A Ballad for Icarus - A Historical Pokemon Quest

barty · Jan 12, 2025

[X] Stardust and prayers chasing the light of the sun.

Good catch on the mega, was too busy laughing at the autocorrect transforming it into pottery to notice it.

Touch Dom · Jan 12, 2025

Elpis said:
The woman that attacked you looks… well, like a priestess. Not in the same way that Ray does, her robes are dark and she wears a tiara with the numerals 'II' carved into a gem up front. In her hand is a long, black sheath.

Now I don't remember if this has been brought up before
But I think Wilhelm was called the Fool, and now we have a Priestess with the number II, so these people seem to be theming themselves after the Major Arcana

[X] A young serpent that dreams of devouring the sky one day.

Wobblegonnabe · Jan 12, 2025

[X] A young serpent that dreams of devouring the sky one day.

RiceRockRekt · Jan 12, 2025

Alrighty, it's been a hot sec (nearly a month, damn), but I have gas in the tank to finish Update 15, let's do it to it.

Where we last left off, Aria plagiarized Silvia's #HashtagNoStealingSecretTechnique, and women laughed at her for it, so let's see if that humiliation continues.

Elpis said:
The tomb is massive.

So massive, in fact, that your first thought comes true. You're too tired to continue, and so you decide to camp out in the cave, to continue your journey after some rest. It's not hard to start a fire, with Ray's practically infinite supplies of minor elemental stones and some of the fungus which turns out is rather flammable.

We will never know for sure which is more enormous, the size of this necropolis, or the size of Ray's pockets.

Try not to get high off of Regieleki's grave shroom haze Aria. Bad way to experience Forever Weed: Zeus Edition.

I suspect this rest stop will be the opportunity to finally see Ray talk about her backstory!

Elpis said:
The blue flame crackles, whipping left and right as touched by unseen wind. You see Gildera in it, the Glastrier Knights, the faces of your friends. You can see Lissy make a joke, and Silvia hitting her over the head for it. You can see Ruby cooking, their smile so bright as Redwood enjoys the meal.

You can see Capella brushing Skiddle's fur, the Murkrow feather on the horn reflecting candlelight.

Aria having a normal one looking into the blueberry shroom bonfire and thinking about all that's lost to her.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6tISxVCBnM

Elpis said:
"You get that look in your face sometimes," Ray says, feeding the fire some more mushrooms. "When you think of home, you look like you're far away."

She's back to usual, for now. Though she still itches to continue and rip Wilhelm's head off his shoulders, the earlier bout of joy at your expense has removed some of the tension in your group and left Ray as normal, if slightly less cheerful.

Genuinely I don't know why using the mushrooms as firewood is so funny to me. They're not even trying to cook these little bitches, just throwing fungi into the flames and watching them turn it blue like that's completely unconcerning.

Apart from that Ray is thinking about Aria's melancholy (which more than a little rhymes with her freshly ended banishment, huh).

Aria healing the hearts of women with conveniently timed pratfalls provides a fascinating new angle on her rivalry with Wilhelm the Fool.

Elpis said:
"I don't know if it was home," you say. Sophia has already fallen asleep, Cubone curled up next to her. For you, sleep does not come so easily. For Ray, it must be even harder. You can see the bags under her eyes, the tiredness that must be wreaking havoc on her mind and body. "It was, it is, my people. My dearest and most precious friends."

"Home is where your heart is, isn't that right?" Ray asks. You nod, though you see she's not looking at you at all. Her eyes are distant, much like your own must be. And even though she is right in front of you, barely an arm's length away, she feels distant. "We've not had much time to talk, so I barely know a thing about you besides the nobility thing. Well, that and your old order."

Aria constantly reiterating "Man I don't think I feel one thing about Caer Rivenhold outside 5 to 8 people" is one of those things that's like. Damn girl you made yourself closed off. Comparing Aria with the beginning of the quest to now, it amazes me how much she's opened the bleeding cage that was her padlocked heart, she only realized she could be vulnerable with people besides her girl best friend and dad like a month before she lost them both, and that's been saving her constantly throughout A Ballad for Icarus.

"Home is where your heart is, isn't that right?" Ray asks. You nod, though you see she's not looking at you at all.

I wonder if Ray was ever so lucky.

Sophia has already fallen asleep, Cubone curled up next to her.

Spring is gonna run into this random ankle biter having all but adopted herself into being Sophia's child while he was gone, and that has to be such a trip.

Almost as much of the one Skiddle will experience meeting the rest of Aria's clowns!

Elpis said:
You lean back, pushing against the ground and raising your eyes to the ceiling. "You heard about the commander dying?"

"There's nobody who hasn't," Ray says, nodding. Figures, there's no way something like this could stay hidden for long. You just hope that this does not encourage the nobles of Sol to become bolder. "Was that you?"

"No," you say, your voice firm. There's no energy left in you to have a stronger reaction.

Ray, having no reason to care much: So what's murder like?
Aria: Murder's bad.

This is funny in light of the mission that brought them down here, it has to be said.

Elpis said:
Perun purrs, his head on Sophia's lap as he drifts off to sleep.

UGH. THE POKEMON NAMED AFTER DRAKE.

Apparently Sophia is just the team pillow.

Elpis said:
"Drake adopted me when I ran away from my family. I owe him more than I could have ever repaid in one lifetime. But… When he died, what was left behind was no longer me. I ran, and I ran, and I ran. I stumbled, I fought with my best friend, and at first I thought I could turn around, but…"

"It's just not the same anymore," Ray says. You nod. "So you don't want to go back?"

"I don't know," you say. Admitting this is the hardest thing you've had to come to terms with lately. "So many things make no sense, so many circumstances have led to this journey, and every time I look back at it I don't understand how I let these things get so out of hand. At first I said it was to keep my friend safe, then I argued about my desire to wander. Now I am here helping you because I can't say no when someone needs me."

Aria is experiencing multiple sustained identity crises and there's a strong chance someone could convince her the sky isn't blue if they picked the right day, homie's Going Through It.

There's something really good about embracing this kind of, purposeful inconsistency. Aria keeps finding new reasons to justify her shifting and rattling course in life, and now that she's been asked what she wants to do, rather than told what she should do, it's finally hit the point that she can't come up with a charismatic monologue to pave over the fact that she Super got retraumatized and it's making her act all over the place.

"It's just not the same anymore," Ray says. You nod.

Ray is totally not speaking from experience btw. She made it to Ithaca and she's doing just fine.

Elpis said:
"And here I thought it was because you can't say no to a cute girl," Ray says. Her distant eyes take on some shine again. She grins at you, and you can't help but smile back. "Well, fair's fair. You want to ask me anything, Miss Aria?"

You do. It's a question you've wanted to ask since that meeting in the manor.

Aria I think you're gonna ruin the shine you put in this narcissist's eye, it has to be said.

Elpis said:
"Why'd you get banished?" you ask. Ray stills, no breath passing her lips as she becomes more statue than person. It takes a bit for her to answer, and you do want to know, so even as you see the conflict in her eyes you don't tell her it's fine if she doesn't want to talk about it.

"Murder," you say. It's your turn to hold your breath, waiting for her to make a joke about it, to make a mockery of you for even asking and just move on as if nothing happened. She does not, her face still dead serious as she raises it, the blue flame reflecting off her eyes make them shine green. "It's the only reason anyone really gets banished, even blasphemers are more welcome than murderers."

. You know this explains the "Was that you?"

Like a whole lot.

The emotional tension is top notch, the eye color blending making everything so Sickly.

Elpis said:
"That can't be the whole story, can it?" you ask. She smiles softly. "Ray?"

"My mother was a priestess," she says, taking out the key from under her collar. "In the running to become the next high priestess, even. If the person in that position is a man, they are Agamemnon. If they are a woman, then they become Cassandra. To me, she was just my mom, Mika of Olympia."

You feel a chill, as if the name had summoned ghosts of the past that now fill the void around you. You inch closer to the fire, wrapping your cloak tightly around you.

Ohhhhhhhhhhh. Dead Parent huh.

Aria: ...Same hat?
Ray: Same hat.

Gotta admit though, the fact this is about Ray's mom is way more "Huh, I would've thought she was too Ambiguously Older Woman to be motivated by mommy issues..."

The emphasis of Sol encouraging people in particular roles to become myths in of themselves is fascinating, especially in the context of Olympia's priesthood being aimed towards Agamemnon and Cassandra, like those aren't. Pretty god cursed names.

Aria is feeling the same kind of terror in Mika's name, that's for sure.

Elpis said:
"She was beautiful, and wise, and busy all the time," she continues, "but never too busy to come and sing me a song to help me fall asleep."

You don't know why, but you can feel wetness in your eyes. The heat of the fire must be drying them out.

"One day, my uncle came to me." Ray holds up her hands, tracing her fingers over the fire, drawing an image only she can see. "He says 'Ray, your mother needs your help' and I jump up, ready to do whatever she needs me to do. You see, these keys here, they're given to the two candidates. My mother was one, my uncle the other. The third key is held by the eldest cleric, who passes it on before death. It's a balance of power, safety and trust. That way, no one person has the ability to open the vault where the artifacts lie."

You've heard of similar systems before, though the meticulousness feels largely over the top. What would stop someone from simply killing those three and taking it? That's—hm.

"High Priest Agamemnon was… your uncle?" you ask. You try not to frown, you really do, but your mouth hangs open loosely and your eyes are still stinging. Ray nods. What a mess.

Oh this is like. Not good.

Some Lion King shit right off the bat.

.

Elpis said:
"Quite well, Ray," he stresses her name, and you can see her smile widen. "I didn't think I'd see your tiny ass in the city again, didn't the high priest banish you?"

