“Sheeelly? Oh Sheeelly? Oh, where has that laddie gone off to now?” a Steenee called out in a sing-song tone.
She walked down the brightly lit hall in small and quick steps, mindful of the armoured grass type Pokémon on patrol. The corridors of this place were as fancy as a palace, but their walls, floor, and ceiling were made entirely out of glass. That made everything humid and sunny hued, but the Pokémon were used to it.
“Princess Elise?” a Vileplume called out. She had a long lance, and tapped it on the floor. “Mind us lancers, we’re on patrol in this area. If you’re lookin’ for Shelly, some of the guards were saying they saw him heading for the lookout.”
“Of course he’d be there. Alright, thanks,” Steenee said cheerfully.
She skipped along while humming to herself in a new excitement, oblivious to the warning she’d just been given. Chespin soldiers, Bellossom maids, and Dartrix butlers slid out the way or curtsied to her as she passed, but she no longer spared them so much as a glance. Every single Pokémon here was a grass type refined by the environment. Roselia were taller, Bayleef were built with extra muscle, the Vileplume were giants, and more.
She didn’t even stop for the guards stood outside the lookout area. She pushed right past them, barged the double doors open, and then skipped to the edge of the balcony. “Shelly, oh Shelly?”
There he was, asleep on his back in the corner by the doors. Shelly was an Oshawott shorter than her who wore a headband adorned with a water drop pattern. There was a bright green leaf attached that flopped over his nose.
“Aww, you’re so cute sleeping out here! But sorry honey bunch, I’m gonna have to wake you,” she said, rubbing him. He groaned, stretched, and rubbed his eyes. “There you are. World to Shelly, nature’s calling! You awake yet?”
The Oshawott stared at her with a groggy, half-lidded look. She giggled and straightened his leaf so that it was out of his face. “Silly lad. You don’t remember what today is, do you?”
He replied with a yawn, and she pouted. “Aww c’mon, Shelly! What kind of husband forgets his own birthday?”
“Birthday?” He jumped. His voice was feminine and young, just a little lower pitched than hers.
“Yeah, don’t you remember? You finally hit the same age as me again. Mama said she’s got something special to give you this time,” Steenee said with a giggle. She curtsied and grabbed his paw. “So what’re we still doing sleeping up here? Let’s go!”
“Elise, I er… wa-wait. Sorry,” he whined. He stretched again. “S-sorry. I think I slept really badly. It’s been so sunny lately. It’s just making me really sleepy.”
“Well, I don’t blame you. We’ll take it slow, then. As long as we get to hold hands, I’m happy,” she said.
Shelly wasn’t sure about that, but the leaf on her arm glowed a pleasant green, just like his. “You really are happy.”
“I’m happy as long as you’re around, Shelly. I hope that never changes, too. I love you so much!” She nodded in glee, and then they were off. “You’re not hungry are you?”
“I’m fine. Just so sleepy,” he gurgled.
“Ugh, I can’t do all of this myself. Wake up already!” she pouted.
“I am, I am, sorry,” he said, and rubbed his eyes again. He fixed his headband so that it went over one ear and under the other. Then he noticed Elise was a little dressed up today, with her own glittery yellow dress and a large ribbon bow on her back. She had an armband to hold a leaf the same way as his headband held one. She carried weapons, too: a short sword and a one-handed shield shaped like an Oshawott’s scalchop.
“Do you have your Treasure Orb? Mama said you’ll need it.” Elise noticed him eying her weapons.
“Yeah… I keep it around.” He tapped at his sides, only to realise he left his bag behind.
A backtrack and a side trip later, and they were at the throne room. There was an unusual number of guards around for the occasion, alongside banners, balloons, and other typical celebration décor. The guards curtsied before letting them in, where a formation of Servine and Breloom greeted them. Those soldiers curtsied as they passed, too. A Tsareena was sat in the throne with one leg over the other, and gave them a gleeful look when they came close.
“I brough him, Mama! Just in time, too,” Elise said.
“Thank you, Elise. Welcome, you two,” Tsareena said. “And happy birthday, my dear Shelly. I apologize that it couldn’t be fancier. Things tied us up a bit this year, and to tell the truth, I’m afraid you might’ve started growing out of surprise parties.”
Shelly shook his head and put his paws together. “It’s okay. I’m more excited about why you called us here. Is something special happening?”
“Oh Shelly, you’re so modest!
You are the special one today. Ask your servants for whatever you want for dinner, and don’t hold back on snacks, either. Today is your cheat day, as we call it!” Tsareena said happily. “But yes, there was the matter of your all-important present. Two things that will hopefully last you your entire life. Bring it in, everyone!”
Shelly and Elise were confused as the giant throne room doors flew open once again, this time coupled with grand bagpipes and a few confetti cannons. A trio of Whimsicott wrapped from head to toe in scarves slowly escorted a Wigglytuff, and presented them with a twirl and a curtsy.
“This here is Kusha. She’s a fighter from the foreign land of Heroica. Shelly, she’ll be serving as your personal retainer from this day forward,” Tsareena introduced, and sat forward.
“Thank you, Queen Gladys,” Kusha replied, and bowed.
The moment that Wigglytuff spoke, Shelly froze. He had never seen or heard a Pokémon quite like her before, and he didn’t know what to think. Her balloony shape, bright eyes, easy colours, and adult voice confused him on multiple levels. The leaf on his head flashed a shade of dark pink for a moment, then blue, and then became a dim green.
“Uh, erm,” he mumbled, playing with his paws.
“It’s an honour to serve you, Prince Shelly. I hope I can do well to tend to your needs,” she said.
He wasn’t sure right away whether he liked her or not. Her tone felt inviting to an affectionate degree, but authoritative. Her being way taller than him only reinforced that point. Add in the huge axe strapped to her back, and he knew his days here would never be the same with her around. None of the Pokémon on the island used axes, so everything this Pokémon could do would be new to him.
He knew not to be rude though, and responded with a happy nod and smile. “N-nice to meet you.”
“Aww what? That’s unfair, why does Shelly get a retainer before I do?” Elise pouted.
