Dungeon 74 – Soothing

The sun was harsh and over their faces. Lance panted, covering his head with the cloak. Despite this, he was still suffering from the effects of the weather, panting and sweating. For once, having all that fur wasn’t so good.

“Why did we need to come all the way down ‘ere?” Dex removed his bandanna, seeing it drenched in sweat, and he slowly started to remove it, while walking. “Pup, ye better have a damn good reason.”

Meggie started making kissing noises as she floated. “We’re seeing his boooooyfriend~!”

“Ex-boyfriend.” Lance clarified, rubbing a bit of sweat. But it didn’t help that much, the heat was strong. “…We sort of broke up.”

Brian looked at the other two. His mane was back to its normal size, and that sort of helped take shelter from the sun, but he was still a little sweaty. “Not fun, Megs. And, uh, can you help with the heat here?”

“There ain’t no way Popsicle—”

“Oh, please.” Meggie interrupted, floating above the two and breathing out a cold, icy wind that rained down upon the other three. It wouldn’t last forever, but it did help out for a little while.

“…Dang, color me impressed.” Dex chuckled. “Guess callin’ ye Popsicle really fits, eh?”

“Heh.” Meggie floated down, standing next to Brian. “I can’t promise I’ll be able to make it snow, but if you guys get too hot, lemme know.”

Meanwhile, Lance was quiet. They were walking down a grassy road, but stopped to relax and talk for the moment. Lance didn’t pay attention, his mind was occupied with other things, feeling the heat of the sun beating down on him, the blades of grass brushing against his legs, everything to distract him from the most dreadful thought he had: meeting Blitz again.

They had been together for a long time, but things had ended badly between them. Both him and Lance were hurt—with Lance blaming himself for how badly things had ended, and he wasn’t sure if Blitz would ever forgive him. But… Blitz called him, sending him a letter that asked for his presence. Someone as rational as him would think it meant he wanted to reconnect, maybe even date again, but Lance… didn’t think dating would be good for him. Not during that moment, anyway.

I’m not even sure I should have this chance in the first place. Lance’s heart was heavy, and although he agreed to visit Blitz, he had second thoughts now.

“Hey, Shorty.” Brian appeared in front of his sibling, smiling. “…I know it’s hard, but we’re all here for you, y’know? As friends. And in my case, family too.”

“Oi, pup, don’t act like that now. We’ve been through a lot, all o’ us.”

Lance looked forward again, rubbing his arm. The scenery itself was very peaceful, with a few wildflowers blooming sporadically in the tall grass, giving a pop of color to the otherwise green road. He smelled the wind and smiled, knowing his friends were there for him helped a lot.

“Maybe it won’t be bad. I mean, he did ask me to come.” Lance sighed, looking away. “…At the very least, he wants to talk to me. That’s a sign.”

Dex leaned closer, putting a paw on Lance’s shoulder. “Listen, pup. I talked with me parents again. Ye can do it. Just gotta get off yer ass an’ try.”

…Surprisingly effective. Lance blinked, managing a small chuckle. “I suppose it’s worth a shot. It worked well with your parents, so there might be a chance for me.”

“Why’d you two break up, anyway?” Meggie asked, now hovering above Brian and resting her head on top of his. “…If it’s alright for me to ask.”

“I don’t think it is, Megs.”

Lance shook his head. It was hard, but they didn’t need to know, they were just there for moral support… and the fact Brian wanted to spend a few days there, as part of their vacation.

“Well, it’s a little personal, but it was my fault.” Lance closed a fist, frowning. His tail lowered. “I was very stupid, an idiot, and that pushed him away.”

“Sorry to hear, Pup. I bet it must’ve been awful to experience.” Dex went as far as to give the Lucario a big hug, before pulling back.

“Well…” Lance took a few steps forward with his friends, before they stopped again, taking in the town, already visible. It was nestled between two hills, with tall trees and lush foliage surrounding it.

Treasure Town was a colorful and vibrant oasis in the middle of the natural world. From a distance, they could see the rooftops of the various buildings in town, painted in different shades of blue, green, yellow, and red. The colors stood out, giving the town a more gentle look.

---

Lance had never actually been to Treasure Town. He heard of it—and knew Brian made a visit to it when they were after Morgan, but he never visited it himself. Neither did Dex and Meggie.

When they entered the town, the first thing they noticed was the lively, bright atmosphere. The buildings were more visible now—some shaped like the Pokémon that owned them, part of their culture that Lance never really understood. With Meggie looking in awe, she didn’t either.

Though they weren’t at the center just yet, they could see a fountain, off in the distance, with two blurred Pokémon playing around it. It was like nothing had even happened to it while Necrozma was doing his plan.

“I… I’m happy.” Lance said, mouth opened to gasp. “I didn’t expect them to recover in such a short amount of time.”

“Aye. Glad they did, though.” Dex turned to the side, seeing the road that led to a beach, and on the opposite side, a well with a ring. There was something else there, however.

A line had formed in front of the guild, each of them waiting for their turn to get their footprints checked. They were of multiple species, shapes and sizes, ranging from cute and cuddly—like a Pikachu near the start of the line—to fierce and powerful, like a Tyranitar at the end of the line.

“What’s that?” Dex asked, putting his bandanna back on. The heat wasn’t as bad, and the air coming from the sea was helping too.

“Looks like they’re waiting for something… or someone?” Meggie shrugged; she didn’t know either.

Lance crossed his arms; from what Brian told him, Blitz was part of the guild now, which meant they would have to go through this line just to see him.

…Annoying, he sighed, ears twitching. Unintentionally, he started listening to the conversation.

A Plusle turned to the other Pokémon around him. “I wonder why we’ve been called here. Do you guys have any idea?”

The Hakamo-o nearby shook his head, his scales glistening in the sun. “No clue. But it’s gotta be something big if the guildmaster wants to see all of us.”

Perched on the dragon’s head was a Rowlet, flapping his wings. “Nah, nah, maybe it’s a treasure!”

