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Team Razorpine

Discussion in 'Literature Library' started by Moonstruck-Mist, Jan 27, 2019.

  1. Moonstruck-Mist

    HoverBoots
    (Shaymin (Sky))
    Level 35
    Joined:
    Feb 2, 2017
    Posts:
    427
    PokéPoints:
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    I will bite myself for every time that I had to stop and think about what I was doing during this chapter. I'm not good at splitting things into parts, and I'm even worse at keeping things interesting. So, instead of nice stuff, enjoy a random 30.5 Page chapter on a something I really just want to play around with.

    A loud thud tore Mystic from his rest. He shot up like a bullet, his heart pounding like it normally did when he was woken like this. For as long as he had been here in Rivercross Acres, which had only been a few weeks by this point, he still had yet to get used to the sound of being woken by his boss like this. Well, his former boss now. A couple of days ago, he had found that there were openings in the guilds. As soon as he had seen that, he had decided that was where he would head. It wasn't like it was far either, only a few hours away at the most. And unlike Aerie, it was actually close by and easy to reach so long as he stuck to the trails... and avoided the bandits.

    "Get up!" Mystic flinched as the loud voice of his boss, an Exploud commonly called Echo, erupted through the now-open door. "You said you'd be gone by morning, so get up and out to Tabira! You wanted to join and help them, so go and help them, you kid! And don't think about leaving your buddy of an egg here! We aren't responsible for that thing, ya know!"

    "I know, I know," Mystic mumbled, stretching widely as he rolled from his spot on the floor. The room wasn't large, just large enough to let him stretch out and care for Azurale - the name he had given his egg. Well, it wasn't his, but he cared for it like it was his own child. Having gotten it on his way here, he sure did have a long time to bond with it. Heck, he couldn't even remember from whom he had gotten it. Maybe the parents hadn't been that important to him. "I'll be out in a moment, s-sir! I meant to b-be up earlier, b-but-"

    "I don't want excuses, boy!" Echo snapped loudly as he hit the door and slammed it into the wall hard enough to crack the wood that made up the wall between Mystic and the main building. "Now get up, and get out of here. I won't say so again. Next time, it'll be my foot telling your tail straight out the door!" Echo finally backed off and went to do what he did best, music. As loud as he could be, he could hear almost anything wrong with everything, even though his ability was Soundproof. He was just good enough to push it aside somehow.

    Mystic groaned and shook his head clear of the ringing sound within his mind. He was used to the shouting, but it still hurt when he was pushed well beyond his hearing limits. Once he was sure he had gotten the rest of the buzzing out of the way, he picked up his egg and left the room, using his tail to close the door right behind him. He walked right past Echo, who was working with some sort of instrument Mystic hadn't seen before. He was just glad the Exploud didn't shout as he left the shop. He was sure that would cause some problems, not just for him, but for the shop as well. At least his room was sturdy, unlike the various instruments he worked with.

    Once outside, Mystic was met with the warmth of the world he rarely ever got to meet. Most of his time outside was spent at night, or during the winter when it was at its coldest here. While it was nowhere near what he had dealt with back home, it was still enough to send shivers down his spine if he wasn't ready. But today, it was Spring - it was actually warm for a change of pace.

    "Howdy, Mystic!" Mystic's head turned when he noticed Taurus, an old pal who had brought him here on his long trip. "Long time, little see, truly! You ready to head for Tabira yet? Yer boss told me you were getting up and wanted to be taken there. That is correct, is it not? Not getting you mixed up with another Pokémon, am I?"

    "N-no, but I was planning on walking today," Mystic quickly said in response. "I-I mean, thank you for the offer of taking me there, but I know you have deliveries that are much more important than me! A-and the walk would be a nice change of scenery! I don't want to get through it too fast. I-it's nice to see new things every once in a while!"

    "Well, if ya say so." Taurus let out a low huff before he began to walk away, a cart pulled behind him filled with various items grown by the town as either medicine or food. "And if ya need any help in Tabira, just call for me. I need to stay there fer a bit of work anyways, so I'll be around for about a week or something like that. Good luck, kiddo. And don't let your shortness keep you from reaching great heights!"

    "Stop teasing me about that!" Mystic snapped loudly as Taurus began to walk away and onto the trails to Tabira. Mystic remained where he stood until he had calmed down, which took several moments with how badly he hated when people pointed out his shortness. Sure, it was nice for sneaking around, but pointing it out was just annoying to him. "I'd say I hate you, but you're still one of my friends... I guess I just have to deal with it until I'm normal." With a sigh, he too began on the trail to Tabira. All he had was himself and his egg. That was all he needed - it was all he wanted.

    As he walked, Mystic took the time alone in the silence to take a good look around. While he had seen the plains before, he had never really been in them long enough to get a proper look. From meat-flowers to grains to berries, the fields were littered with crops used to feed Tabira and most of the region they lived on. And while it was one of the main farmlands, it didn't mean they were alone. Plants grew elsewhere, yes, but this place was one of the largest farmlands available. At least, that was what he had been taught in just his few weeks in Rivercross Acres. He didn't know if it was true, but he wasn't one to question it.

    He quickly shook his head of the thought and focused back on the dirt trail. He could see the cart wheels running along them, as well as the steps of a great variety of walking Pokémon. Something he had grown used to was following the footprints, though he was now on a trail with a certain goal and had no reason to do that. Why he thought of it, he did not know. He just really wanted to keep thinking of the place he was now leaving behind. But soon enough, the fields were out of view and out of mind.

    He silently crossed the nearby river that fed a good portion of the crops using the bridge that separated Rivecross Acres from Tabira. From there, he could see the Great Tree - the largest tree and greatest symbol of the entirety of Tabira. With that, it was also the sign of the guilds, as well as of the life of the land. Apart from all that he had found, all he knew was that it was a great symbol, a symbol of the peace and life that ran through the land.

    Mystic let out a cold breath of air before he heard rustling from nearby. He felt something flick at the back up his head before realization came to him. In a rushed reaction, he turned and released a dark energy in his paws that formed claws as dark as the night sky night. "Night Slash!" He turned, raising a paw and forcing himself to hold the dark claws up as flames struck at him from a distance. He could immediately tell his attacker was a fire-type, as not many Pokémon were able to use such attacks. He kept the defense up until the attack had finally stopped. When it had, Mystic lowered his paw back to the ground, stopping his attack and focusing on his attacker, a Braixen. "What the heck? Who in the blue blazes are you?" he snarled, flexing his claws with a low growl.

    The Braixen walked closer, rolling a stick in its paws until it was several feet from the Absol. Mystic could feel a weird aura coming from him, though he wasn't sure what it was. It was just... weird. "The name's Xavier, if that's what you're asking." The Braixen bowed lightly, tipping what seemed to be some sort of witch's hat to Mystic before twirling the stick around and making sparks with the end of it. "And I challenge you to a duel, fair sir. Magic Room." With a simple flick of the stick, a box surrounded the two in an area wide enough for a battlefield, which was only a few yards in any given direction. "Now, I wouldn't mind you saying no, but you might find something missing if you do."

    'Great. This guy's a nutjob.' Mystic remained silent before setting Azurale to the ground and pushing it a distance away so that it didn't break during the battle. "Dude, I may have time for this, but I'm seriously not looking forward to having to kick your tail to Tabira. Why didn't you just pass me by and leave me alone? Truth be told, you're just really annoying."

    "And as a counter to that sad statement, how can anyone stand a short Absol with a mouth like a Magikarp?" Xavier returned, flames licking at the tip of his stick. When he noticed an odd rage within Mystic's eyes, he grinned lightly. "I see. You're quick to temper, which means a heightened attack. It looks like I might actually have the advantage in this battle. Very well then. Let us have some fun. Shock Wave!" Xavier spun the stick before pointing it at Mystic. Electricity tore from the end of the stick, flying at Mystic almost as fast as would be expected from such an attack.

    "Too bad." Mystic let out a feint of a sigh before he dashed to the side, a clone appearing where he once stood and taking the attack. It shattered upon impact, though it at least blocked the attack. "Alright. Guess I might need to put in an ounce of effort here. Double Team!" His body shook for a moment before he split apart, clones forming all around them and hiding the real Mystic fairly well. They weren't solid, but they looked real... from a distance. "For a Braixen, I must admit your control over that Shock Wave was marvelous. However, you can't hit what you can't rely on." Each of the clones held a similar smirk as they surrounded Xavier.

    "Doesn't matter to me whether or not you're real." Xavier smiled and pulled off his hat before setting it back upon his head. Letting out a deep breath, he pointed his stick downward and at the ground. "And in truth, I'm only just getting warmed up!" With a swift upward flick of his stick, he called out, "Fire Pledge!" Upon the command, flames erupted from the stick, as well as the ground, hitting all of the clones, as well as Mystic. "Use Double Team as much as you want, kid. I'll always have a counter to it."

    Mystic flinched as he was hit by the fiery attack. His claws dug into the ground as he tried to endure it, though he knew it wouldn't take much from his opponent to knock him out. Before long, the attack finally stopped, leaving him with slightly singed fur along his underside. He let out a faint sigh before his claws lengthened. He silently activated his Slash attack before rushing at the Braixen. As he lashed out, Xavier raised his stick and blocked the attack. The momentum, however, carried through. Without his stick to immediately defend, Mystic managed to hit him with a second Slash, which knocked Xavier back. Luckily, it wasn't anywhere near lethal. Sure, it hit hard and was likely a critical hit, but Mystic couldn't kill. At least, he didn't think he could.

