A Dragon's Tail

Tail 8: Sirius' Tail - Monstrosity

Tail 8-2: Theocracy of Venturnome

-Two Days Later…

After two days had passed, the day of the Pendragon's next mission had arrived, and as soon as everyone was ready, the Pendragon entered the portal that led them to their next destination, Theocracy of Venturnome.

Theocracy of Venturnome, the sacred land of Symmetria, was regarded as the oldest nation in the Land of Equilibrium. Back to the time before the Fallen Crisis, the entire continent of Symmetria was under the rule of only one government, who governed the entire continent from a floating island in the sky. After the Fallen Crisis, however, the floating island fell down onto the land, and the continent of Symmetria was divided into seven nations. Among them, the southernmost area of the continent was placed under the rule of the same Pokemon who once ruled Symmetria before the Fallen Crisis, which became Theocracy of Venturnome, and its first ruler was none other than the 'prince' who once ruled over the entire continent before the Fallen Crisis, Pontifex Hawkins.

Theocracy of Venturnome lied on the southern area of the continent of Symmetria, which was a large plain, in contrast of the mountainous northern area of the continent. The southern plain was so large that it spanned the three nations of Symmetria, Theocracy of Venturnome, Principality of Leafburg and Dustorm Empire. The three nations used the major rivers that flew in the middle of the plain, separating the plain into three parts with slightly different biomes, as the border between each nation. The eastern part of the plain became Leafburg Grassland of of Principality of Leafburg. The western part of the plain became Scorching Savanna of Dustorm Empire. And the southern part, the largest part of the plain, became Venturnome Meadow, which spanned the entire area of Theocracy of Venturnome.

In the past, not only the Venturnome Meadow, but the area of Windsky Plateau was also the part of Theocracy of Venturnome too. The reason why the Windsky Plateau, an area separated from the rest of Venturnome by the Venturnome Strait, became a part of Theocracy of Venturnome was because the area of Windsky Plateau was none other than the floating island that once floated above the continent of Symmetria before the Fallen Crisis before it fell down to the land and became Windsky Plateau. Hench why most Pokemon that lived in Windsky Plateau were Flying type Pokemon as their home was once floating in the sky. However, the capital of Theocracy of Venturnome was still located in the Venturnome Meadow, and Windsky Plateau remained the part of Theocracy of Venturnome until the War over the Windsky Plateau when it became the part of Dustorm Empire until today instead.

Today, Theocracy of was a thriving trading place as the merchants from Fireview Kingdom and Dustorm Empire always came to trade at Venturnome Strait while the merchants from Principality of Leafburg, Republic of Civilight and Queendom of Riverbrine always came to trade at the trading post locating near the Venturnome-Leafburg border. Other than being a trading place, the abundant meadow of the nation made it a great place for agriculture, making Venturnome the second-most wealthiest nation after the Republic of Civilight.

Also, Theocracy of Venturnome was known as the land that housed the biggest religion of the continent, the religion of Goddess Yggdrasil. Every believer of this religion worshipped Goddess Yggdrasil and God Arceus, who were believed to be the protectors the World of Pokemon. This religion also thrived in other nations of Symmetria too, and many Pokemon who sought pilgrimage journeyed to this very land. The most notable pilgrimage spot were Tower of the God, a huge tower locating at the southernmost spot of the entire continent. Other than being a pilgrimage spot, this tower was also said to be the final battleground of the Hero/ine of Legend during War of the God III too, thought the truth remained unknown…

"Where are we?"

The 12 members of the Pendragon stood in a place that seemed to be the outskirt of a town that's located not too far from where they were right now. From what everyone could see, this town not only was located at the edge of a meadow, but it was also located next to a dense forest and a sea too. And there were many Pokemon arriving and leaving the town from the meadow, the forest and the port of the sea, all of which dressed like a merchant.

"Judge by the location and the Pokemon that visited this place, this must be the Trading Post, the trading town locating at the Venturnome-Leafburg border." Richard spoke up. "It is the second-biggest trading town on the continent of Symmetria after the Riverbrine Island in the Queendom of Riverbrine."

"You're right." Claura spoke up. "Xavier and I were here before when we were searching for the Hidden Village of Dragon, and we departed for the Queendom of Riverbrine at this very town too."

"Then, let's separate here." Baromyteus said. "I'll repeat the place where each pair has to search again. Rachael and Richard, search around the Venturnome City. Claura and Diego, search around this very trading town. Xavier and I will search around the Inner Venturnome Meadow, while Anastasia and Snow will search around the Outer Venturnome Meadow except for the area around the Venturnome Strait, which is for Zetarus and Freya. Last, Solar Village and Tower of the God are for you two, Korben and Sirius."

"Hm." Everyone nodded in response after hearing the words of the Shiny Haxorus.

"If you find anything, contact everyone else via your own Dragon Relic." Baromyteus said. "And if you want to, you can go to the Trading Post to restock or do whatever you want. And remember this, don't let that traitor escape or let Archbishop Zira know of our objective here. Understood?"

"Yes." Everyone answered.

"Then, you all are dismissed." Baromyteus said before turning his attention to the Dragonite. "Now, Xavier. Come with me."

"What a pain…" Xavier mumbled as he and Baromyteus started walking toward the opposite direction of the Trading Post, into the vast Inner Venturnome Meadow.

"Onii-chan…" Rachael turned her attention to the Latios. "What should we do next?"

"… Let's go to the Trading Post for now, Rachael." Richard answered.

"Then, come with us." Diego and Claura spoke up.

"Hm." Rachael and Richard nodded to the Kingdra and the Mega Charizard X before the four started walking toward the bustling Trading Post.

"… Freya, let us depart too." Zetarus spoke up to the Flygon. "It would take a while to reach Venturnome Strait, so let's go as soon as we can."

"Okay, brother!" Freya said.

"Then, can… we go with you two?" Korben spoke up to Zetarus and Freya, and I noticed that he hesitated a bit when he was about to say the word 'we'. "We can go together and separate as… we reach Solar Village."

"Of course!" Freya said.