“Now, now, Elise, this is an important day for you both, and Shelly especially. We are still working on finding a Pokémon to serve you, and your birthday is later on this year. You could learn a thing or two about patience from Shelly,” Gladys said. Elise puffed up her cheeks and folded her arms.
“If I may say, I don’t mind tending to you both as long as demands are kept within reason. As long as you’re married, it just makes sense to,” Kusha said with a smile.
“You will? Yay!” Elise cheered. “Don’t worry, I won’t hog you. Just try not to hog Shelly, too.”
Hog… me? Shelly cocked his head.
“If at any point you’d like to retract that, we will not complain. Don’t take advantage of her now, you two. And treat her with respect. Kusha is here to serve you, but also to look after you. We specifically chose her because of her fighting prowess,” Gladys said, and put a leg over the other. The group looked up at her in interest. “Your other present is the lifting of one of your restrictions. From today forth, you two are free to leave the Greenhouse Palace.”
“We can leave?” Elise squeaked, while Shelly gasped.
“I suggest you familiarize yourself with the rest of Van Aken. Talk to the residents, explore the island, and learn things first-hand. I understand that may seem like work, but I think you’ll enjoy it. You’re at the age where you can take care of yourselves on the outside, but Kusha is still here to back you up should something ever happen,” Gladys said. Even though her mouth was hidden behind that purple mask, it was clear she was smiling. And that brought a bright smile to Shelly’s face, too.
“Isn’t that great? We can finally leave the palace and stuff!” Elise threw her arms up. “Shelly! The first thing we gotta do is have a picnic. I’ve always wanted to have a picnic in the fields with you!”
“I want to see everywhere, too. I can finally see what’s behind those hills I can see from the lookout,” he said. His eyes gleamed as he thought of the possibilities. “We can get close to the ocean. And go to the village. And all that stuff behind the palace, too! Like that really cool foggy mountain—”
“Er, hold on there. The places behind the palace… aren’t for you.” Gladys leaned forward in her throne. “Those remain off-limits to you.
Especially the misty region. Stay well away from there, please. And don’t even think about divin’ into the sea, either. There’s no beaches around here, so the sea will be rough and just wash you away. On top of that, we’ve got no control of the feral Pokémon in that area. It is much too dangerous for a bairn your age.”
“Aww.” Shelly slumped.
“There’s still lots of stuff we can do. Let’s go right now.” Elise grabbed his hand. He laughed and ran with her, but they were stopped by the trio of Whimsicott from earlier.
“Can’t let you do that I’m afraid, prince,” said one of the Whimsicott.
“Tsk. Royalty are this rude?” Another Whimsicott shook her head.
“A spoiled child like you is about to learn a serious lesson,” said the third Whimsicott.
“Huh? What’re you doing? Please excuse us,” Elise said. Shelly stood back, confused.
“A Pokémon as weak as you would not last a day on the island,” said the first Whimsicott.
“As if that is your judgement? Get out of the way this instant,” Gladys said.
“No can do, Your Highness. If Shelly is to be with your daughter, then we must teach him an invaluable lesson about life,” said the second Whimsicott. The three of them slid one foot in front of the other, and they began to hop on the spot.
“O-oh no, are you going to fight us?” Shelly stumbled back.
“Van Aken is a harsh island. A weak, ignorant commoner and princess like you have no business there,” said the first Whimsicott as she revealed a wire whip from behind her scarves.
“Since the queen is foolish enough to believe you will treat our Pokémon well…” The second one revealed their whip.
“We’ll have to put you in your place!” said the third as it joined its allies.
“Are you serious?” Elise gasped. All she had to do was swipe her arms across her back and her sword and shield were equipped. “What is this? This is such a silly reason to fight.”
“Somehow, I doubt they’re going to tell us the real reason, if there is one. Stay safe, you two,” Kusha floated in front of them. All Shelly could do was make nervous noises and stumble back.
“You don’t need to worry about us. We do training for real battles,” Elise said.
“Your training will be nothing like the real thing. Let’s get ‘em, girls!” one of the Whimsicott rallied, and her allies cheered.
Elise hopped back as all three whips were cracked in her direction, avoiding them by a few paces. But then the Whimsicott moved before she could retaliate. “Wait wait wait, what gives? You’re actually fighting?”
They skipped into the air and swarmed around the trio, twirling with their jumps so that their scarves and whips twisted around them. They were fast enough to become blurry, so the trio stood in place and tried to watch them carefully, just as they had been taught.
Well, he had been taught, but reality still hit different. Shelly hid himself behind Elise and whimpered, even though he knew what to do. He couldn’t see the Whimsicott properly, but he could hear the snaps of their whips and their ghostly giggles. He sniffled and held back tears as his leaf gave off a purple glow. He didn’t need to watch them. All he needed to do was move away when an attack came his way and counter it.
They’re going to get hurt… they’re actually going to hurt me! he cried in his mind. Similar phrases repeated as his focus fixed on the battle. He couldn’t see or hear Queen Gladys or the other soldiers. To him, the scenery became totally black, while the only Pokémon were the Whimsicott, Elise, Kusha, and himself.
His breaths gradually grew frantic as their childish giggles echoed more and more. There was only one way out of this, and that was to brave their whips and fight back. Who knew how much they would hurt? They were sharp and made of wire, so they would surely wound him, too. He couldn’t deal with that, even if he won. And so he shivered and shrunk even further, on the verge of screaming and crying at the top of his voice.
One of the Whimsicott eventually stopped and cracked its whip towards Elise again, who shouted and thrust her sword at it fast. She couldn’t cut the whip, which wrapped tight around her arm and made her wince. “Argh, what?”
“Elise!” Kusha cried as she was pulled forward. Shelly’s heart jolted so hard it hurt, and his eyes glazed over in the moment.
However, the Steenee didn’t trip and fall over. She stumbled and pulled back hard enough to stop in place, and then leapt toward the enemy. Whimsicott gasped before her foot met its face, where she then spun to kick Whimsicott away with her other leg.
In the moment of attack, Kusha had made her move. She hopped up high and spun with her axe out wide, and struck the other Whimsicott while they were surprised. One by one, the three Whimsicott were brought to the floor with bruised faces.
