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Inu wasn't happy. The field trip sucked, and while he was thankful it ended early, it seemed it didn't end for good reasons. The exact reason why, he actually didn't know though, he was hoping he'd find out in school today. Grumbling to himself, he popped a sunflower seed into his mouth as he walked into the classroom, hoping that it would distract him from a need to smoke. He walked in, scanning the room, looking to see if anything looked off or if people had some sort of gossip going on. Nothing really stuck at to him at the moment, and it was pissing him off. Did no one know what was going on? He sat down in his seat, sighing as slumped down. As if to signal that today wasn't going to get much better, it seemed a substitute teacher was here today. "So uh… I'm not Epicenter. You guys know that. I'm aaah… I'm the Destructive Hero - Dreadbolt. I'm a friend of Glory's, he asked me to sub for a bit while some of the staff is investigating some shi- errr, while the staff is investigating some bad stuff that happened yesterday…" Inu's eyes narrowed at that. So something did happen. He waited for some sort of explanation of what exactly the bad thing was, but instead, Dreadbolt moved on. "Fuck, why did I agree to this… Tomoaki you son of a bitch…"Quickly bringing himself to attention, he straightened his back and turned to address the class once again, "A-anyway, I'm sorry to inform you all that uhhh… Kikuchi Emi has dropped out of UA, for personal reasons. But there is good news, too! She will be replaced by the next runner-up in the entrance exam! Hoshinoooooo Rika!" With an unhealthy dose of melodrama, Dreadbolt pointed toward the classroom door with both hands… standing perfectly still in perfect silence for several seconds, before slouching in disappointment, "Is it too much to ask students to be punctual??? Can't I get one damn break???" "Don't worry about cussing, we're not kindergartners, we can taking some goddamn cussing without sullying our ears," Inu stated. "We'll probably hear worse out on the field," The new girl then went and made a fool of herself in front of everyone, but Inu wasn't going to hold that against her. At least she wasn't some joker that didn't take this whole thing seriously. Sun looked at the new girl with a sense of curiosity. She had a familiar look to her... well, kinda. It was more like she reminded him of lizards from back home. Now he was feeling nostalgic. But the poor girl seemed really scared, and that made Sun upset. He'd have to find some way to cheer her up... but, it seemed he wasn't alone in that endeavor. "Hi. I'm Hideyo," the happy sun man said happily. "And I think your quirk is the coolest thing I've seen. Ever!" "Aw, geez, I dunno about that really. Uh... I think if it was the coolest thing ever, I would've gotten in without having to get a little lucky." The chameleon laughed gently, her other hand rubbing at the back of her neck as she glanced up at the ceiling. "It's not, like... Terrible, at least! My dad had it bad, he didn't get any of the stuff mine can do. He was pretty nervous when I was born." She then began to look around the room. her eyes soon falling on the monkey king, who smiled at her. "Hello, I am Sun!" He greeted as he waved. "I like your quirk! It reminds me of home!" He hoped that despite his large size, she wouldn't be scared of him. "If you ever feel scared, just come find me! I'll protect you! You and Takehiko!" Before he could say anything else, the wolfman in the back raised his voice. "So... you gonna tell us what the fuck happened back at the beach?" Inu demanded at the sub. "Or are you really going to try to sweep some situation that was apparently so dangerous we had to leave right away, despite having three Pro Heroes there, under the rug?" Sun leaned over to Rika, whispering loudly. "Don't make the dog man angry. He looks very pettable, but he lights on fire, and fire is bad," "Shut the fuck up, monkey man," Inu snapped, causing Sun's eyes to narrow. That seemed like a direct challenge, and as king, he wasn't one to turn down challenges. However, it could have just been made in the heat of the moment, something that happened a lot back home. He'd wait for a second challenge from Inu before he showed him exactly why he was king of his home.

The next day Natalia was greeted by a substitute teacher; some mechanical looking clown called Dreadvolt. She didn't really care about whatever buffoonery he was going on about; she glanced over towards Rei. She seemed okay, or at least as okay as Fan Cam usually was. The exception being that she was wearing a scarf, probably to hide the bruises she got on her neck. Good - the less these idiots knew about what happened to her the better. She needed to know what villain had attacked her classmate and stop them; the last thing she needed was the circus brigade getting in her way. She'd have to talk to Rei about it later, somewhere more private than their homeroom classroom. Her attention was brought away from the girl and towards their new classmate Hoshino Rika. "Kaleidoscope" She muttered under her breath, assigning a nickname for the new girl once she saw what her quirk did, before turning her attention towards the roof of the classroom as she leaned back on her chair. The new girl didn't really strike her as anything phenomenal, just another well meaning, starry eyed sheep in the herd. At least she didn't seem annoying like some of these other jokers.

i made status saying to PROVE LOVE once and today is no longer today in some timelines so now it is time to PROVE LOVE EVEN MORE by sharing hw you did for example i talked with son jon and klowy and we took a trot together with MASKS ON of course and tonight i think i will make spaghetti and chocolate milk and that will be a nice end to my day remember this is not a competition do not say "haha i proved love more than you today buckaroo" because that is not TRUE BUCKAROO WAY maybe someone could only prove love in their own small way today but that is always enough

──── ⋆⋅✦⋅⋆ ──── Huh. She hadn't really expected anyone to give her any mind when she showed up, except maybe to ridicule her for being here when she didn't pass before, but... There was a pretty decent reaction after all. Aside from the boy who was rubbing his head like he was dealing with a headache, there was... Surprisingly a decent reception. No one outright telling her not to be here, at the very least. Maybe she had let her nerves get the best of her earlier after all. As she made her way to the desk, she heard a comment from one of the students on the other side of the room. Don't waste her chance. She rolled her eyes a tiny bit, her tail curling around the leg of the chair as she settled in. She didn't need him to tell her that, it was... Well, it was obvious, it didn't take a genius to find out she got lucky to be here. The steady shift of colors across her body had settled down as she relaxed a bit, it felt good to not be the center of attention anymore... Right up to the point that she saw someone turning around in his desk, doing his best to get a better look at her as he held out his hand. "Hi. I'm Hideyo," he said happily. "And I think your quirk is the coolest thing I've seen. Ever!" She paused for a moment, before she reached over to take his hand with a sheepish grin on her face, "Aw, geez, I dunno about that really. Uh... I think if it was the coolest thing ever, I would've gotten in without having to get a little lucky." She laughed gently, her other hand rubbing at the back of her neck as she glanced up at the ceiling. "It's not, like... Terrible, at least! My dad had it bad, he didn't get any of the stuff mine can do. He was pretty nervous when I was born." She trailed off as she looked around the room, getting a look at some of the... Other students. Most of them looked pretty normal, except for maybe the guy who had just started talking to Dreadbolt there... And the giant man next to her who did not look like he was the same age as the rest of them. She wasn't going to question it though, what was the point? With the world how it was, he might be the youngest one here for all she knows! ──── ⋆⋅✦⋅⋆ ────

Mackenzie, the Lightning Adventurer After a, far too short according to some, short break Mac went right back to the road. Her adventurous spirit didn’t let her stay in the same place for long. At first she kept towards a specific path, following the road she had left off in, and found herself in Mowloo. She was sad to find out she missed out on a large showdown but she did manage to ask the leader of the community, a rather dour Tyranitar, to fight her to try and convince Yveltal to accept her challenge. Though if he had known her end goal he would certainly have refused. While in the end Mac wasn’t able to fight the death bird, the Legend had apparently just left for Pride Rock to check on their sister after Arceus told her what had happened, but she was satisfied with the battle with the Tyranitar. Her voyage eventually led her to Juyu where she managed to catch a concert that Meloetta had put on. The relatively young Legend having decided to be much more open and public to give the people hope. After several days Mac managed to get a battle with Meloetta. She lost but she promised Meloetta to come back again when she was strong enough to fight her one on one. From there her journey took so many turns it was impossible to keep track. She went everywhere she heard there was a good fight to be had and continued to grow stronger. She’d often stop in Juyu whenever she could though. She claimed it was to hear Meloetta sing but each time she would head right to Pride Rock after. Where