"Allow me to apologise. Kuri isn't normally like this," Gen said, crouched beside Lute. "He doesn't mean to target you directly."
"He said a lot of mean stuff, ya'know. You don't need to sugar-coat it," Sophitia said.
"No, I mean it. Kuri has a heavy bias against Lassic. I do as well, but he acts on it personally. So any agents he comes across, he refuses to give a chance," Gen explained. "It is a deeply rooted hatred that leads him to act that way. You'll just have to understand."
"Well thank god we don't actually need him to awaken the flowers. I don't think I could take it if we had to travel with someone that bitter," Sophitia rolled her eyes.
Lute kept his head down while the rest of them bickered about the now absent Chespin. They complained, but to him, they were just trying to sympathise with him. He knew that Kuri wasn't wrong, and that was what stung so much. Anxious thanks to the cold and darkness around him, let alone the circles the conversation moved in, Lute growled.
"Kuri's not the problem," Lute finally spoke up Everyone went quiet. "He's telling the truth. If V Waves stop working and everybody loses their technology, it will break Aseria. We're far too dependent on it."
"Well we can't just sit here and let everything die. I thought that's what you believed?" Esther replied.
"I don't think Lassic will be able to make any machines that fix the weather, though. That sounds like a real fantasy," Infia added.
"I know. That's what makes this so difficult. If we awaken those flowers, we bring back the seasons, but we also destroy the foundation the entirety of society is built up on," Lute turned away from everyone. "If only there was some way to make everyday machinery still work even without V Waves. Naivie—"
"Don't look at me. I can't magically resolve this problem of yours. It's purely a problem for modern day kids," Naivie said.
Lute faced the floor. "Perhaps it's impossible for everyone to be happy. No matter what we do, we destroy the world."
"Argh, is that anything a hero would say?" Sophitia snapped. He didn't look at her. "He said we're not heroes, but I believe you can be. That's why you joined the agents, that's why you wanted to join the agents. Don't let some pessimistic naysayer tell you otherwise!"
Lute looked up at her, expecting some kind of sarcastic tone to come. Instead, there was a look of genuine annoyance on her face, and her eyes were fixated on him. Was she actually annoyed at him for not being overly positive about this?
He looked away again. That didn't matter. What mattered right now is what they did. In the loosest sense possible, even if the everyday technology stopped, Pokémon would be able to survive. They survived for this long without it. A time of panic wasn't ideal, but it was better than ignoring the dying weather. He looked back up at everyone, and then at the surroundings.
If everywhere ended up like Angard right now, then all would be lost.
"Let's catch up to Kuri." Lute faced forward.
"That's more like it. Not like you to get tripped up 'cos of some jerk," Sophitia said with a smile.
"Well actually, I want to try to talk to Lassic about all this. Properly. It's just that if the seasons don't come back, the whole world could end up like Angard right now. If that happens, we're all done for," he said. "But I am curious. Gen, why do you and Kuri hate Lassic so much?"
"That's private for both of us," Gen turned away.
"How private are we talking?" Esther asked. There was no response.
"Not a good question, Esther," Phoenix said.
"Ya'know, Pokémon would be a lot happier if they talked about their problems rather than keepin' a lotta secrets," she teased, batting her eyes.
"It's not even important. All you need to know is that I hate that Pokémon with all of my being. He continues to act against our interests, so that makes him and most related things an enemy," Gen reasoned.
"You say that, but he has to have done something pretty bad for you to hate him with 'all of your being'. If I'm being really nosy, I'd say you're living out here in the sticks to avoid him and his world that much," Esther pointed out.
Gen squinted and came to a sudden halt. With the command of one paw and lifted ears, she pulled Esther off the ground and dangled her upside-down with Psychic, making the Pikachu squirm and squeak.
"A-ah-ah stop please okay I'm sorry! Guys, get me down from here!" cried the Pikachu.
"You were asking for it." Phoenix rolled his eyes. The others could only blink in a daze.
"Alright alright, I'm sorry, just stop already, please?" Esther whined, trying to hold her tutu over herself. "They can see everything it's gross and—"
"You can stay like that until we get to the temple," Gen said.
"Gross? What's so gross about—" Lute said.
"Don't look! Not for your eyes yet, Lutey!" Esther cried.
"... Lutey?" he tilted his head.
"Forget it. She's just being Esther," Infia sighed.