“E-eek! You’re this strong?” One of the Whimsicott cried as she tried to get to her feet. Elise and Kusha were already stood over them with their weapons pointed. Instead of trying to continue the fight, the Whimsicott began to bow continuously. “I’m sorry, we’re sorry, we’re sorry! Please don’t hurt us anymore!”
“Wha-what? What’s this about? You darn crazy—” Just as Elise was about to go off on a rant, slow claps got their attention.
“Forgive me for the cheeky challenge, but bravo. An unexpectedly efficient takedown,” Gladys said.
“H-huh?” Shelly whispered. Reality slowly returned to him, but he was still shivering.
“Mama?” Elise cocked her head.
“I had a few of our soldiers pretend to be villains to test you and Kusha. There’s not much danger in Van Aken, but I still had to know you were capable of takin’ care of yourselves,” she said. “You’ve done very well. I won’t hold you two longer. Go out and have fun!”
“Really, Mama? All this was an act?” Elise said.
“Of course it was. Why would I sit and do nothing while soldiers try to kill you two?” Gladys said. She turned to the Whimsicott. “That said… perhaps we ought to work on your acting. That was a miserable display until you started fighting.”
“I figured,” Kusha said slowly.
“You’re tellin’ me,” Elise said. She noticed Shelly catching his breath, and put her hands on her hips. “You okay, honey?”
It took him a moment to look up. He still felt jittery, but one glance at Gladys and he forced himself to stop. “I-I’m good. Way to go, Elise.”
“Yeah, easy as pie is how it goes, right? Let’s get going before the day’s over,” she said, and dragged him away.
“Ah wait for me!” Kusha called out as she gave chase. She inhaled to inflate herself a little bit, and then skipped through the air similarly to the Whimsicott.
A little while after they left, Gladys sat back, sighed, folded her arms, and crossed one leg over the other. “I fear for my plans…”
“Your Highness?” a Breloom responded.
“Elise is something else. But Shelly, the wee lad’s softer than a sponge. I wonder if he’ll be able to do what we need him to do when the time comes?” she said.
“Well he is a male water type. I won’t claim to be familiar with the species, but I’m sure they mature far later than we grass types,” Breloom said. “I say that because training goes well. Truly, he ain’t far behind Elise in terms of skill.”
“So we need to bring that out in a real situation? Is that what you’re saying?” She uncrossed her legs.
“Would you have us set something up?” Breloom said.
“With your acting? Heavens no, I wish you could’ve heard yourselves. Observe from a distance for now. We can’t have Kusha feeling uncomfortable.” Gladys sat back and sighed again. “Two foreigners is dangerous enough as it is.”
…
Shelly and Elise slowed down when they got closer to the front of the palace. They had so little reason to go here that things already looked unfamiliar. The way the greenery levelled, from the wild foliage between the palace’s glass walls, to flat fields of flowers on the road outside, almost looked alien. They could see other grass types in the fields, just the same as the foliage.
Elise winced and released Shelly all of a sudden. He was confused until he stepped around to see her rubbing her arm, which was indented with marks. “You’re hurt.”
“A-ah, no I’m not. Just a little sore or something, nothing to worry about. I’m too tough to be moaning about something that small,” she said, and posed boastfully. He gave her a half-lidded frown, to which she turned away. “I do wish that if they were pretending to fight us, they wouldn’t have been so real though. Bampots, I swear.”
Now this was a calm situation he knew what to do in. He withdrew an orb from his bag, his trusted Treasure Orb. “Give it here!”
“Huh?”
“Your arm,” he said. She seemed surprised, even though this wasn’t the first time. She slowly held it out, and he held her palm delicately so that her arm was steady. He stuck his free hand into the Treasure Orb and rummaged through as if it was a bag, returning with a Heal Seed. He promptly crushed it and drizzled its powdery innards over her arm, making her cringe a bit.
“Well now, where did you get that? How resourceful,” Kusha said as she admired the spectacle. The damage quickly vanished from Elise’s arm like magic.
“Are you feeling better? You’ve gotten hurt worse in training,” Shelly said with a smile. Elise admired her arm, glanced at him, and then for a brief moment, her face turned red.
“Excuse us please. Let us through!” Elise shouted as she marched toward the exit. The guards at the front jumped, but to Shelly’s surprise, they didn’t question them. They moved aside and let them through.
What was that about? Aww, I hope I didn’t do anything wrong, Shelly moaned a little, and his leaf grew purple. As he stepped out after her, he had to shield his eyes from the sun as it gleamed through the clouds for a moment, and then slowed to a complete stop. “We’re really allowed out…”
Fields and hills to the left, a colourful forest to the right, and a village directly ahead. Each of those landmarks was a march away, separated by huge stretches of shimmering grassland and the occasional farmland.
“I can actually go here,” he whispered again. He had seen all this many times before from the lookout, but being out amongst it all was invigorating. The way the grass tickled his feet, and the sun’s heat felt natural rather than amplified by the greenhouse’s glass, made his heart race with eagerness.
“Yeeee, I’m so excited!” Elise cheered. “Where do you wanna go first? Where should we have our picnic, Shelly?”
“Me? Our picnic…” he muttered. “You’re asking me?”
“Yeah, of course! Wake up ya silly potato!” She put her hands on her hips. “Hee hee, you’re the one who has to eat the most. So you should take the pick. Aren’t you hungry?”
He hesitated. He hadn’t thought about it, but now that he was, he felt like he could eat a Trubbish. “I-I guess. I really want to explore, though. I want to try so many things.”
“A suggestion.” Kusha got their attention. “You two have never been outside of the palace, right?”
“Never. Mama wanted us to be warriors before we could. That’s why this is so exciting!” Elise threw her arms up.
“Why don’t you try the village first? You can get a meal you’ve never had before, and have that,” Kusha said.
“Try new food? That’s a good idea.” Shelly nodded. His leaf finally returned to its green glow, but switched to its bluish purple the moment Elise walked behind him.
“Well then, lead the way, wee warrior. I’m pretty sure it’s already the afternoon,” she said with a giggle.
