“A what?!” I growl at Minato, still trying to wrap my head around whatever the hell he said.
With the invitation still in the Seviper Hybrid’s claws he turns it so I could read its writing - not that I’ll bother. “It’s a beach party!” He repeats to me, excitement clear in his tone. “Someone in the guild received this invitation. They couldn’t go however, so they passed it around until it came to me.” He looks down and proceeds to read the list of activities on it. “I’ve never been to a beach party however, but the list of events look exciting!” He looks back up, his gaze becoming confused. “What are Tiki Masks and sand castles?”
A beach event. Of course. And I can only assume that Pokemon will be there too.
“Will they be involved?” I continue to growl. “Is this a Pokemon focused event?”
He blinks. “I...think so?” He says uncertainly before rereading the invitation again. “It doesn’t specifically say, but...I think it is?”
Yeah. Me being surrounded completely by Pokemon in a happy-go-lucky place? Hell no. No fucking thanks.
“Not. Fucking. Interested.” I hiss at him before stomping away.
I have to deal with Pokemon too much as it is. To go to a BEACH event of all things? If I had a normal stomach, I would’ve vomited already. There’s NO way they’ll catch me at a place like that, much less convince me.
[One Week Later]
“This is so exciting!” Minato exclaims gleefully, the invitation clasped in his claws. “I can’t wait to participate in all of these activities!” He turns and grins at me. “Thank you for coming, Asmund. I appreciate it.”
My response is to just stare into the space ahead of me. Still processing on how he managed to convince me to even come here.
“Please remember to behave, Asmund.” The voice of Jezebel speaks up. “I understand your dislike for these events, but please...at least try to keep control over your temper.”
I turn and glare at the dark Delphox. “Why are you here again?” I ask her in a clearly annoyed tone.
She coolly matches my gaze with her own. “Which answer do you prefer? The true or the false one?”
I clench my fist angrily. “Out with it.”
Jezebel rolls her eyes. “To keep an eye on you. We are more than aware that you have a history of causing trouble in public events such as these. So my reason here? To keep an eye on you as well as perform damage control if need be.”
Of course, that’s the reason why she’s here of all places. She’s not known to come to ‘beach parties’ as is.
I turn my disdainful glare to Pahaliah - said white Decidueye is currently giving me her own stinkeye. “Mine own reasons art the same, Asmund.” She says snidely. “Prithee behaveth, f'r all of our sakes. And if 't be true not, doth ‘t f'r Minato”
I turn and focus on the road ahead of me, resisting the desire to launch a tirade of insults at her. Sure I have difficulty understanding her as it is, but I can quite clearly make out what she’s saying to me right now.
Yeah...this is gonna be a long month...
As we walk over the last hill, the beach finally comes into view. Everything is visible. From the brightly colored umbrellas, to the sapphire blue sea, to the happy Pokemon who are building sandcastles and painting Tiki masks.
And it all looks absolutely disgusting.
Yup. Gonna be a very long month...
[Asmund, Silence, Nightshade, and Seraph have joined the Poke Beach Camp!]
I couldn’t help but grin at Venya as she finished recapping her mission. “That sounded like quite an experience.”
Said Mienshao is currently brushing her hair, she looks at me with a smile. “You have NO idea, Delilah. Fighting that hybrid with so many people, it was...actually quite fun despite the serious circumstances.” She pauses for a moment before quickly adding, “But please don’t mention this to the others that I said that.”
“No worries!” I laugh. “I won’t say a thing~”
As of currently I’m in Venya’s room, ever since she and the rest of the Floral Triad came back from their mission I decided to visit her so that I could catch up with my good friend.
It’s also something for me to keep my mind off of Bladesong, since I’m feeling very nervous due to Euterpe telling me that the cyborg is going to her 'interview’ now. When I was told that she ended up deciding to join us I was both surprised and psyched as hell, but now I’m on the more nervous side since there’s always the possibility of the one interviewing her saying no.
Course I think it’s incredibly unlikely due to her nature and that she’s a great girl overall, but there’s still that possibility...
Outside the room the PA System comes to life as the voice of Colossus starts speaking, however it’s slightly muffled due to the walls of Venya’s room being in the way. “Attention all members of the Guardians of Twilight, I would like to give you this important announcement! A new, special member is joining our guild and we would like you all to welcome her warmly and treat her with the same respect you would to others. However in order to keep this brief we are sending all of you a more in-depth announcement to your phones, computers, or other electronic devices you use to keep track of the GoT’s digital announcements. So once you receive it, please look at it as soon as possible. Thank you.”
With that our phones start buzzing, notifying that we’ve just received the message.
Venya sets down her brush and picks her phone up. “It’s usual for them to announce a new member...” She mutters to herself, curious. “What makes this person so special in order for her to get such special attention?”
The irritation is quite clear in her voice, perhaps a mix of envy as well. However I didn’t pay too much attention to it, since I can barely contain my glee!
It’s Bladesong! It has to be!
I pull my phone out of my pocket and turn it on, upon seeing the message in my notifications I immediately tap it to pull it up.
It reads:
“Attention member of the Guardians of Twilight, the reason we are sending this announcement to you is because a new, special member has joined our guild! This new member's name is Bladesong.
The point of this announcement is to make you aware of what she is, that way you won’t be surprised by her appearance.
She is a Cyborg, her fate being the result of the HWDP’s cruelty. By now you should be fully aware of the numerous Hybrids who have suffered from this terrible organization, perhaps you even know several of these Pokemon in person or even are one of these Hybrids. Like everyone she is to be treated with kindness and respect, for any prejudice or attempts to make anyone feel isolated will never be tolerated here. We aim to not only make Evolutia a safer place, but to also provide a friendly and welcoming environment to all Pokemon.
If you ever meet Bladesong in person, treat her as how you would treat everyone else. Thank you for taking your time to read this announcement.
