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About this fanfic



Setting of the fanfic



The universes tied into this fanfic



Character Descriptions

I will add more information when needed.

Title: Prologue

Half of the silver moon was visible that night. A sage with black and red hair was strolling through the woods, the light from the moon dancing between the various leaves.

“Tomorrow’s another day of training the youth,” he murmured to himself aloud.

And waiting for the trio’s answer.

He sighed as he kept his pace. When he reached a clearing of flowers, he stopped dead in his tracks.

A young girl no more than five years old was sitting alone. She had light brown hair, with the tips colored a vibrant pink. The sage decided to walk closer. He called out, “What is a child as young as you doing so far from Fortree?”

She turned to look at him with light blue eyes. She appeared to study him for a few seconds before answering, “Who are you?”

The sage stopped next to her and knelt down, “My name is Zor. I am a sage from Fortree. You do not seem to be from this place, child. Where do you come from, and where are your parents?” She stared at him, “I don’t know… I just woke up here.”

“That’s odd. Do you have any memories of anything?”
“Just my name.”

He straightened himself, “What would your name be?”

“My name is Mistia.”
“Well, Mistia, how does staying with me sound?”
“Sure.”

The sage, Zor, then picked her up, carrying her through the trees in the direction of the treetop city.

Title: Chapter 1

7 years later…


Mistia rushed through the market, searching for the berries that Master Zor had asked for.

“Come on, come on, come on, come on- Bingo!” she exclaimed, her eyes laying on a berry stall. As calmly as she could, she walked over to the Mabu running the stall. “Why hello, Mistia!” she smiled. “It’s a pleasure to see you. What brings you here this morning?” Mistia flashed her a smile in return, “Morning, Florr! Just looking for some berries. Master Zor was very specific about what he needed.”

“Let’s see. He said he needs five Pinap Berries, three Watmel berries, seven Sitrus berries, and one Mago berry.”
“That will be fifty two gold.”
“Sounds good!”

She handed Florr the payment in exchange for the basket of berries. Thanking her, she proceeded to make her way back to the innermost part of the city. There was no way that she would get lost, as her destination was the large, formidable tree that grew in the center of the city. Master Zor had been kind enough to take her in, both as a pupil and as a daughter. While they hadn’t figured out how to get her memories back, she enjoyed his teachings. Especially when her ‘uncle’ was around. Her uncle wasn’t actually related to her, she just liked to call him her uncle, and he allowed it.

She quickened her pace until she got to the entrance of the Great Tree. Being respectful, she grabbed the door’s large knocker and did her best to give it a quiet knock. The bang echoed the hallway within, and a familiar voice called out to her, “You may enter.”

Pushing the door open, she nodded to the guard, who was in his Bisharp form. She always found the amount of blades on their body a bit much, but she always kept her mouth shut, since she didn’t want to be disrespectful. She made her way to the kitchen, which was on the second floor. If anyone were to ask about where the kitchen was, she’d just tell them to follow the smell of food.

She entered, placing the berries on the table to her right. “So whatcha making with these?” she asked the head chef. He chuckled, “You’ll find out later.” Leaving the kitchen, she headed in the direction of the meeting room. From there, she waited outside, trying her best not to eavesdrop.

“So, they’re coming here?”
“Yes, they are. I hear her teacher is quite the fighter, too. Our students could learn a thing or two from them.”
“Well, if they’re going to stay here, they’ll need a room.”
“How about Mistia’s room for his pupil, and Zor’s room for her master? I’m pretty sure she’s more than happy enough to share. And Master Zor-”

Mistia tuned out. A roommate? A skilled roommate? She almost squealed in delight, but footsteps were approaching the door, and she did her best to calm herself. She launched herself at the first person to leave.

“Uncle Firma!” she practically yelled, hugging him. His yellow eyes gazed down at her, “There’s the little tyke! How ya been?” Mistia, still clinging to him, replied, “I’m doing awesome!”

Abyss appeared next, followed by Azure and Zor. “How did you know Firma would be the first one out?” Azure asked. Mistia paused for a moment to think. Somehow she knew. It was like she sensed him. “Lucky guess,” she replied with a shrug as she detached herself from her fun uncle.

She hid the fact that she partially knew about who was coming over to stay for a few days from her elders, while at the same time, not prying any further. She didn’t want to spoil the surprise.


Later that day…


Mistia leaned on the balcony outside her room on the tenth floor, watching the sun as it slowly made its way down. The orange light it casted danced on the wall behind her.

