Chapter 34 – Day 14, Part 2: Festival of Fiction

Chapter 34: Day 14, Part 2 – Festival of Fiction

It was an insultingly beautiful morning.

The sun was shining bright, not a cloud to be seen. Just enough wind for a chill to nip at my fur, but not enough to be annoying. The autumn leaves that fell lightly to the earth created a melancholic scene worth looking on wistfully to.

Such a day attracted quite the crowd—big enough to give me a decent idea of why the castle hallways were so empty this morning. An abundantly large number of denizens loitered about in the grass by the castle entrance or sauntered off into town. However, it was immediately apparent that the heaps of pokemon outside were not creating a stir because it was a particularly nice day out.

Flowerbeds of sunflowers, bluebonnets, roses, and lilies were strewn about the edges of the stone-tiled walkway like always, but were now accompanied by a distinctly pink flower. Not only that, but large pots of them had been deliberately placed along the path.

Even someone as distracted as me noticed the pink petaled gracideas. They were too bright and obnoxious to be ignored.

Alongside the deliberately placed pottery were—like clockwork—more of the flowers in less graceful arrangements. Some were thrown on the ground much like the fallen leaves, blending into the scenery as if they had forever been there. Meanwhile, nasty little brats jumped into piles of the stuff, kicking up a cascade of colors reminiscent of gum and candy corn.

Had I been any more inebriated on my own self pity I would have assumed that I had just walked into a wedding ceremony. And if leaves-in-the-fur was the appropriate attire for this wedding then I’d be the god-damned bride.

As if my whiskers couldn’t get anymore frazzled, a long, brown piece of cinnamon bread covered in powdered sugar poked me in the cheek. A Mismagius then propositioned me with, “Churro?”

My arms were crossed so tightly when I turned to glare at Calluna that I must’ve looked like a weirdly flavored bright blue jelly bean, complete with pink and orange specks. “Why exactly is there a festival based around a flower anyways?” I asked in monotone, grumpily blowing a leaf off of my face.

“Not a flower, Oswald-dear,” Calluna said. Out in the sunlight she was partially transparent, more ghostly. She was also wearing a pair of sunglasses, so I couldn’t see her eyes. “Today is the Shaymin Festival. A celebration of the true natives of this continent—the pokemon of gratitude.”

That part must have slipped my mind; hell, I remembered it being referred to as that earlier. My mouth formed a thin line and I set my head forward in the direction of town. “Right…”

Again, she playfully poked me in the cheek with the churro. “Your rain cloud is quite gloomy today~”

On the contrary, my proverbial rain cloud was positively pouring and thundering. Gloomy was only one small part of it. “I’m not in the mood…” I grumbled.

“Aw,” Calluna cooed, “don’t be like that, Oswald-dear. Try to relax. Are you not having fun yet?”

“We just got here.” To town, that is. And the turning heads and gossip only got more prevalent as we approached the crowds far from the castle. It didn’t matter to me that pokemon stopped and stared, either, because of my presumed minor celebrity status or Calluna’s definite celebrity status. Most went back to their business immediately after, as the festival itself was more exciting— more on that later.

In case it wasn’t obvious by the size of my personal rain cloud, all I could think about was how much better it would be if Fenn was there with me. He would have loved it here, the party animal. In fact, I kept a keen eye out in case he got sidetracked and decided to buy a pretzel or stopped to engage in the festivities. Unfortunately, instead of catching sight of two red eyes and a pleasant smile, I got an earful of whispers and gossip.

None of which I actually got to hear, because Calluna decided to talk my ear off. So they all blended into the background much like those ever illusive gracideas.

Calluna shook her ghostly tassel that held the churro, egging me on to take it. “Come now…” she said with a sly smile. “Afraid that Anemone will punish you for enjoying a snack? She can’t hear you here~”

What!? Now that was just downright tasteless; it hadn’t even been an hour since I left her throne room! Just thinking about what happened with the queen made my blood jump between hot and cold abnormally quickly. I had no choice but to take the churro, if only out of pure spite…and a deep, yearning craving. As soon as I swiped the pastry out of Calluna’s tassel and ripped off a chunk with my teeth I nearly melted right there on the spot.

That sweet and warm flavor…that soft, delicate texture. I just tried cinnamon for the first time all over again. If you’re sticking around, raincloud, give me a break for a second and don’t get my churro all soggy.

A chuckle escaped the Mismagius’ hollow throat. “You will be happy to know that I sponsored you in advance- vendors will recognize your color, so feel free to indulge yourself today, Oswald-dear.”

Immediately I straightened up. “Whad ya mea?” I asked with a mouth full of churro.

Calluna turned before floating off towards the crowds of the festival. “Come. Let us walk and talk,” said the legless spector.

I knew better than to see Calluna’s generosity as simply that. Was it a coincidence that she was the first pokemon I saw after meeting with Anemone, and she also happened to have the influence to pay the cost of a day at the festival for me? Probably not. My capacity for snark was at an all time low, though. My ribs were still sore, for crying out loud. I swallowed hard and let out a heavy sigh before following behind Calluna.

The closer we got to town the more decorated my surroundings became. Bird pokemon fluttered about and chased each other in mid-air. Some of these birds scattered more flower petals around with straw baskets in their talons. Most wore a form of pink apparel.

I was forced to stop in place, as several aforementioned children ranging from Shinx to Scwovet scurried past me, nearly causing me to trip. The excited little scamps acted as though they were hopped up on sugar and adrenaline, and their painted faces were a clear indication of that. More pink, brighter than the flowers the colors on their faces were based on. I couldn’t imagine that it would be easy to wash that paint out. Not that it likely mattered to the kids themselves. Their parents, though…

I finished off the churro and continued on after Calluna. From building to building more of those flowerpots hung like lanterns from banners stretching through the open air. Tiny, triangular flags hung alongside these flowerpots. The flags—believe it or not—were all shades of pink, as well.

Overall, the town of Kebia had been utterly transformed. The open streets that were decently manageable even on a busy day now held more crowds than I was prepared for. Pokemon of all shapes and sizes perused nearby market stalls while opportunists used the extra traffic to sell their roadside talents, a bright smile to match every face.

And yet, still no sign of Fenn. Not even the excitable atmosphere could change that fact. My shoulders fell half way down my torso as I slouched.

Calluna flowed gracefully with the light breeze, keeping her gaze set forward, occasionally shooting a glance over her shoulder. Probably to see if I was still there—I don’t know. I couldn’t tell. At one point, Calluna clicked her tongue then suddenly circled around me while never once intentionally slowing me down. “Ah, forgive me. You wanted to know more about the festival, didn’t you?”

I never said anything like that, but it wasn’t like Calluna just assumed I did. Might be hard to believe that the story behind this festival was less interesting to me than the festival itself. I honestly contemplated more about the Smeargle drawing up ghoulish caricatures on the side of the path than what the deal with the Shaymin was. Maybe Calluna wanted me to ask about it?

“At this point, I’ve gotten used to being out of the loop,” I mumbled loudly over the hundreds of voices. “There must be a lot of context that I’m missing out on here.”

“Sadly so…”

Yep. No subtlety at all. That frown of hers and the tone of her voice could not have made it any more obvious. I crossed my arms. “Well?”

A smirk curled onto the ghost woman’s face like the wind before a storm. “Well, that simply won’t do,” she said. She gestured towards a set of open seats under the awning shade of a nearby cafe.