    "Nice hit," Xavier commented, wiping his slightly bloody wound before twirling his stick. "But it'll take a lot more than just a simple scratch to cut me down to size, shorty!" He grinned before another Shock Wave came barreling from the stick once more, slamming into Mystic with great force and intent. However strong Mystic was, Xavier was definitely stronger - that was a given between the two.

    Mystic let out a cry to the sky as the electricity began to tear through him. It took a whole minute, and most of his remaining energy, to push through it, but he managed. Rage filled him as darkness began to rush to his claws once more. "I've told everyone to stop calling me shorty. I've told a hundred people not to call me that!" As the attack finally stopped growing, Mystic raised his paw to his maw, revealing his glowing Bite. "And now, it's time I show people just what happens when I get angry." Without another word, he crushed the Night Slash with the Bite. Power began to surge through him, though it only physically changed his maw. His teeth grew sharper as a dark aura surrounded them, similar to that of the Night Slash attack. "Fusion Attack: Night Fang."

    "Hmm. What an interesting attack," Xavier whispered, twirling his stick lightly before flames began to encase him. "So let's see just how strong you and your special "fusion attack" really are. Flame Charge." With his body entirely encased in flame, Xavier rushed at Mystic headfirst. A bold look shined within the Braixen's eyes, filling Mystic with an odd feeling of security.

    Mystic remained silent as Braixen came closer with the fiery spiral around him. He knew he had only one chance. Too early and he'd be taken out - too late would result in the same thing, just even more painful. Mystic felt the warmth in the air before he finally bit down. He made contact with the flame, which shocked him greatly, and he could tell it had scared Xavier as well. The flame erupted around them, burning Mystic while his own attack met with the head of Xavier's flames. An explosion followed, throwing them away from each other, though neither had fatal wounds after the attack. Mystic didn't know how, but he was grateful.

    "For a kid who looks weak, you can sure pack a punch," Xavier panted, wiping a bit of blood from his mouth, though it wasn't his but Mystic's. "I think I might have grown a bit of respect for you, though you're just another Pokémon I get to play with now." He chuckled lightly before the room around them shattered. "But I'm afraid I can no longer play. It appears you have nothing on you but that little egg of yours, and I know I've already won this match. Good day to you." And with that, flames surrounded Xavier before he rushed off, moving faster than he had during the battle.

    "What... does that mean?" Mystic let out a low whine as his anger dropped and the attack faded away. He stumbled back, shaking his head as the energy remaining overloaded his senses. As strong as the attack was, he wasn't perfect in using it in any way. He didn't get to battle often, and that had only been his second time ever using it... after having used it accidentally when he was reading through old books Echo had thrown at him. Maybe that was why he hadn't learned to control it; he had only ever used it when chewing his claws. "Geez. Who even was that guy? No way was he a guild member. They don't just attack random Pokémon, do they?"

    "That right there was Xavier, a bandit we've been chasing for quite a while now." Mystic turned to the voice and noticed the beat up-looking Hitmonchan walking over. "My name is Vander; I'm the leader of the Tracker's Guild. Sorry about Xavier. See, he just likes to duel random Pokémon for the "honor" that comes with it, though I really must ask what's honorable about stealing in the heat of battle. I'm sorry if he caused you any trouble. And you might want to check to see if he took any items from you. He's a sneaky one, he is. But what about you, kiddo? Are you okay?"

    "I'll... be fine," Mystic managed to say as he shook of the last of the overload of power from his head. With it out, he was finally able to focus on the real world around him. "And it wasn't like he could steal anything off of me. The only thing I have with me is my dear child of an egg." Mystic walked over to the resting egg and picked it up, setting it in his fur and using that as a way to hold it since he didn't have hands. It worked... somewhat. "My name's Mystic, by the way. It's really nice to meet you, Vander."

    "Indeed it is." Vander laughed lightly before looking after where Xavier had run off to . "I'm sorry that you had to deal with him, but Tabira is nearby, so you can get some help there. I need to find a free 'mon to get after that guy. He's been causing nothing but trouble for us, but we're stretched too thin with all these trade routes opening and bandits roaming around." He let out a light sigh, raising a hand to his head and shaking his head. "Well, I better get going. I still have some bandits to capture, and not much time to do it. Later, Mystic. See you again one day." With that, Vander rushed off, likely to do what he did best.

    "Yeah... I hope we can," Mystic mumbled, watching after the Hitmonchan before he sighed and began down the trail once more and on his way to Tabira and the Great Tree. "Man, it's no wonder Echo didn't want me out here in the real world. I guess he was right in how weird and rough it could be on a mountain-dweller like me. But... if this is what it takes to become stronger, then I have no choice but to keep fighting and pushing onward." He scoffed to himself lightly before he shook his head. "Alright. Let's get going then. I hope this doesn't happen again. It'd be a wild day if it did."

    Mystic laughed to himself as he began to see the town that surrounded the tree. Though the town was big in itself, it was tiny compared to the tree it surrounded. But now, as he walked closer and closer to the town, he actually began to feel fear running through him. He could feel his paws grow heavy as he forced himself closer to Tabira - the town that would bring him closer to his dream. As badly as he wanted to be there, he was scared of them. He feared what they would think of him - that he was too young or weak. His doubts began to slow him, but before he could stop, he could hear the town around him. Without having realized it, he had entered the town.

    He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he forced himself to walk through the town. The various Pokémon weren't what scared him, but it was the great amount of them. Perhaps he shouldn't have left Rivercross Acres. In great groups, he was known for having various panic attacks or stress-related accidents. But as much as that happened, he still had the egg to care for in the moment. If he had a heart attack now, he wasn't sure if he could really do anything in the future.

    "Control yourself," he whispered to himself, forcing a feeling of foreboding within him down to somewhere he wouldn't remember it. "You have a life to live and people to care for. You can't die now, or in the middle of these crowded streets. Just calm down, and take a few deep breaths. This'll all become easier once you've gotten control over yourself." Mystic couldn't believe he was talking to himself. He was sure it made him look crazy, and he could feel embarrassment, but at least it pushed down the fear he felt. He'd just use the time between now and whenever he next met someone to calm down.

    "Mystic!" Mystic turned as his name was called, and noticed Taurus standing alongside some Pokémon. "Welcome to Tabira, partner." He shrugged off a large cart, allowing it to settle on the ground as Pokémon took from the cart, likely heading to their own shops so to set up. "I see you made it here with as few scratches as one would expect, though you look a bit jumpier than normal. No need to fear, for the guilds are here."

    "Your rhymes are getting better, though I'm afraid that is a slight exaggeration." A Mawile with a pink back-bite - the mouth that extended from the back of their species' head - mumbled as she came around from behind him from behind him, a large book comparable to her own size in hand. When she noticed Mystic, she waved lightly. "And you must be Mystic. Taurus told me you'd be here soon enough, and even mentioned you have an interest in joining the guilds. Before we get to that, I must ask you a few questions first, if you're okay with it. You see, I'm the guild archivist Madras, and knowing those in the guild is kind of my job."

    Mystic was about to reject, but he knew he wouldn't really have a choice otherwise. Knowing people was part of the job, right? It would help to just get some things done, even if they weren't exactly important in the moment. "It's not like I have anywhere else to go at the moment. I don't know how to join the guild, and I doubt I'd really have enough experience to really make a big difference. So, go ahead and ask away, Madras. I've got nothing to hide."

    "Well, experienced or not, all Pokémon can learn a little more to help them become stronger than ever before." Madras smiled before pulling out a pen and looking at her clipboard. "First up, where did you come from, may I ask? I've never seen you around Tabira before, and Taurus here tells me that you're actually from far away."

    "Well, he's not wrong to say that. I'm actually from Aerie. My mother and father hatched me there, and it's where I lived until I left for here, though I somehow ended up in Rivercross Acres and remained there until I heard that the guilds were hiring, which was... about two or three months ago," Mystic responded, thinking back to his past so he could really explain it. "I don't really know what else to tell to you besides that. It's... been a while since I've thought of back then."

    "No, no. That's really all I need about back then," Madras told him, writing a bit in her book. "And as far as I'm aware, with you being new around here, you must have come here for a reason besides to just join the guilds and help people around the region. Is there anything else we might need to know about you? And what about that egg you're carrying? Why do you have it with you?"

    "My reason for coming here? I guess I just wanted to make something of myself - to show my mother and father I could be something. But just knowing about me?" Mystic fell silent before letting out a light sigh. "Just don't get on my bad side or tease me about my differences, and I'm sure everyone will come out of meeting me unscathed. A-and don't surround me with just a bunch of random Pokémon. I almost had a heart attack coming in, a-and I don't want to risk one, not with this young lad coming in." Mystic looked back and to the egg, sighing faintly as he knew he couldn't avoid speaking about it. "This egg... I received from some random Pokémon on my way to Rivercross Acres, and it's been with me ever since. I'm hoping it'll hatch soon, but it's been quite a few weeks, if not a couple of months, since that day. I can't recall the details on how I received Azurale, or even of who had given it to me. I just know it was important somehow, as if fate meant for us to meet that day. That's... all I have to share."

    "Well, if that's all you have to say, then I guess this interview is over." She smiled faintly as she finished writing in her book. "Well, I guess I shouldn't say anything else besides welcome to the guilds, Mystic. Or, I would say that if I was the leader. I'll get this to my boss and check in with them before anything's solidified. And before I forget, Graham was looking for a group of Pokémon to help him clean out some of the public labs just a bit away from here. I think you find him over to the west with Alice and Ginger. You should stop by and help them with their chores. I'm sure they'd greatly appreciate the help. Plus, it'd give you some people to talk to, and I'm sure you need to get to know some of your fellow guild members."