"Bah, dying has a habit of destroying your credibility," Ray says, shrugging.

WAIT, HE LITERALLY WAS THE ONE TO BANISH HER, THIS IS JUST LION KING.

...Oh Ray is like young young, okay.

"She was beautiful, and wise, and busy all the time," she continues, "but never too busy to come and sing me a song to help me fall asleep."

You don't know why, but you can feel wetness in your eyes. The heat of the fire must be drying them out.

Aria is so normal and doesn't have unconscious mommy issues. At all.

Elpis said:
"The high priest gives one key to the youngest cleric." She draws that image again, and you really wish you could see through her eyes right now. "They keep the other key for ten years. That is how long Raikou stayed at the temple after killing the demon."

"Then he picks a candidate?" you ask. She nods.

"He gives his key to the person that should succeed him," she says. "So we have two candidates. The youngest cleric at the time, my uncle, who had years to become worthy of the mantle. And the person who the high priest favored, my mother. In the end, the choice is left to the temple. Everyone has a vote, even the children who haven't yet become clerics or priests."

Oh, this is the first time we've seen Raikou named in text!

Fascinating key succession tradition, this definitely could never have caused problems.

Elpis said:
That's one way to create resentment. While it's above you to complain about the ridiculous ways of an old faith, and the rather convoluted ways they choose a successor, it does feel unfortunate that it was siblings who had to fight for the position.

There's a different kind of ache in your heart when you think about fighting your brother.

Aria: Man I'd hate to be Mufasa, losing the love and trust of your brother...
Aria: [Thinks about how many cliffs she's fallen off]
Aria:
Aria: Man I'd hate to be Mufasa.

Elpis said:
"My uncle held all three keys on that day, he stole the others." She stops tracing that picture, her hand clenching into a fist above the fire. It flickers away for a moment, then appears again. "He said she needed the staff from the vault to… to be acknowledged as high priestess. So he sent me to get it. He gave me all the keys and sent me on my way in the middle of the night."

Oh this is bad.

Like using your own sister's child to win the succession war bad.

Elpis said:
That explains her fury about the staff. You can imagine where the story goes from here, but you don't interrupt her. Ray looks almost relieved to tell it, as if it finally has to come out. You know that feeling, after all. To finally tell someone your truth.

I think Ray deserves to have several more people on her murder rap sheet. For enrichment.

Elpis said:
"When I got to the vault, nobody was there. Usually there's guards there, but on that day there was a smell in the air and nothing else. So when I entered the vault, nothing seemed off. I got the staff, and my mother caught me."

She laughs, short and wistful.

"She was so angry, I've never been scolded by her before. I let go of the staff, and it exploded on the ground. Electricity everywhere, so much power, so much… destruction. All of it."

. Oh so it just EXPLODED, huh???

What an awful, awful thing to happen to a child.

...Wait.

Elpis said:
She sits down on the man's desk, jumping up to make it. "If anything, you being here makes much less sense. How's your arm?"

"Good enough to throw you out," he says. You can see it shaking, though. At first you thought his motions were badly concealed anger, but now that Ray mentioned it, you feel like something else is going on with him. The spasms in his limbs are rhythmic, and the time between them is almost always less than five minutes.

[ ] About Justus' Arm. Though she tried to hide it, you saw Ray's regret when she mocked him for it. The tremors in his arm felt like electricity.

Is THAT what happened to Justus's arm??? He was a guard in range???

.

Man though. Ray's entire fighting style being [Throws Evolution Stones like grenades] get DEMENTED when you find out this was where she got her start.

Elpis said:
"That's… an accident, that's not murder, Ray."

"Maybe not. My uncle was made high priest so quickly, and then when they held a tribunal, he was the one that said I was just a child, they couldn't execute me. So they banished me. In the same vein, as a child, my imagination must be running wild. My uncle? Stealing all the keys and sending me to get the ancient relic? Whatever for, he was going to be high priest anyway! My mother never had a chance."

"Nobody asked how the keys got in your possession?"

"Nobody cared, some said my mother was the one trying to steal the staff, most quietly swept it under the rug," she says. "Because the only candidate left was my uncle, and anyone who opposes him when he just ascended will have a difficult life. They closed their eyes and ears, they sewed their mouths shut. They all knew it was true, they all knew he was responsible, they just didn't care enough about my mother to fight back."

...Damn.

I have to wonder what the man formally known as Agamemnon had been going for. Like, did he even know how volatile the relic was, did anyone? If exploding Mika wasn't the plan, then he had to have been banking on the appearance of foul play to get her chances at the succession revoked, which fits how Ray got banished in the end, but you gotta ask if that was just about optics, or if he really just didn't want his niece dead.

There are so many details here that invite questions, like, how did he get all the keys, why weren't the guards there, why was Mika there, it all lines up like...

...Hm.

Elpis said:
"So here's the thing, high priest Aggamemnon wasn't the most popular person," she says. What a mouthful of a name. You're fairly certain it's a traditional one, you read the name in a book before. "He was a whoremonger, he gambled with donations to the temple, but he was the de-facto leader of the temple so unless someone from higher up the food chain came to Olympia to get rid of him, we were all stuck with him."

"Sounds like a lot of people could have a motive then," Sophia says. She's back to normal now, though still slightly miffed.

"For sure, but we do have one suspect." Ray grabs a scroll from her bag, rolling it out on the table. There's a drawing of an older woman, beautiful in a way that you cannot put into words. "The Matron, Debora, was the last person seen in his chambers. Since the murder, she's been missing."

There first thing we hear about Agamemnon is that he has a, how shall we say, affinity for prostitutes, and the last person seen in his living space was Debora.

Elpis said:
"Not usually, this is…" Justus begins, stopping himself as he realizes he's doing exactly what he didn't want to: involve you. "Bah, fine. The Centurion's a noble scion, he slowly replaced most of the guards with yes men. While he's not actively working with the temple, he's usually on the side of the money."
"And the temple has more money?"

"No," Lora says. Justus gives her a warning glare, but she does not hesitate to continue. "Don't even try, this isn't a secret in the city. The matron has our funds hidden away, without her nobody knows where. If we don't manage to pay for the guard's protection, we'll be expelled from Olympia by the end of this week."

"That's fucked up," you say. And that's all it'll ever be. Lora snorts, while Justus raises an eyebrow. "Okay, so we have actual hostile assholes, a really indifferent and corrupt guard force, that's not great. That's—sorry, why'd the matron have all those funds hidden by herself?"

"We got robbed too often, so now most of our earnings are kept by her," Lora says.

"And you don't think she might've taken them?"

"No," Lora says. The conviction in her voice makes you feel bad for doubting the matron. "Debora would never do something like this, even if she had murdered that bastard she'd come back here to tell us goodbye. If she's missing, something happened."

Debora is keeping the brothel running with money no one else has access to, because people steal it, yes, but that means no one else has an exact tally on how much is in there or where it comes from.

Elpis said:
"He's an asshole but he means well," Lora says, frowning. "If you stay here or are seen leaving after helping us, you'll be a target. The temple is out for blood, the emperor asks them to self-govern, and the Centurion in charge is unwilling to step in."

"It's kind of a mess," Tia says. You glance at her. She woke up after a good night's rest, the painkillers and potion doing their work. "Debora was always telling us we had to be prepared for something like this, but we always thought she'd be there to help us through it."

"Like this?" you ask.

"The temple never liked us," Tia says. Her frown is deep. "We never hurt anyone, our profession isn't outlawed, they simply hate us because it's easy to. As if the color of their robes and the target of their worship make them better than us."

The temple has it out for the brothel, Debora has always told her people to be prepared for the worst, but even though Tia is sure this is just about a prudish disgust...

Elpis said:
You check the key again. It makes sense that you can't find the lock in this room, it looks too old for it. Made from the same metal as the armors of Sol's own knights, shining bronze and gold, with cuts from uses over many, many years.

It looks as old as the temple could be, perhaps. But there's no way Debora vanishes from the temple with the key still being here, this could mean that whatever door this opens is nearby.

...Debora has a shiny old key that opens a god's hidden burial ground. For some reason, a brothel matron has access to a secret most of the Thunderbringer's clergy don't even know is being misinterpreted to them.

Elpis said:
"When I got to the vault, nobody was there. Usually there's guards there, but on that day there was a smell in the air and nothing else. So when I entered the vault, nothing seemed off. I got the staff, and my mother caught me."

Ray talks about the smell in the air the day she came to the vault, completely bereft of guards.

Elpis said:
It smells… strong. Like perfume and alcohol, and all kinds of things you've never smelled before. You're on your own, now, and while Ray's plan seems to be to sell the matron out to the temple for a payday, you're less inclined to use the people that seem like they're mourning for some coin.

They stare at each other for a moment. The smell makes your breathing shallow, and the silence is broken by a cough that sneaks its way past your desire to make yourself small and invisible.

So the guards might double dip with that information. Of course. Yet, somehow, you don't think a former prostitute did this. Something about the situation smells fishy, and it's not just the excess amount of perfume on Tia and Lora.

Aria hyperfocuses on the strong, indescribable scent of Olympia's brothel and sex workers.

Elpis said:
"Justus," the woman shouts. The man starts awake, his entire body coming alive to knock the chair over. You can see it in the way he stands, in the way his hand twitches to a sword that used to be on his hips, that he used to be a soldier. "Justus, Tia is injured!"

He stands tall, you notice, as he walks up to you. A bit taller than tall, even. It's barely noticeable when he's hunched over a patient, but this man would tower even over Redwood. In exchange, though, his limbs look sickly thin. While he hides as much as he can under his baggy clothes that seem to be the approximation of a doctor's robe, his own health seems rather… precarious.