she pestered the new king and tried to convince him to come with her “for old time’s sake”. Usually resulting in her either challenging him, or his warriors, to a fight or her calling him boring and zipping away on her next adventure. --- “So...how’s the Legend life going?” Throughout her exploring Mac tried be as confident and brave as possible. However whenever she happened across the Swords of Justice, and more specifically the newly ‘knighted’ Keldeo, whom she still called Suiten at times, this confidence would slip away and a hint of the awkward young lady would come out. Not that she would ever admit this. In the end these meetings would end with Mac fighting the Legend whether he wanted to or not. “I’ll just hit you even if you don’t fight back." --- It wasn’t until her later years that she finally settled down back in her old home of Oasis. Against the wishes of all the parents of the city she would often regale the children with stories of her exploits and imparted upon many of them a desire to follow in her footsteps. She would often joke they could only leave town once they could beat her. Or rather she said it was a joke when angry parents confronted her. Dora, the Daydreaming Princess After making sure all her friends, including the new friends she decided she just made in that underground facility, were fine Dora immediately went back home as fast as possible. She tried to get the others to go with but she was far too impatient to wait for anyone. Dora wasn’t one to cry. She usually was all smiles and happy-go-lucky humming as she went through all sorts of trials. However when she got home and saw her mother, out of bed and practically glowing, a deluge of tears came from her. Her mother later would tease her that she almost flooded the city with her tears. For the first couple weeks Dora was content being back home and playing games with her mother and Gisei, who had been released from jail by a reluctant king, but it wasn’t long before she regained her desire to see more of the world. And see more of her friends. With a determination that had only strengthened after her journey Dora managed to convince her father to raise Merm back up to the surface and rejoin the rest of the world. Despite his concerns her father, with some nudging from his wife, couldn’t deny that Dora had grown quite strong. Strong enough to be allowed to venture out into the world. Though he did make her bring along a guard everywhere she went. She became known as the “Smiling Diplomat” and journeyed to many different cities to see everything she could and grow relation between the other parts of the world and her once isolated home. However she made sure her longest trips were to the homes of her friends. Or, as Dora called them, “My other family”. Deku, in particular, became something of a second home to her. She went there more often than any others, and the occasional gang that tried to rise up certainly didn’t appreciate the soldiers showing up accompanying her, so often that the children began to think of her as one of them. Something that she would agree with proudly whenever it was mentioned. While she never fully lost her wandering and air-headed spirit Dora began absorbing more and more knowledge. She might have never been the smartest Gijinka around but her journeys had taught her much about people. Which is why, when her father stepped down from leading Merm, he was proud to have her take over. With a dozen or so advisors to keep her more wild ideas in line. She was already beloved by her own people and due to how much she helped out those of other parts of the region she became known as a wonderful, if reckless, leader. Her spirit and imagination allowed Merm, and Adarid as a whole, to grow in strange but wonderful ways over her long leadership. Gwendoline, the Regretful Traitor Her injuries from the battle with Giratina had kept her from joining the rest in their final battle. A fact that caused her much guilt and shame. Though she tried to hide it when she met back up with the others to congratulate them. Though she couldn’t hold it in for long after she began apologizing for everything she had done up until then. The tidal wave of apologies and venting ended with Gwen feeling oddly light and free. She had a long, long, discussion with both Nine and Lok. Finally bearing her heart fully to them. From her struggles as a to-be high priestess of Darkrai to even her struggles helping to raise her sisters and the heart break she experienced long before starting her journey. After this conversation Gwen had to face an even less comfortable talk. Darkrai and Cresselia wanted to talk to her. The rival siblings had reluctantly, on Darkrai’s part, worked together at the behest of Arceus to help Shaymin keep the land alive and they had, according to Cresselia, stopped fighting about Gwen’s part in everything. Darkrai still was upset about what he saw as a betrayal but as things had worked out it seemed he was willing to “let her off the hook.” However there was another matter to attend to. Both Darkrai and Cresselia wished to claim Gwendoline as their Disciple. However Arceus herself had another idea which forced the two of them to give up on that. As it turned out a world without Giratina was not an entirely stable place. Without the Legend there to hold down the Distortion World bits of it threatened to leak out and overlap the normal world. Which down the line could lead to disaster. Though not ideal it was decided that Gwen could take on the task. Because Giratina and their disciple were both gone there was no one that could fill the hole completely. However at Cresselia and Darkrai’s, though he denied this, recommendation Gwendoline was picked as the best choice. The young woman had a lot to think about. She asked for some time to think it over and was told that the distortions wouldn’t be an issue for some time yet. So the girl set out to see the region again. This time without a clouded mind. She stopped in every city and saw the struggles that still existed. She tried to help where she could but she realized that just on her own there wasn’t much she could do. While there may no longer be an active threat, and many people were starting to work together again with the Legends, more personal and smaller scale suffering still existed. In the end of her journey she realized that taking on the mantle of Giratina would allow her to help others out in a more major way. And so when she returned home it was with determination and decisiveness. However despite taking on the Legend’s mantle, learning second-hand how to deal with the powers from Arceus herself, the Mismagius still insisted on being called Gwendoline in private. “I don’t want to give up my life for this. It may be selfish but I want to stay with those I care about. And...perhaps...even have a family of my own, some day." Across the Region Oasis: For many years the desert city had been unchanged. Visitors would pass through, often adventurers searching for clues on where the other Legends had gone. It was known mainly as the place where Volcanion died. But after the Godslayer War as it became known the city started to grow. People displaced from their homes, both from Adarid and elsewhere, found in it a surprisingly peaceful and pleasant place to live. The great tree which was revived by Arceus turned out to not only be a symbol but a source of life. It turned out the tree was dying long before it was burned and after Mac’s wish delicious fruits began to grow from it. The people of the city named them after the local hero who had helped save the world. Mackintosh Apples. Merm: Once upon a time Merm was considered a myth by many people of Adarid. Rumors of it existing, as well as people insisting they remembered a time it was above ground, persisted throughout the land. Yet hardly any ever saw it and those that did weren’t always believed. However after the princess of the city, Dora, convinced her father to raise it up the people of the world soon realized that the myths didn’t do it justice. The beautiful city became a beloved destination for adventurer’s and families alike. Its soldiers were sent all over to help rebuild and protect the land. With the urging of his wife and child the king even created something that Dora called a “water park” for people to visit and enjoy. Coldharbour: The city had already been small and, to most, looked over even before Kyurem had attacked it. At first the people of the city considered leaving for Fryst and begging the leader there to open its gates to them. However before they even decided to leave the gates opened up. And the citizens who had left Coldharbour to live in Fryst emerged with supplies to rebuild the city and make it stronger than before. It’s now considered a cozy respite before setting off to visit Merm, or Oasis, and beyond. While some tried to take advantage of the city’s lack of defense they always were warded off by a rather unusual Gijinka who was rumored to come from the stars. Fryst: It wasn’t long after the disastrous events that led to the death of Regice that the leader of Fryst was overthrown. His former captains taking over together and forming a council with the citizens of the city. The first order was to send the former “king of Fryst” to his own jail. The next was to release the people of Coldharbour that had been tricked into staying there under the lie that they would be able to bring their families. While the dangers of the world had been reduced greatly Fryst still stood as a bastion of refuge for many. And when threats reared their head they were among the first to set out to put a stop to it. The frozen walls of Fryst, which for years represented