“Wha? Why do I have to lead? I don’t know where I’m going!” he cried.
“Neither of us know where we’re going, that’s the point! But if we’re going to the village, ain’t it just the plot of houses down there?” she said.
“Er, I-I think,” he said, prodding the tips of his paws together.
“Only one way to find out. Let’s go!” she cheered again. He groaned but gave in, and marched.
The whole time, he kept his paws together or wrapped around himself. No matter where he looked, everything was green grass. The grass leading from the palace and across a few of the hills seemed to be shorter than those of the fields in the other areas, almost as if someone had intentionally trimmed it to make a road of some sort.
It was soft and easy to walk on, but the grass away from that makeshift road was taller than Elise. He walked as far away from that as possible and expected one of the supposed feral monsters to jump out at any moment. A little while into their walk and the grass beside them ruffled loudly.
“Waah!” Shelly shifted back. Elise instinctively stood guard over him, ready to pull her sword and shield at a moment’s notice. But after a moment, the rustling died down.
“It’s only the wind. There is no one there,” Kusha said.
“Aww. Were you scared, Shelly?” Elise said.
He realised he was leaning on her behind and shifted back with a blush. “N-no!”
“Your Gospel Vibe is purple,” she sung.
“Aww, Elise,” he whined.
“Hee hee hee. It’s okay, really! You don’t need to be scared as long as I’m around. I won’t ever let you get hurt. I’ll protect you with everything I’ve got!” she said. He slowly stood back up. “What kinda wife would I be if I didn’t?”
“And it is my job to provide protection for you both. You won’t need to get your hands dirty,” Kusha said.
“What does that mean?” Elise said, resuming their trip. Shelly held out a paw to question that he wasn’t leading, but quickly retracted with a sigh of relief. “Fighting doesn’t make my hands dirty.”
“It’s a way of wording things. I mean that as long as I am your retainer, you will never need to fight,” Kusha said. Shelly watched her leisurely float along with them with a paw on his lip. Her feet never touched the ground once.
“Aww but that’s unfair. How am I supposed to protect my Shelly if you’re the one doing all the fighting? I’m strong enough that I don’t need protecting, y’know,” Elise bragged. “In fact, you didn’t need to heal me earlier, I was totally fine. All that did was—”
“It doesn’t matter. As long as it is my job and as long as you are royalty, it is my duty to put my life on the line to the bitter end,” Kusha stated. “That said, I must admit I’m impressed. Your parry of the Whimsicott earlier was remarkable. And your determination to protect Shelly is admirable, too. Likewise, that orb of yours seems incredibly useful, Shelly.”
“Aww. It’s just an orb though, it’s not really me,” he said, scratching the back of his head.
But does it count as me since I’m the only one who can use it? It would be nice to be good at something for once.
“Don’t get a swell head, Shelly. She’s only saying that because she has to look good on her first day,” Elise said. “And also, you talk really funny, you know that? Why do you talk like that?”
“I don’t talk… oh, wait,” Kusha said.
“You talk funny! Your words sound nothing like ours. And you say stuff slow, too,” she said, hands on her hips.
I was wondering that, too. Her way of talking’s nothing like the Pokémon in the palace, Shelly cocked his head.
“You’ve never met anyone from another island, have you?” Kusha asked.
Elise rolled her eyes. “Hello? We’ve never left the palace. I’ve never seen any other Pokémon outside of books and paintings.”
Kusha slowed to a stop. “Truly? Not even visitors?”
“We’re not allowed in the room when visitors come to the palace,” Shelly added. There was a long pause.
“Well, to me, you’re the ones talking weirdly. Pokémon on Heroica speak very differently to the Pokémon here. That’s called an accent,” Kusha explained.
“Pokémon outside talk different? All of them?” Shelly said.
“It depends on where they’re from. What part of the world, and where they grew up. I’d say you two have a Van accent, while others would say I have Vilé accent.” Kusha smiled. “It’s interesting to hear all the different ways Pokémon can talk, but make sure not to laugh or joke about it, though. That’s immature.”
“Wow. I couldn’t imagine that. I thought Pokémon all spoke the same way,” Shelly said.
“Some even speak entirely different languages. That means their words are totally different, but they can mean the same thing. Like… hmm. In your country, ‘wee lass’ would mean ‘small girl’. Where I’m from, I guess it would be ‘shoujo’,” Kusha said. She put a hand below her mouth. “I’m prepared to be wrong on that though, so don’t quote me.”
“Kusha, have you travelled a lot?” Shelly asked excitedly.
“I’ve been here and there. You tend to get to places when you grow up strong. Her Highness is right about that,” Kusha said, and resumed their trip. Shelly’s face brightened though, and his Gospel Vibe turned green.
“You look super strong, and you sure know a lot. Tell me about the places you’ve been to, please? I really want to know!” He bounced.
“Well with your interest, wouldn’t it be more exciting to go there yourself?” she said.
“Please?” he whined.
She giggled, and her ears flicked. “O-okay, settle down, I will. They’re long stories though, so should we get a move on to the village and settle down first? We can talk over your picnic.”
“Hey, don’t try and invite yourself! Shelly’s mine. It’s
our picnic, you were never invited!” Elise shoved her way between them.
“Oh I didn’t intend to take over your show. But if you do want to hear those stories, I’m happy to tell them,” Kusha said.
“Aww, Elise. Don’t you want to know, too?” Shelly whined again.
“Well I d-do, but… oh stop moaning, laddie! We’ll find them out ourselves when we get out there,” she said.
“But Mama said we’re not allowed to leave the island. We’re only allowed around here,” Shelly said, going quiet. With all this chatter and marching, they had reached the village.
“That doesn’t mean we’re never gonna get to go out and see the rest of the world. We’re going to do that one day, you and me,” she said. She stopped and stood in his way. “You remember that promise, right?”
“Promise?” He began to sweat a little.
Oh no… what promise? Me and Elise have said a lot of things…
“We’ll talk about it in a bit. For now though,” she said, and looked up at the buildings.
The village was bigger than it appeared from the distance. It was more like a collection of giant hollowed tree stumps and large trees than a traditional village like he’d seen in books. Coastal winds ruffled treetops and brushed along the grassy paths like a wave, while general chatter and laughter came from all sides. It was so hot that it burned, yet the Pokémon went about their business unaffected.
