

"Okay, I will make a note of it," a familiar, but unexpected, voice said. "So… what happened to Spark?"

"Ran into a cliff face at top speed. I'll be surprised if she doesn't need a healer's attention," I replied. "Honestly, with how impulsive she can be, I'm surprised this hasn't happened before. Still... I worry for her. The berry field was unpleasant, but losing Spark would be... worse."

"A… healer?" Aurora asked, clearly confused.

"Oh, forgive me, I temporarily forgot that you've been isolated for so long. A healer is a Pokemon that specializes in the injuries and damage that ordinary berries or heal seeds can't. Normally, I'd take her to Master Healer Mawile, as she's widely considered one of the greatest healers around."

"I see. The issue with taking her to Master Healer Mawile is the fact that we are in the middle of nowhere, correct?"

"Right."

She stopped to think for a bit. Then, she asked, "Well, may I do the honours, then?"

"Aurora... I'd be happy to let you. But you've just joined the team... And given my history with Spark, I'd rather not risk more potential damage."

Aurora laughed. "Is that all? Let me put your concerns to rest, Wind. As I have told you, I was apprenticed to the greatest wizard of the Crystal Continent, Espan. By his recommendation, I also studied the Water Magics from Master Aquix. I assure you, I am quite capable of healing her."

I started weighing my options. Either wait to find a local healer to help Spark out, and risk alienating Aurora, or trust her and let her take care of Spark. After some deliberation, I finally settled.

"Alright, Aurora. I'll let you help her. We are a team, after all."

"Thank you. I shall need you to retire from the area. It is nothing personal. I simply require space to perform the Water Magics."

Understanding, I turned and retreated to the tent to read a bit more of The Temporal Crisis. Opening up to the chapter I left off on, I plunged myself back into Astrali's writing.

At least, that was the plan. Instead, I found myself in a swirling mix of yellow, red, and blue as I fell down what I assumed was a kind of portal. It was disturbing. I felt as light as a feather, yet also as heavy as an anvil. Time seemed to slow as I fell out the other end, landing with a resounding thud on a magnificent floor, made of an unknown material. Recovering from the fall, I looked at the chamber I had arrived in. The walls seemed to stretch as high as the Hall of Origin itself, yet the ceiling was visibly covered in all manners of red, yellow, and blue crystals. Turning my attention to the flooring itself, I noticed bookshelves upon bookshelves of unfinished works, all bearing the same signature mark within their covers.

I then turned my attention to the crystal clear window on the other end of the room. It seemed to show the outside world, and yet I saw nothing but a deep haze. Slowly, the unnatural fog began to take shape. I saw what once was a plain, but now contained the ruins of a human city. How I knew it was a human city was a mystery. The ruins resembled a large metropolis, with winding roads between buildings, and structures that once touched the sky.

The picture faded back into fog. As I tried desperately to bring it back, I heard a voice. It was booming, yet also quiet.

"Windrunner of Team Tsunami. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

I spun around, aura blade at the ready to defend myself. What I saw… was nothing.

"Please, do not be alarmed," it rang out again. "I am not your foe. Rather, I am an ally."

At that moment, the source of the voice revealed itself. An astonishing sight awaited me. A quadruped Pokemon, crystal-blue in colour, with purple eyes that seemed to penetrate my soul. It had a tail that split into 2 at the end, and a psychic jewel in its head.

"Please, take a seat. We have much to discuss."

 

[Sparkfire]

Chapter Six: First Encounter
​

The Pokemon approached me. As it did so, it pulled up two chairs and a table. I also had to duck as a few cups and a teapot came flying onto the table as well. The Pokemon --now that I think about it, it looked like an Espeon-- took its seat first. As I took my spot, Espeon used a magical power to pour himself a cup of Cheri Tea.

"Would you like anything?" he asked.

"Not right now."

"Suit yourself," he said. "Now then, I presume you are expecting an introduction?"

"More like an explanation, Espeon. I'm not exactly thrilled about being kidnapped, you know," I replied. "So start talking."

"I had hoped we would meet under friendlier terms. Why loose your venom on me?"

"Well, my partner's injured, and I'd rather be there to help her out once Aurora heals her."

He seemed to immediately understand. "I understand. You need not worry, Windrunner. I can return you to your team before Aurora finishes her work. Manipulating time is one of the seven forms of the Crystal Magics. It is the most difficult, however, it was nothing I could not master."

My mind at ease, I relaxed a little. "You must be a Crystal Wizard, then?"

"Not just a Crystal Wizard, the Crystal Wizard. I am the only Pokemon who mastered all 7 forms."

"All 7 forms? Aurora led me to believe it was universal."

"No. there would not be anything unique about them compared to the other Magics if that were the case. Would you care to inform yourself on all 7?"

"You mean.. Become your apprentice?"

"As much as I should like to extend that offer to you, it would be inappropriate. We are from different times, Windrunner."

I sank a little. Learning some of the Crystal Magics would have been a perfect way to end the trip.

"I understand you are disappointed. I simply have no choice but to say no. I am willing to describe each of the 7 forms, should you be willing. May I begin?"

I pulled out my journal and flipped to the notes half. Finding an empty page on it, I nodded.

"Very well. The first form of the Crystal Magics is Telepathy. This is the one that has survived the test of time, as every psychic Pokemon has access to this form. As you are aware of the usage of Telepathy, I shall refrain from exploring it in further detail."

I made a quick note of it.

"The second form is Transformation. This form specializes in changing something like paper into rock. It seems very useful, however, it has its limitations. You cannot create food out of anything but food, and the transformed object must contain the same mass of the object or objects used for the transformation. The masters of this form are typically sculptors or otherwise endeared within the arts."

After a brief pause, Espeon continued his explanation.

"The third form is Oculus. It allows one to see whatever they wish, wherever it may be. It was used by many Pokemon in the Crystal Continent. As such, our knowledge of the world was vastly increased without much effort. It was also the form of choice for the officers of our Continent. It cannot be used in tandem with any other form, however.

The fourth form is Transportation. I presume it is self-explanatory?"

I nodded. It must've been the form Aurora was using. "Aurora described it as being widespread?"

"It was. All Crystalline citizens knew at least the most basic of Transportation Crystal Magic. It was the main form of, well, transportation."

As Espeon continued, I thought about maybe taking a couple of lessons from Aurora. I could definitely make some use out of the Crystal Magics.

"Are you paying attention, Windrunner? I do not like repeating myself."

Snapping out of my trance, I nodded. As I put the quill back to the notebook, Espeon resumed his explanation.

"The next form is Detection. It is a difficult form to use, but it is one of the most useful. With it at your disposal, no opponent can evade you. Although, it may be a little redundant for a Lucario such as yourself. It is very similar to Aura, after all."

I thought about his point for a while. "I'm sure there's a way to use it in a way that others are affected. But otherwise, it is pretty redundant."

"There is, however it requires far more willpower than you might think. I am quite positive you would have no problems with it, but I cannot say the same for our authorities.

The 6th form is Aether. It is the second most difficult of the 7 Crystal Magics. This form dedicates itself to the mechanisms of society. Without Aether, there can be no electric power for a large portion of the Crystal Kingdom, nor would the water treatment facilities function. One would not be wrong to call it the most important of the Crystal Magics. A drawback to this form is that in the wrong hands, it is capable of destroying entire civilizations. Many of the Kingdom's battle mages choose to study this form because of the raw power it grants the user. Are you following, Windrunner?"

The last line caught my attention. Capable of destroying entire civilizations? Raw power? It was most definitely the Aether Form that saw the end of the Crystal Continent, although my investigation would have to come later.

As I finished scribbling down that theory, I motioned for Espeon to continue.

"Very well. The 7th and final form of the Crystal Magics is Temporal. This is the most difficult of the forms to master, by the command of Lord Dialga. It manipulates the very fabric of time itself, allowing for the user to travel from a distant past to a distant future, or from a distant future to a forgotten past. A master of the Temporal Form is able to warp other Pokemon between time periods, or create portals that allow for transfer. The most notable Temporal Form user is one I am quite sure you are familiar with: Celebi."

"Celebi? I thought she had a gift granted to her by Dialga. Was this false?"

"It is not. She simply grew to be so proficient with the Temporal Form that Dialga took her as his dedicated agent. Every legendary has one."

"I see."

Espeon looked out the window.

"On a completely different topic, I must ask you what you saw in the Mists of Fate."

"The Mists of Fate?"

"The Mists of Fate are phenomena that appear to show the viewer's destiny. They are eerily accurate to the events that succeed the viewing."

With a chill going down my spine, I described what I had seen to him. The ruins of a human city, appearing out of nowhere onto the Vast Redcliff Plains. I mentioned that I didn't know how it was a human city, I just knew.

Espeon took it all in. "I see. I shall need time to determine what this means for you. I shall send you back to your time at this point, Windrunner. Do not worry, your team will be unaware that you were ever missing. When I have determined what your Mists hold for you, I shall call you back. Until then, farewell, my friend."