An Eevee hopped around, her tail wagging. “Ooooh, maybe it’s some gold! I’d love gold!”

…Lance realized eavesdropping wasn’t giving him any proper answers. “I suppose we should stay here and see what’s going on.”

“Are we actually waiting?” Brian groaned. He did want to rest, maybe go to a beach, drink a nice berry juice and cuddle with Meggie. Not… wait in line to enter a guild.

“Well, it ain’t like we have better things to do.” Dex shrugged. “Besides, this “Blitz” guy must be one hottie if he an’ Pup got together!”

“I can name a million better things to do than wait here.” Meggie deadpanned, floating and getting carried by Brian. Luckily, she wasn’t so heavy, so he carried her without much effort.

“Oh yeah? Name one thing, Popsicle!”

Meggie looked at Brian, and he returned the look.

“Movie night,” they said in unison.

“Blah! Pup, help me out here!”

Lance was distracted by the line, and only barely registered Dex’s words. “Hm, what?”

“They’re destroyin’ me! C’mon, help yer mate out!”

“…We’re here to support me?” Lance said, shrugging slightly. “But don’t let me keep you here. You can go do whatever you want to do in this town.”

Brian sighed, before chuckling. “I was just messin’ around. Don’t worry, we’ll wait with you!”

“And I wanna meet him too!” Meggie added.

“Fine, fine. Sheesh.” Dex rubbed the back of his head. At least things were peaceful now. Going back to the main subject, he wondered what kind of ‘mon Blitz was. Nobody really talked about him, so naturally, Dex got curious. Not that he wanted to date Lance, no. Teasing the poor Lucario was more fun.

Lance looked at the line, seeing it hadn’t changed much. The group of four Pokémon in front of him was still chatting, wondering what the guildmaster had in store for them all. But he didn’t see Blitz, or anything remotely like a Manectric.

Until he heard a bark; a happy bark, and turned around. From the corner, near the entrance to the deeper parts of town, was Blitz. The Manectric locked eyes with Lance, his tail wagging, and a few sparks of electricity coming off of him. Around his neck was a black scarf that flowed with the wind.

“Blitz…” Lance muttered.

“Huh?” Brian turned around, seeing the canine nearby. He waved, Meggie floating off of him to let him do that. “Yo, Blitz!”

Meggie had a similar reaction, waving. “H-Hello!”

“Oh, hi!” Dex grinned, about to call Blitz “Pup”, but using the same nickname twice was just… bland.

On the bright side, now there was another reunion about to happen.

Blitz’s tail wagged as he approached the twins; the only ones there he actually knew. “Hey Brian, hey Lance! Glad you got my letter! Hopefully it didn’t take too long…”

“U-Uh, no, it did not.” Lance had his gaze on Blitz, but at the same time, tried his best to suppress any and all emotions related to embarrassment, guilt, and sadness.

Which meant suppressing his urge to whine, controlling his ear so they would stay upright, and getting a handle on that stupid tail of his. It almost worked, but Lance kept having his ears moving up and down, and the smile he forced himself to have was more akin to that of a serial killer.

“Uh, Lance, are you alright? I know the heat today is getting out of control, but still…” Blitz approached the Lucario, whining a little.

“I’m fine, never better!” Lance straightened himself. On the side, he screamed.

“Don’t worry, as soon as we got it, we started traveling!” Brian nodded. He pointed at Meggie. “And this is my girlfriend!”

“Hello.” Meggie waved again. “My name is Meggie. It’s a pleasure!”

“Nice to meet you! Anyone close to my friends is a friend too!” Blitz said, barking. He set his sights on Dex next, and… ended up eyeing his chest up and down. Blitz held back the urge to whistle and offered a paw instead. “Hi, I’m Blitz! Used to be on team Liberators, but life… kinda made me leave.”

“No worries, Sparky.” Dex got on his knees, taking Blitz’s paw and shaking it with a grin on his face. “Name’s Dex. Nice to meet ye.”

“S-Sparky?!”

That, Lance felt, was the best way to get back into the conversation. “Dex likes to call us by nicknames. It’s his way of showing friendship.”

Blitz tilted his head, chuckling a little. “Ah, gotcha. Well, nice to meet you too, Dex! As well as you, Meggie!”

As they talked, the line finally started to shorten, with the Pokémon in it slowly entering the guild. Blitz noticed this, taking his place next to Lance, tail wagging.

“Right, so! The guildmaster’s about to announce something!”

Lance gulped. “Noted, we’ve been waiting here, do you know what the announcement is?”

“Yeah, it’s getting kinda hot in here, so…” Brian muttered, looking at Meggie. “…I think we’ll take a walk around here. Y’know, get acquainted with the place.”

“Didn’t ye visit this place before—”

Meggie glared at Dex so hard he was almost freezing from the sight alone. “Oh, okay! Let’s go, then!”

“Hm?” Blitz looked back only to see Brian had started running already. Sure, he could catch up quickly, but… Lance was visibly nervous about being next to him. “Ah, I get what they’re doing.”

“You do?” Lance tried to come up with a way to change the subject. His mind kicked into overdrive, looking at the large Wigglytuff-shaped building. “I’ve heard he’s quite eccentric, is it true?”

“Lance…”

“I mean, really, making a building based on how you look? It’s a little unorthodox.”

“Lance.”

“But at the same time, I can see he’s proud of his organization, which is good, since it shows how much confidence he has in himself, and—”

“Lance.” Blitz let out a small thunderbolt, not enough to hurt Lance, but to get his attention. “Listen, I know what you’re doing.”

Oh no. Blitz was actually going to start that discussion? There, with so many Pokémon around them? Really?

“You’re deflecting, trying to talk about everything except… us.”

He kept going. Lance shivered, his body freezing.

“…And that’s fine.”

Lance’s heart skipped a beat. His ears drooped, and his fur stood on its end. “It’s fine? Blitz, I hurt you, and I broke your heart. How can it be fine?”