"Then, let's go." Zetarus said and waved his paw toward the vast Inner Venturnome Meadow, and the four of us started walking together into the meadow, following Baromyteus and Xavier who had already gone far ahead us.

Which left…

I looked back a bit and saw Anastasia and Snow still stood at where we were before. Both had a strange expression on their face. I saw the uncertain expression on Anastasia's face and cold expression on Snow's face, which wasn't there earlier. And… Come to think about it… I remembered that Snow always acted gentle and polite toward all of us, including me. However, I felt like he always acted cold and distant to Anastasia. Was it just my imagination? And if not, then why was that? I pondered this as I continued walking alongside Freya, Zetarus and Korben until we couldn't see Trading Post, as well as Anastasia and Snow, anymore.

-Meanwhile…

"… To be honest, I am really surprised to see many types of Pokemon in a single place like this." Diego commented while he and Claura were walking along the busy street of the Trading Post. After arriving at the town, Richard and Rachael had left them in order to mind their business, so Claura suggested that they should take it easy for the first day by looking along the streets of the town first.

"I guess you haven't been to many places, Diego." Claura said. "This town is located at the Venturnome-Leafburg border, so many Pokemon from Venturnome and Leafburg come here to trade. Also, since this town is the free-trade area, the Pokemon from Riverbrine and Civilight also came to trade too."

"What about the Pokemon from Dustorm, Fireview and Shadowlost?" Diego asked.

"The Pokemon from Dustorm and Fireview usually go to the towns at the Venturnome Strait on the other side of the nation instead." Claura explained. "And for the Pokemon of Shadowlost, they will go to trade at the other nations instead."

"Why?" Diego asked.

"You really don't know?" Claura looked at the Mega Charizard X. "The Pokemon of Shadowlost Territory often face a prejudice from the Pokemon of Venturnome, something like the Pokemon of Venturnome are the light of good and the Pokemon of Shadowlost are the darkness of evil. Hell… When the Shadowlost Territory was first formed, the Pokemon of Venturnome didn't even see the Shadowlost Territory as a nation. Today, there are still many Pokemon of Venturnome who firmly believe that there are only six nation on the continent of Symmetria."

"I see…" Diego nodded. "You sure know a lot about this land, especially since you aren't even from this continent."

"I was here before, remember?" Claura said.

"Now that I think about it…" Diego said. "Since your homeland is in another world, how did you and Xavier come to this world?"

"Via the portal." Claura answered. "There's a lone island offshore of Leafburg, and that portal links between the World of Pokemon and Kingdom of the Dragonking."

"There's a portal like that?" Diego said.

"Yeah." Claura replied. "Actually, there are at least two portals that links two worlds together; one in Leafburg and another one in Venturnome. However, the one in Venturnome is located next to the capital, and Xavier and I wanted to avoid the crowded place first, so we chose the Leafburg portal instead."

"Then, there should be the portals somewhere else on this continent." Diego commented. "And now that I think about it, the portal back at our base may be able to be used—"

"No." Claura spoke up. "Xavier and I had already tried, but we couldn't use the portal at our base to go to Kingdom of the Dragonking. I guess it can be used to go to the places in this world only."

"What a shame…" Diego said. "Say… Can you tell me more about Kingdom of the Dragonking? I am a bit curious about that place."

"Sure." Claura said. "Kingdom of the Dragonking is…"

-Meanwhile…

"Wow! Look at these berries, Onii-chan!" Rachael said as she pointed at the berries on the stalls in the market. "They look very fresh!"

"Make sense. This town is located next to the Leafburg Forest, after all." Richard said.

After separating from Claura and Diego, Rachael said that she wanted to look around the market, so the siblings went there to see the products offered by the merchants of the town.

"Hm…" Rachael mumbled as she looked around stalls that sold berries, with Richard following her in tow. After inspecting the stalls for several minutes, Rachael spoke up again.

"Most of these berries are from Leafburg, I can tell." Rachael said. "Leafburg Forest has a high-quality soil that allows plants and trees to grow very well, and I can tell that these berries are grown on that soil."

"How can you tell that?" Richard asked.

"My mother, the one who took care of me when I first came to this world, taught me…" Rachael replied with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"… That Pokemon you called mother…" Richard spoke up after noticing the hint of sadness in Rachael's voice. "… Where is her… resting place?"

"At the Paradise Farm, the farm that she owned…" Rachael said. "Jasper, Zenpai and I buried her there as we wanted her to rest in the place she loved so dearly."

"… When was the last time you went to visit her grave?" Richard asked.

"… Just before I left Leafburg." Rachael answered. "After that, I met you at Gamma City and we've gotten ourselves into a mess, and I haven't gone back to visit her grave after that…"

"… Do you want to visit your mother's grave?" Richard asked.

"Huh?!" Rachael looked at her elder brother. "We can do that?!"

"Of course. Why not?" Richard replied. "We're at the Venturnome-Leafburg border anyway, so it shouldn't take us very long to just take a little detour."

"But Paradise Farm is in the Forezon Town, which is located in the north of Leafburg, and we are at the southern border of Leafburg." Rachael said. "Beside, we still have to go to Venturnome City, which is on the other side of this town too."

"Remember that we are a Latias and a Latios, Rachael." Richard said. "We both can fly at a very high speed, so it would take us not very long to get there and back here, or we can also use the portal to go back to our base and then use it to go to Paradise Farm directly too. And if you don't want to neglect our mission, we could go there after we finish our mission in Venturnome City."

"Really?!" Rachael looked at her elder brother.

"Of course." Richard said. "If you ask me, it wouldn't take us long to search for the last Hero of Legend in Venturnome City, because we won't find him there. After all, why would he, a deserted general of Riverbrine and the Hero of Legend who had been disappeared for several years, be in a crowded place like a capital city?"

"Okay, then…" Rachael looked at the forest behind the town and contemplated for several minutes before she spoke up. "… I want to visit my mother's grave, Onii-chan."

"Then it's decided." Richard said. "Now, I'll go and tell Claura and Diego that we'll leave for Venturnome City, and when you're ready to leave, just tell me."

"Okay…" Rachael said. "… Thank you, Onii-chan."

"No problem, Rachael." Richard said.