    "Y-yeah... Maybe." Mystic smiled faintly as he watched Madras walk - it was more like float as he realized the light yellow of a Magnet Rise below her - away to do whatever she was planning to do. He stayed there for a moment before letting out a deep sigh, then looking over to Taurus. "I get you want to help, but please don't tell people I'll be arriving. For all you know, I might just end up having a last-second emergency and have to run off to do something that's even more important than the mission at stake."

    "If I made that promise to you, you have to promise to get some muscles on those bones of yours," Taurus returned, shaking his head slightly before focusing once more on Mystic. "Early tomorrow morning, Marble will be at an obstacle course just south of the Great Tree to train up some of the rookies we're having come in. I'm sure she'd appreciate if you went there tomorrow to get some skill brought into that weak body of yours."

    "... Thanks for the vote of confidence," Mystic mumbled, letting out a light sigh before raising a paw and moving fur to his eyes, though it didn't last long as his fur just fell to the side and went back to place. "But I better get going. If there's something to do with a lab, you know I kind of have to help those around me. People, in my opinion, are more important than the strength you can gain. It just depends on how you look at it."

    "You can keep your philosophy to yourself, kiddo." Taurus smiled before moving away from his cart and over to Mystic. They watched each other for a moment before Taurus smiled. "You're still a kid, and you have a lot of room and time to grow. You may be scared of the future right now, but you know that it'll become better so long as you keep pushing forward. When Azurale hatches, you'll be the one he looks up to most of all. You'll be the father and mother he's never going to have in his life. You have to be strong, and you have to grow to do that. So don't put others before yourself all the time. Put effort into what you do, and fight if it comes to that. You're a warrior, Mystic. It's what Pokémon like you and me were born to be."

    "First off, don't assume Azurale will be a boy. They're still an egg, so I'd prefer if you didn't say anything about them. But... I guess you are right about me needing to grow up. Just... ever since I left Aerie, I haven't really had a reason to get stronger. I mean, I worked on instruments for a majority of my life down here in the plains. And now to think I'll be helping the guilds to help others... Fine, but if anything goes wrong during this, I'm entirely blaming you and your philosophy of me becoming stronger."

    "Kind of contradictory since I said I wouldn't judge you based off yours," Taurus countered, earning a loud huff from Mystic. "Well, you better get going if you're going to help Graham and the others clean out the labs. I'm sure the sun will be setting by the time you're done with them. So get going, and make some friends!" Taurus gently butted heads with Mystic before wandering off, likely to take a break before resuming deliveries.

    "Thanks for the love, dude." Mystic laughed lightly and swiped some fur from his eyes before he let out a faint sigh. He could feel the cold air of his breath against his own fur, pulling him back home for only a moment. He fell silent as he flexed his claws, digging into the ground with an odd rage. "I'm such a failure," he whispered lightly, scoffing to himself before he pushed himself to shake off the fear and begin westward to find the Pokémon he was supposed to help. "But... I made a promise. I promised to keep going forward for all of you. I just have to push my fears away. I have to live free like I was born to do."

    Cold wind ruffled through his fur as the memories rushed back to him. He froze when he saw a shadow ahead, but he knew what this was. This was a vision, one he had commonly had in the weeks following his greatest self-accomplishment. This same vision - this same snow and darkness - he had known since his first trip up to the peak of the highest mountain of Aerie. Who was it? He had seen them before, but the memory was so hazy. It couldn't have been his parents; he had lived with them... for a time.

    Before he could mutter a single word, everything shattered from in front of him. Like the sun in water being disturbed by a stone, it all rippled and broke away from his vision. He remained silent before he let his eyes shine with a bright determination. He had to become stronger. He had to return home and find who it had been that had been haunting his visions. He was no one special, but he had the feeling they were. He shook his head and began to walk, his claws tearing into the ground with every step. He was annoyed by it, as he never received an answer.

    "Who are you?" he whispered to himself, the mental wind still blowing in his fur as he continued through the forest, his eyes on the lockout for a group of any three Pokémon. He didn't know who he was looking for, but he had heard three names. He was sure there had to be three Pokémon then. Unless they were a Doduo or a Dodrio, but he didn't think that far; he was confident in the assumption side of his already disaster-predicting gut. "Why do you keep coming back and haunting me? What's so special about me? There are hundreds like me out there. Of all the Pokémon in Aerie, why me?" He let out a light sigh and shook his head. He knew he wouldn't find an answer now. He was too far away for even his natural senses to tell him anything. He's just have to wait and do his job.

    As he walked on the trail through the forest, his mind wandered to the three Pokémon he was looking for. He had no idea who he was looking for, but he felt a bit of reassurance when he really only saw one or two Pokémon together. He was certain most of them were travelers, if not residents of the town. He didn't really care to ask, mainly since he wanted to keep to himself. Even if the fear was being pushed away, he was still nervous to talk to others. And right now, he didn't want to ruin any possible friendships, or just acquaintanceships, with anyone.

    Mystic let out a light chuckle to himself as he raised his head, a look of determination shining in his eyes before he felt his claws grow. "No point in showing weakness any longer." He grinned before he turned, lashing at a tree with thick and dark claws. He felt bark hit his paws as he tore through the trunk, his strength surging for a brief moment. It wasn't deep enough to cause major damage, but it was easily visible to any passerby - it would for a while anyways. As the attack faded away, Mystic flinched and took a step back. He wasn't sure why, but just randomly attacking things always... backfired. "That... still pushes me past my limits," he panted, setting his paws on the ground as he then continued his walk for those he was asked to help. "Man, I need to get some training in. Those days with Echo have made me soft. Well, softer than I was meant to be anyways."

    As he kept walking, Mystic became aware of the diminishing amount of Pokémon in the area. All he really saw now were Pokémon who were either leaving, or entering, the town of Tabira. He began to grow worried that he had passed who he was supposed to help, until he noticed a group gathered by a large clump of trees. The first he noticed was the shiny Zorua, which stuck out in the green and brown of the forest. He then also noticed a small Buneary, as well as a Kricketot, standing nearby and talking with each other. It was the first group of three he had seen, and they seemed to be waiting, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe they were the ones he had been asked to help.

    Mystic, still unsure, kept himself quiet as he walked closer to them. He tried to walk over without being noticed, but he knew it wouldn't work when the Zorua turned and looked at him. He froze in place, paralyzed by fear of being seen, though he knew he'd need to get used to it one day. It took a moment for him to talk himself through it and resume the walk over to them. By this point, he was aware that they were all aware of him coming over to them.

    "Well, hello there, Absol." The Kricketot chirped first as Mystic walked in front of them, though he was initially unresponsive. "Ah, new recruit, right? I don't think I've seen you around, and I get the feeling that you're kind of nervous. Well, no need to be shy. I'm Graham. The Zorua is Alice, and the Buneary beside me is Ginger. It's nice to make your acquaintance."

    "Y-yeah. It indeed is." Mystic's response was filled with nervousness. He knew he was told not to be, and that he'd eventually be used to them, but he just couldn't help it. Even knowing they wouldn't attack wasn't helping him. "I'm sorry I'm so nervous. I'm just new to the area, a-and I kind of have to get used to being around so many Pokémon. I've never seen so many gathered in a single town before."

    "Well, that's alright," Graham laughed, motioning to Alice. "Alice is generally very shy, but we're trying to help her get past her shortcomings, and she's trying her hardest to get over it as well. It'll just take some time for you to get used to so many Pokémon, but there's no reason to fear. Tabira is as safe as any place could possibly be. With the guilds centered here, there's never a shortage of places to run to or get help from." Graham laughed lightly. "So, what can I help you with today? You looking for someone?"

    "Actually, I was sent by Madras to help you with some cleaning," Mystic told him, smiling nervously before letting out a light sigh. "I-I'm sorry if I'm a bit late to helping anything. I got a bit distracted on my way here, a-and I kind of ended up being delayed somewhat." Mystic gently rubbed his arm, though standing on three legs felt kind of weird. "I'm extremely sorry."

    Ginger smiled faintly and bounced up to him. "Never has any Pokémon ever been too late to help another," he told him, reaching up and patting his head lightly. "And it's not like you're late at all. Sure, we could have had a bit of help with a past lab, but nobody will blame you for being distracted. In fact, there's another lab we were just about to clean. Isn't that right, Graham?"

    "Ah, yes, of course," Graham responded quickly. He laughed lightly before he turned and pushed what seemed to be a tree open. Now that Mystic was paying attention to it, he could actually see the building, though it still somewhat blended into the forest. "This is the last one of the day, so it shouldn't take too long for us to clean. So, let's get to work everyone!"

    As Graham entered the small building, Mystic remained behind to think to himself. So far, today had been a rather rough, but also fun, day. Xavier had made him realize that he still had a long way to grow, and all these new Pokémon told him that he would have to get over his social issues. If he was to help them fight bandits, then he had to grow and learn to protect people. He nodded as he mumbled something under his breath, then heading into the building to help the others. Today, he knew, was the first step into a long and exhausting life.

    Once inside, Mystic couldn't help but look around in shock. This place was definitely a lot larger than he would have thought it was. Sure, the ceiling wasn't too high, but it definitely made up for that in pure square footage. From the entrance, he guessed about twenty feet ahead and about thirty to either of his sides. Adding that there was likely a storage room, he was fairly certain this place was almost, if not above, twelve-hundred (1,200) square feet. (Taking in how large each of the Pokémon in the room are, this is quite a big space)

    "Looks like someone's shocked at the power of psychic Pokémon." Graham's voice snapped Mystic from his train of thought, which shocked him greatly. "Well, this place is actually much smaller on the outside than the inside. As the name of our piece of the guild suggests, we're learning to make the lives of Pokémon easier. We make most of the inventions, and this one here is a special one we've been trying out. So, have a look around and see what you can find to clean. Make sure books are stacked nicely, dust is swept up, and that this place is just clean. If everyone understands, then let's get to work!"