To that, he sighed. “…It took me a while to recover, but I’m alright. And I’ve heard about your adventures, too. You’re fine as well. As for the announcement, I do know what it’s about, and I thought…”

He paused, shaking a little. “…I thought we could use that as a chance to be friends again. We might not be dating, but I don’t think you’re a bad guy.”

It was strange to hear it all. Lance almost considered the possibility he was dreaming, but the bolt from before did tickle him, so it was reality. Blitz forgave him, why? Why did all of them keep forgiving him, when he did so many wrong things? Maybe there was still hope for him.

“Friends? You want to be my friend?”

“I don’t see why not.” The line had gotten even shorter, and Blitz took a few steps forward. “C’mon! It’s an event, and you’re gonna enjoy it!”

Lance, wanting to grasp that chance of getting a friend back, followed his fellow canine.

---

As Brian walked away from the line, he caught a glance of a building nearby. “Spinda’s Cafe”, as the sign with bold letters told him, large glass windows giving him a small glimpse of the interior.

For now, he ignored it, because Meggie was moving around from place to place, seeing all the trees, looking at the clouds, the grass on the ground, everything! She loved it, stopping to smell some flowers.

“This place is great! Full of mother nature! Errr, what’s mother nature again?”

“No clue, Popsicle.” Dex shrugged. “But… I don’t think many places here are open. Check ’em out.”

Meggie did just that, and she saw the stores were… empty. Not a single Pokémon inside them, and the structure was broken, cracked, almost falling apart. “O-Oh no! What happened!”

“Hm… I think it might’ve been the time Necrozma spent doing, y’know.” Brian rubbed the back of his head, approaching one of the stores. It was shaped like an Electivire’s head. Just that was enough for the trio to shiver.

Brian also saw a sign near the entrance, and he read it. “…Says here it’s in maintenance. Geez.”

“…Wish we could’ve helped ’em out more. Stoppin’ Necrozma wasn’t enough.” Dex sighed. The world was fine, but what would they accomplish?

“Actually, there’s a way.” Meggie said, looking down, before setting her sights on them again. “When we visited the Tree, Xerneas said she was planning on… bringing a new era, where mortals and Legends can both move forward into the future. Or something like that. She wanted our help.”

“…And ye didn’t tell us?”

Meggie shook her head. “Lance asked me not to. He was considering it, but I’m not sure what he thinks of this right now.”

Hearing that, Brian had two options: getting mad at Lance for keeping this from them, or he could let it go and talk about it later.

“…We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” Brian said with a sigh. Once again, Lance hid something from them. Even if it wasn’t a bad thing, he still did it.

Dex grumbled. “Team meeting when our visit is over, then.”

“Aye.” Brian said to him, then went back to walking. “There has to be somewhere around here that’s open.”

There was one, a small stand with a purple Kecleon and a green Kecleon. A common shop around the continent.

“…Kecleon brothers? Guess they really are everywhere.”

“Aaaaactually, I think I know where I wanna go.” Meggie said, smiling again. “We passed by a neat little cafe, and I wanna know how it’s like.”

Dex instantly lit up. “Oh, heck yeah! Maybe I can find something to drink there!”

“W-Why are you always thinking about alcohol…?” Brian deadpanned. The best thing about that long mission they had was not having to smell beer whenever Dex talked. Now he’d have to.

The trio was already heading that way, crossing the distance in a short time. Brian whistled, taking in the view of the cafe better now. The exterior was adorned with the signboard, and decorated with colorful lights, as well as flowers. It was made of brick, with two large glass windows offering a peek into the cozy interior, and were adorned with curtains, adding to the charm.

“Whoa…” Meggie’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

With the warm and sunny day, there were colorful flower pots arranged on the outdoor seating area, and the trio could hear chatter and laughter coming from inside the cafe, adding more to its liveliness. Overall, it was a welcoming sight for any explorers, inviting them to come inside.

“Okay… I’m actually really impressed by this.” Brian said, smiling. “If Dex wasn’t here, I could consider it a date!”

“Ouch. I’ll just be yer third wheel.” Dex grinned, trying to hide his pain. One day he would get back at Brian for all of this. One day…

“Ah, c’mon, guys! We can get inside and have some fun! There’s even singing! Wonder what it’s all about…” Meggie started thinking if she had a good singing voice or not, but she never even tried. Oh well, no better time to start than the present!

“I’ll just be happy to eat an’ drink something.” Dex grinned, licking his lips. “We do have the money fer it, right?”

Brian nodded. “Yeah, we’ll be fine. I still wanna save some for our vacation, but… I think this should be fine.”

As they approached the cafe, they were greeted by a spinning Spinda, holding a tray with multiple berries on top of it. It was very comforting to see.

“Ta-da~!” They said, giggling. “Welcome to the one, the only… Spinda’s Cafe! I hope you all enjoy your time here!”

---

The guild, as Lance found out, had a very primitive set of stairs. Much to his surprise, even large Pokémon like Tyranitar could climb down without much issue. He went after Blitz, watching the quadrupedal Pokémon easily climb the stairs.

I suppose it’s interesting that they have their own way of doing things.

“Lost in thought again? You always do that!” Blitz jumped out of the stairs when he had the necessary height, seeing Lance climb normally. “Well, I can’t say it’s a bad thing to do. Unless it’s bad thoughts. They… aren’t bad, right?”

“No, I was just wondering if the stairs broke before.”

“…We don’t talk about that.”

Lance snorted, approaching the Manectric again. Before they resumed their conversation, however, Lance saw the place was crowded. There was just enough space for him and Blitz, but the rest of the floor was full of Pokémon. They were all staring at the door to the guildmaster’s office, waiting to meet him.

“He’s pretty famous, isn’t he?” Lance leaned against a wall, crossing his arms. “I think my father met him before, but I’m not sure.”

“Oh, the Guildmaster is just the best! My parents think so, too! We really made a good decision. Moving out, I mean!” Blitz barked, his tail wagging again.

Moving away from a jerk like me. Lance thought, sighing to himself.