Part of me was hesitant to take even a single step back in the direction I came, towards the red wood painted cafe that I could only describe as “quaintly cute.” Another part of me wondered if I should have ran right then and there—what with my tail twitching anxiously at the thought of just barely missing Fenn, or missing a chance to get out of here at all. And Calluna was certainly aware of that. Sitting down would practically seal my fate.

The reality that I was trapped by way of my own hubris was slowly starting to sink in for real, making it hard to think about anything else. My knees were weak. Sweat was starting to moisten my fur. So really, sitting down across from Calluna was the easiest thing I could have done at that moment, and it filled me to the brim with shame.

Each table had four chairs of varying sizes. I sat in the smallest one Calluna pointed to, and even then my stubby little legs dangled off the side. “…So what’s this about Shaymin?” I questioned, nearly choking on my own saliva.

She didn’t waste time. “The first settlers to Enigma initially approached the Shaymin with caution—and the same was true of the Shaymin themselves,” Calluna explained in a practiced manner. “There was tension at first—an expected outcome to be sure—however, as years passed the two groups grew to live in peace. After which they exchanged customs and…well, the flowers you see all around us became a symbol for both the settlers and the Shaymin.”

“Interesting…I guess.” My response came across more monotone than intended.

Calluna chuckled darkly. “It is. What is even more interesting was what happened next.” The ghost floated out of the chair she physically could not sit in until she was behind me on my left, before floating back over to my right. Her voice echoed from ear-to-ear. “Over time something strange occurred…

“Tensions rose suddenly following a petty disagreement, and then the Shaymin just…began to disappear. The settlers were too busy fending for themselves to investigate. Even still, the Shaymin’s numbers slowly dwindled to nothing—until only their flowers remained. Odd, isn’t it?”

“Is that where the continent’s name came from?” I asked, already seeing where this was headed.

The following laugh from Calluna was the most genuine reaction I had heard from her since we first met. She landed back in her seat so abruptly that her form distorted as though her signal to this reality briefly broke. “Hehehe ha ha ha! And here I was thinking you were not paying attention~”

I shrugged my shoulders. It was a lucky guess, really. Enigma always seemed like a peculiar name to use for a continent, even one filled to the brim with magical death dungeons. An origin story that caused the name was more plausible than the other way around.

That said, I wasn’t paying attention. I just needed a second to calm down without making it obvious.

“I dunno.”

Calluna continued. “This festival serves as a reminder that Enigma once belonged to a pokemon that no longer exists on its soil. Instead, only a remnant in the form of a flower remains.”

That earned a derisive scoff from me. “Maybe it should have been left to the flowers, then.” A bit of a rude remark, sure—not appropriate for the conversation. Maybe I would have just smiled and nodded if my throat wasn’t burning from the bile.

Unconsciously, I searched the crowd several paces away. Still no signs of Fenn…

Calluna seemed far from offended, unsurprisingly. “These tales are taught to children, you know,” she said with a sneaky smirk. “The idea of providing you with a proper education during your time here was proposed when you first arrived. But…Anemone insisted that it was not necessary.”

Because I won’t be here for long, or because Anemone knew that using up resources on me was a waste of time?

I huffed, “Shocker.” I watched the crowd silently for a moment, resting my chin in my paws. This impromptu history lesson wasn’t doing much of anything for me.

That Smeargle was in view. Their brush scraped across the canvas with significantly more force than needed, while a couple of young lovers sat and waited for their picture to be drawn. Their smiles were awkward and unquestionably tired, but optimistic.

A brief moment passed where the persistent dread was replaced with a lingering wonder. Near the entrance of town roadside talents seemed to be at their most prevalent. I recognized a few of the instruments used, and I even saw a juggling Mr. Mime. But there were some acts that I couldn’t parse for the life of me. Like yeah, a spider pokemon creating detailed designs with their webs was neat. I could understand that.

That said, why someone would consider a pokemon constantly fighting against their own evolution a reputable challenge was beyond me, though. That Pignite that was flexing and howling while a glow faded in and off of their body in particular earned a lot of praise for some reason. And money, too.

Couldn’t forget about the money.

I flinched as something brushed against my arm. I went to pull it away, with the intent to smack a bug dead or something, only to find nothing there.

And quickly after I found nothing in the other chair either. Calluna was gone.

A sudden jolt of panic zipped through my veins. The chair I was sitting in toppled over as I stood, wide-eyed. Left, right, behind me—the Mismagius was nowhere to be seen. My hopes were only completely dashed once I checked the awning above me and under the table below. She was a ghost, after all.

Still nothing.

What is this, a joke? Where’d she go?

Impulsively I checked under the table again, then glanced at my surroundings. The crowd and festival-goers were the same as before; each and every one of them was ignorant to my anxiety. Still no sign of the Mismagius there.

I peeked around the corner…called out Calluna’s name…before slipping back into the spot I was previously occupying. My feet and tail were magnetically drawn back to the ground near the table after every attempt to walk more than a few meters. All the while I fiddled with my scalchops nervously.

In retrospect, I should have been happy to be left alone in town. Crowds everywhere, no one to stop me from slipping away… It was the perfect chance to escape Anemone’s clutches. No one could blame me for taking the opportunity, especially if this was the only one I’d ever get now.

But there was also…an itch gnawing at the forefront of my mind keeping me from making a move. An itch that I couldn’t scratch—and its name was Calluna.

Seriously, where did she go? More importantly, though, what was she plotting? Why did she leave? I recalled what Calluna said earlier, about my expenses being paid in advance. What, was she expecting me to go spend time at the festival and not expecting me to just up and leave? Because if no one was going to stop me, I could.

I should have. After what happened today? It was clear to me that all of this was a mistake—two weeks in the making with nothing to show for it.

I’m so stupid, I thought ruefully. Overstepped my boundaries and now I’m paying for it. And I still don’t even know where Fenn is!

Without any clue of Calluna’s true intentions, I had no way of knowing just how much danger I was in. It paralyzed me with uncertainty. My heart pounded in my ears while my bruises started aching again. And yet, I knew that now was the time to act. Either stay in Anemone’s playhouse, or abandon everything—including Fenn and Cosmo—and run.

Honestly, leaving it all behind was especially enticing. If it meant inconveniencing Anemone, then it was worth it just for that. But…the guilt might just kill me in the process.

So, what should I have done? For several…what felt like minutes I simply stood there. The world moved on without me. Again and again and again the possibilities bounced against my skull without remorse, slowly but surely dwindling my chances of getting anywhere or accomplishing much of anything.

And then, practically out of nowhere, I gained the herculean strength to lift my feet off the ground and change my body’s position. The same force that kept me glued to the cobblestone propelled me to go against the light breeze with just as much feverish dread. Which is to say, I finally decided to ignore the possibility that Calluna’s absence wasn’t intentional and speed-walked into the festival proper in an attempt to find her. I didn’t call out her name, but I certainly had the eyes to match a lost child at the mall looking for his mother.

This better not be Calluna messing with me, so help me god. She WOULD do that.

Tail dragging behind me, arms clenched at my sides, shoulders raised—the worried looks I received as I stumbled into town and past the crowds were not unwarranted. I attempted to ignore them, but without Calluna blabbering in my ear their voices rang like sirens.

“Did you win anything at the casino the other day?” one festival-goer said.

“The ferris wheel! The ferris wheel! I wanna go on the ferris wheel!” a child cried.

“I’ll get her a Gracidea brooch! Then she’ll say yes for sure!” a young man proclaimed.

“Don’t wander off! Stay in mommy’s line of sight!” a mother called.

“Where do you think they’ll strike next? There are four of them, right?” added a gossipping woman.