He laughed lightly as did the others, and then left it at that. He was more concerned about the nerve that had been touched with the subject. What could Gen and Kuri have known about Lassic that made them get so furious? Or maybe he was just reading too much into it, and they were crazier environmentalists than he first thought.
It took them a while to reach the temple. Gen took them from the streets of the drained, texture-less town they had seen before, to the dark fields and plains that lay beyond it. It wasn't too different to the open space outside of Everend, but the dead lands took the tone of dread Lute felt and multiplied it. It led to a trip that felt long and draining, and all the time he couldn't think straight.
By the time they reached the temple, he felt exhausted. The rugged slope up to a mountain looked daunting, even though its layout was as public friendly as could be. It even had the remains of fences all the way up to the top.
"It's just as we left it. Just like I promised, too," Esther said, still upside-down. Gen ran up the slope to check for herself, but made no comment when she looked it over.
The crater looked like the one underneath the Radial Castle. It was as if someone had taken an ice cream scoop and used it on the ground to create a crusty crater. Just like they had been told before, there was a Teleportal, too. Kuri was there as well, impatiently tapping his foot with folded arms.
"And this is where you guys met Naivie, huh?" Sophitia smiled. She jumped and floated down, while the others skidded down the bottom. "Able to tell us what you were doing before you met us?"
"Checking up on the temples. It's inconvenient, but there really isn't a way of me finding the heroes when I first awaken. I just have to hang around each of the temples, and those curious enough to find them are likely the heroes," Naivie said. She floated over to Kuri, who gave her a cheeky grin.
"Wait, but doesn't that make it extreme luck? I mean, Esther kinda guessed that we'd be the Pokémon you were looking for, didn't she?" Sophitia said. "How can you be sure that it's us?"
"You kids ask too many questions, you know that? What happened to the days where Pokémon let fate and destiny explain everything?" Naivie complained.
"That corny stuff stayed back in old movies, heh. Can I get down now, by the way?" Esther giggled. Gen let her go, and she fell face flat.
"So you guys came in the end. Decided you're okay with letting society's toys break down?" Kuri joked.
"Oh don't get smart mouthed. You're stuck here 'cos you can't go to the temple without us. So if I were you, I'd be a good little boy and play nice," Sophitia replied.
"Ho ho. The little lady's got a sting to her," he said. "If we're really allies for the time being, then let's see if you can keep up with me, then."
"Please don't compete, guys," Lute groaned. He took a deep breath and approached Kuri directly, making sure he was being paid attention to. "I'm only doing this because the danger of losing the weather is worse. I will talk to Lassic about this, and I will find a way to keep things the way they are."
The Chespin responded with a frown, and a tensed. "Alright. See how far you can get with that."
"I want a world where Pokémon don't have to fight, and everyone can get by with the convenience technology gives us. For Pokémon to be capable of living life to the fullest, despite their disabilities, or a wage gap. It has to be possible. But to do that, there needs to be a tomorrow. And we won't have tomorrow if the weather dies," Lute stated.
"Spoken like a real hero. Let's go," Sophitia said as she crossed her feelers. She promptly unfurled them to activate the Teleportal, and they all vanished in a flash of light. However, Gen was left behind, confused and surprised to have not been affected at all.
"Wait huh? How did?" the Meowstic gasped and spun around. She stopped and scratched her head. "Guess I'm not allowed in. I was looking forward to that."
...
Lute did his usual of skip ahead the moment they appeared in the temple, but this time he regretted that decision. It was blazingly hot inside, so hot that he felt his breath get ripped from him the second they landed.
He coughed and his mouth instantly dried up, but that was all. After that moment of discomfort, he was able to adjust a bit, but the heat still irked enough to draw out a bit of panic. The temple at least looked more sophisticated than the caves and dungeons he had been in so far. The walls were lined with decorative patterns and brickwork, painted and coloured smoothly enough to earn a wow.
However, his eyesight gave off the fluctuations normally seen when looking through heated air. His panic flared up even more when he realised that he was struggled to breathe, and he took an exaggerated breath to try and rectify that. It didn't look like there wasn't any oxygen in this place, yet he felt like every inhale merely tickled his lungs.
"Oh my goodness," Infia cried and fell on all fours. "It's so hot!"
"What's up with this? It's blazing in here," Sophitia said. She brushed her fur with her feelers. "Where are we?"