 

[Sparkfire]

Chapter Seven: Dicey Decisions
​

Espeon created a portal for me at the other end of his room. I observed it, cautious. Upon further inspection, I realized that it resembled the Passage of Time that we used with Grovyle way back then.

“Hey Esp, is this what I think it is?”

“It is indeed a Passage of Time. And I must request that you not call me Esp, but rather by my full species name.”

“How did you build it?” I asked.

“I did not. I built my study around it, in the hopes of learning more about these mysterious phenomena. The endeavour has so far proved particularly fruitless, save for figuring out how to operate it,” Espeon replied. “Now then, off you go. I must ponder the image that the Mists showed you.”

Without another word, he used his magic to push me into the Passage. Upon my return to the Northern Tundra, I noticed Espeon was true to his word. I had returned at the exact moment he summoned me to his time. And yet…

“Wind, did you notice anything strange?” Aurora asked, still focused on healing Spark.

“Strange? Like what?” I asked her, trying to stay true to Espeon’s wishes.

“I do not know… I thought I just felt an overflowing presence of Espan’s magic right where you are standing. I must have imagined it.” Aurora turned her focus back to her work. While I noticed that she did not entirely believe it was nothing, I decided not to dwell on it. My paws carried me out into the berry field to restock.

___

“Right then, let’s figure out how we want to proceed.” I rolled out the map as we gathered around the portable table. “We’re on the edge of Krillian Marauder territory, so we should avoid taking the most direct route.”

“Krillian… Marauder?” Aurora asked.

“They rule the majority of the Mist Continent wilderness. Many explorers go missing when they travel through their territory. If they do show up again, the Pokemon is never the same. Even the forces of the law don’t mess with them.” Spark explained. “Even the toughest of exploration teams tend to avoid them.”

“Which is why we’ll follow a more mountainous path. The Marauders tend to leave them alone, given how tough they can be to navigate.”

Aurora still seemed unsure. “But with my magic, we could avoid them altogether. Didn’t you want to hurry back?”

I was about to respond, but Spark beat me to it.

“Well, yes, but not at the consequence of potentially never showing up again. Even Team Raider was defeated by the Marauders. No one’s seen them since.”

“We have the option of going west along the mountains, towards the Crags of Lament, or going east, heading to Redcliffe Town,” I listed. “The Crags will then provide a safe pathway to Post Town, where we can find easy transport to Noe Town. Redcliffe, on the other hand, will provide a path directly to Noe Town, but the path from Redcliff to Noe is fairly dangerous. Not Krillian Marauder dangerous, but there are still tons of bandits to watch out for.”

“I think we should take the safer path,” Aurora suggested. “I don’t really feel it necessary to put ourselves in danger if the danger is avoidable.”

“Well, I think we should head towards Redcliffe Town! Who cares about the danger when you’ve got the Saviours of the World on your side!” Spark exclaimed.

“Spark, no one calls us the Saviours of the World.” I pointed out.

“I know…”

“Anyways, I’m kind of on Spark’s side here. With both of us plus your magic, I doubt any bandits will be troubling us, Aurora.”

She seemed a little downcast. “I… guess I’m outvoted, then. Redcliffe it is.”

I rolled up the map. “Right, so that’s decided. Before we leave, however, there is something else I’d like to address.”

Spark skidded to a halt, as she was already bolting towards the exit. Aurora sighed. I could sense she just wanted to bathe before the long trip began, and I was interrupting her time.

“What is it, Wind?”

“Well, Aurora, it’s about what your nickname will be.”

“My… nickname?”

Spark immediately perked up. For whatever reason, she absolutely loved explaining these.

“Oh, yeah! We’re not usually very comfortable using true names among strange Pokemon, and no offense, Aurora, but you aren’t exactly what I’d call kin yet. I’d feel more comfortable with a nickname for you.”

“True names? In my time, Pokemon only had two names, species name, used between strangers, and individual, used between communities.”

“Well, a lot’s changed in 900 years. It’s also from a different Continent, so there’s that to consider and…”

I let Spark ramble on for a bit before steering the topic back to the original idea. “Anyways, I was wondering what would fit you, Aurora. I’ve several ideas, but I think you should have the final say. You’ll be hearing it quite a bit, after all.”

She wondered for a bit. Spark was also lost in thought. Her thoughts, however, were more directed towards tonight's dinner.

After some time, Aurora spoke again. “I have no ideas. Would you care to enlighten me?”

“Gladly! One of my first ideas was Agate, but honestly, it doesn’t sound right. It’s not elegant, nor is it very easy on the tongue. Another I had was Sapphire, but I threw that out because it doesn’t really fit your personality.”

“I don’t think you’ll find a crystal that really suits me, Wind. Perhaps turn your attention someplace else?”

And before I could respond, Spark again shouts “Azur!”

Aurora and I looked at her in a bit of shock. Noticing our stares, Spark explained. “Yes, I know I was thinking of food, Wind, so don’t call me out on that. I ended up thinking about berries, for the berry stew tonight, and as you and Aurora conversed, I thought about the Coba Berry colour, and how I could defeat that for the stew, and then I thought of its colour! Azure! Just remove the ‘e’ and I think it’d suit you perfectly, Aurora!”

We looked at each other. Aurora nodded. “I like it. It also feels easy to say.”

I smiled. “That’s settled, then. Azur, Spark, I’ve nothing more to keep you here, so feel free to enjoy the rest of the day.”

Spark was gone before I even finished the sentence. Shortly after, we heard a yelp. Peeking out the tent flap, I could see Spark sitting in the middle of a giant pile of cooking utensils. It was hard to stifle my laughter.

“Oh, be quiet, Wind. You’re still coming to the waterfall with me later,” she grumbled.

“Yeah, I guess I did promise you that much. After dinner, though. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting quite hungry!” My statement was drowned out by my belly growling.

“I agree with Wind and his stomach. Dinner would be a great boon before the evening hours, Spark.”

Spark got up and brushed the dirt off. “Right, the stew will be ready in about 30 minutes. Why don’t we play some games until then?”

“That sounds like a good idea. A last day of relaxation before the big trip would do us well.”

“An acceptable suggestion. Unfortunately, I do not have any ideas as to what should be played.”

The three of us sat around, deep in thought trying to figure out something to do. It wasn’t long until Spark piped up again.

“Let’s play Draconius!”

I immediately perked up. Draconius is one of my favourite role-playing games, where you create characters in the form of dragons and tackle adventures or fight powerful bosses. As I was explaining it to Azur, Spark set up the magic portal to the realm of Draconius.

Given that Azur still had to create her character, we resolved to do that and then start the game after dinner. Once the portal was set up, I accompanied Azur through while Spark stayed behind to watch the stew.

I saw her astonishment as I took on the form of a magnificent purple Dragon, though my form was lacking good flying wings as I preferred the more grounded fighting style.

“This is my character, Roenda. It’s a Fighter Style dragon. Anyways, it’s time to create your character. First, the different styles. You have the Fighter Style, like mine. It's leaner and more agile but lacks aero capabilities. Next, you have Flier Style. It has plenty of stamina and powerful wings. It’s great for travelling and aerial battles, but keep it off the ground or you’re in trouble. Following Fighter and Flier, you have the Scout Style. It’s quick in the air and it’s quick on the ground, but it’s small and struggles in combat. Its greatest strength is heightened awareness of their surroundings. And finally, you have the Cleric Style. This is also a supportive class, but it focuses on giving teammates buffs and healing their wounds.”

“I see. And of these four Styles, which does Spark utilise?”

“Spark prefers the skies, so she uses the Flier Style. I think it suits her.”

“I see. Fighter and Scout really do not appeal to me. And Flier is already taken by Spark, so I shall go with Cleric.”

“A fine choice.” A basic Cleric Dragon shape formed in front of us. “Next up, choose your dragon’s colour. Pick wisely, because you’ll be stuck with it until your character dies.”

“Perhaps a glimmering orange? Or a beautiful lavender.”

“Would you like to go with both colours? That is also an option.”

“It is? Then I shall go with the two aforementioned colours.”

The dragon changed colours into a perfect mix of orange and lavender.

“The next step is to adjust the Dragon’s dimensions. A larger dragon will have more stamina, while a smaller dragon will have more agility.”

Aurora carefully adjusted the size of the model. When she was done, a smaller dragon was visible.

“And what step succeeds this one?”

“Wing size. Larger wings have more powerful wing flaps, but a smaller wing will allow for greater speed. A small-winged dragon is known as a speedster, while a large-winged dragon is called a hauler.”

“A smaller size. A Cleric should be able to move about quickly.”

“Fair enough.” The model’s wings shrunk to a respectable size in relation to the body. “The last step relating to the dragon’s physical attributes is the tail. A wider, club-like tail provides a greater climbing ability, while the thinner, needle-like tail provides a more aerodynamic form.”

“A thin tail, please.”

The model adjusted appropriately. I waited until Azur was happy with how the dragon looked before finalizing the general physical design. Azur quickly adopted her Draconius form.

