Episode 6: To Girage Field ~ Crystal’s Dilemma
Episode 6: To Girage Field ~ Crystal’s Dilemma
Silence fell for a long while. The group must have walked for over half the day without a single word, during which time Vergrace was gone in the distance and their scenery was changing. Crystal appreciated the quiet. She had the time to let everything that had happened soak in.
The beautiful, windy scenery that surrounded Vergrace flattened into green plains that had the occasional small hut or woodland in the distance. Everything looked far away from the dirt road they had to guide them, the tracks on said road telling of the many Pokémon who had trekked here before. Their destination looked to be in the distance, though it was a blurry silhouette of structures that barely peeked over the horizon.
“So, nobody’s gonna talk about all that?” Ruby finally spoke up. “I’m kinda still mad about it, y’know.”
“It’s getting late, so we might have to think about camping,” Azu said, rubbing an arm.
“Hello? We really not gonna address the Copperajah in the room?” Ruby raised her voice.
“Th-there’s a Copperajah?” Shelly gasped. “Wait, we’re not in a room.”
“No you idiot!” Ruby slapped him. “What the heck happened back there?”
“I… think it’s better we don’t,” Azu proposed. “The sun’s setting. Let’s focus on camp.”
“And pretend that one of us didn’t just murder a Pokémon?” Crystal cried. She didn’t expect herself to sound so loud, and shook with irritation.
“What? That’s not the problem!” Ruby objected. Crystal’s eyes widened.
“How is that not a problem?” Crystal cried. “Ruby, what?”
“The problem is that I was the only one to stand up for Lucca,” the Cyndaquil stated. Mimia barked and growled at her. “And the doggy bear, too. But yeah, why’d everyone else get cold feet?”
“Why do you think? He chopped a Pokémon’s head off. He killed somebody, Ruby! Ended their life. That Pokémon is never going to be able to do anything ever again,” Crystal stated.
“Crystal, you’re defending an evil guy like Evark. Or guys? Does he count as two Pokémon? Whatever. Point is, he deserved to die, yet all the other Pokémon are treating us like we’re the bad guys? And all of you guys got all scared an’ stuff?”
Crystal wanted to argue, but all sorts of feelings stood in the way. It wasn’t fear like Ruby seemed to think it was, but anger, confusion, and whatever other feelings came with troubled thoughts. No cohesive sentences came to her besides a want to peck Ruby right now.
“It’s a very grey situation, but Ruby is right, in a way. From what I’m made to understand, Evark was an intelligent feral who probably consumed countless young Pokémon and destroyed many habitats by draining their Bestia. When it comes right down to it, Heroica is definitely a better place without him,” Azu explained. Crystal looked up at her with terror on her face. “But most of what Evark did was actually within the law. Lucca was the one to step out and completely break the law.”
“It’s against the law to stop bad guys?” Ruby cried.
“It’s against the law to kill another Pokémon while within a town, village, or notable habitat. Pokémon are free to do what they want outside of civilised areas, so long as it’s not proven to be for personal malice,” Azu corrected, tapping her chin. “And despite that, it was clearly a desperation move, an act that needed to be done that no one else was willing to do.”
“Exactly. So what’s the real problem? Why didn’t anyone else stand up for him?” Ruby bounced angrily.
“I… I get it. I just… did you really have to… you know?” Crystal struggled.
“Yeah, I do have to agree there,” Azu finally turned to Lucca. “Did you have to kill him so gruesomely in front of everyone else like that? I’ve observed ferals before and even I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I did something I’m used to seeing, so I didn’t think much of it. This may not be my place to say right now, but I am sorry. I mean it,” Lucca stated. He rubbed the back of his head and turned away. “Where I’m from, a quick finish like that was a basic way to survive.”
“You don’t know how to shop at a store, and a critical kill is basic survival? Where in the world do you come from?” Azu asked. He raised a flipper to answer, but everyone’s horrified faces stopped him.
“S-sorry. I can’t say,” he replied quickly, turning his back. Mimia whined, too.
“Urf. Look, I appreciate what you did. You really saved our fur back there. But from here on… try not to jump the blade, okay? Knocking Evark out and putting him in custody would have been just as good a solution,” Azu suggested, and sighed. “We’re all shaky and on edge. I say we set up camp early and try and get a good night’s sleep.”