    Mystic nodded lightly before he pulled away from where he stood and began to look around the lab. Most of the things were what he would have expected, like books and microscopes. But some things, mainly those relating to Pokémon themselves, sort of confused him. He looked at a book titled "Witches: The Truth Behind Magic." This confused him for two reasons. The first was that he had never heard of witches. And the second was that there was such a thing as magic. Pokémon were already pretty special in their own ways, but there was something beyond that? It kind of shocked him, but he didn't let it show as he continued to look around.

    As he walked, he gently brushed against anything he found dusty and used his fur to wipe of the dust, though after a while his fur began to turn grey from all the dust. Besides the book he had first found when they had begun cleaning, he hadn't really found anything all that interesting. It was mostly just science stuff and things he assumed were for projects they were working on. Nothing else caught his attention besides all that. It was what he expected of a science lab otherwise.

    In all, the cleaning all but took a couple of hours to get started and finished. It wasn't like the building was dirty, but there was a lot of stuff everywhere, and cleaning one thing revealed another three that needed to be done. Mystic even resorted to using Double Team to help the process go by faster after the first half-hour. It helped, though minimally considering it took about three to have full physical properties like a real Pokémon. Sure, it also made it harder to get around, but the process was sped up slightly. Mystic couldn't complain now that it was done.

    "Well, that was a fun and exhilarating experience." Alice shook her fur clean as they stepped outside, dust floating from their fur and to the ground before being picked up by the wind to be carried off to somewhere else. "Ah, but we can't really say it wasn't normal, was it? Thanks for the help, Mystic. It was nice of you to offer your time up for us. I'm sure you have something more important to do than just help us Scholars."

    "A-actually, I don't," Mystic mumbled in reply, gently sniffing Azurale's egg and making sure it was still fine. When he was completely sure it was, he let out a faint sigh and focused back on the others. "Having just arrived here, I really don't have plans for going anywhere or doing anything besides touring. And that can wait until after I get done with Marble's training tomorrow morning. I still have to get used to the town anyways, so I'm sure a little training would be useful if I ever need to get around this place."

    "Indeed it will," Graham told him, bouncing up and down on his rump as though using Bounce. "Knowing your surrounding areas is only a quarter of the battle, but they're often seen as the most important if you're a Pokémon of stealth and strategy." He laughed heartily before noticing the egg. He fell silent for several moments before stopping his bounces, and landing softly. "As for your egg, a day or two remains before it hatches. The way it looks so solid, I've seen enough eggs in my day to know when they're to hatch. Experience comes with time, as a wise Pokémon once told me."

    "Y-yeah... I just..." Mystic turned and looked away, slightly ashamed of himself for getting advice from some Pokémon he had literally just met not even a full quarter-of-a-day ago. "I'm sorry if I'm being a nuisance right now. I just... I really am sorry. I still have yet to get used to being around so many Pokémon. A-and that even means Pokémon like you. I get that you mean good, but after being with a loud Exploud and having been attacked by that Braixen, I can't help but be nervous and aware that anything could happen."

    "I understand what you mean, Mr. Absol," Ginger chirped in. "My older sister is kind of rough with new Pokémon, and if you were attacked, then no one will blame you for being nervous. Pokémon who have been attacked before are sometimes a bit finicky when in new areas, and maybe that'll pass with you. I hope so, at least. Being on guard all the time isn't exactly healthy for everyone."

    "She has a point, kid," Graham quickly pointed out. "Considering how we have a little bit of sunlight left before night washes over our beloved town, I recommend you take the time to look around and see if anything catches your interest. And if you'd rather it, there're some abandoned dens where you could rest for the night just north of where we stand. If I heard correctly, you said you had some training to do with Marble tomorrow morning. Getting some rest should be your immediate course of action. Anything and everything else can come afterwards. Unless you want to eat first. I'm sure we can get you something in return for helping us."

    "Th-thanks for the offer, but I'm sure I can find some wild berries out in the forest if need be," Mystic told them, smiling lightly before letting out a sigh of cold air. "I've already been here far too long, sir. I should probably get going." Mystic turned away before he took off, running away with all his might. He looked forward to working with the guilds again... He just needed some time to get used to being around so many Pokémon.

    Mystic eventually began to slow to a walk. The scents of Pokémon had started to grow thin, telling him he was getting further away from the town. They were still strong, but not strong enough to disturb him in any way. As he slowed to a walk, Mystic became aware of just how far he had run from those other Pokémon. He was already aware that they were quite a distance from the tree, but from here, he could see the outer limits of the forest. In what felt like only a few minutes, he had run from the center of Tabira to its outer reaches.

    As Mystic began to catch his breath, he noticed the sun as it was lowering over the horizon. The faint scent of seawater reached him soon after, and he began to calm down when he realized how close he was to the ocean. The ocean was always something that calmed him down, even though it wasn't always there for him. It was likely because he could see it from Aerie, or that it was just soothing to him since it was his first time close enough to really get a good look and smell. He didn't let the thoughts bother him for long as he caught his breath and relaxed as well as he could. Eventually, he'd need to find somewhere to rest.

    Mystic remained silent as he took Azurale off his back and set the egg next to a tree. For now, without a den or home to run to, out in the open was the only choice he really had. He could have spent some time digging or searching for a den, but he'd rather get sleep than just waste time that he didn't need to throw away. For now, this spot would do. It was near the ocean, the sun could break the leaves, and he was still relatively within the boundaries of Tabira. He felt secure here, or he would for a time. He knew there was always a risk, and bandits were almost always on the move. He'd just have to be careful.

    The night, which had arrived soon enough, passed by quickly for the exhausted Absol. It had been a while since he caught any real sleep, so this night was likely to be the first of many that he could appreciate in their fullest. The sounds of the city may have never died out, but they kept him almost as reassured as the smell of the ocean. In all, it was a peaceful, quick night for him. No dreams disturbed him like they had many times before, so that was a big plus on what he was thankful for that night. But soon enough, day was coming, and it was coming fast.

    The night was gone before it had truly begun for Mystic. He was shaken awake by the sound of rustling bushes, and his sense of smell cutting in and out between the ocean and berries. It took a while for him to register it was day, but a poke to the head had him up and alert like a Rattata hearing the cries of a hundred predator Pokémon at once.

    "Ah! Sorry!" A light and squeaky voice reached him as Mystic's blurry vision began to come into focus. In front of him stood Ginger, the Buneary who had been helping to clean the lab yesterday. "M-Mystic, right? I'm sorry to w-wake you so early, b-but I thought about yesterday, a-and I thought maybe you could use some help." He stuttered lightly, likely nervous from meeting the Absol with no one around. After a moment, he pushed a basket of berries and flowers in front of him. "I-I thought you'd like something to eat. I'm sorry if it's not very good; I didn't have much time to gather them."

    Mystic was left stunned without words for a while. Did this little kid really want to help him this badly? He let out a light chuckle before shaking his head and pushing the basket away. "I'm sorry, but I can't accept your gift," he said lowly, though he knew he was hungry for at least something. "As much as I would like to, I don't deserve such a thing from you. I have yet to really prove my worth in this world. I'm just an amateur, after all. A really bad amateur."

    "But all amateurs can grow into amazing Pokémon with enough time and experience!" Ginger told him, a light shining within his eyes as he spoke. "I understand you fear accepting help from other; my big sister is a lot stronger than I am, so I understand being scared, but you can't just think you can do everything on your own. You may want to, but we need to trust each other and help where we can!" He smiled and pushed the basket back to him. "Please? I just want to thank you for your help."

    "Fine," Mystic mumbled after a short while of contemplation. His hunger also had something to say in his decision, but he couldn't deny the little guy. He didn't want to be rude to him. "But if you keep this up, I might end up indebted to you and your family, whoever they are in this town." He laughed nervously before smiling at Ginger. "I'm sorry you have to put up with me like this. I'd rather we not have met on terms like this."

    "It's okay, sir!" Ginger laughed and bounced lightly, his bunny-like stature helping so it wasn't as awkward as it would be for other Pokémon. He soon stopped, his ears twitching lightly. "I better get home before mama notices I'm gone! I'll see you again soon, Absol!" He smiled before he quickly began to hop away, leaving Mystic and the basket to the morning. The sun was just barely getting over the visible horizon now.

    Mystic sighed as he sat down and began to eat as few of the berries as he could without remaining hungry. While he would have rather not eaten, he didn't know how long the training would be with Marble. He didn't want to pass out halfway through it and end up just embarrassing himself otherwise. He didn't focus for long on what could happen with him, but on what could happen during the training. He already wasn't very physical, and if this testing really pushed him beyond what he could really do, then he was sure he'd be well behind the others on the field. Now that he thought about it, he was sure he was one of the only lone Pokémon there. It seemed like every team was of at east two active Pokémon. He was a single Pokémon with an egg by his side. It was humiliating to think that the only reason he wasn't alone was because of some great series of luck.

    As he was about to dig into another berry, a light cracking distracted him from the meal. He turned towards the sound, panic gripping him immediately at the sight he saw. The egg had a large crack that ran the entire width of it, cutting the egg entirely in half. In a fit of confusion and panic, he didn't know what to do about it. Had the egg fallen and cracked? Or had the Pokémon inside done it by itself? Having never raised an egg before, Mystic had no idea what to do in the moment. It was almost as terrifying as the thought of losing the egg.