"Inana," you say. Inana jumps out of her Pokeball, yawning. The day was long, but you can't quite go to sleep yet. Lora and Justus jump back, and once again you can see Justus' hand moving to something that is not at his hip. "Can you find Sophia?"

"Does she have an office?" you ask. Lora tilts her head at you. "Matron Debora, did anyone check her office after she vanished?"

"Justus did," Lora says. You don't know much about him but his mannerisms don't make you suspect him, something about the way he holds himself, the distinct movements of a former knight, makes you biased.

Elpis said:
"The Centurion might know, too," Justus says. You see his hand gripping into his sleeve. "You are lucky none of the guards were there when you found the entrance, there's a good chance we'd be flooded by them by now."
"I imagine if he knew something like this, he'd have increased the presence of his men." Ray stands in the doorway, smiling as she walks in. Justus looks very pissed off by now. You try to negotiate, but before you can get a word in, Ray continues. "Justus, old pal, how's it going?"

"Quite well, Ray," he stresses her name, and you can see her smile widen. "I didn't think I'd see your tiny ass in the city again, didn't the high priest banish you?"

"Bah, dying has a habit of destroying your credibility," Ray says, shrugging. She sits down on the man's desk, jumping up to make it. "If anything, you being here makes much less sense. How's your arm?"

"Good enough to throw you out," he says. You can see it shaking, though. At first you thought his motions were badly concealed anger, but now that Ray mentioned it, you feel like something else is going on with him. The spasms in his limbs are rhythmic, and the time between them is almost always less than five minutes.

[ ] About Justus' Arm. Though she tried to hide it, you saw Ray's regret when she mocked him for it. The tremors in his arm felt like electricity.

Justus, some kind of former knight who was acquainted enough with Ray for him to know her before she was banished and for her to feel bad about making a jab about his nerve damage, is in this brothel, working for Debora after whatever he used to be doing fell through.

Elpis said:
There is— a man. In the distance, holding what looks like a rather large staff. Ray recognizes it even from this far.

"That's the high priest's staff," she says, sounding offended at the thought of a non-believer holding onto it. The man slams it into the ground, creating another loud boom and lightning crackling all over the place. "That bastard!"

Elpis said:
"It's not his staff," Ray says, back in the fray. "Let's trade information then, who the fuck is he?"

"That's not a polite way to ask," Sophia says. You give her a hand to stand up, shaking your head. It's not the time to fight, and that much is still true now as it was three minutes ago when you said it to Ray. "Sorry, it's been a bit of a day. That man's Wilhelm the Fool, a thief whose organization should only be active in Gildera. And it's… impossible for him to be here, really."

"Impossible?" Ray asks. You frown, thinking back to the man's face. It was undoubtedly him, from the characteristics, his way of speaking, and that stupid mug. "I guess that makes two impossible things then, that staff is a holy relic. It's not kept accessible to anyone, not even the high priest can get to it without the keys."

"Keys?" you ask. "What keys?"

"These," she says, pulling on her collar and revealing a rather ornate, triangular key hanging around her neck. "There's only three of them, and if I still have mine I don't understand how he got to the staff."

And SOMEHOW, that fucking staff is here, in Wilhelm's hands, when Ray apparently kept the last key needed to get it out this whole time.

(...Why was a girl who was banished left with that key...Whose decision was that...)

This is painting a picture that ties together the past and present circumstances more tightly than we'd had reason to suspect, and Debora's spot in this narrative is getting increasingly tricky to pinpoint.

Elpis said:
"I'm sorry," you say. You don't know what else you can add. You don't know what to say and how to say it so you can touch someone's heart and take away even a fraction of that grief you can see on her face. "Even if your uncle paid for this with his life, I know it is too little and too late. I'm truly sorry this happened to you, Ray."

"Yeah, well," Ray says. You can see how a joke forms on her tongue, how easy it would be for her to dismiss your words and try to continue as if she hasn't just shared the most intimate details of her life with you. She doesn't. She simply nods. "Thank you, Aria. For listening, and everything else."

Ough.

This is some finely crafted stakes to my vampire heart it must be said.

Aria is so sincere and Ray letting herself take that...Man...

Elpis said:
You move over to her, reaching out for a moment before pulling your arms back. You don't know what you're thinking, but it seems like your motion was enough to take care of the rest. Ray buries her head in your chest, her arms wrapping around you so tightly you wouldn't be able to remove her without maximum effort.

"That staff has to be locked away," she whispers. Her shoulders are shaking. "Promise me, Aria. Promise we'll succeed."

"I promise," you say, putting your arms around her. "We'll beat the shit out of that asshole and get it back."

There is no way you can't now, not when you know just what kind of reason she has. Even if you didn't hate Wilhelm with your entire being, you'd still kick that man's ass for Ray.

You have forged a new bond.

A VERY SWEET SOCIAL LINK GET HERE.

Every time Aria brackets heartrending chivalry with "We are going to BREAK THAT SHITSTAIN'S LEGS" I have to jump and clap.

Elpis said:
Even a corrupt institution could not shake her faith, which she shared with her mother. Her uncle banished her, for as corrupt and disgusting as he was, he still could not bring himself to call for the execution of his own niece.

That she stole away with one of the keys became apparent only later. Even back then, Ray was quite quick with her fingers. She will be a valuable friend and ally in the days to come.

Okay so this is some non-diegetic clarification on the fact that Agamemnon is a piece of shit who just really didn't want Ray to die, and Ray's the one who decided she'd be keeping that key (was the staff sealed back up in the vault when she did?), important factcheck.

I love Ray.

Simultaneously I actually do feel kinda bad for her bozo uncle, he just did a little trolling (manipulated a child in a political maneuver meant to discredit her mother) and it ended with his sister getting exploded, what the fuck.

The way up is treacherous. Your partners are still up there, likely following the path down to find you the same way as you are going to meet them. There's multiple paths, Cubone says. She draws on the ground with her club, revealing…

[ ] … the path to the left contains a dangerous dragon-like Pokemon.

[ ] … the path to the right contains a dangerous ninja-like Pokemon.

[ ] … the path to the middle contains a dangerous dinosaur-like Pokemon.

. Huh! So that was the vote!

I can't believe this medieval historical fiction said "ninja-like pokemon."

Love when we're just brought back to the absurdity of this, a Pokemon World.

NMS said:
The Demons that control the weather sound like Tornadus and Thunderus up to their usual antics.

You know I took it for granted they were just talking about Regieleki's lightning and Regice's blizzards (and now that I think about it, Regirock can use Sandstorm, also), but it actually really fits that the Forces of Nature's antics might've put the Three Sacred Beasts and their followers in conflict with the Giants as a knockback effect, fascinating layer to add here.

Sqw4l said:
"An ancient god created five demigods in his image" rings of Regis to me. I can't think of another notable group of five pokemon. Does beg the question of what's buried here, though. Regirock? There's not exactly a Regiground.

I mean you no discourtesy, but finding this after a month of going unhinged about Regieleki Hours is VERY funny.

Illunima said:
Cubone is really really cute, truly. Aria must teach her some sick sword skills, maybe she can learn Ground Blade or something and be really cool!!!

Arguably Aria and Sophia should have some kind of Blade of Grass Tech once they get both of their vegetable beasts in the same room.

Or, as I've liked to think it, Solar Blade Unlock when Aria and Skiddle are reunited?

WaterWorld said:
Lightning Blade was really funny, but I feel Ice might be more Aria's speed. Lots of a tactical options waiting for us there. Plus I like the idea of her using the memory of Gildera as a source of strength.

The important thing here is that if Silvia finds out Aria was using her trademarked nerve damage swordsmanship, she'd actually fucking kill her, so choosing the Ice Tech is important for being able to survive returning to Gildera to begin with.

Teal_in_Space said:
Can Ray tell me how she got infinite stone magic. I want some. That looks fun.

Genuinely, nothing is more absurd to me than the fact Ray does this. Why. How. Her sleeves should be exploding every time she scrapes against a wall.

Elpis said:
... it's super effective.

Elpis. It has to be said. This is fucking rad.

It's so baroque, like The Creation of Adam if it were a grape swinging a bug zapper at a bunch of innocent bats.

Good lightning SFX, good sword blur, love the gay little Zubat with a hat, nice work.

Seraph282 said:
I really like the way this story is paced. Very little wasted time in Aria's journey.

She's also just living her her life as a full time Hero-Empress in training and I love that for her. I can't help but imagine her going somewhere that isn't in the middle of a crisis and spending the entire time on edge/confused.

"The fact that this city isn't falling apart around me must mean that something terrible is happening just out of view."

Honestly this is kinda Aria's life already and living like that is why her last 4 years in Caer Rivenhold are a blur she doesn't quite remember anyone but Capella and Drake for until she got Skiddle and had the clock in her brain start again.

There definitely is a charm to the snap pace, you can feel a sense of motion at all times with Aria's march to brand new problems that have nothing to do with the letter Drake asked her to pretty please give the woman with blue hair and purple eyes and pronouns.

Ahhhhhh, I missed ABfI. Can't wait to catch up!

Shadowphyre · Jan 12, 2025

[X] A young serpent that dreams of devouring the sky one day.

dolcevita · Jan 12, 2025

[X] A young serpent that dreams of devouring the sky one day.

I see snek, I vote for snek.

And damn, the Wilhelms aren't just doppelgangers, they actually do share memories, even if took being possessed and brought to the brink of death to bring them to the surface. That is interesting.

Victory4T · Jan 12, 2025

[X] A young serpent that dreams of devouring the sky one day.

Dubious Wisdom · Jan 13, 2025

gasp I'm sorry Elpis I've been behind on reading in general lately! Good work, gimme my high fantasy pokemon stuff.