However, Blitz noticed it. “Hey, now. I know what’s on your mind. It… wasn’t because of you. I mean, we only moved out later. Don’t blame yourself.”

“…Why do you always know what I’m thinking?”

“Ex-boyfriend privileges.” Blitz stuck out his tongue, smiling proudly. “…Seriously, though, relax! This is for a new beginning!”

Lance was reminded of Xerneas’ proposal to him, as well as Edgar’s. It seemed his life was full of new beginnings, now that his mission was over.

“Well, I’d love to relax. Brian always says I should.”

“Hm, you haven’t changed a bit, then!”

This made him go on the defensive, putting a hand in front of his chest. “But I did! Look, I’m trying to be more social, I even came all the way here! I’m sure that counts as changing!”

Blitz winked. “Maybe when you stop looking so stiff. Really, you look like a statue.”

“Huh.” Lance didn’t notice it before, but his posture was too stiff, and it did hurt his back a little, but over years, he got used to it. At the same time, Blitz made a good argument. He tried hunching a little, and heard something pop.

“Ouch.”

“We’ll have to work on that.” Blitz admitted. “Now, I think the Guildmaster’s about to speak!”

There were a lot of squawks and wings flipping, getting Lance’s attention as he turned around. A single Chatot stood outside the door to the guildmaster’s room, puffing up his chest to appear more intimidating.

“Greetings, fellow explorers! It is with great pleasure that I am here to announce the Guildmaster is on his way! Please be on your best behavior!”

Hm, not bad. He seems imposing, and takes his job seriously. Lance watched it, paying as much attention as he could.

Then, the door opened, and out of it came Wigglytuff, the leader of that guild. He walked around, holding a large apple on his head. However, he was slow. Wigglytuff almost hit the door, then nearly tripped, before finally stopping next to Chatot.

“G-Guildmaster?”

Wigglytuff had his eyes opened, but there was a long line of drool coming out of his mouth. His chest expanded and contracted with his breathing.

Is… Wigglytuff sleeping? Lance blinked, not believing what his eyes were showing him. The Guildmaster, sleeping with his eyes open? Unfathomable.

Judging by nobody else reacting the way he did, with the guild members just shrugging it off, Lance realized this was a regular occurrence. “Wait, is he—

“Pssst. Don’t comment on it. You really don’t wanna make him angry.” Blitz whispered, shivering at the thought of angering Wigglytuff. He even let out a whine.

“Really? How ominous. You could try warning me before, next time.”

“G-Guildmaster? Guildmaster!” Chatot flapped his wings.

Wigglytuff snapped awake with a yell, the apple in his head sent upwards, before landing perfectly where it was before. “Yooomtah! Hello, friends! What brings you all here?”

“G-Guildmaster, t-the announcement.”

…So dramatic. Lance held a chuckle.

That seemed to lighten Wigglytuff up, his eyes sparkling. “Friendly friends! Today I’m going to give you all a very important announcement!”

He clapped his paws together. “See… I know we’ve been through a rough time, when those tendrils attacked us, there was nothing I could do!”

…Necrozma.

Wigglytuff continued to smile. “But we’re rebuilding! It’s hard, and some of you are very sad about it. That’s okay! What I’m here to say is… one of the guild members came up with a really cool idea to lift your spirits! We’re going…”

He paused, mostly for dramatic effect.

“To have a singing contest!”

Every Pokémon had their jaws dropped, even the ones that didn’t have jaws in the first place.

Lance himself was left speechless, looking at the guildmaster, who by now started spinning around with the apple on top of his head.

“Friends! What do you think of this idea?”

Their first reactions were of intrigue and excitement. But it dawned upon them that this was nothing related to what explorers should do, and their expressions quickly turned to shock and disbelief.

“What did you say? A singing contest? You can’t be serious!” cried out an Eldegoss.

“I can’t sing! I’ll embarrass myself in front of everyone!” exclaimed a Tinkatink.

Wigglytuff looked surprised at the sudden outburst of his guild members. “But, but singing is fun! And this contest is a chance to show off our talents and make new friends!”

“I…” Lance muttered, keeping his thoughts to himself. Except for one. “Blitz, you said you knew about the event. Did you…?”

“Yup, it was my idea! But it’s fine if he takes the credit.” Blitz winked again. “And I thought it’d be fun to sing with you again!”

Lance didn’t reply, but his face turned red, and his tail wagged slightly.

At first, the guild members didn’t want to consider Wigglytuff’s idea, but as the shock wore off, some of them began to warm up to it. They started whispering to each other, wondering what kind of songs they would sing and perform.

“I’ve never sung in front of a crowd before,” said a Bibarel, her tail wagging with anticipation.

“I used to sing all the time when I was a Pichu, but I haven’t done it in years. This contest might be just what I need to get back into it,” mused a male Pikachu, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Friendly friends! I’m glad you’re all excited about it!” Wigglytuff continued to dance around with the apple, while Chatot watched on nervously. “We’re all gathering at Spinda’s Cafe! I told them all about it, and they’re fine with the idea! It might even raise money to help renovate our town!”

Cheers erupted from the guild, with many of them clapping and celebrating the idea. Even Lance joined in with the cheers, and Blitz barked excitedly.

It eventually died down, and the two canines left the guild, standing on the middle of the road leading to the town. There were many things the two could talk about, but Lance was focused on just one.

“…You want to sing with me?”

Blitz sat on his legs and grinned. “Yup! I remember when we did that, and it was fun! What better way to spark our friendship than this?”

“Was that a pun?”

There was only a wink as a response, and Lance laughed at that. It was a dumb pun, but he thought it was funny. Funny enough to keep laughing until he was out of air.

“O-Okay, then. It’s been a while, but I think I can sing again… I just don’t want to be a bother.”

“Listen, I wouldn’t have called you here if I didn’t think this would work.” Blitz said to him, wagging his tail. “And I’m sure you’ll like it too!”

“Sure. I just want to know what we’re singing. There’s a lot at stake here, and I’m playing to win.”