“It feels incomplete. Was it not the final step?”

“It wasn’t. That was just the general design. Next, we’ll be moving onto traits. Oh, there’s no need to shed the form, Azur. Here, allow me.” Manipulating the magic area, I pulled up her trait selection screen. “Other than the type of breath you choose, these traits will have no additional effects on your character.”

“I see. This is a very complicated process.”

“It’s not that bad once you get used to it. Trust me, Roenda is my 5th character.”

“Hmm… I think I shall go with Electric Breath. The energy it produces, as well as the paralyzing nature of electricity, may work wonders on larger foes.”

“Not a bad choice. As a Fighter Style, I went with Shadow Breath. The ability to cause pain without damage often turns the tides in my favour. Next, you have horns. You could go with Rounded, where the horns are more of a kind of stub on the top of the head, Sharp, which has horns standing straight up, Curved, which has sharp horns bending around to face the front, or Broken, where the horns break off at a certain point.”

“Sharp horns. They fit the character better.”

I helped Azur adjust the length of her horns as they appeared. She ended up settling on a medium length horn size.

“Next up, we have your claws. Do you want more of a hooked claw type or a flat claw type?”

“Hooked. It is the natural claw type.”

“I see. Flat more fits my style as a Fighter. Following that, there’s wing shape. Do you want pointed wings, which is closer to a triangular shape, or rounded wings?”

“More rounded. Given the look of the rest of the body, it would look best.”

“I see your point there. For this section, you finish off with snout shape. You have square, round, or triangle.”

“Square snout.”

“A fan of the box look, I see. But it clashes with your wings. Are you absolutely certain you want a square snout?”

“You do raise a good point. I shall choose the round snout.”

I chuckled, accidentally releasing a cloud of smoke while doing so. “Looking good, Azur. That clears up all but the final step. This one focuses around the eyes. Firstly, we have eye colour. Red, white, blue, black, or green?”

“Do unique colours provide any additional effects?”

“No. They are purely aesthetic.”

“I see. Green eyes, then.”

“Next, eye shape. Round, oval, teardrop, or almond?”

“Round. I assume pupils are next?”

“Yep. Slit pupils, like a Persian, or regular?”

“Regular.”

I stepped back, letting her make the final adjustments on her avatar. Once she was done, she looked back at me. “So, what’s next?”

“You need to name the avatar. An example name could be Druidas.”

“I see. How about Topazei?”

“Topazei… I like it.”

She smiled as she fully adopted her avatar. Truly, she had designed a work of art.

“I know you’d like to just jump in right now, but we should be-”

Spark popped in, taking her Draconius form. “Hey, dinner’s ready! Hurry it up here!” She didn’t linger, leaving shortly after.

“Yeah, that. Come on Azur, let’s go get dinner.”

 

[Sparkfire]

Chapter Eight: Camp Krillian
​

Calm down, Leah. They’re just leaving their camp now, you have plenty of time to get this information to Smeargle, set up, and ambush the travelers. Now, where was camp again?

I found myself lost in the valleys around the path to Redcliff, the very outskirts of Krillian territory. It wasn’t my fault; I am the newest recruit to the Marauders and had been sent out alone. To top it off, this part of their territory was unfamiliar to most members due to its isolation and geography. While most of their territory was found in the vast plains of the Mist Continent, this area was very mountainous. So mountainous, in fact, that even Skarmory, our greatest patroller, often got lost in this area.

Why do we even lay claim to the mountains?! They’re just so hard to patrol, it really isn’t worth the trouble.

“Oi! Rosel! Ya be needin’ an airlift, da boss vant a vord vith ya!”

Noivern. Boss’ favourite Pokemon.

“Rosel! Now, ah right? Da boss’ summons ain’t no light takin! Best not keep ‘er waiting!”

I climbed on his back.

“So what’s this about?”

“Boss say you got somtin’ she be needin, Rosel. It ain’t ma task ta know eveytin’. ‘Haps ya needs learnin bout ahr culture!”

“Well, let’s get it over with, Vern. And would it kill you to speak normally?”

“Ain’t that offensive! Rosel, me lass, ya’s got to thinks about yar vords! It be ah right vith me, but not vith da boss! No matters, here ve be goin’!”

Noivern took off at supersonic speeds. I’d describe the scenery, but the sheer speed at which he flies is too fast to make out anything. Needless to say, by the time we arrived at camp, my head was spinning.

“‘Ear ya go, Rosel! Da boss be ready for ya, me gal! Best not dally!”

“W-wait! ...And he’s gone,” I muttered to myself. “I wonder... what does Smeargle want with me…?”

Heeding Noivern’s advice, I, quite apprehensively, opened the door. Smeargle was on the other side of it. Stepping inside, I also saw Kadabra, Kecleon, and Kricketune. No wonder Smeargle realised I had important information.

Kadabra pulled me inside using psychic powers, while also telepathizing to me. My dear Roselia… there is no need to be afraid. Depending on what you tell us, you may get your desired promotion much earlier. All you must do is be truthful with Her Roguishness.

He plopped me on the ground in front of their group of three.

“It has been splendid, my friends, but I must return to my merchant post in Noe Town. I have so many items to sell and acquire in your favour!”

“Fare thee well, Kecleon. I must return to my duties as a law keeper in Redcliffe Town myself. And, by that, I of course mean scouting for our kindly group.”

They both walked out of the room, allowing the door to slam behind them. Nervous, I faced Her Roguishness Smeargle the First. Remembering my brief training, I presented myself to her, ensuring I exposed my species' weak points as a show of submission.

“You learn quickly, Rosel. A promising feature in a recruit.”

“T-thank you, your Roguishness.”

“Save the flattery for later,” she said, briskly. “I’m more interested in what you learned on your first solo patrol. Tell me, did you accomplish your objective?”

“Y-y-yes, boss. I-I k-kept a c-close eye o-on the a-adventurers y-you p-predicted,” I stammered out. “A L-Lucario, a J-Jolteon, a-and a P-Pokemon I-I’ve n-never s-seen before.”

“I can barely understand you, Rosel. Kadabra, please calm her,” she ordered.

“Of course, my lady.” A different, more mystical power flowed from Kadabra. It was… calming in nature. As he worked his magic, my breaths slowed, and my body relaxed.

I quickly noticed Smeargle glaring at me. “Ah! I’m sorry, Smeargle!”

“That was not permission to be silent, Rosel. Continue your report. Perhaps a gift is in store if you can finish in a satisfactory fashion.”

“My apologies, Smeargle.” I cleared my throat. “The adventurers you predicted would arrive are one male, a Lucario, and two females, a Jolteon, and a Pokemon I’ve never seen before. That one resembled a Ninetales, but the colouration and look were all wrong.” Noticing Her Roguishness’s curiosity, I delved into a description of the mystery Pokemon. “For starters, her fur colour is a most magnificent white. A white so pure it almost made my eyes bleed. Her tails were also quite a bit more… mist-like. They flowed majestically in the wind, when there was wind around. I might say… she is disgustingly beautiful.”

“I see. And did you catch where they were headed, by chance?”

“I did, my lady. They are headed to Redcliffe Town.”

“Redcliffe? Well, that is so very convenient for us Marauders. You will be rewarded most deliciously, Rosel. You may leave. Send Noivern in on your way out.”

“Y-yes, my lady. Are we going to ambush them?”

“I shall share the details later.”

I retreated from the chamber, my very life flashing before my eyes. Her Roguishness was known to be volatile. I went out to explore the camp. As I exited the Chieftain’s Palace, the sounds flooded into my ears. The sound of metal striking metal as Smithy Chesnaught forged weapons and armor for his comrades. The various conversations as comrades discussed their recent victories over explorers and law officers. The screams of the prisoners, condemned to live their lives in cages and serve our needs for the rest of their existence.

Lady Smeargle always liked to take her victims captive as trophies of the victories of the Krillian Marauders. Some of the victims were even famous explorers, like the “legendary” Team Raider. It was hardly even a fight by those pathetic weaklings. The only fun fighter was Rhyperior, and only because he didn’t faint after the first attack. Or so I was told.

I walked into the prison to find Noivern. He loved spending his time here. I don’t blame him. It is comforting and empowering to surround yourselves with defeated Pokemon.

“Let me out!”

“When I get out of here, you all will face my wrath!”

“You can’t get away with this forever!”

Ah, their pathetic threats. We always found them amusing. Not like they’d ever be able to carry through. I continued on my path.

“Oi, is dat Rosel I spot? It is! Ma gal, pull up a seat and ‘ave a drink! Ya got’s tell me what da boss told ya!”

Smiling, I did as asked. Brewed myself a spot of Checha Tea, then pulled up a nearby chair.

“So, what’s her Roguishness share vith ya, Rosel?”

“Not too much, Noivern. She mostly just wanted me to give my report to her personally. I think she may be planning to add three new Pokemon to our collection. I can’t wait!”