“The sun is starting to set,” Shelly added. Mimia barked walked off.
“And that’s the other thing,” Ruby butted in. “You! Where the hell were you?”
“M-me?” Shelly gasped.
“Yes you! After what we talked about, too!” she raised her voice. Shelly staggered and covered his face.
“I-I’m sorry. H-h-he looked really big and strong, a-a-and, a-and—” he squeaked.
Ruby started growling at him, making him squeak even more. “You little…”
“Don’t go killing him now. He’s done nothing wrong,” Lucca commented.
“Not funny. At all,” Crystal breathed out.
“Sorry. What’s your deal with him, anyway? You can’t really blame another Pokémon for being scared,” Lucca wondered.
“Yes you can, especially if the kid’s supposed to be a Shining Warrior like us. What kinda hero gets scared by another Pokémon?” Ruby rambled.
“I was scared by a lot of Pokémon when I was younger, too. Most bigger Pokémon are way stronger than me. Your Flamethrower couldn’t compete with Evark’s, after all,” Lucca explained. That seemed to shut Ruby up completely, but not in the way anyone expected. She didn’t make a sound, she just turned her back and walked off. “E-er… Ruby?”
“Forget it. Just setup camp already,” she grumbled.
“Gosh. All I said was she lost the battle,” Lucca rubbed the back of his head again.
“She’s really sensitive about being stronger. She’s probably going to be shooting lots of fire into the sky tonight,” Crystal informed.
“I didn’t say she was weak, though. She’s not. Just wasn’t stronger than a Zweilous,” Lucca corrected.
“Oh, I was wondering about that. Ruby!” Azu called out, getting the Cyndaquil’s attention. She signalled her over. “Do you have any idea how your fire even works? I mean why you can shoot Flamethrower without using Bestia.”
“I dunno. Guess I’m just special or something,” Ruby said boastfully.
“Well that was a quick recovery,” sighed Crystal.
“But how? I can’t think of how a Pokémon could use that attack at such a power without using Bestia. The energy just constitutes too much to the attack,” Azu swayed side to side. “Is there anything weird about it? Like some secret trick you do to use it, or is it something you eat? That sort of thing.”
Ruby tilted her head. “I dunno, I never thought about stuff like that. It was always just somethin’ I had to do, so I made an attack outta it, and now I’m just good at it.”
“Something you… had to do?” Azu repeated, still thinking hard.
“Yeah. Er… this is sorta embarrassing, but I’m only tellin’ ya ‘cos you’re the smart one, yeah?” Ruby said, blushing a bit.
“Eh? Secret’s safe with us,” Azu replied blankly.
“If I don’t shoot fire, my belly gets kinda big and starts to hurt, like, a lot. If I shoot lots of fire, I feel better. It doesn’t work if it comes from my back. It’s been like this since forever,” Ruby explained. Azu’s mouth hung open and her face started to brighten. “I hate it, it makes me look fat no matter what I eat or how much I exercise, and nobody believes me. But if it makes me strong, I don’t really care, either?”
“No other Pokémon has anything like that, though. And I’m telling you, it’s because you dunk yourself in the river so much,” Crystal cried.
“The river? Oh my gods—” Azu choked and made them all turn to her. “Ruby, this is a super long shot, but by any chance, are you good at swimming? And holding your breath?”
“Yeah? I guess. Most Pokémon seem surprised that I can,” Ruby mumbled, clearly getting unnerved by Azu’s growing excitedness.
“How long can you hold your breath?” Azu asked.
“… Thirty minutes?” Ruby answered blankly.
Azu let out a shrill scream that made everyone except Shelly cringe. “Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before how could I miss that! It’s so obvious, and yet still it’s- No! One more test. I have to confirm!”
“Confirm?” Ruby gasped.
“Do you mind if I try a little something? Please? I may be able to explain your powers!” Azu squeaked, bouncing eagerly. Ruby and Crystal exchanged glances.
“It’s not gonna be weird is it? What do I have to do?” Ruby wondered.
“Just stand tall and hold still, okay? This’ll only take a second,” Azu instructed.
Ruby did as she was told and stood up tall on her hind legs, but she was clearly unnerved as the aqua bunny walked behind her. Like this, everyone could see exactly what she meant by her belly being rounder than expected. Crystal didn’t care as much as most, but it was very clear that Ruby had a lot of extra weight on her, as her belly sagged and the pudge of her cheeks could be made out.
