Fandom Pokémon: Rise of Shadows

[Daisie]

Arcanus sighed to himself as he walked over, grabbing some food for himself quickly before retreating to a quiet spot somewhat away from the group. He rubbed his head again, still stressed. How could they all count on each other when everyone was in such disarray? April and Emlas's relationship was going downhill. Not only that, but he was pretty sure he heard some shouting coming from other members of the group. He ate quietly, and by himself... Which was somewhat of a relief.

He laid back and rested his hurting head, thinking to himself, exhausted. He'd soon doze off just a little...

 

[Minako]

The small Sylveon looked down when April sighed sadly out of respect. The Pidgeot had a point. At least Charise and Odin were still kicking. So was her own biological mother...

"Heh, w-well, there's no evidence contrary to anything yer saying about him... but... I-I think the fact that he WOULD still treat her well despite rejecting her isn't gonna help her heal and get over him..." Cadence muttered that last bit, it was more to herself as a side note than to April.

She looked away with unease and guilt. Perhaps, while she didn't know Max well enough to fully trust him, April vouching for him opened up an entirely new emotion Cadence wasn't quite ready for: ...Disappointment?

Disappointment in... Max not loving Charise back...?

Was she really rooting for them after all?

She wasn't against the Blind Aura Pokemon, and that still stuck true, but vouch or no vouch, Max has only been in their lives a few days, at best! Sure, maybe Charise is infatuated with him, but lets be really real here: She'd been in love with Odin most of (if not all of) her life, so---

Ah.

If the realization had been a poison sting hitting her, she wouldn't have been able to dodge it in time...

OF COURSE she's disappointed!

The small Sylveon knew the pain of loving someone who she couldn't have (she was sort of in that same boat herself), and with Mamba in hot pursuit of Charise even more relentlessly as he knows of her situation, Max, had he loved her back, would have been an answer to her prayers!

Sure, he was blind, but he was loyal and true... He was almost perfect for Charise, now that Cadence thought about it; Even then, all Cadence would have wanted to "fix" about him was for Max to have not lost his sight so he could cherish Charise's beauty... He was wearing her same magnolia and could smell it, sure, but a tugging heart-string told the Intertwine Pokemon that had he met Charise first, before he lost his eyesight, and saw her glimmering in the moonlight, smile sparkling like it was shining at him right now...

Heh, there was no doubt in her mind Emlas wouldn't have stood a ghost of a chance.

"I'm sorry, Charise... I think secretly in my heart of hearts I'd have hoped Max would have saved yours, but somethings just aren't meant to be, I guess..." Cadence looked sadly at the Gardevoir and Lucario, sighing to herself while hanging her head, "Well, I'll always be here for you, and will probably join you in the broken hearts club soon enough... Hopefully you won't give up and go to Mamba because he actually did something right giving you that book..."

Before she was down long enough for April to catch on and be concerned, Cadence shot her head up like a bullet and gave her a dazzling smile.

"Thanks, Feathers! For everything," She happily cheered, adding with a mischievous smirk and gently nudging her with her feelers, "Heh, trying to get others to hate you, huh? You sure you're not secretly my pops in disguise?"

It was odd to bond over giving someone a hard time, even Cadence had to admit that, but... Well, around Feathers, she just couldn't help herself!


Charise was too engrossed in the book to even notice Max's gesture. She didn't even feel his weight on her shoulder or his arm around her, she just wanted that desperately to know what happens next!

Benvolio: Tut, man, one fire burns out another's burning,
One pain is lessen'd by another's anguish;
Turn giddy, and be holp by backward turning;
One desperate grief cures with another's languish:
Take thou some new infection to thy eye,
And the rank poison of the old will die.
Romeo: Your plaintain-leaf is excellent for that.
Benvolio: For what, I pray thee?
Romeo: For your broken shin.
Benvolio: Why, Romeo, art thou mad?
Romeo: Not mad, but bound more than a mad-man is;
Shut up in prison, kept without my food,
Whipp'd and tormented and—God-den, good fellow.
Servant: God gi' god-den. I pray, sir, can you read?
Romeo: Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.
Servant: Perhaps you have learned it without book: but, I
pray, can you read any thing you see?
Romeo: Ay, if I know the letters and the language.
Servant: Ye say honestly: rest you merry!
Romeo: Stay, fellow; I can read.

[Reads]

'Signior Martino and his wife and daughters;
County Anselme and his beauteous sisters; the lady
widow of Vitravio; Signior Placentio and his lovely
nieces; Mercutio and his brother Valentine; mine
uncle Capulet, his wife and daughters; my fair niece
Rosaline; Livia; Signior Valentio and his cousin
Tybalt, Lucio and the lively Helena.' A fair
assembly: whither should they come?
Servant: Up.
Romeo: Whither?
Servant: To supper; to our house.
Romeo: Whose house?
Servant: My master's.
Romeo: Indeed, I should have ask'd you that before.
Servant: Now I'll tell you without asking: my master is the
great rich Capulet; and if you be not of the house
of Montagues, I pray, come and crush a cup of wine.
Rest you merry!

[Exit]

Benvolio: At this same ancient feast of Capulet's
Sups the fair Rosaline-- ​

Now seeing a name that close to Ro's sent Charise into an excited gasp. Her name was in this famous book (sort of)! And as the girl who rejected Romeo to boot! (Secretly, deep down, Charise was hoping some other boy would soon be rejected by her Rosalina as well...)

"OH! OH!" Charise interrupted her own reading with a sort of whisper (well, a loud, husky half whisper, half giggle) in Max's ear, gently nuzzling his head on her shoulder to grab his attention this time, "Her name! Her name! Say, Max, do you think Ro's mother named her sort of after the character in this book?? Oh, you simply must remind me to call her mother later, when we get out of this realm, and ask her, please! Oh please, Max, you must, you must!"

After teasing him about reminding her, she went right back to reading, but not first without a light sound of joy and happiness;

--Whom thou so lovest,
With all the admired beauties of Verona:
Go thither; and, with unattainted eye,
Compare her face with some that I shall show,
And I will make thee think thy Swanna a Murkrow.
Romeo: When the devout religion of mine eye
Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires;
And these, who often drown'd could never die,
Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars!
One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun
Ne'er saw her match since first the world begun.
Benvolio: Tut, you saw her fair, none else being by,
Herself poised with herself in either eye:
But in that crystal scales let there be weigh'd
Your lady's love against some other maid
That I will show you shining at this feast,
And she shall scant show well that now shows best.
Romeo: I'll go along, no such sight to be shown,
But to rejoice in splendor of mine own.

[Exeunt]​

"Ooooooooooooh! Oooooooh! Rosaline was the girl he was rejected by! A-and he's going! He's going to the Capulet's affair! He's going there and that's where he'll meet Juliet! She'll heal him!" Charise stated with gusto, though still somewhat controlling her volume, looking at Max and eager to see his reaction to all these turns of events.

"A-and with Benvolio's help, surely he'll stop seeing her as a Swanna and start seeing her as a Murkrow indeed! His true Swanna is Juliet, after all, right? At least, according to the title of this book it is! Hee hee, I guess you really can't stop two being destined to be together no matter the odds against them~ How lovely!" Charise, still glowing from being enraptured in the book, sighed dreamily while taking a brief break to... hug the novel... A gesture she was happy Max couldn't see, as it was childish, but she distracted him while doing so by asking, "Heh... I-I... I know how it ends, o-obviously, but... It's not a crime to celebrate their love while it lasts... I-Is it?"

She was blushing and smiling bashfully while looking away from him (force of habit), but not for the typical reason she would around Max this time, rather, simply embarrassed she was showing just how much of a bookworm she really was being so captivated by this piece of literature.

Assailant

 

[Assailant]

April chuckled at Cadence's retort. "Man, if your pops was trying to get people to hate him, I can see where you got it from," she said with a grin. It was nice to meet someone with whom her somewhat rude nature could be taken as a positive thing. She had to admit, she was really coming around to Ribbons. April then leaned in. "But, while we're on the topic... I don't suppose you have a Max or Arcanus of your own, hmmmm?"


Max's cheeks were borderline purple from the intense blush going into his face as she nuzzled him, and he was almost drunk off of the joyous cocktail of emotions coming from the Gardevoir along with a healthy dose of exhaustion. As she nuzzled him, he almost desperately nuzzled her back until she stopped and he went back to resting his head against her. He couldn't help but smile blissfully at her enthusiasm towards the play as she ranted and raved about what was going on. By nature, of course, he was a more mellow and less excitable person, but he was smiling along in enjoyment the whole way.

As Charise finished her rave and looked away, Max smiled and leaned in, nuzzling her. "I think it is cute how much you are into this." In his exhausted and blissful state, he also quickly planted a kiss on Charise's cheek before nuzzling her once more. "I am really glad I get to have you read this to me."


Tyler looked back at the Latis nearby. Well... he liked Emlas well enough, but the other two were kinda scary. Especially the blue one. He didn't much like his attitude... but he wasn't in the mood for that right now. And anyway, this would be a nice chance to meet new people! Or have some time alone... honestly, right now, he wasn't sure which sounded more appealing. Looking between the two groups for a moment, he finally came to a decision.

"Well, if you really don't mind... I'd like to come with you."
Minako

 

[Latios]

Edron simply growled at their remark towards him. He didn't care what they thought. He wasn't going to eat the potentially hazardous food from the humans. If Edron hadn’t been sitting behind Latios, the two would have seen his claws glowing in a dark energy, a shadow claw particularly ready in case they took it too far.

Meanwhile Emlas looked rather nervous between her brother and the two food bearers. “Hehe...” she coughed nervously. “Just dont pay any attention to him. He’s just a Grouchy Meowth. Anyways, you were saying? About the food?”
Minako Assailant

 

[Minako]

"Er... Right," Felicia trained her narrowed eyes on Edron a few moments longer, then directed her attention back to Emlas with a softer stare.

"ANYWAY, these are pokepuffs, small sweet bread with frosting and sprinkles on top! The other food is called a Malasada which is basically a roll of sweet bread with lemon pudding or jam in it. These in particular have jam in them. Rawst berry jam, I think..." Felicia was certain that was it, granted their scent.

"O-our trainer... gave you the nicest and prettiest ones... on account of what you did for her...a-and all..." Felicia muttered, still fighting anger, but genuinely wanting to be kind to Emlas out of, at the very least, respect.

"By the way, we never got the chance to say this before, but... Thank you, for saving our lives... and hers..."

"We can't express our gratitude enough, Emlas. Thank you. I assure you we will strive to return the favor someday soon," Ceres also expressed her gratitude, warmly smiling at the young Red Eon Pokemon.

The Typhlosion then directed her attention to the little Ralts and nodded, smiling.

"Then please follow us, Sweetie. We'll get you a nice big plate of pokepuffs and Malasadas," The Lava pokemon beckoned Tyler to follow her.

With that, she began to talk away, motioning to Felicia to follow.

The Blissey gave one last smile at Emlas, and shot Edron a nasty glare before trotting off, not saying another word to the male Lati's.

Latios


At that last bit April said Cadence couldn't help but look away so she didn't full on get a view of her face reddening up like a tomato. She clearly was thinking of someone. A particular someone's uniquely colored Umbreon to be exact.

"A-ah, pssssh, Th-that stuff's for the bird pokemon, Feathers," Cadence scrunched up her cute little face, embarrassed, but her blush and bit lip told no tall tales.

"...'Sides... I... I dunno if he actually feels the same way or not, or if he was just messing with me..." Cadence sounded more down with every word she spoke, but continued on regardless, "Especially after he just... went bonkers on us about a week or so ago..."

She sighed heavily, and shrugged, as if trying to shrug off the weight of all the new responsibilities thrust upon her.