“Ah, always a pleasah ta add mo’ additions to ouh collection! I do ‘ope ya be as excited as meself vith dis prospect!”

“Always, Noivern. Their pathetic cries for help, their empty threats… It’s all so funny.”

“Innit? Oh, I see da look on ya face. You’s got somtin’ for me?” he pressed.

“I do. Her Roguishness wants a word with you.”

“Is ‘at so? Best not keep ‘er vaiting, then. I’s be off, Rosel! Enjoy ya drink!”

“I will, you lucky bat.”

He took off in the direction of the palace. I sat down in silence, drinking my tea, listening to the tortured souls screaming and threatening. Oh, I could definitely get used to this life.

I must have sat there for hours, because the next thing I heard was Smithy Chesnaught.

“Oi, Rosel. Boss called a meetin’. You’re wanted.”

“And you are not?”

“The weapons and armor forged in my smith are essential. I must not take a break.”

“I see. I suppose I should hurry.”

“That’d be best. Don’t want to lose your petals, after all.”

I hurried off to base camp, where the meeting was. Kadabra contacted me psychically to brief me on my role in the meeting.

Rosel. Her Roguishness wishes for you to repeat your report to the camp. They are to be told everything you told her. Do not hide a single fact, or it will be punished with your life. I wish you the best of luck.

I took a few breaths before stepping out into the camp. Most of the Marauders, save for a select few, were missing. Noivern among them, I noted. Curious.

“Rosel. The stage is yours.”

I turned to her Roguishness. She seemed to have an unusual sense of confidence in me. Was she hoping I’d mess this up?

I turned back to the Marauders. I followed my instructions to perfection. Not a single stutter, not a single detail was left out. I told the Marauders exactly what I told Lady Smeargle.

“Well done, Rosel. Not many recruits can muster the courage to speak in front of all 200 of us.” I swelled with pride slightly as Smeargle continued. “These three Pokemon have made the mistake of entering Krillian territory. We must punish them thoroughly. As they are in the mountainous side of things, I have sent Noivern to scout out a good ambush location. The rules of this ambush: You fight to faint, not to kill. Anyone who kills one of our next trophies will be punished most severely.” A few Marauders booed. I can see why, as fighting to kill was more fun. It was how I first got arrested. “Next: Do not, under any circumstance, flee from the raid. Doing so shall result in your banishment from the Marauders. It is cowardly to flee from an inevitable victory.” Cheers. Lots of cheers. “Finally: Do not let them flee. If they escape, our reputation shall be besmirched. If any one of them escapes, I assure you that every single one of you shall face consequences. Failure is not an option.” There was more cheering from the Marauders. “We will move as soon as Noivern reports back with the ambush location. In the meantime, I suggest you all prepare yourselves for raiding!”

As everyone scattered to get their gear, Smeargle turned to me. “I want you at my side during this raid. Only a poisoned rose is strong enough to protect me from danger this time. I trust you will not disappoint me, Rosel.”

“N-no, I shan’t, Your Roguishness. I would lay down my life for you.”

“Good. When this raid is successful, I shall have to promote you. Loyalty and strength are rewarded, after all.”

“I look forward to the end of a raid with three new trophies in our prison, my lady.”

“Do not flatter yourself, Rosel. And while outside of the Palace, you call me Roguishness, no exceptions. I cannot simply have my word being undermined, you understand.”

“I understand. I shall prepare myself for the raid, Your Roguishness.”

“Permission granted. Do not fail me during the raid.”

Assuring her that I would not fail during the raid, I went off to find Smithy Chesnaught. He had been working on my new weapons.

My first raid as a Marauder! I could hardly look forward to it. One day, the world will come to fear my name.

Maybe I can strike her down during the raid… and take her place.

I grinned deviously as I figured out a perfect way to take Her Roguishness out of the picture.

She’ll never see it coming… And neither will our next prizes.

 

[LtMagnum]

Chapter 1-4 felt very uneven. There is no real introduction to Spark and Wind. That would be fine IF you had a link referring to the series preceeding Refracted Differences. There is unnecessary changes of mood of characters which really hurts Azur and Spark's characters (Azur and Spark did not sound too serious when Spark was wounded).
Chapter 5-8 were improvements but I did not like the adding of non-Pokemon characters (the dragons) because it hurts the some of the spirit of PMD. I do find the Killian to be a very interesting group and I find some of the middle age fantasy influence quite interesting such as the 7 forms of Magic.

 

[Sparkfire]

The sun was beating down on us as we travelled through the imposing valleys, reflecting off the surface of the snow. The wind blew furiously, twisting and winding through all the cracks and openings in the cliff walls. As we weathered the elements, I found myself struggling to keep pace with Wind and Spark. A natural shortcoming of spending 900 years in isolation, I suppose.

Wind seemed to notice me struggling a bit, as he slowed down to fall beside me. “You doing okay, Azur?”

“I am… not used… to walking so much,” I replied, winded. “How… do you… do this every day?”

“Your body will strengthen over time. If you need to take a break, Azur, we can.” He looked at me. “After all, you are a part of the team.”

“I will… be fine, thanks.”

“Are you sure? You’re quite out of breath.”

“Yes. I am sure, Wind.”

“Alright…” I could tell he wasn’t fully convinced.


After several hours, I slowed down considerably. I was having difficulty breathing from all the walking. As I struggled to keep moving forward, my vision began to blur and the world began to spin. Eventually, everything went dark as I fainted from overexertion.

---

When I came to, Wind and Spark had set up a small camp of sorts. Spark seemed to be busy cooking a meal, while Wind attended to watch duty. I saw his ears perk as I slowly lifted myself from the ground, and he rushed over to help me.

“Easy does it, Azur. You pushed yourself too hard. You don’t need to prove anything to us, you know.”

I wanted to reply, but I was still out of breath. I simply looked at him instead. A look of worry and compassion was spread across his face, and he had a canteen of water in his paws.

“Here, drink some of this,” he said, handing me the canteen. “It’ll help you recover quicker.”

I took it and drank a bit of water. He was right; it did seem to help.

“See? There’s nothing a bit of water can’t solve. How are you feeling?”

“Still a little dizzy…” I replied. “I might need a bit more time to recover.”

He nodded. “We’re going to spend the rest of the night here. Spark and I will take turns keeping watch. You can never be too safe.”

“I see. Are you sure we should not press forward and get out of here?” I asked. “If what you say is true, then the Marauders-”

“I am a little worried about the Marauders, but more so for your well-being. After all, we can’t go anywhere if you aren’t in top condition,” Wind answered. “Besides… I don’t believe they’ll come after us. While they do claim this part of the mountains, it’s also the most difficult of their territory to defend. And even if they do, the location we have is easily defendable. They wouldn’t risk it when we have the advantage.”

I didn’t mention it, but Wind didn’t seem so sure of that last bit. Maybe he didn’t believe himself? Regardless, his words were somehow comforting. He reminds me of my master, in a way.

“Wind! Azur! Dinner’s ready!” Spark called. “I made some delicious Frivals!”

I got up, feeling much better. That seemed to lift Wind’s spirits quite a bit. He followed me over to the fire.

“So you’re feeling fine now, Azur? That’s good to see!” Spark seemed in good spirits. Then again, Wind tells me that’s normal, although her reaction when we first met wasn’t very… pleasant.

Wind took a few bowls out of his bag and scooped the Frivals into them. “I assume you already know this, but Spark is one of the best cooks on the planet.”

“I did. And I must ask how a quadruped like her managed it. It is… surprising, to say the least.”

Spark giggled. “You wouldn’t be the first to ask, Azur! The most I can tell you is I’ve always had a knack for cooking. My parents used to be supportive of it… but then I expressed the desire to evolve into a Jolteon over a Flareon like the rest of the family.”

“Really? Why?”

“I guess they were disappointed in my choice, since I’d be the first in 9 generations to not become a Flareon,” Spark explained. “But.. I think I made the right choice. My siblings all got themselves killed because they thought they could swim in lava. I miss them, sometimes.”

“They… don’t sound like the brightest Pokemon,” I said.

“They weren’t. It’s a shame, too. They all had promising careers ahead of them.”

“I am… sorry, Spark.”

“Don’t be, Azur. I was always the outsider of the family… And now I’m the last of the family! Funny how things work out, huh?”

“I worry for you with that attitude, Spark,” I replied.

“It’s not so bad. I met her parents once. They didn’t seem like pleasant individuals,” Wind piped in. “Anyways, there’s more Frivals in the pot if you want them, Azur.”

“Thank you, Wind.” I took more Frivals out of the pot as Wind settled himself by Spark. “So, have you thought any more about your future?”

Spark looked at me questioningly. “Our future?”

“Yes. Wind and I were talking about it on the ride over the mountains.”

She glared at me. “Yes well, that is kind of a personal question, Azur. And considering you aren’t quite kin yet…”

“We’d prefer not to continue along this topic,” Wind finished. “At least, not until you’ve been with us a bit longer.”

I looked at Wind.

“I’m sorry, Azur. But let’s pursue a different topic for n-”


KABOOM!