Shelly and Elise stumbled in with confused expressions as liveliness took over. Bayleef stood behind stools selling items. A Lurantis marched while whistling a tune, which directed a number Fomantis after her. A group with Leafeon, Roserade, Leavanny, and Deerling strutted along pridefully, chatting aloud to each other. No matter where they looked, peppy Pokémon were all around.
“Look out below!” someone called out. Before they could discern where it came from, a Ferroseed plonked in front of Shelly, making him squeak and fall on his backside. The others flinched, but could only stare as the little steel type stared and blinked back. It was halfway buried in the ground.
“Sorry about that! I warned the wee ones about rolling when they’re up high!” the voice called out again. They looked up to find a treehouse overhead, though it was so high up that the sun made it hard to look at. A Ferrothorn slowly crawled down to greet them. “C’mon back up here you troublemaker. You’re gonna hurt someone if you do that again!”
Elise giggled a little as the Ferroseed began to roll away. A Simisage carried her back up the tree. “There’s so many Pokémon I’ve never seen before. They look so cool and funny.”
“Shelly, are you okay?” Kusha asked. He was still shivering on the floor.
“U-uh, e-erm, y-y-yes, I-I’m okay,” he said, scrunching himself up.
“Oh no… did you have an accident?” Elise put a hand to her chin.
“A-aah! N-no, no I didn’t!” He shot to his feet and his face turned bright red.
She giggled again. “Okay, that’s good. Let’s stop sitting like lemons and get this picnic on. You must be starving!”
“And e-even if I did, please don’t announce it,” Shelly whimpered quieter than a Whismur.
“What do you wanna get? Remember, it’s all your pick!” she said.
He felt a little ignored there, but her cheerful look calmed him down. She was better off not harping on about it, anyway. “Aren’t you going to pick something, too?”
“You’re the birthday laddie. It’s all you!” she said. She tucked her hands behind her and danced a little. “Seriously. I’m good. Whatever you want to eat, I’ll be happy with!”
“You two might want to try and decide quickly, too,” Kusha said.
“Huh?” Shelly responded, and then realised. The Ferrothorn and Simisage were still there staring at him. Several Pokémon had stopped what they were doing to stare and chatter amongst themselves, too. “U-uh, why are they?”
“You’re a water type wearing a Gospel Vibe. There’s only one Pokémon you could be to them,” Kusha said. She had a cheeky smile on her face.
“Oh yeah, right. We’re popular because we’re the prince and princess, Shelly! It’s the first time all these Pokémon have seen us, too,” Elise said, getting even bouncier.
“D-do they have to stare, though? I might have something on my face!” Shelly scrunched himself up. His leaf turned bright blue.
“Aww Shelly, they won’t bite you, hee hee,” Elise said. “Hey everyone! This is our first time here. Won’t you show us around?”
“I had heard that Queen Gladys’ daughter had been married. Is this really him? Are you truly Princess Elise?” A Leafeon asked.
“That’s me. And yep, my husband’s a water type Oshawott. Prince Shelly! C’mon, stop being shy laddie,” Elise said, and pulled him over.
“Don’t crowd around now. We’re busy Pokémon,” Kusha spoke above them.
Shelly laughed awkwardly and tried his best to look at them all, but couldn’t manage better than a few glances.
Oh no… I don’t want to answer questions. Or maybe they want me to do something really smart and noble. I can’t do that… I can’t hear them all either, there’s too many Pokémon talking, I…
He whimpered a bit and put his paws to his face. Breathing through his mouth, he tried to look as okay in front of these Pokémon as he could. All he could tell was that there were voices and excitement all around him, more than he had ever experienced in one place before. He couldn’t tell a word any of them said, not even Elise as she happily replied and shook hands with the villagers. He felt woozy and weak, and stumbled back a bit.
He expected to fall to the floor again, but instead, he fell into one of the most comfortable, cushiony feelings ever. He froze there, felt with a paw, and then twisted to look up. “Kusha…”
“Are… are you okay?” she asked, a little flustered. Somehow, he heard her on top of the crowd.
This felt strange, though. Unlike anything he had ever felt before. He rested on her side, and after a moment, he didn’t want to get off. As long as he felt her light, plushie surface, he felt like he was okay. She allowed him to lay there and bent forward to pull one of his paws away, but he held it.
Elise can handle this, he relaxed and sighed. She looked happy with all the attention, and the Pokémon looked happy with her, and that was enough for him.
He turned his attention to the edge of the town. From this angle, he could just about see the ocean, but noticed a gleam above it. A blue flare that blended with blue of the sky, only visible thanks to the clouds. But it grew bigger and bigger, like a flame was headed straight towards them. He stood up and forwards, and then grew nervous when he recognised it as a fire.
“U-um, guys?” he said. Nobody heard him. “Er, Kusha?”
“What’s wrong?” She looked down at him with a motherly smile.
“Can’t you see that? Shouldn’t we move? There’s fire? F-fire!” he gasped, pointing at it.
“Fire?” the Leafeon said, and then the crowd turned to where he was pointing. However, none of them moved.
“Guys?” Shelly shrieked. The flame was so close that they had seconds to react.
“There’s nothing there, though.” Elise cocked her head.
“Elise!” he shouted at the top of his voice as he dived into her. A moment later, the flame crashed to the ground with a deafening boom. The crowd cried out in surprise as a heavy wind blasted against them, scattering them all.
“Sh-Shelly?” Elise said quietly. He opened his eyes after a moment, finding his face very close to hers. She had a deep blush.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She took a moment to respond, but her eyes glistened. “Y-yeah, but, wha?”
“What was that?” he said as he got up to check.
There was a small mound where the flame had landed, but in its place was a Togekiss with its head buried in the ground. The Togekiss glowed like the flames for a moment, and then dimmed to its normal colours.
“What was that? Are you two alright?” Kusha gasped as she leapt over. Shelly moved to say something, and then flinched hard when Kusha jumped straight through the Togekiss to reach him. It was as if the Togekiss wasn’t there at all. “I can’t see any airborne Pokémon, and no Bestia seems to have been used. What kind of attack could that have been?”