“As always!” Blitz grinned again. “Don’t worry, I have it all figured out! Oh, and I think I might have costumes for us!”

Costumes. Right, Blitz loved those. To death. Lance’s face got redder. “C-Costumes? I don’t mean to offend you, Blitz, but your costumes are always so… flashy.”

“Normally, yeah,” his grin never once faltered. “See, I think I have one that fits you perfectly! Of course, if you don’t want to, it’s okay too.”

Lance thought about it. One reason why he never liked wearing costumes was that they drew too much attention, and his fur got stuck in them too often. But… at the same time, Blitz was asking him to put on a performance, and that did sound sort of fun.

“…Tell me more about them.” Lance looked away.

“I win again!” Blitz barked. “…Okay, so imagine this, it’s based on old knights, and I even got a toy sword for you! It’s not that fancy, but I worked hard! I’m going dressed as… hehe, you’ll have to wait and see!”

Lance pouted, now turning to see the other canine. “Okay, that’s just teasing me.”

“Wouldn’t be me if I didn’t do it!”

“…Fine.” Lance smiled. “Just so you know, this goes both ways. I’m getting back at you as soon as possible.”

“Oh, please, Lance, I’m counting on it!”

And the two went to get their costumes on.

---

As Brian entered the cafe, he found it was large. Larger than he originally thought. There was enough space for… a lot of Pokémon, even if some of them were quite big themselves. The establishment was warm and inviting.

“Whoa, the place’s better than I thought it’d be.” Dex whistled, noticing the charming, cozy atmosphere, with soft lighting and comfortable furnishings. Very rustic, but pleasant at the same time.

The Spinda that introduced them walked past the trio, to the center of the cafe, where they stood in front of the counter. Behind Spinda were shelves stacked with various cups, plates, ingredients, and a large chalkboard listing the day’s specials. On both sides were tables and chairs, perfect for sitting down and enjoying a meal.

“Okay, I like it here.” Brian whistled, sitting on a table. As he did so, he noticed it was right next to a part of the cafe that stood out from the others: a small stage.

On that corner, there was a small stage area with several musical instruments for anyone to play and sing. They were arranged on stands, coming in various shapes and sizes so different Pokémon could play. Drum sets and guitars decorated that part of the cafe. The area itself was slightly elevated, with a carpeted surface that helped absorb the sound of the instruments.

“Y’know, this is better than that one in Cydonia.” Meggie muttered, sitting next to Brian. “…Neat.”

Spinda approached the table, holding three menus and handing them to the trio. “Ta-da~! Please, do enjoy your time here!”

“Will do!” Dex was the first to take a look at the menu, and his eyes landed on the big prize: a milkshake. Alcoholic. “Oh… I think I know what I wanna have. Waiter! Gimme a rawst berry milkshake! Add some alcohol while yer at it!”

Brian rolled his eyes. “I’m not surprised.”

Spinda giggled. “Will do. What about you two?”

“Oh, one sec…” Brian looked at the menu.

And didn’t know what to pick. There were so many choices. Sweets, drinks, juices, even some savory snacks. But nothing that helped him decide what to order. He didn’t want to get drunk like Dex was planning, but he also didn’t hear about some of the items on the menu.

“Hm, not sure. Megs?”

She looked up, distracted with the menu. “Here! I think I wanna have some donuts!”

“…Good idea.” Brian smiled. “I’ll have what she’s having! And some berry juice too!”

Spinda clapped their hands together, smiling again. “Of course! As a bonus, I’d like to tell you about the contest we’re having soon!”

They spun, pointing to the stage nearby. “There! We will have a singing contest, courtesy of the one, the only Wigglytuff Guild! You are more than free to participate!”

Brian’s ear twitched. “Oh, was that what the commotion was all about? Neat.”

“Well, are you three joining? The guild is giving out a wonderful treasure for the winner, or winners, of the contest!”

That enough made the three consider if they should. Brian the most, because he did know a few songs here and there. However, he was bad at it. Really, his voice was so high-pitched it could shatter glass. “…I’m gonna pass, but I hope everyone has a good time!”

“…I dunno enough songs to really do it.” Meggie sighed. “Gonna pass too.”

Finally, Spinda looked at Dex. The Floatzel shrugged.

“Trust me, there ain’t nothin’ fun about drunk singin’.” Dex admitted. “…I’ll just enjoy the songs, I guess. Sorry about that.”

Spinda frowned, but they could understand the team’s reasons for not going. “It’s alright! I’m just happy to have you all here!”

They left, going to serve other patrons, while motioning for other waiters to do the same. Brian sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “…One sec. If this is courtesy of the guild, does that mean Blitz’s singing?”

Dex grinned at that. “Could be interesting. By the way, Goggles, he was on yer team? Why’d he leave?”

“…He and Lance had a disagreement, so they broke up.” Brian explained, putting his head on the table and sighing. “Look, it’s not up to me to explain, but they had their reasons.”

“It’s alright.” Meggie touched Brian’s arm. “They’re on good terms now, and that’s what matters, right?”

“I guess…”

Dex nodded. “My bad, was just askin’. I dunno the whole story between y’all.”

“I mean, to be fair to Brian, in a totally not biased way…” Meggie giggled. “We don’t know yours either. With Lance, I mean.”

“Oh, right!” Brian smirked next. “You did say you’d tell us if we survived Necrozma.”

Dex shrugged. “Okay, hear me out. I was havin’ trouble payin’ some nasty fellas, an’ he kinda helped me out. By that, I mean beatin’ ’em up.”

The other two just stared.

“…Oh, an’ Pup kinda wanted to arrest me too. I talked him outta it.”

Brian blinked. “That… does sound like him. Well, I’m glad to have you around.”

“Yeah, me too!” Meggie said.

And the lights went out, just as team Liberators finished talking about that particular subject. Then, a few lights turned on, colored red, purple and blue, giving a nice lighting to the place. At the center was Spinda, holding a silver microphone in one hand. They tapped it a few times, producing a loud sound that got the patrons’ attention.