xenophobia and aloofness, were now a beacon of hope to those crossing the frozen tundra. Mount Icecrown: This mountain remained a dangerous place. Filled with deadly animals and some rather feral Gijinka. However because of that it also became a training area. The Gijinka that had guarded the pass for years were told, by Arceus herself, to allow people who were strong enough to visit and test themselves. Overseen by Diancie and her newfound Disciple, Sada. Along with a rather reluctant, and complaint-filled, Phineas. They even managed to calm down one of the feral Gijinka, an Abomasnow who had once upon a time battled some of the heroes of the Godslayer War, and he became a rather popular training partner. Deku: The city that was once scorned by most of the region. It...still is somewhat run down. However after being rebuilt the people there realized they had to be better. This was their home and it could only be as good as they were. Sadly it was hard for people to change their ways so easily. Thankfully there were now several who worked to make the city a safer place. The former assistant of Sam the Bisharp, Easter, Brooke, even Dora and the Merm soldiers. With the various “pillars” of the city it slowly became a more reputable place. Though it never fully lost their delinquent spirit. Juyu: The city was always a popular destination. This became even more the case after the events that came to pass. It was rebuilt even bigger and stronger than before. Expanding beyond its previous borders and setting up more housing for all the people who came to Juyu and decided to settle there. The former gang members, without a leader, became junior deputies under Heather. Though often she wondered if they didn’t make more work for her. The festivals that the city was known for became even bigger now that Meloetta revealed herself. And the young Legend has become widely popular along with bringing out new musical talents into the world. There were many huge events held in the city. The largest of them, thanks to Meloetta’s insistence, was the wedding between the sheriff and her deputy. Pride Rock: With its new king Pride Rock began to thrive like never before. Where once the lions had to keep careful control of the land now they began to work with others for the first time to make sure everyone had an equal share and a fair chance. However while they changed many things they never bowed down to anyone. Much of that came because of their strong ruler and his greatest warrior, Jabari, who became widely known as one of the most powerful Gijinka. It was often said that Pride Rock would never lose its pride. Adarid City: Of all the cities the self-proclaimed capital city had the most changes. The so called emperor was displaced and forced to struggle in jobs he once looked down on. His daughter managed to escape this life and became a famed actor in the newly fixed theater. While the gang wars didn’t end the gangs were weakened. Forced into the shadows. A large part of this was due to the revival of various areas of the entertainment district. The leader of this movement being the newly created wrestling association. The slums were demolished but only to create true housing for those living there. Looked over by the triplet Legends of Azelf, Mespirit, and Uxie. Fiona, the young Drapion, returned to the city and fixed up the library. Making it a spot beloved by the children of the city. She could often be found reading stories to them. Trailsau: Not every city changed in a major way. Trailsau remained the same as ever. In fact if anything they became more rowdy with the new blood that came to it as well as some old blood. Allie had returned and, along with Trevor who was forced out of his ‘retirement’, the two caused even more sparks to fly and ignited a whole new generation of fighters. Over time Heatran became less of a “feared natural disaster” and more a “respected fellow warrior.” Heatran could often be heard complaining about missing the good old days. Though no one actually believed him. Northshore: As well as those without major changes not every city changed in a way that caused it to grow. Though only some, highly vocal, people complained about the changes. Northshore still was a place people visited for its beaches. Tourism didn’t stop. Though as the other cities grew it became less crowded. However two major changes came to the city. The first was that it became a sort of haven for Alolan refugees and the volunteers in the war to liberate Alola. The other was that the beach-city became more often rainy. Due to the much more frequent visits by the Legendary Kyogre. Mowloo: Shaken up by the attacks by the natives, and Yveltal’s appearance, the people of Mowloo lived in some fear for a time. However the new leader of the natives and the leader of the city folk slowly began to work things out. Those of the city agreed to keep out of, and help keep others out of, certain territories of the jungle. Thus letting the natives keep their culture. And the natives helped those of the city by sharing some of their secrets to living with the jungle. The city didn’t expand and, in fact, shrunk somewhat. Preserving the natural order of things as best they could. Yveltal, for her part, never saw need to wipe out all life. Which everyone was quite relieved by. Alpha and Omega: The twin cities in what used to be known as the “deadlands” changed the most drastically. Along with Darkrai, Cresselia, and the newly dubbed Giratina, Shaymin worked to bring life back to the land of death. Without the former Giratina, and their sadistic Disciple’s, influence those of Omega became much more passive. As if waking from a terrible dream. Similarly those of Alpha calmed more now that the long, mostly silent, war had ended. The two cities continued a rivalry though now it was more about how many visitors they could get or who would win their monthly sporting events. Which became a rather popular attraction due to the rather unusual way the Ghosts played. The people of both cities still loved to spook visitors. Which made it even more amusing for them that people just kept coming. Ogren: Ogren was largely unaffected by the changes to the world. It continued to be a place of free spirits and unusual cuisine. Even the Great Green One, who was revealed to be Tornadus and was now a permanent resident in the city, didn’t change much. The people continued to refer to him as the Great Green One, something he took great joy in, and he continued to enjoy a good party. Though he occasionally set out from the city. Some said he was searching for someone to become the new Thundurus. Those in the city would never admit it but they cherished these moments as they were when the wind tended to die down and the near constant rocking of the raft-city stopped. Weynon: The people of Weynon were always rather detached from others. Many would say to an arrogant degree. This...did not change much. However what did change was the peace and quiet that the residents usually enjoyed. Much to their chagrin more people started to flood the city. Which was aided by Celebi. Who, after the defeat of the Godslayers, revealed herself to the world. And, along with the disposed secret child of the former emperor, who mysteriously found her illness lessened upon the return of Arceus, opened the city to more people. Over time even the original inhabitants began to see it as a good thing and wood carvings from Weynon began to be treasured all over the world. Southshore: Despite the death of Latios the second Eon Dragon, Latias, became less withdrawn from the world. She revealed herself to the people and promised to protect the city from any threats herself. She would often get visited by other Legends. Making Southshore popular for adventurous Gijinka. Many of them were Dragons who were seeming to want to prove to Latias that they could become her new partner. Though not many of them were able to get close to the Legend as Melody the Milotic and a strange, black-armored, Scizor who said his name was “unimportant to fools such as you” made sure to keep the majority away. They believed if someone couldn’t get past them they didn’t deserve to talk to Latias. Mioter: The city became much more mobile after the battle that occurred on the island under it. Moving around the region and providing aid to those who needed it. Led by the reluctant Mewtwo the city became less of a city and more of an organization. Much like Fryst it became a place for those who were afraid to seek refuge. It especially gathered up the more unusual Gijinka. Those who didn’t feel they fit well into society. And gave them a place to live and help others. Those with Psychic powers were recruited to keep the city aloft and those who could fight trained with the Shadow Guard. However Mewtwo’s policies welcomed anyone who was willing to help in whatever way they could. Skuldafn: The Dragons remained in their city. The traditions they valued were only strengthened now that the Legends had truly returned to the world. It became a place for Legends to rest. And the citizens of Skuldafn kept outsiders who wanted to do battle from approaching. Forcibly if need be. Though not many tried to risk fighting the powerful Dragons. There still were some changes. Now that more of the world were coming to the city the people of the city grew more interested in the world. More young Dragons began to set out across the city on journeys. Which forced the other adventurers and chasers to try even harder to not be outdone by the mighty Gijinka. The world had changed in many ways. Most of them for the positive. All across Adarid people grew, worked together, and became stronger. After the tragic battles against the God Slayers the region seemed to wake up from its stupor. It seemed that everything was different as a whole. However, while there were a multitude of changes, some things... The Heliolisk grunted as she pulled herself up the final stretch to reach the top of the mountain. It had taken her nearly an entire day just to find this place and another one to scale it. But she had reached her destination at last. Breathing heavily but grinning wide the girl stepped out onto the flat area at the top of the mountain. In front of her a large man was standing with his back to her. Looking across at the expanse beyond with a solemn aura about him. He didn’t turn around as Mac approached though he shifted slightly indicating that he knew she was there. Mac took a few breaths before thrusting her fist towards the man. With a wide smile and a confident stance she called out. “Regirock! I challenge you to a battle!” ...some things NEVER change. The End