We all jumped.

“What was that?!” Spark yelped.

“It’s them.” Wind replied. “It’s the Marauders. We might be in trouble…”

I shivered. Wind and Spark had greatly discussed the Marauders before we set off. Their successes against legendary explorers, their iron grip over the Mist Continent… They are going to be quite the opponent. If only the Crystal Magics were any good for fighting…

“We’ll have to fight our way out of here. You have a plan, I’m sure, Wind?” Spark asked.

“They’ll be looking to split us up since we’re an unstoppable duo together… So don’t go running off into the fray of battle. We’re fighting defensively. Azur, do you know how to fight?”

I shook my head. “Not very well. My master always believed in being peaceful. And under Lugia, It was about deception.”

“Then stick close to us.” He summoned an Aura Blade. “You ready Spark?”

With electrical power flowing across her body, she nodded. “They’ll regret picking a fight with us.”

We left the tent to see the entirety of the Marauders surrounding our campsite. As we surveyed the scene, a Smeargle walked up, a Kadabra and Roselia at her side.

“So. You are the fools that decided to travel through my territory. It will be the last mistake you make. You have a decision here. We can do this the easy way, with your surrender, or we can do this the hard way.”

“There’s only one way we’re doing this. You came for a fight, right? Well, that’s exactly what you’re going to get.” Wind replied.

“Then you will be humiliated, like the rest of them. Marauders, enjoy yourselves!”

It didn’t take very long before the once calm valley was filled with chaos. Pokemon flying, left and right, as they all tried to knock us out. I was tripping over myself trying to avoid getting hit as I tried to stick close to Wind or Spark.

A dragon flew overhead, grabbing my tails as he took off somewhere else. Panicking, I struggled with him.

“If this is the best ya’ve got, then this be the easiest capture ve ever had! Ya’s be a sad specimen of a Pokemon!”

I continued to struggle against his grip as he flew away from the battle. He suddenly veered right, and I saw the last sight I ever expected to see.

“DO NOT FEAR, AURORA. I SHALL RESCUE YOU!”

“Master Lugia!”

My captor seemed to come to a halt as Lugia arrived to the battle.

“A legendary…? Me word, ‘Er Roguishness vill be delighted to ‘ear I captured ‘er a legendary!”

He took off again, this time circling Lugia. I couldn’t hear anything else as the wind howled around me, deafening any sounds. I couldn’t really see anything either anymore, because the dragon captor had sped up so much I couldn’t open my eyes.

What is Master Lugia doing here? I thought he hated me…

After some time, I felt myself free falling. There was no longer any support from above. Rolling onto my back to protect my eyes, I opened them to see the dragon, a Noivern, trapped in Lugia’s mouth. He was screaming in pain, though I couldn’t hear it due to the rushing air.

Lugia suddenly nose dived down, dropping the Noivern in the process. He quickly gained on me. I braced for impact, but landed surprisingly easily as he flew under and caught me.

“M-master Lugia… what are you doing?”

“I HAVE COME TO APOLOGIZE TO YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS FOR MY ACTIONS AT SNOWFIELD. IT WAS UNFAIR OF ME TO ATTEMPT TO TAKE THEIR LIVES WITHOUT EXPLANATION.”

“M-master Lugia… Thank you! But Wind and Spark… they are still in trouble!” I cried. “We have to help them!”

“FOR YOU, MY DEAR, ANYTHING! LET US MAKE HASTE!” Lugia turned and started flying in the direction of the Redcliff Valleys we had been fighting in. I prayed to Arceus that the Krillian Marauders had not already defeated them.

But there was still one thing on my mind…

“Master Lugia… Have you been following us since we left?”

“YES, ALTHOUGH I HAVE BEEN FAR BEHIND. IT WAS BECAUSE OF THAT NOIVERN I WAS ABLE TO FIND YOU.”

“I see… We should be getting close to the valleys, now, right?”

“AFFIRMATIVE. I CAN SEE THE BATTLE NOW. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO APPROACH IT?”

I thought about it. Going straight in would likely scare the Marauders, but it would also be hard to maneuver. Finding the entrance to the valleys would only lose precious time. That meant…

“We’ll have to fly over their heads. Aeroblast should have no problem scattering them, right?”

“THIS PLAN LEAVES YOUR FRIENDS IN HARM’S WAY.”

“But it is the only one that guarantees their safety, as well. Wind’s no fool… If he sees you, he’ll grab Spark and take cover,” I explained. “It’s the best bet.”

Lugia nodded in agreement. “VERY WELL. LET US BEGIN!”

Lugia charged his Aeroblast. As we flew over the battlefield, I heard a few Marauders yelp in terror as they saw Lugia. He and I both smiled. Without warning, he launched Aeroblast. Several Pokemon went flying. Some into walls, others into the air. Lugia caught some of the ones thrown into the air, and crushed their bodies with his feet. He prepared another Aeroblast. Just before he let this one loose, we heard a pained screech followed by a bright flash of light.

“SPARK!”

Lugia immediately launched Aeroblast again upon hearing Wind’s despair. We saw a few more Marauders get thrown around everywhere. Seeing that the battle was clearly over, as those that survived were retreating, Lugia landed in the valley.

I hopped off his back and immediately ran to Wind’s side.

“Azur… you’re safe. Thank Arceus…” he mumbled.

“Thanks to Master Lugia. Are you ok? Do you need help?”

“Lugia saved you…?”

“CORRECT,” Lugia bellowed.

“Thank you…” he murmured.

“Are you ok, Wind? Do you need help?” I repeated. “You look pretty beaten up.”

He shook his head and went over to Lugia.

“The Marauders… they took Spark. I’m going after them,” he said.

Lugia and I were shocked. After all this, he wanted to go after them again?

“LUCARIO, IF YOU GO AFTER THEM, THEY’LL ONLY CAPTURE YOU AS WELL.” Luiga flexed his wings. “AN ASSAULT ON THEIR CAMP WOULD BE DANGEROUS, EVEN FOR A LEGENDARY LIKE MYSELF.”

That didn’t seem to deter Wind. “You don’t have to come with me. All that matters is I’m going after them. I need to save Spark.”

“LUCARIO…”

He looked up at Lugia, anger filling his eyes. “After all, there’s nothing more dangerous in this world than an angry Lucario. The Marauders are going to regret this.”

“Then I am going with you, Wind,” I said, resolutely. “You will need me at your side.”

“THEN I SHALL ALSO ACCOMPANY YOU,” Lugia exclaimed. “AFTER TRYING TO KILL YOU BACK ON SNOWFIELD, IT IS THE LEAST I CAN DO.”

Wind looked at us. “You may be forced to battle me to bring me back to my senses. Are you prepared to do so?”

“Whatever it takes, Wind. Now let’s go rescue Spark.”

 

[Sparkfire]

I have to admit, for the 900 years I’d been with Lugia, I’d never flown with him before. And if Spark hadn’t been missing, I probably would have enjoyed it.. As it was, I was desperately trying to stop Wind from leaping off Lugia. My most recent attempt was freezing him to Lugia’s back with my ice. Typically it’s very tough, but I could see the cracks forming quickly. He seemed determined, and yet…

He had almost no sense of reason left. It was almost as if his resolve had been blinded. Whether by rage, or something else… I do not know.

I snapped out of my thinking as Wind broke free of the ice. I scrambled to catch him as he bunched to leap again. I caught him with my teeth just as he started plummeting to the ground below. His momentum caught me by surprise and I almost fell off. Thankfully, Lugia banked in time to save me.

“AURORA… YOU REMEMBER YOUR PROMISE TO HIM, CORRECT?”

“Of course, Master Lugia. I may not be a battler… but I will do everything I can to protect him from himself when the time comes,” I replied. “I already have a small idea on what I will do…”

“VERY WELL. DO YOU SEE THE CAMP AHEAD?”

I looked where he was referring. While we might be overhead, I could still see a series of small blobs with a larger building more visible at the center. There was also a wall around that conglomeration.

“I do. It looks really well protected.”

“THAT IT IS. WE WILL BE LANDING JUST OUTSIDE. IT WOULD BE UNWISE FOR ME TO STAY GROUNDED. I WILL DROP THE TWO OF YOU OFF, AS I MUST RETURN TO MY DOMAIN. THERE ARE SOME CHORES I MUST ATTEND TO. I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK.”

Without any further words, Lugia landed behind a decent cliff face. Any closer, and we would have been spotted. I helped Wind off Lugia’s back, though he didn’t seem to need it. His aura flared up as he hit the ground, indicating he was ready to roll. Lugia took off shortly after.

“Azur… It’s not long now. Soon, I’ll lose my mind. You have to stop me once Spark is free.”

“But… how? I am not a fighter… I lack the ability to defeat you…” I said.

“There is… a way. Azur… Topazei… Topazei is…'' he fell silent as he collapsed. Topazei… what could he possibly mean? I picked him up, still thinking about his message.