-Colossus”
At this point I’m grinning widely.
“A...cyborg?” Venya says aloud, her irritation now completely replaced with shock.
I feel myself pause at this. I’ve kept my interactions with Bladesong a secret because she was meant to be kept secret, but now that the announcement is made...
...I don’t think there’s any harm in telling Venya about Bladesong~
“Okay, so...” I start, making the Mienshao look at me with confusion. “This was kept under wraps because Bladesong was wanting her identity to be kept a secret until she’s ready to reveal herself, but now that she’s part of the guild now...”
[PoV: Minato]
“I wilt admit, I am very interest'd to meeteth this cyborg.” Pahaliah voices her thoughts, scratching underneath her beak.
“And so do I!” Hale agrees wholeheartedly. “A cyborg! I’ve never realized it was even possible for such an individual to exist!”
“I can’t help but feel sorry for the dear...” Sinfonia sighs. “Knowing how the HWDP are, she was probably transformed into one against her will. How much did they change her, I wonder...”
Ever since Asmund and I returned from our mission, we parted ways to do our own...well...thing. I decided to visit the rest of my team members again, while we were talking the announcement was made and the light was shed on this new member named Bladesong. With all of our curiosities piqued we decided to go out and seek her out, so that we could greet her personally and give her a warm welcome.
“Regardless, I hope that she will be happy here.” I say softly, smiling a small smile. “The Guardians of Twilight treat everyone very well, granting a place to those who feel as if there is no place in the world for them.”
“Hear hear!” Hale laughs. “I will also challenge her to a friendly contest of strength, a ritual I intend to keep going for all new recruits that I meet!”
“Thee intend to armeth wrestle her as a form of welcome?“ Pahaliah asks incredulously, cocking an eyebrow.
“That...is exactly what he intends to do.” Sinfonia answers for the Machamp, looking amused.
Even though the Decidueye tried to look concerned, she ends up snickering. “Tryeth not to gallow that lady off, Hale. The lady is very new after all, and perhaps very wary due to her 'condition'.”
The Machamp taps his chest with one of his gloved fists, grinning knowingly. “Don’t worry my dear lass, if I am overstepping my boundaries I’ll be sure to back away. Besides!” He winks at the Chimecho floating next to him. “Sinfonia will keep me in line!”
“As I always try to do.” Sinfonia giggles. “But do try to not get too riled up, Hale. Remember last time when you got so into it that you challenged Asmund to one of said ‘contests of strength’?”
This makes the Machamp wince, he rubs the hand that was injured in the past with a sheepish expression. “...Heh heh...I remember that.” He shakes his head slightly. “Nevertheless! I will keep in mind to not intimidate her, you have my word!”
I couldn’t help but smile at the three, just seeing their interactions is making me feel more at home again. Even though I’ve only been gone for a few days, I still missed them.
It’s good to be back...
[PoV: Elisabeth]
"Dépêchez-vous!” I say eagerly. “I want to see te new member, do you not as well?!”
I’m currently trying to rush down the hall with Chevalier in my grip, despite my smaller size I’m easily managing to drag him.
“It’s n-not that I don’t want to see her, anything but t-that!” The Gallade stammers. “But we only recently just g-got back! Do you think we should r-rest more before we start m-meeting new p-”
“Nan!” I cut him off, grinning. “Nous pouvons nous reposer plus tard, now ees te time to see tees ‘cyborg’!”
His face contorts in confusion, showing that he only understood part of what I said. Not that I can really blame him, since when I’m excited I tend to shift to my native tongue.
“Zhere is no need to rush, Elisabezh.” Alicia comments, walking beside us with an amused expression on her face. “She is not going anyvhere, after all.”
I snap my gaze towards her. “A CYBORG, Alicia! Ne comprends-tu pas?!
I ‘ave only ‘eard of such a ting in books and movies, we NEED to see ‘er!”
The Incineroar rolls her eyes. “More like ‘YOU’ need to see her, Elisabezh. Not us.”
I couldn’t find a proper retort to this, so I purse my lips and turn my gaze forwards. “You bot are already out wit me anyways, so we all might as well as keep going.”
“A-Actually, I wouldn’t mind going ba-” Chevalier starts, but I cut him off again.
“Nan! Keep going!” I shout over him.
Through the corner of my eyes I see the Gallade giving Alicia a helpless look, who merely shrugs in response.
I don’t care who objects, but I am going see this cyborg with my own two eyes and these two will join me no matter what!
The cafeteria of the GoT will forever be a lively place, even late at night. No matter the time day I can guarantee that someone is gonna be hungry, which is why I greatly appreciate the fact that this place is open 24/7.
For this bright and ‘cheery’ morning I went with my usual breakfast, consisting of cooked lean meats as well as eggs and assorted fruits. Normally I’d eat vegetables with my meal, but this IS breakfast. People who eat veggies for breakfast are either herbivores or insane.
“May i sitteth hither, dear friend?” An energetic voice asks me, rousing me from my thoughts. Even though I immediately recognized who the individual is due to their unusual way of talking, I still look up just to make sure.
And just as I assumed it’s no other than Pahaliah, the Decidueye holding a tray in her hands with assorted food of her choice. “Hey, go right ahead.” I answer, nodding to the seat across from me.
"Thank thee!” She nods happily before sitting down, not a second later she began to dig into her food.
I couldn’t help but eye her oddly, more because of her behavior than anything. She looks really...happy? I dunno, she normally tends to be a very friendly and open person but she seems to be even more cheerful than normal.
“Someone’s in a good mood.” I comment, feeling the corners of my lips rise slightly.
“Aye, I truly am!” She chirps, spearing a Pecha Berry slice with her fork and plopping it into her beak.