“But it’s,” Shelly whispered. He was fixated on the Togekiss as it struggled to pull itself free, and froze completely when it did.
“Gosh, way to stick the landing, Angel. Urgh. Such a far flight for just one hero. This better be worth it,” she said. She searched left and right, and then brightened up when she locked eyes with Shelly, who shifted back and put an arm in front of his friends. “There you are! You’re in a convenient place right now. You ready to set off now too, or?”
“To… set off?” he raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah! Your necklace. Y’know, the Shining Warrior legend,” Angel said in a singsong tone. Shelly warily put a paw to his chest and flinched when he suddenly felt a necklace there. The amulet was familiar to him, too. He gasped, shuddered, and stared at Angel with a look of fright. “Hey c’mon, don’t gimme that look. Geez, I can’t believe only one of ya’s excited to be a warrior.”
“Wait Shelly, where did you get that? Wait, isn’t that?” Elise said, going quiet.
“It… it is,” he breathed out, and glanced back and forth. “Wait, where’s your one?”
“I don’t have one. Did that literally just happen right now? Were you just chosen as a Shining Warrior just like that?” Elise gasped.
“Oh er, disclaimer: nobody but you can see or hear me, kiddo. Sorry about makin’ everybody freak out with the crash landin’. I didn’t actually really realise other Pokémon were around,” Angel said with a laugh, and scratched the back of her head. “Big mission for ya though, and you’ve gotta go real soon ‘cos it’s a doozy. Ya gotta get to a place called Fossil Hill. That’s where the other Shining Warriors are.”
“Me? Just me?” Shelly said. He leaned forward and shook his paws. “Wait a darn minute, slow down. The Shining Warrior Legend, right? The whole thing about the magic fountains and the Bestia and stuff? That Legend?”
“Yep, that exact legend. But you’re the only hero here on this island, so you’ve gotta get to Fossil Hill to meet the others. They’re are already on their way there, and you’re the furthest away
and the last to leave, so you’ve gotta get going right now. Like, right
right now,” she said, and pointed at him.
Shelly glanced at Elise and Kusha, and then at Angel. “I don’t get it. Why me? Why just me?”
“Um, Shelly… you’re talking to yourself a bit,” Elise said quietly.
He gasped. The other Pokémon were staring at him again, so he went bright red and grabbed his head with both paws. “U-um, argh! Can we get some time alone, please?”
“What just happened? Is this the christening of a Shining Warrior?” Ferrothorn gasped. The crowd started to chatter amongst themselves, so Kusha stood in front of them.
“Oh good, you’re already familiar with the legend and all. Yep, you’re the only one. The other five warriors are already on their way to Fossil Hill,” Angel informed.
Shelly looked down and moaned a bit. “Er, I don’t think I can go right away.”
“There’s no buts or ‘I think’s’. You
have to go or the whole world dies!” Angel cried.
“I-I know but… Elise,” he muttered, sounding like he was going to cry.
Why was I chosen? I can’t be a Shining Warrior. I can’t fight, I’m not important, I can’t—
“Shelly, is there a Pokémon I can’t see?” Elise raised her voice.
“If I’m reading this right… the Shining Warriors were said to have an angelic guide that’s invisible to normal Pokémon. If neither of us were chosen but Shelly was, that means we have a bit of a predicament on our paws,” Kusha said. Elise looked up at her. “This is quite a first day on the job.”
“And a first day out of the palace, too. Hey Shelly, go tell her to give me an amulet. I deserve to be a Shining Warrior, too!” Elise bounced on the spot. “That would be so cool and romantic… the two of us, world-saving heroes. Oh Shelly, let’s do this!”
He glanced at her and Angel, and moaned. “I don’t think we can. Sh-she’s telling me to go to some place called Fossil Hill right away. I-I dunno what to do!”
“Fossil Hill? Is it urgent?” Kusha said.
“
Very urgent,” Shelly repeated after Angel.
“Having you leave right away would create too many questions. And if this is a world-saving journey, then I recommend we return to the palace. Queen Gladys should help you get more equipped, and can probably shed more light on this whole mess,” Kusha said.
“Hello, what about me? Where’s my amulet? Let me be a hero, too!” Elise raised her voice.
“She said you can’t get one because they’ve already been chosen,” Shelly said.
“What? That’s not fair, that’s not right. You’re my husband, I can’t let you go on a big, dangerous journey on your own and stuff. We’re supposed to do everything together,” she cried.
“Princess Elise, if I may,” Kusha said, and held Shelly’s paw. “This is a rather serious issue right now. We’ll sort things back at the palace.”
She grumbled something and puffed out her cheeks, and then gasped when the duo walked off like that, holding hands. She glanced at her own hands, then at the duo, and frowned. “Shelly, you’re… Hey, wait for me!”
…
“And then Shelly wound up with that necklace. Proven, a Shining Warrior amulet,” Kusha finished explaining. They were back in the throne room from their short trip to the village. The moment they mentioned the Shining Warriors, they had Gladys’ full attention.
Shelly and Elise were quiet and their Gospel Vibes were purple, Shelly’s a deeper glow than hers. From what he could tell, Gladys mostly stared at him, and the fact that she didn’t emote the slightest meant only bad things were going to come of this. He knew from experience.
“The Shining Warriors were said to have an angel for guidance that only they can see. Are they there? Did they tell you what to do?” Gladys said.
Everyone turned to Shelly after a moment, who beamed up. “E-er, the Angel said to go to a place called Fossil Hill really urgently because that’s where the other Shining Warriors are. I don’t know where that is, though.”
“I have been there before, Your Highness. It is a place on Heroica. Escorting Shelly there would be a very easy task—” Kusha said.
“That’s enough, I’ve heard enough,” Gladys said with a hand up. She sighed and shook her head. “This is frustrating.
Very frustrating. This might just turn out to be the worst day of my life.”
“Your Highness?” A Breloom soldier said.
“Shelly, Elise, I hereby revoke your freedom to explore Van Aken. You’re once again confined to the palace, effective immediately,” she said.