"His name is Alwyn... He's an Umbreon, though he's colored differently: You know how Umbreons are black with yellow circles and stuff? His are blue. A-anyway, He belongs to one of Ro's friends, Elias. He was always a darn kidder and one-upper, but it was never... bad? He was never mean about it... I guess maybe that's why I like to tease others so much, too..." She went on, and though she felt like she might be saying a bit too much, she went on anyway.

"Uhm... I never hated when he gave me a hard time. In fact, it pushed me to do better. Everytime we fought and he lost he was... happy? Happy for me? It's weird. He's... weird," She almost chuckled and smiled thinking about him, but it was clear bad news was coming from how pained and forced the story got with every word.

"Then, about a week ago... He just... Him and Elias came over to our house and... Started rambling... Something about darkness... and how there was no way to stop it but spilling something in Ro... and how they needed her to bring back the light? It was weird and I-I didn't really get half of the crazy junk they were saying... Not that it mattered, before they could nab my trainer Charise stepped in and got us th' heck outta dodge!" Cadence wasn't exactly shouting or gasping when saying any of this, but the storyteller in her brought out a bit of a gasp at the end anyway.

"And, well... We've been sleeping in smelly motels since... Running away from them, hoping they don't find us," At this point, all the "thrill" of the tale was gone and the small Sylveon was left rather deflated.

"...I wanted to go training to get stronger so I could fight Alwyn if they ever found us again!" She was frowning and bitter, but obviously not towards the Pidgeot, adding, "And well, then your boy, Max, found us, and then we followed him to you guys... and well... you know our story from there..."

A pained and forced smile graced Cadences face as she looked up at April, asking, "So, long and short of it is nah, Feathers. I'd say he ain't interested in me a bit, even... even though I thought I might... I coulda..."

She really didn't want to finish that sentence.

"...Don't tell Charise. O-or Ceres. Th-they... They wouldn't understand," She pleaded, looking like she was about to cry with her misty eyes and gluing said eyes to the ground.


"W-w-w-w-w-well! Th-th-there's no n-n-need to get romantic about it! I-I know we're j-j-just friends a-and that... Y-you... " Charise gasped, fumbling and bumbling as he kissed her on the cheek and sending her heart sky-rocketing. She didn't have the heart to finish that sentence.

Oh, what would Emlas think if she were to see this?!

"ER! ANYWAY! A-a-aha, l-liking Sh-Shakespeare i-isn't "cute!" It's sophisticated! I-I mean, that is, I'm glad to be reading this to you! Th-th-this is fun!" She managed to blurt, still beet red all over her face, and practically jamming her face into the book (It's not like Max needed to see it!).

Much as it pained her to do this, the flustered stomach and wave of confusion that hit her like a tsunami made it necessary for her to (subtlety) scoot away a tad from Max... and gently taking his paw off her shoulder.

Oh, but she had a plan so this act wouldn't offend him!

"O-o-oh, we haven't even touched the food! W-would you care for some puffs? Or Malasadas?? I-I'll bet you're hungry, D-- Mmmmmax!" She offered, hesitating calling him a term of endearment.

On cue, she took a puff and gently placed it in his paw, smiling.

"A-a-aha! And entertainment for the good sir!" Charise beamed and cheered, going right back to reading:

Spoiler: Romeo x Juliet, gonna be adding more until the cut off, so its spoilery territory

[Enter LADY CAPULET and Nurse]

Lady Capulet: Nurse, where's my daughter? call her forth to me.
Nurse: Now, by my maidenhead, at twelve year old,
I bade her come. What, lamb! what, ladybird!
God forbid! Where's this girl? What, Juliet!

[Enter JULIET]

"There she is!" Charise loudly whispered into Max's ear, almost winking at him during the interruption, then went on:

Spoiler: Romeo x Juliet

Juliet: How now! who calls?
Nurse: Your mother.
Juliet: Madam, I am here.
What is your will?
Lady Capulet: This is the matter:—Nurse, give leave awhile,
We must talk in secret:—nurse, come back again;
I have remember'd me, thou's hear our counsel.
Thou know'st my daughter's of a pretty age.
Nurse: Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour.
Lady Capulet: She's not fourteen.
Nurse: I'll lay fourteen of my teeth,—
And yet, to my teeth be it spoken, I have but four—
She is not fourteen. How long is it now
To Lammas-tide?
Lady Capulet: A fortnight and odd days.
Nurse: Even or odd, of all days in the year,
Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen.
Susan and she—God rest all Christian souls!—
Were of an age: well, Susan is with God;
She was too good for me: but, as I said,
On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen;
That shall she, marry; I remember it well.
'Tis since the earthquake now eleven years;
And she was wean'd,—I never shall forget it,—
Of all the days of the year, upon that day:
For I had then laid wormwood to my dug,
Sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall;
My lord and you were then at Mantua:—
Nay, I do bear a brain:—but, as I said,
When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple
Of my dug and felt it bitter, pretty fool,
To see it tetchy and fall out with the dug!
Shake quoth the dove-house: 'twas no need, I trow,
To bid me trudge:
And since that time it is eleven years;
For then she could stand alone; nay, by the rood,
She could have run and waddled all about;
For even the day before, she broke her brow:
And then my husband—God be with his soul!
A' was a merry man—took up the child:
'Yea,' quoth he, 'dost thou fall upon thy face?
Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit;
Wilt thou not, Jule?' and, by my holidame,
The pretty wretch left crying and said 'Ay.'
To see, now, how a jest shall come about!
I warrant, an I should live a thousand years,
I never should forget it: 'Wilt thou not, Jule?' quoth he;
And, pretty fool, it stinted and said 'Ay.'
Lady Capulet: Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace.
Nurse: Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh,
To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.'
And yet, I warrant, it had upon its brow
A bump as big as a young cockerel's stone;
A parlous knock; and it cried bitterly:
'Yea,' quoth my husband,'fall'st upon thy face?
Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age;
Wilt thou not, Jule?' it stinted and said 'Ay.'
Juliet: And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say I.
Nurse: Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace!
Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nursed:
An I might live to see thee married once,
I have my wish.
Lady Capulet: Marry, that 'marry' is the very theme
I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet,
How stands your disposition to be married?
Juliet: It is an honour that I dream not of.
Nurse: An honour! were not I thine only nurse,
I would say thou hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat.
Lady Capulet: Well, think of marriage now; younger than you,
Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,
Are made already mothers: by my count,
I was your mother much upon these years
That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief:
The valiant Paris seeks you for his love.
Nurse: A man, young lady! lady, such a man
As all the world—why, he's a man of wax.
Lady Capulet: Verona's summer hath not such a flower.
Nurse: Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower.
Lady Capulet: What say you? can you love the gentleman?
This night you shall behold him at our feast;
Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face,
And find delight writ there with beauty's pen;
Examine every married lineament,
And see how one another lends content
And what obscured in this fair volume lies
Find written in the margent of his eyes.
This precious book of love, this unbound lover,
To beautify him, only lacks a cover:
The fish lives in the sea, and 'tis much pride
For fair without the fair within to hide:
That book in many's eyes doth share the glory,
That in gold clasps locks in the golden story;
So shall you share all that he doth possess,
By having him, making yourself no less.
Nurse: No less! nay, bigger; women grow by men.
Lady Capulet: Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love?
Juliet: I'll look to like, if looking liking move:
But no more deep will I endart mine eye
Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.

[Enter a Servant]

Servant: Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you
called, my young lady asked for, the nurse cursed in
the pantry, and every thing in extremity. I must
hence to wait; I beseech you, follow straight.
Lady Capulet: We follow thee.

[Exit Servant]

Juliet, the county stays.
Nurse: Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.

[Exeunt]

"Say! She seems very beautiful, according to her description! And she seems like a polite girl for one her age, like Ro, you know," Charise began to ask, "I-I guess its small wonder why her parents want to marry her off, no? Haha, to be desirable!"

Also feeling a bit hungry herself, she wolfed down a puff and took a bite of a malasada before continuing on.

Assailant

 

[Assailant]

"Woot," Tyler said while thrusting his hands in the air and following Ceres. "You know, your name kinda sounds like 'cereal.' I never was a big fan of cereal though." Tyler pouted his lips and huffed. "But Nathan keeps buying the wheaty ones..."


April grinned and draped a wing over Cadence. She paused for a few minutes and gestured towards her wing with her beak. "See what I'm doing? I'm taking you under my wing..." She paused for a few moments before continuing. "Look, Ribbons, I can't proclaim to be an expert on love or anything... in fact, I'm about as far removed from one as you can be. I just got REALLY lucky. But the way I see it, that's usually a warning sign... or so I've heard. You're probably too good for that Umbreon anyway, and 'Ro' is probably too good for Elias." April's grin fell to a sort of melancholy smile.

"That said... I learned a lesson from... watching a close friend of mine... and myself too, I suppose." April sighed and the wing draped over Cadence became a bit heavier as she relaxed. "Look... feelings are... it's... well... I don't..." April groaned in frustration as she couldn't figure out how to word what she was thinking. "Let me put it this way. Trying to fight your heart is stupid. Your heart is in you, right? It's like fighting your legs, it's dumb. One way or another, it's gonna catch up to you... or worse, you'll lose the chance for it to." She gently poked Cadence with her free wing. "How bad would you feel if Al... uh... I forgot his name... I'm gonna call him Al. How would you feel if Al up and died, huh? It would probably suck a lot, and it would only feel worse because you never got the chance to say how you felt. You never got closure, one way or another."

April pulled Cadence against her in a comforting hug. "The way I see it, you've got two options. Either A. get over Al and move on, which granted is probably the better option, or B. promise yourself that if you ever see him again, you'll tell him how you feel. Go right up and say, 'Hey Al! I love you and you're a massive dick so fuck you,' or something like that. You have a lot of time to figure out how to put your feelings into words." April closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"I... I lost someone without getting the chance to tell them how much I loved them... because I was too damn stubborn... and now... mom will never know... don't make the same mistake I did, Ribbons. You're much better off with a rejection than that."


As Charise pushed herself away, Max suddenly realized what he had done. He placed his face in his hands and moaned a bit to himself. "C...- Charise, I..." He was interrupted by Charise feverishly insisting that they eat. It was at this moment that he realized just how hungry he was... but... that wasn't what mattered most to him. Charise seemed to have a tendency to forget that he could... or rather, was forced to, read emotions. He knew it wasn't hunger that caused her to push him away.

"Y-yeah..." he said quietly and grabbed a piece of food from his plate, wishing that the Shadows had finished him off so that he wouldn't have to face this embarrassment. He was quiet and downtrodden as Charise read on, mostly just hating himself for overstepping those boundaries so callously. When Juliet made her entrance, and Charise whispered to him, Max only responded with a slight nod and smile.

At Charise's final proclamation, Max almost opened his mouth to counter it, but instead left it hanging for a moment before closing it and sighing dejectedly.

"Yes," he muttered. "To be desirable..."

Minako

 

[Minako]

Ceres, charmed by the child, chuckled heartily at them and smiled.

"Hah! You sound like Ro, she only likes the sugary stuff that's heavily marketed as well!" She snickered, rolling her eyes at her trainers lack of taste, adding, "Aw, the wheat kind isn't so bad, but I can understand why you wouldn't prefer it, of course."

She didn't have anything against sugary cereal, but the fact that Ro had no sense of moderation and could probably down a box if left unattended made her rather biased against it.

"And you can call me Cereal, if you like, since my name does sound like it!" The Typhlosion beamed.

They walked back to the campfire/cooking area where the others were and were greeted by a smile from the Togekiss of the group, welcoming them back.


"Heh," Cadence quietly chuckled to herself as the punny Pidgeot made her jest, "Nice."

She wanted to straight up guffawed a moment when April said her only left option left on dealing with her feelings for Alwyn.

"Pfft! Man, oh man, don't tell Charise you told me to say that! She'd be so cross with you!" Cadence sneered with a sly grin, this bird was alright.