“Buy two berri-pops and get a bracelet to seal your bond for free!” a pokemon behind a stall shouted.

“Daddy, have you ever seen a Shaymin?” a little girl wondered aloud.

“Excuse me. Mister? Hey, mister!”

That last voice made me jump. Not only was it louder and closer than the others, but the Vulpix the voice belonged to stopped me in my tracks by blocking my path. She smiled innocently up at me despite how clearly frazzled I was.

I careened back. “What- what do you want?” I frantically asked with unkempt whiskers.

The noisy little Vulpix’s smile grew twice its size once I gave her the attention she undoubtedly wanted. Multiple gracidea necklaces hung from her neck, to the extent that they appeared to almost be weighing her down. With how young and reckless she had to have been, I could see the extra necklaces as an intentional decision on her part. Odds were that she felt that she really could carry that many.

“Want a necklace, mister?” she queried loudly. “It’s free! And you, uh, look like you could use, a bit of gratitude…in your day!”

That last part sounded rehearsed—more because it didn’t sound natural; someone must have told her to say it. Either that or she felt sorry for me. I wouldn’t blame her for assuming I was in a bad spot.

She reminded me of Cosmo, honestly, with her big bright smile. Kids can have so much enthusiasm, I swear.

I rubbed the back of my head. “Uh…sure, kid. I’ll take one.”

“Okay!” The Vulpix then attempted to remove a necklace from around her neck—struggling all the while. Her fur became all frazzled as she used her paw to slip just one of the necklaces off, and failed. Squeaky curses escaped her mouth as her tails flicked in frustration.

It made me wonder how she even put so many of those things on. Quadrupeds sure have it rough.

I held out my paw to help, but before I could even get close a pink glow surrounded one of the bundles of flowers.

“Wait wait wait!” the child cried. But that didn’t stop the approaching Espeon from lifting a necklace off of Vulpix’s head. It was then placed in my outstretched paw by way of the Espeon’s telekinesis.

“Now, what did I say about taking on more than you can chew?” the Espeon chastised the Vulpix in a motherly tone.

The Vulpix just pouted. She sat on her haunches with a grumpy look on her face.

A light chuckle escaped the psychic type’s throat as she looked at me. “Sorry about her,” she said, flicking her tail in the Vulpix’s direction. “She’s new to this.”

That much I could tell. I was hesitant about putting the necklace on—doing so felt kind of stupid. But I didn’t want to be rude. The product she was peddling fit quite nicely around my neck and on top of my bandana at least.

“It’s…alright,” I said. “Thank you and uh…” I shot the kid an awkward smile and a thumbs up. “Keep at it, kiddo!”

The Vulpix pointedly did not make eye contact with me.

Presumably out of a desire to not make things more awkward we both kept smiling, though I could tell that the Espeon was trying to refrain from scolding her (probably) daughter. Situations like this were why I didn’t like kids.

Although, I’d probably feel the same as the Espeon if it was Cosmo, now that I think about it…

A moment later, another pokemon walked up to us. A…Fennekin, I think, with an abnormally long neck and legs. I blinked a few times once I realized what I was looking at; the fox was bigger than the Espeon!

“Hey, that’s one!” the Fennekin announced, smiling brightly while elbowing the Vulpix. “Knew you could do it!”

The Vulpix’s cheeks grew a slightly brighter shade of red and she grumbled, “I could have done it on my own, too…”

Still smiling, the Fennekin brushed up against the Espeon as he approached me. “Hope you like that necklace,” he said. “The girls spent a bunch of days making them back at home.”

The Espeon smirked at that comment. “‘Days’ is exaggerating, don’t you think?”

“It adds to the impressiveness, dear.”

“You’re right,” she giggled, then glanced at me. “You can thank our daughter for her hard work.”

This Espeon totally just made them all herself and the Vulpix helped. The one she gave me was too well constructed to be made with little fox paws.

I fiddled with one of the flowers around my neck and said, “Yeah, she did a good job, you raised her well. Reminds me of the kid I’ve got with me, actually.” My attention split after I glanced around for a second. Every moment that I spent talking with this family was a chance to miss Calluna or Fenn.

The Fennekin leaned forward a bit, his eyes growing wide out of interest. “Oh hey, you’ve got a kid, too? They’re real pieces of work, you know what I mean?” He nudged his wife(?) to which she nudged him back.

I nodded absentmindedly while still glancing away occasionally. “Mhm. Sure do. He’s got his own little quirks, but…” A smile formed on my face without much thought. “He’s fun to keep around.”

There was a part of me that wanted to talk about Cosmo some more. That kid was so strange and I was actually really interested in figuring out why. Not to mention that I found it kind of funny.

Still…don’t know where his real parents are. If I had the time to look into it, I would. Unfortunately, that would have to wait.

The Fennekin laughed. “Kids are such a handful. Isn’t that right, kiddo?” A quick look at the Vulpix didn’t earn much more than an annoyed scoff. Her dad didn’t seem to mind, though, since he just glanced back at me without a comment. “Couldn’t live without them. But anyway, where are you from?” the fatherly fire type asked suddenly.

That question in particular caught me by surprise; answering it was trickier than I anticipated. “Oh, uh…right, I live around here. In the castle.” I pointed behind me, only to realize that I didn’t know where I was in relation to it. As a result I over corrected myself trying to find it, and ended up just pointing behind me anyway. “Yeah, there.”

The Fennekin raised his eyebrows. “Oh, a native, then?”

“We come from off-continent,” the Espeon added.

And then the Fennekin added “It’s vacation time!” to that. “We’re here for the festival. It’s nice, isn’t it?”

I nodded impatiently then replied with, “Real nice. First time going to one…here.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, yeah…used to go to a lot of these…back home.”

A very long pause followed where the three of us stood there smiling politely, waiting for the other to say something. Fumbling that last question probably made all of them confused. It was like my brain short circuited and I nearly let it slip.

…Just like Anemone said I would.

Thankfully, the Fennekin caught on and ended it there. “Well, if the ones back home are anything like this one then you’ll love it! Have fun!”

“You too,” I said.

The Espeon called out “We’ll see you around!” as she led her husband and daughter off into the crowd.

I gave them a halfhearted wave as they left. I liked those three, even if I partially ignored them. It was a bad time for me, and I’d probably never see them again anyway. Or anyone else outside of the castle anytime soon.

No outside help…no new friends in higher places…nobody with any idea about how I got here…

I looked around. Pokemon enjoying their day were conversing and laughing—completely unaware that a human walked amongst them. Could anyone help me at this point? Were there any…scholars or something on vacation in the crowd that understood my plight and could look into it themselves? Was it possible to make them do Anemone’s job better than she could?

Asking around wouldn’t require much effort; it was just a matter of wording it in a way that didn’t sound insane. Not to mention: luck. I needed a lot of it.

Involuntarily, I let out a sigh. There I was, alone and downtrodden, with no place to start and no time to work with. I was exhausted already.

Why should I bother?

It was at that moment that something hit me. Or rather, something caught my attention.

That something being…everything around me.

There’s always this moment of being in a crowded place where the words conjoin into a single cacophony of noise and none of it really registers. Even I knew that. Usually it’s easy enough to tune every voice out and focus on one specific thing. That being a destination, a friend, or an anxiety of some sort—like being lost. I had none of those things, at that moment; my focus was so split that it scattered like a bag of spilled marbles. When spilling your marbles you stop everything that you’re doing to pick them up, yeah? And when you look up…

Well, let’s just say that if excited sensations could be translated into sounds my whole body would’ve been shaking from the sheer volume of them.