“Wha-what? Wait a minute, what’d I do?” Elise said while the others gasped. Even the soldiers looked surprised.
“No ifs or buts. It’s for the best,” she said.
“Your Highness, if I could beg you to reconsider—” Kusha stepped forward.
“Are you challenging me?” Gladys raised her voice. Kusha stuttered for a moment, and then stood down. “Some very dangerous and important changes are going to happen around here, and they’re going to start very soon. But I need you both here. More than anything, I need you both.”
“Mama!” Elise cried.
“Elise, stop it. You’re not leaving anymore and that’s final. Especially not for that silly little fairy tale!” Gladys slammed a fist on the side of her throne. “If you’ve nothing else to report, then you can get out. I have business to deal with. Loads more thanks to this.”
“Huurg. Mama, you’re bein’ real stinky right now!” Elise pouted and stomped out of the room. Shelly raised a paw to say something, but Kusha patted his head made him hesitate. He followed her out in silence instead.
The trio headed back to Shelly’s room as that’s where Elise stormed off to, and once there, all they could do was sit at the door while the Steenee ranted and stomped about in a stroppy tantrum. Seeing as she wasn’t going to calm down, Shelly sighed quietly and sat on his little dog bed.
“Yeah I know, I get it, this sucks. But you’re gonna have to do something,” Angel’s voice came out before she appeared from his amulet. “I wonder why the big girl decided to lock you up? I woulda thought a queen would jump at the chance for someone close to her daughter to be a hero.”
“It must be because I’m not a knight yet,” he said.
“And when is that? When you’re a grumpy, forty-year old Samurott? The planet’s not gonna wait that long!” Angel cried. She flew back into his amulet, but her voice still came out loud and clear. “Find a way to convince her, or sneak your way out or somethin’. I don’t care which, you can’t stay here!”
“Because we’re not knights? That’s no reason to lock us back in the palace. And on your birthday, too. Mama’s being a right dobber right now! Urgh!” Elise pulled at the petals on her head.
“Er, now now, let’s not resort to language. I’m not a mother myself, but I can understand her worry a bit. Royalty live very lonely lives, so it’s not uncommon for them to be overprotective of their children. When she says she needs you, I’m sure it’s because she loves you too much to risk letting you go out into danger,” Kusha reasoned.
“But the Shining Warrior stuff is to save the whole world! Everybody knows and believes that story. If we don’t do this, the whole world’s gonna die or something, right? She can’t love us more than the whole world,” Elise said.
“Actually, she can. Hmm… If something happened to Shelly and he was no longer around, your whole life would never be the same again, would it?” Kusha said. Elise raised a hand, but no words came. Her Gospel Vibe changed colour, too. “It must be the same for her. If the Pokémon she cared about most got hurt and never returned, her whole world would be over. And I don’t know if this is news to you, but the last set of Shining Warriors actually failed their quest. That’s why nobody can use their Pokémon attacks.”
“They did?” Elise gasped.
“As impressive as your skill with the sword is, it can’t be emphasized how dangerous the quest is. I’m sure even you would be hard pushed to your limits.” Kusha nodded. Shelly slumped in his bed and moaned a bit, making Kusha giggle. “I don’t mean to scare you or anything, Shelly. You have to go regardless, yes?”
“Actually, I’m just getting famished,” he said. His stomach rumbled loudly in agreement.
“Ah, I almost forgot! Our picnic got totally interrupted. Kusha, go get Shelly food! Shelly honey, what do you want?” Elise bounced over to him.
“I don’t care anymore. Apple stuff sounds good,” he grumbled.
“I’ll be back soon, then. Don’t you go do anything sneaky now, you two,” Kusha said, and hurried out.
Silence fell for a moment, besides Elise making nervous sounds. The sun was setting, so things were starting to get a shaded hue over them and the heat had dulled a lot. She sat beside his bed and kept sneaking glances at him, expecting him to say something.
“You’re too hungry to be upset about all this, aren’t you?” she eventually asked.
“Upset?” he said.
“Well, yeah. You don’t seem all that excited or mad at Mama. You’re a Shining Warrior now, a hero! A wee laddie like you, a hero.” she said, and leaned on the side of the bed. “You get to travel all over Heroica and do all that fancy stuff with magic powers. Isn’t it exciting? It’s what you said you always dreamed of.”
“It’s scary. I don’t think I can do it,” he said, and looked away. Elise didn’t make a sound, so he dared to look back, where he met her annoyed look.
“Are you being silly right now? You know what this is, don’t you?” she raised her voice. Before he could reply, the door knocked.
“Prince Shelly, Princess Elise? It’s me, Kusha,” the Wigglytuff’s muffled voice came through.
“Huh? That was quick… you can come in, but hurry up. We’re talking here,” Elise called out. Shelly sat up as the door opened and instantly locked onto a trolley layered with plates.
“Huh? Wait, is that?” he gasped and rushed over. The sweet aroma, the juicy colour, the mounds in the brown sauce – there was no mistaking it. “Apple curry!”
“Turns out they were already on their way to you. And I guess they read your mind on the apple preference,” Kusha said.
“Be careful. It’s still hot,” the Bellossom beside her said. She stepped back to curtsy, and then Shelly laughed excitedly. “And if you would like seconds, the pot has all the curry I cooked up today. It’s thermal, so it’ll stay hot for a while. I hope it’s to your liking, Your Highness.”
He didn’t care that the others were watching him, Elise in particular. He felt she always hated having to watch him eat, but right now, he was far too hungry, and the smell was too enticing. The apples were sliced and drenched in curry sauce alongside a mountainous pile of rice, which bathed in apple cider. It steamed in his face, but just the look of it and he couldn’t stop drooling. He licked his lips aloud and scooped up his first bite without a care for the heat.
“Sh-Shelly—” Elise stepped forward, surprised that he didn’t recoil. He stuffed his face with so much that his cheeks bulged, and then let out a muffled squeal of delight.
“Sho good!” he gurgled, and then dug in.
“Feel free to eat as much as you want. There’s plenty,” Bellossom said. Elise aggressively cleared her throat, so she curtsied and left along with Kusha. Moments later, Elise and Shelly were alone again.