-A Few Days Later…

After leaving the Trading Post, I've been travelling along the vast Inner Venturnome Meadow with Freya, Zetarus and Korben, and it had been a couple days. During this time, we would walk along the road that lead to various settlements around the sacred land, and we would stop by any settlement that was along the way. Usually, it was Freya and Korben who would enter the town while Zetarus and I would avoid it, and I thought it was a good decision. After all, every time Korben and Freya returned from the town, they would have a relieved look on their face, and no matter if we reach a town by the evening or not, Korben and Freya always insisted on staying outside the town and camping in the wilderness with Zetarus and I during the night.

At first, I was a bit anxious that I had to travel with someone who wasn't Richard or Rachael, but so far, it wasn't too bad, at least with Freya and Zetarus with us. Freya would always cook for us, and her food was also very good too. Zetarus, on the other paw, was the mood maker of our group, and it had been an entertaining journey with him along the way, and he often spoke to me too, which was quite rare for someone who wasn't Rachael or Richard to speak to me. Freya also spoke to me too, but much less often, which was understandable because I could sense that she was still afraid of me. He, on the other paw, still refused to even acknowledge my existence, which was perhaps the best for now…

Now, the night had already fallen, and we all called it a day and settled down in a small forest we encountered. We all had already finished dinner, and since we all had nothing else to do, we all decided to go to sleep, except for me, who took the first turn of fire watch, with Zetarus and Korben be in the second and third respectively. For now, I was the only one who was still awake, and I was making sure that no danger befell onto us while the other was asleep.

And now that I thought about it, Freya told us that we would reach Solar Village tomorrow, which meant that it would be the time for me to be alone with him, and it would be awkward to work with him, as he still hated me. For me, I didn't blame him for the hatred he got for me. In fact, I was worried about him, because he seemed to cope with everything that happened. And everything that happened to him was… tragic. First, everything was taken away from him, be his home, his friends or his family. After that, he encountered a father whom he longed to meet, only for him to die right in front of his eyes. (And yes, I knew that the Serpent General, Jormungand Illunight the Zoroark, was Korben's father. The reason why I knew about this was because I heard it from his conversation with his new friend, Fenrir Jr., while I took them to the Newmoon Temple at the end of our mission in Shadowlost Territory, and as it turned out, Fenrir Jr. was his own cousin.) And now, he had formed a pact with that one Pokemon who constantly tormented his mind. I couldn't count how many times during our journal that he suddenly stopped walking and had a troubled look on his face. When Zetarus and Freya tried to ask what happened to him, he brushed it aside and told us that nothing serious happened, but we all knew what happened. His Dragon Legend had spoken to him… Or should I say… Had tormented his fragile mind?

Speaking of Freya and Zetarus… During our journey, I saw that Freya was acting toward Zetarus just like how Rachael was acting toward Richard or how Anastasia was acting toward Baromyteus. It was the act of a sweet younger sister to her beloved elder brother, which always brought a smile onto my unseen face. Zetarus, on the other paw… While he was acting protective and caring toward Freya, I felt like it was less of the act of an elder brother to his younger sister and more of two friends, despite that Zetarus was Freya's elder brother.

"… Hey."

"!" I froze after hearing the voice that suddenly called me, as I recognized the identity of the one who called me. I slowly turned my head to the source of the voice and saw Korben standing a bit away from me, and he was having his attention at me.

"… Can I sit with you?" Korben asked with a plain voice.

"…" I nodded to the Kommo-o before he approached the campfire and sat directly across me. He then gazed into the fire without saying any words.

"…" I patiently waited for the Kommo-o to say anything and broke this awkward mood that's lingering in the air. Seriously, why was he here, with me, of all Pokemon?!

"… Since we're going to work together from tomorrow, I think it's time for us to… talk with each other." After gazing into the fire for several minutes, the Kommo-o directed his attention to me.

"…" I nodded to him, but what did he mean by 'it's time for us to talk with each other'?

"First, I want to… thank you." Korben continued speaking, this time, with a softer voice. "I haven't thanked you for coming to my aid not once but twice around the time of our mission at Shadowlost Territory."

'?!' Wait, did he just say 'not once, but twice'?! Then, did it mean that he…

"Yes, I know." Korben answered, as if he knew what I wanted to ask him. "In the night before our meeting that decided our destination at Shadowlost Territory, I had a nightmare, but I was able to wake up because of Freya… Or so I thought." He shifted his attention to directly look into my eyes. "… But it was you, wasn't it?"

"…" I decided not to answer him.

"… That morning, after I woke up and was about to leave the room, I felt a negative feeling rushing into my body as I was about to leave the room, but it quickly disappeared…" Korben continued speaking once he realized that I wouldn't answer him. "At first, I didn't know what it was, but during the time that you… came to my rescue when I was locked up in the shack, I felt the same feeling as that morning, and I realized what really happened that morning…"

"…" I waited for him to continue the story.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Korben repeated the question he asked me earlier. "It was you who first knew that I wasn't doing well that night, which is understandable since your room is right next to mine, and according to what I asked Richard earlier, you have a very keen sense of perception. And so, you fetched Freya to come into my room so that she would help me, while you were waiting outside the room, and you quickly left when you realized that I was about to leave the room. Of course, I already asked Freya about this, and she confirmed that it was you who called her to my room."

"…" Yes, he was right. It was me who called Freya to his room that night because I could sense that he wasn't well, and it was very sharp of him to be able to find the truth behind this.

"And, of course, the second time that you came to my help was when I was in that shack." Korben continued speaking. "However, this time, you didn't come on your own volitation, right? It was Baromyteus who asked you to come and find me, wasn't it?"

"!" So, he also knew this too…

"I found that it was strange for you to come for me, especially since you chose to avoid me when you asked Freya to help me instead of helping me yourself." Korben said. "And when I asked others about the morning that I disappeared, everyone said that Baromyteus was the only one who acted like he didn't give a crap about me and my disappearance, and considering that Baromyteus pretended to act like a jerk to me during that time, I presume that he pretended to not care about me while sending you to search for me, which was also understandable since he knew that you would be able to search for me easily, and you can also easily slip away from the group too. Is that right?"