"The eastern temple. If you guessed that here is where you'll restore summer, then you guessed right," Naivie said. "By the way, only the heroes are allowed inside the temples because they're in Moand Dia. So your little Meowstic girlie has to wait outside."
"Could've warned me before on that one," Kuri complained, evidently looking for her.
"It won't make a difference to your team, though. So let's go," Naivie sung.
"Any chance you're gonna make it easy on us?" Esther said, slumped forward. "It's so hot I can hardly breathe in here."
"Oh don't be lazy. C'mon, chop chop, get a move on!" Naivie sung.
"We have a problem," Phoenix said.
"Figures the fire and rock types would be okay. What's up, fluffy cheeks?" Esther said.
"That Eevee is here. If we encounter him in this state, I am not confident in our chances," he warned. "Please allow me to lead. I can tell us in advance if he is nearby."
"That would save a life," Sophitia said, clutching her chest. She was already drenched in sweat. "Pretty preoccupied here."
Lute couldn't help but wipe his own face, and only now realised how much he sweated as well. He was definitely weakened. It was as if each breath gained less air each time he inhaled and exhaled. He lagged behind the others as a result, but noticed that Kuri didn't seem to be affected by all the heat.
Unlike the southern temple, this place had more of a constructive layout. The Teleportal was at the end of hallway that split into multiple paths, each one marked with directions painted on the walls. Giant bonfire candles high up kept the place lit, contrary to the weathered age most of the decorations had. There were a few pots and trinkets in the corners of some places as well, some of which even still had soil in them.
"It's like Pokémon lived here," Lute said slowly.
"It's best to save your breath, Lute," Sophitia said, just as thirsty and drained.
"Oh when we are out of here, I'm taking the biggest bath." Esther tugged at her clothes. "Who designs a place like this?"
"It's in Moand Dia, like the other temple was. I guess I never really noticed how hot it was, being a Carbink and all. Even though it's right next to magma," Naivie explained.
"Figures I would feel a little better walking in a place this warm. I believe this is how Pokémon feel when they say they can run a hundred miles," Phoenix commented. He was several paces ahead.
"Just watching him makes me tireder," Infia slumped.
"Wait a minute, right next to magma? What are we walking inside the planet?" Lute stopped.
"Of course. You knew Moand Dia was inside the planet. This Shaymin and its flower thrived off heat and nothing else. It was said to be the toughest one," Naivie said.
"Do you have any idea how hot that is?" he raised his voice.
"I've never heard of a plant that thrives off heat before. Don't tell me its leaves are made of fire or something," Sophitia added. Lute's curiosity went through the roof at that, as he tried to picture a giant flower with fire for leaves. That just looked like a tree on fire, which wasn't pretty.
Phoenix soon stopped them at the edge of a corner and peeked around it. "This is it. But there is someone else there."
"Is it that Eevee?" Infia asked worriedly.
"No. A Spirle High Point." He turned around.
"Son of a- what? How?" Kuri gasped. "So much for only heroes being allowed in here. Who is it?"
"Storm. Storm is a Dragalge," Phoenix stated. Infia gasped and stumbled back a bit. "Despite being dragon type, his species is very prone to drying out. During my battles, I have only seen him once. I am certain he is a scientist for Spirle who rarely shows his face around their conflicts. He must be here for a considerably serious reason."
"We can't fight him. We should come back another time," Infia suggested.
"Are you serious? This is prime chance to take out one of Spirle's biggest wigs. A little sweaty weather ain't gonna stop us, right?" Kuri snickered and raised a fist.
Lute looked away. "If things go bad, do we have a way of escaping?"
"Lute?" Infia cried.
"I can't run away from the bad guys. If we can safely bail, then it's worth a shot. Heavy breathing or not," he said as he wiped himself of sweat again.
"I have our escape orbs. One cast of this, and we'll be thrown out to the Teleportal," Sophitia replied, flashing one. "Let's go."
"Ah, wait," Infia cried and tripped over to grab Lute's tail.
"Infia?" Esther said.
"I just... I really don't want to fight him." The Minun shuddered.
"Oh screw off with this. Sort out your petty little drama elsewhere. This isn't the place for it," Kuri complained.
"Infia, what's wrong?" Lute asked. She didn't answer, and scrunched herself up. She looked like she was struggling to breathe for a moment, but coughed and took deep breaths to get a hold of herself. She shook her head.