She slowly raised a hand to say something, but hesitated. The way he contently stuffed himself with that curry was beastly. The plate would be clean in a few seconds, so she blankly reached for the pots below the trolley and began to sort another round for him.
“Ah, thank you,” he said with a half full mouth. That didn’t stop him from burying his face again, though.
She could only stare in amazement. At first she felt her chest weigh with frustration, but now, she was relieved. Relieved enough to make him another plate when he was coming to the end of his second. By now his face was a mess with grains and sauce which he periodically slurped up, but it didn’t bother her as much as it usually did. She would have to be a demon to disturb him when he looked this happy, so she knelt down and watched him with a warm smile.
Four plates later, he finally sat back with a satisfied gasp. She could have sworn he had grown fatter from this meal alone, but there was something cute about that thought that brought her to giggle and blush. He looked at her in confusion, but she didn’t say anything. She reached out and brushed a bit of leftover sauce from his face onto her hand, and licked it.
“A-ah, did I leave you any? I’m sorry, I was so hungry I—” he gasped.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m not hungry. I just, heh, forgot how much ya love this stuff. The way you eat, it makes me wish I could eat a lot too,” she said.
“There’s plenty left, I hope,” he said as he reached over. The rice was very much finished, the curry pot had maybe half a plate of sauce left, while there were only handful of apple slices. He went bright red at her giggle. “Er… you can have the apples.”
“No no, it’s fine. Really!” she said.
“… Can I have the apples?” he asked quietly.
“You don’t have to ask me! But are you still hungry after all of that?” she said.
“I think the apples will do me for the night,” he said as he snatched them up. She watched him crunch away for a while, but he slowed to consider her at last.
“Shelly… do you remember your promise to me?” she said, leaning towards him.
“You said something about that earlier,” he said. Now that he wasn’t starving to death, his mind flashed a memory, and he realised. “About us seeing the world together?”
“Yeah, you do remember. You said you were gonna take me on a trip around the world once we became knights,” she smiled brightly. “I… I’m sorry about before. When you held hands with Kusha, I got really upset. And then you didn’t seem all that excited about becoming a Shining Warrior. But I… I guess I just forgot what you get like when you’re hungry.”
“But I am scared. This isn’t like the training stuff we do at the palace. That stuff’s easy because I know I can’t get hurt,” he said. He swallowed the last of the apples. “But I… I’m not as good as you or the other girls. I’m not that strong, I’m clumsy with a sword, and I can only put my shield up because I’m scared of getting hurt.”
“But you promised, that’s why you’re here, right?” she said.
“I… guess,” he looked away.
“Shelly, I love you so much. I wouldn’t love a Pokémon who was a weak coward. You’re stronger and more skilled than you give yourself credit for. You’re talented, too. You’re the only one who can use the Treasure Orb. Do you know how cool that is?” she said, leaning so close to his face that he could feel her breath. He couldn’t stop blushing, but that didn’t stop her from giving him a kiss. He froze, letting her stay there for a while, too.
When she broke away, he was surprised to see her were cheeks bright red, too. “E-Elise…”
“This is our chance for our dream to come true, isn’t it? You’re a Shining Warrior, and Mama can’t stop you from leaving. Even if you can’t get me an amulet, I can come with you and help you. We can go on that trip around the world, and save it at the same time. It couldn’t be more romantic!” she said, twirling around him. “Let’s do it, Shelly! Let’s do the Shining Warrior journey together.”
“Uh… sure,” he nodded blankly.
“Sure?” she froze, and then leaned into him again. “It’s your promise! You are gonna take me, aren’t you?”
“I want to,” he said.
“You’re my husband. You have to promise me, Shelly! No matter what. Promise me we’re gonna travel the world together!” she said. She brought them close and held their hands between them. “Be the man I know you are.”
Urgh. I really don’t think I can do this, but she’s not going to take no for an answer right now. He tried to look away, gulped, shook his head, and then faced her sternly. No matter what, his heart raced and he didn’t feel right. “I promise you we’ll travel the world someday.”
“Oh Shelly, that’s more like it!” she cheered as she kissed him again, and then cuddled him. “I love you so much!”
He laughed awkwardly as he returned her affection with a cuddle. He couldn’t look at her at all, but she didn’t seem to notice. She soon stepped back and curtsied. “It’s getting dark, so I’m gonna head back to my patch before I slump over. But I’ll be over bright and early to talk about this. We’re getting’ outta here tomorrow no matter what, so make sure you sleep well. Thank you so much, Shelly!”
He was slow to hold out a paw as she skipped out, and retracted it as she turned around to wave at him. When he was sure she was gone, he slumped.
What’ve I done? I feel awful.
“She a childhood friend?” Angel’s voice came out.
Shelly barely moved, tugging and prodding at himself as he pondered a response. “She’s… my wife. We’ve, er, been together for uh… I-I don’t remember. I-I think we married as kids.”
“Childhood marriage, huh? No judging if that’s your island’s tradition and all that,” Angel said without coming out of the amulet. “But it does seem kinda weird. I just thought. I don’t mind her being around y’know, especially if it helps you. I can’t make her a Shining Warrior or anything, but I also can’t say no to a couple choosing to travel.”
“I-I know what it looks like. But I really do love her, you know,” he said.
“You sure about that? ‘Cos it’s clear as day to me,” she said.
“I-I’m just trying to keep her happy. That’s… what I’m meant to do, right?” he asked. Angel didn’t respond, so he groaned and settled down in bed.
That was weird. I’m not wrong, am I? That’s how this is supposed to work. That’s why Queen Gladys put us together…
He tried to go to sleep after that. His room wasn’t built for a water type at all, but it was a haven he felt comfortable in, at least. His cushiony dog bed had no blankets because it was always too hot, while the light smell of pollen wafted through the room constantly. Forest surrounded the glass walls on all sides except the exit and ceiling, which had a wonderful view of the clear sky and the rising moon. He didn’t know how to feel about leaving all this behind, and in his efforts to tell himself that he had to, he drifted off to sleep.
. Brine’s is after his.