In truth, Cadence wasn't exactly keen on confessing to Alwyn, because she wasn't in a hurry to get rejected, but she was no fool thinking April didn't have a point. Her feelings for him were strong, and even if Alwyn didn't return them she needed him to know of them regardless.

She calmed down afterwards as the bird Pokemon continued and began talking about her dearly departed mother. When she was pulled into the hug, the Sylveon used her feelers to return the hug as best she could, even patting the wings with them.

"I-I'm... I'm really sorry about your mom, by the way," Cadence murmured, "Honestly, I'm worried about my Ma back home as well, and I think in my most recent nightmares the same thing happens to Charise and Ro. I... I should try to make more of an effort to tell them I love them, too..."

Cadence sort of trailed off, a bit uneasy. She wasn't the "sappy" type.

"I... I'm not a huge fan of being sentimental, and honestly, if Ro didn't need my strength to help her fight against Elias and Alwyn I never would have even evolved into a Sylveon, to be honest..." Cadence confessed, "I hated the concept of evolving... Heh, which is really strange being the Evolution Pokemon, huh?"

She chuckled, adding, "I just... Didn't like feeling like I had to evolve, or change, to be useful... so I boycotted evolving until all this... And when Ro needed me, I realized just how happy she and Charise and everyone made me, and the next thing I know..."

She used her feelings to gesture to... well, all of her.

"This."

She sighed, but still managed to look at April with a smile, "They know how happy they make me, my evolution is proof of that, but you're not wrong that I should express it more... even if it's not really my style..."

She managed to smile sadly again at April, swishing her tail back and forth, "Heh, know any single Eevees who might be interested in all this?"


Charise didn't notice Max's tone at all, for she was too engrossed in the book to think of much else.

To think, because one servant (come to think of it, for that time, it wasn't out of the norm to be illiterate and Romeo was only literate because of his status making education accessible) was illiterate (well, that and Rosaline would be attending the affair) Romeo was going to meet the love of his (admittedly short) life!

Though the servant did say he was invited only if he wasn't a Montague... which Romeo was...

Such a rebel!

Spoiler: Romeo x Juliet

[Enter ROMEO, MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, with five or six [p]Maskers, Torch-bearers, and others]

Romeo: What, shall this speech be spoke for our excuse?
Or shall we on without a apology?
Benvolio: The date is out of such prolixity:
We'll have no Cupid hoodwink'd with a scarf,
Bearing a Tartar's painted bow of lath,
Scaring the ladies like a crow-keeper;
Nor no without-book prologue, faintly spoke
After the prompter, for our entrance:
But let them measure us by what they will;
We'll measure them a measure, and be gone.
Romeo: Give me a torch: I am not for this ambling;
Being but heavy, I will bear the light.
Mercutio: Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance.
Romeo: Not I, believe me: you have dancing shoes
With nimble soles: I have a soul of lead
So stakes me to the ground I cannot move.
Mercutio: You are a lover; borrow Cupid's wings,
And soar with them above a common bound.
Romeo: I am too sore enpierced with his shaft
To soar with his light feathers, and so bound,
I cannot bound a pitch above dull woe:
Under love's heavy burden do I sink.
Mercutio: And, to sink in it, should you burden love;
Too great oppression for a tender thing.
Romeo: Is love a tender thing? it is too rough,
Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn.
Mercutio: If love be rough with you, be rough with love;
Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.
Give me a case to put my visage in:
A visor for a visor! what care I
What curious eye doth quote deformities?
Here are the beetle brows shall blush for me.
Benvolio: Come, knock and enter; and no sooner in,
But every man betake him to his legs.
Romeo: A torch for me: let wantons light of heart
Tickle the senseless rushes with their heels,
For I am proverb'd with a grandsire phrase;
I'll be a candle-holder, and look on.
The game was ne'er so fair, and I am done.
Mercutio: Tut, dun's the mouse, the constable's own word:
If thou art dun, we'll draw thee from the mire
Of this sir-reverence love, wherein thou stick'st
Up to the ears. Come, we burn daylight, ho!
Romeo: Nay, that's not so.
Mercutio: I mean, sir, in delay
We waste our lights in vain, like lamps by day.
Take our good meaning, for our judgment sits
Five times in that ere once in our five wits.
Romeo: And we mean well in going to this mask;
But 'tis no wit to go.
Mercutio: Why, may one ask?
Romeo: I dream'd a dream to-night.
Mercutio: And so did I.
Romeo: Well, what was yours?
Mercutio: That dreamers often lie.
Romeo: In bed asleep, while they do dream things true.
Mercutio: O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you.
She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate-stone
On the fore-finger of an alderman,
Drawn with a team of little atomies
Athwart men's noses as they lie asleep;
Her wagon-spokes made of long spiders' legs,
The cover of the wings of grasshoppers,
The traces of the smallest spider's web,
The collars of the moonshine's watery beams,
Her whip of cricket's bone, the lash of film,
Her wagoner a small grey-coated gnat,
Not so big as a round little worm
Prick'd from the lazy finger of a maid;
Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut
Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub,
Time out o' mind the fairies' coachmakers.
And in this state she gallops night by night
Through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love;
O'er courtiers' knees, that dream on court'sies straight,
O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream on fees,
O'er ladies ' lips, who straight on kisses dream,
Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues,
Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are:
Sometime she gallops o'er a courtier's nose,
And then dreams he of smelling out a suit;
And sometime comes she with a tithe-pig's tail
Tickling a parson's nose as a' lies asleep,
Then dreams, he of another benefice:
Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier's neck,
And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats,
Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades,
Of healths five-fathom deep; and then anon
Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes,
And being thus frighted swears a prayer or two
And sleeps again. This is that very Mab
That plats the manes of horses in the night,
And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs,
Which once untangled, much misfortune bodes:
This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs,
That presses them and learns them first to bear,
Making them women of good carriage:
This is she—
Romeo: Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace!
Thou talk'st of nothing.

"Making inappropriate jokes, witty banter, never shutting up when they should..." Charise thought to herself in a giggling fit as she read all this, "Sounds like Cadence would get along with this crude fellow!"

A slight pang of worry surfaced as the comparisons for the characters matched Ro's group: Ro as Romeo, Charise as Benvolio, and now Cadence as Mercutio!

Did that mean Elias was her "Juliet"?

She laughed it off as she read Romeo's response, continuing her grand ol' time reading:

Spoiler: Romeo x Juliet

Mercutio: True, I talk of dreams,
Which are the children of an idle brain,
Begot of nothing but vain fantasy,
Which is as thin of substance as the air
And more inconstant than the wind, who wooes
Even now the frozen bosom of the north,
And, being anger'd, puffs away from thence,
Turning his face to the dew-dropping south.
Benvolio: This wind, you talk of, blows us from ourselves;
Supper is done, and we shall come too late.
Romeo: I fear, too early: for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels and expire the term
Of a despised life closed in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
But He, that hath the steerage of my course,
Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen.
Benvolio: Strike, drum.

[Exeunt]

"They're finally at the party, despite technically not being invited..." Charise leaned towards Max and whispered to him, fully captivated by the words on the pages, "Oooh, hopefully these 'party crashers' won't be in over their heads!"

Assailant

 

[Emperor Of Embers]

"Give this to them, alright?" Rosie asked her little Sylveon as they were done eating, smiling when Cadence took the plate with verve and trotted off.

Rosie then turned her head towards her new friends, finding it strange that Alistair called his Drampa "Ma", as in addressing ones mother casually, but she shrugged it off fairly quickly, figuring there was little reason to dwell on it. She finished her pokepuffs after what seemed like ages, decorating the yellow (lemony- flavored) ones for her savior, The Latias of their group. She smiled happily as the star shaped sprinkles looked adorable.

"Well, what do you think?" Ro asked her Blissey, almost giggling but not quite, as she did so and showed Felicia the plate, proud of her work for a change.

The Blissey, for being the pokemon of joy and happiness, didn't exactly look happy upon receiving the plate to deliver, for some reason. There was a troubled look scrawled all over Felicia's face.

"...Hey, is something the matter, Felifeli?" Rosie asked her sweet Blissey, who wasn't normally like this at all.

At this question Felicia seemed to wince, flinch, and practically sprang up simultaneously, causing Ro to shoot her a more than concerned glance. The Blissey tried to play it cool by shaking it off and taking the plate without addressing it further.

"Feli..?" Rosie was about to stop her and ask, when her Typhlosion, her trusted Ceres, approached her, gesturing to Felicia and then the pokepuffs, taking a while for Ro to process until she finally figured out that Ceres was offering to help Felicia deliver the other plates, the ones for the male Lati's.

"A-a-a-ah, o-of course, r-r-r-r-right!" Ro stumbled and stuttered, embarrassed by her lack of competence, as she quickly served up two other plates as well (and she was glad these meals weren't very liquid-y because these paper plates, though a generous amount, would have worn thin quite easily as they seemed to be a flimsy, thin brand, even for paper) with both puffs and malasadas.

"Here!" Ro cheered as she handed the Lava pokemon the other two plates, happy for Cere's help.

Her Typhlosion smiled, respectfully bowed, and then went off to follow Felicia to give the Lati's their portion of dinner.

Rosie waved at her pokemon as they embarked on their errand, then directing her attention to the only other human around. She smiled at his words, and agreed with his philosophy, deeming him a good person, a good friend, and a good trainer. Her brother and mother would be very fond him. He was both exactly the same as, and total opposite of, Elias... When she thought about it. He had stolen his first pokemon, but despite them always losing to Ceres and her team, he treated them with kindness and respect, like Alistair was doing right now.

"I wonder what Elias would think of him? So similar and yet, so different..." Ro caught herself thinking, blushing and shaking the thought off almost instantly. Now was NOT the time!

Emperor Of Embers


As the two loyal pokemon begin walking, Ceres felt like she could trip and fall over the unease Felicia was exerting. There was no real temperature in this realm (aside from close to the fire or anywhere Kaine was, really) and yet she could swear she saw the Blissey sweat!

"Those look... very nice," Ceres stated after clearing her throat, appreciating Ro's handiwork as she saw how masterful the puffs were frosted and decorated.

She wasn't really in such a talkative mood she'd strike up small talk, but Felicia seemed so worked up, and Ceres couldn't help but feel it was partially her fault... After that conversation with Kaine and the others she knew she instilled fear and worry of the Lati's into all of them, Felicia most of all, it seemed.

"Nice enough to impress Emlas?" Felicia responded back quietly, doubt coating her tone, as the two walked over to where the Lati's were resting.

"...Naturally," Ceres nodded, having faith, if anything, in the love Ro puts into everything and anything she does.

"...Good. Good. Th-that's good, yeah..." Felicia nodded, though it could have just been her shaking.

Ceres was beside herself with worry too, but unlike Felicia, she was smart enough to know "never let 'em see you sweat", and Felicia needed to be reminded of that phrase as well.

"...Keep in mind, right now our best bet to ensure Ro's safety is kindness. We need to sympathize with what happened, and not forget Ro is standing there right now because of Emlas. If anything, that fact alone should make this all the easier..." Ceres borderline whispered to her sister.

Felicia looked at her, lost for a moment, but then a sincere smile finally graced her face.

Ceres was the most mature out of all of them, having developed mentally the most in her life. Technically, in Typhlosion years, she had already lived half of her life.

Despite the uncertainty and doubt, the two approached the Lati's with food plates in hand and smiles on their faces.

"Here you go, Emlas," Felicia smiled as she set the plate with the decorated pokepuffs in front of her down, adding, "Sorry Ae-- Er, Magnus didn't deliver these to you, he's having a hard time getting around flying in this place granted how gravity works... or uh, maybe doesn't quite work, here... haha..."