“Mistia! The guests are here!” Zor called. Mistia practically ran out of her room and glided down the stairs, excited to meet the newcomers. She took a moment to calm herself, not wanting to look like she lacked discipline. She wanted to give a good first impression.

Once she was calmed, she walked by Master Zor’s side to the main entrance. She could sense two auras outside. Both were strong, but unique in their own way. However, the second, somewhat smaller aura was what caught her attention. It was seemingly darker than every other aura she’d seen. It was also almost unreadable, so she couldn’t pick up any emotions from it. It was almost as if all emotions were purged-

She pulled herself away from the thought. As the guard opened the door, she straightened herself to look more professional.

I hope I don’t mess this up.

Title: Chapter 2

The guests looked nothing alike. One was a male that looked to be in his thirties while the other was a female who seemed to be in her teens. Both waited to be invited inside.

“Master Skywalker, miss Giri. Please! Come on in,” Master Zor gestured. Mistia shifted out of the way as the two walked in. She noticed that Giri had cast a quick glance her way, but looked away when Mistia met it. Weird… she thought. She assumed that Giri was a little shy. When they reached the main hall, they stopped to formally introduce each other.

Skywalker went first, “Thank you for having us here. I am Anakin Skywalker, and this is my Pada- er, I mean my student, Giri.”

Giri nodded in acknowledgement. It was then Zor and Mistia’s turn. “The pleasure is all ours. I am Master Zor, and this is my pupil, Mistia,” he replied, and it was Mistia’s turn to answer. Except her mind almost went blank. “I er- uh… it’s nice to meet you.”

Darn me and my unprofessionalism!

Whether it was luck, or they just didn’t care if she just embarrassed herself, they continued on to show them where they would be sleeping. Master Zor nodded to Mistia, letting her know that she and Giri could break off from the group. She smiled at Giri and proceeded to almost drag her down the hallway.


…


Giri didn’t want to socialize at the moment. It wasn’t her idea, either.

“Make new friends! Maybe talk a little more,” Skywalker told her. She scoffed, “Waste of time. I could be training, instead.”

When they had walked into the structure, she noticed something… familiar about the girl. Almost as if she had seen her before. Giri never met her before in her life, so this just has to be some sort of deja vu, right?

When their eyes met, she saw something, but didn’t stare too long, simply because she didn’t want to look like she was staring. By the time they got to know where they were going to sleep, she found herself being half-dragged by Mistia. “We’re gonna have lots of fun! I got some video games we can play, there’s my balcony where you can have a GREAT view of the sunset at the end of each day, and the beds are so comfy that the moment you lay down, you fall right to sleep!” Giri chose to respond with “mhm.” If only Cat were here to help and change the subject to something else, like her war stories. Mistia seemed to notice her shyness (if you’d call it that), so she backed off her approach.

“Sorry if I seem like a lot to handle at once. I’m just excited to meet you.”

Giri took a moment to analyze the sincerity of her statement, then looked at Mistia, “Just, try not to force me into any unnecessary situations, got it?” Mistia simply nodded, her smile somewhat increasing.

She could tell that Mistia would probably force her into something in the future.

The rest of the day went by as her and Mistia conversed. Well, Mistia was the one mostly talking, with Giri adding in her opinions here and there.

“So anyways, I hear that Cat works with the Skylanders?”

Giri nodded, “As a part-time job, yeah. She used to be part of a military outside of Skylands, and fought in a war.” That seemed to catch her attention swiftly. “Does she tell cool war stories? How many battles was she in?” Giri held her hands up. “Only Cat could tell you,” she replied. “Besides, some of these stories are long. She likes to add a lot of details.” That didn’t seem to deter Mistia though. However, before Mistia could ask more questions, one of the bells next to the door rang.

“Oh! Must be time for dinner. Come on!”

This time, she did not drag Giri. Instead, she waited for her to get ready. Once she was ready, they exited the room and walked down the hallway.

Halfway in the hallway, Giri felt like she was being watched. She turned her gaze to the open window to her right. It was evening, the setting sun giving everything a brilliant orange hue. But for some reason, she saw something… pink? It was almost transparent, but she was sure that the pink light was an entity of some sort. She blinked, and the mirage had disappeared.

“Odd.”
“What’s odd?”

She had said that out loud, had she?