I walked for a few hours, carrying Wind through the treacherous and unforgiving mountains towards the Krillian homebase. The wind howled… the mist descended. It seemed as if the world itself was preparing for a massive showdown. I set Wind on the ground, careful not to knock him awake. I scanned the camp defenses from a nearby cliff.

And then… Wind leapt awake. His eyes were glazed over, almost filled with a fury like no Pokemon could ever imagine. His aura burst forth, creating a pair of uneven, jagged blades in his palm. He leapt straight off the cliff and into the camp, shattering the gate into pieces. Knowing what I must do… I followed him.

Deciding not to jump off the cliff, as I likely would not have survived, I made my way down the long way. I walked into the camp to see it set ablaze with blue flames. Pillars were falling, there were corpses strewn everywhere. As I looked around, I saw Wind pierce three bandits with his blade, discarding them as he jumped towards the inner camp. He knocked over a pillar when I tried to give chase, which blocked my path forward.

So this is the power of a Lucario at its strongest… Is there even any way I can help Wind in this state? I turned to look for another way through, though a nagging voice kept telling me to help these poor Pokemon. I tried to reason against it; they were bandits, after all. And yet… I could not bring myself to simply ignore Pokemon who were hurt and dying.. These were still Pokemon… even if they were evil. Espan had taught me never to overlook a Pokemon that needed help

Preparing my limited skills in Water Magic, I began searching for survivors. It was tough, navigating the burning camp. Since so much of it was falling apart, I had to go through buildings and find different paths through. There were a few times I had to jump back to avoid flames… Or dodge a stray Aura Sphere… Or other events like that. A few survivors attempted to fight me, but collapsed quickly, and died shortly after from their wounds.

As I wandered through the flaming camp, finding nothing but dead bodies and discarded tools and weapons, my attention was caught by a few moans under a pile of rubble. I quickly made my way over and started moving rocks, one by one. I reached through with magic to keep them alive for the time I toiled.

By the time I had freed the Pokemon’s face from its prison, I was a mess. My pristine fur which I had always kept so clean was now covered in mud and dust… my paws were all scraped up, and I was pretty sure that my hind leg was bleeding. But the Pokemon, Chesnaught, was free, and I was more relieved about that.

“Ugh… and… who are you?” it said. I could see he was in pain.

“Please, do not talk. I am Aurora. I may have saved your life.”

“Aurora…? You are not one of us.”

“Indeed not. I have come here to help a friend of mine, but I cannot in good faith leave Pokemon hurt and dying. Even if they are famous criminals.”

“You are… too kind,” he said, out of breath. “I don’t deserve your help.”

I helped him out of his armor, which was pinned by the debris. “Nonsense. Every Pokemon, no matter how terrible, deserves a chance at life.”

“Ah… My thanks… Aurora.” He stood up, shakily. “I must … make haste. Our prisoners… they are in danger. I must free them… for her… Roguishness…” He stumbled off. I was tempted to follow Chesnaught. But my concerns fell more onto other matters. He would be fine.

I continued scavenging the camp as I made my way further in. The further I went, the more destroyed everything was. I began to lose sight of where I was due to all the smoke. I had never been one for hearing though, so I decided to cast Detection to watch my surroundings. It was still difficult with all the smoke, but it was easier going. No more lifesigns, though. I remained careful as I pressed on.

“Lady Smeargle! You must flee! It is not safe for you!”

“Nonsense, Kadabra! I will make short work of this Lucario.”

I perked my ears, and headed in the direction of the voices. Or… would have. The path was filled with rubbles that would surely tear my paw pads apart. I decided I would need to go the long way. I searched for an empty-ish path, and headed down that road. I stopped at what appeared to be an arena. It was surprisingly untouched, standing tall and proud amidst all the destruction, and yet…

Approaching the agape door, I glanced inside. A sense of eeriness hung over the abandoned room. With no other path through, I gulped and forced myself inside. As I entered, closing the door behind me, I got a clearer view of the scene. Where there should have been corpses… There were instead only scattered weapons and broken orbs. I scanned ahead using Detection, and located three lifesigns beyond the door at the far side of this seemingly endless hall.

I slowly started to make my way across the room. My footsteps echoed around the chamber, bouncing off the walls, only to be interrupted by the sound of my own breath. Although I could feel myself moving, it seemed as if every step took me farther from the other end. I became filled with a sense of dread… As if I would never escape this place.

While my breath quickened from fear, I forced myself to continue advancing. As I grew nearer the door, the floor became strewn with more shattered orbs and discard weapons. Despite my fear, I reached the door. I tried to open it… and failed. Something was blocking it.

I sensed a disturbance as one of the lifesigns disappeared. I leapt out of the way as a Smeargle came crashing through the wall, shattering it. Almost immediately, the feeling of dread took over. I fled to the nearest corner in time to see Wind enter the room, discarding a body from his blade.

“Haack… haack… Seems I underestimated your raw power. If I could tame you… We would truly become unstoppable!” Smeargle ran at Wind. She seemed to truly be an artist as she battled… moving with grace through the air and creating attacks with her tail.

“Taking me into the Krillian Arena to do battle was ballsy, Lucario. But you forget-oomph!” She was cut off as Wind hit her stomach, slicing it partially open and sending her back to the opposite wall. She scrambled away as Wind leapt at her.

“I’m the leader of the Marauders. If you think I’m going to lose to y-” She got hit by another attack, and scraped the skin off her back as she skidded across the floor.

She should spend less time talking and more time fighting.

Smeargle got up again, bleeding, but clearly not beaten. She glared at me for a moment, before turning back to Wind. “You should be helping me, you know.”

She ran at Wind, again moving gracefully through the air, despite her stomach wound. This time, however, she seemed to have learned her lesson and actually anticipated Wind’s move. In one of the most fluid movements I’ve ever seen, she dodged his attack, landed behind him, and prepared a strike. Only… She was caught off guard as his tail slapped her.

“OW! Hey, that’s not fair! You need to fight by-Oomph!” She got slapped again, as Wind turned to face her. “Ok, that’s it.” She sketched herself a blade. “It’s payback time!”

Wind let out a howl of pain as Smeargle struck him, slicing his right ear in two. I slowly got onto my bleeding paws, preparing to interfere. As Wind and Smeargle continued their fierce battle, I engulfed the room in a Blizzard.

Save him from himself… you can do that, right Aurora? Espan taught you how to deal with feral Pokemon, you just need to remember what it was.

My thoughts were cut off as I narrowly avoided one of Wind’s blades. Then, there was a blood-curdling scream. I killed my Blizzard in time to see Wind dropping Smeargle’s body on the ground.

And now, the only thing between Wind and total annihilation… was me.

 

[Sparkfire]

Shivers went down my spine as I slowly backed away from the raging Lucario. My thoughts were whirling through my head… How do I do this?

I jumped out of the way as Wind leapt full force. He hit the wall, causing it to collapse. As the light shone in, it was easier for me to anticipate his next move. I rolled, and his aura blade came whooshing over my head.

Arceus help me… what do I do? I'm not a fighter… I'm a healer…

I jumped back and tried to teleport away. No luck, as he interrupted the process, sending me flying. I slammed into a burning wall outside the arena. Painfully, I got back on my feet. Thinking quickly, I dove behind a pile of rubble to figure out my next move.

Teleporting isn't going to work… And I can't fight him in this form. I could maybe try a Blizzard, but I don't know how well that'll go…

I snuck away, keeping as low as possible once I heard his growling. It seemed in his insane state, he didn't think to look for aura signatures. I hid behind one of the mostly intact buildings charging up a Blizzard. If I could just freeze him…

The building exploded. I got thrown back quite some way, but not far enough that I couldn't see him leap high into the air. Fearing the worst, I scrambled to my paws and ran towards a different collapsed building, again charging a Blizzard.

It is… impossible to tell where he is. Can I really do this?

Flicking my fourth tail, I unleashed Blizzard and engulfed the camp in a flurry of snow and wind. I shivered. While it would make it easier for me to hide, it would not last forever. I needed to find a permanent solution… and fast. I slunk into the heart of the blizzard, where I would be most in tune with the howling winds. I reached out with Detection, intent on tracking the mad Lucario. Except… there were more presences than I had hoped.

The prisoners…

My heart sank. Not only did I need to stop a rampaging Lucario, I also had to protect 30... 40... 50… 60 some Pokemon from him. Not exactly the easiest of tasks. My best hope would be to distract toe to toe with a Pokemon that could easily kill me… I gulped and steeled myself.

I took a few deep breaths and killed the Blizzard, revealing my location to the mad Lucario. He charged right at me, aura blades tearing up the ground. I leapt onto the skeletal remains of a small building. Unable to turn fast enough to pursue, he skidded into and through a wall. It collapsed under his weight and momentum, and much of the smoldering building with it. Pokemon screamed out… and went silent.

The Pokemon- I must hurry!