Nice showdown here. We've now got the pieces of the greater plot stepping forward. Such questions to ask.....are the other demons the full regi set or a more varied selection of legends? Getting Regigigas to reshape the continents is certainly a fantasy BBEG goal.
Wilhelm is dead! Maybe. He shouldn't have come back so soon once, he could do it again. To return or not to return.
Might want to patch that seal again before it causes more problems. Good thing no one broke the sealing staff.

And at long last, Aria declares her name and using what is most definitely not the power of the sun god. Its just a question of whether this will finally overpower her denial of heritage, or if she just shoves up an even thicker wall. Please ignore the cracks, its rude to point them out.

[X] A young serpent that dreams of devouring the sky one day.
So many sky gods, so little time. Cosmog might be actual baby, but Rayquaza is just cooler.

AmberGimlet · Jan 13, 2025

*rattling voice of undeath" I LIIIIIIIIIIIVE! After a long absence due to various circumstances, I can finally get back to this! Just in time for the arc boss.

Elpis said:
"We got his Tauros knocked out, and we vastly outnumber him. If we can manage to avoid being zapped by the staff, I think we can just overwhelm him. Though his plan involves the unsealing of the demi-god, he can't do it without all his sacrifices, and he can't sacrifice us yet."

We open with the team discussing tactics. Really really funny that the main plan presented is just dogpiling him straightforwardly. A plan with a lot of merit, but very dangerous against proven gimmick boss Wilhelm.
Also, slightly a tangent, but watching a bunch of Gen 1 OU/Ubers videos between the first Wilhelm fight and this one made me look at him having a Tauros in a very different light. Not in like a numbers power levels way, but it sure is much scarier with added context.

Elpis said:
Leif told you Wilhelm started out with petty thefts before moving on to major artifacts, so either he honed his craft or he has slowly escalated to avoid drawing too much attention to himself.

Stealing the Marchioness' flute and a staff that is locked in a vault nobody can access? Maybe you are not giving him enough credit.

Wilhelm must be in such a weird position in Aria's mind, or like, just in general. Like on one hand, he's such a whacky trickster hoodwinking Aria and everyone over and over again, and that was before whatever weird fantasy team rocket stuff was going on. But on the other hand, Aria can just stuff him in a locker. Which in light of all the other miraculous king of thieves and clowns stuff he does, feels almost *wrong* in a way that's very funny and satisfying. Like you expect him to have enormous numbers like a jrpg boss or something but no she just beats him down.

Elpis said:
Charizard gives you a nod, eager to get started. You see its anger at the possibility of the giant demi-god returning, destroying the resting place that it is meant to protect.

I have a lot of thoughts about this Charizard that I will hopefully be able to find time to circle back and talk about, but for now: so cool. Guardian Charizard is so cool. The language part from earlier is very neat. Completely understandable and principled of it to not be willing to be recruited but I will still be sad about that.

Elpis said:
The woman that attacked you looks… well, like a priestess. Not in the same way that Ray does, her robes are dark and she wears a tiara with the numerals 'II' carved into a gem up front. In her hand is a long, black sheath.

The Priestess draws that long blade. It is thin and sharp, like someone had honed the moon to killing. Her hair is black and long, her eyes pierce you with the color of a dark red sunrise—

She looks beautiful in so many ways that it makes you want to run away.

This is such a sick intro description. I can hear the Utsuho nuclear klaxons. The sword too, "like someone had honed the moon to killing" fucks so hard.

Elpis said:
You rush forward, sliding underneath the swing of her blade and watching as Sophia catches it with her own sword. Ray joins in, shocks sent over the woman's hands— you turn your attention to Wilhelm, who has finally turned around. He smiles at you, as if he was waiting.

Time for the main show!

Elpis said:
Sophia is skilled. She has not had time to truly show off to Aria yet, but she knows how to wield a blade, and has been in the field longer than Aria has been. The problem is: so is this woman.

Though dressed in clerical garb, the way she swings her sword reminds her of stories of swordmasters from the Eastern continents. The thin blade does not have the right shape, yet the pressure she puts on with that thin of a hilt makes Sophia grit her teeth.

Elpis said:
The woman's smile does not leave her face. She spreads her arms, then gives an exaggerated bow. "I am Adelheid, Priestess of the Nameless God. Would you like me to pray for your health?"

Elpis said:
Adelheid follows up with a dance. The way she approaches begins with short steps and becomes a full performance, twirling around Sophia and leaving cuts everywhere. Ray takes aim, but cannot fire off anything without risking injury to her own ally.

Very cool, love the back and forth here. Appreciate that every member of fantasy team rocket is insufferably theatrical and gets that 'what the fuck is with this guy' reaction. Poor Sophia wanting to show off in front of her liege but running smack into a recurring boss fight. Love the way Adelheid fights, and the consideration Ray has to make to not friendly fire her allies with her dynamite throwing martial art. The whole "both humans and pokemon fight" makes for some really cool asymmetric battles.

Elpis said:
It's Winter who saves the day. While Spring is helping Charizard, Perun and Winter stayed behind to help against Adelheid. Using Pokemon to attack people is unchivalrous, but worse than that, it's an affront to the order of the world.

Some say that the gods curse those who would do such a thing. It is an instinct that even most Pokemon understand within themselves, which is why Winter helps by playing defence.

A wall of dirt appears between Sophia and Adelheid, long enough to stop her dance, and long enough for Ray to fire off lightning from a stone. Adelheid points her sword at the lightning, then releases it upward into the ceiling instead of the ground. She cuts the wall, and her blade is caught by Perun, using his frills.

Oh this is interesting! I was vaguely wondering about that, but it is nice to see it laid out like this. Also very cool maneuvers from everyone here. Love the lightning rod tech in this fight.

Elpis said:
A cage forms around Wilhelm and Aria, but Sophia cannot let herself be distracted.

And so Aria gets the 1v1 while Sophia and Co. continues facing off against Priestess.

Elpis said:
As Ray takes aim again, Adelheid spins around, using Sophia as a shield against the strong current of water that follows. Sophia kicks upward, driving her knee into the woman's stomach. The grip loosens, but so does the priestess' footing, leaving you both to be knocked onto the ground by Ray's water stone.

"We'll have to work on that," Ray comments. It takes all of Sophia's effort not to roll her eyes. She drags herself out of the mud, catching a glimpse of Perun holding Nickit up with his frills while Winter uses her club repeatedly to swing at the fox as if it owes her money—

fdhjjhsdhjfg this rules, I love Ray. Fights like a pathfinder alchemist. 'we'll have to work on that' said to a woman who definitely resents her at least a little. Also "swing at the fox as if it owes her money" is just a beautiful turn of phrase.

Elpis said:
"If you want to blow me up," Adelheid says, smiling at Ray. "I'm afraid I'll have to take your friend with me. I like those odds."

"Do you?" Sophia asks, her fingers digging into the ground around her as she focuses on anything but pain. "Most people are not so eager to die."

"Dear Sophia," Adelheid says. "I am not most people."

"Sure you aren't." Sophia's fingers find their target. "Winter, now!"

Sophia holds up a large fire stone. One of the real ones, red and orange and yellow. Ray begins to charge it up from afar, and Winter creates a massive flood of dirt all the way up to Sophia's hand. Adelheid's arm is trapped by it, still on the sword pinning Sophia down.

Elpis said:
The explosion creates a wall of fire. Adelheid screams in pain, and by the time the blaze ends and Sophia is freed from the earth, what is left is— an intact arm?

Sophia stands up. Her own palm is burned badly, that'll take a while to heal for sure. Regardless, Adelheid is now standing far away, Nickit and Purrloin next to her. She's missing her arm, which looks like it has been ripped off right off her shoulder and is now hanging off the sword that is still stuck in Sophia's shoulder.

Elpis said:
And in a flash, Adelheid is gone. Sophia feels her shoulder lighten, noticing that the sword is gone now. The arm is still on the ground, though, showing that whatever happened could not have been an illusion.

"What the fuck?" Ray asks. Sophia just nods, unable to find her voice.

Well! That was incredibly darn cool. She just teleported! That's new. Adelheid definitely shaping up to be a very particular person. Curious to see if losing an arm will stick! This faction is interesting in how they match up against the heroes. Definitely terrifying and dangerous threats (she is or rather was fending off all of them, meanwhile Wilhelm was genuinely worrisome until Aria got him), but the opposite o untouchable. They get every bit as banged up as the heroes, only they do some kind of... reset? Body-jump? Like-

Elpis said:
"Ah, Aria," he says, raising his arms wide. "I admit, I still cannot remember you, but my partner over there has informed me that you've arrested me before. Is that true?"

-this almost reads as more of a check-point or memory back up situation to me rather than there being multiple identical Wilhelms. Maybe they have some kind of mind storage device that can override someone's mind and reformat their body or something, so they're just grabbing random people and turning them into the last Wilhelm back-up. Who can say, I might be way off course.

Anyways, it's time for the duel.

Elpis said:
He slams his staff against the ground, and out comes a Drilbur. It looks… off. Its eyes are not all there, its claws glowing blue.

Seems like these pokemon are mind-controlled or something. Given the situation that's probably due to Regieleki, but could just as easily be some psychic or ghost type in Wilhelm's employ, off-screen. Either or.

Elpis said:
Wilhelm sends lightning at you. You are ready, holding your sword to the ground and bending down, making sure that the path of least resistance comes in the form of that Skarmory steel. The lightning dissipates in the ground, leaving cracks everywhere.

More lightning rod tech, love to see it.

Elpis said:
You don't let him get another shot off, your feet hitting the ground running and your sword swinging for that man's arm. He blocks the attack with the staff, clearly struggling to hold you back.