Ceres placed the other plates in front of the two male Lati, nodding as she agreed with Felicias feelings: Magnus would have been a much better deliverer granted his sunny disposition... which the Lati's desperately needed at this time.

Latios

"Benvolio: Part, fools!
Put up your swords; you know not what you do.
[Beats down their swords]

[Enter TYBALT]

Tybalt: What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?
Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.
Benvolio: I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword,
Or manage it to part these men with me.
Tybalt: What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:
Have at thee, coward!

[They fight]

[Enter, several of both houses, who join the fray;
Then enter Citizens, with clubs]

First Citizen: Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down!
Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues!

[Enter CAPULET in his gown, and LADY CAPULET]

Capulet: What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!
Lady Capulet: A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword?
Capulet: My sword, I say! Old Montague is come,
And flourishes his blade in spite of me.

[Enter MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE]

Montague: Thou villain Capulet,—Hold me not, let me go.
Lady Montague: Thou shalt not stir a foot to seek a foe.

[Enter PRINCE, with Attendants]

Prince Escalus: Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,—
Will they not hear? What, ho! You men, you beasts,
That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground,
And hear the sentence of your moved prince.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets,
And made Verona's ancient citizens
Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,
To wield old partisans, in hands as old,
Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate:
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
For this time, all the rest depart away:
You Capulet; shall go along with me:
And, Montague, come you this afternoon,
To know our further pleasure in this case,
To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.

[Exeunt all but MONTAGUE, LADY MONTAGUE, and BENVOLIO]"

​

"Heh! Oh my! S-s-sounds like they got in trouble by the h-h-higher ups, huh?" Charise half-heartedly chuckled as she finished reading Prince Escalus breaking up the no doubt inevitable fight between the two families. It saddened her it took the Prince to stop their fighting and almost reminded Charise of the fights Ro and her brother used to get into when they were smaller, how she and Synne had to mediate them and when they couldn't their Mother certainly could! And with about as much authority as Prince Escalus!

She cleared her throat a tad, fearing she sounded simple-minded, and looked away a moment (she didn't know why, its not like Max could see her blush or the look of worry on her face).

"This Tybalt seems like quite a nasty fellow, doesn't he?" Charise stated after her pause, chuckling a bit while adding, "I wonder had Mamba read this book if Tybalt would have been his favorite character, hah!"

She wasn't normally one to do such unrefined things as bad-mouth others, especially behind their back (as Charise and Ro were both firm believers in "Small minds discuss people, but great minds discuss ideals"), but after all that blessed Seviper had put her through in just the last time they met... She figured she more than earned that right. It was her purple heart for tolerating such a loveless creature.

"Heh heh, yeah, you could say Prince Escalus... DE-ESCALATED the situation!? Eh? EH!?" came an all too familiar voice beside her.

"AUGH!??! C-C-CADENCE!? WH-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! S-S-SINCE WHEN WERE YOU RELEASED?!" Charise shouted in a panic, gasping out those shouts.

"Ro let us go to eat dinner, and asked me to give you guys your portion... DUU-UH," Cadence answered blankly while staring just as emotionless, with maybe a tad bit of annoyance in that last part. She then lowered her head to the "ground" where a plate of pokepuffs and malasadas were resting, and gently scooted it towards them with her nose.

"E-er... Uhm... right... Th-thank yo--"

"Isn't that the book Mamba gave you? Seriously? You didn't trash that thing??" Cadence asked in confusion, tilting her head at the Embrace Pokemon.

"I-I'm not going to throw away a p-perfectly good book just because I despise who gave i-it to me! A-are you mad?!" Charise stumbled and fumbled, almost losing her page and hiding her flustered face with the book. Charise had always been a book worm, Cadence knew this.

"Nah, I ain't even mad, though," Cadence matter-of-factly replied, giving the magnolia-clad Gardevoir a sly smirk while adding teasingly and in an almost husky voice (no doubt meant to embarrass Charise further), "But, uh, can't say the same for Mamba if he knew who you were reading it with... and how cozy reading it with him you were, ahuhuhu~"

"Ulala, Cha-reese's pieces! First he's rockin' the same ever-lasting magnolia you are, down to getting it from the same garden you did, NOW you're snuggling up with him reading your favorite book~? Scandalous~! " The Sylveon, while teasing her relentlessly, at least had the mercy to add that last part in private via telepathy.

"Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up! For the love of Arceus SHUT! UP! " Charise spammed Cadence back telepathically in return.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, Y-YES, WELL, TH-THANK YOU CADENCE. WE HAVE OUR DINNER, YOU M-M-MAY TAKE YOUR LEAVE NOW, A-A-AHAHA..." Charsise finally gritted through her teeth, trying to threaten through the stutters, bumbling, and embarassment she was feeling.

She didn't really know why she was trying so hard to not lose her temper at her annoying little sister because, whether she sounded it or not and whether Max could see or not, he clearly already knew what she was feeling because he could sense it. Then again, the word of the day (or possibly Charise's life) was futility.

And Cadence knew it too, the twit.

She wasn't fazed by Charise's tone at all, in fact she wagged her tail (rather loudly thumping it against the "ground" to the point it was uncouth) and winked at her. Charise, in turn, glared at her and jerked her arm towards Ro and the others, pointing as aggressively as she could in a clear "get out of here" notion.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmkay, wwwwwwwwwwelllllllllllll, I can see I'm not wanted heeeere, sooooooooo... Buh-Byyyyyyyyyyeeeeee~!" Cadence bid them both good-bye, as slowly as possible simply to vex Charise. She then turned, almost indignantly, and trotted off somewhere else.

"I-I'm dr-dreadfully s-sorry about her, Max," Charise sighed while massaging her temples from all the stress that one conversation caused, then burying her face in her hands (uncomfortably as her cheeks were now red hot) hoping he wouldn't sense her feeling just now, "I'm just... Sorry."

Assailant

Alistair looked back at Rosie, who happened to be looking back at him, before shaking her head at a thought she had. "You alright? Got something on your mind?" he asked with genuine concern as Serenity began to eat her malasadas, savoring the sweet taste, and the crisp aroma of the cooked in berries. "Wanna try one?" Alistair asked as he extended a plate to her, as if to say "Grab one, and try it" with a smile on his face.

 

[Assailant]

Tyler nodded. "If you're sure, Cereal!" He smiled about that, finding it funny. He then giggled. "I'm so excited to eat PokePuffs!" He raised his hands excitedly. "I've been mostly digging through the garbage in the ruins for food for the last little while. SO excited to finally eat real food again!" He had a bit of a skip in his step as he said this, happily humming. "Have you ever tried eating a Rattatta? NOT pleasant, I'll tell you that!"


"Yes, actually," April said with a grin. "I've got an Eevee friend, thinks a lot like you in some ways. I'd bet he'd be quite interested in a slice of that." She chuckled and released Cadence from her wings. "In all seriousness though, you two would probably get along quite a bit. His name's Darin, he's back with my trainer. We called them while at the bitch's house." She hummed a bit to herself in thought.

"My trainer is actually carrying one of almost every evolutionary stone we could get a hand on. Darin's waiting for the right moment when we absolutely need a type advantage to use one of them. I mean, if he doesn't die beforehand." She chuckled a bit but that died into a long sigh. "That's not funny."

April left a long silence before she continued. "I don't know what I'm going to do when I meet them again, Ribbons. I've changed a lot in the time we've been gone, and... well... you saw how Tyler reacted to me. I'm not exactly well liked." April looked away. "And... not without good reason. The shit I've done and said... I'm not proud of it. If I told you, you'd probably look at me very differently. How am I gonna make it up to them..?"


As Charise pressed onwards, Max flopped onto his back and stared sightlessly upwards with a long sigh. His exhaustion was catching up to him, although he made very sure to stay awake and listen. Despite his emotional pain, he was still happy to be having this experience... even if he was hoping that the ground would open up and swallow him right now. Nonetheless, it was a good time.

When Charise made her comment, Max nodded. "Indeed. It would be quite the shame for Romeo to die this early on. Those Capulets might... decapulet him."

...

What did he just say?

What was wrong with him?!

Minako

 

[Minako]

Ceres and Felicia's hearts broke a little bit as Tyler explained his situation, not realizing just how bad off he had been before they found him, though they were glad they did.

"Little one..." Ceres began hesitantly, not really knowing exactly what she should or could say aside she was happy he was at least with them NOW and would be fed properly from now on... But that wasn't exactly a huge comforting thing to say since that demanded everyone he loved died and his town in ruins.

"Hi hi!" A cheery voice greeted them as they were now in the vicinity of the campfire. Magnus, as he now so wished to be called, had noticed them first, beaming, and then directed his attention to Tyler, "Oh! You're up! Hi Tyler! Did you have fun with Miss Emlas?"


Rosie smiled at Alistair's offer while taking him up on it: The Malasadas looked delicious and she was indeed very hungry. She had always wanted to try these, and had talked endlessly with Charise about going to Alola to get a taste of them!

It was delectable and once Ro took one bite she practically inhaled the rest of it!

"Mm! A malasada made by a true Alolan! It's like a dream come true!" Ro cheered, licking her lips and fingers happily as to get all the powdered sugar left on them.

"Hm? Oh..." Ro muttered when she remembered Alistair had asked her a question, most likely because she was staring at him, explaining, "Sorry, just remind me, a-as a trainer, of Elias. He treated his Pokemon very much like you do, is all... E-er, though I know y-y-you got Serenity a-a-and V-venin L-LEGITIMATELY, A-AHA!"

She was flustered because she wasn't sure if, after telling him of Elias' actions, Alistair might be offended by that remark.

She looked away a bit and thought to herself, "I hope he's alright... Wherever he is..."

She was taken away from her thoughts when Ceres and Felicia had returned from their errand, along with the Ralts from earlier (They really should have payed more attention to him when they settled in in retrospect).

Her Togekiss was already greeting them, all smiles.

"Oh!" Ro chirped, not needing Ceres to pantomime anything this time, while getting another plate and putting some Malasadas and Puffs on a plate and handing it to the small Ralts.

"Here you go, lil guy! Enjoy!" Ro beamed while handing him the plate.

She also took this time to eat a few more Malasadas and puffs herself, finally full after a bit. Like a child needing nap time after lunch, however, Ro suddenly drooped her eyes and yawned, as if ready for sleep.

Emperor Of Embers


"HEH," Cadence blurted at April jokingly trying to set her up with, who she assumed, her Eevee friend named Darin.

She rolled her eyes at the dying joke, took the rest of the large Bird Pokemon's words in stride, but then she was just plain confused at the last things April said, leading up to a question Cadence clearly didn't have the answer to.

She frowned at the ground for a moment, thinking. She liked Feathers, but even just based on how they first met, she definitely didn't have a hard time imagining her saying horrible things to her friends and family.

Thinking of her father, and what Rasmus had told her he said (and did!) before and at first meeting her gentler mother, Eudora, Cadence put a feeler to her chin and began lightly tapping it, still lost in thought a bit.

Finally, channeling her father's wisdom, she began to speak.

"I think the fact that you acknowledge what you did was fu-- Er, screwed up, and that communication is irreversible is good. You know you can't take back what you said, only try to do better from here on out. That's a good start."

Cadence smiled sweetly and continued, "And you're probably right. I might look at past you differently depending on what was said then... But, as your friend, I'd also look at you NOW, right now, and still see the Pidgeot who was trying to change herself before me, too. My Ma used to always say: The past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift..."

She leaned in closer to April and whispered with sly smirk and wink, "That's why its called the present."

"The best I can tell ya is that you gotta keep on changing for the better, and not stop. Never stop improving yourself. Each and everyday, always strive to be a better person than you were in the morning. That's what Ro, Charise, and my Ma taught me, anyway. You'll find that those who really loved you would forgive you. Because, deep down, they never lost faith in the good in you they love... And honestly, they've also probably said horrible things themselves. Everyone has. Everyone's hurt, and everyone's hurt others. That's just life. Maybe if we stopped looking at whats different about each other and started looking at whats similar... well, who knows?"