I ran through the collapsing building, charging an Ice Beam, knowing it would not be enough to defeat Wind. It was necessary, however, as it would distract him from slaughtering innocent Pokemon. As the exit drew nearer, there were screams. Fearing the worst, my pace hastened. I burst through the wall, firing my Ice Beam. It struck true, and Wind froze, his Aura Blades piercing a poor Rhyperior. Laying next to him were a Gallade and Roserade, having been slain moments before. I quickly went to tend to the dying Rhyperior.

""Ugh… To die here… At least the others can escape."

I worked to pull him off the blade, following every bit of my training to stop the bleeding. "You are not going to die here, Rhyperior. I have trained in the healing arts for a long time."

"No… I have fulfilled my duty. The other prisoners… They will escape. They will survive."

I quickly hushed him. "I will not let you die, Rhyperior. Please, conserve your energy." Running my paw along his body, I continued the healing process, even as he tried to push me away. His body slowly regained its strength, and the wound in his chest closed. He smiled. "You're a talented healer." Rhyperior got to his feet. "If you insist, I will not die here. Now then… we've got a Pokemon to defeat. Ready, lady?"

SMASH!

In a dazzling blur of ice and rocks, Wind broke free of his icy prison. Noticing this, Rhyperior growled. "It's payback time!"

Blade met horn as the two met each other. Despite having a type weakness, Rhyperior did not seem deterred. "You're gonna need to do a little better to beat me at my best!" I took cover as rocks began raining down.

The mad Lucario was unimpressed. He kept slashing, slowly chipping away at Rhyperior's armor. Rhyperior grunted, and pushed back. I scrambled from my hiding spot as the Lucario was thrown into it. Wind tried to get back on his feet, but Rhyperior slammed into him first, sending him flying off. Shaking, I made my way to Rhyperior's side, intending to heal his current wounds before Wind returned.

"A-are you alright, Rhyperior?"

"It's nothing, my fair lady. This Lucario is no match for the mighty Rhyperior."

I shivered. Rhyperior was awfully full of himself, for someone who'd been on death's door just minutes ago. Scanning the area via Detection, I noticed Wind was not within range. Trusting my instincts, my paws swiftly moved away from the battle site as Aura Spheres rained. I skidded to a halt, noticing Rhyperior hadn't followed me.

I turned to look, only to see the rhino engaged in a fist fight with the jackal. Rhyperior punched his foe, grinning widely. His grin faltered as it did nothing. He kept punching, slowly realizing that his attacks were becoming less effective. His grin turned to fear as the insane Lucario knocked him down and summoned back the jagged Aura Blades.

No no no… This cannot be happening!

The Blades came down. I shut my eyes… and heard a resounding crack. My instincts told me to run, but my body would not move. I was paralyzed. His footsteps came closer and closer. They got louder. I flinched, prepared to die this day.

A thunderous sound crackled through the air, and the footsteps stopped. "Azur, move! My paralysis will not hold him for long!"

My mind snapped back to reality, and I scrambled. I jumped up a ledge, in the direction of the voice. My heart skipped a beat… it was Spark, safe and sound. "Spark… You…"

"Just repaying a favour, Azur. Now let's sort this mess out… I want my partner back."

I nodded. "I shall heal you as much as I can. I am not a fighter."

Spark smirked. "Then just stand back… This isn't the first time I've dealt with him."

Spark leapt off the ledge, her fur crackling as she surrounded herself with jade lightning. The very atmosphere seemed to change as the skies clouded over and the light disappeared. Rain began to pelt the earth, and the battle between the two partners raged with every drop. I watched intently as Spark gracefully avoided every blow. As the duel continued, the way Spark fought reminded me of someone. A Pokemon I was close with…

---

"Do not worry, my love. I am only doing what is right… "

Espan left and weaved through the buildings, his crystal blue fur reflecting the moonlight. Ninetales followed him through the labyrinth city, twisting and turning until she could barely keep up.

Time passed. The duo arrived in front of an imposing, yet majestic, marble building that seemed to split the very sky itself. The Ninetales of silver colouring shivered as the foreboding doors of oaken origin opened, inviting them inside. Espan turned to his lover, who was standing tall and proud beside him.

"My dear… Please take a seat. I wish for you to watch me stand victorious."

"But I want to fight by your side!"

"I know… but I have not taught you the ways of battle. Your destiny is to be a healer."

"Then allow me to heal you! I can help you!" Ninetales' tails lashed violently, striking the towering columns outside the coliseum.

Espan sighed. "I cannot allow you to interfere… Please, I shall be fine."

"But that is impossible to ascertain! You must let me aid you!"

"The ringmaster will not allow it. And neither shall I. I can not bring myself to place you in harm's way."

Minutes passed. As the bickering continued, Espan and Ninetales each getting progressively agitated, the arena slowly filled up. Pokemon took their seats, and the show sirens began to sound.

Espan, hearing this, decided to end the argument quickly. "My dear… Nothing would please me more than having you fight by my side. But, for your sake, I must do my duty alone. Please… do not quail."

Ninetales wanted to retort, but instead nodded sadly. "I worry for you, my love."

"You worry in vain, my dear. I shall triumph."

No more words needed to be said. Ninetales went to find herself a seat. Espan, on the other hand, entered the massive, dirt-filled arena. He shivered.

"AND NOW, we have our challenger, Master Espan, facing off against the reigning feral challenger… Pasen the Mightyena! Only one will leave the arena… BEGIN!"

The Mightyena leaped, snarling. Espan was unfazed. His tail flicking, he gracefully dodged the attack. As the Mightyena flew by him, he ran his claw along the Pokemon's side, leaving deep wounds. A quick howl of pain came from the Mightyena.

The audience cheered. Espan paid it no mind, focused on his task. He continued anticipating the hyena's every move, countering its every move. The Mightyena bared its yellowing teeth… the stench of many meals polluting its nasty, plant-wilting breath.

Espan stood fast, his ears pressed to his head and his tail calmly flicking through the musty air. As the feral canine charged at him again, Espan jumped. His movement was so fluid that he seemed to be swimming… The audience gasped in wonder, the excitement bouncing off the walls, though the tension was not so easily defeated. It quickly overtook the room, silencing the cheering audience as Espan landed gracefully behind the Mightyena.

"Pasen, my old friend… I am sorry for what I must do…" the Espeon whispered. "I hope you can find it in your spirit to forgive me."

Espan shed a single tear, out of view of the audience, and spun around quicker than a Baltoy in a windstorm. His paws clenched, and his claws slid out. In a flash, there was no sound. The Espeon had torn through the Mightyena's throat, leaving barely but a shred of skin left connecting the head to the rest of the body. The feral Pokemon collapsed, dead and mangled, to the uproarious applause of the audience.

The Espeon took no joy in his victory. He had come to accomplish a single goal. He searched the aud-

I was violently ripped from my memories as Spark grabbed my scruff. "No time to be lost in thought, Azur! I need you to go protect the other Pokemon, I can handle this!"

Shocked, I scrambled to my paws, and started to run off in the direction of the exit. The buildings and fire blurred together as I raced against the clock. And yet… My instincts told me I couldn't leave Spark behind. Thoughts whirred through my head. I had a promise… and I was about to break it. But what could be done? Shaking my head, I pushed them away and left the destroyed campsite, leaving Spark to fend off the mad Lucario alone.

 

[Sparkfire]

I raced back through the flaming camp, looking for Team Raider. They, as suspected, were among the prisoners of the Marauders. And yet, they hadn’t followed me as I led the rest of them to safety.

Team Raider’s tough… even if they have engaged Wind, they’ll be able to hold out. The rest of them will be safe for now… I simply can’t leave anyone behind.

My fur crackled with every movement, sparks flying off with every step. I leapt aside as flames swept by, roaring as the prison caught fire.

Drat… That was the only path through! Well, no choice but to push onwards… I’ve got to rescue Team Raider!

I took a deep breath, and plunged into the inferno. It was surprisingly cozy… Not too hot, and didn’t seem to lap at my body. The flames almost seemed to recoil from me… Intriguing. As I made my way through the burning prison, I caught sight of Rhyperior battling.

I deftly dodged a stray Rock Wrecker, and left the prison. I quickly jumped atop a nearby ledge, intending to survey the battlefield before challenging Wind myself. Unfortunately… that also gave me a clear view of Rhyperior getting knocked off his feet… and crushed beneath the weight of Wind’s Aura Blades. I looked further to see Azur flinch.

Wait, Azur!? I quickly fired off a unique Thundershock Wave. I followed up with two Thunder Waves, completely immobilizing Wind, and saving Azur.

“Azur, move! My paralysis will not hold him for long!” I shouted. She scrambled away, and leapt up onto my ledge.

“Spark… You…” Azur murmured, clearly relieved to see me okay.

“Just repaying a favour, Azur. Now let’s sort this mess out… I want my partner back.”

She nodded. “I shall heal you as much as I can. I am not a fighter.”

I smirked. “Then just stand back… This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with him.”

Seeing her nod, I leapt off the ledge as Wind broke free of his paralysis. As he turned, growling, I felt a powerful force well up inside me. I suppressed it, as I was not looking to kill my dear partner.