Azu suddenly squeezed Ruby from behind, making sure her hands pressed deep into Ruby’s stomach. It looked like the contents of her belly had been pushed up to her head, and that came out as not only a loud belch, but a ball of fire larger than her whole body. The fireball arched and blew up before it hit the ground, where it burst into a huge star shape made of flames. Even though she flinched well away from it, Crystal could feel intense heat and embers, and had to shield her face.
Azu gave another shrill scream, and this time bounced on her feet. “I was right, oh my gods I was actually right! Excuse my language but, but, aaiieee! I can’t believe it!”
“Gaah! What is wrong with you- don’t do that!” Ruby snapped. Her face was completely red. Amongst the excitement, Shelly had burst out laughing.
“Was that Fire Blast? That was incredible!” Lucca remarked. Mimia was equally impressed.
“That wasn’t incredible, you could’ve made me barf!” Ruby cried. “And what’re you laughing at?”
“That! That wasn’t a Fire Blast, that was a Fire Burp!” Shelly giggled into laughing again.
“Fire bur- that’s not funny, that’s gross! Stop laughing at me you little- grrr!” Ruby cried out. She couldn’t stop blushing, so she gestured to hit Shelly, who shrunk and dove away. “Azu, what the heck?”
“Okay okay, let me explain, ‘cos it’s a doozy!” Azu said, still bouncing. “Where do I even start? I guess, the stuff about me and you. Ruby, what you have is a thing called a fire gland.”
“A fire gland?” Ruby cocked her head.
“Yeah. We water type Pokémon have them too, but in our case, they’re called water glands. They’re an organ we use to create and store the water we use in our water type attacks, and fire it out at high power,” Azu began, and patted her belly. “Me, Crystal, and Shelly’s would be in our bellies. Lucca’s would be near his nose, as that’s where his water comes from.”
“Weird,” Ruby commented. Lucca rubbed his nose out of curiosity.
“But fire types aren’t meant to have glands like that. Fire Pokémon don’t normally store fire in their bodies like that, you know? Contrary to belief, not even Cyndaquil!” Azu continued. Ruby tried to look behind her, curious as well. “Because you have this gland, it’s a bit like a birth defect, shall we say? Your body doesn’t know what to do with all that fire, and it makes more fire than you can fit in you, so you have to exhale it. Because you have to exhale it, you can essentially shoot Flamethrower without the power boost from Bestia. What you’re doing isn’t a Pokémon attack at all, but just you getting rid of excess fire in your body!”
“Oh really? What would happen if I didn’t exhale it?” Ruby asked.
“Then you’d explode, of course,” Azu stated. Crystal was more surprised by how blunt that was.
“It’s… wait, is that actually why I’m fat?” Ruby asked. “Fire’s just like… brewing in me, bloating me up like a balloon?”
“Probably. It’s mostly in your belly, after all!” Azu stated with a hand on her hip.
“That’s… a good thing, isn’t it? Ruby, you’re healthy after all,” Crystal remarked. The Cyndaquil didn’t respond. She seemed too surprised.
“Now the other thing. The reason you have a fire gland, and your ability to last underwater. You’re what we call a ‘watermarked’ Pokémon,” Azu continued. “In ancient times, there existed an extraordinary class of water Pokémon that called themselves the Undine. The stories say the Undine were only allowed to breed with each other, so that their powers could stay within the race. If an Undine bred with anything other than a water type, that child would become watermarked, and have water related abilities they aren’t supposed to have. The parent Pokémon were usually banished from the Undine, and the children killed for their defects.”
“Whoa. Then I can’t be that, can I? That’s just an old story,” Ruby gasped.
“But the proof is right here in you. You’re a fire type with a fire gland, you can swim, you can hold your breath longer than even some water Pokémon despite being fire type… I’m certain, you’re a watermarked Pokémon!” Azu announced. “I didn’t even know they could be fire type or have powers like yours! There’s so much I could learn from you, I’m all excited!”
“Don’t get your hopes up, I’m not plannin’ on being a lab Rattata,” Ruby shifted away. “That stuff’s good to know, but I sorta don’t believe it, to be honest.”