Brooke Adoles: The Merchant “A wish…? All I want is to go home, but… could you build me a new shop in Deku?” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Running a shop was tiresome work; running a shop in a city in the process of rebuilding itself, even more so than normal. Brooke enjoyed it though. She had always been a hard-worker. The first few months she worked flew by rapidly, keeping her schedule so busy that she had no time to even stop and think of her friends, scattered to wind across Adarid as they were. No time to feel sorry for herself when nearly every waking moment was taken up by negotiations and contracts. She officially opened for business after six months. The city was beginning to resemble itself for the very first time since Thundurus had thrown his tantrum--customers both new and old attended the opening of the shop. She had expanded her wares greatly with the knowledge and contacts she made across Adarid, most notably Merm (with the ulterior motive that Dora was the city’s official ambassador when negotiating with her), and it didn’t take very long for money to begin to pour in. She had done well for herself before, but after another year of being open, she was truly able to say she was wealthy. Most of that wealth went directly back into the community. Funding schools for the children, meals for the homeless, pretty much any way that she could give back to the city that had built her. The largest of her accomplishments, however, was the orphanage. It had been Easter’s idea. Build a place for children without parents; somewhere that adults could keep an eye on them. She had been so blind to the harsh realities of Deku that she had never even considered it. She instantly set about making the idea reality; Easter promised to run the place and look after the children, but Brooke managed all the logistics. She bought the plot of land right next to her shop; she hired contractors to construct the building, and put the word out onto the street that there would soon be a place for children under the age of eighteen to be able to be looked after; she spared no expense or luxury. Three more years passed, then five more years, and eventually Brooke stopped keeping track. Her shop kept her as busy as ever, and Easter made sure her work was cut out for her helping with the orphanage, not that she ever minded in the slightest. Sometimes, Dora came to help them with the youngest children, and Brooke couldn’t believe how old she was getting. It seemed as if the destruction of Deku was only just a week ago when she closed her eyes. She could see little Dora flailing around, playing with Fawkes while she cooked dinner in the snow fortress with Easter. But when she opened her eyes, reality set in. Dora was an adult, entertaining a room full of innocent children that once upon a time would have been hardened by the mean streets of Deku, and the last she had heard Fawkes was part of the city guard in Mioter now. She was almost nostalgic for those times on the road with those two little brats. Brooke Adoles had yearned for travel, but looking back, what she had really wanted was a family to call her own. And in the most roundabout way possible she had found one in a goofy little Wooper, a sly young Zorua, and a headstrong Sylveon. And she wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Lok Epilogue Lok wasn't sure exactly what happened after he was knocked on the wall. All he really knew is that they had managed to save Arceus in the end, their mission successful. With peace returned to the land, Lok went back to his home in Alpha, having experienced more than enough adventuring for his liking. Despite it being rough at time, he was glad he decided to embark on it. All the friends he made along the way, and learning more about himself, made his quest to adventure all worth it. Things back at home changed drastically, due to Giratina's influence being gone. Things had calmed down between Alpha and Omega, something that made Lok glad to see. Gwen was doing well, much to his relief. In fact, Gwen had entrusted him with that weird lamp that they had gotten during their adventures. Honestly, Lok had forgotten they had taken it with them, although once he saw it again for the first time in what felt like forever, he instantly remembered the menacing aura it radiated. He was hesitant on taking care of the lamp for her, but it was the least he could do. Plus, while it unnerved him, it also peaked his curiosity. One day, while Lok was washing the lamp, he felt the lamp suddenly jerk around in his hand. Lok nearly dropped it as it kept moving around, almost as if something was trying to break free. Finally, out of the lamp emerged a strange looking Gijinka. Lok fell on his back, confused as the stranger stretched, the ghost boy trying to figure out what was going on. It took him a bit to realize who was in front of him right now. "Kekeke, it was getting soooo cramped in there." They said, stretching from their time in the lamp. "Hoopa...?" Hoopa turned towards Lok, a smirk stretching on their face. "Oooh did you let me out to play?" Before Lok could say anything, he felt a surge of water fall on his head. Looking up, he saw a hoop above him, another one having been placed in the river he was using to wash the lamp. "I...I can't believe it!" Lok said, more excited about his idol being here than his now wet close. "It's... It's actually you! I didn't think- Oh wow, I-" He felt a hand plant on his shoulder, coming from behind him out of one of Hoopa's rings. "Hmm? Usually people get mad when I do this. Why didn't you?" "How can I be mad? The greatest prankster of all time is in the room with me right now! I'm you're biggest fan!" Hoopa gave the boy a confused, but amused look. "Fan? Uhhhh... kekeke, you're a strange one. Hey...is that old pretend ghost still around? Wanna mess with him with me?" "Of course! Oh, how could I forget!" Lok stands up, extending his arm out. "The name's Lok!" Hoopa reached out to meet the boy, but paused. With a grin, they reach past his hand and grab his arm and tug him into a portal with them. "Kekeke, almost, but you've got a loooot to learn." Lok let out a laugh as Hoopa dragged him through the portal. He had thought he had enough adventure, but this. This was different. He was going to have a lot of fun. Scarlet Epilogue Scarlet roamed the jungles of Mowloo, a metallic red mask on her face to hide the burn across her face. She had brutally been singed by the mad Houndoom's attacks during the final confrontation. The burn once symbolized a failure on her part; despite how strong she had gotten, she had succumbed at the final step. Luckily, the rest of the warriors were able to save Arceus in the end, and the world returned to normal. The world was at peace, at least for now, and things could return to mostly normal. However, she had a different goal. No longer was she just an explorer wandering the land. She had to be stronger, to protect her people, and the world. With the Legends coming out of hiding, she used her favor with the ones she had met to find Cobalion, honing her skills with the musketeer. In her training, she met the other Swords of Justice and, eventually, started roaming the land. Scarlet stopped in her tracks, her ears perking up as she heard a faint cry in the distance. Almost instantly, she sprinted towards the plea for help, her cape flowing in the wind. "Help!" A Dustox cried, his back up against a tree as a thuggish looking Toxicroak loomed over him. "There ain't nobody helping you now, punk!" The Toxicroak bellowed, a red blade jutting out of his wrist. The Dustox looked in horror as the poison dripped from the blade, flinching as he saw the blade fly towards him. "Huh?" Suddenly, between the two gijinka was Scarlet, her pincer gripped tightly on the thug's wrist. The color on the Toxicroak's face faded as he slowly realized what was happening. "N-no way!" He belted out, struggling to break the masked scizor's grip. "You... you're not real!" Somehow, he managed to break free from Scarlet's grip, only to be greeted by a bullet punch to his gut. As he was sent tumbling on the ground, he looked up in horror as Scarlet walked up slowly to him, dead silent. He could feel her piercing glare stare into his soul as he struggle to compose himself. "Y-You...!" Before he had time to blurt out a word, Scarlet was already dashing towards him. She had been doing this for a while; between protecting those in need of help and training with Cobalion, Scarlet had her hands full. Her business between training and vigilantism, she became a sort of local legend herself. Her title alone kept the jungles safe, striking fear into any wrongdoers and miscreants trying to cause trouble. She was the Crimson Crusader.