So you do him a favor and kick his legs out from under him. He yelps as he hits the ground, unwilling to let go of the staff to do his weird acrobatics and stay upright. He kicks forward himself, his back on the ground and both his feet coming at you like spears. You block the attack with your shield, yet find that his own physical strength has improved significantly.

There's no other explanation for why this clown should be able to lift you off the ground with his legs.

I love how much Aria fights like a complete scumbag in a tavern brawl. Her commenting on his weird acrobatics and the way that this staff is not his melee weapon of choice, very good. Also, huh, Wilhelm got some upgrades.

Elpis said:
You adjust your own torso in the air and brace for impact, bending your knees as you touch the ground. Wilhelm has drawn one of his blades, working with what is familiar, and tries to drive it into your throat.

You hold the knife away using your free hand on his wrist, then turn and pull to send him stumbling forward. Your shield bashes into his arm, but he does not drop the sword. Your sword cuts across his chest before you kick him away again.

Love love love that drawing out a (probably) mundane knife is the escalation from the lightning demon staff. The impact of familiarity can't be understated.

Elpis said:
"You're such a pain in the ass," Wilhelm says. You shake your head.

"I'm the righteous blade," you say, puffing up your chest, trying your best to imitate his voice and failing miserably. "Would you like to dance, my lady?"

Wilhelm does not seem amused.

SHE'S SUCH A HATER! WILL SINK TO ANY LEVEL TO TALK SHIT! ARIAAAAA!

Elpis said:
He draws the knife out of his shoulder. Now he looks like the fool that you left bleeding in the snow.

dfhjsjdhg my god, she's just the best. He is NEVER recovering from being an easier fight than some random poacher.

Elpis said:
"If you still can't remember me kicking your ass," you grab him by his stupid hair and pull back your head. "Then let me refresh your memory!"

Stars fill your vision when you bring down your forehead onto his nose. It breaks with a sickening crunch, blood splattering everywhere.

She headbutts him. Oh my god.

Elpis said:
You give her a theatrical bow as you bend over to lift up your sword again and hold it up against Wilhelm's neck. He stays upright by holding onto— the staff?

Wilhelm stops smiling. Maybe that's not quite accurate, he's not been smiling the entire fight you've been having. But even as his face twisted into disdain and malcontent, his eyes kept reflecting a kind of mirth that is no longer there.

She bows. Theatrically. This is so deliciously unnecessary. Aria's unchecked vengeful pettiness never fails to delight and amaze. What the fuck is her problem (I know. I know).

Elpis said:
"Come to me, Regieleki! Carve your name across this continent, free your brothers and sisters!" The sharp end of the staff pierces into his chest, as if it were made of butter. It sinks deep, clearly taking lungs and heart with it from the sheer amount of blood that spills from his chest and his mouth. Your mouth opens, but no words come out at the sight of the madman's suicide.

Regieleki name-dropped!!!

Elpis said:
He opens his… his mouth? And out come high-pitched sounds. Beeps and boops. Though you cannot understand the ancient language, you do know whatever it is saying is not kind. It bends its knees, readying an attack.

The mental image of regie beeps coming out of a human mouth is actually fucking horrifying, good job on the atmosphere of the phase 3.

Elpis said:
"Okay," you say. That's all you can really say. A nod to Inana invites her to the fight, this is no longer a matter between humans. Whatever has taken over Wilhelm's body, Regieleki as he called it, is not something you can face by yourself.

Appreciate that the 'natural order of the world' gloves come off for this.

Elpis said:
Drake did not raise a loser.

So you cannot lose.

She's so coooooool

Elpis said:
The thing appears again, and though fast and powerful it is mostly mindless and without strategy. The exact same punch, the exact same attack, and Inana jumps up from the floor to cut into the electric body with her claws. She gets some of the charge sent back at her, but it lowers the strength of the attack significantly.

Interesting that it isn't fighting smart. Guessing because it isn't fully released.

Elpis said:
"Inana," you say. "Any tricks I don't know about?"

Inana rolls her eyes, then gives you a nod. Then, she raises her arm up, pointing at her claw.

"One time only? Okay," you say, nodding again. "Then lets make it count."

Love the communication here! Aria's conversations with her pokemon are basically indistinguishable from conversations she has with her human allies. Immense charm point.

Elpis said:
You want to. You really do, but you cannot. The shocks through your body hold you down, your limbs all numb.

It beeps once more, and you turn your head to find it kicking your sword that was left on the ground after Inana's attack. The sword bounces a few times before ending up right next to you.

'Come,' the demon seems to say. 'Stand up and fight me.'

That must be Wilhelm still bleeding through that monstrous appearance. Inana shouts something, forcing herself to stand up. The demon turns around, beeping at her. Inana makes a rude gesture, and then dodges the flash of lightning that follows.

It absolutely must be said, nemesis match made in heaven between two of hell's greatest haters.

Elpis said:
"Who are you?" it asks.

"Why is my name ▅▅▅▅?"

This is so sick.

Elpis said:
Head to legs. Knees to chest. You become faster, each attacking slowly removing piece by piece of the demi-god's influence on Wilhelm's body. Slowly, but surely, you see the man's charred corpse underneath it all and know that this is your chance.

You reach out and grab the staff. The high-pitched voice turns into a long screaming-like noise, desperation audible to anyone who is listening. You cannot show mercy, and though you know that this spirit yearns to be free, it cannot be today.

Elpis said:
"Inana!" you order, pulling with all your strength. "DESTROY IT!"

Inana does not hesitate. You feel something inside your pockets warm up, a bright light enveloping the Sneasel that has been your trusted companion since your departure from the Order. As her claws come up to shatter the staff, her body changes, growing slightly, the blue feather on her ear turning into a headdress.

Inana evolved into a Weavile.

And that Weavile's sharp claws carved the staff apart like it was nothing but paper.

THE MID-ATTACK EVOLUTION YEAAAAAAAAAH!

Elpis said:
"No!" Wilhelm shouts. You try to contain your surprise as you hear his voice, charred and broken from his sacrifice. "I cannot fail here, I cannot!" His eyes return to normal, and though they are unfocused you can see the recognition in them. "AriaaaAAAAAAAA!"

"You finally remember me," you say, smiling widely. You lower your sword, raising a fist instead. "Goodbye, Wilhelm. This time, please stay down."

Your punch knocks him out.

UNPARALLELED, LET'S GO!!! Not sure what this means for whatever weird multi-wilhelm situation is happening her but this rules so I'll think about that later.

Elpis said:
You dream of…

[X] A young serpent that dreams of devouring the sky one day.

If this is who I think it is, I will be delighted. And even if it isn't, it'll still be really cool.

Elpis said:
End of Arc 3

To be continued in:
Arc 4: The Crown-Prince

Well, if that isn't ominous!

Anyways, good to be back reading this story and following along. The backlog was delicious and I am glad to be caught up just in time for Arc 4 to start! Auspicious timing, honestly, I wish I could say that had been intentional. Thanks for writing, Elpis!

Elpis said:
The Priestess Adelheid

Looks great! Very cool.

Half Moon · Jan 14, 2025

[X] A young serpent that dreams of devouring the sky one day.
That was strange and somewhat fucked.

Magery · Jan 14, 2025

Elpis said:
It is thin and sharp, like someone had honed the moon to killing.

You can't keep getting away with this.

One day your reckoning will come.

[X] Stardust and prayers chasing the light of the sun.

Elpis · Jan 14, 2025

Magery said:
One day your reckoning will come.

the mods are birds but i am a falcon

AmberGimlet said:
This is so sick.

heromaxxed ariapill truthing

Elpis · Jan 14, 2025

Redraw now that I got my PC back up and working. I lost all my data of the past 4 years because of stuff, so now I'm kinda down. At least the tablet works again. Here's Adelheid.

Elpis · Jan 18, 2025

Scheduled vote count started by Elpis on Jan 11, 2025 at 2:21 PM, finished with 24 posts and 17 votes.

12 people have voted
[X] A young serpent that dreams of devouring the sky one day.
- Krika
- Axel Fones
- Lyosha
- Reji8627
- Touch Dom
- Wobblegonnabe
- Shadowphyre
- dolcevita
- Victory4T
- Dubious Wisdom
- AmberGimlet
- Half Moon
5 people have voted
[X] Stardust and prayers chasing the light of the sun.
- Sqw4l
- NemoMarx
- JaxThePyro
- barty
- Magery

Elpis · Jan 18, 2025

You dream of a young serpent.

It is the lowliest of all creatures in the garden. It crawls on its belly, it has no legs or arms. No feet or hands. What it can grip, it can only grip with its mouth.

"Tell me of the sky," the serpent would say, as it cannot raise its head to look up. "Tell me of the world above us."

"It is cruel and indifferent," the fish says. "It floods our rivers, or it dries them out. Sometimes it freezes them."

"It is warm and giving," the lizard says. "It reveals the sun to wake me, and it hides it so I may rest. Sometimes, it sends fire down."

Neither lies, for the serpent knew that neither of them was a liar, and so if all these things are true, the sky must be vast and unknowable.

Down here, what little food it can find, the serpent cannot share with its friends. It is hard to survive, every day is a struggle against those who are bigger and stronger, those who are faster and have more wit.

But one day, the serpent knows, it will grow and devour the sky, and when it does, it will share its bounties with its friends. The fish will have all the water it needs, and the lizard shall have all the sun it requires.

###

Speaking of having to fix your habit of falling unconscious after a hard fight, you wake up with a start. Everything hurts. Everything. Unlike the energetic feeling after the fight against the Guardian Charizard, you find yourself immediately lying down again and trying to ignore the throbbing that explodes from every limb.