There was more to the festival than I initially realized. A lot more. And I hadn’t been paying close enough attention until now.

There were a couple pokemon of species that I didn’t even recognize engaged in what looked to be a dance competition nearby. The tall and flamboyant blue bird and the green masked cat on two legs were taking turns upstaging the other through the movements of their hips and the tapping of their feet. The intensity of their gazes, the energy behind their rivalry—it was electric. The crowd watching them was visibly entranced, myself included. I unwillingly tapped my own foot along to the music that had been playing at the same time.

On the opposite side of the street, a Pikachu tried his luck at a strength test, hammer and all. His attempt only landed him at a 3: Wimpod. While the mouse bit the dust and pouted, a Hariyama landed a 10 without even using the hammer. Several cried out “no fair!” when the fighting type won a plushie half their size. That plushie, as I quickly came to terms with, was not a pokemon. Or maybe it was, but it legitimately looked too much like a generic bootleg dragon to be any specific pokemon. I didn’t have time to think about the implications of that before I looked on to other attractions.

Sack tossing games, ring tossing games, a race of speed, apple bobbing, and even crane machines! These festivities were all clearly unbalanced for specific pokemon. Psychic pokemon were given helmets to wear while playing, presumably to make things fair, and there were signs depicting specific pokemon that wouldn’t be allowed to play certain games. But even still, some were inherently better than others despite all of that, I could tell.

I had to wonder why more games weren’t made to accommodate the pokemon and their abilities rather than just copying what I was used to. But you know what? I didn’t care! All of those worries about Calluna and Fenn, anxieties about Anemone and my status as a human, where I would go from here…

It was impossible to think about any of it when there was a genuine, functional roller coaster at the end of the path, complete with screams of exhilaration and terror.A ferris wheel, too! A merry-go-round and-

OH MY GOD!

ARE THOSE

FREAKING

FUNNEL CAKES!?

COTTON CANDY!?

SOFT PRETZELS!? WITH CHEESE!?

I don’t know what came over me. My eyes just started darting from attraction to attraction. The allure of free sugary sweets made my Dewott mouth water so much that drool spilled out onto the ground in front of me. My tail did this thing where it thump ba-thump ba-thumped behind me so fast that I couldn’t control it. Pretty soon I was the one grinning like an idiot.

The questions that flowed to the forefront of my mind weren’t “where is Calluna?” anymore. Instead, they were to the effect of “where do I start?”

What was happening? This came so out of nowhere that I was worried that something possessed me. But no, I just took in my surroundings and…let go.

I wanted to ride the roller coaster. I wanted to throw my arms up over my head and scream until my throat burned. I wanted to eat so much cotton candy that I turned from blue to pink. I wanted to ride in the bumper cars, if they had them. I wanted to do as much as I was able to then go home at the end of the day exhausted. And then I wanted to do it all again.

I think…this wasn’t normal. And that’s saying something when anything related to my “normal” was lost to the ether two weeks ago. None of it made any sense. Why was I acting this way?

But then again…maybe this was how I always was, and I just now came into contact with it.

Yeah, when I thought of it like that it made more sense. Just like how eating meat used to be normal for me…

I used to be a theme park fanatic. Either that or I just really loved festivals and carnivals. Even now the lingering taste of cinnamon made my body tremble. I needed more.

Immediately I scowled at my toes, scratching at my scalchops in frustration. Just…forget it. Maybe I didn’t deserve to have fun but if I didn’t give in to my urges and go get in line for the roller coaster right away I think I would’ve started crying.

The screams of pokemon on the speeding coaster hit my ears at that moment and I promptly became incapable of bothering anymore. Every bone in my body was practically pushing up against my skin, begging me to just…go. Get on a coaster, grab some funnel cake, and block everything else out.

Nothing was more important than taking this opportunity. Anemone could lock me in a cage after this for all I cared.

I’ll…keep an eye out for him, I thought to myself. Fenn’ll understand. It’s been…rough. I’ll make it up to him later.

Whether or not I could actually follow through with that promise didn’t matter. Because half a second later I broke into a sprint and rushed to get a spot in line.

---

“Can I get a soft pretzel—cheese dip with that…oh! And one of those big cookies. Chocolate chip.”

“Oh yeah, right away!” The Axew smiled and ducked behind the counter.

Behind the glass were crimson candied apples, drizzled popcorn, and giant cookies, among other sweets. Undoubtedly, the pokemon behind the stand were working hard to meet the demands of a busy day like this. A Scyther cut up fruits for smoothies and slid them into bowls for blending. He was back-to-back with a Fraxure who brushed butter and sprinkled salt over pretzels, placing them in the oven as he pulled out freshly baked ones, and served them alongside cups of cheese sauce. And at the same time, a Buizel spun paper wands around a silver bowl, weaving wide orbs of pink cotton candy.

Pokémon lined up on every corner of the square-shaped stand to get their paws on whatever they were hungry for, smiling excitedly as they traded their coins for fresh-baked comfort food. They sold drinks too, like freshly squeezed lemonade, poured over ice-cubes in tall glasses, a perfect thirst-quencher to go with fried food and sugary sweets.

Too bad I didn’t need a drink right now. I had already drunk enough fruit drinks to turn my skin into a slushie. Could’ve sworn I felt the skin under my fur bubbling earlier…

The little Axew peeked up from behind the counter again, presenting my food. Around his neck a pink bandana shimmered in the midday sun, a gracidea flower design stitched into the fabric. He grinned at me like I was the most important customer in the world. “Can I get you a drink too, sir?”

I couldn’t help but smile back. Though I waved my hand and shook my head despite how enthusiastic he was.

“No thanks,” I said. “Just the snacks.” For a second I considered asking for some candied popcorn, too. But at this point I was pushing it plenty enough already. Didn’t need to waste more time lounging around rubbing my aching stomach like before.

The Axew nodded, opening his mouth to possibly ask something else. About my payment, most likely. But instead his eyes drifted downward and he mumbled something like, “Oh, purple.” After which he went back to smiling. “Enjoy!”

Every vendor, and I do mean every single one,at the festival knew to let me go without paying every single time I did something—all thanks to the color around my neck. This scarf of mine was like magic; I didn’t even need to say anything. Helped to get me to the front of the line of the festival’s coasters, too.

I wonder if I could ask Calluna to extend this to the rest of the team…they deserve it more than I do.

Bah, none of that. I spent all day fighting off the guilt, and I wasn’t going to let it get me down now. With a nod of my own, I went to pick up the snacks I bought. But before I could turn to leave the little dragon spoke up.

“If you have the time, sir,” he said, “Team Pink Petunia is performing their famous Bubble Show near the center of town soon. You don’t wanna miss it!”

“What?” I stopped in place with snacks in hand, and glanced at the Axew in confusion. “Bubble Show? What’s that?”

His eyes went wide with surprise. “You don’t know?” A gasp escaped his lips. “Team Pink Petunia are only the greatest Bubblemancers this side of Pamtre! I wouldn’t miss this for the world!”

Bubblemancers…? Now he was just making up words. Still, it wasn’t like I haven’t experienced anything weirder during my time here. Wouldn’t hurt to go check it out.

“Right…” I muttered. “Where did you say they were again?”

“The center of town! Look for the big Gallade statue!” He pointed a finger towards the end of the street behind me.

The Gallade statue…I vaguely remembered where that was. Big and shiny. Determined eyes. Long, flowing copper cape. I distinctly remembered running into Fenn for the first time after seeing it.

Man, that felt like a lifetime ago. I wondered if Fenn looked back on that moment with as much sentimentality as I did. And as expected, that thought process led to me gritting my teeth again.