"…" Again, I chose not to answer him.

"… But this one is just my presumption, as Baromyteus refused to say anything about this when I asked him." Korben said. "But again, he refusing to answer me instead of outright denying it means that I was right as he couldn't lie to me."

"…" I looked at the Kommo-o in front of me. It seemed like I really underestimated his wisdom, but again, he was the one who solved the mystery behind the Shadowlost incident too…

"… But again, it's still true that you did come to my aid not once but twice." Korben said. "Of course, I don't know the reason that made you decide to help me, and I don't care about it. But…. I figure that I own you a thank…. Thank you for helping me, Sirius."

"…" I nodded silently to him. To be honest, I didn't expect him to thank me like this, but it's a welcomed gesture of him.

"… However…" Korben spoke up, this time with a harsher voice. "I still do not forgive you for everything you have done back then, at the Dragon Massacre. You killed everyone; my friends, my family, and my grandfather."

"…" I lowered my head a bit after hearing his words.

"Let me get this straight… I hate you." Korben continued speaking. "I hate you even now, and I will continue hating you and never forgive you for what you have done until my last breath. And if it happens sometimes in the future that you are the enemy of mine or the Pendragon, I'll not hesitate to end you myself. Remember my words."

"…" I nodded to him. After all, it was understandable for him to feel this, and I won't blame him for doing so.

"So… Are we clear yet?" Korben asked me.

"…" I nodded to him in response.

"Good." Korben said. "This is all I want to talk to you tonight, as I don't want to have anything between us during the time that we work together, so… That's it."

After finished speaking, the Kommo-o stood up and turned back to me, before he walked away without saying anything else to me.

"…" Seeing that he was already gone, I turned my attention to the sky above and thought back to the conversation I had with him earlier. It must have taken him a lot of courage to speak to me. After all, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, I could see it clearly in his eyes. Other than the anger, there was something else there whenever he looked at me…

It was fear.

-The Next Day…

After finishing preparing, we resumed our journey, and we should reach Solar Village today if nothing went wrong.

"Solar Village, huh?" Freya spoke up while we were walking along the road.

"Have you ever been to that place, Freya?" Zetarus asked.

"I've never been there before, since I was forbidden to leave Dustorm Empire without our father's approval." Freya answered. "However, someone I knew live there."

"Someone you knew?" Zetarus repeated the words he heard from his younger sister. "Who are you—"

"…"

"Hm?" Before Zetarus could finish his words, we all stopped as we heard something from somewhere ahead us.

"What was that?" Korben spoke up as he tried to locate the source of the noise.

"!" Not only immediately pinpointed where the sound came from, but I could tell what the sound we heard what. It came from somewhere outside the road, and if I was right…

"!" I started running toward the direction where the sound came from, ignoring my other teammates. I heard the voice of Freya calling me as I started running, but I didn't stop or turn back, because if I did, it might be too late…

"GRRRRRR…"

'There!' Finally, I could see where the sound came from. It came from a group of Pokemon that was a bit ahead of me. In the middle of them were two Pokemon who were surrounded by a group of other Pokemon. However, this group of Pokemon wasn't ordinary Pokemon…

They were Shadow Pokemon!

Yes… They looked almost exactly like an ordinary Pokemon except for their soulless eyes and the sinister aura surrounding them that's clearly visible. The sound I heard before came from them. I remembered it clearly because I've heard it plenty while we were in Shadowlost Territory. I fought against them countless times, so there's no way that I could mistake this. Now, however, they seemed to be attacking two Pokemon that were surrounded by them!

"GAH!"

"YAH!"

One of the Shadow Pokemon attacked one of two Pokemon they surrounded, who was a Lucario, but their attack was blocked when the Lucario spun their weapon, which seemed to be a fighting staff, in a circle. The Lucario then struck the Shadow Pokemon with their weapon, sending them flying backwards!

"A… Are you alright, Ridley?" Another Pokemon, who was an Eevee, asked the Lucario with a worried voice.

"I'm alright." The Lucario answered. "Don't worry, Eva. We will overcome this. I'm sure of it!"

"B… But…" The Eevee tried to say something, but her words were cut short when another Shadow Pokemon attacked her. Luckily, the Lucario managed to fend it off.

"No… There's too many of them, and we can't let them get to the village!" The Lucario spoke up again. "Go back to the village and tell the reinforcement to come here, Eva! I'll make sure that none of them get to our village!"

"N… No!" The Eevee answered. "You'll die if you do that, Ridley!"

"We have no other choice—" The Lucario spoke up again. However, his words were cut off as two Shadow Pokemon attacked him at the same time, but by that point, I already reached them.

"!" Before two Shadow Pokemon could attack the Lucario, I lunged forward and tackled those two Shadow Pokemon out of the way.

"What the—"

"Sirius!"

Before the Lucario and the Eevee could say anything else, I heard a voice calling my name, and as I turned back, I saw Freya, Zetarus and Sirius quickly running after us.

"W… Who are you all?!" The Lucario spoke up after seeing three other Pokemon approaching them.

"Less talking, more killing first!" Zetarus replied as he, Korben and Freya finally reached where we were. All of them then equipped their weapon and prepared for a battle!

-A few moments later…

It didn't take long for the six of us to defeat all Shadow Pokemon, as all of them were defeated a few moments after Freya, Korben and Zetarus arrived, which was normal. After all, in contrast to what I've learned, the Shadow Pokemon I've encountered were surprisingly weak, and a single trained ordinary Pokemon could easily defeat a single Shadow Pokemon of the same specie with ease. However, when there were many of them, it would be overwhelming for a single ordinary Pokemon to handle, and that would be what happened to these two Pokemon if we hadn't arrived soon enough.

Still… Something wasn't right about these Shadow Pokemon…

"Whew! That takes care of them…" The Lucario said after the final Shadow Pokemon was defeated before he turned his attention to us. "Thank you all so much for helping us! Things could go worse if you four didn't show up and help us!"

"No need for thanks." Korben was the first of us to spoke up to the Lucario. "It's the right thing to help those in need, isn't it?"