“I should show you a book on Undine if we find one. I have loads back at my lab, but I didn’t bring any with me,” Azu reasoned. “E-er, only if you want to and stuff, of course. I know I’m a scientist without much fame or success but…”
“Not that, I don’t care about that,” Ruby shook her head. “All I care about now is that this stuff isn’t gonna stop me getting stronger. If it’s true and I’m not actually overweight, then that’s good to know.”
While she spoke, Shelly snuck up behind and hugged her the same way Azu did earlier. Ruby yelped and made another fire burp, though this one was noticeably weaker than the first. It still set Shelly off laughing though, and the leaf on his headband glowed yellow.
“You- little- son of a—” Ruby growled and stomped the ground. Shelly already took off though. “Don’t do that! Get back here you stupid kid!”
“Why is he… oh never mind. At least they’re getting along,” Lucca sighed and shook his head. “Beats the gloomy mood from before.”
“Don’t talk like you’re off the hook!” Crystal cried.
“I know, I’m not. We got a bit off track there. Got to set up camp, remember?” Lucca stated. Mimia barked out loud, and they all turned to see two tents already set up a little ways away from the main road. “When did you… ah, that’s Mimia for you. Thanks buddy!”
“Oh great. There’s only two tents again. Who sleeps where?” Ruby asked. “And no funny business. I’ve got my eyes on you now, fully.”
“I know, I won’t,” Shelly giggled.
Thanks to Shelly and Ruby’s little game, the group were able to settle quickly. Crystal knew not to act sour as they ate and went to sleep, but the dilemma wouldn’t leave her mind the whole night. Not just Evark’s death, but her inability to help the scene in any way.
I’m not cut out for this, she concluded, lying down with her head poking out of her tent to watch the stars. Ruby was already snoring away beside her. I couldn’t fight the Lycanroc, I barely got to help Mum, and then I brought Evark to Vergrace… I should have done something. I really should have done something.
She shifted a bit to see if she could spot the others. Lucca and Mimia slept very close to each other. In fact, they were huddled together so closely they looked like a large, fluffy loaf. Azu was bundled up outside their tent, curled up to look like an egg, too.
Geez, I should’ve eaten more. Lucca was right… even though this tragedy happened, life’s still moving. We have to keep going. Why did I get picked as a Shining Warrior? She sighed and rolled back. Ruby was gone. Huh? Where did she?
It didn’t take much shifting to spot Ruby sneaking away. That wasn’t of any concern, at least until Shelly showed up close by, too. The duo were sneaking away from the tents, prompting Crystal to sit up.
“Where are they going?” she whispered to herself. What if it’s dangerous? What if they go too far and get hurt?
Still, something told her not to make herself known. Once they were a good distance away, she got up and followed, using their silhouettes in the darkness to guide her. They concealed themselves by a gathering of rocks – not that that was a very good hiding spot, in these plains. It did allow Crystal to get close enough to hear them though, hiding on the other side of the rocks out of their view.
“Alright, training starts proper now, you stupid kid,” Ruby began.
“Do you have to call me stupid kid?” he cocked his head.
“Until you stop running away from every fight we get in, you’re a stupid kid!” she reiterated. “First of all, you’re short. Shorter than me and Crystal! We gotta get some good food in you so you can grow taller.”
What does growing taller than me have to do with anything? Crystal cocked her head.
“I cannae eat much, though,” Shelly frowned.
“Secondly, that means every enemy’s gonna be bigger than you. Can’t be gettin’ scared of every enemy you ever fight, right?” Ruby tested.
“But how do I not be scared?” he asked.
“You dive in headfirst and try stuff out!” Ruby stated, and blew a bit of fire out. “Punch the bad guy. If that doesn’t work, stab ‘em with your weapon! If that doesn’t work, see if there’s somethin’ else nearby that you can use to your advantage.”
That… is actually valid fighting advice, Crystal cocked her head, surprised.
“Thirdly, always fight without remorse. Me and you are gonna fight right now, and fight like we mean it, too. Ready or not, here I come!” Ruby stated, flaring her back.
“Wa-wait a minute, I’m not—” Shelly squealed.
“Don’t care, feral Pokémon will ambush anytime ready or not!” she added, charging at him with the Parashelter.
His reaction took Crystal by surprise. Ruby was bumped back so hard she stumbled and nearly fell back, having to take a second or two to regain balance. Shelly held a wonder orb in one paw and a frying pan in the other.