Alright, now I’m curious. “What happened?” I ask, leaning forward slightly as my grin grows. “To be in such a good mood, something must’ve went right.”
Pahaliah was in the middle of eating a piece of meat before pausing at my words, her mood quickly shifting to something more akin to embarrassment when she swallowed. “Ah, well...” She says sheepishly. “’T is something of a moo private matter.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Private matter?” I set down my fork and lean back, crossing my arms. “C’mon Pahaliah, you gotta tell me what’s gotten you so chipper. I’m happy that you’re in such a good mood, but you’re making me incredibly curious here.”
The Decidueye sits there silently, her embarrassment growing ever more apparent. “I would rather not speaketh of ‘t.” She mumbles, averting her eyes.
I feel myself frown, I open my mouth to say something again but a sudden voice chimes in.
“Oooooo, am I seeing what I teenk I am seeing?” I hear a distinct individual chime in.
When I look over I see the form of Elizabeth waltzing over to us, an almost mischievous smile on her face.
Elizabeth is also known as Corsair, a Night Hunter part of team Midnight Storm. She’s a Lopunny containing incredibly strong Vaporeon genes, giving her a bright blue coat along with various aquatic features, such as webbed hands and feet as well as fins on her ears and face.
Her attire consists of an unbuttoned ‘pirate’ coat and hat, betraying her past origins before she joined the GoT. Underneath her coat is nothing but a one-piece swimsuit and a belt wrapped around her waist, said belt holding her sheathed rapier. Yet although it’s not visible, I know for a fact that behind that coat is a long tail ending with a fin, like that of a Vaporeon.
“Elisabeth?” I exclaim with surprise. “Since when did you get back?”
She smiles cheekily at me. “I ave been back seence yesterday, Kendra.” The Lopunny rests herself over the back of one of the unoccupied chairs, turning her attention to Pahaliah. “But enough about moi, let us talk about you~”
The Decidueye shrinks back slightly. “Me?” She squawks.
“Oui, you~” She purrs, her eyes narrowing playfully. “I know tat look you ave, te way your happiness shows.” She lowers her head slightly, her voice quieting whisper. “You made love recently~”
I feel my eyebrows skyrocket. “Made love?!” I repeat, although more quietly in order to not draw attention.
She shoots me a sideways grin. “Oui, made love~” The gaze of her black and gold eyes never leave the ever shrinking Decidueye, Pahaliah’s behavior being more than enough proof for the ‘Aquabunny’s’ claim. “Who was te lucky man~?”
The Templar pulls her hood up, trying to conceal the growing red in her face. “I shall sayeth nay such thing...” She whispers.
“Come now, do not be tat way.” Elisabeth giggles playfully, using one of her webbed hands push the tip of her hat up. “Eef you say noting, ten you will leave me but to guess.” When the Decidueye doesn’t respond, her smile grows. “Was eet Elio?” She pauses for a moment before shaking her head. “Ahh, Elio is not here right now. Hmm...per’aps Meenato? Or even-”
Her outburst makes us both lean back with surprise, but due to the volume she ends up drawing a lot of eyes to her. Realizing this she tries to shrink back again, pulling her hood even more to the point where only her beak is poking out.
“No...man?” Unable to contain herself, the Lopunny lets out a loud ‘squee’. “So eet is a woman? My my, what a surprise eendeed~” Now fully interested, she pulls the seat she’s leaning on back before sitting down, resting her elbows on the table. “Now I must know who~”
The Decidueye looks down at her half-eaten meal, her appetite now completely gone due to her awkwardness. “I am declaring nothing.” She mumbles. sitting up. Without another word she proceeds to quickly walk away, trying to get as far away from Elisabeth as possible.
“Pa’alia, do not be tis way!” The Lopunny yells eagerly before getting up. “I must know!”
I watch Elisabeth run after the Decidueye, her desire for answers being far too great to simply leave be.
Now I suddenly find myself sitting alone at the table again, processing what the hell that happened.
Eventually I shrug my shoulders. “Never thought Pahaliah swung that way.” I say to myself, looking down absentmindedly at my food. “But then again, I also didn’t take her for someone to just ‘do it’ either. Guess I don’t understand the whole ‘Templar’ bit as much as I thought.”
I glance over to the tray the Decidueye abandoned during her ‘escape’. The various food she has consists of berries and some assorted meats, but out of everything...what really makes me stop is the carrots and celery she has there.
“Vegetables with breakfast.” I mutter. “Guess she’s one of those people too.”
I began to explain the reason on why I came to Tetishuri’s chambers, during which she started the process of dressing herself. However each article of clothing she put on ever so slowly, doing so a knowing smirk on her features.
Despite my infuriating stammering because of her obvious flirting, I managed to finally finish my explanation.
“So you’re asking me to drop the challenge?” She repeats, her smile unfaltering as always. At this point the Lucario finishes putting on her top, one of the last remaining pieces of her attire.
“Aye.” I nod simply, averting my gaze slightly in order to conceal the guilty look in my eyes for looking at her.
The Lucario hums to herself as she picks up a golden comb, the unique designs showing that it’s Venhara of origin.
“I admit, I highlone am not responsible f'r making this request.” I continue. “I cameth hither to asketh thee of this is because of Jubei, f'r the lady fears the aftermath of this dare.”
Her gaze never leaves the mirror as she continues to straighten her hair. “Is that so?”
“Forsooth, which is wherefore I beg thee to reconsider.” I press, now looking at her again. “’S the Face of Venhara, peradventure would ‘t be irresponsible to square Venya?” Realizing that the wording may come off as accusing, I quickly continue. “I cullionly nay offense of course, but I worry yond others may bethink of this being petty f'r thee to continueth through.”
Satisfied with how straight her hair is, the Lucario begins the process of creating small individual braids in her hair before attaching a golden end-piece to each braid. “It is very considerate of you to come to me on this, Pahaliah.” She tells me, her voice showing no sign of her taking my words in a wrong way. “In fact, I admire you for confronting me on the matter.”