She turned to Mistia, “I thought I saw something. It was transparent, but some sort of being was definitely watching us.” Mistia tilted her head slightly to the side, “Did it in any way look dragon-like?” She shook her head. “It was pink, small, and glowing.” Mistia stopped walking, giving the description some thought. Then she gestured down the hall, “I can tell Master Zor about this, if it gives you any sense of security.”

“... Thank you, Mistia.”

Title: Chapter 3

The food placed in front of them on the table looked simply divine. Caviar, truffles, creme brulee, Clauncher bisque, a large chicken cooked and seasoned with various spices, and several other dishes were placed on the table, the scent overwhelming. They even had tea for those who wanted it.

Giri noticed Mistia’s mouth watering. As much as they wanted to eat, they had to wait for everyone else to arrive. Giri seemed to be doing alright, but Mistia was… struggling.

“Just one tiny nibble-”
“No.”
“C’mon, please?”
“No.”

Mistia pouted, “Fine.” Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait long for the others to arrive. Knowing the drill, she sat down in her designated seat, waiting as patiently as she could. Giri was seated to Mistia’s right, probably an attempt to get her to socialize.

Though, maybe she could try it. Mistia did seem innocent enough, and was well known by Fortree’s citizens as simply a ball of positivity who put a smile on everyone’s faces, and made their days better.

Skywalker had been seated next to Giri, with Master Zor seated to Mistia’s left. Firma and Abyss were seated on opposite sides of Azure.

When everything was set, they were allowed to eat. Firma had filled his plate with as much as he was allowed, and was conversing with Anakin.

“... and there was a time where Abyss and I hated each other’s guts.”
“And warred over whether there’d be more land or sea?”
“Yep! Of course, Azure stopped us before they’d get worse. One time, this kid with a Pikachu stopped the fight. It’s been so long that I’ve forgotten the details.”

Abyss added, “And back then, that fight was caused by these two groups calling themselves Team Magma and Team Aqua. Nowadays, they’re in charge of keeping both land and sea clean, fighting pollution and such.”

“Which is wonderful, since there’s still some wild Pokemon and other wildlife around today. Not as many Pokemon as there were back in the day, but hopefully this changes that,” Azure chimed in before he took a bite of his truffle.

Mistia grinned, “I got to help them one time! They’re super cool.”

“Ah yes, that was when we were invited to Faraway Island. There used to be a rare Pokemon who resided there. It might return one day,” Zor said.

“If it does, it will have to be protected,” Giri said, taking a sip from her tea. Mistia turned her grin towards her, and she could just feel the positivity radiating off her, so much that she couldn’t help but smile. She added, replacing the smile with a straight face “Unfortunately, people will take the chance to poach Pokemon, whether they be wild or not.”

“That’s why we got Skylanders and groups just like them!”

I swear she’s more optimistic than Tucker, she thought, the little drow hybrid child who followed Cat around constantly coming to her mind. That kid was sweet, and one would think that Cat had adopted him (which she probably would).

“True.”

She noticed Anakin quickly casting a glance at her before going back into a conversation with Firma. He looked a little proud that she decided to socialize for once.

Well, maybe socializing isn’t that bad.

“And Cat’s a part-time Skylander. Wouldn’t want to cross her in a fight.”

“Cat’s with you, right Master Skywalker?” Zor asked.

“Yep. We fought together in the Clone Wars. Afterwards, my wife and I adopted her.”
“How old was she when she fought?”
“Fifteen.”
“Isn’t that a little young?”
“Well, before the war, she didn’t have cybernetics. They were forced onto her by someone.”
“Ah, I see. And she made the conscious decision to fight, regardless of her age?”
“Yes. And she was loyal to the core. Should’ve seen her in her first battle. The droids didn’t stand a chance.”

Mistia shot up, “I want to meet her!” All eyes turned to her, and Mistia sat back down in her chair, rubbing the back of her head.

“Sorry.”

Anakin chuckled, “I’m sure you’ll meet her one day.”

“Actually,” Master Zor said, “we could probably make an arrangement for you. You live in Sinn’oh, correct?”

He nodded.

“We can send Mistia with you and Giri on your way back, and Cat could come along as an escort and guard.”

Anakin thought about it for a moment. “That’s… actually not a bad idea. You might also meet a Skylander as well, most likely Scratch.”

Mistia looked like she was practically vibrating in her seat with excitement.

When they had all finished the main course (and had the first dessert, the creme brulee), Master Zor smiled, “I had the cooks prepare a dessert that’s come to be our favorite here.”