    As he was about to step closer, the top half of the egg began to crack slightly more; he noticed it beginning to rise as well, and his heartbeat suddenly picked up. His breathing slowed, however, as he saw sharp claws at the edges where the egg had first broken. A sense of calm washed over him before light burst from the egg. He stumbled back, a paw over his eyes at the sudden burst of light and energy. It felt like hours before the light began to dim down and Mystic was able to see again.

    Mystic took a sharp breath as he saw the Pokémon that now lay on the ground outside of where the egg had once laid. A Zangoose, small in size but adorable in appearance, laid where the egg had hatched. Its light brown eyes met with Mystic's almost immediately, giving him a feeling of warmth and joy. It let out a light mew, which he found oddly cute from the newborn. The butterflies were now gone, replaced by a feeling of pride and joy. Finally, after so long, the egg had hatched; his child - his dear Azurale - was finally in the world.

    "Hello," he gently whispered, the ears of the newborn perking up as he spoke. "I'm Mystic, y-your caretaker." What was he saying right now? He didn't remember his parents doing this to him. He just remembered white and black fur, and a whole lot of pain. He quickly shook his head and smiled as he saw the child turn its head. "And you're Azurale. It's great to see you finally join us in this world."

    "Mystic?" She pointed to him first, then to herself. "Azurale." She smiled lightly before she began to laugh. Her childish voice was that of a female's, telling him that his child was a she. Her laughter filled him with joy, but it was special. This child... she was new to the world. So innocent and beloved. "Haha! You Mystic! Me Azurale!" She clapped lightly, but the sudden move made the rest off the egg roll. She let out a loud chirp as she fell on the ground, but laughed it off joyfully. "Haha! I fell!"

    Mystic smiled lightly before a light growl reached his ears. He couldn't help but laugh as he used his tail to bring the basket of berries over to the little child. "I don't have milk to feed you with, but we have some berries here," he told her, grabbing one and using his claws to cut it into smaller pieces. He then handed a bit to her, and watched her take and eat the piece quickly. "Is it good?" He tilted his head when she noticed her face. She didn't respond before she quickly reached up for more. Mystic smiled and helped to feed her. She was young, but she was already growing fast. But then again, there was this odd feeling he got from her; he didn't recognize it. What was this wave of pressure he felt from her? It couldn't have been her ability. For the time being, Mystic shook it off and cared for her. Whatever that feeling was, it didn't matter.

    After what felt like hours to him, Mystic finally stopped helping Azurale to eat. She laughed lightly and hugged him tightly, nuzzling against him in an affectionate way. He couldn't help but laugh and pull her against his fur into his warmth. His own child... He still couldn't believe that this was happening to him. This world he lived in... It was nothing short of wondrous now; he would not deny that.

    "We should probably leave," he told her, gently patting her head and rubbing between her ears carefully. "I have an appointment to make with some other Pokémon." When Azurale looked up to him confused, he stopped rubbing her head and stood on all fours. "It won't take long, I promise. It'll just be a bit of me trying to get stronger for you." He smiled faintly before he began to walk slowly, making sure she could keep up. He knew young Pokémon were mostly able to walk, and few even able to fly just hours after hatching. It didn't take long for them to grow - it just took a long time to grow stronger and "level up" as people called it.

    The young Zangoose managed to walk after him and keep up so long as she walked on for paws. While they could walk on two legs, it was common to see young Zangoose walking on all fours before they began to learn to walk bipedally. Mystic knew this, and smiled as he kept his pace slow for her. As much as he felt they should hurry, he was in no rush to find his fighting style. If it was fighting, then he was sure they would have time. Otherwise, maybe they should have hurried ages ago.

    In all, the walk from there to where he had been told Marble's training would be, along with a little guidance from his ears and nose, was a quite long walk between places. If he had to guess, he had covered about half of Tabira in about an hour. That was just speculation, as he really had no idea how far he had traveled. He would have tried to guess, but an estimate was better than nothing right now. All he cared about was getting there, and he could hear a lot right from where he was.

    As he pushed through a bunch of bushes, he was met by a sight he really hadn't expected when he heard the name Marble and training. An obstacle course that stretched well into the forest was put up, and there was no doubt about what he was going to have to do here. A small problem was that Pokémon were already there, and he was late. A great majority of the Pokémon there were already well into the obstacle course, and he honestly felt bad for being so late. He felt lazy because of it.

    "What are you standing there for?!" Mystic flinched when a loud voice reached him. A Machoke walked over, her arms crossed as she glared down at him. She was slightly smaller than normal, but he could tell she was still growing - they didn't stop growing for a while. "You must be a newcomer if you're here, right? Well, you better get your tail into gear and get to work on the course! Weak and slow Pokémon won't make it in the Guilds, so get going!" She had a strong voice that made Mystic flinch, but he understood. If he wanted to be strong, he had to push through anything and everything to become better.

    "I-I'm extremely sorry!" Mystic quickly bowed his head, his heart pounding in his chest. "I-I didn't know th-this started so e-early! I-if I had known, th-then I would have hurried." He quickly swallowed a bump in his throat, then turned and looked at Azurale. "You don't have to come on the course, s-so just stay off and stay safe for me," he whispered to her, gently rubbing her head with his tail. With nervous steps, he walked ahead to begin on the course. He could see Pokémon helping each other with everything, but that was what unnerved him. Would he really need help? He already knew he would need to get over his social awkwardness, but asking others for help? That was what made him want to just run. "I'm not weak... Everyone asks for help at some time," he reminded himself. "Just get over your anxiety. You can do good, just do what you can."

    As he was about to step on the course and begin whatever the heck was supposed to be going on, he was hit hard in the face by something fluffy. He quickly stumbled back, his fangs bared at the stranger that hit him. He quickly let go of the anger as he noticed a strange Pokémon made of cotton floating slightly above the ground. He had never seen such a Pokémon before, but he was certain he had heard of it. He believed it was called Cottonee, a grass and fairy Pokémon.

    "Ah! Fleya!" Another Pokémon came rushing up, pulling the cotton Pokémon close in a hug. Mystic tilt his head at the light-blue-furred Meowstic. Once again, another common Pokémon with an uncommon attribute. "Sorry about my sister here!" the Meowstic laughed. "She isn't usually so clumsy! We're sorry if we interrupted your training, Absol!"

    "You're one to talk, Nix," Fleya mumbled from under her cotton, though she soon pulled away and went back to floating. "You fell down a cliff after me. Who's the clumsy one now?" The small cotton ball puffed out lightly, though soon returned to normal size. "But that's not what we should be talking about." She laughed and looked back at Mystic. "If you want, we could help you with the course a bit. It's really fun!"

    Mystic felt a bit confused about these two, but he nodded anyways. He hadn't asked, so he didn't feel as bad for accepting help that was offered to him. "Thank you, you two," he whispered, bowing lightly to them. He could hear them laugh, and raised his head, his cheeks red from embarrassment. Were they laughing because he had bowed? He didn't know, nor did he really care. He was just glad they were offering to help at least a tiny bit.

    If Mystic had called the course anything but a struggle, he'd be lying to the second degree. He knew he was already weak, but this course was just absolutely ridiculous from all angles that any Pokémon looked at it. He was sure that if they were any less durable than they were, they would have been incinerated/sliced/frozen within moments of beginning. But he couldn't call it all bad. In truth, it was fun to see how Pokémon responded to certain situations placed before them. Nix and Fleya were also rather interesting, though many of the Pokémon there were quite the shocking group. All these various teams of mix-and-match Pokémon would have made quite the festival, had they not all been trying to complete the course.

    But by the end of it, everyone was absolutely exhausted. Mable hadn't held back in her training course, and to call it easy was an understatement. Various Pokémon had been knocked unconscious from the course, and Mystic himself was on his last paws just from it. He was glad to have eaten earlier. Otherwise, he would have been out and down within ten minutes of the start. He could barely believe that this had gone on for at least an hour. Taurus had a lot to explain next time they met and had time to talk.

    "That was a nice treat to watch!" Azurale cheered as she walked up to him, hugging him though he was still soaked in sweat and mud. In truth, she really didn't mind. She had really just gotten to watch him and whole bunch of others train their tails off for an hour. She just got to sit by and watch. "You looked great in there! I hope I can be like you one day!"

    "Hey, don't aim to be like me," Mystic laughed, using a claw to push some fur out of his eyes so he could see. "Azurale, all I can tell you is to be who you want to be and to go where you want to go. I mean, I may be your guardian and all, but there's really no point in trying to be like someone. I've tried, and trust me when I say it only leads to disappointment. Being you is what makes you special, so just do what you want. Don't try and be like me."

    Mystic smiled down to her as she nodded happily. As they walked, he took in the sights of the forest around them. This place, his new home and the place he would care for his own child. Without a doubt, he knew that this would be their home for a while, and he would teach Azurale everything she needed to be a great 'mon. But now, after this training that he had experienced alongside all those newcomers, he felt a rush of calm washing over the area. He let out a faint sigh as the beating of his heart reached his ears.

    "The world needs great heroes to protect it from the darkness within all of our hearts," he whispered lowly and to himself. "But we must all find a start somewhere. It just so happens that some of us find it in a place we never thought we could reach."
     
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  2. Moonstruck-Mist

    HoverBoots
    (Shaymin (Sky))
    Level 35
    Joined:
    Feb 2, 2017
    Posts:
    427
    PokéPoints:
    ₽544.9
    What's next? A 20 Page intermission? Well, it's actually only 19 Pages. So, enjoy this chapter of the story then. (Yes, I am aware that I am late to uploading this. I was just a bit tired when I posted the first version)

    A few weeks after Mystic's arrival into Tabira, the Absol and his new daughter were beginning to settle into the great town. Mystic had grown accustomed to the many Pokémon that passed through and lived there, and was even beginning to grow comfortable with talking to them, though only occasionally. Azurale was the social butterfly that everyone knew. While she was initially timid to Pokémon she knew little about, she soon grew warm to them, often asking to help in matters she was told not to worry about. Either way, the two had grown to live in the forest with each other and the town nearby.