The two brothers listened, unsure what to do. The creator of the world itself was offering them a wish. What could they wish for? Power beyond imagining? No, that felt wrong. They made it this far on their own strength, they could continue to grow even stronger. Overwhelming riches? No, they didn't want money. At the end of the day, Denku at the very least knew what he wanted. Taking a step forward, Denku made himself know. "Can you heal my heart disease?" the older brother asked. "I mean, it might be possible Xerenas already healed it, but I don't know for sure, and I rather not risk passing up a chance to be rid of this damned disease forever," Arceus looked at him and nodded to Denku's utter relief. It seemed he didn't have to worry anymore about it. The older brother turned to the younger brother, tilting his head and waiting to see what Kazo would wish for. The Gabite didn't say anything at first, his mind whirling with ideas. In the end though, he really only wanted one thing, a single wish that could never be granted... he wanted to have a race with Latios. But Latios was gone now, and the dead wouldn't rise again. Nothing else really came into his head. "I... I guess I'll pass on that wish," Kazo said sheepishly with a shrug. "Everyone else made the wish I would, and... the only thing left can't be granted," He smiled though. "But, just seeing the world go on and seeing it become better is reward enough for me," Was Kazo an idiot for passing this once in a lifetime opportunity? Probably. The Years Pass By After saving the world, the two brothers did many more things, perhaps not worthy of legend, but grueling to them nevertheless. The two of them joined Randy in wrestling, becoming a popular tag team for several years. They had grueling training and hellish fights, but it was exciting to them, and they were together. After five years however, the two retired, and they went their separate ways. Denku, using his savings he gained from his winnings, had moved back to Juyu and opened an orphanage, where he took in many kids and helped them find new homes. Meanwhile, Kazo went to train even more, to become stronger, to become faster, to become better than he ever was before, and eventually, became a Disciple of Ideals himself. Ten years later Denku took a large sip of his drink to hide the smirk on his face. He was now a Tyranitar, with a big and sturdy body that was nearly a mountain, yet every kid in the orphanage was climbing all over Kazo, who desperately just wanted to get a drink of the hot chocolate Denku's wife gave him. While Denku hit a major growth spurt and his hair changed to a healthier shade of green, these changes seemed minuscule compared to how Kazo changed. The now Garchomp was even taller than he was before, and unlike his old scrawny self, the Garchomp had some muscle on him. The most drastic change on him however, was that his hair had partially turned white, apparently due to a mistake during his training under Zekrom. The kids seemed to think it was cool though, so Kazo didn't care too much. "Uncle Kazo, tell us another story!" a Joltik clinging to the dragon's arm begged. "Yeah, yeah! Come on, tell us!" A Totodile on his shoulder added. "It's been a whooooooooole month!" "Hey, hey, I'm runnin' outta stories here, you know?" Kazo joked. "I don't go around doing amazing things 24/7," "The most amazing thing you could do right now is get a girlfriend," Denku teased, not even reacting to the dirty look Kazo shot him. "Uncle Kaz doesn't have time for things like that!" The Totodile claimed. "He's too busy being a super hero!" "Oh, but what if Kazo had a partner to help him with the superhero-ing?" Denku asked. "Maybe someone like... I dunno, Latias?" "I should have never told you about that kiss," Kazo groaned. "That happened a long time ago... and... well... you know, I don't... well, I don't...," "Kaz," Denku sighed before looking at him. "You need to stop beating yourself up. Latios's death wasn't---," "Wasn't my fault, I know, I know, that's what everyone tells me," Kazo muttered. The two kids, sensing their uncle's discomfort, let go of his arms and wandered into a different room. With a sigh, Kazo picked up his cup of hot chocolate and took a sip. "Look... I just... it probably wouldn't work anyways, okay? Legend and all," Denku nodded as he took another drink, a thoughtful look on his face. "... Zygarde," He said simply as Kazo took another sip, causing the dragon to spittake, a bright blush on his face. "I JUST SAID THAT LEGENDS AND----," "You should of wished for some courage with women back when we saved Arceus," Denku interrupted with a smirked, causing Kazo to scowl. "Nope, nope, nope. I can't, I just can't, I'm out," Kazo said as he stood up. "Later kids!" Kazo yelled into the house. "Uncle Kazo's heading out!" Grabbing the tip of an invisible hat, he moonwalked away, heading out the door and heading outside. Kazo sighed to himself as he ran, the world just a blur around him as he moved. After all his training, he could run much faster and for much longer, letting him travel across the continent in a record breaking time. His current plan right now was to check in with Weynon first and figure out the rest of his week from there. He was coming up to the city of Oasis when he decided to slow down. He wasn't expecting to see Mac here or anything, but he could check in on her folks for her for the next time they met. As he slowed down however, he noticed a band of bandits attacking what looked like a group of two or three families. "Well... that won't do," Kazo thought as thunder rumbled in the distance. He walked forward with purpose, cracking his knuckles as he approached one of the bandits, grabbing the man's head and tossing him to the side as easily as one would throw away garbage. The taunting and jeering the bandits were doing to intimidate the families died down as everyone realized what had happened, all eyes landing on the Disciple of Zekrom. "Oy, who the hell are you?" One of the bandits snapped, causing Kazo to smirk. "I get called a lotta things, but right now, I'm feeling like... I'm the storm that's approaching," Kazo felt pretty good about that one, especially as thunder rumbled just as he finished his sentence. Even Zekrom would have to think that was badass, right? Each bandit began to move towards Kaz, but faster than they could blink, they felt Kazo's fist bury into their guts, causing them all to fall to the ground in less than a second. "Heh, not even using any attacks. You wanna just leave now or make me use a Draco Meteor?" The bandits were quick to run. Cowards. Still, that made it much easier. With a smile, he turned to the families. "Oasis isn't much farther, a ten minute walk at best! Safe travels!" Before he could run off however, someone called out to him. "Wait!" Turning, Kazo could see it was a small Bagon that had called out, barely looking over eight years old. "Do... do you think that I could grow up to be a hero like you?" Hero. He hadn't been called that in awhile. It brought back some good memories of some old friends though. "A hero, huh?" Kazo asked as he rubbed his chin playfully. He turned around, showing his back to the kid before looking over his shoulder. "Well, can you keep up with me?" The Bagon, to their credit, didn't back down, in fact, it seemed a fire was lit inside of them. "I'll keep up with you! In fact, I'll surpass you!" They answered with the confidence of a Helioptile from days long past. "Good answer," Was all Kazo said before he ran off, the dragon rushing to his next adventure. The Guardian and the Hero FIN

Nine took a few deep breaths as he looked towards where Kura had once been. In spite of his strength and the power he had at his fingertips, it had seemed that their fight was finally done. The Godslayers had been bested, and their leader had been reduced to nothing more than a scorch mark on the ground. Their plans had fallen to ruin, and the creator god was no longer in danger nor was the world at any threat of being broken and remade. In the end, they had won. Nine relaxed his shoulders and let out a sigh of relief as this realization had hit him, looking to the ceiling as the unnatural feeling that had been prevalent through the room finally subsided. Looking towards the creator god, Nine took in her words and thought about all that had happened as she spoke. He thought about all of the people he had met, all of the legends he had seen, all of the fights he had undertaken. And then she proposed one final point to him. A wish. He didn’t quite know the extent of Arceus’s power, as she made quick notes of how she was not as “almighty” as some legends may have embellished, but she was still the strongest of them. And so he thought and thought. There wasn’t much he could think to wish for. Gwen was safe and healing. Juyu was rebuilt and Northshore was uniting as a people to rebuild for themselves. With Giratina and Raphael gone, the hostilities between Alpha and Omega were likely to quell on their own as well, though that was likely to take more time. Even the conflict in Adarid, caused by both the gangs and the king were likely to start to resolve themselves with the dethroning of the man in control. And so he was left wondering what he wanted. After thinking about it for a moment, Nine thought back to his meeting with Darkrai, the Lake Trio and Jirachi. About his conversations and what he had learned from them. And so, he knew what it was he wanted. Nine smiled and looked towards Arceus. A joking tone in his voice, Nine asked, "would you be able to grant it if I asked for World Peace?" "That's not something any one person, even me, can do." "Of course not, but I figured I'd try. Doesn't matter anyway, because in order to achieve that you've already stated you'd grant my wish." Arceus smiled at Nine. Silently asking him to continue. "Why is it you think this all happened to begin with? Personally, I think it's because the legends and regular