The door opened, and a trolley was wheeled in. Giri couldn’t help but stare with her mouth gaped open. A medium-sized cake was settled on top of the trolley, decorated with slices of Watmel, Pinap, Sitrus, and Mago berries. The frosting, which was a mix of purple and pink color, swirled in mesmerizing patterns.

“That… looks pretty good.”

“It’s amazing!” Mistia replied, and Giri decided to take her word for it.

They were each given their own slice of the cake, and the ones who had the cake before were already eating their slices. Giri placed a small piece of the cake on her fork, and lifted it into her mouth. The sweetness exploded in her mouth, and she found herself wanting more, and she took another piece, bigger than the last, and promptly ate it.

Anakin seemed to have the same reaction. He turned to Master Zor, “Would it be alright if I brought a few slices with me? I’m sure Cat and my wife would love this.” The elder nodded in approval, and gestured to the chef, who got several slices prepared for travel.


…


Mistia and Giri approached Master Zor after dessert. Anakin, Azure, Abyss, and Firma had already gone ahead.

“M-master Zor,” Mistia said softly.

“Yes, Mistia?”

“I thought I would let you know. Um… Earlier today, when heading back here from shopping, I thought I saw the shadow of some sort of dragon fly overhead. However, no one else saw it.”

Giri added, “Then on our way to dinner, I saw a small, pink light outside one of the windows, and no one else saw it either.”

Zor sighed, a hand stroking his chin, “That’s strange… Usually when people without Pokemon forms see these, it’s a sign that they, or someone they’re tied to, are going to receive a Pokemon form in the near future. But, there’s also the rare chance that what you saw could’ve been an entity that might want to do harm.”

Mistia frowned, “I hope it’s the former and not the latter.”

Zor placed a hand on her shoulder, “I assure you, if it ends up being the latter, we are more than capable of defending ourselves. You do not have to worry.”

He turned to Giri. “The same goes for you, too. When you leave to go back to Sinn’oh, you’ll have Skylanders escorting you. No one would dare try to attack.”

Mistia smiled, the frown disappearing instantly, “Right. Forgot about that. Come on, Giri! We leave in a few days, so I can show you around the city tomorrow.”

She then grabbed her hand, and dragged Giri down the hallway again. This time, Giri was more inclined to follow.

Title: Chapter 4

The next day.

The streets were bustling with people and Pokemon. Some were shopping, while some were heading to and from work. Others were playing in the streets. It was different from Giri’s home; the peaceful quiet of Celestic Town, which rested at the base of Mount Coronet. The mountain’s peak always seemed to call out to Giri, despite her dislike of cold climates. Another thing that was different with this city. It was warm, being spring and all.

Nonetheless, Giri felt that the crowd was, well, too crowded. Master Skywalker stayed at the Great Tree to help train the other students, so it was just her and Mistia. She glanced around nervously. There were so many unfamiliar faces, so many possible threats. She swallowed, choosing to keep her eyes on Mistia. She could feel everyone’s gazes burning into her back.

Just stay calm.

Mistia’s grip was both strong, yet gentle, as she guided her through the crowd. Various people greeted the pink-clad pupil. One of which seemed to have gotten Mistia’s direct attention.

“Good morning, Mistia! I see you have a new friend.”

The voice was kind, and originated from one of the stalls, and caused both girls to look over at it. Giri could see that it sold fruits and vegetables, along with flowers and berries. A Mabu occupied the table of the stall, a smile registered on her face. She felt Mistia change course, heading towards the stall.

“Morning, Florr!”

There weren’t a lot of people at the stall yet, and Giri was glad that they were out of the crowd. Her nervousness seemed to all but go away. Mistia stopped in front of the stall, Giri standing next to her.

“Florr, meet Giri. She’s from Sinn’oh!”

Florr glanced at Giri, warmth in her eyes, “Sinn’oh, you say? Must be nice, living high above in the clouds.” Giri chose to continue the conversation and nodded, “In my town, being up so high is considered a blessing, and the elders say it’s so we’re better connected with our creator.”

“Ah, so you’re from Celestic Town. It’s a nice, quiet town.”
“Yeah. Though lately, I’ve been in Floaroma more often. Honestly, I prefer the flowers over the cold wind.”

Florr tilted her head slightly in curiosity, her mouth opening as if to speak. However, she was cut off by a loud roar. The three turned in the direction it came from, and saw that the once crowded street was currently clearing itself, making way for a large Pokemon.

“Oh shoot,” Mistia squeaked. “It’s a Tauros!”