The Sylveon looked up to the Pidgeot with bright eyes and a (cautiously) optimistic attitude.


"Did... Did you just..."

When she heard Max's pun Charise stopped reading, dropped her jaw, and laughed softly, though heartily. She looked at him, laid down with him, and decided to join him while lovingly nudging him with her free hand.

"Ahahaha! Oh no, have you been hanging around Ro too much?! Don't you dare tell her a pun, she won't STOP repeating puns if you do!" The Embrace Pokemon giggled after the nudge, leaning closer to him and again whispering in his ear, "I'm just teasing you, she adores puns, you should tell her one to cheer her up if shes down!"

Laying down now, she made herself comfortable against Max (not really realizing she was doing this) and let out a small, slight yawn.

The Gardevoir didn't even realize she was tired until she was laying down.

"Oh! Act 1, Scene 5 now~!" Charise singsonged before reading again:

Spoiler: Romeo x Juliet almost there

[Musicians waiting. Enter Servingmen with napkins]
First Servant: Where's Potpan, that he helps not to take away? He
shift a trencher? he scrape a trencher!
Second Servant: When good manners shall lie all in one or two men's
hands and they unwashed too, 'tis a foul thing.
First Servant: Away with the joint-stools, remove the
court-cupboard, look to the plate. Good thou, save
me a piece of marchpane; and, as thou lovest me, let
the porter let in Susan Grindstone and Nell.
Antony, and Potpan!
Second Servant: Ay, boy, ready.
First Servant: You are looked for and called for, asked for and
sought for, in the great chamber.
Second Servant: We cannot be here and there too. Cheerly, boys; be
brisk awhile, and the longer liver take all.

[Enter CAPULET, with JULIET and others of his house, meeting the Guests and Maskers]

Capulet: Welcome, gentlemen! ladies that have their toes
Unplagued with corns will have a bout with you.
Ah ha, my mistresses! which of you all
Will now deny to dance? she that makes dainty,
She, I'll swear, hath corns; am I come near ye now?
Welcome, gentlemen! I have seen the day
That I have worn a visor and could tell
A whispering tale in a fair lady's ear,
Such as would please: 'tis gone, 'tis gone, 'tis gone:
You are welcome, gentlemen! come, musicians, play.
A hall, a hall! give room! and foot it, girls.

[Music plays, and they dance]

More light, you knaves; and turn the tables up,
And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.
Ah, sirrah, this unlook'd-for sport comes well.
Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet;
For you and I are past our dancing days:
How long is't now since last yourself and I
Were in a mask?

Second Capulet: By'r lady, thirty years.
Capulet: What, man! 'tis not so much, 'tis not so much:
'Tis since the nuptials of Lucentio,
Come pentecost as quickly as it will,
Some five and twenty years; and then we mask'd.
Second Capulet: 'Tis more, 'tis more, his son is elder, sir;
His son is thirty.
Capulet: Will you tell me that?
His son was but a ward two years ago.
Romeo: [To a Servingman] What lady is that, which doth
enrich the hand
Of yonder knight?
Servant: I know not, sir.
Romeo: O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand,
And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.
Tybalt: This, by his voice, should be a Montague.
Fetch me my rapier, boy. What dares the slave
Come hither, cover'd with an antic face,
To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
Now, by the stock and honour of my kin,
To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.

​

"Tybalt..." Charise duly noted, trying hard not to purse her lips or roll her eyes, "Of course..."

To her surprise, When Tybalt stopped Romeo, of all characters, Capulet came to his defense!

Spoiler: Romeo x Juliet: Almost there!

Capulet: Why, how now, kinsman! wherefore storm you so?
Tybalt. Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe,
A villain that is hither come in spite,
To scorn at our solemnity this night.
Capulet: Young Romeo is it?
Tybalt: 'Tis he, that villain Romeo.
Capulet: Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone;
He bears him like a portly gentleman;
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-govern'd youth:
I would not for the wealth of all the town
Here in my house do him disparagement:
Therefore be patient, take no note of him:
It is my will, the which if thou respect,
Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,
And ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.
Tybalt: It fits, when such a villain is a guest:
I'll not endure him.
Capulet: He shall be endured:
What, goodman boy! I say, he shall: go to;
Am I the master here, or you? go to.
You'll not endure him! God shall mend my soul!
You'll make a mutiny among my guests!
You will set cock-a-hoop! you'll be the man!
Tybalt: Why, uncle, 'tis a shame.
Capulet: Go to, go to;
You are a saucy boy: is't so, indeed?
This trick may chance to scathe you, I know what:
You must contrary me! marry, 'tis time.
Well said, my hearts! You are a princox; go:
Be quiet, or—More light, more light! For shame!
I'll make you quiet. What, cheerly, my hearts!
Tybalt: Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting
Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting.
I will withdraw: but this intrusion shall
Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall.

[Exit]

"How rude! Threatening someone just because you didn't get your way! Ugh, too much like Mamba..." Charise thought, nearly cringing at the thought.

"Surprising how Capulet, of all people, was defending Romeo from Tybalt, don't you think?" Charise asked, and then another yawn escaped her.

As if from no where, her eyelids began to grow heavy as well...

Assailant

 

[Assailant]

The Ralts smiled at Magnus and nodded. "Mmhmm! She's pretty nice... and we both don't really like April, so we had a lot to talk about. I'm doing better now. I have to say, I'm really glad all my traps went according to plan. It would have sucked if one of my traps accidentally killed one of us." He smiled as he took the plateful of food and his eyes seemed to almost sparkle from under his hair as he grinned a full-toothed smile. "ITADAKIMASU!" He yelled as he dug into the food voraciously, tearing apart the malasadas and Pokepuffs. Almost instantly, it was gone. He seemed almost drunk from the food as he smiled a dopey smile. "Ah... that was amazing." He puffed his cheeks a bit, appearing almost sickly. "P-probably shouldn't have... eaten so fast..."

He forced himself up on weak legs. "Well... I'm gonna arm the defenses for the night. If one of you would be willing to watch for attackers while I do, I would be thankful." He looked down at his inventory and sighed. "I left without my traps... do any of you have twenty feet of fishing line, sharpened rods about one foot in length, rubber bands or pulleys, gasoline, and a lighter? I'll also accept flint. We could be in a lot of trouble without it."

He didn't really seem to understand that he was safe.


April smiled softly, but that smile quickly returned to a frown.

"I... I don't know Ribbons. That's big talk, but... I might be irredeemable. Everyone's hurt, sure, but..." She looked away and covered her face, clearly ashamed of herself. "Not everyone's bullied an infant because they were born... not everyone's beaten up everyone in the house so that they know who's in charge... not everyone's... not everyone's called a woman a slut because she was raped..."

April fell down and covered herself with her wings. "I'm as trash as it gets, Ribbons... there's... I'm beyond helping... at least, I deserve to be..."


Max smiled as Charise laid down, but suddenly blushed once again as she leaned up against him.

Will this woman stop with the mixed signals?!

Max chuckled nervously. "Y-yes, quite... well, trivial things can often cause conflict. When that is stripped away, we can find where our allegiances truly lie... and where our morality does too." He did not quite know what to do about Charise laying against him. Did she like it or not?!

Urgh....

Minako

 

[Minako]

"Oh, that's cool, Tyler..." The young Togekiss shot a sympathetic smile at the Ralts, as if to want to understand what he had been through and where he was coming from. His face dropped as Tyler kept talking, and he joined his sisters in looking at the little Ralt's with concern by the time he had gotten to his request.

"Little one," Ceres began with concern, not wanting to pity him for she felt that might degrade him, and she actually highly respected his ability to survive however long he was left out there to fend on his own, finally managing to ask, "You... Do you know are safe right...? Both here and with us...?"

"We DO have at least those supplies, I'm sure, but th-they are not necessary, I promise," Felicia reassured Tyler.

Ro's pokemon all exchanged glances between themselves, wanting to know how to go about comforting him without hurting him or wasting the supplies.


Cadence's jaw dropped, she was certainly not prepared or ready for ANY of what April had just said.

"Jeez, Feathers..." Cadence gasped quietly, almost saying this to herself, "Just... Jeez. That's heavy..."

For a while, the small Sylveon frowned with a scrunched nose at the ground (though her face began to shift into that expression while looking at April) and she was quiet... Though at a close glance, a careful eye could catch her softly bob her head occasionally, as if carefully considering how to respond.

Everything seemed to make sense now.

"That's why you were so upset when you saw Charise... Not because she was a Gardevoir like your mom... But because you never got to say 'I'm sorry' like you desperately wanted..." She quietly stated, still looking down.

Everything added up.

"Feathers..." Cadence finally looked up, her face slowly forming a sad smile, "I'm sorry. When we first met, I thought you were taking everything out on Charise, because you were mad your Ma was gone, but that wasn't the case at all, was it?"

"I never met your ma, so I can't say this for sure, but... The thing about a mothers love is that it's unconditional. They will always love you, no matter what. Don't doubt that, Feathers, never doubt that. To doubt that would be to insult her.... and I think we both know you've had enough of that."

She placed a gentle feeler on Aprils wings, and tugged, as if to pull them away from her shameful covering.

"All you can do now is have faith in that. Know she knows. Moms have a thing of leaving handprints in your heart and never really leaving you."

She then looked over to the group by the fire, and jerked her head when she saw the Ralts with the others.

​

"She lives on in both of you. Why not work together to make her memory live on, April?" Cadence asked, beaming at her in understanding, and hoping she could help April forgive herself before seeking Tyler or Emlas' forgiveness.

Romeo: [To JULIET] If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.
Juliet: Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.
Romeo: Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
Juliet: Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
Romeo: O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.
Juliet: Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.
Romeo: Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.
Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged.
Juliet: Then have my lips the sin that they have took.
Romeo: Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged!
Give me my sin again.
Juliet: You kiss by the book.​

"Mmmm, He only just saw her and he was already smitten by her beauty and comparing it to jewels ..." Charise lazily murmured, clearly losing consciousness, "They only just met and now they are kissing... Didn't he love Rosaline just a bit ago before laying on eyes on Juliet...? Now Romeo's completely forgotten about her so quickly... Can you.. imagine.. loving... another... so soon... after... rejection...?"

It had been a long day, morning to now, and it's toll, along with all the excited energy she asserted just now, had finally caught up with her.

After dreamily sighing and yawning following her question, Charise was out like a light, falling asleep on Max. In her slumber, she dreamt she was on a soft, fluffy cloud that was safe and warm, and happily cooed as she clung to and cuddled it.

​

Assailant

 

[Assailant]

Tyler looked between the rest of the group. "But... I mean... t-they could come at any minute." He looked around. "They're everywhere, aren't they?" Tyler chuckled nervously. "I mean... we can't be sure we're safe... right?" He gave them a confused look. "Oh, have you already set traps? I guess I just woke up... s-sorry, I'll help next time."


April peeked out from her wings when she heard Cadence speaking. She sniffed and looked over at the main group. "I... want to, it's just..." there was a long pause before she finally stood back up, still looking away. She sniffled once more. "I just... yeah, I just... it..." she closed her eyes and shook a bit. "I miss her, Ribbons... I miss her so much... I wish I could make everything right... she died because I wasn't fast enough... I wasn't strong enough... I watched her die, and I couldn't do anything." Her voice was breaking up, tears accumulating in her eyes. "I haven't told her I loved her since I was really young... so long I can barely remember... and every time I think I'm finally moving on, I... I get like this..." a few tears dropped from her eyes and wet her feathers.

"I was so awful, and she spent most of her life just trying to get me to love her again... she spent so long trying to gain forgiveness over something that wasn't her fault... and I never gave it to her!" She choked up and lowered her head again and dropped a few more tears, these ones landing solidly on the rock below. "What was so important to me?! What did I care about that much?!"