“Hello, everyone! As you all know, today is a special day! We’re hosting a contest!” Spinda pointed to the stage. “Anyone is free to enter, at any number! You may sing a song, and everyone else will give it a score, from zero to ten!”

Cheers erupted from the audience.

“As a reward, the Wigglytuff Guild is handing out one of their treasures!”

More cheers. Brian whistled, clapping his paws together. “Whoooo!”

“Now, let’s begin! Starting it off is…” Spinda snapped a finger. The door opened, and an ice Vulpix, followed by a shiny Jangmo-o, entered the cafe. “These two, please introduce yourselves!”

The Vulpix waved at everyone. “Oh, heya, I’m Alan! We’re here to have some fun!”

“And I’m Morgan! We know what we’ll sing!” Morgan hopped on the stage, his scales shaking. “Let’s do this!”

Alan went for one of the microphones, breathing at it to test the sound. Meanwhile, the small dragon went to the drums, grinning.

“Hit it, Alan!”

The Vulpix smiled in return, tail wagging, before clearing his throat. “Yeah, I’ve been tryna call, I’ve been on my own for long enough!“

Meanwhile, Morgan hit the drums with every few sentences Alan said, giving the song a rhythm to stand out. Alan wasn’t the best singer in the world, but he wasn’t the worst either. He had a decent voice, with a slightly raspy quality that gave his singing a unique character.

As he sang, his voice wavered slightly, but he quickly found his rhythm and began to get into the groove of the song. His pitch was mostly on point, with the occasional flat note, but nothing too jarring.

“Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe! I’m going through withdrawals, you don’t even have to do too much, you can turn me on with just a touch, baby!”

The audience cheered him on, including Brian, who raised his juice—it had arrived while Alan was singing—and munched on one donut. “Whoooo! This is nice, keep going!”

And Alan did, his voice getting used to the song the longer he sang. The audience cheered, singing along with him until it was over, ending with a multitude of cheers, from left to right. While Alan was singing, Spinda went from table to table, handing them a piece of paper to give Alan a score.

Spinda smiled, clapping their hands. They picked up each paper, seeing what score Alan and Morgan had. Finally, they stopped.”Bravo, bravo! I can say for everyone: this was a wonderful performance. The team of Alan and Morgan had a total of… seven! You got seven out of ten, congratulations!”

Alan waved at everyone that was clapping, before turning to Morgan. “We did good! Not great, but good!”

“Yup!” The duo then walked to a table and sat down, ready to see the next contestant.

---

They didn’t need to wait long; next a Ledian and a Meowstic appeared, bringing with them a strange aura of royalty. It was so intense the other patrons were left quiet, apart from occasional whispers asking what these two were going to sing.

“Aaaaand give them a hearty welcome! These are…” Spinda waited for them to introduce themselves.

Meowstic was the first, raising her head. “Serafina. And this is my friend, Natalie.”

Ledian nodded. “It is a pleasure!”

“Neat. Let’s see what they got!” Dex said, taking a large chunk of his milkshake and licking the excess off of his snout. “Hah!”

Seraphine picked up one of the guitars, and gently strummed on it. At the same time, Natalie tapped the microphone, before she started singing.

“The valley green was so serene… in the middle ran a stream so blueeeee! A maiden fair in despair, once had met her true love there! And she told him… she would say… Promise me, when you seeeeee! A white rose you’ll think of me! I love you so never let go! I will be your ghost of a rose!“

However, Seraphine’s guitar playing was inconsistent and choppy, her paws fumbling over the strings and more often than not, hitting a sour note. Meanwhile, Natalie was singing off-key and shaky, her voice occasionally cracked, wavering throughout the song.

“Yikes…” Brian muttered, his ears twitching repeatedly. He tried to distract himself from the singing, but the voice was too loud.

Some Pokémon cringed at the sound, covering their ears or wincing at the missed notes. Others simply smiled and nodded along, perhaps appreciating the girls’ enthusiasm and passion.

Spinda sighed, giving them more pieces of paper to give the duo a score. When they were over, there were some patrons that clapped and cheered them on, happy to see so much enthusiasm.

“A-Ahem.” Spinda cleared their throat. “For Seraphine and Natalie… the score is four out of ten. My apologies, but seems you didn’t do that well.”

“Curses…” Seraphine sighed, jumping out of the stage. “Very well, we did our best regardless.”

Natalie agreed, following her partner. “Yes, we will practice and try to be better next time.”

“Nicely done! All the contestants here are doing their best, and that’s worthy of applause!” Spinda said with the microphone near their head, and the crowd cheered, some even whistling. “Anyone else would like to go?! Come on, don’t be shy! There’s enough space for everyone to enjoy!”

One Pokémon raised his arm, followed by two others. They were a trio consisting of a dark-type Meowth, a Litleo and a Shinx. The three were close, with the Meowth being nuzzled by his fellow felines.

“I’d like to try it!” Meowth said, his tail swishing. “I’m Scout! These are—”

“Mane~” the Litleo said, giving Spinda a wink.

“R-Rai,” Shinx said, not as loud as the other two. “We wanna sing a song together!”

Brian watched the three with a smile, munching another donut.

“Just three o’ ’em, an’ they’re so… small. Can they really do it?” Dex motioned for a waiter to give him another milkshake and continued to look at the three.

“I can do you, if you know what I mean~” Mane winked at the large Floatzel, before whistling.

Hearing that made Dex blush, and to distract himself, he picked up one of the donuts to munch on it.

Scout sighed, walking to the stage, followed by the other two. “I think… there’s only one song that really fits us.”

“What would that be?” Rai did his best to hold a guitar, but his body made it harder than he thought.

“Something funny, I hope.” Mane shrugged, walking to the drums. “We’re all singing it?”