You are alive, that's good! Pain means you're going to live to see another day! You'd rather be dead right now, you think. The dead can rest, right?

Something stirs. Or someone. You look to your left, where Ray is sleeping with her mouth half open, drooling all over the sheets that were draped over you. You look around, immediately recognizing Julius' medical office at the brothel.

The smell should've given it away, but at this point you're a bit lightheaded. Sophia is nowhere to be seen and your Pokeballs are lying on the table, undisturbed.

You'd let Ray continue sleeping, but you're pretty sure she's cutting off your legs from the rest of your body and you'd rather not lose a limb like this. You poke her cheek, giving her a few seconds before lightly slapping it to rouse her. She wakes up slowly, rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning," you say. The slow start becomes an abrupt and frantic flailing as she nearly falls out of her chair. She finds her footing by standing up, sending the chair backwards before wrapping her arms around you. "R-Ray, this hurts!"

She does not let go, so you try to get used to the pain.

"You're such an idiot," she says. This seems like a familiar situation, though last time there was a softness that Ray simply does not grant you. "A big, big fat idiot."

"So I've been told," you say, wheezing out a high-pitched groan when her grip tightens. "Ray, please—"

You are freed from torment, though her hand still finds yours and holds it tightly. You can see Gumi in the corner of the room, yawning at the sight before going back to sleep. For an Electric Pokemon in a place like this, she really has low energy.

"What happened?" you ask. Ray grits her teeth, clearly in thought as to where to start.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"My sword's broken after I kicked Wilhelm's ass," you say. "I don't know if I did the right thing, though. I destroyed the staff, right?"

"It's… complicated, but you did good," Ray says, nodding. "The staff was a creation of Raikou, using it to unseal Regieleki was never its purpose. While the seal is still weakened, the part of Regieleki you defeated won't regenerate for a long while. They'll fix the seal right up before that happens."

"That's good," you say, for lack of true understanding about the situation. In truth, the concepts and mythology of the whole matter have gone above your head for the most part, in the end you feel like one of those cavemen who were freed by the beasts. As long as you have a hammer, everything in front of you is a nail.

You look to the empty sheath. The Skarmory steel held up well for so long, the idea that a sword like this could shatter never crossed your mind. "But… What happened? How did I win?"

"That's also complicated, you nearly killed yourself with that move," she says. You want to crack a joke, 'nearly killed' isn't dead yet, but the way she looks at you makes it impossible. "Your body's a conduit, whatever powers you have make it so you can channel energy easier, even if you can't produce your own."

"That's, something," you say, tasting ash on the tip of your tongue. That answers some things, though you're not sure what the questions are. "So I became really strong for a moment?"

"You're an idiot;" Ray says. You narrow your eyes at her. "The temple is built atop of Dragonveins, so the tomb under it was filled to the brim with energy."

That's a new term, though you can guess what she means.

"So?" you ask, raising an eyebrow.

Ray holds up one of the quartzes she likes to use. It's empty. "So, imagine you're this dumb little gem. Kind of pretty, not very bright. So you draw energy into yourself, first when fighting the Charizard. You reach the point where you're full, so—"

The gem starts to light up, and glows brightly in your face as it reaches its capacity.

"You're full of energy and ready to take on the world," she says. "But if you keep pushing it, like fighting a demon."

She keeps charging the quartz. It begins to crack, then shatters and falls apart right in her hands. All that is left is shards and dust that glitter on her skin.

"Okay," you say, nodding. You understand the concept. So… "What does that mean?"

Ray slaps her hands over her face and sighs.

"It means you nearly killed yourself," Justus says, walking through the door. "And until that excess energy is out, your physical state will be terrible. Here."

He throws something at you. A… spoon. You raise your hand to catch it, and you do, but your fingers don't grip it right and it falls onto your lap. You frown, reaching out for the spoon and grabbing it.

Once again, it falls from your fingers. There's no strength in your grip, and for a moment your heart sinks into your stomach. You kick off the covers, forcing yourself to stand up. You lose your balance, forcing Ray to keep you upright.

"You say this is temporary?" you ask, your voice tight. The weight you put on Ray must be too much already, her face red as she tries to help you back onto the bed. Justus nods.

"I can't say how long, but probably not longer than a few weeks," he says, shrugging. "See it like recovery from a broken limb, except you can't just potion your way out of this. This takes time and patience."

Things you have in abundance, of course. You sigh, gripping the air with your hand and trying to focus the weakness away.

"Alright," you say. Can't cry over spilled Moomoo milk, can you? Justus grabs something from the closet near the wall, walking over to hand it to you. It's a crutch, very simple overall, though it looks like it's been used for a long time before.

"This should work, energy flows back to the world, so the strength in your legs should come back first," he says. You nod at him, taking the crutch. Your lack of gripping strength will make using it a bit harder, but if you pretend it's training, it's no more difficult than carrying a dozen bags of grain up a tower. "No fighting, no stressful activities. And a balanced diet, if I see you with another one of those knight's rations in your mouth we'll have a serious talk."

You roll your eyes. For someone who was initially very unwilling to involve you, he sure has evolved into a mother hen. "Sure, so can you actually tell me what happened? How long was I out?"

"About half a day," Justus says. Ray nods, chiming in.

"Wilhelm's body fell apart into dust, the temple was pretty mad about the staff at first but the crown prince's presence has made them shut up pretty fast."

"The crown prince?" you ask.

"Yeah, apparently he was near the border," Justus says, sitting down at his desk and throwing his legs up. "The border guard you sent us to? Uten? He got the prince here pretty fast once he got the message. Bit late, though, you had already won by the time he got here."

"Won," you say. It doesn't feel like a win, in some regards. "I suppose so, Wilhelm's… well, Wilhelm's dead. I can't say I mourn him, but it does not fill me with joy to see someone die at my hands."

"He killed himself the second he sacrificed his soul to Regieleki," Ray says. She is unhappy at the topic, but does not let that stop her from speaking her mind. "You don't need to take credit for that, he was doomed by his chosen path."

"Right." You want to agree, but the truth is that you cannot stand the idea of death. Even if it is more dangerous, you'd rather someone stay alive to face the law than to face the justice of steel. "What about Sophia, where is she?"

"She's giving a testimony, the emperor's men flooded the city and this one wasn't ready to leave your side." Justus shrugs, pointing at Ray. She does not say anything, but her face twists in discomfort. "Turns out your little stunt pulled a lot of attention, though. The hole that opened in the city gave a lot of people quite a display of your fight, they are running around calling you Titansbane. Demonslayer. I think there's a painter who wants to draw your portrait camping outside the brothel."

You wave him off. "Okay, okay, please stop."

Titles and great deeds aren't something you really care about, though you can't say that being appreciated feels bad. Still, the circumstances that led to this are far too strange.

"I still don't understand why Wilhelm was here," you say. Ray nods. "And the woman that helped him, I remember a friend in Wallburg telling me about someone like her. A priestess that heals people who get sick and die after she leaves? That must've been her."
"Adelheid," Ray says. You raise an eyebrow. "She introduced herself, a priestess of the nameless god. I couldn't tell you which one she means, but I imagine it is not a benevolent one."

"Yes." You nod. What a ridiculous display. That someone like Wilhelm has allies at all makes you break out in hives, the audacity that someone could stomach him long enough to participate in his plans. "At least we got out, what about Debora? The Centurion? Are they alright?"

"Debora's gonna be just fine, she's bounced back from worse," Justus says, smiling softly. It's a strange sight on his face, you don't like it, but won't deny him his joy. "The Centurion's the reason Sophia's out, there's a lot of conflicting reports so she was picked as a neutral party due to you lack of availability."
Speak of the knight and she will kick the door in— almost literally. The door to the office opens with such force it hits the other side of the wall, and you can see Justus' irritation at the crack that appears on the wood. Sophia walks in with swift steps, then throws herself onto the bed and wraps her arms around you, knocking you both into the pillow.

She does not say anything, and you don't have any air left in your lungs to do it either. It takes a few moments in which you look at Ray and Justus for help and just receive smug looks back. After a good minute, Sophia's iron grip loosens enough for you to wheeze out a greeting.

Put that on the list of things to work on. Breathing exercises because all your friends seem like huggers.

"You're the biggest idiot in all of Elysium," Sophia says, pushing off you. "But you're a real hero, Aria."
You don't know what you say, so you smile and hug her back. She winces slightly, and you can see the bandages under her shirt that reach all the way up to her neck. It seems that nobody came out uninjured, but everyone came back alive.

And that is worth all the pain you've endured and will endure in the future.

###

Unfortunately rest is not something you can afford while the city is in turmoil. The emperor's men have summoned you, and though they said it is not urgent and you can take your time to rest and recuperate, you cannot sit idly by while the guards and the temple have a chance to lie.

At the base of the temple, just before the stairs that lead up, there is a square. It's big enough to hold a few hundred people standing close to each other, surrounding a wooden stage that is no doubt used by the temple's town crier.

You are let through by the crowd, the crutch Justus gave you under one arm and Sophia's shoulder under the other. Step after step, and though you find exhaustion already taking hold of you, you cannot stay still. It takes a few minutes, but you end up right in front of the platform.

There are a few familiar faces. You can see Uten, who waves at you in greeting before returning to his position of the stern and focused guard. There is the Centurion Argos, on his knees, a man holding a sword against his neck as he is forced to lower his head in front of the people of Olympia.

You can see a woman on a Mudsdale, not on the stage but still eye to eye with those that are.

And you can see a young man, a boy really, dressed in a uniform in golden and silver colors.

He's younger than you, though not by much. His eyes shine bright blue, like portraits of Kael you have seen in the past, his hair short and purple. His skin mirrors yours, as one would expect of Solian royalty, and though his stature is comparatively small, his presence makes up for it.