The Tauros in question came charging down the street, thrashing about as if it had been hit by a Confuse Ray. Perhaps it was, since its eyes seemed to have a somewhat red glow to them. Out of instinct, Giri placed herself in front of Florr and Mistia protectively. While the Tauros wasn’t close enough yet, she wanted to make sure her new friends weren’t the first ones hit.

The Tauros reared up, slamming its front hooves on the ground, cracking the pavement. For a moment, it stopped in one spot, slamming its head into the ground repeatedly in an attempt to escape the confusion it was in, damaging the pavement even more. When that didn’t seem to do anything, it proceeded to headbutt whatever was nearby. Market stalls and buildings were damaged, with the latter only receiving dents. Soon, its sights were set on them, and it charged forwards, roaring.

“Get back!” Giri yelled, shoving Mistia and Florr back. She narrowly dodged the Tauros herself, and it hit Florr’s stall instead, crushing it to bits along with several berries and flowers.

The three hid behind a wall, and out of Tauros’ sight.

“Tauros must’ve gotten confused by another Pokemon,” Mistia stated, peering over the wall just enough that the Tauros didn’t see her, but enough so she could see. Giri grabbed her by the back of her jacket and dragged her back down, “Get down!”

On the other side of the wall, the Tauros still rampaged, seemingly staying near the area. They heard it kick something, a basket by the sound of it. The basket landed over the wall, its contents spilling on the ground.

Lum berries.

Wait.

“I have an idea.”

Mistia and Florr glanced at her, and she continued, “If we can get it to eat a Lum berry, Tauros will calm down.”

She looked around, “I need some rope, and two of us will have to hold Tauros down.”

Florr cleared her throat, “I could use Stun Spore to slow it down.”

Giri nodded, then turned her head to where she thought Mistia was. The girl in pink had disappeared, and was currently running across the street behind Tauros’ back. Giri clenched her teeth, holding back a growl of annoyance. She was about to rush forwards to tackle her to the other side before the raging Pokemon could see her when she felt Florr’s hand grab her wrist, holding her back. She whipped her head around to face the Mabu, confused. Florr shushed her softly, before pointing in Mistia’s direction, and Giri followed her gaze.

Somehow, by some miracle, she had not been spotted, and was currently behind another wall, clutching two bundles of rope in her hands. She smiled and waved, clearly happy that she managed to get it. Giri sighed in relief, “Did she even think before doing that?”

Her eyes widened a little when she suddenly felt deja vu.

Wait… has this happened before…?

She thought she was going to remember something when the Tauros roared again, bringing her attention back to the present. The Tauros hadn’t spotted them, but its rampaging seemed to have grown worse, and it started to headbutt the sides of buildings again, and rising in frequency. If this continued, it could break into one and start injuring the occupants that lived inside.

Grabbing a few Lum berries and giving a couple to Florr, she barked, “Florr, use Stun Spore. Mistia and I will try to hold Tauros down.” Florr nodded, and in a flash of light, she had turned into her Pokemon form, which was a Lilligant.

“Both of you, hold your breath.”

They both ran out of cover along with Mistia, heading for the Tauros, with Mistia tossing Giri the other bundle of rope. It turned its head, glaring at them. The Tauros raked its hoof on the ground a couple times before it charged again, beelining straight at them. Florr spun, expelling a yellowish cloud from the flower that bloomed on the top of her head. Mistia and Giri both held their breath, careful not to inhale the Stun Spore.

The Tauros, however, did not avoid the Stun Spore, and after catching a whiff of it, static seemed to bounce off its body, and its movements slowed. Giri passed a quick glance at Mistia, whose face now had a confident smirk, her blue eyes holding a certain glow. Mistia took the rope, turning it into a lasso, then spun it above her head. Then, she launched the rope, and it wrapped around Tauros' neck. The fur around its neck would prevent its airway from being strangled. Giri did the same, making sure she didn’t slip up. When the rope successfully wrapped around Tauros’ neck, her and Mistia moved to opposite sides, holding it in place. It struggled, but the two stood their ground, refusing to give in.

Florr walked up to the pinned Pokemon, and it roared in her face in an attempt to intimidate her. She winced a little, but did not back away. Instead, she offered it a Lum berry, holding it underneath its nose so it could smell it. Once it noticed the presence of the berry, it slowly lowered its head and snatched the berry from her hands. It glared at Florr as it slowly ate the berry, as if it were daring her to make a move. However, once it swallowed the berry, the menacing glow in its eyes diminished, replaced with a look of realization. The paralysis that it was experiencing also disappeared. Mistia and Giri kept their hold on the ropes, before gently letting go when the coast was clear.