folk had some kind of falling out in the past. I can't really tell who was at fault for all of it or why, but we started taking you for granted and you all started to distance yourself and scorn us. But neither of us can live like that, because if we split off from one another, all of this will just happen again. And I've seen what happens when we're together, and the great things that we can do for one another. So my wish is simple." Nine will smile throwing his hands to the side, "I don't want just you, I want all the legends to become involved with us again. I want us to live and coexist with one another, lean on each other and make the world better. Together. And though it might be a bit hollow to hear these words, I'll do my absolute best to make sure we all keep the strength we've gained in your absence, so as to not over rely on you all and not have a repeat of what has happened in the past. I don't know how much more attainable this is then "World Peace" but I want to believe it can work. So, that is my wish." She gave a small laugh. "I see you have a long path ahead of you. This was just a bump on the road...So be it. I would say that I hoped to do that anyway and you can ask for something else but I feel that wouldn't satisfy you. So I shall just agree to your words." With a bow, Nine said, “that only reassures me more, Arceus. So, let’s do our best for the future.” Marie stood still, awestruck both by the figure before her and the propositioned that they were offered. The creator god herself had offered all of them a wish - a wish! There was only one thing that Marie could possibly wish for at the moment, but as she heard Randy speak up it was clear that that wasn’t something that was so easily grantable. And so instead she thought more about it. What was it that she wanted? What was it that she didn’t have? What was it that she truly needed now? Marie grimaced as she had come to her answer. Taking a deep breath, the girl clenched her fists together as she looked down towards the ground, almost seemingly ashamed by what she was about to say. Her eyes went between most of the people who had spoken so far, the girl said, “there are so many wonderful wishes that people want granted here but...I’m sorry for asking something really selfish. I...I want to get stronger. I want to get stronger and to be able to keep getting stronger.” The girl paused before saying, “I’ve met a bunch of people who would bully and hurt others, and a bunch of people who needed help. And every time I’ve met them, I’ve always done everything I could to help my friends and stop the bad people. But...I’ve always just rushed in, never really thinking about everyone else around me.” Marie looked towards Nani, Keanu and Randy, before she looked back to Arceus. “But, every time I’ve had my friends - my ohana - come in to help me. They always stuck by me whenever I would start a fight with someone and I really am thankful for them. But I couldn’t - I still can’t do anything by myself. I’ve always acted tough but had to hide behind them and watch them get hurt because of my own selfishness. I want to help others. I don’t want to sit by and watch others suffer, but I also don’t want others to get hurt because of me. So…” Marie took a deep breath, before looking to Arceus with a determined expression in her face. “Could you please help me be stronger?” "I would tell you how you are already so very strong, where it matters, but I understand your desire. It's true we will need many whose strength of will is matched by their strength of body. So do not be ashamed of your wish. It is a just, and good, wish." “Really?! Th-thank you so much!” As the girl stated her thanks, she felt a swell of power surge from within her. It was a similar feeling to when she had evolved, though her form didn’t actually change at all. Outwardly, Marie seemed to be the same Brionne that she had been not moments ago. Inwardly, though she could feel it. She wasn’t nearly as strong as anyone she had just fought, nor anyone she was with right now. But that was fine. She knew that if she put in the work, she would definitely reach her goal one day. Looking to the others of her Ohana, the girl smiled saying, “one day, I’m sure I’ll be strong to help all of you, with everything you need. So just count on it.” On top of the volcanic mountain that lied in the center of Trailsau, a sight that had grown familiar to the locals these days could be seen. A giant column of lava matching to meet an enormous sphere of water. As the two attacks collided, a cloud of steam covered the mountain top as a slight rainfall soon followed after. A Manectric and Fearow were standing at the base of the volcano, looking up at the sight. The Fearow nodded towards the Manecrtic, asking, “so, you think it’s her loss again?” The Manecrtic chuckled, ”nah, not with the look that was in her eyes today. We’ll be hearing a different tune later, I’m sure.” The Fearow raised an eyebrow, but just looked back up in anticipation. Atop the mountain, there stood a young Primarina. Her normally beautiful appearance was obscured by the soot on her face, bruises across her body, her unkempt hair and the sheer look of exhaustion on her face. On the side of the volcano opposite her was a legend sprawled out on the ground, the legend known to all as Heatran. The Primarina looked at him still on edge, as if waiting for him to get back up and keep fighting. However, after awhile, confirming that he was spent, a wide smile crossed the girl’s face as she shouted, “I-I did it! I won!” The Primarina Marie had just claimed her first victory against Heatran. "Urgh...I guess you technically did." Heatran said and let out a low growl. "Pfft." Marie let out a chuckle, before fully laughing and falling back and landing on the rocky ground. "Ahahaha, ow...but I sure did...I won." Sitting back up, she smiled coyly at him saying, "but don't worry, you're still plenty strong Heatran. I'm sure there's still no one in this town who could beat you one on one fairly." Looking to the side she added, "when I'm not here, that is." "You got...awfully cocky didn't you?" Putting her hands to her hips, with a pout Marie explained, "I'm just celebrating my victory. I worked really hard to get this win you know. After all, I promised you that you'd always have someone to fight and help you do your job. And it's not very helpful of me if I keep losing all the time, right?" "You could've lost a couple more times still," he grumbled. Giggling again, she said, "don't worry, you'll have plenty more chances in the future, right? Because whenever my friend needs help, it's up to me to help them out." Crossing her arms and looking away she added, "and I'm only friends and families with troublemakers, so I'm sure you'll need my help a lot." He crossed his arms at the same time. "Who said we were friends anyway," he growled again. She wagged her finger at him saying, "I did. Are you saying we're not?" "I'm saying I didn't say we were." "Well tooooo bad," Marie stuck her tongue out at the legend before laughing again. "We're friends whether you say so or not. And I don't take no for an answer here." Thinking about it for a moment she said, "but if you wanted to deny it, then go make some friends yourself." "I don't need them." He grumbled With a stern face she said, "don't be such a child. Everyone needs friends. It's your friends that make up your Ohana, and your Ohana is what keeps you going through life. Which speaking of, I still have to go to Northshore soon to help out and a letter came for me too. So I'll be gone for a bit and I don't want you to get all lonely here up on your mountain." "When will you come back...I need to know when I can beat you again." Thinking about it for a moment she said, "a week? Maybe a few. I've got a lot of places to go." Tapping her finger to her chin, the girl said, "who knows, really? I'm not rich and the dragon air ride service is busier then ever these days." "Hm. Fine. I'm sure you'll have a fun time." "I will." She said matter of factly. Standing up, the Primarina looked off the mountain side saying, "which is why I want to make sure you're not lonely. And if you're itching for someone to fight, well." Marie gestured off the mountainside. "There's a whole town down there that's always ready and willing to scrap. And if you want to win, then I'm sure you'll mop the floor with all of them. And then they'll know just how strong you really are, and who knows, you might get more challengers up here too. And then you'll get stronger for our next fight." Smiling, she added, "so, the volcano should be calm enough now that we just finished our fight. So why not introduce yourself to the people below?" "Tsk...I haven't left this volcano in a long, long, time. Why would I do it now." Heatran said, looking uncomfortable. "Anyway if I went down there they'd just be afraid." "That's because they just know you as a grouch on top of the mountain. You need to show everyone how great a guy you are." Thinking on it for a moment, Marie said, "here, let me help you out." Walking to the edge, Marie shouted, "heeeeeyyyyy everyone!" "Heeeeyyy, Marie!" A chorus of people from below the mountain responded. "Heatran says he wants to get to know you all better! He'll even come down the mountain to do so! So come on, and give him your warmest Trailsau welcome!" As she finished this, the cheers breaking way into a brawl could be heard from even at the top of the volcano. Marie looked back to Heatran saying, "see? Now you've got nothing to worry about." "H-hey, what do you think you're doing?" Heatran growled again, scratching at his cheek awkwardly. “Me? I’m just putting in a good word for a friend. The rest is up to you though. But, I expect to hear some stories when I come back.” With a smile on her face, illuminated by the sun, the girl said, “I’m looking forward to it next time, okay?” Soothing Torrent - Marie END 7 Years Ago There the young Houndour lied. Sprawled