While still braiding, she turns her head slightly so that she can look at me better. “I can understand why Jubei wouldn’t wish for this to go through, since she’s looking out for her friend.” Her smile grows somewhat. “And for you to do this for her as well, you truly are a considerate individual.”
She turns back to the dressing table, her gaze fixated on the mirror. “But I don’t think of this as being petty, nor would my people. Venya DID insult me and issue a challenge, in which I accepted under her terms.” Tetishuri lets out a snort of amusement. “What becomes of her will be her fault alone, and even if I can understand Jubei’s worries...she will have to let Venya suffer the aftermath.”
Finishing the last braid, the Lucario then proceeds to apply the last of her jewelry before standing up. Giving herself a once-over, she then turns to me with a sad smile on her face. “So even if I admire your efforts, I must decline. This challenge has been set and I fully intend to carry it through.” She turns back to the mirror, and begins to apply the blue eyeliner to her face. “And let me entertain the thought of that I declined, how would that make me look?
I feel a frown form on my beak at her answer, but I didn’t blame her for I fully understood.
“The fight begins in only a few hours, so if I were to decline in the last minute...” She lets out a chuckle. “It would make me seem very cowardly, would it not? As a representative of Venhara, it is my duty to not only represent its beauty...but also its strength. It would be an insult to my kingdom and my people if I were to back out at the last minute.”
“I understandeth perfectly, Tetishuri.” I sigh.
Now completely presentable, she gives herself a final nod before turning back to me once more. “Please Pahaliah, call me Teti.” She says warmly, but said smile didn’t last long. “Again, I am sorry. But in the end, this befalls upon Venya.”
I nod my head. “Forsooth, but I did see nay harm in at least trying to convince thee.” I shrug my shoulders. “I personally already kneweth the answer, but yond didn't stand ho me from trying.”
“An admirable trait.” She grins. “You truly are a member of the Holy Templar.”
I feel my blush return again. “W-Well-” I scratch the back of my head awkwardly, but much to my dismay I couldn’t piece together a response.
Of course the Lucario looks very amused at this. “You are very adorable when you’re all flustered.” She snickers.
That didn’t help my situation at all.
“Nevertheless, as much as I enjoy teasing you...I must continue to get ready.” She says, her smile becoming more relaxed. “So as much as I appreciate your company, I need to prepare.”
I nod hastily. “A-Aye, I shall leave thee at once!” I give a quick bow of my head. “’T would beest a pleasure to speaketh to thee again, Teti. But f'r anon, I shall see thee in the Sparring Hall.”
With that I turn and make my way out of her chambers as quickly as possible, still feeling very awkward. But just as I make it to the door, I hear her call out to me.
“Hold on Pahaliah, I have a question to ask you before you go!” She laughs.
I feel myself freeze, with an awkward laugh of my own I look back at her. “What is't yond thee wish to asketh of me?”
She’s currently leaning against her dressing table, a playful smile on her face. “What is the stance of the Holy Templar on lovemaking?”
“W-What?” I feel my brain halt. “Couldst thee care to r-repeat what thee hath s-said?”
She rolls her eyes, her smile never wavering. “Lovemaking. I am curious if the Holy Templar views it as something sinful.”
I quickly shake my head. “Nay! ‘T is a natural thing in the eyes of Lord Arceus, we would nev'r ponder ‘t to beest sinful!” Now I do have a question of my own to ask, but I’m almost too afraid to voice it. “But if 't be true I may, wherefore is't yond thee asketh me this question?”
Her smile widens ever so slightly, the playfulness shifting to something...sultry. “It is indeed a natural thing. Us Venharans view it as something to not be alienated, but instead embraced.” She lets out a quiet laugh. “If I may also say, even though I have a preferences for males...” Her gaze matches mine, her eyes twinkling. “...I am always open for experiencing the joys of my side of the spectrum~”
...
At that moment I feel my jaw drop, the only sound coming out is a confused squawk.
“I’ll just leave the offer open for now.” She continues to laugh. “But to just let you know, I’m only staying here for a few more days before I must depart back to my homeland.” She crosses her legs. “But if you’re open to the idea, perhaps you could visit me tomorrow at ten in the evening?”
The completely flabbergasted expression on my face seems to be the next most funniest thing to her, seeing how she’s struggling to not burst out laughing.
“It’s perfectly fine if you decline, I’ll understand.” She covers her mouth with a hand, trying her best to control herself. “But the offer is open nonetheless, so take your time and think over it. If you’ve made your decision to accept, then visit me at ten tomorrow at nightfall.” She removes her hand from her mouth once she’s fully gotten control over herself, her smile now much kinder. “But if you decide not to, then you don’t need to show. I won’t be offended, it’s your choice alone.”
With that she stops leaning against the dressing table and proceeds to make her way to her closet. “But until then, see you later Pahaliah~”
With my brain working enough to at least do simple actions, I manage to nod dumbly before leaving her chambers. Even when the door closed behind me I could only stand frozen outside her chambers, still trying my best to process what happened exactly.
...
When I stepped into her room, I had many ideas of how that would’ve ended.
But of all the possibilities I thought of, I NEVER anticipated it would’ve turned out like this.
With how much energy that’s buzzing in the air, it’s a sign that the fight between Tetishuri and Venya will be starting soon.
Most of the GoT is aware of it since word spreads quickly in these walls. In fact seeing the talk it seems that many of the members are placing bets, a good deal of them on the Lucario.
I let out a sigh and rub my eyes with my fingers. This whole fiasco is completely unnecessary, if Tetishuri didn’t purposefully provoke Venya then none of this would be happening.