Mistia slowly removed both ropes from Tauros’ neck, then patted its face. It leaned into her, showing her its gratitude. It then shifted towards Giri, doing the same to her.

“Remember, Giri. Tauros sometimes judge a person by how they grab their horns,” Master Skywalker had said. She watched him as he approached the Tauros that helped his family with the garden. When he grabbed the horns, it was gentle, yet firm. The Tauros let out an appreciative huff, nudging him with its face.

She looked at the Tauros she helped save, knowing how to interact. Giri raised her hands, placing them on its horns.

Gentle, but firm.

The Tauros almost seemed taken aback, but soon gave her its own appreciative huff, nudging her with its face. Just like the Tauros the Skywalkers happily lived with.

She was vaguely aware of people emerging from their hiding spots, cheering. For a moment, Giri was stunned. They were happy that they were alive and unharmed. She felt something lightly grab her hand, tugging it slightly with very little strength. She turned slowly, looking down at what caught her attention. A young Elf girl about the age of five or six stared at her with wide eyes, full of amazement.

“You and Mistia were so cool,” she said, smiling. “Thank you!”

They… liked me?

The crowd seemed to have formed instantaneously afterwards, celebrating their heroics. Mistia seemed to enjoy it, while Giri, on the other hand, shied away from it a little. When Mistia perked up, staring at something on the other end of the crowd, Giri followed her gaze.

It was impossible not to see Firma making his way through the crowd alongside an Arcanine, the tall man and Pokemon towering over everyone else.

“Little tyke!” he called out, and Giri assumed he was referring to Mistia. When he reached them, he looked around, then turned to Mistia, “Did Tauros do this?” The Arcanine started interrogating the Tauros, but since neither of them could speak Pokemon, they couldn’t understand what it was asking. When Arcanine was done, it turned to Firma and barked. He nodded, and the canine Pokemon rushed off in another direction.

“Yeah, but it didn’t mean to,” she replied. “It must’ve been hit by a Confuse Ray, and we stopped it before things got worse.”

“I’m sorry, Lord Terra, sir!” a voice called out in an almost panicked tone. The sound of hooves hitting the ground was heard, as from the crowd came a Faun. He stopped short of the four of them, kneeling on the ground.

“I don’t know how it happened. One moment, my Tauros was helping me carry supplies, the next, it suddenly acted wild. Please forgive me!” Giri looked up at Firma.

“I believe these events must have been the fault of someone else trying to stir up trouble. It was neither Tauros’ or the owner’s fault,” she reported. He hummed in agreement, before turning to the owner, “We can compensate for anything lost. If you see anyone suspicious, let us know.”

Mistia chimed in, “I can help with repairs!”

Giri nodded, “I’ll help as well. It’s the least we can do.”

As she started helping clean up, she couldn’t help but let her mind drift to when Mistia had snuck across the street. She must’ve seen it happen before… but where? Why was it familiar?

She looked at Mistia, who was helping clean up the berries and flowers that littered the ground.

She was always filled with positivity, and in turn, it seemed to boost everyone else’s moods, no matter the situation. Giri found herself with a smile of her own, and she allowed it to stay. If Mistia was a key to remembering anything about where she came from, then she would have to stick around with her.

Perhaps then the answers will reveal themselves.


…


When the damage had been reversed, thanks to the help of the people, Firma glanced at Mistia and Giri, “You two can go on and head back to the Great Tree and rest. You both deserve it.”

Mistia stared at him with curious, blue eyes, “What about you?”

“I’ll join you later, don’t worry.”

She smiled, then grabbed Giri’s hand and led her back in the direction of the Great Tree. He kept his gaze on them until they were out of sight and well beyond earshot. Firma then looked around for the Arcanine, who had run off to where the Tauros last remembered being before the incident.

When he heard it barking in the distance, he followed the sound until he had reached the location. It was oddly clean, aside from a few small craters where the Tauros must have slammed its hooves down. Like something- or someone- was trying to cover something up. The Arcanine was staring at something on the ground.

A piece of paper.

Firma walked over to it, patting its head, “Anything other than this?”

“The smell of another Pokemon other than Tauros.”
“Which one?”
“Golbat.”

He picked up the paper, inspecting one side, which was blank. When he flipped it over, he nearly stiffened when he recognized a symbol that was all too familiar.

R.