"Still, it was a big help anyway." The Lucario said.

"But those we fought against… They're Shadow Pokemon, aren't they?" Korben said. "Why are they here? I thought that they could only be found in Shadowlost Territory…"

"Though rare, Shadow Pokemon could be found anywhere on this continent, and the council had been trying to dispose them for a few decades already…" The Lucario replied. "We thought that we succeeded in disposing them three years ago as we no longer encountered them, but lately, they came back in a much larger number than before, and the area outside the town or the road has become much more dangerous… Say, are you four travelers? You all should avoid going outside the road while you travel."

"Just like what you did?" Zetarus asked with a snarky voice.

"Oh, we are just trying to fend off these Shadow Pokemon away from our village." The Lucario asked. He seemed to be unaware of Zetarus' snark.

"Your village?" Korben said. "Are you talking about the Solar Village?"

"Yes. That's where my friend and I came from." The Lucario said before he seemed to notice something. He noticed that his friend, the Eevee, was now hiding behind him, and she was having a meek look on her face.

"Hm?" Korben looked at the Eevee, who's still trying to hide behind the Lucario. "What's wrong with her?"

"Well... Eva's just a bit shy around strangers…" The Lucario answered.

"Wait…" Freya suddenly spoke up as she looked at the Eevee behind the Lucario. "… Eva, is that you?"

"Hm?!" The Eevee appeared from behind the Lucario and noticed the Flygon, and a smile appeared on her face. "P… Princess Freya?!"

"Eva! It's you!" Freya said with a cheerful voice as the Eevee finally appeared. "It's so long since the last time we met each other!"

"R… Right, Fre—I mean, princess…" The Eevee said.

"It's fine! You can call me Freya even when we're not alone!" Freya said.

"B… But…" The Eevee said with a meek voice.

"Hm?" The Lucario looked at Freya and the Eevee. "Do you know her, Eva?"

"Freya, you know her?" While the Lucario was asking the Eevee, Zetarus asked the Flygon.

"Right..." The Eevee answered. "I m… met the princess while I was sent to study at the Windsky Village several years ago…"

"Yes, and we've become friends ever since!" Freya said. "I'm so glad to meet you again, Eva!"

"L… Likewise, F… Freya…" The Eevee said.

"Wait a minute…" The Lucario looked at Freya, and then he looked at the Eevee. "Did you just call her 'princess'?"

"R… Right…" The Eevee said. "S… She is the princess of Dustorm Empire."

"Nice to meet you." Freya said. "My name is Freya Mirasert the Flygon, but you don't have to use the honorific to call me."

"Ah… So you are the princess of Dustorm Empire that Eva told me about…" The Lucario said. "My name is Ridley Couraura the Lucario. I'm Eva's friend. Nice to meet you!"

Couraura? I thought as I looked at the Lucario. If I remembered correctly, Couraura was the surname of…

"Are you, by any chance, related to the 'Hero of Justice'?" Freya asked.

"Yes. He is my father." Ridley answered.

After hearing Ridley's words, I could see a hint of uneasiness on the face of everyone, especially Korben.

"Hm?" Ridley seemed to notice the uneasiness on the faces of everyone. "Is something wrong?"

"O… Oh, nothing…" Korben quickly adjusted his face and answered. "A… Anyway, my name is Korben Forcenter the Kommo-o."

"A Dragon type Pokemon, huh?" Ridley commented. "We don't usually see one around here."

"You got a problem, kid?" Zetarus asked with his arms crossed.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I offend you. I didn't mean to do that." Ridley apologized. "I just want to say that your kind is pretty rare, nothing more. I don't have anything against you or your type."

"… Whatever." Zetarus shrugged it off.

"B… By the way…" The Eevee said as she tried to look into the face of Zetarus. "Y… You are…"

"… Zetarus. That's my name." Zetarus answered with a plain voice. "I'm Freya's retainer."

"Br—" Freya was about to say something, but Zetarus spoke up again first.

"And you are?" Zetarus asked as he looked at the Eevee.

"U… Um…" The Eevee shifted around a bit. "M… My name is Eva Daystar the Eevee… I… It's good t… to meet you…"

"She's the daughter of Solar Village's Archbishop." Ridley said.

"Solar Village's Archbishop…" Freya repeated the words she heard. "D… Don't tell me that you are the daughter of Archbishop Zira?!"

"R… Right…" Eva answered. "I… I am sorry that I never told you about that before…"

"I… It's fine…" Freya answered. However, I could sense a great discomfort in her voice, and I'm sure that Korben and Zetarus could also sense it too, as they both seemed to be uncomfortable after hearing Eva's words.

"I… Is there something wrong?" Eva asked after noticing the look of discomfort on Freya's face.

"I… It's nothing!" Freya quickly answered.

"Anyway…" Ridley spoke up. "Forgive me for asking, but what are you doing here, Princess Freya?"

"J… Just Freya is fine…" Freya answered. "A… Anyway, I am going to Venturnome Strait with… Zetarus."

"Really?" Eva said. "T… Then, why don't you s… stop by at Solar Village? I… I could show you around that place… O… Or are you on a s… strict schedule?"

"N… No. I am not really on a schedule… But…" Freya said, but someone spoke up first before she could say anything else.

"We have something important to do there, so we can't afford to waste our time." Zetarus spoke up with a blunt voice. "Beside, Venturnome Strait is quite far from here, so it would take a few more days before we reach there, not counting what we have to do there too."

"I see… That's a shame…" Ridley said. "I really want to get to know Eva's friend."

"Back off, kid." Zetarus growled at Ridley.

"Z… Zetarus…" Freya said to the Garchomp.

"Either way…" Zetarus spoke up again. "If you really want to 'get to know someone', do it with that kid."

"Hm? Me?" Korben said as he saw Zetarus looking at him.

"Oh, that's right." Freya spoke up. "Korben, you are going to Solar Village, right?"

"R… Right…" Korben replied. "While I'm travelling with Freya and Zetarus right now, my destination is different than them."

"Then…" Ridley turned his attention to the Kommo-o. "Korben, isn't it? Why don't you come with us? Eva and I are going back to Solar Village after all, and we could show you around there."