But no, Venya has to defend her pride by challenging Tetishuri of all people to a duel. Although Venya is a very skilled warrior, there’s a reason why Tetishuri is classified as a Night Warden.
As the representative of the Queen of Venhara, Tetishuri is trained in the ways of the Sapphire Warriors. They are the most elite fighters of Venhara, and Tetishuri outclasses them all.
This fight isn’t going to end well at all, and I’m going to have to deal with the aftermath of Venya being humiliated in front of the entire guild.
...
This is going to be very unpleasant.
With another sigh I sit down on a couch in one of the many lounges. The room itself is relatively empty, save one Pokemon in particular. Sitting at one of the tables is Pahaliah of Purging Light, reading a book from what I can see.
I see her gaze lift from the pages and look at me, her golden eyes meeting mine.
“Good morrow, Jubei.” She greets me warmly, the edges of her beak curving slightly in a smile. “How art thee?“
I muster a smile in response to her, although a tired smile. “I’m doing fairly well, Pahaliah.” I answer. “I presume that you’re doing just as good?”
She nods her head. “Forsooth, I most certainly am.” The Decidueye cocks an eyebrow at me. “Howev'r thee behold not as well as thee claim.” She places a bookmark on her book and closes it shut before scooching her chair slightly to face me better. “What troubles ail thee?“
My smile vanishes, with a third sigh within the past five minutes I lean my head back. “I believe you’re already aware of what it is.” I tell her.
Pahaliah looks at me oddly for a second before nodding her head in understanding. “’T is the upcoming spar between Venya and Tetishuri?”
I nod my head. “It’s not going to end well.” I say tiredly. “I already know how it’s going to end, a lot of people will also be watching it and it’s going to make it even worse..”
“Thither's a lot of talk of those wishing to watch ‘t...” She muses before focusing on me again. “And thither is nay way to convince Venya from continuing?” My deadpan look was more than enough of an answer for her. “I bethought as much.” She chuckles, however her smile withers away upon seeing the tiredness in my eyes. “What of Tetishuri?”
I shake my head. “I don’t believe she’ll drop the challenge, especially with how many people having witnessed it already.” I take a quiet breath through my lips. “And even then, I doubt she’ll be convinced by me of all people.”
With this Pahaliah strokes her beak. “Peradventure I shalt talk with her?” She suggests.
I raise my head, looking at her with surprise. “You?”
“Of course, haply she shall reconsider at which hour a different person approaches her about ‘t!” The Decidueye smiles. “’T is worth a tryeth, nay?”
“You don’t need to do that, Pahaliah.” I smile thankfully. “But I greatly appreciate it.”
She waves me off. “’T doth take nay effort from me, not to mention I has’t not spoken with her in a while.” She grabs her book and stands up from her chair. “In fact, I shall doth so now. Just wait hither, at which hour I returneth I shalt bid thee of the results.”
I stand up as well, giving her a thankful bow. “I still greatly appreciate this, Pahaliah. For this I am in your debt.”
“Debt f'r something so trivial?“ The avian laughs, this time even louder. “Nay! Thee owe me nothing, ‘T is merely an act of a cousin!”
...
Huh?
“Beg pardon?” I question, wondering if I heard that right. “Cousin?”
She blinks at me a few times before coughing into her hand. “Friend.” She corrects sheepishly. “I forget that our tongues hold words that possess different meanings.” She straightens herself. “Nevertheless! Wait till mine own returneth, Jubei. Hopefully all shall end well.”
With that she turns and makes her way out of the lounge, leaving me alone.
Even though I highly doubt that Tetishuri will change her mind, I’m still holding onto that slim hope just in case Pahaliah acts very convincing.
Sitting back down on the sofa, I smooth my dress before leaning my head back. After several long moments...I feel myself drifted into a well-deserved sleep.
Many might question my choice of trying to convince Tetishuri to reconsider the challenge, for that Venya greatly deserves what’s coming to her.
I myself would agree, for I have little liking towards the girl. But upon seeing the tired state Jubei is in, I’ve decided to do this. We may not be close individuals, but I do care for her since she’s a comrade in arms. I look out for my fellows, no matter if they’re part of my team or not.
Finding Tetishuri’s chambers is definitely an issue, mostly due to the fact that I’ve never felt the need to seek her out while she’s inside. However the problem is easily solved by consulting with others, since due to her popularity many tend to be aware of her location...even to the point where’s it’s concerning.
Eventually I did arrive at the door, located in a very particular hall chosen specifically for VIP visitors of the GoT.
If I may be honest, I haven’t gone through how I’m specifically going to convince her. My choice to do this for Jubei was a spur-of-the-moment decision, so once I start talking to Tetishuri...I’m going to have to ‘wing it’.
Ha! Wing it! I am a bird!
Heh, enough jesting. I need to focus on the task at hand.
I raise one of my hands and give the wooden door two firm knocks, after that I wait patiently. It took only a few moments before the door opens.
“Greetings Tetishuri!” I smile. “I-” My words falter when my gaze falls upon her.
The Lucario is lacking in any sort of clothing, jewelry, or makeup from what I can see. Also upon also seeing that her body is soaking wet, which only means that she recently finished showering and hadn’t bothered drying herself before answering. “Why hello Pahliah, it’s a surprise to see you here.” She smiles back. “I see no need for you to stand out in the hall, so please come inside.” With a gesture of her hand she turns and walks back in, leaving me standing flabbergasted.
I feel my face burning, a sure sign that I am blushing heavily. Never have I ever felt so flustered in my life.
Come now Pahaliah, she invited you inside. It would be rude to continue standing here and balk at her body like a lovestruck fool.
Breathing in deeply through my mouth I steel my nerves and follow in after her, taking great care not to have my eyes linger on her frame.
Inside make sure look at everything inside her chambers except for Tetishuri herself, taking note of the fancy vanity of the room.