"I miss her so much, Ribbons, I miss her so much! Why can't I just hug her one more time and apologize for everything?!" She cried to herself, wrapping her wings around herself for any comfort she could manage.


"A-ahah," Max chuckled awkwardly. "I-I can not imagine..." He was quiet for a few moments, waiting for Charise to continue, but frowned as she didn't. "Charise?" He felt her squeeze him gently and coo, and his powerful blush returned. "Charise..." he said, quietly this time. As she continued to cling on, he smiled and wrapped his arm around her. "I curse you, siren. You draw me ever closer and then bash me against my emotional rocks. Even at this age, I still have odysseys to venture on, it seems." He gently squeezed her closer and stroked her hair for a moment, smiling. Content that she was asleep, he leaned back and got himself as comfortable as he could without waking her.

"Hehe... very well, then. I suppose you can rest here for a time." He let out a long sigh, relaxing his muscles as he did so. "What shall I do with you?" His exhaustion became overwhelming, and he could feel himself being pulled into slumber. With a gentle kiss on her forehead, he finally began to slip away.

"I am glad you are asleep... I think I may love you... I have yet to know for certain, but I am growing more so."

And with that out of his system, he finally fell asleep. In his slumber, he felt a comforting warmth against him. His slumber was almost always peaceful, but for the first time in a long time, his sleep felt not just peaceful, but comforting.

Minako

 

[Minako]

"Tyler..." Felicia began, worried for him.

"There's no monsters in this realm, Sweetie," Ceres explained, "We're in Giratina's distortion realm. The shadows cannot reach us while we are traversing here."

"Er, I think you were asleep when we had that explained to us, though, so it's okay if you missed that part!" Maggie sympathized with the small Ralts, hoping to take him off edge.

"We haven't set up traps here, but I'll tell you what, how about when we get out of here and camp for the evening tomorrow night, I'll give you all the supplies to make traps?" The Blissey asked him kindly.

In truth, she liked Tyler's idea very much... She just didn't want to eat up supplies they didn't have to while here because... Well... To start, even if Florina WAS tolerable enough (and charitable enough) to warrant a second visit Felicia doubted she would take kindly to having to resupply them again so soon, and secondly, visiting Florina is BARELY TOLERABLE for her, let alone Ro being picked on by the boastful blonde and Charise being persistently pursued by her insufferable Seviper.

All of these were things she didn't want to tell Tyler, for he was just a child, and honestly wished she could shield Magnus away from as well...


When April began to weep Cadences heart had also begun wept for her. She may not have known first hand how the feelings was, but she knew how much her father regretted deeply the things he had done before, and, like this Pidgeot, desperately wished he could take things back.

"I know you do, I know..." Cadence gently told her while patting her with her feelers softly.

"It's okay, April. It's okay," Cadence did her best to soothe her friend, "She never really left you. She knows. We all know she knows."

The sympathetic Sylveon knew there nothing she could say. What words could bring Aprils mother back?

But she did know that what she could do now was comfort her, and let her know just how much support she really had.

"You don't have to hurt alone anymore. You don't have to worry," Cadence told her, "You can cry and cry, and cry some more. Let it all out. But when you're done... I want you to try to forgive yourself. She yourself the way your guy sees you... See youself the way your friends see see you. The way I see you..."

She gently smiled, the patting now turning to comforting stroking, and finally added, "It's what your ma would want."

Assailant

 

[Emperor Of Embers]

Ceres and Felicia's hearts broke a little bit as Tyler explained his situation, not realizing just how bad off he had been before they found him, though they were glad they did.

"Little one..." Ceres began hesitantly, not really knowing exactly what she should or could say aside she was happy he was at least with them NOW and would be fed properly from now on... But that wasn't exactly a huge comforting thing to say since that demanded everyone he loved died and his town in ruins.

"Hi hi!" A cheery voice greeted them as they were now in the vicinity of the campfire. Magnus, as he now so wished to be called, had noticed them first, beaming, and then directed his attention to Tyler, "Oh! You're up! Hi Tyler! Did you have fun with Miss Emlas?"


Rosie smiled at Alistair's offer while taking him up on it: The Malasadas looked delicious and she was indeed very hungry. She had always wanted to try these, and had talked endlessly with Charise about going to Alola to get a taste of them!

It was delectable and once Ro took one bite she practically inhaled the rest of it!

"Mm! A malasada made by a true Alolan! It's like a dream come true!" Ro cheered, licking her lips and fingers happily as to get all the powdered sugar left on them.

"Hm? Oh..." Ro muttered when she remembered Alistair had asked her a question, most likely because she was staring at him, explaining, "Sorry, just remind me, a-as a trainer, of Elias. He treated his Pokemon very much like you do, is all... E-er, though I know y-y-you got Serenity a-a-and V-venin L-LEGITIMATELY, A-AHA!"

She was flustered because she wasn't sure if, after telling him of Elias' actions, Alistair might be offended by that remark.

She looked away a bit and thought to herself, "I hope he's alright... Wherever he is..."

She was taken away from her thoughts when Ceres and Felicia had returned from their errand, along with the Ralts from earlier (They really should have payed more attention to him when they settled in in retrospect).

Her Togekiss was already greeting them, all smiles.

"Oh!" Ro chirped, not needing Ceres to pantomime anything this time, while getting another plate and putting some Malasadas and Puffs on a plate and handing it to the small Ralts.

"Here you go, lil guy! Enjoy!" Ro beamed while handing him the plate.

She also took this time to eat a few more Malasadas and puffs herself, finally full after a bit. Like a child needing nap time after lunch, however, Ro suddenly drooped her eyes and yawned, as if ready for sleep.

Emperor Of Embers


"HEH," Cadence blurted at April jokingly trying to set her up with, who she assumed, her Eevee friend named Darin.

She rolled her eyes at the dying joke, took the rest of the large Bird Pokemon's words in stride, but then she was just plain confused at the last things April said, leading up to a question Cadence clearly didn't have the answer to.

She frowned at the ground for a moment, thinking. She liked Feathers, but even just based on how they first met, she definitely didn't have a hard time imagining her saying horrible things to her friends and family.

Thinking of her father, and what Rasmus had told her he said (and did!) before and at first meeting her gentler mother, Eudora, Cadence put a feeler to her chin and began lightly tapping it, still lost in thought a bit.

Finally, channeling her father's wisdom, she began to speak.

"I think the fact that you acknowledge what you did was fu-- Er, screwed up, and that communication is irreversible is good. You know you can't take back what you said, only try to do better from here on out. That's a good start."

Cadence smiled sweetly and continued, "And you're probably right. I might look at past you differently depending on what was said then... But, as your friend, I'd also look at you NOW, right now, and still see the Pidgeot who was trying to change herself before me, too. My Ma used to always say: The past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift..."

She leaned in closer to April and whispered with sly smirk and wink, "That's why its called the present."

"The best I can tell ya is that you gotta keep on changing for the better, and not stop. Never stop improving yourself. Each and everyday, always strive to be a better person than you were in the morning. That's what Ro, Charise, and my Ma taught me, anyway. You'll find that those who really loved you would forgive you. Because, deep down, they never lost faith in the good in you they love... And honestly, they've also probably said horrible things themselves. Everyone has. Everyone's hurt, and everyone's hurt others. That's just life. Maybe if we stopped looking at whats different about each other and started looking at whats similar... well, who knows?"

The Sylveon looked up to the Pidgeot with bright eyes and a (cautiously) optimistic attitude.


"Did... Did you just..."

When she heard Max's pun Charise stopped reading, dropped her jaw, and laughed softly, though heartily. She looked at him, laid down with him, and decided to join him while lovingly nudging him with her free hand.

"Ahahaha! Oh no, have you been hanging around Ro too much?! Don't you dare tell her a pun, she won't STOP repeating puns if you do!" The Embrace Pokemon giggled after the nudge, leaning closer to him and again whispering in his ear, "I'm just teasing you, she adores puns, you should tell her one to cheer her up if shes down!"

Laying down now, she made herself comfortable against Max (not really realizing she was doing this) and let out a small, slight yawn.

The Gardevoir didn't even realize she was tired until she was laying down.

"Oh! Act 1, Scene 5 now~!" Charise singsonged before reading again:

Spoiler: Romeo x Juliet almost there

[Musicians waiting. Enter Servingmen with napkins]
First Servant: Where's Potpan, that he helps not to take away? He
shift a trencher? he scrape a trencher!
Second Servant: When good manners shall lie all in one or two men's
hands and they unwashed too, 'tis a foul thing.
First Servant: Away with the joint-stools, remove the
court-cupboard, look to the plate. Good thou, save
me a piece of marchpane; and, as thou lovest me, let
the porter let in Susan Grindstone and Nell.
Antony, and Potpan!
Second Servant: Ay, boy, ready.
First Servant: You are looked for and called for, asked for and
sought for, in the great chamber.
Second Servant: We cannot be here and there too. Cheerly, boys; be
brisk awhile, and the longer liver take all.

[Enter CAPULET, with JULIET and others of his house, meeting the Guests and Maskers]

Capulet: Welcome, gentlemen! ladies that have their toes
Unplagued with corns will have a bout with you.
Ah ha, my mistresses! which of you all
Will now deny to dance? she that makes dainty,
She, I'll swear, hath corns; am I come near ye now?
Welcome, gentlemen! I have seen the day
That I have worn a visor and could tell
A whispering tale in a fair lady's ear,
Such as would please: 'tis gone, 'tis gone, 'tis gone:
You are welcome, gentlemen! come, musicians, play.
A hall, a hall! give room! and foot it, girls.

[Music plays, and they dance]

More light, you knaves; and turn the tables up,
And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.
Ah, sirrah, this unlook'd-for sport comes well.
Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet;
For you and I are past our dancing days:
How long is't now since last yourself and I
Were in a mask?

Second Capulet: By'r lady, thirty years.
Capulet: What, man! 'tis not so much, 'tis not so much:
'Tis since the nuptials of Lucentio,
Come pentecost as quickly as it will,
Some five and twenty years; and then we mask'd.
Second Capulet: 'Tis more, 'tis more, his son is elder, sir;
His son is thirty.
Capulet: Will you tell me that?
His son was but a ward two years ago.
Romeo: [To a Servingman] What lady is that, which doth
enrich the hand
Of yonder knight?
Servant: I know not, sir.
Romeo: O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand,
And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.
Tybalt: This, by his voice, should be a Montague.
Fetch me my rapier, boy. What dares the slave
Come hither, cover'd with an antic face,
To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
Now, by the stock and honour of my kin,
To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.

​

"Tybalt..." Charise duly noted, trying hard not to purse her lips or roll her eyes, "Of course..."

To her surprise, When Tybalt stopped Romeo, of all characters, Capulet came to his defense!

Spoiler: Romeo x Juliet: Almost there!

Capulet: Why, how now, kinsman! wherefore storm you so?
Tybalt. Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe,
A villain that is hither come in spite,
To scorn at our solemnity this night.
Capulet: Young Romeo is it?
Tybalt: 'Tis he, that villain Romeo.
Capulet: Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone;
He bears him like a portly gentleman;
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-govern'd youth:
I would not for the wealth of all the town
Here in my house do him disparagement:
Therefore be patient, take no note of him:
It is my will, the which if thou respect,
Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,
And ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.
Tybalt: It fits, when such a villain is a guest:
I'll not endure him.
Capulet: He shall be endured:
What, goodman boy! I say, he shall: go to;
Am I the master here, or you? go to.
You'll not endure him! God shall mend my soul!
You'll make a mutiny among my guests!
You will set cock-a-hoop! you'll be the man!
Tybalt: Why, uncle, 'tis a shame.
Capulet: Go to, go to;
You are a saucy boy: is't so, indeed?
This trick may chance to scathe you, I know what:
You must contrary me! marry, 'tis time.
Well said, my hearts! You are a princox; go:
Be quiet, or—More light, more light! For shame!
I'll make you quiet. What, cheerly, my hearts!
Tybalt: Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting
Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting.
I will withdraw: but this intrusion shall
Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall.