"Are you sure about that?" Korben asked. "I mean, I'm just a stranger whom you met outside the town."

"A stranger who saved our lives." Ridley said.

"Well… If you say so…" Korben replied.

"Great!" Ridley said.

"Then, we'll be going now." Zetarus spoke up before he started walking away from the group. "Let's go, Freya, and good luck to you, Korben."

"Okay…" Freya said to Zetarus before turning her attention back to everyone else. "Then, I have to go now. Good luck, Korben, Sirius."

"Yeah. You too, Freya." Korben said, while I just nodded in response.

"Then… Farewell, Ridley, Eva…" Freya said as she turned her attention to Ridley and Eva.

"Good bye, Freya." Ridley said. "It was nice meeting you at last."

"F… Farewell to you too, Freya…" Eva said as she slowly approached the Flygon and whispered something to the Flygon. Normally, no one else would be able to hear what she said, but I was able to as I had a good hearing, and I was standing a bit close to Freya too.

"By the way…" Eva whispered to Freya. "That Garchomp… Zetarus… He isn't really your retainer, is it?"

"Huh?!" Freya seemed to be surprised by Eva's words, but she was still able to keep her voice down and not drawn any attention to her.

"The way he talked and acted to you… isn't those of a retainer to their liege… He also never refers you as 'princess'." Eva whispered to the Flygon. "The way he talked and acted… seems more like he's your friend instead of your subordinate…"

"T… That's…" Freya mumbled.

"Oh, but don't worry. I won't tell anyone about it, and I don't have any problem with it too…" Eva said. "Instead, I am really glad that you have a friend with you. It's nice to know that you're still doing well after all these time."

"E… Eva…" Freya said. "T… Thank you, and see you later."

"See you later too, Freya." Eva said before she walked back to where Ridley was, and Freya walked to join Zetarus. The two of them then waved to each other before Zetarus and Freya continued their journey.

"What was you talking to Princess Freya, Eva?" Ridley asked as Zetarus and Freya already left.

"I… It's nothing…" Eva replied.

"So…" Korben spoke up. "We are going to Solar Village, right?"

"Right." Ridley said. "By the way—"

"HALT!"

"Hm?" Ridley, Eva, Korben and I turned our attention to the source of the voice that spoke earlier, and we saw a group of about four or five Pokemon running toward us. All of them were wearing some kind of white templar armor suit with the strange symbol on their breastplate. All of these made them looked like some kind of a holy knight or a crusader, but it also made it almost impossible to tell what kind of Pokemon each of them were.

"Oh, it's you two…" Upon noticing Ridley and Eva, all of the incoming Pokemon seemed to have softened their demeanor quite a bit. "We have received words about shadow creatures appearing around this part of our holy land. Do you know any clue about them, my fellow citizens of the holy land?"

"Oh? Those Shadow Pokemon? We already defeated them earlier." Ridley answered.

"That's such a fortunate news to hear." The same templar said. "Thank you for devoting yourself to the safety of the citizens of the holy land. Goddess Yggdrasil smiles upon you."

"Oh, it's noth—" Ridley was about to say something, but his words were cut off when all the templars turned their attention to Korben and me, and their demeanor became much harsher.

"And who are you, you sinful creatures?" One of the templars spoke up with a quite harsh voice.

"H… Huh? Us?" Korben said. "W… We—"

"They are the travelers we met along the way." Ridley quickly spoke up. "And they helped us defeating those Shadow Pokemon earlier."

"I see…" The templar nodded, but their demeanor still remained rigid, before they turned their attention to me and Korben again. "Listen, as long as you don't cause trouble, you two are allowed to stay in our holy realm, but once you two broke our law, the goddess will deliver her divine punishment on your souls. Remember, Goddess Yggdrasil is watching you."

"Y… Yes…" Korben replied.

After finished speaking to Korben and I, the templars turned their attention back to Ridley and Eva. "Thank you for your hard work, citizens. May Goddess Yggdrasil smile on your soul."

After finished speaking, the templars all left, leaving the four of us here.

"That was… something…" Korben commented after the templars already left.

"This must be the first time you encounter the Knights of Yggdrasil." Ridley spoke up as he noticed Korben's demeanor.

"Knights of Yggdrasil?" Korben repeated the words he heard.

"They are a group of holy knight chosen by the Temple of Yggdrasil." Ridley explained. "They serve under the Councils of Venturnome, as well as the Archbishop of each Temple of Yggdrasil. They are the protectors of this land in the name of Goddess Yggdrasil."

"I see… So that's what they really are…" Korben mumbled and nodded to himself.

"Hm?" Eva seemed to notice something in Korben's action. "Y… You have encountered them before?"

"I… I think so…" Korben replied. "A… Anyway, how far is Solar Village from here?"

"Oh, it's not that far from here." Ridley said before turning his attention to me. "By the way, I was about to ask this before, but… Pardon me if I'm rude, but… What kind of Pokemon are you?"

"…" I remained silent to the Lucario's question. Of course, even if I want to, I couldn't answer this.

"… This is… Sirius." Korben answered reluctantly. "Either way, don't mind it. Let's go to Solar Village. Can you two show me the way?"

"Sure!" Ridley said as he started walking. "Follow me, everyone!"

-About an hour later…

"Here we are!" Ridley said. "Welcome to Solar Village!"

The four of us stood at the entrance of what seemed to be a settlement. The size of this settlement was rather small. While this might seem like an ordinary village that could be found almost anywhere, it was very bustling with many Pokemon, most of which were Fighting type, Psychic type, Fairy type and Normal type.

"This is the Solar Village?" Korben asked. "There're so many Pokemon here…"

"Yes." Ridley said. "The reason while it's quite bustling for a village is because the biggest Temple of Yggdrasil in this region is located in this village, and thus many bishops and Knight of Yggdrasil are stationed here, and many Pokemon from the nearby settlements usually come here to visit the temple too, not counting that this village has a decent port too."

"I see…" Korben nodded.

"Well, first of all…" Ridley continued speaking. "Before I show you around the village, let's visit the Temple of Yggdrasil and meet—"

"Hohohohoho!"