“Where did you just get that?” Ruby gasped.
“I er—” he stuttered.
“Never mind, still fighting!” she shouted, breathing fire at him.
He shielded himself with the frying pan, but she kept up her attack. Crystal had the mind to jump in to help him as she could hear his growls and coughs. Before she could, Shelly dove to the side and rolled to his feet, one paw deep inside his wonder orb. He pulled a seed out of it as Ruby let up her attack, and threw it at her.
“What the—” Ruby choked as the seed popped at her feet. Out came spores that resembled dust and electricity, which showered the Cyndaquil. In a flash, Ruby was stunned to the spot, shivering with paralysis.
“Ah, that was a Stun Seed! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Shelly gasped and came to her aid. She growled and tried to brush him off, but was limited to jittery movements that couldn’t stop him. He dug into his orb again and pulled out a few more seeds, picking out the Heal Seed for her. She reluctantly accepted it, and was cured.
“Okay time out. What the heck?” she ordered and pointed at him.
“Huh?” he replied.
“What’s going on? Where’d the fry pan go? And where’d you get the seeds from?” she quizzed.
“Oh er… it’s my Treasure Orb. I can use it to pull items from my storage at home,” Shelly explained, showing her the orb. “Sorry… I did that on instinct.”
“What the he- you have something that freaking useful and you’re the one that’s scared of everything?” Ruby cried. “So what’re ya hidin’? Swords? Knives? Hammers?”
“Oh, there’s no weapons in there. I-I’ve trained to use a katana, but I didn’t get to take one with me,” he replied.
“Well, that sucks. Guess we better work on gettin’ you a weapon then, shouldn’t we? When we get to that next town or whatever. Until then, that frying pan will do the trick,” Ruby said.
They’re just training. Typical Ruby. She wouldn’t want me joining her, either, Crystal thought with a sigh. She shook her head. I’m the weakling that’s run away from every fight, too. And she’s right. I need to be stronger. From tomorrow onwards, I have to try.
The next morning…
The group were sat in a large circle, besides Lucca who was flat on his back rubbing his belly. In the middle was a pile of their edible supplies: a variety of fruit, berries, bread, and water. Seeing it all like this, Crystal was half tempted to dive right in and eat it all.
“Well that’s all counted. We have enough for about a week if we ration properly,” Azu stated.
“Does that mean we can eat yet?” Lucca groaned.
“Well, we’ve got to choose who gets what, and it’s only raw fruit,” Azu giggled as his stomach growled. She turned back to the pile and sighed. “Just, this could get old, fast.”
“I have an idea!” Ruby proposed and bounced up high. “Okay mister. Do your thing!”
There was a long moment of silence. “There are three misters here,” Crystal said.
“Don’t try to embarrass me,” Ruby snapped and smacked the back of Shelly’s head. “Who else would I be talking about?”
“Ow… sorry,” Shelly groaned as he approached their food.
“Huh? What’s this about?” Azu wondered.
“It’s part of er… somethin’ special. Yeah! Somethin’ Shelly said he wanted to show us, but he’s bein’ a scaredy Meowth about it,” Ruby announced. “So go on, do your thing! We’re all waiting,”
“Why do I have a bad feeling about this? What did you do?” Crystal asked, sweating.
“I didn’t do anythin’! It’s him who didn’t do stuff,” Ruby snapped.
The group were clearly as unsure as Crystal was, but Shelly seemed to get into what he was doing, examining their food pile. As he did, the leaf on his headband changed colours, mostly fading between yellow and green. It settled on a blinking green, and he turned to the group with an excited smile.
“I know what I can make. Ruby, could I ask you make me a fire?” he requested.
“You’re going to cook? Cook what? These are just berries and bread,” Azu gasped. Ruby obeyed him anyway, and got a small wood fire going.
Minutes later, Shelly was deep into his task. For someone who was normally so shy it was hard to feel his presence, Crystal was surprised to find him so engaged that he didn’t seem to care that everyone was watching. The group were expected to have a couple of berries each, but he only picked out four and a slice of bread for each of them, working with that and his frying pan.
“If you fry the bread on a certain heat, they’ll soak the juices from the berries, and then we’re left with the mash which we can spread like a condiment, which further fries into the bread itself… because it becomes like a sponge, the juice of the berries spreads further… it’s done!” Shelly rambled, lifting the pan to present his work.