“It’s not often that you stop by.” Tetishuri speaks up, through the corner of my eyes I see her drying herself with a red towel. “It’s quite pleasant, you and I rarely talk.” She looks over to me. “Which is a shame, since I quite enjoy our conversations.”
“Is yond so?” I say with surprise, currently ‘admiring’ a painting as an excuse to not look at her.
“Most certainly.” She chuckles. “You’re quite a breath of fresh air compared to many others out there.” I hear a shuffling noise behind me, however a sudden tap on my shoulder causes me to jump.
“A-Aye?” I sputter, turning to her with an embarrassed look.
She’s standing right in front of me now, one arm holding the towel against her body. Now that I’m properly looking at her I notice that her hair lacks the braids and the golden pieces attached to the ends, however focusing more on her face I see that her expression possesses a concerned frown. “Pahaliah.” She says flatly. “Don’t think that I haven’t noticed your odd behavior, for I do.” The Lucario raises an eyebrow. “What’s the issue?”
I silently praise to the Lord for giving me a naturally red face, for it’s the sole reason why my blush isn’t incredibly obvious. “W-Well,” I try to begin. “Thee s-see-”
She tilts her head questioningly, her face growing impatient. “Out with it, Pahaliah.”
I take a deep breath. “’T's yond thou art wearing nay robes.” I tell her.
She blinks once, her face shifting to one of confusion. “...Perhaps rephrase that?”
I rub my face with a hand, rethinking the sentence. “C-Clothes, thou art not wearing any.”
Her eyebrows raise even further. “My clothes?” She looks down at herself before looking up again, her confusion only growing. “Are you flustered because I’m not wearing anything?”
Perhaps that’s not the only issue. “Yond and thou art soaking wet.” I add meekly.
“Well, I did just come out of the showe-” She begins only to stop, her eyes now watching me silently with a newfound fascination.
As the silence continues I find myself growing more uncomfortable, eventually ending with me averting my gaze from her.
“Pahaliah~” She purrs, the sheer amount of mischief in her tone making me shiver. “Am I reading you correctly~?”
I greatly regret my decision of coming here.
My silence however is apparently more than enough of an answer to her.
“Well I didn’t expect this.” She laughs. “I should’ve known, but it never crossed my mind!” I make the choice of sneaking a glance at her, which I see her grinning widely at me. “Are you attracted to women, Pahaliah?”
I let out an indignant squawk. “Nay!” I shout, yet far too loudly and quickly to be convincing. With how she’s smirking at me, I could only let out a defeated sigh. “Aye, although ‘t is both men and women.”
“Bisexual then, very interesting~” She hums in thought. “Nevertheless, there’s no shame in admitting it.”
“I feeleth nay shame f'r what I am!” I tell her firmly, but I feel my expression break. “Only...”
“That you’re standing right in front in all my glory” Tetishuri finishes, her smile never wavering. “I fully understand, you’re not the first after all~”
Wait...
...What?
“Nevertheless, I know you didn’t come to gawk at me ‘in the nude’.” She snickers. “Although I don’t necessarily understand that issue, since many Pokemon-” Her eyes examine me for a brief moment. “-including yourself - don’t tend to wear anything.” She shrugs her shoulders. “Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I tend to wear clothing most of the time, that and I was sopping wet. However I’m just sidetracking at this point, so what I’m originally saying is that you came to me to talk about something.”
She leans towards me, giving me a sultry smile. “I’m all ears~” She whispers to me before turning around, walking towards her dressing table. However the way she walked didn’t go unnoticed by me, specifically the way her hips swayed side to side.
...
...
Lord Arceus, please forgive me for my following thought.
I could feel my irritation growing the longer this fight continues, the prospect of ending my foes quickly and efficiently becoming more and more impossible.
Unlike the vast amount of Pokemon I’ve killed in the past, these six are trained to fight. They’re coordinated, disciplined, powerful...
That means...by slaying them, the power I will take from them will be far more than that of all of my past offerings to the Deep.
My gaze turns to the snake creature in the back, before my eyes I watch the wound heal...the skin quickly closing in order to prevent any further bleeding.
Watching my efforts undone, I feel my anger and irritation increasing tenfold.
With a twisted roar I fire another laser with the full intention of destroying both the floating creature and the snake, but the four-armed quickly brings up another barrier in order to block my beam like the last time.
Infuriating.
I feel my senses blur before my surroundings change, signifying that I’ve been displaced once more. It took only a second for me to realize that I’m standing right beneath the bird creature.
Excellent.
Without wasting a second I leap up, slashing at her with my blade. She lets out a loud squawk and jumps away, just barely avoiding my attack. I hear her shout out something to the others, but her exact words are lost to me. Keeping my motions fluid I aim my claw at the direction she’s leaping for and fire a second beam.
I could only cackle internally when I watch it strike her dead in the stomach.
With a pained screech she tumbles out of the canopy and lands on the ground with a loud thump, the strong stench of scorched flesh and feathers fill the air as my gaze turns to her charred belly.
If I were to have charged the attack, it would’ve burned a hole clean through her. But instead I only took a fraction of my power in order to attack so swiftly, so for now...she’s lucky to have survived.
But not for long.
The second I landed on the ground I sprint for her, my bladed claw poised to strike down and end her. But through the corner of my eyes I see a flash of movement, with this newfound knowledge I quickly stop and leap right into the air.
Soaring beneath me is a mass of green fire, all directed from the fox creature. Despite the massive wave of flames missing I see it quickly twist into the air to head straight back for me.
Upon landing I aim my claw and fire another quick beam, this time at the fox creature. Her determined gaze immediately falters when she sees the laser heading for her and she dives to the side to avoid it. With her focus broken, the mass of fire quickly dissipates.
Just as I wanted.