…I hope he found a way to have as much fun as me…

Shaking away those thoughts for now, I nodded at the Axew and was on my way. “Thanks, see you around!”

“Goodbye!” the Axew called out. “Enjoy the rest of the festival!”

Was it even possible to enjoy it more than I already have, realistically? After all, over the course of just a few hours I rode the festival’s biggest coaster so many times that my voice was starting to give out from screaming so much, ate so many sweets that I couldn’t move for a good bit, and won a plushie for Cosmo. I even threw up a couple times. It was great!

I had said plushie under my armpit as I made my way through the bustling crowds towards the statue in the distance, trying not to drop anything. Like that bootleg dragon plush I saw earlier this one was definitely not a pokemon. It was a blue dolphin with glittering plastic eyeballs. Pretty sure a pokemon like that didn’t exist.

Cosmo would find a way to have fun with it, though. I should’ve gotten him a whole basket full of them.

After a bit of time, I managed to breach the crowd before stumbling into the center of town. I looked left, right and all around; this was definitely the big crossroads of the festival, with a bunch of signs pointing down the other paths. So many pokemon shouting out where the other attractions were, too.

The circular roundabout marking Kebia Castle Town’s center was surprisingly easy to walk through, unlike the path leading up to it. With a lot of the space left open for the area surrounding the fountain, it functioned solely to give the many families passing through some much needed breathing room. Not to mention it was just a pleasant reprieve, what with the large maple trees towards the edges and banners of pink hanging overhead. Plenty of shade to go around.

Speaking of, my gaze eventually drifted upward. Right ahead of me was the Gallade statue affixed atop the aforementioned marble fountain. Sunlight bounced off the magnificent, copper art piece, practically causing it to glow.

The statue’s eyes were determined and full of innocence, seemingly gazing off into the distance. Decorating the statue were bouquets and flower crowns and flower necklaces—all entirely gracidea—hanging from the statue like medals. Younger pokemon played in the fountain while vendors sold candied apples and frozen treats nearby.

I’m not lying when I say that my attention was transfixed on the statue for quite a while. Perhaps it was the spectacle of it all or I just needed the time to rest. But before I even had the chance to think about it much, a trio of pokemon hopped onto the fountain and made themselves known to the crowd.

Heads turned as a pink and blue Politoed dressed in a frilly shirt and feathered hat announced to the pokemon surrounding him, “Come one, come all!” His voice boomed over the heads of pokemon all around, creating silence. “Welcome to the Shaaaaaymiiiiin Festival!”

A murmur arose from the crowd, but it was quickly quieted by the voice of a pink Vaporeon next to the Politoed, fitted with a similar frilly garb. “We hope you are enjoying the festivities!” she said cheerfully. “Food, games, and more! So much more! Could this day get any better?”

The third pokemon, a pink Golduck, answered her rhetorical question after climbing up next to them. His outfit was also quite frilly, though it fit the large duck more loosely and looked outright silly on him. “I think it could,” the Golduck replied in near monotone. “We could, perhaps…start quite the show for the lovely pokemon here today.”

“That’s a great idea, Alba!” said the Politoed. He elbowed the Vaporeon lightly. “What do you think, Passion?”

“I couldn’t agree more, Alstroe!” smiled Passion the Vaporeon.

Alstroe the Politoed grinned. “Great! Well, folks, you’re in for a ride! We’ve got something special in store for you today! But first…” He pointed a finger at himself and puffed out his chest. “I’m Alstroe!”

“Passion!” the Vaporeon added with a swing of her tail.

“Alba,” the Golduck stated in a slow, bored sounding tone, waving his hands unenthusiastically.

“And we’re…Team Pink Petunia!” all three pridefully said at once.

The surrounding crowd of kids and adults alike cheered for the three pokemon. After setting my stuff down I gave them a polite clap of the paws, just to fit in.

So, this was the team that Axew was talking about. The…Bubblemancers…

“For this very, very special occasion,” Alstroe continued, “The Pink Petunias elected to perform their patented ‘Dance of The Seabed King!'”

More cheering followed that announcement. While it held no meaning for me, the townspokemon went absolutely crazy over the idea.

“A majestic mingling of the body and the element that grants it life!” Passion added with her head held high.

“A spectacle, a wondrous display, an act performed by masters of their craft,” finished Alba, sounding just as bored as before. “I’m aching to show you all.”

The juxtaposition between the Golduck’s words and the distinct lack of joy in his voice earned a chuckle out of me. Though…that didn’t last long once I noticed that none of the other pokemon seemed to find it funny. Once again I was left misplaced and shrunk into myself.

Alstroe pumped his fists. “Yes, the sun will shine brightly on us today.” Just as quickly, his jolly smile dropped and he tepidly turned to Alba. “But, er…there’s one more thing before we start. Alba?”

Without much fanfare and without meeting eyes with anybody, Alba pulled out a folded piece of paper from the folds of his shirt and began to read from it.

“Team Pink Petunia is overjoyed to let you all know that this performance is sponsored by Milk and Poppy. Milk and Poppy: the best pharmacy this side of the Kebia Main Street, for all your shopping needs.”

Still as cheery as ever, Passion said, “I always go to Milk and Poppy when I need something right away!”

Alstroe then said, “They’re quick, they’re reliable, and they’re cheap!” Again, he dropped the act slightly and turned to Alba. “Er…wasn’t there one more?”

Alba read more from the piece of paper. “When all is said and done, you are going to need a trim. Can’t let those bangs get too long.”

I swear I saw the Golduck roll his eyes.

“Come down to Thistle’s Snip-Snap emporium if you’ve got hair—slash fur—today!”

The Politoed next to Alba leaned over and whispered something, probably to the extent of “is that all of it?” Alba nodded, prompting Alstroe to hop back into place.

“Okay, let’s get started!”

The crowd cheered and clapped for the trio, while I was left bewildered and stunned momentarily.

Do they always start their shows with such blatant advertising? So clumsily, too?

I would like to say that there was no other indication that this was the norm, but that would be a blatant lie. It was subtle to the point that I didn’t notice it until now—the advertisements. Of course I can’t read, however there were colorful fliers stapled and taped to buildings, floating away with the wind, being carried by those same children from before…

Big, auspicious letters made to grab your attention and strikingly optimistic imagery were a big staple of advertising from what I could remember, and the festival was full of it. The fact that it took until someone outright said it out loud for me to notice didn’t sit well with me. And I doubt it ever did back before I came to this world.

So while the trio of pink pokemon began their dance of gymnastics and water bubbles, I was busy standing there and recounting every instance of advertising I had seen so far. It was…bleak, considering how prevalent it was. Only in Kebia, too. Micle didn’t have a hint of marketing despite how much it would have benefitted the city. Even back when those advertisements were slipped under my door I thought nothing of it.

It was a lot to take in. But most importantly it was a lot to look at. Everyone was distracted by the performers, no one was looking at me, and I was towards the back…

Sounded like a good enough chance to slip out and leave to me.

I had these kinds of thoughts pretty much all day, actually, despite my efforts. Potential consequences still lingered in my mind, overpowering my drive to even move my toes, though. The safer option would have been to stay where I was and enjoy the festival like I was told. That was the sort of argument that I had been parroting at myself off and on during the entirety of my time at this festival.

Not like I saw Fenn at all during my entire time here. I had long since accepted that I missed him—he wasn’t anywhere near me. And I had no desire to drop everything and go look at that moment. In other words, I had yet another excuse to stop thinking and eat more snacks.