Scout was already near the microphone. “I’ll do it. On one, two, three…”

He took a deep breath. “At first, I was afraid, I was petrified! Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side… but then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong… and I grew strong, and I learned how to get along!“

Mane kept hitting the drums with his paws, picking up the pace while Scout was singing. To add to the performance, Rai was playing the guitar, not missing a single beat, and adding to the overall presentation.

But Mane sang next. “And so you’re back! From outer space! I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face! I should have changed that stupid lock! I should have made you leave your key! If I’d have known for just one second you’d be back to bother me!“

“Oh, c’mon, I said I’d sing—” Scout noticed he had stopped, quickly returning to his “singing mode”. “Go on now, go! Walk out the door! Just turn around now! ‘Cause you’re not welcome anymore!“

Dex watched a waiter put his milkshake on the table, but kept a look at the trio, his eyes almost jumping out of his sockets. “Well… I’ll be damned, they can sing pretty well!”

Scout, Rai and Mane continued their performance. The harmony between them was tight, their pitch was perfect, and they were completely in sync with each other. And so, the audience swayed along, some mouthing, and others even singing along. A few of them even lifted their hands up in the air, captivated by the emotion and energy of the performance.

Once they finished, the crowd continued to erupt with cheer after cheer. Spinda had distributed more papers, and the patrons were quick to cast their vote. Spinda came back to pick the papers up, before walking to the front of the stage.

“Whoa! I can say for certain this was the most energetic performance so far! Did everyone enjoy it? Shout if you did!”

And, as expected, the crowd shouted their satisfaction. Spinda smiled.

“Good, good! Now, let’s review the scoring! Scout, Mane and Rai got—”

“Ion.” Scout interrupted. “We’re Team Ion.”

Spinda nodded, raising their microphone. “Alright! Team Ion has scored… eight out of ten! Everyone, congratulations! They’re the highest scoring singers so far!”

“Yeah, congrats!” Brian raised a glass in the air, cheering and whistling. “I’m excited to know who’s next!”

That same sentiment was spread across the cafe, with a bunch of whispers and giggles, the patrons waiting eagerly for the next contestant.

There was a knock on the door, and Spinda ran ahead to open it. They stayed there for a little while, talking with whoever was on the other side. Then, they came back inside, running to the center of the room.

“Eeeeeeeveryone! We’re having a duo that seems very excited to perform for us! They even went as far as preparing costumes for this exact situation!”

“Huh, that’s interesting…” Meggie said. “Wonder who they are.”

“Please, give a warm welcome to…” Spinda spun around, before pointing the microphone to the door, and it opened right as they did it. “Lance and Blitz!”

“Greetings.” Lance said, walking to the center of the cafe. He moved around, showing off what his costume was: armor.

Silver, shiny, with intricate designs etched inside, include a triskelion symbol on the left part of the armor. It covered him from his arms to his chest, and went down to his legs. At the same time, Lance continued to wear his black cloak.

“I’m not alone, please, Blitz?”

The Manectric barked. He, too, was dressed. His fur was painted by a shimmering blue, and he wore a flowing, blue and gold cape that billowed behind him in the breeze. His costume was ornate and intricate, with golden filigree adorning every inch, while a small, maroon bowtie was wrapped around his neck.

“Hello, everyone, I’m Blitz! I gave the idea to the Guildmaster, and he loved it! Hopefully, you all are having fun!”

Spinda raised their microphone again. “Indeed, this one’s responsible for this event! Everyone, cheer him up!”

Another round of applause made its way to them, including Brian, who whistled at the same time. Meggie, on the other hand, was fixated on checking out Blitz’s costume.

“Uh… what’s he wearing?”

Dex slurped more milkshake. “I think it’s meant to be Zacian, a legend from some old comic books.”

“Excuse me, old?” Brian put a paw in his chest. “They’re great, you’re just uncultured!”

“Oh, please, yer probably a fan o’ old movies.”

Brian’s lack of a response was one on its own. And with that, Dex knew he won their little argument.

“Huh… comic books. Never read any, could be fun later.” Meggie said. She slurped the rest of her berry juice, before asking for a refill.

“Well, everyone, please enjoy this!” Spinda clapped their hands, watching Lance and Blitz climb to the stage.

Lance picked one of the guitars, slowly testing it out to see how it sounded. “Hm… I think this should be enough. Blitz?”

“On it!” Blitz barked, jumping near the drums and cracking his neck. “Alright, I think we’re all set! You’re singing, right?”

“Yup!”

Back at the table, Dex raised a brow. “…Since when does Pup sing?”

“He doesn’t like it that much, says it “exposes him”.” Brian shrugged.

Lance started to play the guitar, getting into the rhythm of the song. At the same time, Blitz jammed with the drums, bobbing his head back and forth.

As the first notes of the song rang, the room fell silent. The music swelled around Lance, his fingers moving effortlessly over the strings. His eyes were closed, letting him be lost in the emotion of the song.

“Far away… this ship has taken me far away… far away from the memories… of those who care if I live or die…“

Silence still remained, as the audience let themselves be wrapped in the song, enjoying the melody, the instruments, and the harmony that the two presented.

“Starlight… I will be chasing a starlight… until the end of my life… I don’t know if it’s worth it anymore…” Lance sang each note with precision and passion, filling the room with raw energy that was strong, sending shivers down the spine of everyone inside. “Hold you in my arms… I just wanted to hold… you in my arms…“

After finishing that segment, Lance kicked up a notch, playing the guitar faster, while glancing at Blitz, who nodded at him. This made him smile.

“My life… you electrify my life… let’s conspire to ignite… all the souls that would die just to feel alive!“

This bit made Blitz speed up the pace, hitting the drums faster and more intensively, to match up with Lance’s rhythm.

“I’ll never let you go, if you promise not to… fade away… never fade away!” Lance said, looking directly at his friends with a smile on his face. “Our hopes and expectations… black holes and revelations… our hopes and expectations… black holes and revelations…“

Next, Lance slowed down with the guitar, letting Blitz take the lead as he drummed faster, the song focusing solely on the sound of drums.