When I was about to turn back to the bird creature I see the metal giant bullcharge me, followed by a distressed shout from the fox creature with what I assume is her telling him not to do such a thing.
I face him and wait, extending my bladed arm out. Once he closes the distance I leap to the side, all the while slashing at his body.
I strike true, the unnatural feeling of resistance pushes at my blade as it carves a new opening on the surface of his frame. Yet my blade doesn’t cut straight through, for the blue barrier that’s blazing around the area I’ve struck signifies that it’s the only thing preventing me from cleaving the giant in two.
Just as he runs past me, I see him position is hand at my direction...
...and then extend itself towards me faster than one could even blink.
I couldn’t even react to the piston-powered punch as it strikes me dead on the side, propelling me straight into the clearing. Upon hitting the ground I roll violently, slamming into tree stumps and fallen logs with enough force to brutally injure any normal creature of flesh.
But I’m no such creature.
I am far above them.
My body does in fact sport new injuries, but they aren’t hindering. To me they’re just something in the back of my mind, no pain...only a dull pulse that signifies that I’ve been hurt.
Nevertheless, this shows me that the giant is capable of extending his fist with sonic speed. Another surprise wasted, even if I was injured...the injury itself won’t provide any advantages to them.
By wasting another surprise, it means that I’ll be prepared for that attack in the future.
By being prepared, it means that the chances of them stopping me grow smaller and smaller.
And thus meaning victory grows closer and closer.
I feel the sudden sense of displacement again, but its temporary effects vanish as swiftly as it came. Quickly gathering my bearings I glance around to see that I’m standing up...and this time my location is at the left of the group several yards away.
The location itself isn’t too much of an advantage, but seeing that the bird creature is now down for the rest of the fight...they don’t have anything to call out my location immediately.
They’ll notice me in a second however, so I must act now.
Aiming my bladeless claw I lock onto the floating creature, with no warning I fire out another beam...my new goal to take out their healer.
I would’ve succeeded...but the four-armed creature seemed to have noticed me in time and makes a dive. Due to how swiftly he acted he managed to snatch her out of the air just as the beam sailed through the path where she once hovered, any later would’ve meant that he would’ve taken the blow instead.
Nevertheless even though I missed, they’re both on the ground. During this brief amount of time it means that they won’t be able to create any barriers to deflect my ranged attacks.
My gaze flicks to the Delphox who’s already standing again, her staff positioned in order to fire another blast of fire. But I don’t wait, I unleash a second beam in order to prevent her from striking me.
She avoided it by stepping to the side this time instead of leaping, however I quickly follow up on this attack. After firing the beam I charge them, my goal to rush her down and strike her with my blade.
But before I could close the distance...I feel the sense of displacement again...
...and then I find myself charging at them in the opposite direction.
This couldn’t have been more perfect.
With her backs to me I leap at the fox and stab forward, my blade striking her dead-on.
Her scream of pain was more than satisfying.
I would’ve pressed further in order to break through the barrier and spear right through her, but in the corner of my vision I see something swift moving right for me.
Pulling back I remove my blade from the fox’s back, causing her to stumble forward before collapsing. The second I move away from her I see a bladed tail stab at where I once stood, revealing it to be the snake creature again...but this time his injury is fully recovered.
That and an expression of sheer rage on his face.
He shouts something at me with a venomous tongue, but I ignore his words. Focusing on them will only distract me. The battle is all that matters.
I glance slightly to see the fox creature crawling away, her back sporting a nasty hole that’s bleeding profusely. I didn’t linger on her very long, since the snake creature strikes again.
Stepping aside from the bladed tail I slash sideways like I did the last time when he attacked me in the exact same fashion, but he pulls back quick enough to avoid it. He immediately darts around me before closing the distance, slashing forward with his bladed claws.
Bringing up my unbladed claw I parry the attack, the hard surface of my skin easily deflecting his sharp nails. In response I step back before stabbing forward with my sword, in which the creature twists itself to the side to avoid it.
He’s swift, very swift.
Yet once again I feel the sense of displacement surround me, teleporting me several feet to the snake creature’s right.
But is he swift enough?
I charge forward, firing a beam from my claw slightly to his right. I have no intention of actually hitting him this time, instead I aim to force him to move towards the direction I desire.
When he turned to me, all he saw was the beam heading for him...so he reacted by dodging in the opposite direction.
Right where I wanted him.
Leaping forward I slash down at the location where he’s moving, and my prediction is as flawless as I expected it to be. I strike him dead on the shoulder and my blade continues down his chest, leaving a massive wound opening in his body.
He opens his mouth to scream, but I don’t even allow him to do so. I kick him right in the stomach with one of my feet before stabbing forward with my blade again, this time striking his chest where his heart is located.
Pressing down on him I push harder, my blade sinking deeper and deeper into his flesh. He thrashes and tries to strike me with his tail, but I duck down to let it sail over my head.
Deeper and deeper my blade sinks, only seconds is left until I pierce through his heart...
Yet this never happened due to the sensation of four powerful hands grabbing me and yanking me off my prey, their crushing grip holding my arms and head still like vice.
I know well enough that it’s the four-armed creature, but the fact that it took such a bold move as to personally pin me down...I didn’t quite expect it from an individual who’s task is to maintain barriers.
He doesn’t try to crush me however, since despite him being an incredibly strong individual I doubt he’d be able to pierce my thick metal coat.
But he did something else entirely, something I never would've expected.
With a loud yell he uses all of his strength to toss me right into the air above him...
...Right into the path of a cannonball.
All I knew was that my body lurched violently before being launched into another tree, the impact not only shattering it but continue further right into another tree behind it.
The impact from the first tree severally cut down on my velocity and the second tree actually halted me.
I land on the ground hard, one glance down was enough to tell me that my chest has partially caved in.
Such a wound...I should be feeling immense agony, but instead...I feel no pain.