[Exit]

"How rude! Threatening someone just because you didn't get your way! Ugh, too much like Mamba..." Charise thought, nearly cringing at the thought.

"Surprising how Capulet, of all people, was defending Romeo from Tybalt, don't you think?" Charise asked, and then another yawn escaped her.

As if from no where, her eyelids began to grow heavy as well...

Assailant

"Serenity has been with me all my life. Venin, he is a different story. I did not catch him, nor did I recieve him from someone. He just... Tagged along. Now sit, cuz Imma tell you a story about our prehistoric friend." Alistair sat down on the ground, and took a deep breath.

"Back when I lived in Kalos, Serenity and I were exploring the sandy planes of the region, and we saw a bunch of Team Flare goons running off with some eggs. And whose were they?" Alistair points at Venin, who stood there and listened. "His. His eggs. They got away before we could catch them. And ever since then.... He has been all sorts of moody. But, I cannot say I blame him. It must suck having your kids taken from you.... Maybe that is why he gets along well with Cadence.... Daddy instincts...." He thought aloud as he began to think, Venin did in fact view cadence as one of his own, but that was his paternal side, the side that is nurture, instead of murder. Minako

 

[Assailant]

Tyler looked around at the group before exhaling a long, drawn out sigh. He wasn't sure he felt totally safe without traps, but... "Well, if you insist." He pursed his lips somewhat indignantly and reached for something. "I'll be okay without them for now, anyway. I have Ol' Reliable." Tyler whipped out a pocket knife and brandished it, taking a few practice swings. "My moves alone aren't always strong enough, but with this bad boy I should be fine." He giggled a bit. "I like the name Ol' Reliable. Makes me sound like a cowboy." He pointed a finger-gun at Magnus with a smile before holstering the blade and lowering his arms.

He was gonna be safe. There was a good reason he survived as long as he did. He wasn't gonna end up like Jane or Lowell. He was a hero. Heroes don't lose.


April sobbed more, placing her head against Cadence. "How could I?! How could I ever forgive myself?! How can you forgive me after hearing what I said?! What I did?!" April heaved a breath, her tears falling hot and heavy as she gasped for air between her words. Her whole body was shaking, wracked from sobs. "Emlas can't even forgive me, and comparitively I've done nothing to her! And Tyler can't forgive me, and I don't deserve him to either! And he's her son, so... so..." she gasped for air, letting out a few more sobs. "So if he can't forgive me, how could she ever?!"

Minako

 

[Latios]

"Oh... uh, your welcome I guess?" She said not really thinking much of it before. She was just doing what she needed to back there. Looking back at the food with new knowledge, Emlas took a bite of the small puff. Her eyes widened by how sweet it was. "How the heck do humans make such delicious food! First that chocolate stuff, and now this!" She said before wolfing the rest down. Meanwhile Latios chuckled at his sister and ate in a slower manner.

With the last of the puffs eaten Emlas gave out a slow yawn. It had been a long day for her. "Sometimes I wish this whole ordeal would just end so everything wasn't so crazy." She told to herself. Pushing the empty plate aside, she made room to lay back down next to her brother. Latios smiled at the return of her cheerfulness and curled up around her as well, letting them both drift off.

Edron however couldn't sleep. He was too busy keeping an eye of the humans to make sure they never took a step near them. He wouldn't let them to a thing to them, never again, he thought.

 

[Minako]

Rosie listened attentively (trying not to yawn due to drowsiness) at Alistair's story and nodded her head as he spoke. Poor Venin!

"Yeah, that makes sense, I think I did see them playing the other day during breakfast.... And... Oh gosh, I'm so sorry to hear that.... Poor Venin!" Rosie responded, concerned for the Despot Pokemon's well being and wondering where his Eggs were now.... Actually, where was this Team Flare now? With all the chaos going on, how was Kalos handling everything? Was Team Flare running amuck while the world was in calamity?

The thought sent all sorts of new worries in her heart.

If Corny was alive, would she be safe from other dangers even if it wasn't the shadows? Would she be safe from Team Rocket? Team Magma? Team Aqua?

There was... A lot more evil in this world than Rosie would like to think about...

Emperor Of Embers


The three Pokemon looked between themselves, understanding the necessity for Tylers weapon but still disturbed he needed it. He had been alone for such a long time...

"You won't need that here, We promise," Felicia sympathized with the young Ralts.

"Yeah, We'll always be here for you from now on. Don't worry!" Magnus cheered, trying not to make a big deal out of it since it was, sadly, the norm for Tyler.

"...Did someone give you 'Ol Reliable', Tyler? I know you just said you gave it a name to make you sound more heroic, but was that the only reason?" Ceres asked, not too crazy about the idea that the child was wielding a knife at all, or that he desperately needed it, but at the very least if he had some emotional attachment to whoever gave it to him that might "easen the blow" of the idea of a child with a knife.

Granted, he wasn't being violent or threatening with it, and clearly only brandished it in self defense, and his pretending he was a cowboy was adorable, but still...

Not that she wanted to take it from him by force or anything, as emotional attachment or not, it made him feel safe and comfortable... but it was still quite disturbing fate thrust him into a situation where he needed that mentality to survive.


Cadence softly chuckled as April brought up Emlas.

"Heh, Feathers, Don't take the whole Emlas thing too hard. You're probably some of the first Pokemon she's met aside her brothers, and she's used to them all being nice and awed by the fact she's a Lati and junk," Cadence explained, adding, "She's never really had a friend to fight with or had to say sorry and mean it before.... 'Sides, do you really care about Emlas liking you? It seems to me like you don't really like her, so..."

Cadence offered a sweet smile at the Pidgeot.

"I know we have to get along to save the world and junk, and while we do have to work together, its okay for you two to not like each other. As long as you two can be cordial and put aside your differences when needed, it's alright to feel that way. It's alright to not be bestest buddies and have a tea party or something after this is all said and done."

Cadence didn't want to say this or show it, for she thought it might be patronizing April, but she thought it was sweet April cared about being forgiven by Emlas.

"As for the kiddo, though," Cadence stated, going into deep thought, "Well, he's still kickin', Feathers. You still have a chance to make things right by him. Even if it takes the rest of your life, you should still keep trying to do right by him. Tyler ain't like Emlas: He'll mature and grow, if taken care of properly. He'll forgive. It may some time. A lotta time... But... He'll forgive."

The Sylveon kept using her feelers to comfort the Pidgeot, knowing right now she needed assurance and a friend more than anything.

Assailant

 

[Emperor Of Embers]

Rosie listened attentively (trying not to yawn due to drowsiness) at Alistair's story and nodded her head as he spoke. Poor Venin!

"Yeah, that makes sense, I think I did see them playing the other day during breakfast.... And... Oh gosh, I'm so sorry to hear that.... Poor Venin!" Rosie responded, concerned for the Despot Pokemon's well being and wondering where his Eggs were now.... Actually, where was this Team Flare now? With all the chaos going on, how was Kalos handling everything? Was Team Flare running amuck while the world was in calamity?

The thought sent all sorts of new worries in her heart.

If Corny was alive, would she be safe from other dangers even if it wasn't the shadows? Would she be safe from Team Rocket? Team Magma? Team Aqua?

There was... A lot more evil in this world than Rosie would like to think about...

Emperor Of Embers


The three Pokemon looked between themselves, understanding the necessity for Tylers weapon but still disturbed he needed it. He had been alone for such a long time...

"You won't need that here, We promise," Felicia sympathized with the young Ralts.

"Yeah, We'll always be here for you from now on. Don't worry!" Magnus cheered, trying not to make a big deal out of it since it was, sadly, the norm for Tyler.

"...Did someone give you 'Ol Reliable', Tyler? I know you just said you gave it a name to make you sound more heroic, but was that the only reason?" Ceres asked, not too crazy about the idea that the child was wielding a knife at all, or that he desperately needed it, but at the very least if he had some emotional attachment to whoever gave it to him that might "easen the blow" of the idea of a child with a knife.

Granted, he wasn't being violent or threatening with it, and clearly only brandished it in self defense, and his pretending he was a cowboy was adorable, but still...

Not that she wanted to take it from him by force or anything, as emotional attachment or not, it made him feel safe and comfortable... but it was still quite disturbing fate thrust him into a situation where he needed that mentality to survive.


Cadence softly chuckled as April brought up Emlas.

"Heh, Feathers, Don't take the whole Emlas thing too hard. You're probably some of the first Pokemon she's met aside her brothers, and she's used to them all being nice and awed by the fact she's a Lati and junk," Cadence explained, adding, "She's never really had a friend to fight with or had to say sorry and mean it before.... 'Sides, do you really care about Emlas liking you? It seems to me like you don't really like her, so..."

Cadence offered a sweet smile at the Pidgeot.

"I know we have to get along to save the world and junk, and while we do have to work together, its okay for you two to not like each other. As long as you two can be cordial and put aside your differences when needed, it's alright to feel that way. It's alright to not be bestest buddies and have a tea party or something after this is all said and done."

Cadence didn't want to say this or show it, for she thought it might be patronizing April, but she thought it was sweet April cared about being forgiven by Emlas.

"As for the kiddo, though," Cadence stated, going into deep thought, "Well, he's still kickin', Feathers. You still have a chance to make things right by him. Even if it takes the rest of your life, you should still keep trying to do right by him. Tyler ain't like Emlas: He'll mature and grow, if taken care of properly. He'll forgive. It may some time. A lotta time... But... He'll forgive."

The Sylveon kept using her feelers to comfort the Pidgeot, knowing right now she needed assurance and a friend more than anything.

Assailant

"Yeah..... I worry about the big guy a lot... But he seems to be doing fine for the most part." Alistair said as he yawned after Rosie. He then looked at Venin, who was laying on his side, awake, and staring into the "skies" around them. "I hope things will get better.... But let's rest up, eh?" Alistair asked as he then rubbed his eyes.

Venin was listening to their conversation, but cannot help but be thankful a human was concerned as Alistair was. Though he was a goofy trainer, he was a trainer with a heart bigger than a Abomasnow. He relived a flashback in his head:

A bright Morning in Kalos shines across the region, the sun hitting the window of a Nursery bright and early. Venin gets up, with his breeding partner, Vatania. The two look at their eggs, which were due to hatch any day now. Then suddenly, a group of orange haired humans had broken in, murdered the one who ran the nursery, and then proceeded to take the eggs, and snuffing the parents out. Venin and Vatania were surrounded, and they both did their best to fight off the invaders, with Vatania falling at the hands of a trainer with a Noivern. Venin felt a primal fury brew within him, then he roared, sending everyone back a few feet. This Tyrantrum was unleashed, and very angry. He had managed to finish a few trainers and their pokemon with ease, then he chased the stragglers that had his eggs. The flashback ends, and a tear ran down his snout, to the ground. "Vatania....." he said quietly. Minako

 

[Assailant]

Tyler shook his head at Ceres. He was beginning to become a bit confused by all the questioning and bother they seemed to be taking with his self-defense. What was unnerving them so much? Were they just curious, or...?

"Ah... n-no? It's dad's, she always kept it in her drawer upstairs, but I got it when the dark Pokemon attacked." He looked down at the plastic hilt of the pocket knife, concealing the blade within its shell. He frowned as he looked down at it, somewhat bothered by the insistence of the others. "Why? Is something wrong?" He sighed sadly and gave them a sympathetic smile. "I don't have another one, if that's what you wanted... sorry."

That was probably it, right? He imagined so, that's what made sense.