across the dirt, staring at the clear sky above him. Today it was clear, not a cloud in the sky to obstruct the sun. And as such, the rest of the world around him was clear to see. Not that there was much to look at. His world was filled with the same brown colored ground, the land being livable enough yet just shy of a proper wasteland. The only large cast was by the nearby mountain that his home had surrounded. It was around this time that the sounds of a brawl could be heard, not that he was actually close enough to hear it. He just knew it was happening, because of course it would be. He hadn’t been fighting recently - he didn’t see much of a point. He would beat the same people as always. He would lose to the same people as always. Neither getting weaker nor stronger. Simply remaining the same as always. Just as the ground around him had. Just as the volcano’s shadow had. Everything, the same as always. That was his life. Something he could only describe in one single word. “Boring.” As the man voiced his complaints to the sky, the neutral expression on his face gave way to a smile. Sitting up, he pulled out a map and layed it across the ground as well. What he had seen was his world, but the map provided to him something far bigger - far more interesting. Towns, villages, cities, all different kinds of civilizations surrounded by all kinds of wonders. Canopies of trees and walls of grass, buildings that stretched higher than even the volcano and water as vast and blue as the sky out on the horizon. But above all else, the most wondrous thing to be found in the world was them. Something not on any map and only told of in story books; the legends. Beings of immense power, age and knowledge. They were all over the place, hidden yet waiting to be found. Waiting to be challenged. It didn’t matter how far they were or how long it took. The Houndour knew they were out there, waiting to be found and he would find them. Standing up, he looked to his map, seeing that there was a town due south of his own home. It wasn’t the closest or safest walk, but it certainly seemed like it’d be the most interesting place to visit. And if it was interesting, then there was bound to be something legend related there, right? So, with a smile on his face the Houndour declared, “alright, Nine, the whole world’s waiting for you. So let’s go and see it!” Present-ish Day As Nine strode into the literal ghost town of Alpha, a smile was very clear on his face. Looking around, seeing the occupants of the town Nine couldn’t help but feel chipper after all. He wasn’t quite sure if it was because whatever off feeling the village used to give him was lessened, it was actually livelier here, or if he was just getting used to it. Regardless, after his long journey was finally reaching its end, he couldn’t help but feel a little at home here. Following the final fight with the Godslayers Nine, ever the restless type, had elected to restart his Chaser challenge, trying to duel the legends for real. Without any form of Godslayer intervention and with no pretense of having to save or help others, Nine wanted one more proper go at them. “I matched wits and wills with the Lake Trio. Tested my might against Regigigas. Learn to keep in tune with Meloetta. Got great gardening advice from Shaymin. Traversed Rayquaza’s vast palace in the sky. And got to tell Darkrai ‘in your face.’” Nine reminisced about his whole journey to himself as he continued to walk down the streets of Alpha, before stopping in front of one building. “Yet, here I am, standing in front of my greatest challenge yet." Reaching into his pocket, the Houndoom pulled out a ring and smiled at it. Then, grasping it more tightly in his palm, the Houndoom took a deep breath before beginning to face forward and walk to the house. Years Later The sky was clear, allowing the stars and moon to be seen to any who looked up. And they in turn shined down on all down below in the, though there was seldom a person to be illuminated here. The wastes of Trailsau were desolate as always, save for a young Charmander and a group of thuggish gijinka. The leader of the group, a Magmar had grabbed onto the young Charmander, shaking him a bit as the boy said, “I- I’m telling you I don’t have anything!” “And I’m telling you it’s not nice to lie.” The man continued to rough up the Charmander, before pulling a necklace off of his person. “You already had food, and this here certainly looks like it’s worth something.” The Charmander’s eyes began to tear up as the Magmar grinned at the necklace, examining it before an unfamiliar reached out and grabbed at it. “Oh. This does look important.” The Magmar let go of the jewelry immediately in shock, as he turned around to suddenly see a cloaked figure standing behind him. “H-how? When did you-?” The man gave a cheery wave as he stepped away from the Magmar. Nodding at the necklace in his hand, he confirmed, “yes, yes. This definitely looks like it’s valuable. And you were just going to take it away from this kid like that?.” The man shook his head. The Magmar, growing irritated now that his initial shock had disappeared shouted, “we were just relieving it from people who don’t know it’s true worth. Like we’ll be doing with you too!” The man nodded to the others, as they ran towards the cloaked man, ready to punch at him. He nonchalantly kept walking away though, his body suddenly becoming cloaked in shadow and vanishing. As the two other gijinka’s fists struck nothing but air, the three of them looked around confused until the Magmar felt two fingers tap the back of his head. “And you’re going to tell me that he doesn’t know the value of food either, right?” The Magmar turned around to see, the cloaked figure standing behind him, shrieking in shock and jumping away yet again. “If you’re really strapped for food and like to brawl, Trailasu’s not that far from here. I’m sure if you can hold your own against anything other than a child you’ll be fine.” The man stepped forward, now face to face with the Magmar locking eyes with them directly. “Unless you’d rather try to take from me too.” The Magmar couldn’t help but feel a strange offness about how the man was moving and coupled with the intensity of the man’s glare his body could only respond in one way. Dropping the food, the man began to make a full sprint, with the others looking confused at the spectacle but following in kind. Letting out a sigh as they retreated, the cloaked man said, “I swear. With people like those still around, she and I will always have work. Oh well, at least things didn’t have to get violent. Hey kid. Here.” The man tossed the necklace to the Charmander who, recovering from shock, accidentally swatted back into the air several times before finally catching it with both hands. Still awestruck at the display, the Charmander stammered out a, “wh-whoa. Th-that was incredible, Mister. Wh-who are you?” The man waved away the compliment saying, “me? No one in particular. Just someone who happened to be passing by. More importantly,” the man bent down and looked at the Charmander more closely. “Who are you?” “Z-Zehn.” The Charmander answered nervously, looking away as the man looked towards him. “Zehn...I see...And what are you doing this far out in the middle of nowhere, Zehn?” “I...I’m just going for a walk.” “That’s quite the walk you’re going on. Do your parents know you’re out this late Zehn?” The boy clutched his necklace more tightly as the man asked, prompting him to simply nod. “I see. Trailsau wouldn’t really be a place that good for a kid like you.” Standing back upright, the man started to think on this more. “Well, I’m sure there’s a place in Northshore for kids like you these days, if not then - “ “I don’t want to go there.” The man cocked his head to the side. “I... I still have a place there but, ever since...everything just feels so wrong...I just feel out of place. Like I don’t belong anymore. Anywhere. It’s terrible and scary and I hate it! I don’t want to go and stay somewhere else when I’m just going to feel the same thing again. I don’t want to keep feeling trapped somewhere I shouldn’t be.” The man remained silent for a moment after the Charmander’s outburst, prompting Zehn to look to the ground and mutter, “um...sorry about that.” Yet still the man remained silent, looking to the sky as if thinking. “Well, that’s how it is sometimes. Don’t worry, that feeling will stay with you for awhile, but eventually you’ll know where you can really call home. It’ll come to you one day, trust me. But first, you have to find it. So how about you try adventuring?” “Adventuring?” The boy looked confused by this sudden suggestion. “Well, it’s not like you aren’t already doing it anyway, but it’ll give you a purpose in doing so. Like trying to explore new towns or see new sights. You’ll see so many wonderful things you’ll wonder just how big the wide world really is. And then, you’ll stop feeling like you don’t belong in one place and instead, like there’s so many more places then one to be. A restless feeling, an urge to keep exploring. Along the way you’ll meet all kinds of unbelievable people and make friends with the most interesting of them.” The Charmander pouted saying, “I don’t need friends.” The man chuckled, bending down and poking at the boy’s forehead before standing back up. “Don’t be such a kid about it. Of course you do. Everyone does. And along this road, those friends you make will be the most important people you’ll ever know. But first things first. If you’re going to adventure, I can’t be with you the whole time as I have many places to wander to. So, you’ll need to learn how to get stronger first.” The Charmander looked at him curiously, saying, “stronger? Like...strong as you?” The man waved his hand chuckling, “nah, you don't want to grow up to be like me. Hardly a good role model with a lifestyle I only hope isn't necessary in the future." The young boy looked confused, but said, “what do you mean?” “Don’t worry about it. Instead,” Looking back to the boy he raised a finger saying, “you should find others to look up to. People who know how to use their strength for more than just wandering and playing hero from the shadows. You're looking for the kind who are out there putting smiles on the faces of all kinds of people. For instance, there’s a certain fire type in Adarid who's plenty strong, and quite the entertainer too. So, I’m sure you could pick up a thing or two from him. Or, I hear tales of a ship that moves across the continent always searching for more wayward souls to join them too with a pretty fierce captain. And don’t even get me started on the people of Deku. Just as there are stars in the sky, there are so many interesting people out there. People for you to learn from and grow stronger watching. So, what do you say?” The young Charmander looked to the man, wide-eyed at his descriptions before looking into the horizon himself. Nodding he looked back saying, “then...I want to see what’s out there. I want to go and adventure!” A gust of wind blew by, blowing off the man’s hood and showing the cheery smile of a Houndoom under it saying, “glad to hear. Then, if that’s the case, the whole world is waiting for you. So let’s go and see it, kid.” Eternal Chaser - Nine END