Before Ridley could finish his words, a snobbish laughing sound was heard by the four of them, following by the appearance of another Pokemon that's approaching us. This Pokemon was a Florges wit red flower. She was dressing in a sophisticated and expensive clothing, and she was carrying a flower-patterned fan with her too.

"Welcome back, my dear friends." The Florges spoke up as she reached us.

"Oh, hi, Katarina!" Ridley greeted the Florges as she approached them. "How are you doing?"

"Hohoho! Quite well, I must say." The Florges answered. "I've heard about your triumph over those Shadow Pokemon. Good job as always!"

"Thank you, Katarina." Ridley said. "We're lucky that we could defeat them before they reach the village, or else who knows what would happen."

"Still… I am disappointed in you, Ridley." The Florges folded her fan and continued speaking. "Why didn't you inform me about your leaving to defeat those Shadow Pokemon? I could have joined you if only you say so…"

"Well… I thought that you would be busy with your work as a magistrate-in-training, so we didn't want to disturb you" Ridley answered.

"That's unacceptable!" The Florges commented. "As the daughter of the high magistrate, it's my duty to help preserve the peace of our homeland, not selfishly only worry about my own matter."

"Well… I'm sorry about that…" Ridley said.

"Teehee! As long as you understand!" The Florges said before she noticed the presence of Korben and I. "Oh, and who might you be? Ridley, Eva, may I trouble you two to introduce me to your companions here?"

"Of course!" Ridley said. "These two are travelers who assisted us earlier when we defeated Shadow Pokemon. In fact, we may have lost if they hadn't showed up. And since they're heading to this village, we decided to go together here."

"Ohohoho! So it's you two who saved my dear friends' lives." The Florges said and reached her paw forward to Korben and me. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lady Katarina Pixillia the Florges. I am the heiress to the Pixillia family. My dear father is the high magistrate of Theocracy of Venturnome, and I am aspiring to be like my dear father. Right now, however, I am currently resided in this lovely Solar Village in order for myself to flourish as the next magistrate of this land. You, however, are permitted to call me 'Katarina'."

"Uh… Okay?" Korben replied. He seemed dumbfounded by Katarina's words. "W… Well, I am Korben Forcenter the Kommo-o. I am just a traveler from a small village in Dustorm Empire, and… This is Sirius."

"Oh? You came from Dustorm Empire?" Katarina retracted her paw back and spoke up again. "So, tell me, my dear, what is your reason for visiting our lovely village?"

"Um… That's…" Korben mumbled.

"Um… Katarina?" Eva spoke up. "You should back out a bit. Korben seemed to be overwhelming by your action."

"Hm? He did?" Katarina looked at Eva, and then looked at Korben. "Oh, pray forgive me for my rudeness, my dear. It's not within my deepest wish to make you uncomfortable. The traveler must forgive this lady for this gauche breach of etiquette."

"It's alright. I don't mind." Korben replied.

"Oh, I see that you are most kind, my dear Korben." Katarina said.

"Anyway…" Ridley spoke up. "Since Korben and Sirius have just arrived at our village, why don't we go to Temple of Yggdrasil first?"

"Um…" Korben seemed to be concerned after hearing Ridley's suggestion.

"Oh? Don't worry about it." Seemingly noticed the concern of the Kommo-o, Ridley spoke up again. "Even if you aren't religious or if your religion isn't of the Goddess Yggdrasil, you're still welcome at the Temple of Yggdrasil, and our Archbishop is very kind too, right, Eva?"

"Y… Yes…" Eva answered.

"… If you say so…" Korben replied with a plain voice, but I could still see the concern look on his face. After all, we were going to meet someone whom we have to kill soon…

"Then, let's go." Ridley said before turning his attention to the Florges. "Would you join us, Katarina?"

"Oh? Well, if you insist, I would honor you with my grace for now…" Katarina answered as she hid her face behind the fan she's carrying.

"Great!" Ridley said with a cheerful voice. "To the Temple of Yggdrasil, we go!"

-Meanwhile…

"The world is but a stage, and every living creature is but an actor who must fully commit to their role…"

A deck of card was spread out, and all the cards were lifted into the air. The total amount of cards in this deck was 22.

"The path walked by each mortal is foreseen by the stars. After all, the stars know everything…"

The cards were lift and scattered around the sky. Among them were two cards that were located around the southeast region of the sky. Both cards then slowly flipped, revealing them to be the Magician card and the Hanged Man card.

"Two warriors, both bound by their blood, are standing on the path of conquest, on the opposite sides of each other."

Another two cards were in the central part of the sky, and as they flipped, they were revealed to be the Hermit card and the Chariot card.

"One bound by the endless ordeal under the glamorous light, and another whose anchor was broken… Both are standing in the middle of the battlefield, fighting the light within the darkness…"

Two more cards were in the northeast part of the sky, and they were soon revealed to be the Empress card and the Emperor card.

"Two half separated by birth, and even now that they are reunited, they are still separated by the wall of destiny, never able to become whole…"

A bit above the Empress card and the Emperor card were two other cards, which were the Fortune card and the Tower card.

"Two children born from the fire and the gale of rebirth… Even if their bodies are torn apart, their souls will be permanently bound to the land of flame and the land of wind."

On the northwest part of the sky were three more cards. They were the Death card, the Temperance card and the Devil card.

"The reaper who was born from earth, taught by the flame, and bound to the darkness, the scale of life that conserves the balance of the earth and the darkness, and the devil whose heart is never corrupted by the light… All leaving their nest… To there…"

To the south of the three cards, which was around the southwest part of the sky, was where a card was lying. The card was soon revealed to be the Hierophant card.

"The earthbound dragon… The one tree that stands strong in the middle of the arid desert… The one who's making a way in the wilderness and the streams in the barren wasteland…"

The rest of the cards that were lifted into the sky were in the south part of the sky. Four of them were located next to each other at the southernmost part of the sky. They were the Justice card, the Priestess card, the Lovers card and the Strength card.