April sniffed. "I-I guess... Emlas is... she's... tough." The tears began to slow as she sniffled and cried without words for a minute or two. After a few minutes, her tears had all but stopped and she stood back up, shyly looking away and drying the last of her tears. With a sniffle, she spoke up again.

"T-thanks... Cadence." She huffed a shaky breath and swallowed a nervous lump in her throat, still unable to look at Cadence. She was loathe to get that emotional in front of even Arc, and while she certainly liked Cadence, she wouldn't consider them even nearly as close as her and Arc. It was embarassing at best, and dangerous at worst. Even still, she was grateful for the support the Sylveon had shown her. "I-I'm sorry, I-I don't know what happened there... I keep thinking I'm getting better, then..." she trailed off, her intent obvious.

 

[Minako]

Rosie yawned again, smiling lazily and nodding with some hesitation due to drowsiness. She was happy Alistair was sharing all of this with her, even if it was bringing up some rather unpleasant thoughts and scenarios into her head. She said a silent prayer in her head that Cornelia would be okay when they found her...

Where was Cornelia? Why wasn't she responding to any of her texts? How did she get separated from Bernelle?

It was going to be a bit hard to sleep tonight with all this on her mind, but hopefully the exhaustion would kick in and she would black out, like she usually does after a super long day.

She noticed Venin was listening to them and gave him a sympathetic smile, going up to him and petting his snout. She felt a bad she used to be afraid of him, honestly. He was a gentle giant who just wanted his children back. He was hurting just like everyone else here.

"I'm sorry about your eggs, I hope we're able to find them, I can't imagine what you must be feeling," Rosie quietly whispered to him, continuing the petting.

She smiled at the Despot pokemon, and gently rested her forehead on his snout.

Emperor Of Embers


As Ceres had suspected, not only was that knife significant just by being one of his sole possessions, but it was given to him by his "father" (Ceres figured out quite quickly that he was probably talking about his Trainer, given how he was referring to them as "father" despite using feminine pronouns). She closed her eyes a moment and subtly nodded to herself.

It was best to leave him be about it, for his sake.

Magnus and Felicia looked to Ceres and when they saw her nod, they both did the same. Their unspoken communication giving off clear signals to accept this as Tylers norm.

"Don't worry about it, Tyler! Nothings wrong!" Magnus approached him carefully (so as not to crash into him), hoping to comfort him as he was catching on to the discomfort between the three of them, then gasping as if thinking about something for a moment, adding, "Hey, we're all about to call it night, you wanna sleep with us?"

"It's a neat knife! And please join us, we'd love to have you!" Felicia complimented it, saying nothing further about it and showing no discomfort or hesitance anymore.

Ceres smiled at the young Ralts, hoping over time with the group, or at the very least when reunited with his trainer, he would feel safer.

"Don't you worry, little one," Ceres thought to herself, looking over (however displeased she was at them) at the slumbering Charise, finishing her thought, "Soon enough, you'll grow stronger than you've ever imagined and when that times comes you won't need that knife. Your strength will be your weapon."


Cadence held up a feeler, not directly in front of April's face, but close enough and fast enough to send a clear message of "STOP," urging the Pidgeot to cease the harmful train of thought she was currently riding on.

"Feathers, we've all got the weight of the world on our shoulders, we're all stressed out," Cadence sympathized, "It's alright to lose it. It's alright to get overwhelmed and relapse sometimes. We're all imperfect, and we all make mistakes. And hey! Glass half full: We all have A LOT in common!"

The Sylveon smiled at her, glad she was calming down and "finding" it again.

"Look Feathers, I think you need to just relax, get some food, get some sleep... Not think about anything..." Cadence began, thinking of what her father might say to this troubled bird, "Thinking about the past isn't gonna change it. It happened. There's no take backs. Best you can do now is put your best foot forward. SHOW you're sorry, since that's what you need right now: Forgiveness. But promise me before you start seeking forgiveness from the kiddo or little miss sheltered, you forgive YOURSELF first. Right now, APRIL needs to forgive April... Before anyone else."

The feeler again gently patted the Pidgeots wing, a reassuring smile gracing Cadence's face.

Assailant

 

[Emperor Of Embers]

Venin let out a pained, and tired growl as his eyelids grew heavy. The silent whisper of Rosie's voice was enough to put him at ease, long enough for him to fall alseep. His body riddled with scars that were painfully obvious to see.

Alistair smiled as Rosie talked to Venin, and felt his eyes shut, and he fell alseep. He remembered all the times he and his little sister had when he visited Hoenn on his travels. And the letters she wrote to him with pictures of her and Genesis together, with one where Genesis was wearing a bowtie while Jackson was wearing a velvet red dress. "Twinsies!" the caption read. He smiled in his sleep, and then soundly, and quietly snored.

Serenity yawned as she shuffled over to Alistair, she then curled up, and fell asleep.

 

[Assailant]

Tyler looked down at his knife and then back up at the group. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, unsure. These people SEEMED nice, sure, but he wasn't sure entirely. Not enough to trust them with his back turned, anyway. I mean... mom died, dad was in the hospital, but April was fine and friendly with them... what kind of people were these?

He looked at and away from them a few times before hesitantly speaking up. "Ah... s-sure..." Now that he thought about it, he had fallen asleep earlier, and they hadn't done anything... though then again, they had more pressing concerns than doing as they pleased with him at the time. Still though, if they were untrustworthy and were planning something, why wouldn't they have just left him? Unless...

Well, it didn't really matter, did it? He couldn't get away even if he wanted to, and he had more reason to trust them than not. He'd just have to have faith.

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"April told me..."

"Told you what?"

"About, where I come from..."

"You're a bit young for the flying types and the beedrills"

"No... I mean... about dad... my birth dad."

"...I...I see."

"...Are people really that evil?"

"...It's not that easy, sweetheart. People can be that evil, yes."

"Then..."

"But people can be good, too. Nathan may not have... contributed her genes, but she's more your father than that... creature will ever be. She was so supportive throughout everything. After that night, I was convinced this whole world was rotten and evil. She reminded me that there was good in the world... and you convinced me."

"...r-really?"

"Of course, sweetie. And you proved to me that good can come from even the worst of circumstances. That night still haunts me... and it always will... but I got a beautiful, sweet boy. Never forget that no matter how bad things get, the good is always there, hiding in the shadows. You've just gotta look for it."

Tyler looked around at the three people smiling at him. He didn't know them, but...

"I-I'll give it a shot."


April smiled weakly at Cadence. Easier said than done, really. She'd done horrible things... how could she possibly forgive herself...

Well, Arcanus found a way to love her, even when she couldn't love herself. So maybe, if she looked hard enough... she'd find something.

April gave Cadence a quick nuzzle and blushed. "Th-thanks, Ribbons. You... really helped." She sighed a long, melancholy smile. "I'll do my best, I suppose."

Minako

 

[Minako]

Rosie smiled as Venin and the rest of his group called it a night, and chuckled softly as she heard the only other human in this realm with her quietly snore as they gently drifted off to sleep.

It had been a long and tiring day, taxing just about everyone.

Rosie let out a high-pitched yawn Cornelia used to tease her about sounding like a baby Aerodactyl yawn.

She almost chuckled at the thought of Cornelia teasing her if it didn't raise her blood pressure tenfold with stress and worry over where in the world she could be.

She had no time to think about it, however, as her ever faithful Blissey tapped her shoulder to get her attention and motioned to an area the rest were setting up for sleeping being prepared by all of her pokemon sans Charise and Cadence.

Where were they, again?

A quick look around confirmed, Rosie almost forgot, Charise was fast asleep with Max (Oh yeah! Max said he liked her! Rosie couldn't help but wonder how that went, had Max confessed, and all went well???) and Cadence was still talking to the Bird pokemon who Rosie was still a little afraid of granted their first meeting, but clearly Cadence was over it.

Rosie smiled and whistled cheerfully to get her sweet Sylveons attention, waving to her once she got Cadences attention


"That's all ya can ask for, really," Cadence was happy she had even gotten this far with April if she was honest with herself.

Cadence giggled as April nuzzled her, and beamed back at her, wagging her tail vehemently and wriggling her feelers all over the place, but alas: All good things must come to an end. Cadence heard and saw her trainer calling her and she knew everyone was pretty much heading for bed now and she definitely didn't want to keep Rosie waiting.

"Oop! Sorry, Feathers, That's my cue to call it quits for the night! But I'll be sure to see ya tomorrow, kay?" The Sylveon cheered, hugging the Large bird pokemon with her feelers slightly before scuttling off to join the rest of her family happily.

"I'm baaaaaaaackkk~!" Cadence cheered as she slowed down while reuniting with the others.

"Heya, how was it with April?" Felicia asked, the question prompting Ceres' curiosity as well.

"It was... eye-opening..." Cadence began, not really finding the right words to describe it without betraying Aprils trust and telling them what she had told her in unspoken secrecy.

"I'd imagine," Ceres nodded, her curiosity clearly not satiated, but either too respectful or too tired to pursue the issue.

"Heh, She's got a long way to go, but she's come a long way, too, she'll be alright... " Cadence began, not noticing she was wagging her tail, then looking at Ceres and adding, "She'll do right by us, Cer. We just... gotta give her the chance to, you know...?"

"Cadence, you know that's not... It's not that I think she's..." Ceres sighed, not knowing which train of thought to pursue with the Intertwine pokemon, "It's a bit more complicated than all that, and you know it."

Her tone with the sylveon was stern, but far from dismissive or hostile.

"Yeah, I know," Cadence agreed, but added a slight protest, "But I also know the Large Bird pokemon is alright."

With that, and several more yawns, Rosie and her pokemon snuggled up, almost using the Togekiss as a soft, fluffy mattress, making sure there was plenty of room and blankets for Tyler as well.

 

[Assailant]

Tyler sheepishly accepted blankets from the human and got as cozy as he possibly could, which granted wasn't all that cozy given the... actual hell unfolding in the sky. Distortion Realm is creepy and all. That said, he was so exhausted that, despite the fact that he had only woken up a half hour or so ago, he was asleep in no time. The day had taken its toll on him for sure, and he was fatigued enough to show it. So it was with some trepidation, but mostly with relief, that Tyler almost instantly passed out, with his head on a pillow and his hand, carefully, on his knife.


April blushed at the hug, tentatively accepting it, before the Sylveon went off to join with her family. April turned, making her way back to Arcanus before remembering his request for personal time. She pouted a tad and looked around, unsure of what exactly to do. After a few moments, she simply laid down on the spot, with nowhere else better to go, and resigned to fall asleep on the hard rock of the platform they were resting upon: not that there were really any alternatives. She was frustrated about this for a few moments, but quickly a wave of exhaustion hit her like a truck, and soon, much like the Ralts, she had simply passed out on the ground.

Yet another long day has passed for all the travelers, and as Max laid with the Gardevoir he cared so deeply about in his arms, while the Pidgeot rested on the bare rock, and while the Ralts got as comfortable as he could in his sleep, each knew they still had a ways to go before they were where they were meant to be. Though they varied in size, strength, experience, and age, each had made mistakes that brought them to where they were, each had lost something they loved due to their own weakness, and each was on the path to making things right in the world and within themselves. None were sure how they'd get there, but each was determined to find a way.

With tensions perhaps higher than they'd ever been, it would be a miracle for everyone to come out the other side feeling satisfied and content, but that was not going to stop all of them from trying. And April especially, as she fell into the world of dreams, had not only a quest for the forgiveness of others, but for that of herself. A journey that no doubt would be even more challenging than the odyssey they were already on.

She'd find a way though. She had to.

Watch out for each other. Love everyone and forgive everyone, including yourself. Forgive your anger. Forgive your guilt. Your shame. Your sadness. Embrace and open up your love, your joy, your truth, and most especially your heart. Jim Henson