The air changed. It became very stormy… and it poured. The earth rumbled, and the lightning struck. It seemed as though the very planet itself was battling at my side.

So… Here we are again. Wind, I will save you!

I dodged to the side as an Aura Sphere came whizzing by. A few more followed it, but they also missed their target, instead hitting the rubble piles behind me. My fur bushed out as the thunder boomed overhead, and I quickly shook it down.

My paws carried me through the air and over the ground. With the wind at my back, and Wind at my side, I sheathed my claws. Just a knockout… I wasn’t looking for anything else. I continued to scrape and dodge attacks with ease, never letting a single one strike me.

Hmm… There is always the chance he gets bored and goes after the helpless Pokemon I led out of camp. I should send Azur out to lead them away from here, to a place they won’t be found. That will give me the time and space I need to defeat Wind.

I launched a quick paralyzing bolt at my partner, knowing it wouldn’t hold him for long. Then I jumped back to the ledge, where Azur was simply staring off into the distance. A sigh escaped my maw.

“No time to be lost in thought, Azur! I need you to go protect the other Pokemon, I can handle this!” I growled, grabbing her scruff and tossing her out of the way. She scrambled to her paws, and raced out of the area. Watching the last of her tails disappear into the flames, I turned my attention back to Wind. He broke out of the paralysis again, launching a barrage of Aura Spheres.

As the raging Lucario swapped back to Aura Blades to get me at close range, I jumped back into the area, ready to continue my battle. He swung, over and over, getting fiercer each time.

Despite that, I continued to run around the ring, gracefully sliding under Wind’s blades. He growled, clearly distressed that he kept missing. The enraged Lucario leapt into the air, and started trying to take me down from above. I smirked.

Another lightning bolt struck the ground. I jumped onto it before it disappeared. Running along bolts, I took the battle to the skies. My fur crackled as the bolts continued to strike. I fired a few Thunderbolts, before jumping across a gap to land on a different bolt. The enraged Lucario was lost trying to follow me, but continued launching attacks anyways.

Much fiercer than last time, I see. Still, I will save him.

I jumped from bolt to bolt, crossing distances at heights that would make most Pokemon faint. The ground stared up, waiting for me to make one miscalculation and plummet to my doom. The winds howled as Aura Sphere after Aura Sphere came flying at me, each missing their target or getting evaporated by lightning.

Soon enough, we both found ourselves in the heart of the thunderstorm. I continued avoiding Wind, countering when I was able. Though his growls got louder and louder, so too did the thunderous skies. Sensing an opening, I jumped at him. My surprise attack forced the Lucario to drop his weapons, and we tussled on the cloudbed for some time.

In an attempt to dislodge me, Wind rolled off the cloud, and we both plunged down to the ground. While I was expecting it, the act was still enough to catch me slightly off guard. I pushed off of him and jumped onto the lightning, using it to descend as we continued fighting.

Alright, enough playing around. I won’t go full force on him as I don’t want to kill him, but it’s time to end our little battle.

I jumped off my bolt, firing a Thunder as I hurtled towards Wind. The combined force of my Volt Tackle and Thunder sent him crashing into the ground. A giant cloud of dust surrounded his impact site, and a rather large crater replaced what had previously been a couple burning buildings.

I gasped, realizing that despite my best effort, I’d tapped into my stored power, and had done more damage than intended. Hitching a ride on the lightning, I returned to the surface safely. My paws carried me over to my partner. I breathed a sigh of relief… Somehow, he was alive.

I worked to get him onto my back --Not the easiest of tasks, given he was stuck in the ground-- and made my way out of the ruined camp. His body draped across mine, weighing me down.

I didn’t realize Wind was this heavy… He doesn’t eat too much. Maybe I’ll talk with him about it when he’s better.

Leaving the ruins was more difficult with Wind on my back, since I had to maneuver him around the collapsed beams and narrow walkways. It took a couple hours, which was more than enough time for the storm to pass. Wind shivered. Though he was unconscious, it was clear he was cold. That wasn’t a good sign. It meant his time was running out.

Picking up my pace, I started making my way to Redcliff Town. I’d surely run into Azur along the way. I’d have to apologize to her for my actions… Even though she’s only a healer, she’d shown great courage in, well, not fighting Wind, but standing up to him. A smile crossed my face as I decided then and there to officially extend an invitation to the core team. Yes, she was on the team, but more in the way that Heliolisk was on the team. A recruit… and she proved to be far more than that.

 

[Sparkfire]

The room was rather cozy. Wind lay on a bed in the center, resting peacefully. Nearby, Shaymin bounced around gleefully. “He’ll be alright, don’tcha worry! He’s under the care of the greatest Grass Magician alive, after all!” It did a few loops in the air. “Now come on, Jolteon! Follow me!”

The Jolteon exchanged a glance with her vulpine companion, before following the Shaymin. He excitedly guided her around his workplace. It was littered with lots of papers and instruments, though they didn’t look like they’d ever been used.

“And here’s my office! We can discuss payment for my services inside!” Shaymin shouted. The office in question was just as messy as the outside. The Jolteon noted pieces of a long-forgotten lunch sticking out from under the desk, looking a nasty shade of black. She gagged.

“So… I got something to talk with ya about, Jolty! About your eyes!”

“My… eyes…?”

I shook myself out of the sudden trance I found myself in. I looked at my back; Wind was still draped over it. So why had I seen him laying down in what seemed to be a healer’s bed? And who was that Shaymin?

I continued walking through the empty valley, searching for Azur. Despite having fought my partner several hours ago, the sky was still dark. The clouds we’d fought on were still overhead, almost moving with me. Every now and then, lightning cracked the earth.

I wish it could brighten up. Even for a Jolteon, navigating in the dark is no easy task.

The air sizzled. Perking my ears, I adopted a quick battle stance. I let a growl escape as wings flapped in the sudden silence. No response. I cautiously took a few steps forward. The sound got louder. The lightning struck again. In the brief moment of light, I could see the silhouette of a large bird circling around.

I grimaced. Deciding that whatever it was didn’t seem friendly, I figured I should get out of here before anything happens. Making sure Wind was securely draped across my back, I started running. As I raced through the valley, the cliffs and boulders became nothing more than a blur. I sped up, wanting to get out before nightfall.

A loud boom sounded overhead. Spotting a series of lightning strikes nearby, an idea flashed in my head. What if I took the lightning into the clouds? Realizing that even if I would be safe, Wind’s body would never be able to handle that much pure electricity. I shook my head, and dismissed the idea.

Just keep going, Spira. Azur and the others can’t be too far ahead of you.

_____

A few hours passed. The skies were still rolling with me, but I’d escaped the labyrinthian valley. Despite all the clouds, I could still tell it was getting late. Locating a small overhang, I resolved to spend the night here. It was quite cozy. Enough room for my partner and I to sleep together. I dug out a small hole, and carefully dumped Wind into it. Looking at him, he seemed so cute. Him laying there, with his golden fur… Breathing softly under the lack of starlight...

Damn it, Spira, you can’t be thinking about the future right now. He could be dying, for all you know!

I climbed on top of him. Not enough space in the hole, and I sure wasn’t going to sleep exposed. I nuzzled into him a little, trying to get warm. As my muzzle dug into his thick fur, I purred. Although he was unconscious, I started to feel much calmer. He had that effect on me… Was it any wonder I kind of saw him in a more romantic light?

Content, I started to drift off to sleep. The wind blew gently over me, lulling me even further into the depths of the dream world.

“G’night, Lex…”

____

Aurora and Spark arrived in front of a large hamlet, in the center of a pit surrounded by red cliffs. It was, fittingly, called Redcliff Town. The buildings were all very rough, almost primitive, compared to Noe Town’s elegance. The Jolteon’s attention, however, was captured by a large, unnaturally green building to the side of town.

The building, when compared to Redcliff Town, was beautiful. Large coniferous trees lined the entrance. Each tree towered was a deep green shade, contrasting with the red of the cliffs. The plant life, too, contrasted with the native brown flora of the Witherwood Savannah.

As the two Pokemon stood there, a small white and red deer-like Pokemon exited the doors. It bounded over to them excitedly.

“You made it safely!”

Aurora looked at him confused. “You were… expecting us?”

“Yep! A good friend of mine told me!” Shaymin beamed. “And now you’re here!”

The Ninetales simply stared him down. “Well, regardless… We have no time to play with a kid such as yourself. Our friend is dead. We must hurry him to a Grass Magician before it is too late.”

____

A surprisingly cold breeze awoke me from my dream the next morning. I shivered; my fur was not nearly as thick as the average Jolteon. I carefully climbed off of my partner, not wanting to injure him any more than he already was.

I started to sniff him after the night, just to be safe. I didn’t smell much, which was rather comforting. Still… a bad feeling hung over me… I quickly ran my paw along his body, checking for a pulse. Nothing. I looked at his maw. There was no breathing. I gulped. That could only mean one thing.

My partner was dead.