You know that the emperor married again after the death of the empress. You know that though this marriage was fast, and even the prince's birth was but a year after the woman's death, that this was done out of a need for an heir, and not to forget the woman he loved.

Loves, still, you are certain.

It is no secret that the emperor does not love the current empress, though he fulfils his duties as her husband all the same.

"The guest of honor arrives," the prince says, smiling at you so brightly it makes you feel you're staring directly into the sun. "Please, come up here if you wish."

You don't want to, really, but Sophia's feet are already dragging you towards the stairs to the platform and Uten gives you a pat on the shoulder as you pass him. You can see the smile in his eyes behind the mask.

"Now I have been briefed on the situation in Olympia," the prince continues, addressing the people of the city with that same smile. "I have heard of corruption among the clergy, and the very same among the guards who were meant to uphold order."

The people do not say a word, unable to speak out of turn in front of the prince. You frown, ready to add your own complaints, but he does not stop to let you.

Rather, he takes the words right out of your mouth.

"And yet I find it ridiculous that in a city that outnumbers both clergy and guards, not one person decided to report this situation," he says, raising his arms towards a group of prostitutes. You recognize the two that went to get Uten's help among them. "That it escalated to the point where people could scream for help at night and not one of the righteous citizens of Sol would stand and help their fellow brother or sister. Do their cries fall on deaf ears, Olympians? Are they lesser than you? If so, please show me the law where my father has decreed them so."

And once again, shameful silence.

"It is quite a debacle," he says, his voice tight and his shoulders tense. His eyes move from the crowd to Argos. "Not only has my father's trust been broken by those who should know better, but in our time of need it was a foreigner who took up blade and spilled her blood on our soil to keep his subjects safe."

"Your Highness—" the Centurion begins. The prince does not say a word, he does not need to, the man holding Argos down presses his blade closer to his neck for speaking out of turn.

"A shame, really," the prince continues. "The governing of these cities lies in the hand of the faithful, as long as the emperor's laws are upheld. Collusion between the temple and our very own guards is something we should have considered before. Perhaps a harder hand must be used to keep the peace, don't you think so, Maria?"

The pale woman on the Mudsdale gives a nod. She does not speak, her lips drawn in a thin line. Her eyes are fixed on you, quite clearly staring. You stare back.

"You, woman," he says. You blink. You? Well, at least he didn't try 'girl'. "The people of Olympia have given you many names, but I know not the one you prefer. Titles are harsh, and life is too short to worry about formalities, don't you think?"

"Aria," you say, frowning. You don't like how he speaks, though you can tell from the way his voice breaks at the end of some words that he is putting on a show. For the people, for the peace, and for his knights as well. "That is my name."

You are Aria, and even though you can say your old name with pride, the name you have chosen will forever be the thing you introduce yourself with.

"Aria, Titansbane," he says, using a title despite his earlier words. "I must thank you for your service, in the name of the Sun, and in the name of the temple. Though tragedy has no doubt struck this city, the worst was avoided by the blade of you and your companions."

His fist hits his chest plate twice. He bows his head, very slightly, and the people around you follow suit, bowing much deeper.

"I didn't do it for the thanks, Your Highness." You don't get very far with your sentence, he waves you off.

"Please," he says, walking up to you. He extends a hand, and though your entire body screams at you as you extend your own, you still grab it. "Call me Kieran."

"Prince Kirean," you decide to compromise. He notices the lack of strength in your grip.

"I apologize, your deeds sound so great it is easy to forget your injuries," he says. "There's something I wish to discuss with you, though perhaps it would be better to meet in private after the criminals have been prepared for transport."

"Transport?" you ask. He nods.

"To the capital, while I would usually decide the punishment myself, this man was appointed by my father, which means that the punishment must be issued by him."

You nod. "That makes sense, sorry, I'm not very familiar with the laws of Sol. We can meet after, of course, I still have to meet up with a few people now that I'm up."

"Of course, thank you," he says, giving you a nod. "We'll be setting up at the guard's barracks, do not be in a hurry, it will be a few days before we are ready to leave."

###

Tia and Lora are there to greet you on your way back. Sophia does not let go of you, though, her grip tightening as she helps you up the stairs to Debora's office. It's been cleaned up, no doubt by Justus, though the destroyed desk is not something he could fix so easily so you try not to look guilty.

"I apologize, you should be resting and all people are doing is dragging you around," Debora says. You smile.

"It's fine," you say, "I'd go crazy if I have to sit in that bed for another hour. This is a good distraction, I even got to meet royalty."

"The prince is the pride of the empire," Debora says, crossing her arms. You look at the ceiling. "While not every emperor was a good man, the current one is, and with the prince the apple has not fallen far from the tree it seems."

"He seems like he has a good head on his shoulders," you say, nodding. "You didn't call me here to talk about him, though, right?"

"Right," she says. "I wanted to thank you, Tia and Lora have informed me about everything we didn't have time to talk about in the tomb. Now that the guards don't require bribery, a lot of our funds have opened up, so I wanted to give you some of it."

"I can't accept any money," you say. Ray rolls her eyes.

"Sure you can," Ray says. "It's really easy. Watch this. Half."
"Not in a million years, you little shit," Debora says, raising her nose at Ray. "I need you to accept at least enough to get a new sword, I know that the material is not something you can find in Sol."

"We accept," Sophia says. You want to say something, but she does not let you. "It won't be able to replace that sword, I know, but the alternative is not getting it replaced for a while. You can't feed yourself with gratitude."

"Fine," you say. Sure gratitude won't fill your stomach but these people have suffered enough, haven't they? Cutting them a break isn't wrong! "But no more than the price of a sword."

"Of course," Debora says. She winks at Sophia for some reason. Sophia… winks back? You choose to ignore that.

"Truth is, we owe you a debt we can't repay," Justus says. "The whole situation became much bigger than a missing matron but you kept your cool and helped us out. Thank you, Aria."

"Thank you," Lora and Tia say as well. Lora continues. "You saved all of us, you'll forever be a friend."
"Indeed," Debora says. "While our friendship isn't much to write home about, we do have places in other cities that will give you shelter and aid whenever you need it. Take this to prove you are one of ours."

She hands you a pin in the shape of a yellow rose. You accept it, though you can't quite attach it to your clothes yourself without Sophia's help. She fishes something out of her pocket, the emblem you received for your title of honorary knight, and does much the same for it. They look off, but somehow you feel pride in your chest.

"You're a good child, Aria," Debora says. Any upset about being treated like one is met with that warm gaze of hers. "A thousand lifetimes could not repay what you've done for us and the city. Whatever reason your journey has, I am glad your feet walked through those gates and into our lives."

"Me too," you say, giving Ray a nudge. "My friends might one day come through here looking for me. Knowing them, my name will already be enough. If they come here, can you do me a favor? Point them wherever I go, so they can catch up."

You don't want to be the very best, but you will be damned if you can't be good enough.

So as your journey continues you are placed in front of many choices. As you have to rest now, you will have to let your Pokemon do the fighting.

But one day, when your hand can grasp your fate once more, you will need to pick a weapon.

[ ] Reforge your sword.
It is your attachment to Gildera, to the Glastrier Knights. The swords in Sol are made from Bronzong, less conductive but quite useful in other ways.

[ ] Forge a new blade.
You find yourself evolving, and the style of swords in Sol might prove useful in finding new ways to fight. The swords in Sol are made from Bronzong, less conductive but quite useful in other ways.

[ ] Completely change your weapon.
If you pick this, another vote will trigger later on what kind of weapon. You will not lose your shield, though you might get less use out of it if your weapon ends up too big.

###

The guard's barracks are quite plain overall, which is suspicious. The money that was gathered never went into the place, or the equipment. You see rusty spears and swords, you see broken tables. The best that this place has to offer is right in front of you, the old desk of the Centurion that is now being used as a tea table.

Sophia and Ray sit with you. Prince Kieran sits across, that eternal soft smile on his face. Maria is there too.

The maid pours tea for you before leaving the room. You stare at the cup, calculating the probability of making a fool of yourself if you try to lift it right now and spill half of it on the floor. The alternative is Sophia's aid, which also seems a bit ridiculous to display in front of royalty.

You settle on simply enjoying the smell of the tea.

"If you don't mind me asking, why were you near the border anyway?" you ask, not actually caring if he minds.

"The conflicts with Gilderan knights have escalated," he says. "Because I was on my way to the Research Tower anyway, I decided to check the situation. The Marchioness was celebrating something, so we ended up staying at Wallburg for a few days before making our way back."
The Tower. The place where science is made, as you know it. Though on Solian territory, officially the Tower has been declared neutral ground that is funded by both nations and nobles to learn more things about the world. You don't know much more, but you imagine it would be a place you'd like to visit as well. It's not too far from the border, though quite a long while away from the capital of Sol.

"It's not a good situation," Sophia says, frowning. "I hope you found that out yourself."

"It's not pretty, I admit," Kieran says. "The late empress' death has left scars across the continent. They run deep, like the tombs beneath our feet, and they threaten to ruin a peace that my father worked too hard to establish."
"But it's not that easy to solve," you say, already knowing where it's going. "Imperial power is low near the border, I've heard the whole thing already. How'd you fix it?"

"Your tongue is sharp, but you forget your place." The words are harsh, coming from the stoic woman standing behind the prince. Now that you get a proper look at her, you can say one thing for sure: this woman is dangerous. It's a feeling similar to the priestess Adelheid.

"Maria, please," Kirean says, giving you a nod. "It's a valid question, I was the one who asked us to forgo formality."