    At the moment, the two had some free time to kill. Instead of training at all times like Mystic had been told to get into, the two were eating a nice breakfast of berries at their den, a rather large hole that led to a large room hidden under the ground - while it was hidden, it could still be easily found by any passerby. They had moved slightly closer to the Great Tree than where they had been the first few nights, but they still didn't really live in a place where other Pokémon did. They tried to keep out of the way and out of sight, just in case a bandit came through the town. These mornings were a blessing, though, as training often kept them from eating in the morning together.

    "You know, one day, these kinds of mornings just won't be happening," Mystic admitted, biting into a berry as he looked off into the distant forest. Though the trees kept him from seeing the ocean, the view he had seen his first day here hadn't left him. It was peace beyond peace, and he wanted to hold it like he had held Azurale, although he couldn't hold it physically. "I can't believe this job is just so time-consuming. Man, if I had expected this, I probably would have gone through a lot more training back before I left Rivercross for here."

    Azurale remained silent for a while as she ate her own berries, her thoughts focused more on just eating rather than communicating. Suddenly, she raised her head and looked at him with curious eyes. "You never talk this much," she said, a little more confidence in her voice then there had been weeks before. She grew a lot faster than even Mystic had expected, and she was definitely a lot smarter than he had been at her age. "Let's finish breakfast before we worry about work, dad. We have the time, and you told me to live in the present when you can. Are you really going back on the words you told me to follow?"

    "I... Of course I'm not," he admitted, looking away quickly. "We've just been busy, and this duty we have has just kept coming back and making me think about what led me here with you. I get that it's not really all that important, but besides you, it really is all I have to call a part of me." He laughed nervously, his claws flexing lightly as he kept his eyes on the forest. "I don't have a social life like you do, Azurale. I'm just a hard worker trying to do what he can to keep the Pokémon around him happy. I don't know how to talk to them like you can every single day. It's just a part of my job; you do it for fun."

    Azurale nodded lightly in response. Soon after finishing another berry, she pushed the rest away from her and stood, stretching to the sky with a loud yawn and groan. "Well, that might just be you, but you need to relax a little as well," she told him. "I saw you with Taurus yesterday, and I caught a bit of your conversation. Training constantly can lead to irreversible damage to your body. In fact, you could be even weaker than if you had chosen not to begin training in the first place." Azurale sighed as she looked to the leafy roof of the forest. "You need to find a balance in what you want to do with who you want to be, dad. I thought it was you who was supposed to teach me life lessons."

    "True, but even a child can teach an old dog new tricks. Well, I'm more of a cat myself, but... I think you get the point I'm trying to make." Mystic chuckled and stood, shivering as the feeling of snow rushed over his fur. That feeling had kept coming back each and every day, but at least it was more common than that shadow he had to fear every other day. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen that shadow in ages now. "We should probably go and see if someone needs some help. We can take it easy and just do some errands for today. Nothing hard or straining at all."

    Azurale was hesitant before she nodded and stood, yawning and quickly eating whatever berries she could. She had grown considerably over the weeks, and now stood slightly taller than Mystic. But that didn't mean she was any stronger. She was still a child, and she still had a lot of room for becoming stronger than ever before. It wasn't that she didn't train, but she didn't like to do so on her own. She was always with someone during it.

    As the silence between them grew, neither really meant to make a sound to disturb the other. That was all broken when Mystic heard rustling bushes nearby. He then heard laughter, and went to have a look at what was going on. He turned a tree and noticed Ginger and Alice wandering down a path together, the scent of others heavy on their fur. His ears twitched when he heard their conversation, but he remained silent as he kept to the underbrush. He didn't want to bother them, but instead listened intently.

    "I heard your mother was going through a bit of a rough time with Chili," Alice mumbled lightly, her smile faint as the two kept down the trail. "I'm sorry to hear she had to be kicked from the nursery." Alice looked away for a moment before letting out a sigh. "So, what is Curry planning to do with her? Tie her to a chair for the day or something?"

    "Nah, but I was hoping to find someone who could help to keep Chili distracted," Ginger laughed in response. "As much as I love big sis, she's always been a big fighter. I couldn't find anyone who was free of their responsibilities for the day, and I guess I was just hoping to see Mystic in town like always. Man, I bet he would be a great fit for Chili. One's smart and willing to do as they're told, and the other's rash and looking for any excuse to get out of doing their work. Those two would get along just fine."

    Alice nodded lightly before turning as she heard something from the bushes. Mystic quickly pulled back when he noticed, and held his breath as the dark fox looked over at his hiding place. He remained there until he heard the chatter once again. Then, he let out a breath he had been holding since he had pulled back. But without warning, and definitely as any Pokémon should have expected, something hit him from behind. It wasn't that it hurt, but it surprised him and knocked him through the bushes on the trail. He skid a few feet before he slumped to the ground, mentally swearing to himself.

    "Well, wasn't as hard as I expected." Mystic groaned as Alice walked over him, sitting on his back as he laid there in defeat. "It's been a while since we all last met together. It was at the lab, I believe." She smiled and laughed lightly, puffing her chest in a little sense of pride. "Ah! This is perfect! Now that you're here, Ginger can tell you he needs help."

    "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't heard you two talking already," he mumbled before Ginger could speak. "You two were as loud as birds in the morning. I probably could have heard you from a mile away, so no need to explain." Mystic sighed as he looked over to Ginger. "I sill have yet to pay you for those berries from all that time ago. I think now would be a great start, so just point me in the way of your mother, and I'll be proud to watch your older sister for the day, dude."

    "It's a bit more complicated than that," Ginger laughed. "But I really appreciate you accepting without me asking first." He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "One thing you really need to know is he looks up to our father, Vander - he's the leader of the Tracker guild. And I guess another is that she kind of dislikes her studies in the Scholar guild. Don't bring up the Scholars, and just try and keep her entertained with a battle. I love my big sis, but she's really, in a lack of better terms, adamant."

    "Hey, I've got a kid of my own to deal with," Mystic admitted as he heard more bushes. He turned and smiled when he saw the worried Azurale walking up to them. "I'm sure you two have already met Azurale, so your sister shouldn't be much more of a struggle, Ginger. Just tell Alice to get off me, point me to your mom, and I'll be right on my way."

    "R-right!" Ginger laughed as Alice got off of him, letting him stand once more. "I'm pretty sure you've heard of my mother being Curry the Fortune Teller." Mystic nodded, as he had heard of her many times from passing Pokémon. "Well, my mother lives just east of the tree. I'm fairly sure you passed our home on your way to the lab, so you shouldn't have too much of a problem catching sight of her and Chili." Ginger laughed as she rubbed the back of her head. "I think that should be enough information, but if you get lost, you can ask anyone for directions."

    Mystic nodded lightly before turning to Azurale and smiling faintly. Ginger and Alice stayed there for a while more before they resumed their walk down the trail to wherever they were going. With them finally gone, Mystic let out a breath he had been holding since the attack from Alice. He couldn't believe just a small bit of curiosity led to him now having to care for a small kid. He wasn't complaining, though. It was much more interesting than just wandering around town without any aim in what to do. And with Azurale, he was sure they would kick it off great. Chili sounded like a fighter.

    "We should probably get going," Mystic mumbled to himself, shaking his fur of dirt and grit as he regained his composure and stood to his full height, though it was still slightly shorter than Azurale. "It's morning and we just had breakfast... so I'd say we'd reach Miss Curry's abode within about ten minutes. The tree isn't far from here, and the lab is a nice fifteen minute stroll." The only reason Mystic knew that was because he liked to walk from place to place for no reason. He had the time to when he wasn't assisting Pokémon with their chores or helping to keep things organized. It was a nice way to pass the time... until you knew every trail possible.

    As they began the trek through the forest, Mystic began to hum lightly to himself. As much as he would have liked to just know where to go, he had to remain on the trails so they didn't get lost. Sure, it may have been shorter to cut a trail, but that had led to them getting lost more than once. If it weren't for the trails that almost always led to the main tree, who could say how many times they almost had to call for help. Mystic counted about thirty close encounters, and only twice had they called for someone. At least it wasn't too much of a struggle. They always got a laugh out of it. Well, almost everyone that is; Mystic didn't find getting lost humorous.

    The walk from where they began to even a sight of Curry took only ten minutes. Mystic noticed them from the corner of his eyes, just barely noticing the Lopunny that stuck out from the rest of the town. Well, saying she stood out wasn't as nice as he would have liked. He would have preferred to call her clothing style unique to a Pokémon of her profession. It wasn't like he was trying to judge either; he didn't even have clothes of his own to wear. At least he had fur.

    Mystic quickly shook his head of the silly thought and padded over to Curry. His ears twitched as he heard rustling, and he raised his head to notice another two Pokémon beside her. The first was a Buneary greatly larger than Ginger - this was likely Chili. The second was a much smaller Tyrogue that held onto Curry's hand, looking at him as he walked over. Mystic could feel his heart pounding as he walked over with Azurale, a light itch scratching in the back of his mind telling him that something bad could happen during this.

    "Miss Curry," Mystic began, bowing his head as he came to a stop in front of her. He could hear her let out a light giggle, but shrugged it aside as he raised his head to look at her. "I was told by Ginger that you could use some help in caring for the child known as Chili. It would be an honor to help you after all your son has done to help me in my time of trouble and need."