“Okay, I got it. Who knew? Pup can sing really well.” Dex rubbed the back of his head, whistling. “Lemme ask ‘im to sing fer us next time.”

“Deal.” Brian muttered.

“Hold you in my arms… I just wanted to hold… you in my arms…“

Each note was hit with precision, and the crowd erupted into cheers, loving every bit, every moment of the show. Some of them even started singing along, their voices blending in with Lance’s, bringing even more harmony that filled the air.

“Far away, this ship has taken me far away… far away from the memories… of those who care if I live or die…“

Blitz continued drumming, but he started howling, adding to the tone of the music. Lance’s ear twitched, and he gave a slight nod; they would finish this song together.

“I’ll never let you go! If you promise not to fade away… never fade away…” In comparison to Lance’s voice, Blitz was a little off-note, but not enough to distract him from finishing the song.

“Our hopes and expectations… black holes and revelations, yeah!” Lance continued, strumming the guitar once more.

And Blitz continued from where his friend left off. “Our hopes and expectations… black holes and revelations…“

Finally, Lance started singing the last part of the song. “Hold you in my arms… I just wanted to hold… you in my arms…“

He paused to catch his breath, before strumming one final time. “I just wanted to hold!“

As the song drew to a close, the audience—all of them—rose to their feet, giving the two a standing ovation, shouting as many words of encouragement as they could. Blitz’s tail wagged and he jumped, landing next to Lance.

“Thanks, everyone! We did our best!” Blitz said, barking in excitement. “Right, Lance?”

“Yes,” he smiled, waving at everyone, in particular, at his team. “Thank you so much for the opportunity!”

Spinda smiled back at the two. “Indeed, you did! I already got the votes here, and for the first time, I don’t need to give you an average score… seems everyone gave you the same one!”

“What would that be?” Lance asked, and he managed to hide his wagging tail, but Blitz did not.

“For the duo of Lance and Blitz…” Spinda threw the microphone in the air, spun around, and then caught it, all while giggling. “An astonishing nine and a half! You two got the highest score of the contest!”

Another eruption of cheers surrounded the two. Lance stopped holding back, and his tail wagged like never before, the Lucario smiling and waving at the audience.

“Is anyone else going to sing? Do I hear someone else wanting to sing?” Spinda spun around again, paying attention to everyone inside to see if there was another contestant.

…There was a wall of silence. It seemed nobody wanted to. Spinda frowned, but kept spinning for a little longer, maybe someone would.

“Three…”

Nobody.

“Two…”

Silence.

“One…”

Nada.

Spinda stopped, sighing again. “Very well, if nobody’s jumping in anymore, I think we can finish the contest now! The winners are… Lance and Blitz!”

Finally, more cheers came from the audience. Brian looked at his brother with the goofiest smile he had, clapping his paws. They won.

Spinda snapped a finger, and two of the waiters—a Ludicolo and a Haunter—appeared with a mysterious box.

“Please, do accept this prize! It’s the least we can do!”

Blitz almost wanted to jump and see what it was all about, but Lance didn’t. His sensors twitched, feeling a powerful aura inside that box. It was… familiar. Very familiar.

“…Awakening Emera.” Lance muttered.

Blitz turned to his friend. “Hm?”

“O-Oh, nothing. I think I know what this is. Go on, you can take it.”

“On it!” Blitz nibbled on the box carefully, so he wouldn’t tear it apart, or drop it. “Huh… I can feel something here.”

Lance frowned. “I think… we should talk about this outside.”

---

A quick chat with the rest of the team, and they were outside, under a tree next to the town’s entrance. Lance was leaning against it, while Brian had to help Dex walk around, the Floatzel passed out from how much alcohol he drank.

“Oof… I think he should go on a diet.” Brian grimaced.

Meggie giggled slightly. “True! Oh, and Lance, what’s a black hole?”

“Oi, don’t ask him that! It’s like, the definition of a nerd!”

Lance rolled his eyes. “I’ll have you know, if you look in a dictionary, you won’t find that in the segment for “nerd”. It’s just misinformation.”

“See?! Nerd!” Brian grinned, sticking his tongue out.

“…Anyway, a black hole is a concept of a body with such intensity that not even light can escape from it. Though… I suppose now that we’ve seen those portals, that concept can be real.”

Meggie remembered that strange move Brian did whenever he was using Darkrai’s power. It did look like a black hole, and the name was a little familiar. Maybe if she knew more about the human world, she could remember what it was.

Blitz looked at them all, giggling slightly. “I’m glad you found good friends, Lance. And what’s this about our reward?”

“I think… Meggie should explain it to you,” he pointed at her, who was right by his side.

“That’s… if Lance sensed it right, it’s an Awakening Emera. You should be careful when touching it, because on the right ‘mon, it can cause a big burst of power. We call it “mega evolution”.”

“…Mega evolution? I wanna say it’s fake, but… I trust Lance, and he trusts you, so… I trust you too.” Blitz admitted, looking down. The box was on the ground, and even though it was closed, he felt an urge to open it and get whatever was inside. “…Okay, this is freaky.”

Lance closed his eyes, grumbling. “That Pokémon that kidnapped me? He was searching for mega evolution. We took him down.”

“You did wha—whoa…” Blitz whined a bit. “…I missed a lot, didn’t I?”

“To be fair, we all moved out.” Brian groaned, slowly putting Dex down. “Gods, this guy is heavy.”

“Just be careful, Blitz. You can definitely control the power, you’ll just need a lot of practice.” Lance said.

Hearing that, Blitz couldn’t help but laugh. So, after all this time, Lance still cared about his safety. That was nice.

“Alright, alright, I will! Don’t worry! And honestly? It was really fun to have you around. How long are you staying?”

Lance opened his eyes, looking at the tree on top of him. “I… want to visit my family, back at home. I’ll be busy in a few months, so I want to see them before that happens.”

“Friends, then?” Blitz offered a paw.

There wasn’t a second of hesitation as Lance grabbed the Manectric’s paw.

“Always.”