Maria does not say anything, but her gaze remains on you nonetheless. Sophia glares at her, but does not speak up either.

"To be honest with you, I don't know yet," Kieran says, answering your question. "I could do it with a heavy hand. There's some ways to do that—none which I would like to use, to be honest. Disowning nobility would breed malcontent, gathering greater forces to keep our own in check looks like preparation for an attack, and to be honest with you, the conflicts do not stem from one side alone."

"The Spectrier Knights would not pick fights at the border for no reason," Sophia says. You nod. Though there are issues with the size of Sol, Gildera, and specifically the Marquisate, are not too big to keep track of movements near the border.

"It's not Spectrier Knights, though there are some who remember the old wars and aren't too keen on peace," Kieran says. "Seized goods have been reported, injured merchants who have sworn before the emperor that they were cut by Skarmory steel."

Sophia looks at you with worry, as if you are about to react badly. But the truth is, after all that has happened, you can just nod.

"The Glastrier Knights are a mess since Drake's death," you say, crossing your arms and glaring at the rapidly cooling tea. "And last I spoke with Redwood, he said war was practically inevitable, that there are forces that want another conflict."

"Redwood? Mountain Bear Redwood?" Kieran says, his eyes lighting up like a child's. "You spoke with one of the captains of the Glastrier Knights?"

"Ah, yeah, sorry," you say, blinking away the surprise. He looks… so much like a child all of the sudden, it makes your defenses crumble. Maria looks embarrassed for him. "I was a Glastrier Knight, and Redwood was one of my teachers."

"My father told me stories about the people he crossed blades with," Kieran says. "Redwood and Drake were amongst the strongest, so I always wanted to meet with them. It's unfortunate that I am too late for one of them."

Unfortunate indeed. Somehow you cannot feel too much apprehension with a person who idolizes the same people that you do.

"Then again, while you are injured now, I would love to spar with you one day," he says. "You are a hero in the making, after all."

"I'm not that great of a person," you say. "I just did what anyone should do."

The way he looks at you makes you wonder if you misspoke. His eyes are distant, as if he sees someone else in front of him.

"You're admirable, Aria of Gildera," Kieran says. "If the nobles at the border had a heart half the size of yours, I know I could go in peace."

You don't know what to say to that.

So for the first time in a while, you simply say: "Thank you."

"The truth is that you made an impact, and this means attention," Kieran says. "Attention is not always good. A lordless knight from Gildera prancing about the continent, solving problems that the nobles can't? Resentment is the least of your worries, there will be people trying to recruit you and not taking no for an answer."

"I'm quite good at avoiding things I don't want to do," you say. Ray laughs softly, still the silent observer to the conversation. "You needn't worry about me, Prince Kieran."
"I am worried, regardless," he says. You notice he hasn't touched his tea either. "I don't want you to be bothered by such things when we owe you a great debt. I do have a solution, though it might not be to your liking either."

"Oh?" you ask, urging him to continue. If he already knows you won't like it, you are even more curious to hear why.

He smiles. "Your deeds are great enough for a good reward, if we make a public showing out of it that'll satisfy the nobility."

"What kind of reward?" you ask. "I've got an honorary knight title for getting a flute back, I don't think I need another."

"A flute?" he mouths at Sophia, who just shrugs at him in a 'what can you do' kind of way.

"Not what I had in mind," Kieran admits, "but not that bad of an idea. It'd probably be a small piece of land in Sol, establishing you as a true daughter of the land instead of a foreign national. You wouldn't need to actually live on it, give it some time and you can just sell it."

True daughter of the land.

"Borders and politics," you sigh, leaning into the seat. "Is it really that important for me to count as Solian?"

"Even if you don't have any pride in your nationality, others do. Perception is everything." He raises his fingers to his chin, cupping it. "You can live your life as you wish, and find importance in so many things that are not your blood, your name, or your nation. But regardless, to them that is important, and if you had wished to avoid such attention you would be better off laying down your blade instead of toppling gods."

Like Ray and her faith, you imagine. Just because your own worldview doesn't subscribe to asking the gods for deeds that a woman can do, doesn't mean you should sell short how much it means to her.

Of course, to some people their nation is as important to them as your friends and your freedom are to you.

"I can't make that decision yet, I have to talk to my friends."

"Of course," he says, smiling softly. "I can't reward you myself, of course, which means you'll have to come to the capital with me if you choose to accept."

"We're going," Ray says. You frown, turning to her. She looks you straight in the eye. "You can't enter the capital without a really expensive permit, being invited means we skip the line. There's no way you're going to say no."

You raise your finger, ready to say no out of principle, but her eyes grow big and wet. Since when is this a we? Apparently Ray decided to follow suit with Sophia and just attach herself to your party.

~~[ ] Don't go.~~
There is no way you can say no to this girl right now.

[X] Accept your fate.

Fine.

"Fine." You sigh. The capital was on the way anyway. "But only if we can stop by the Tower."

"That's fine, anything for our hero," he says, smiling. Maria rolls her eyes with such subtlety that you would not have caught it if it wasn't a dire change in her expression. "Rest up as much as you can, you'll ride in my carriage if you don't mind. It is quite comfortable."

"I must protest—" Maria begins. Kieran smiles at her.

"Of course you all can share it, I will ride ahead with my dear knight," he says. Maria's mouth shuts quickly, her teeth clacking against each other. You raise an eyebrow. Though you don't know what exactly is going on, Sophia seems to, giggling before Ray joins in.

And so you're on your way to the capital.

Daughter of Sol, whose name carves mountains across continents, whose heart dwarves the size of the mad Titan. You find another letter in that fractured husk that would have become a god. - Imp rial. Soon you will be complete.

On the way to the capital, there is a Tower. The men and women that work there have already heard of your deeds, and they wish to reward you as well. In front of you are three Pokeballs, all carrying the seal of the Tower. You are meant to pick one. They each represent your FIGHTING SPIRIT.

[ ] Chespin.
This one seems rather shy.

[ ] Tepig.
This one is quite a handful.

[ ] Quaxly.
This one is very easygoing.

###

AN: Thank you for reading. I don't know if I can continue this quest as is for much longer. No drawing or cover this update, I apologize.

Who? · Jan 18, 2025

That was a very fun update. Really enjoyed the Rayquaza tease at the beginning.

Ray has joined the party...

Elpis said:
He's younger than you, though not by much. His eyes shine bright blue, like portraits of Kael you have seen in the past, his hair short and purple. His skin mirrors yours, as one would expect of Solian royalty, and though his stature is comparatively small, his presence makes up for it.

Having fun, Elpis?

[X] Reforge your sword.
I like keeping this tie to the past.

[X] Tepig.

Emboar's pokedex entry says: "It cares deeply about its friends."

So I feel almost obligated to take this.

barty · Jan 18, 2025

~~[ ] Don't go.~~
There is no way you can say no to this girl right now.

[X] Accept your fate.

pfffft

[X] Reforge your sword.
[X] Tepig.
Still hesitating about the pokemon... I like the Chespin line the most of those 3, but I can't help but feel like taking a grass of fire pokemon would reduce our chance of getting back the pokemons Aria's been separated from.

About the chapter itself, I'm curious of the relevance of that little Rayquaza/Groudon/Kyogre tale at the start, but I'll admit I'm just enjoying the mythological aspect of this story

I wonder if Kieran is ignoring Maria's "attention" because he's being as much of a dunce as Aria or if he's trying to not address it because it would hurt her.

NemoMarx · Jan 18, 2025

[X] Forge a new blade.

[X] Chespin.

Elpis said:
"We're going," Ray says. You frown, turning to her. She looks you straight in the eye. "You can't enter the capital without a really expensive permit, being invited means we skip the line. There's no way you're going to say no."

You raise your finger, ready to say no out of principle, but her eyes grow big and wet. Since when is this a we? Apparently Ray decided to follow suit with Sophia and just attach herself to your party.

~~[ ] Don't go.~~
There is no way you can say no to this girl right now.

[X] Accept your fate.

Fine.

Aria's JRPG protagonist chops are so endearing.

allmightytoaster · Jan 18, 2025

[X] Reforge your sword.
Reforged swords are badass.
[X] Tepig.
The Emperor.

Sqw4l · Jan 18, 2025

[X] Reforge your sword.

[X] Quaxly.

Elpis said:
"So, imagine you're this dumb little gem. Kind of pretty, not very bright.

"It's not like I think you're pretty or anything, b-baka"
Aria's endless capture of the hearts of fair maidens cannot be stopped.

Axel Fones · Jan 18, 2025

[X] Reforge your sword.

[X] Tepig.

I will accept only ONE grass type on our team and it is a goat dammit.

barty · Jan 18, 2025

Axel Fones said:
I will accept only ONE grass type on our team and it is a goat dammit.

About that... Remember she used to have a Growlith before the quest's start

Axel Fones · Jan 18, 2025

barty said:
About that... Remember she used to have a Growlith before the quest's start

A fire doggo cannot beat the BAAAH and adorable doe eyes of a baby goat wise beyond their years.

Shadowphyre · Jan 18, 2025

[X] Reforge your sword.
[X] Quaxly.

Wobblegonnabe · Jan 18, 2025

[X] Forge a new blade.
You find yourself evolving, and the style of swords in Sol might prove useful in finding new ways to fight. The swords in Sol are made from Bronzong, less conductive but quite useful in other ways.
[X] Tepig.
This one is quite a handful.
My vote would have been for Chespin but we still have Skiddle waiting for us.

A Ballad for Icarus - A Historical Pokemon Quest

In the end, there is no end.

Life blooms like a flower, far away or by the road

Ostensibly Hope

Ostensibly Hope

Ostensibly Hope

Ostensibly Hope

Backalley Watchdog