"Kuri's right, you know. If he dies 'cos he goes and fights a Dragalge on his own, you have no one to blame but yourselves," Naivie said.
"It's... alright. I'm coming," Infia gulped.
The hallway was long enough for them to catch up to Kuri before he started a fight, at least. The walls here were fancier than the designs in the rest of the temple, and as they entered the room at the end of the hall, they got even more extravagant.
However, the heat got worse. They were on a bridge that opened out into a prayer altar matching the one in the southern temple. Below the bridge was active lava that bubbled and slowly swirled. Just one look at it made Lute's heart race, and his breath was stolen again. He never imagined how unbearable it would be to stand so close to lava, but here he was, surprised he wasn't being set alight.
"You're here. Just like the leader said you would be," the Dragalge began. he curled a wing to invite them closer. He was identical to any other Dragalge: a huge, purple, serpentine dragon with a body of dried, rotten seaweed. He was thin, his eyes were a deep red, and the lighting of the heat from below gave him a terrifying gaze.
"Storm!" Infia cried, still at the back of the group. At her shout, Lute could actually see his eyes widen for an instant.
"You're here. You're also one of them?" Storm said. Infia didn't reply.
"Ah, so you know her. Good to see we all acquainted already," Kuri commented. "No need for fancy introductions. We can get straight to the tea party. I'd love to know all about you. Like, why are you here? How'd you know who I'd be bringing, too? And while you're at it, maybe you could tell us about your special ability."
"That information is none of your business, Chespin," Storm said in his low, vicious tone. He was almost comical, but it still made Lute tremble.
"Oh please, I insist. I'm just dying to know all about you," Kuri began to pace. "Go ahead, the table's yours buddy! I'm sure you know all about me already, so I'd be gloating if I kept talking. We'd love to know how you hang out in a place like this."
"This isn't gonna get us anywhere," Sophitia muttered.
"Shh. The honoured guest is talking," Kuri snapped at her.
"Guest? It is you who is trespassing in this place. But my business is only with the Eevee," Storm replied.
"Him?" everyone said.
"Why me?" Lute cried.
"Don't hurt Lute!" Infia cried. Esther held her baton in front of Lute. "Don't do it. We don't have to fight."
"As we are now, little Minun, we are foes. You lived so that you could fight in scenarios like this, and fight you shall. Do what you were created to do, and show the world the might of Spirle's V Pockets," Storm said.
"But why? You're a good Pokémon. Why are you here, working for Spirle?" Infia asked.
Kuri cringed hard. "Him? Are you freaking serious? He's a High Point of Spirle, and you think he's a good Pokémon?"
"When I went to the Radial Tower to try and... Storm was there. He stopped me. He told me to wait until the end of the day before trying to hurt myself, because he believed that everyone would come. And he said that if they did, he would make sure Spirle didn't get in the way," Infia explained. "He believed that you guys were good Pokémon when even I didn't."
"And we did come. You stopped her. You saved her?" Lute gasped; jaw dropped. "You could've kidnapped her and done all sorts of things. But instead, you made her wait for us?"
"Oh no," Kuri rolled his eyes.
"That was before you were considered heroes young Eevee. Now, we are direct enemies. I was told to drop Risen in your way, but after seeing reports of your battles, Lute, I have grown interested," Storm answered, and raised both wings. He held a number of capsules filled with brown liquid. "Victoria revealed that you may have power. But Tetra failed to draw out that power."
"I don't have any special powers. You guys keep talking about stuff like that, but I don't know what you're talking about," Lute cried.
"You need not concern yourself. I will do my utmost to draw them out," Storm said with increasing pitch.
He dropped the capsules beside him, and out drained the brown liquid within. It turned out to be a thick sludge, which when it hit the ground, soon rose into the form of Risen. Each one looked like a common Pokémon, but their eyes were glowing red orbs that peeked out of their muddy skin. About five of them formed, and each one locked eyes with one of Lute's friends.
"Aww what, you've gotta be kiddin' me. It's too hot for this," Esther complained.
"Don't waste your breath, just fight them," Sophitia ordered as she formed her weapons. Everyone shrugged and prepared for battle. They soon each had a Risen to fight, although Infia stood back, protected by Esther who took on two Risen at once.
"You guys!" Lute cried.
"Focus, Eevee. Your fight is with me," Storm loomed over him. The sudden closed distance made him gasp and stumble away.