"The one who upholds justice in their heart, and the sibling of the devil… The cowering beauty that possesses the soul of iron… The heiress whose mask concealed her true face… And the beast that possesses the heart of gold."

Next to the four cards were the last card that were lifted into the sky, the Star card.

"The stars witness everything… The stars foretell everything… The stars predict everything…"

The total amount of cards that were lifted into the sky was 17, meaning that there were five more cards that were separated. Among the five, two more cards suddenly appeared and moved to the exact center point of the sky. They were the Moon card and the Sun card.

"For over three years, the demon lord of the moon and the archangel of the sun are imprisoned in their own ordeal. I wonder… What would emerge from their fateful encounter?"

Several minutes had passed, but the remaining three cards neither appeared nor falling from the sky.

"Hm… As I thought… Then it meant that… Hm?"

Suddenly, another cards appeared next to the four cards of Justice, Priestess, Lovers and Strength. The card then slowly flipped, revealing itself to be the Judgment card.

"Well, well, well… I never thought that the being of judgment really exists. Who could it be? But there's no mistake that the being of judgment had finally appeared in this holy realm, which meant…"

Another card was picked up. This card was also among the 22 cards in the deck, but, until all other cards, it fell from the sky as soon as other cards were lifted into the sky.

"… The World is still missing. What could it mean? Could it be that the being of the world is missing? Or there's no being of the world at all? Well… All that could be told from this foretelling is…"

The World card was placed down, and other 20 cards were still lying in the sky. However, despite this, there's still one more card that's missing entirely. It neither appeared on the sky like other 20 cards nor, fell down like the World card.

"… My worst fear has proven to be true… The Fool had already been swallowed into the voids…"

To Be Continued…

DoV: Sorry for being inactive. It took forever for this chapter to come out, and I'm really sorry for that.

As for this chapter, nothing exciting happens other than the official introduction of Ridley, Eva and Katarina, as well as the Pendragon has finally made their move in the Theocracy of Venturnome… And that's it.

Q&A Session:

Tail 8-2 - Question: What kind of a drink is your favorite?

Answer:

-Korben: This may sound strange, but I found the mineral water to be my favorite drink of all. After all, have you ever experienced the pure joy of drinking cold water after a hard training session? And no other liquid has managed to do so to me too.

-Claura: Electrolyte drink, of course… I know it sounds weird, but there's a good reason for it. First, I am an aquatic Pokemon whose natural habitat is deep sea. You know, seawater contains a lot of salt, so the body of my specie is adapted to ingesting a large amount of salt. However, on the land, I didn't ingest saltwater like when I was in the sea, so my body needs to frequently take in the alternative source of salt, along with water, too, and the electrolyte drink is the answer. Of course, I also enjoy drinking them too.

-Xavier: That's gotta be Moomoo milk, warm Moomoo milk, to be exact, because it helps me sleep. ZZZ…

-Anastasia: I prefer the drink with mild flavor or the one without any flavor at all, and among them, I found my favorite drink to be Pamtre Water, which can be found in Pamtre Berry, the tropical kind that could be found at the beach anywhere, I mean.

-Baromyteus: Soda. What? You expect my favorite to be some kind of liquor? Well, I won't deny that I like liquor too, but whenever I lose control, I tend to massacre anything around me, so I try not to drink it too often. And thus I prefer soda instead… No, not Soda Pop or soft drink. They're too sweet, and I hate sweet thing. So, just pure soda.

-Diego: I am a fan of liquor, especially a strong one that's capable of burning the throat of weakling… Don't look at me like that. I'm a Fire type Pokemon, so I can handle alcohol much better than most Pokemon, and Fireview Kingdom, my homeland, is infamous for their strong liquor too.

-Zetarus: Blood, of course…. Don't look at me like that. I learned to drink blood when I was in that hellhole, and if I didn't, I may be in a worse condition than this, so even now, I'm still fond of drinking one, thought I can't do it in front of Rachael, Richard and especially Freya.

-Rachael: Berry Juice, of course! Especially the homemade one! The fresh juice made from berries freshly harvested is just the best! And I'm good at making them too.

-Richard: Lemonade and coffee. Since I'm fond of sour food and beverage, my initial favorite drink is lemonade, thought I also find coffee to be an excellent beverage too, especially when I stay late at night reading books.

-Freya: M… My favorite drink is iced Honey Nomel Tea. Y… You know, desert is a harsh place, but a cup of iced Honey Nomel Tea always refreshes me!

-Snow: I would be lying if I answer with anything other than tea. After all, I am an expert tea connoisseur. One of my favorite is the Butterfree Pea Tea.

-Sirius: … (Dragon of Vale: Sirius said that its favorite drink is Hot Chocolate… No, don't do it, Sirius. Don't! You can't drink it! SIRIUS!)

Question from Ridin Valon: To: The Pendragon

From: Anonymous
What are your first reactions when seeing Mara from a Shin Megami Tensei series?

-Korben: U…Um… What kind of… a monster… is that?!

-Claura: *Speaks with a flustered voice* H… How dare you?! I'll take you down at once!

-Xavier: Yawn… I wonder what would happen if I cut its head off… Wanna try?

-Anastasia: … Such an abomination…But I wonder… Is this something that exists within the soul of everyone?

-Baromyteus: Let's see how strong you are. *Preparing for a battle*

-Diego: FXXK! I'll… I'll beat the sxxt out of you!

-Zetarus: OwO What's this?! So big and strong…

-Rachael: U…. Um… O… Onii-chan, what kind of a monster is that? It looks so scary…

-Richard: So… This is some kind of creature from another world… But… Of all the appearance, why does it have to be… this? Absolutely disgusting.

-Freya: EEEEAAAEAEAEA! *Quickly hide her blushing face behind her paw*

-Snow: … *Is speechless*

-Sirius: Grrrrrrr! (Dragon of Vale: Sirius seemed to be very aggressive for some reason.)

Question from Parousia45: To Rachael (From Lora Fluff): Do you want to go shopping? We'll find beautiful clothes and a costume for Sky!

-Rachael: Of course! I love shopping! I can help you pick something cute and nice for Sky too! And… Maybe I could buy something for Onii-chan and everyone too! I can't wait!