    "No need to be so formal," she laughed, rubbing his head lightly as she watched her children. "Being formal isn't what I really want from anybody, even if you're coming to get your fortune told. But seeing as of how you aren't here for that, I must thank you for coming to watch Chili on such short notice. She's really been causing a lot of trouble for the kids at the Daycare recently, and we don't want another... episode. So, thank you for coming." She smiled sweetly as she motioned to the Buneary, who had moved away and crossed her arms. "As you already know, this is Chili. The most important thing to know is that she loves to fight, and won't hold back if she gets the chance to fight; she really does take after her father's mentality. But, I really think that's what you need to know. Just... be careful. I've got to run some chores and clean up around the house."

    Mystic smiled and nodded as he moved to the side, his eyes turning to the Buneary that remained in front of him. As their eyes met, a feeling of anger welled up inside Mystic. Cold wind rustled him from his brief memory, and brought him back to reality instantly. This feeling he got from Chili... Why was it so familiar and yet so new? He shook his head at the thought of having met her before. It was impossible; he had only been here a few weeks, and never had he met Curry or her children, excluding Ginger since he sort of worked with her. Well, worked with was calling it loosely. Hardly ever did they see each other.

    Mystic let out a low sigh as he approached the small bunny Pokémon. His mind was welling with hundreds of emotions, but he kept them suppressed so not to make any rash decisions. "You must be Chili," he mumbled slowly, his heart beginning to return to normal as the feelings passed away. "It's really nice to meet you. So, tell me a little about yourself."

    "I don't have to," Chili mumbled, crossing her arms as she looked away from him and to the forest. A look of intrigue and mischief began to shine within her eyes. Before even a word was spoken, she rushed off into the woods, leaving behind a startled Mystic and Azurale.

    "You have got to be kidding me." Mystic would be lying if he said he hadn't been expecting that to happen at one point or another, but straight away was a bit of a stretch. He turned to Azurale and shook his head. "You stay here and keep an eye on their house, okay? If anyone comes by, say nothing about this." Without waiting for a reply from his daughter, he rushed after the Buneary, hoping to catch her before Curry returned.

    As Mystic rushed through the underbrush, he kept his senses open to be able to keep track of the small bunny. Even if she was faster than him, he could still keep track of where she was and where she was likely to head. But soon, he began to lose track of her as they got further from her home. The further they got into the woods, the less comfortable Mystic began to feel. The only bigger problem was that he had never been there, and her tracks were getting further and further away. He was beginning to lose track of her; he was getting worried.

    After some time, Mystic actually lost track of Chili. He began to come to a slow as he tried to catch his breath. Even if he trained, he was still a mortal Pokémon. He still had limits that he couldn't push past yet, but he was trying his hardest. He quickly shook it off, though, and looked around as he tried to pick up the trail of Chili once again. He could taste her in the air, but her scent was too faded to really be of much use. If he was being honest, it felt like it was weaker than it really should have been. Where even were they? He hadn't seen this part of the forest yet.

    As his anxiety began to grow, he found himself desperately looking through every bush he could find, hoping she was somewhere in the bushes. Not once could he find her trail, and he was beginning to grow even more anxious with each passing second. That was until he heard a loud scream. His ears shot up as he turned towards the sound. There was no hesitation between the turn and when he took off towards the sound of the screaming. His paws kicked up grass and dirt as he rounded trees with only a single goal in mind: find and save Chili.

    Wandering through the forest wasn't helping at all in his search. At every step, he could swear he heard Chili either giggling or screaming, but not once had he found anything. Besides the occasional bug, there wasn't really much in this part of the forest. Well, he could taste other Pokémon who had passed through there, but there was next to no Pokémon life. Just plants and bugs and... Mystic froze as he smelt something sweet. Honey? Where had that come from?

    Mystic turned towards the smell and began to pad towards it. He could hear light laughter, as though whoever was there was trying to hide themselves. Of course, if he could hear them, then they were definitely doing a terrible job of their goal. Sure, being far out and in the middle of nowhere was good, but they were too loud and allowing a scent to flow. No Pokémon who was good at hiding would do that. Or, at least that's what Mystic thought.

    As he pushed through the bushes, his body froze on him. As though on instinct, he turned left, his body blocking a powerful kick to his chest. He was sent rolling across the ground, laughter in his ears as the wind had been knocked from him. He laid on the ground as the laughter echoed around him, fading in and out as he tried to catch the breath that had been taken from him.

    "Alright. Get up, soldier." A faint voice laughed as a sweet scent reached Mystic. His sense were slowly returned as he was set on his side. "Man, you kick like a true Buneary, Chili. Your father would be proud. Not sure about Curry, though. Stuck up rabbit looking to just have a large family. I wish she'd actually allow you to come out and actually have fun like this."

    Mystic groaned as he finally managed to catch his breath, and turn to face the voice that was speaking. He found it to be a Sneasel standing over him alongside Chili, who had her arms cross with a smug grin plastered over her face. Whatever the heck was going on here, he didn't know. This entire scene was just as confusing at it could get. But before long, he was back on his paws, confusion and anger running though him. Before he could question the dark and ice Pokémon, it raised its clawed hands.

    "The name's Leo," he quickly said, backing away as he smirked lightly. "I was just giving Chili here a few tips and tricks to attacking a confused opponent, and I will admit she did a lot better than I thought she would originally." He let out a low sigh before shrugging. "Well, before this gets ugly, I better get going. It was nice to meet you again, Mystic. Have some fun." Without another word, he disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

    Mystic remained there shocked. How had this Pokémon known his name? And what did he mean by again? Mystic was sure he had never met the Sneasel before, since the only memories he had of them were back in Aerie with his father and mother. Such a thought of Leo having been one of the few he had met was quickly shaken away as he recalled why he was here. He turned and looked at Chili, a look of disappointment shining through his eyes.

    "I'm disappointed," he simply said as he walked over to the Buneary. "You could have been severely hurt, or even found by a dangerous bandit. You're just lucky to have been found by an okay Pokémon like him. Why did you even run away from me when your mother was out of sight? If I hadn't been able to find you, we both would have been in severe trouble."

    Chili remained silent, her arms crossed as she tried to think of an excuse to get out of having been caught. But soon, she sighed and looked at him. "I don't like it when my little brother has his friends come over, and I know you weren't going to be very good at helping me to improve myself," she mumbled, tapping her foot lightly. "And besides, all I know about you is that you're an Absol who can barely care for himself, let alone two children at once. For all I know, you'd just use me to get at my family."

    "I wouldn't ever dare to even try," Mystic countered. "I understand that I'm new here, and that I really don't shine out compared to many of the Pokémon in this forest, but it doesn't mean I think I can get away with stuff. I try to abide by the rules as well as I can, even if it means putting myself in harms way. I wouldn't use a child to gain anything, not even a piece of dirt." He sighed lightly, lowering his head. "I'm sorry if you thought that of me. I need to learn how to speak before doing anything."

    Chili nodded, but kept her arms crossed. Eventually, she let out a low sigh and lowered her head. "I'm sorry," she mumbled lowly, as though the words hurt her pride more than anything else really could. She then looked away. "Let's just get back home before mom decides to come look for us. We'll need a cover story to keep this hidden."

    "I've already got an idea to cover for that," Mystic admitted, his paws moving subconsciously as he began to head back to where they had come from. "I may be lawful, but it doesn't mean I'm not up to lying to keep people out of trouble for things that don't really matter." He let out a low sigh, not really sure how to feel about their current situation. "Let's just head back."



    Azurale hummed lightly as she brushed her paws over the small frame of the house she stood beside. She had only been waiting a few minutes, but there really wasn't much to do besides stand there and wait for either Curry to come back or for Mystic to return with Chili. She wasn't really being entertained by anything, and not even the passing Pokémon were catching her attention for some reason. Maybe it was because she had orders not to say anything about Mystic chasing after Chili. She wasn't sure, but that was what she thought, for a moment.

    She continued to stand there against the wall, until she heard mumbling coming from behind her; she turned and noticed a small bump in the ground. Almost instantly, she recognized the Pokémon as a Diglett, and slowly wandered over to it. Talking to anyone would have been more fun than just standing there without much reason, and he looked a bit stressed. She didn't want someone to be down on a day like this, or any day for that matter.

    "Hello," she said quickly, waving lightly as she approached the small Pokémon. When he turned, she grinned her large grin, and leaned down close to him. "Are you looking for something?" she asked as she watched him with curiosity. "A friend or someone else perhaps? Oh! Maybe town?"

    "Ah, well, you can say I'm looking for someone... to help me with a duty I need to perform," he quickly responded, his nose twitching lightly at the cheerfulness of the Zangoose above him. "Actually, I think it would be a great help if you would help me gather some special dirt for a chore I need to complete. I don't need much - only as much as you can carry."

    Azurale tilted her head lightly, but then her smile came back and she nodded enthusiastically, or as enthusiastically as a child could. "I would love to help you!" she chirped, her tail beginning to wave as she kept near him. She suddenly stopped, drawing a blank on something else. "Umm... I don't know where this dirt you want is. Do you have directions to it?"

    "Well of course I do! What do you take me for? Forgetful?" With a light chuckle, he pushed up a small sheet of paper, though the ground somehow filled up behind it, telling her nothing of how he had managed to push it to the surface. "This should have the directions to some of the dirt on it. And before I forget, there are rumors of a bunch of ghosts roaming around the piles of dirt. I can't confirm this myself, but do be sure to be careful if these rumors aren't really rumors."