I let out a sigh. Everything from my whiskers to my tail drooped. Anemone’s words rang true: I was spineless and cowardly. The allure of coasters and free sweets was too much to bear. With a disgruntled look on my face, I grabbed my soft pretzel off the ground and ripped off a chunk of it with my teeth.

“Sof papepic…” I muttered under my breath with a mouth full of food. The guilt was resurfacing again, but I didn’t try to fight it this time. If this was what it took to make me crumble then it was no wonder why Fenn left without me.

As I leaned down to pick up the cheese dip—because this pretzel really needed it—the sound of a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Having fun?”

Oh, there she is.

I turned and caught sight of Calluna skulking in the shadows of a nearby tree, banners and streamers keeping her hidden enough so that it was difficult to make her out. Had I not been looking for her, I wouldn’t have seen her. That ghostly smirk of hers was just distinct enough.

Man, this is some good cheese, I thought as I took another bite. What did they put in it here? I had to wonder. There was this gooey, fresh texture to it alongside a tinge of spice that really gave it that oomph of flavor. Calluna deserved my thanks.

I swallowed, then said, “You could say that. They’ve got some real good food here. Coasters, too. Like uh, The Sandaconda, I think it was called.” A smile creeped onto my face at the memory of riding that thing. “Real nice. Ever go on that, Calluna?”

She chuckled, slowly floating out of the shadows. “I’m not one for testing my own products.” Her voice blew along with the breeze like leaves, yet her body had no reaction to the wind whatsoever—like she wasn’t even there. I couldn’t imagine that she’d get much out of a roller coaster anyways. “I have heard that it is quite exhilarating, though.”

Sure was. The Sandaconda was a proper single-rail designed coaster, compact and constructed with steel. Started with a long vertical ascent before rounding about a corner, then dipping into a near ninety degree drop into a loop. Another vertical ascent followed the loop, before descending into a lengthy helix funnel—hence the name “Sandaconda.” On the way back around there was a corkscrew twirl that zipped right under the loop from before, specifically timed to thread the needle and meet another train along the way. After that, the coaster turned around, dropped, then rose into a zero-G roll.

During a few of my rides a couple teenagers talked about trying to launch their spit at the other train as it zoomed past under the loop. Wasn’t sure if they succeeded because it was only one mon per cart and the g-forces were too intense to try even after the fourth attempt. Plus, I preferred being at the front.

There was one thing I was wondering about, however. “Yeah, it was great. Hell-” I pointed at the bubble show being performed, “-I want to go ride it again after this. But how’d they get it into town overnight?” I asked. “It wasn’t there yesterday, as far as I remember.”

Maybe I wasn’t paying attention? Pokemon are magical creatures capable of spectacular feats of ingenuity, but I doubted they could airdrop a damn 80 foot coaster into a populated city over the course of just one night.

I was curious how they did it, since I could imagine they used some technique I wasn’t aware of. Unfortunately, Calluna opted to not answer my question.

“Mmm…That’s a trade secret, Oswald-dear.”

I shrugged. Doubted that, too. “Uh-huh. Whatever. Where have you been?”

Her smirk grew. “I could ask you the same question,” she retorted. “You’re still here, hours later. You had the perfect chance to run…yet you stayed. Was it cold feet, or were you enamored by the freedom I gave you?”

And now she insisted on taking all of the credit. Yeah, no thanks. At least I was vindicated in my hesitation.

I looked over my shoulder at the aforementioned bubble show. Some bubbles were the size of a small pokemon, while others were as large as a Snorlax. The Politoed bounced atop one while the Vaporeon sang a beautiful tune atop another. Meanwhile, the Golduck guided the bubbles with his psychic powers, fully concentrated. I lingered on the display as I replied.

“…I was calling your bluff.”

I don’t think there’s a single person alive that could believe that. Aside from Cosmo and maybe Fenn. Though I feel like he’d just go along with it instead of questioning it. I very much was not calling Calluna’s bluff.

Calluna full-on laughed. “Perhaps you are smarter than you look!” She gestured towards the tree she was just under a moment prior. “And to answer your question, I had to take care of some business. I am available now, so…come. I want to talk.”

Without much of an argument, I grabbed my belongings and followed after her. Under the shade of the tree, the air was chilly; it was a stark shift. Standing out of range of the sun and turning around was like being outside of a window during a winter storm. Disconnected, close yet far, looking in. The way the light bounced off of the bubbles left a sparkle in my eye—another result of me having an affinity for water, I guess. It reminded me of that time Fenn and I were at the beach.

I had to ask, “I don’t suppose you’ll let me leave the castle every so often, right?”

It was easier to see Calluna in full now that the sun wasn’t beaming through her. And I had to say, her age really showed in this kind of lighting. A weird thing to notice especially considering that…she was a ghost. I was not aware ghosts could age, but Calluna set that record straight. She looked to be about middle aged, close to Anemone, actually. Same tired eyes, but with a hint of confidence that set the two apart. Anemone shirked away from the public eye, while Calluna reveled in it.

“Mmm…no,” she hummed. “Anemone-dear told me that this would be the one exception—and that took quite a bit of convincing on its own.”

Figures. Probably no chance of going after Fenn either…

“What would have happened if I tried to run?” I asked while my pulse pounded in my ears. The fact that I considered it and was one bad move away from screwing up left a pit in my stomach.

Calluna didn’t bother to sugarcoat it. “I would have stopped you. My instructions were to keep you from leaving the town and to bring you back to the castle before the evening comes.”

I thought she had business to deal with. But…she was also watching me? Hmm…

“Not even sunset?” I asked.

“No.”

I scoffed. “Harsh. I didn’t take you as one to follow orders that closely.”

There wasn’t a hint of her regular playfulness in the tone of her response. If anything, she sounded deathly serious. “We are our own servants, Oswald. You would do well to remember that.”

I would if I knew what it meant. If I was my own servant then I would have fired myself by now.

“Right…” I watched the bubbles contort and squish, water spraying from the performer’s mouths like fountains of their own. Alstroe jumped into a large bubble and joined hands with Passion. Like the majestic beasts they were, the two of them swam and danced with such fluidity that it was as though they were the water.

All the while, the world outside of the shade of the tree became garbled and incoherent. It was as though Calluna and I were on the other side of the glass at an aquarium, looking in at the sea creatures in the tank. Detached and separated from the crowd, but in a way that made it feel more like I was spectating than participating.

“…How much business does that barbershop even get?” I wondered aloud, breaking the silence. Changing the subject seemed like a good idea.

“Hm?”

“You know-” I pointed at the pokemon in the bubbles, “-that Thistle shop they mentioned. Do…pokemon use that often?”

It was only after I started talking did I realize how stupid that question was. Of course it got good business! Why wouldn’t it?

Calluna let out a quick chortle, returning to her normal mischievous demeanor. “It is nice to know that my methods work well enough so that you are reminded of it.” She looked me up and down with a smirk. “I can set up an appointment for you if you’d like. They can come to you.”

Oh god, haircuts are bad enough. Trying to trim a whole body’s worth of hair, though?

Regardless, I held up a paw. “No, just…wait. Your methods?”

“I own Thistle’s, dear.”

Oh yeah. Didn’t Dahlia say that Calluna owned all of the businesses in town once? How’d she manage that?

“Well, your advertising ‘methods’ are kinda obstructive,” I said with crossed arms. “Putting them at the start of a live performance doesn’t do anything but annoy people. It doesn’t tell them anything either. And for the record, it’s not good enough. It’s downright amateurish.”