Six slices of bread that looked waterlogged sat in the pan, toasted, smoking, and coloured like pecha berries. Lucca reluctantly took a bite, but his face immediately brightened, so Crystal braved a peck next. Just a teensy nibble and flavour burst across her tongue.
“This is really good,” she gasped, stuffing her face with it. A single slice of toasted bread wouldn’t normally do anything for her, but this one was so thick that she couldn’t manage nearly as much. The one slice filled her up, especially thanks to the surprising amount of berry juice hidden within.
“If only I’d known something so delicious could be made from such limited ingredients,” Lucca murmured. He sounded like he was drowning in bliss.
“Alright. I thought it’d be a laugh, but you win,” Ruby admitted. Even Mimia was making muffled sounds of bliss.
“It… is it really that good?” Shelly asked. His face was totally red.
“Yeah! Best thing I’ve ever eaten for sure!” Lucca cheered.
“You’re putting me to shame, I can’t believe this,” Azu added.
“Guess we have our designated cook?” Ruby teased him with a nudge, and then shuffled up close. “Crystal’s a more of a foodie than me. Make food she likes, and she’ll like you a lot.”
Shelly blushed even harder, but nodded.
Mimia started growling for some reason, and although the group didn’t think much of it at first, those growls quickly turned into barks loud enough that the group jumped in surprise. Crystal in particular glanced back and forth in the direction Mimia was facing, but there was nothing there.
There was nothing there at first, actually. She should have been used to it by now, but Pokémon were sneaking up on them. As soon as she noticed a few points where the grass blades were split, her heart raced, and she debated whether to hide behind the others or stay where she was so as to not surprise their attackers. Glancing up, a few flying types circled their spot, too.
“Oh boy, I was so hungry I overlooked that. The smell must’ve attracted ferals,” Azu said, slowly standing up. She reached for their tent without looking away, and retrieved her staff.
“You ready to try what we practiced?” Ruby whispered. She glanced back when she got no reply, and Shelly was already hiding behind the tents. “You freaking- alright whatever. Just me and you, Crystal!”
“Me?” Crystal squeaked as the Pokémon came closer. A pack of Poochyena and a flock of Spearow were their opponents. “Wa-wait, if I hit any of these Pokémon with my arrows, I could kill them.”
“You’re still worried about that?” Lucca cried. The group shifted together as the enemies surrounded them, keeping their backs together. “You don’t have to kill them, but you do have to fight.”
“But with weapons like these?” she replied. Her thoughts raced. “Even if I didn’t, I could really hurt them. I can’t cripple their legs, or—”
“Crystal get it together!” Ruby shouted, and the fight initiated.
Crystal was jumped on right away by a Poochyena, and it was more savage than she anticipated. For a hungry Pokémon attracted by the smell of sweet sauce, it had huge fangs and red eyes that could only be described as bloodthirsty.
She thrust her bow into its face as it tried to chomp down on her, and its fangs locked into the wood of the bow. She grunted in effort as she pushed back against it, while Poochyena snarled and drooled in her face, attempting to wrench out of her grip. Despite putting all her might into breaking free of this monster’s grasp, her efforts were useless. Poochyena drew closer and closer, growling with triumph as it soon got so close she could feel its breath on her face.
“Get away from her!” Shelly squealed. The next thing Crystal knew, a heavy wind whipped her, and a blur took Poochyena away. The next moment, all the growling and snarling had stopped, and the cool grass below was all she knew. The shouts and cries of a wild battle surrounded her, making her shoot to her feet and ready her bow again.
This time it was Shelly that was presumably below the Poochyena. She couldn’t see fully thanks to the grass obscuring the ground, but that Poochyena was fighting something at its feet. Without a weapon to push it back however, Shelly would be helpless. Crystal watched it try and take two bites from him before she freaked out, and her body began to move on its own.
Something took away her senses. All she could feel was panic. She drew back an arrow and just fired. She didn’t even feel like she aimed, and yet she hit her target critical. Poochyena made the shortest, most frightening whimper and then fell on its side. Only her arrow was visible from the grass.
“No… no, I didn’t mean to!” Crystal gasped.
“Nice shot!” Azu praised.