With no pain, it means that I can stand right back up without consequences.
The metal giant steps into view, his black eyes glowing a bright red. He shouts something, which I at first dismissed. However my curiosity got the better at me, so I looked back at his words to decipher them.
“WHAT IS THAT THING MADE OF?!”
Thing.
Now I remember why I’ve chosen to ignore their words.
Looking at my work I couldn’t help but feel immense satisfaction.
Three out of their six members are temporarily out.
Even if they possess a healer, I seriously doubt she’ll be able to take care of all of them in time. Now that they have lesser numbers, they can’t possibly keep me at bay now.
The giant is the only threat, but even he can’t hope to stop me from killing his teammates.
I’ve won.
The power of the Deep has proven itself once again.
Even when outnumbered by foes who possess excellent combat skills, I can still take them all on.
All I had to do was inflict one injury, then they’ll all fall apart.
Without numbers, they’re nothing.
I’ve won.
With this victory, it signifies that nothing can stop me.
Nothing.
Summoning my second blade, I raise the two swords of light menacingly. With a distorted laugh I charge at them, already feeling the taste of their power.
The four-armed creature and the healer tense, but the metal giant steps in front of them. He aims his cannon again, preparing to fire another cannonball if I can assume.
I prepare to dodge to the side and strike them at their flank, to deliver a blow that will end this fight once and for all...
...
...
...
But everything grows dark, leaving me in an empty void.
...
...
Wait...
What?!
I slow to a stop, looking around in frantic confusion.
“You seek to use the power of Sword Logic to slay the Darkness? To use the very Law of the Deep to destroy it?”
No...
“For a blade to raise against its owner is a crime great of its own, but to make a bold claim as to slay the smith who forged its perfect shape?”
I swiftly turn to the source, only to find myself looking up at His towering frame.
“Your indiscretion has shown me that you haven’t even come close to grasping the greater power of Sword Logic. Your words has shown me how true your impiety is, how your mockery of logic fooled you into a false sense of security.”
I wanted to scream in rage at Him, how he is interfering with my well-earned victory. I wanted to shout at him to cease with his words, how they mean nothing to me.
But he continues, his tone similar to that of an individual realizing that a fungus has been growing on their body and they’re explaining to another on how they plan to remove it.
“Yet despite your mockeries to the very Law I’ve crafted you in, the greatest of your failures is that you do not realize how long the path is to the goal you seek. You can’t gain enough power to fight the Deep, even if you surpass the might of Oryx himself. Yet even then, a meager world such as this will not grant enough offerings to even begin the path towards Ascendancy. You must lead a crusade against all inhabitants of the universe itself.”
Raising a three-clawed hand, he lets out a rumbling growl.
“You will fail, yet you do not realize this. You are blind, blind to the fate you’ve wrought upon yourself.”
Before I could react, his massive hand grasps my entire body.
“Witness the impossibility that you seek, so that you will finally sink into despair that is your reality.”
When we first entered the forest, we prepared ourselves for the horror within. Both mentally...and physically.
We don’t know how far the creature is in this forest, so we brought our supplies with us in case that we needed to make a briefly temporary camp to rest.
But...the place...it unnerves me. There are no sounds of wildlife, as if all of the creatures within have fled...or died.
Being the one ahead of the group I carefully watch for any signs of the creature, whether it be marks made by it...or corpses of its killings.
By the great spirits, there are so many corpses... A trail of death, a path that leads us to where it’s heading.
At first we discovered the already rotting corpses of a Luxray and cubs, a Haxorus, and then a whole back of Mightyena... The sheer stench of it nearly made us all retch, all except for Asmund.
But we continued...and eventually we found the location where we could only assume was the battle of the creature against the team Ashen Blade. Trees sliced in two, needles embedded in the ground and tree bark, burnt grass from Firesword’s blades, I was confident that this was the place.
However...there was no sign of the creature, so we continued forward.
I tried not to dwell on the happenings, but the unnatural silence and the constant corpses...it’s sickening to both my stomach and my heart.
When we found the corpse of a Gothitelle and her child, we had to stop to fully grasp the reality of the situation.
They were not feral Pokemon. They were travelers.
They possessed clothing, belongings, they must have been traveling to Richfield...but were caught unaware by the monster that roamed.
The frozen face of pure fear on the Gothorita’s face...it showed that this horror is absolutely merciless. It didn't even spare a defenseless child.
“Anata no tamashī ga heiwa ni nokorimasu yō ni.” I whisper to the two bodies, bowing my head in respect.
“This creature truly is a monster.” Seraph growls. “Absolutely unforgivable, we shall maketh ‘t payeth f'r its sins.” Her look becoming one of determination, she turns to the rest of us. “These bodies needeth to beest given a proper burial, f'r they deserve yond much respect”
Asmund lets out a sharp, almost mocking laugh. “Bury them? I agree, why don’t we waste our time with two corpses while we let the monster kill more people.” A He shakes his head in amusement. “Anything else?”
I look at the Decidueye, watching her expression grow ever more angered. “Thee dare fleer at the dead?” She hisses. “By Lord Arceus, thee has't gone too f-”
“Asmund is correct, Seraph” Nightshade sighs, making the Templar stop. Just as she begins to protest, the black Delphox shakes her head. “With every second that passes, the Scizor grows more distant. We need to keep going, we can’t afford to linger here.”
“Once we’ve defeated this creature, we can return to bury them.” The Chimecho adds, her sorrow-filled eyes turning to the mother and child.
Seraph slumps her shoulders in defeat, nodding her head in acceptance. “Very well...”
I warily look at Asmund, expecting to see some sort of smug body-language. However even though his expression is completely unreadable, I can’t find any sort of satisfaction that I can sense from him.
I expected him to gloat to Seraph for that he’s correct, but perhaps...even he knows of the line that should not be crossed.