It was done. The bad guy was beaten. Arceus was free. Nani kind of expected her to be taller. This meant it was time to return to peace, right? Nani welcomed the change. She was never one for fighting, and there had been plenty of that up to and after her departure from Alola. "And to start I must reward you. The noble Gijinka who came all this way to protect your world. Come to me and speak your wish and I shall grant it be in my power. Even my powers have limits. I cannot bring the dead to life. But I shall do my best to see you justly rewarded for your brave actions." Her first thought had been to reclaim Alola. But it sounded like she wasn't the only one who felt that way. Keanu had hardly wasted any time making that wish. Two people making the same wish to an (almost) all-powerful god was probably a waste. She was only going to wish for that because it was something she absolutely couldn't do herself. With this adventure having reached its conclusion, anything Nani wanted in life would be more worth it if she did it herself. Which brought her to a bit of an impasse. If she wanted to not fight anymore, Nani could just avoid violent people and defuse confrontations with words instead of with fists. If she wanted to live away from judgmental eyes, of course she could do that! She was a resourceful girl, and while it would take a good while, the idea of building her own little place out in the middle of nowhere sounded nice. Maybe not too far from a town or city, though. As Nani brought a hand up to her chin to consider this more in-depth, the question sort of answered itself. There was one thing beyond her control. Yes, one thing. "I've got one," Nani said, raising her hand. Gesturing around her covered face, the Mimikyu said "It's going to sound really vain, but the... well, the absolute disaster under here. I'd like to not look like that anymore. I don't want to be drop-dead gorgeous or anything, but having a face people can look at would be nice." Arceus smiled warmly. "I understand. Do not worry about selfishness or vanity. This is your reward for fighting so hard and so bravely. If that is what you wish then that is what you shall receive. I shall make your outside reflect your in." Ghost Stories Every child in Coldharbour knew the story. One day, many years ago, a house had appeared about two hours north of Coldharbour. People coming or going from the city often noted that there was usually a woman looking out the window, but that she would seem to vanish into thin air if you looked at her directly. Nobody was really sure just what sort of gijinka she was either, with reports ranging from her being a Walrein or Mamoswine like one might expect out here, to such absurd stories as her being a legendary gijinka, with one traveling merchant from Pride Rock claiming that the woman was Arceus herself. The most common story was that she was some sort of pale, discolored Pikachu with floppy ears. The strangest story though, was that people entering the house to avoid a blizzard noted that although they never saw anyone, tea, blankets, and more just kept popping up in place, as if someone had put them out on purpose. Those were the facts, anyway. From there, as children often do, they exaggerated the facts a bit, turning the house and its mysterious resident into a ghost story. Some stories said she was a monster that skinned people alive and wore them as suits. Some claimed that if you saw her, you would be cursed for life. A select few stories went so far as to theorize that her hospitality was just bait, and entering the house meant that leaving would cause instant death. The grown-ups - even the old folks that had started those stories when they were children themselves - always dismissed those tales as nonsense; monsters like that didn't exist. But she had to exist. I know she's real. I saw her myself! That was what had inspired Mint to go on this quest up north. A quest that, in hindsight, should have been done any other time besides the time she was doing it. Even just a little bit of planning would have been great right now. She shouldn't have left when she did, she should have brought an adult with her, and she definitely should have worn a couple more layers. Thoughts like that wouldn't stop bothering her now that she was lost in the tundra, in the midst of a raging blizzard, her very bones feeling as if they were made of ice. Even if she'd mapped the place out in her head - one of Mint's better qualities was an incredible sense of direction - the howling winds kept pushing her off-course, and frankly, she had no idea where she was anymore, with navigation made even harder by all the snow whiting out her vision. Just as she was about to give up hope, she saw something. A tiny, faint trace of light in this dark, cold night. Rallied by the chance of success, Mint doubled her pace, pushing through the snow and wind alike until she was right in front of the source. This was it. The little house everyone in Coldharbour was talking about. It would be nice if we had stories like this back in Juyu. As Mint traced the building with her hand, she found the door, and was able to make out the sight of it opening... on its own? Well, if this monster woman was inviting her in, it definitely would beat freezing to death! So she hurried in, and flinched as the door shut behind her. The fireplace was lit up. There was a cup of tea on a table nearby. Most interesting to Mint though, was some kind of sewing project. It seemed to be a work in progress. So someone did live here! For now though, warming back up was Mint's priority, so she sat herself down in front of the fire, basking in the heat. This monster was a hospitable one, and while she hadn't put much thought into the process of actually getting here, she fully intended to catch this legend herself. The Sylveon waited. Waited. As soon as she felt a blanket being draped over her shoulders, her hand sprung up, grabbing over her shoulder and catching... a wrist? "Gotcha!" Mint turned around to be met with the sight of... not a monster? "I'd really like if you let go, please." "It's really rude to grab at your host like that." "U-Uh... sorry." Mint released her grip on this... what was this lady, anyway? Some kind of discolored Pikachu with floppy ears, like most people said. That's what she looked like, anyway. "I don't usually talk with my guests, but you... um... are you stupid or something?" Pointing at the nearest window, Nani said "You came from Coldharbour's direction. You knew the weather would be like this and that I live far away, but you came out here anyway. And not nearly dressed for it, either. The Tapus must really be smiling on you tonight, otherwise you'd be frozen to death buried in the snow somewhere." "The... what?" "...long story." Silence filled the air between the two girls. Just awkward staring. Nani kept trying to think of things to change the subject to, but this kid didn't look like she was much for sewing or anything like that. She probably wouldn't want to talk about her family; if she had a home, she probably either snuck out or ran away to get here, no matter how stupid the timing of her great escape may have been. And quite simply, Nani didn't want to bother her with the mythology of a faraway land this Sylveon would probably never visit. Adarid was her home now. "You're the monster, right? The one everyone talks about?" "Monster? Now that's just super rude. After I used up my one wish to look normal and everything, too." Tossing another blanket atop the one already on Mint's shoulders, Nani sighed "But yes, those ghost stories in town are about me. I'd really like to set the record straight, but then I'd probably have people asking me why I don't just live in town instead of way out here. Is it alright if I ask a question, instead?" "Okay?" "Why are you blue?" Holding up a lock of Mint's hair, Nani clarified "Not your skin - you're not quite there yet - but your hair. Sylveons are usually pink, right?" "I don't know. But the other kids in town are always on my case about it! Blue is a boy's color, they say." "That's ridiculous. I have a good friend who's a girl, and she's all blue. If anyone gave her trouble about it, she'd probably pull on their ear and talk about how you can't judge people by their appearance. Mmmmm... she's probably an old lady by now, though. I think we'll get along, though. What's your name?" "Mint." "I'm Nani. Nice to meet you." The Mimikyu took another look at the window. "It doesn't look like this storm's going to let up anytime soon. How about you spend the night here, and tomorrow I take you back home? I need to do some shopping in town anyway, as it so happens."