"How did you—" Lute gasped. The way Storm glared at him and the sounds of attacks going off around him brought him to focus. "You want special power? I'll give you it, by just beating you."
He started with Quick Attack, and aimed for Storm's chest. He was blocked by a wing, but was held in place. Storm clawed into his back, but Lute resisted it as best as he could. He attempted a Bite attack. Black light swarmed around his fangs, which clamped down hard enough to make Storm yell, making the Dragalge throw Lute down.
Lute already felt like he was being drained. He couldn't breathe, but he knew that he couldn't stop the battle now. He took in as much breath as he could and jumped into a Swift attack, releasing a rain of energy stars toward his enemy. Storm made no attempt to dodge them, and instead crossed his wings to guard against them. As soon as the attack stopped however, he vanished forward in a blur of a speed.
"Fast?" Lute gasped. Before he could land, Storm appeared in front of him with a tail drawn back and dripping with purple sludge. That tail whipped Lute's chest, sending him flying. He hit the wall at the edge of the altar and sunk to the ground in a heap.
A grunt and a groan were all he could muster, and then he found himself unable to move. He could stand, but his body was stiff and ached all over. He was out of breath and dripping with sweat. His eyesight had blurred to a level where he could only make out colours. He wasn't in pain, but he barely had the energy to do much other than fight consciousness, a familiar feeling that he had grown to hate all too much.
"Alright, I guess now's the time to one-up you. Leave this to me," Sophitia huffed in an effort to carry her sword and shield. She charged ahead and sliced the Risen directly in front of her with a clean cut in half. "Ha! See, look at that, Kuri. Easy as—"
Concern raised when the two muddy halves began to bulge and mutate, and they quickly reformed as two of the same enemy she had just defeated. Her mouth hit the floor while Kuri burst out laughing behind her.
"Oh wow, Sophitia. How nice of you to one-up me by making things worse. You're a real heroine," he said in a sing-song tone.
"Oh- just- bah, shut up," she growled and withdrew her weapons. Pink swirls of dust surrounded the tips of her feelers instead, ready for a Fairy Wind attack. With a thrust of each feeler, the dust came out as strong bursts of wind, knocking several of the Risen back.
Kuri had to focus and take on his own foes as well. He kicked one of the Risen away and then used his vines to lift another, and roared as he threw it into the crowd of them. Rather than being knocked away, the thrown Risen merged with the target that it hit, creating one more Risen that was taller and bulkier than the rest. "What the- it absorbed it?"
"Wow, nice work Kuri. I'm definitely gonna have trouble keeping up with you," Sophitia said, a cheeky smile on her face. Kuri cursed and spat, surrounding his fists with the thorns of a Needle Arm attack.
"Will you children just get along?" Esther growled. She cried at the top of her voice as she released a wave of electricity. It hit three Risen that came running toward her, melting them away. Her efforts brought her down to one paw, but several more Risen rose up in front of her.
"This is not the time for this. They are multiplying as we speak. Focus!" Phoenix said as he coughed up several Flamethrower attacks. He had a whole mob of Risen after him, but all he could do was slash or blast each one as it came at him.
Infia watched the whole conflict from a safe distance, and shook her head slowly in disbelief. Conflict plagued her, but mostly in the form of Storm's hesitant fighting. She was fixated on him with terror in her eyes, watching him bash Lute around the area like a Substitute doll. Whenever Lute took a bad attack, Storm would wait until the Eevee stood up and retaliated before launching another attack. She almost felt as if he was allowing Lute to win, if that was even possible.
Esther's shriek of pain made her heart jump, and her eyes snapped to the remainder of the battle. The Risen were overpowering the others, and Esther was at the centre of it all, flat on the floor with her baton knocked out of her grasp. Unlike Storm, those monsters weren't going to wait for the Pikachu to get up. Once Infia saw the panic in Esther's eyes, her own anxiety shot up, and she clenched her paws into fists.
"Stop hurting them! Leave her alone!" Infia cried. Her shout was useless however, and the monsters continued to advance on the struggling Pikachu, as did Storm towards Lute. Infia's face became determined. She put her paws together and gathered energy toward the tips. That came out as a watery glow held between her paws, which she then cast up into the air with a desperate cry. "Please work!"