    Azurale nodded, and stood, grabbing the note and opening it. On the small sheet looked like a small map with some symbols on it, which she figured had something to do with the piles that she was looking for. "Thank you, sir," she said, closing the note and smiling lightly. "Is there anything else you need for me to know?"

    "Not really, no," he said, bobbing up and down in the ground lightly. "But, as a favor, please don't call me sir. I'd prefer if you just called me Zebadiah, or Zeb for short." He "smiled" lightly as he kept bobbing up and down. "Well, I better get going. When you have the dirt, you can meet me by the great tree. I'll be waiting there." And just like that, he popped into the ground and burrowed away.

    Azurale was left there looking confused with the paper in her hand, but it didn't last long as she regained her composure after watching him burrow off. With a light laugh, she opened the small map and scanned over it. As she read it, using her knowledge of the forest as well as she could, she began to wander away from where she stood, now in search of the dirt that she had been asked to collect. She wasn't sure whether or not she really believed in the ghosts, but she was still slightly scared. She couldn't protect herself if they attacked.

    To say the walk was short would be an understatement. It wasn't all that far from where she had started, and the tunnels down to it were actually quite wide and hard to miss if you knew where they actually were. Well, she had wandered far off the told trail, so maybe they were a lot more hidden than she thought they were, but were just easy to see when there. She quickly shook her head and laughed at herself. She was still a child, so ranting on internally came naturally. At least she got a good laugh from it, occasionally.

    Azurale let out a low sigh as she set the note on the ground and got on all fours. She took a deep breath before she began to crawl down into the hole, holding her breath momentarily as she listened for any monsters that may have been hiding in the tunnel. Her usually energetic style faded away as she tried to keep serious - to focus on what was happening and what she needed to do.

    The deeper she crawled, the more wary she began to grow. She could hear something in the walls, but she couldn't pick up exactly what the noises were. Scratching? Speaking? The sounds were so deep that she couldn't make a lick of sense of what they were. Perhaps they were just Pokémon from overhead that were passing by. She couldn't tell yet, but she felt secure in believing that. She didn't believe in ghosts - err, non-ghost type Pokémon.

    After a moment of crawling along the floor, Azurale tensed as she smelt something a little further in. Whatever that scent was, it seemed full of life and fresh. She continued on to the scent, and soon found that it was what she had been sent here to find. The dirt looked nothing like what she had ever seen, and she could feel a pure form of life coming straight from it.

    With a deep breath, she stood on her back legs and grabbed as much dirt as possible. Compared to pile, what she could hold was next to nothing. But what she held didn't matter so long as she could get back to Zebadiah, which she turned around to do. As she began her way back, a cold presence leaked out from behind her. Her body tensed as goosebumps formed beneath her fur, giving her a low chill. She turned silently, and her eyes widened at the dark fog that had formed without any sound.

    "What an odd sight to see," she mumbled to herself as she kept walking up the tunnel. At least, she would of had she not felt something press against her back. Instantly, her body tensed up and she lashed out, dropping a bit of dirt onto whatever had licked her. "Don't touch me!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, making contact with something that she couldn't see. All she knew was that someone screeched, and that she was running away as fast as possible.

    Azurale began to pant as she bolted on her back legs, trying to hold as much dirt as she could. The small pile that she had been once holding was slightly smaller than before, but she barely noticed as she tried to get to the Great Tree as fast as she possibly could. And by then, she was exhausted and nearly out of adrenaline. At the first root, she collapsed onto the ground, the dirt flinging away from her and landing in a bunch of clumps that couldn't even be called tiny piles.

    Azurale whimpered and laid there, her claws digging into the ground as she tried to catch the breath she had lost during the run. She could barely move; her muscles ached and screamed in pain and agony. She was used to battling, but running was another story. Unlike more experienced Pokémon, she was still a young child. She couldn't keep up with them over long distances.

    "Kid? Are you okay?" Zebadiah noticed the exhausted Zangoose and quickly tunneled over, checking her carefully for any signs of wounds. Besides her heavy breathing, he noticed nothing else really wrong with her. She looked startles was all, and exhausted too. "Go on and take a breath," he sighed lightly. "You look like you really need it."

    "N-no!" Azurale quickly sat up, a paw on her chest as she tried to calm her rapid heart. "I need to get back to Mystic before I've been gone too long. I'm sure he's done caring for that Chili kid by now." She let out a low sighed, placing her paws on her legs as she finally managed to calm herself. "Alright. I better get going right away. Sorry for being a nuisance and dropping all this dirt everywhere. I didn't mean to."

    "It's... okay," Zebadiah tried to say, though it was obvious she was barely listening. "If you want to go back, then you can go back to do whatever you were doing before I asked for your help. Thank you for helping me to get the dirt anyways." He smiled lightly before he began to head away. He suddenly stopped, then looked at her. "If you want, you can take a bit of the dirt with you. A special property of it is how it can change a Pokémon's typing to ground type if you throw it over someone."

    Azurale turned and looked at him in confusion before she smiled and nodded. So that was what had allowed her to hit whatever had attacked her, right? Had it really been that the dirt she had dropped had turned her enemy into a tangible target? She quickly picked up a small bit, holding it with a light smile. "Thank you for the little souvenir, sir," she said, bowing lightly to him. "I hope you can get your duty done without much problem."

    "It won't be now that I have this dirt." Zebadiah nodded lightly, since he didn't really have hands to wave at her with. "Thank you for the short amount of your time that I needed to get this done. It means a lot to have a Pokémon always willing to help out around the Great Tree." With a low laugh, Zebadiah headed back under the ground to complete his chore.

    Azurale smiled lightly and began to walk away. Before she could get far, a cold feeling rushed through her fur. She turned swiftly, but met with nothing behind her. A feeling of confusion ran through her before the world went dark, filled only by the sounds of a cold winter wind. She shivered and backed away, the feeling growing with each passing moment.

    "It's only a matter of time." A voice echoed around her in the cold, sending shivers of fear and worry through her soul and heart. Whoever this was, she did not know. Never before had she heard a voice so raspy and old. "Time... Do not try and stop it." Suddenly, as though its voice had been holding the darkness together, it shattered away and left Azurale on the ground, her breathing fast and heartbeat faster.

    "What in the blue blazes was that?" she mumbled to herself, looking around as the warmth of the forest returned. Her confusion lasted a lot longer than she would have liked, but she soon shook it off and began her walk once more. Whatever it was that had contacted her, she had no reason to search for it. She had no idea who it was, what they meant, or what they wanted. Without a proper reason, she didn't want to waste any time. Besides, she had to get back to Curry's place before problems began.

    It didn't take long for her to get back to the home. Once she could see it properly, she noticed shadows moving from inside, and even heard voices. They were muffled, though, and so she knocked on the door. The voices fell silent, and were then followed by light thuds before the door opened. Curry stood in the doorway, a light smile evident at the sight of the little Zangoose.

    "We were wondering where you went off to!" she laughed lightly, moving to the side to allow her to come in. "Don't be shy. Mystic's waiting with Chili in the living room if you would like to join them. I was just about to finish up some major cleaning that needed to get done." She smiled faintly, a motherly smile that sent shivers down Azurale's spine.

    "I was just going to help someone with a small chore," she laughed, entering the house and looking around with her mouth agape. Compared to where she lived with Mystic, this place was clean and, quite frankly, interesting. She didn't complain, however, as she followed her father's scent to another room, where he had Chili hanging off of his tail. "Dad!" She rushed over and jumped on him, though that ended up with all of them on the ground. "Haha! Great to see you still alive!"

    "Well, what do you expect from your father?" he asked, licking her cheek lightly before he once again stood, somehow holding both of them without his legs giving in to their weight. He was struggling a bit, though he said nothing as he stood there with them. "We were just playing some hide-and-seek with the forest Pokémon was all. Nothing to worry about, promise."

    Azurale could tell he was lying, but said nothing as she nodded, then dropped off of him and looked at Curry. "Thank you for allowing us to be here with you," she said with a light giggle. "I'm sure you had a nice time doing whatever it was that you were planning on doing. I hope we didn't interrupt it, of course."

    "Oh, you did no such thing!" Curry smiled lightly before she raised her head and looked at them. "But if you don't mind, I'd like it if you stayed for a little while and played with Chili. She seems to have grown on you a bit, and I still have some cleaning to do before I'm really done for the day. I'll happily cook dinner for you as well."

    "Thanks, but I think this is enough payment for babysitting." Azurale turned and noticed and odd stone in Mystic's paw. She hadn't realized it at first, but she noticed the thin string around the stone that kept it on Mystic, probably hiding it under his fur. "This Warding Charm is enough for the night, really. You don't have to cook for us."

    "Oh, but I insist!" Curry grabbed his cheeks, pulling him slightly closer to her. She suddenly let go, and he pulled back with a light hiss of pain. "It's really nothing on me if I cook for a few extra. Vander's out working late today as well, so I'm sure he wouldn't mind some nice kids sharing in with what he misses... a bit."

    Mystic was hesitant before he looked at Azurale. He could already tell that she was hungry, but he wasn't really in the mood to eat after earlier. Sure, he could take something and maybe snack on it, but a full-blown dinner wasn't really what he wanted. "Fine," he then mumbled. "We'll stay for dinner, but that's all, okay? You've already repaid us enough."

    "I'll keep that in mind next time," she giggled lightly, poking his nose before she backed off. "Make yourselves comfortable or go and play outside if you'd like. I'm sure a bit more fresh air wouldn't hurt you."

    Azurale let out a light giggle as she watched Mystic nod and head outside. As he passed, though, the faint whisper reached her again. "It's only a matter of time." She shivered, but ignored it and followed her dad. It was a nice day outside.
     

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