For the first time, Calluna reacted with intrigue. A raised eyebrow under the shadow of her hat and a fascinated “Oh?” She floated a bit closer. “Tell me, Oswald, do you remember much about selling services from your time as a human?”

Unfortunately. Vague images of brand logos and garbled commercial jingles flashed in my mind despite the numerous gaps in between.

“Let’s just say that my knowledge on how advertising is supposed to work persisted even after I lost my damn memory,” I replied.

One of Calluna’s ghostly tassels rose to her chin. “Interesting…” she muttered. “Do you, perhaps, have any suggestions?”

Just to be clear, my perspective on advertising was one of someone who lived in a world where it was likely very prevalent. Not as the advertiser. I could explain how it was used in a general sense, but I wasn’t an expert. Not to mention that the details were still blurry altogether. I gave her the best answer I could think of after some pondering.

“You have to be…loud. Catchy. Pervasive in a way that people can’t possibly forget that you exist. Proper advertising doesn’t just lead to a bonus increase to profits, it’s supposed to be so widespread that it becomes a part of life for people. For…everyone.“

Calluna cooed, “That sounds downright cruel, Oswald-dear!”

I clicked my tongue. “It’s effective. I might not remember the face of my own mother, but there’s still fragments of a company logo somewhere in here.” I lightly knocked on my own skull as I said that.

What can only be described as pure elation flashed across the ghost’s face. “I am simply…fascinated by this,” she said. “That sort of approach was a far-cry from what I was taught.”

“Taught?” If I had big, pointy ears like Fenn they would have pointed straight up. “What were you taught? And where?”

Silently, Calluna floated closer to the edge of the shadows, closer to the fountain. I followed hesitantly, keeping my gaze locked to the back of her head. The encroaching sunlight made parts of her appear more ethereal—closer to the crowd.

“Are you familiar with the continent of Chordatum?” Calluna questioned.

“I didn’t know the name of the continent we’re on until yesterday, so no.”

“I will keep it brief, then. Centuries ago, Chordatum was half of its current size—almost smaller than Enigma. The leader at the time, a Zarude with a vested interest in the cultures and customs of extinct humans, decided to name himself…president.”

“We had those from where I came from, yeah.” There was something I could finally answer with a definitive “yes.”

She smiled over her shoulder. “Good. That saves me the trouble.” She turned back to the statue, and continued. “He devised a plan: Research humans as much as possible and find the key to success—to untapped power and potential humans hold. That may sound simple to you, Oswald-dear, but at the time information was sparse. Whatever records that survived were either unhelpful or within the grasp of other societies; made trivial by the fact that Chordatum was new in comparison to others.”

They really do think highly of humans, huh? Makes me wonder what other crazy things pokemon think humans are capable of. Or…what they’d do if they met a real one…

Calluna kept going. “Progress was slow until a team of explorers returned from a Spatial Dungeon with a tattered poster.” Her expression became somber. “A recruitment poster.”

“You mean like military recruitment?” I asked, suddenly very concerned about where this was going.

“Supposedly.” The reflected lights of the sun off of the bubbles invaded the shadows and pierced right through Calluna’s ghostly form. “President Zarude studied the poster as much as he possibly could, pouring over every minute detail, uncovering its secrets.”

Calluna was right, this did sound incredibly simple to someone like me. What kind of secrets does a recruitment poster hold? None. A recruitment poster, if anything, held no secrets on its own—they were just used to grab the attention of passersby.

Coincidentally, that was exactly what Calluna was getting at, as evidenced by her next comment.

“He proposed the question, if this poster was enough to rally soldiers for war, what else could it do?” she said rhetorically, sending me a devious smile.

I frowned. “With the way you make it sound, that poster inspired a whole nation on its own.” No way it started there. An entire continent didn’t double in size because of a lucky draw from a Mystery Dungeon, did it? That’s insane!

Yet plausible, apparently.

“Oh by Giratina’s gallbladder it did~” Calluna giggled with glee. “President Zarude understood the power behind the right words on the right wall at the right time. His first test was through the very university I attended to grow my skills as an entrepreneur: Major John Academy—the one name present on the poster itself! His teachings led to me forming an empire on this rock…as you have seen~”

Naming your academy after a military leader doesn’t bode well. And a human leader, too. That’s like naming a human academy “Sergeant Pikachu’s University.” How many war crimes has he committed?

A snicker left my throat. “Your ’empire’ needs some work.”

Calluna turned back to the show in front of her, before muttering, “Yes…as you have said, Oswald-dear. Even though I was at the top of my class…I am imperfect.” Based on her demeanor she believed it, too.

It was strange being the one with the upper hand knowledge-wise for once. Not like I was an expert or even a businessman as a human—no way I would know. But whatever I happened to know was enough to make Calluna…stop and think. Or so I thought.

One more time, the Mismagius met my gaze. Her face, partially transparent, glowed covetously. I would almost say that the look she gave me was full of hunger.

“Don’t mind me,” she said, “this is my field of study. The world of human business practices…captivates me.”

“I can tell.”

Is everyone under Anemone’s boot a fetishist for humans? God damn.

Another moment of silence passed as the two of us observed the “Dance of The Seabed King,” as the shiny trio had called it. While I wouldn’t call it particularly jaw dropping, it was definitely a spectacle. Alstroe and Passion’s stunts became more and more elaborate over time, eventually becoming what was essentially a water-based circus act. But instead of flaming hoops and clowns, there were lots and lots of bubbles. Alba truly was a master at his craft.

Not only that, but the audience grew in size to the point that I almost thought the entire festival was there to experience it. I know that Axew said he’d attend, and as much as I wanted to see if he did, I literally couldn’t.

My eyes went dry from staring at the display, simply because I was too transfixed to blink. I know I didn’t call it jaw dropping, but that was me saying that. Not my Dewott skin suit. By every metric, seeing so many sparkling bubbles in such a wondrous arrangement sparked something in me. The guilt and self hatred all seemed to just wash away, and I’d go as far to say that it warmed my heart.

There was something so strange about describing it that way, but in all honesty…that was just how it was. Just like earlier with the coasters, I was fawning over water of all things. If there was such a thing as a heaven where both sides of me could be content, I think it would involve a water slide.

“It’s stunning, isn’t it?” Calluna asked suddenly.

I nearly jumped. It wasn’t even that loud—it just startled me. At one point she floated back so that she was further in the shadows, so I had to step back with her.

I responded with, “It…is, yeah. I’m glad I didn’t miss it.”

“Mmm…” Calluna hummed lightly. “It really is a shame what Anemone decided to do. I always found her methods to be a bit…much.”

“Yeah…” I looked down at the dirt. If Calluna hadn’t done this for me then I never would have known about any of this. Honestly, it made me despise that Gardevoir even more.

Calluna’s voice became quiet, and soothing to listen to, even. “I cannot apologize enough for this kind of treatment. You…do not deserve it.”

I held up a paw somberly. “No…don’t worry about it,” I grumbled. “I should be thanking you for…letting me take a break from…all of this.” I put on a fake smile and fake cheery voice. “Might seem like I’m a funny guy that can handle anything.” The smile faded just as quickly. “But I’m not. And I can’t.”

Like a worried mother, Calluna tilted her head and said, “Aww…” all sympathetic-like. “You’re doing what you can. That’s good enough.”

For a second I choked up. Dammit…that really got to me…

“I…yeah…”

There wasn’t much I could say after that without my voice breaking, so I didn’t try. Thankfully, Calluna changed the subject almost immediately.

“Oswald-dear, there was something I wanted to ask you.”