"Esther, hang in- damn it will you let go of me?" Sophitia growled, pushing her shield against a Risen. It was latched to her shield and tried to climb over the shield to slash her. It took a roar of effort to throw it off, which left her with a hung head again. Damn it, I can't breathe. All my strength is gone. Why does it have to be so damn hot here?
She gave an exaggerated gasp, surprised to find that all of a sudden, her breath was back to normal. At that, it felt cooler, and a light wind brushed away the loose sweat still on her. The Risen seemed to react to the new atmosphere as well, and looked around in confusion.
"Clouds?" Sophitia whispered, just as confused. Rainclouds had formed inside the room, and they soon rumbled with thunder. Seconds later, rain fell, making the Risen wrench and screech like feral animals. The water began to melt their muddy forms, leaving everyone dazed and surprised. "What do you know? Water's their weakness."
"Guys, don't just stand there. Now's your chance! Help Lute," Infia cried.
But for Lute, things were just as strange and unexpected. The rain had levelled his temperature and allowed him to breathe properly, yet his eyesight was still blurry and his head was still drowned in discomfort. He growled and twitched as he forced himself to stay awake at all costs. Storm seemed unbothered by the disappearance of his Risen and was fixated on Lute, eyes thinned and concentrated.
Focus Lute. Focus, darn it. Why my eyes so... the necklace? he gasped in his head as he realised what was happening. The necklace around his neck glowed pink, but being so close to him, it was blinding. It's just like when I used that electric attack. So if I...
He gave the necklace a squeeze, and surely enough, out came streams of pink light and energy, all of which circled him before flying into his chest. The lights no longer blurred his eyes, but instead his whole body began to glow, getting brighter and brighter as more and more energy flew from the necklace into him. Lute began to worry as he felt that energy leak from him. It was like he was holding back the energy for a Swift attack, holding it in for so long that he might actually explode from it, and he cried out.
"What?" Storm whispered and edged back a bit.
He shielded his body with his wings, only for the Eevee to actually explode. A huge wave of pink light burst from Lute. It was a powerful pulse of force that cleansed the area around him. Storm let out a monstrous shriek as he was sent flying and slammed to the ground in a heap.
The others were in shock, even the previously concentrating Infia. Not just at the powerful new attack Lute had used, but at the fact that it had damaged Storm so much. The Dragalge looked devastated, covered from top to bottom in marks of dirt and scratches. He shivered as he righted himself and snarled furiously with eyes locked onto Lute. The Eevee was back to normal, but a glittering sphere of light surrounded him.
"That attack- and it put up Light Screen," Storm growled. Sprinting footsteps drew his attention to Kuri and Phoenix, to which he dashed out of sight to avoid their Energy Ball and Flamethrower attacks at the last moment.
"Damn it! Where are you hiding?" Kuri shouted.
"I have seen all I needed to see, heroes." Storm said. His voice echoing through the area. "That was a clever move, summoning the rain. I will take my leave. But count your remaining days of freedom, for Spirle will soon be on the rise. In time, Aseria will be ours."
"You're running? Now?" Kuri spat.
"Just stop! I've seen who you can really be. You don't have to be a villain for Spirle," Infia cried. There was no response for a while, and no one could see him, either.
"I... think he's gone," Sophitia said. "You gotta hand it to him. A guy that big being able to move that fast and hide, I guess those are his 'special powers'?"
"Slippery bastard. He has to be nearby," Kuri coughed, and took off. Naivie fluttered in his way.
"No you don't! We're living on borrowed time, here. You can catch your snotty little bad guy another time. The flower comes first," Naivie ordered. Kuri growled and shook his head, but folded his arms and tapped his foot in defeat.
"Something's up with those Spirle High Points. I swear all of them actually just want to get in the way? What was all that really about?" Sophitia wondered. "You okay, Lute?"
"I... I am. But I did another attack. I don't know where that came from. This is the second time that's happened," Lute replied. She held his chin up with a feeler.
"You don't need to worry about it. Whatever it is, all that matters is that you're okay," she said. "Plus, whatever you did really put the hurt on him. I mean, did you see the way he struggled? And I'm pretty sure Infia wasn't doing Helping Hand, there."
Esther screeched all of a sudden, but all she did was run and body slam Infia. She was screaming some other things as well, and nuzzled the Minun in a tight cuddle. Lute and Sophitia exchanged unsure glances, speechless as the two mice practically wrestled each other on the floor.