“No, not a nice shot!” Crystal squealed. She was shaking like a leaf, and spun around in fright. The battle was already over, with most of the feral Pokémon fleeing. Others were knocked out. “I… oh gods, did I…?”
She held her breath when the Poochyena twitched. It stood up and limped after its pack, whining the whole time. Crystal sighed and slumped. “Thank goodness…”
“Crystal, you’re defending the enemy Pokémon again,” Ruby confronted her. “Shelly just saved your butt, then you saved his, but aren’t you gonna say thank you?”
“Shelly just…” Crystal mumbled, and blankly turned to him. He was sat up in a daze, but his leaf was dark blue. “Wait a minute, what’s with that attitude? Ruby, I nearly killed an innocent Pokémon!”
“We’re not in a town, though. Remember what Azu said? That’s just self-defence,” Lucca stated.
“You’re one to talk!” Crystal screeched at him. She heard herself and snapped quiet, though she still breathed heavily.
“Stop being so pathetic! You’re a hero, a Shining Warrior. Just fight, damn it!” Ruby shouted.
“Ruby!” Azu silenced her. There was a long pause as Azu gathered her thoughts, then she stood tall and tapped her staff on the ground. “This is exactly why Pokémon aren’t supposed to use weapons. Weapons don’t use Bestia, and so don’t cause damage like Pokémon attacks do. Our bodies don’t resist weapons, and get permanently harmed. Crippling a leg, breaking an arm, likely even taking a life.”
“I just can’t bear it. If that were to happen to me, I’d hate it, too,” Crystal stared at the ground.
“Life’s a very valuable thing, and nobody wants to lose it to some meaningless skirmish like this, let alone lose a leg to it. Pardon me for this comment but… you’re a civilian. I realise that now,” Azu explained. “I should apologize. When I found out you guys were Shining Warriors, I didn’t account for who you really were beneath that. And you’re just a young girl who was thrown into this whole legend. It’s only natural you’d not be very keen on fighting.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, though,” Crystal looked up at her.
“You know what, I’m the same. I assumed all of us would be like me. I resigned myself to protecting civilians from having to fight, that’s why I killed Evark. So normal Pokémon like you wouldn’t have to try and make that decision,” Lucca stated, making Crystal gasp. He wasn’t looking at her. “I won’t blame you for hating me. All I ask is that you accept me making it my duty to protect you.”
“I don’t get it though. You’re the one who beat Suzie, you beat that Poochyena, you’re a Shining Warrior. You should fight like the rest of us!” Ruby argued.
“Says who?” Lucca challenged. “Shelly doesn’t fight either, and I won’t make him. We can still do our duty as Shining Warriors, but leave the fighting to me and Mimia.”
“I’m not gonna sit around and be a weakling. I’ll always fight by your side, Lucca,” Ruby promised, making sure she faced him head on. He smiled warmly at her.
“I really appreciate it, Ruby,” he nodded. She blushed and rubbed her face. “Crystal. You don’t have to fight from here on. I’m sorry for not noticing sooner. When the going gets tough, hang back and protect yourself – we’ll deal with the enemies. We’ll each have our roles on this journey, and fighting will be mine.”
“Can… can cooking be mine?” Shelly asked.
“After that meal, I doubt anyone has any objections!” Lucca remarked, getting a happy noise from Mimia, too.
“Speaking of, we should probably clean up our camp and get going before we attract anymore hungry ferals,” Azu suggested.
“Good call. Good thing the fire went out, too,” Ruby said, getting to work.
Crystal was left blank as the group got to work. A civilian? I’m just a civilian… They’re right. I can’t hurt a Cutiefly. But why does it hurt so much? They’re not calling me useless… Ruby obviously thinks I am.
The Piplup sighed and rubbed a flipper, only now noticing Shelly stood beside her, and jolted. “Sh-Shelly…”
“U-um… Lucca is r-right, you know, I think. You’re a kind lass, and it’s good to be kind,” he said. She sighed again, and watched the group clear up.
“I know he’s right. Thank you,” she replied.
“Hey, I know you cooked and stuff, but we did just fight. Get your lazy butt over here and help out!” Ruby cried.
“O-oh, right!” Shelly squeaked and bounced off. Crystal watched them with an empty expression, glanced at her bow, and then strapped her bow to her back.