I looked up. “Yeah?”

Floating back towards the bubbles a bit, Calluna’s eyes trailed upward. “Do you know who is depicted by the Gallade statue there?” she wondered, her voice neutral sounding.

Following her gaze, I found myself squinting slightly. I cleared my throat. “No, I don’t know. Is he someone important?”

Calluna was silent for a moment, as though she were deliberating over whether or not to elaborate. Eventually, though, she simply said, “That…is Ranun. A war hero.”

“Alright…” I muttered. For some reason that name caused an itch at the back of my brain significant enough to prod further. “What did he do?”

“Hm?” Calluna shot me a look over her shoulder. “Oh, right. Forgive me, the details are a bit foggy now. All that is relevant is that back during the Psychic Wars his contributions were lauded as particularly valiant. To the extent that…this statue was built in his honor. The name Ranun became synonymous with ‘honor’ and ‘strength.'”

I figured. A flattering depiction like that wouldn’t be constructed for some nobody. Why did any of this matter, though?

Well, I wanted to know more regardless. That itch just wouldn’t go away.

“I see,” I said. “I’m surprised this is the first time I’m hearing about him, then.”

“Not surprising. His impact has waned over the years. But also I am not being entirely truthful with you, Oswald.”

I blanched. “…What?”

The tone of Calluna’s voice caught me off guard, along with the suddenness of it. Her gaze was planted firmly on the display ahead of her, which made it difficult to tell how serious she was.

“The truth is,” the Mismagius started, “Ranun was not a war hero. The history books would tell you otherwise—but I am no history book, dear.”

As much as I felt the need to give a sarcastic retort, I knew that from the sudden shift in the atmosphere that this was not something to take lightly. I narrowed my eyes.

“Then why is there a statue of him?” I asked, before quickly correcting myself. “I mean, I can assume that it’s a lie. But what for? I’m confused.”

“I am not quite finished yet,” she replied quickly. “To elaborate, not many pokemon in his day properly knew him. And yet, ask the older members of the castle and they will speak highly of him. Some will say that he saved many after donning his cape, sacrificing himself for the cause. However, what many will not tell you is that Ranun never mega evolved once.”

Mega evolved…? Not familiar with that.

If Ranun’s origins were a lie then there had to be another reason for his relevancy. Calluna was clearly going to tell me so I just kept quiet.

But…still. That itch was getting harder to ignore…

Calluna continued. “The truth is that Ranun, despite his apparent valor-” At that moment, Calluna smirked at me over her shoulder. -“was dumber than a sack of rocks. The kind of man that could not walk, talk, and think at the same time. His mind was like a pile of sludge stuffed into his skull.”

She gestured towards the statue. “Someone such as that could not produce the proper psychic capabilities to defend himself, let alone save others. And yet, there he is, thirty years later.”

Crossing my arms and scrunching up my face, I had to consider this for a second. So, apparently this Ranun guy did nothing of importance but history was changed to make his actions seem legendary. It wouldn’t have surprised me if everyone just heard the lie once and accepted it. After all, why would they deny it? That would be stupid.

One question was on my mind, though. “Why does any of this matter? Sure, it’s kind of weird to make some random idiot the centerpiece of town, but the message still works. He’s a symbol. Doesn’t have to be more than that.”

Calluna nodded. “Yes, you are correct. And if that was the end of the story, I would leave it there. But…” Suddenly, she turned to face me properly. The shade of the tree darkened her features ominously, while the sun shone from behind. “I had another question: who do you believe funded this statue to be built?”

“You…?” I raised an eyebrow. Was that a trick question? Like, Calluna had the money, and she knew the truth. That had to be where the conversation was going.

I was wrong. Dead wrong. The itch became almost overwhelming once Calluna told me what the deal was.

The ghost’s smirk grew two more sizes, nearly phasing off her face entirely.

“It was Anemone,” Calluna elaborated in a whisper. “She saw to it that Ranun was immortalized in that statue…and remembered as something he distinctly was not.”

Okay, I can understand the statue. Maybe she cared for the guy a lot and used her powers as queen to indulge herself a little. Fine. Nothing wrong with that.

But changing history?

“Is it supposed to be propaganda?” I asked with a frown.

Calluna chuckled darkly. “Ah, wouldn’t that be something, Oswald-dear. I propose that you come to your own conclusions.”

So…it’s not propaganda? Then…

A thought suddenly struck me: Anemone wouldn’t be too happy to know that Calluna told me this. Which was concerning because there was no way Calluna didn’t know that. Forgetting that little detail was not an accident.

“Calluna,” I whispered back worriedly, “should you be telling me this? How is Anemone going to react when she…”

Without warning, the crowd near the statue cheered loudly, causing me to flinch. Calluna, however, did not move in the slightest.

Once the crowd quieted down, the ghost type simply responded with, “Anemone can listen in all she wants. But she cannot deny it.”

That sentence was laced with a combination of smug arrogance and spiteful joy. Not that I blamed her, but that was not the kind of attitude one should have about their boss’ secrets.

…Anemone counted as Calluna’s boss, right? Now I wasn’t so sure.

I gritted my teeth in doubt and anxiety. I had a feeling this was something I wasn’t supposed to know. And as much as I wanted to spit in that Gardevoir’s face, I didn’t want to give her another reason to want to rearrange my limbs into a pretzel.

Speaking of, I still had that pretzel in my paw. I ripped another chunk out of it, chewed quickly, swallowed hard, then glanced between Calluna, the rapidly concluding bubble show, and the castle looming in the distance.

I guess…I’ve got no other choice, I thought ruefully. Time to go back…

I sighed. “Well, thanks for today, Calluna,” I muttered. “I uh…really needed a break. This was a great festival.”

Instead of saying “you’re welcome”or something along those lines like I would have expected, Calluna dropped another bombshell on me. Completely nonchalantly, too.

“Oh, that was another lie,” Calluna noted.

“…I’m sorry?”

“The festival,” she clarified, no hint of irony to speak of in her voice. “If you recall earlier I mentioned that this festival was based on the Shaymin that used to live on this continent.”

“Yeah…?” I didn’t like where this was going.

Her facial expression did not change in any way when she said that, “It was not, actually. That was a lie that I fabricated. There never were any Shaymin that lived on Enigma, nor any gracidea flowers to speak of.”

I fiddled with the flower necklace around my neck as I stared in disbelief. “Then…how did they get here?” I questioned slowly, not looking forward to the answer.

“I imported them,” she stated simply. “They make for good decorations. And they function as wonderful marketing tools.”

Am I going insane?

I stared at her in stunned silence for a good bit. Right…Calluna was in charge of all of the businesses in town. And this festival was included in that, even though I assumed that all she did was set it up. Not…construct it from nothing.

“Then why? Why did you tell me that they originated here?”

This time, she did change her expression. A light, innocent smile formed on her ghostly lips. “I simply told you what I tell everyone else, Oswald-dear. It makes for a good tourist attraction, don’t you think? Even better if the locals believe it as well.”

“…”

The worst part about this was that I couldn’t even deny that she had a good point. After all, I was telling Calluna all about proper advertising earlier. An exciting story is better for business than an honest one.

All of these pokemon at this festival today—every single one—were engaged in a fiction constructed to goad them out of their money. They all went along with it, a smile on their face.

Just like me. I believed it wholeheartedly.

There was a deep pit in my stomach. All of a sudden I didn’t feel like going on another roller coaster ride. And not for the most obvious reason.

Because I realized something that bothered me more than anything else…

If Calluna lied about this with a straight face…what else did she lie about?