"Look at you! You're the best, you're the real hero here!" Esther squealed.
"Alright alright, what're you trying to do to her?" Naivie came between them.
"Sorry, I just – you really saved our butts back there," Esther cheered and pumped her fists. Infia barely made a sound, left scrunched up with a face redder than a pepper. "Helping Hand, Healing Touch, and now, Rain Dance? You're a genius!"
Infia's only response was to cover her face with her shirt with a high-pitched whine. Esther still took to hugging her while giggling.
"Okay okay, keep that up and you'll kill her from embarrassment" Naivie prodded Esther on the head. "Eyes on the goal, too. We haven't made the flower yet!"
"I do not like to rush these things, but Naivie is right. I can still sense the Eevee in the area. And once the rain wears off, this will only get more difficult. We should get this over with," Phoenix warned. His fangs were gritted and one eye was closed.
"Oh, right. Fluffy Cheeks and rain. You wanna get outta here now, don'tcha?" Esther giggled.
"Eh, they're both right," Kuri shrugged. He took his position at the altar. With upbeat smiles and nods to one another, the others took their positions as well, soon joined by Naivie in the middle.
"Because this is our first time with all six of you, I'll run over the basics. You just have to cast your wish with your prayer, and I'll handle the hard part. But the main precaution is that you must not stop praying until I tell you to. Is that clear?" Naivie instructed.
Lute concentrated to try and ignore the rain. Magical rain cooled him off as he stood on an altar atop a lake of lava, hoping to grow a giant flower. The thought felt satisfying. It was just the kind of magical story he wanted to be part of, and knowing that he had withstood the battle this time, he finally had that sense of progress he wanted. This didn't feel like luck that he survived, it felt like he had gotten stronger, and the help of Infia's Rain Dance had let him utilise that strength.
He couldn't help but smile when Naivie began. They had adapted to a strategy, and it was all thanks to them all getting stronger. Thinking back to his days at school, he could never have imagined Infia standing up to a giant like Storm. But here she was, able to set aside her personal weakness to help them battle, all to protect the Pokémon that meant something to her.
It must have hurt her to fight Storm. He gave her a chance to live rather than letting her kill herself, only to have to try and kill her just now. That is, if their death was what Storm really wanted. One thing was for sure, Infia had made her decision when it counted, and fought, proving that she now had faith where she once felt nothing.
Naivie's struggled cries brought him back to reality. The flames that surrounded her last time was there again, alongside the streaks of light in the patterns on the floor that surrounded each of them in fiery pillars. She was in pain, and as the ritual went on, Lute began to strain.
"Is that meant to be happenin'?" Kuri growled, clearly strained as well.
"Focus! Don't- you dare stop," Naivie coughed, soon crying at the top of her voice. But with her cry came a bright wave of light that took away their consciousness in a flash.
...
"You're soon going to see what the outside world looks like. Are you excited?" a motherly voice said. A grey palm stroked a Sylveon's back, but the Sylveon didn't look happy about it. "It may still be for training, but it is a new experience. New experiences are important."
"But it's scary," the young Sylveon said, pouty and huffy.
"Now now. You can't decide what is scary until you truly try it. You are going to meet many new Pokémon. Species living lives just like your own. You could even make friends. And when you come across foes, that is when you can fight with confidence."
"This isn't going to be fun," Sylveon said.
"You can defend yourself in a way that only fairies can. A gesture shared by the people of your world is going to become one of your strongest weapons: the kiss."
"Why would I want to kiss another Pokémon?"
"Because you are a beautiful young woman. I have no doubt in my mind that you will attract the eyes of many who will wish for your love," the motherly voice said. They withdrew their palm. "But your feelings are most important. Your true kiss is reserved for the one who you, and only you, would consider your partner. The others, you will curse them with the might of the Draining Kiss."
"Draining Kiss? Wait, you mean I can hurt Pokémon with a kiss?" Sylveon asked.
"And drain the energy for yourself, no less. It is a fairy Pokémon's most deceptive tool!"
"... Cool."
"Remember: Pokémon attacks are a means of self-defence. For should you threaten others with your Draining Kiss often, you may forfeit the trust of a real relationship for the remainder of your life."
"... I get it. It's not like I'm going to fight everything in sight," Sylveon said. There was a pause, and the young Eeveelution shut her eyes. "Hey, Diancie? What's the world up there like?"