The Moonlight Festival

The festival is apon us, but someones not going to able to enjoy it. Its not too bad to sneek off work and meet some people?

Thankfully after that disaster of a day, things started to go back to normal… Well, somewhat. Having to check on the cheese first thing when you get up is annoying more than anything; you can’t sleep in when having to find Zangoose for a progress update, unless you want him hunting you down while you’re on the toilet. After the first few days you don’t notice how bad you smell of cheese – which would explain why Brad has started covering his nose whenever we get food. It’s likely I will smell like this cheese forever now. I’ve even started to wash every day to try and not smell so bad, but I now think all this washing with water is giving me a rash.

The last few days have been spent getting everything ready for the Moonlight Festival. It’s at least something different from the normal things you do here. Thanks to that fantastic day I’m still stuck dealing with the cheese, so I’m meant to be making a nice display for it. Everyone but Zangoose would know that that’s not a good idea. I’m no artist; I don’t know what’s meant to be pleasing for the eye. I’ve only eaten cheese melted and I don’t think that’s what they want… unless eating melted cheese with your hands is now acceptable. I’m still mad it’s not.

At least the food hall was buzzing with excitement, everyone chatting about the festival activities and stall ideas they had. Pokemon chittered about, laughing, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. I, however, was slumped over in my chair, dreading the coming festivities.

“Yo yo yo! Charlie, wotcha got by there? That a lot of paper to be eating with, yo.” Ronnie was standing on her hind legs, her big Vulpix tail fanning out behind her, with her front paws crossed. She had gotten some black glasses from somewhere.

I looked up at her, sighing, rubbing my temples with my claws. “Ronnie, what are you doing?” I asked, eye twitching.

“Getting with the cool kids yo,” she fired back, making weird gestures with her arms.

Felicia shook her head and shrugged, her neck fluff bunching up. “She’s been doing this all day and I don’t know why,” she sighed. “Please… Please, make it stop,” Felicia begged, brown eyes filled with desperation. It’s been only a few seconds and I’m already fed up with this. How has Felicia been dealing with that all day?

“My duuuude, if you want to get in with the big ones, you got to start acting like them, yo,” Ronnie… rapped? As if she was trying to follow a non-existent beat. It was very out of time.

“Please, just stop. I don’t need anything hurting my brain anymore today,” I whined, putting my hands to my face as if it would magically block out any more thinking I would have to do today. I already had a headache and didn’t need it to become a migraine.

“You still trying to come up with something for the cheese stand?” The Eevee asked, peering over the table to look at all the ideas I had hastily scribe down.

I grumbled, scrumpling up the piece of paper. “I already made the cheese, why can’t I just put that on a plate with a knife and sign that says ‘cut your own’? What do they want from me?”

“My man, let the aesthetic master show you the way. To a nice thing to look at. DAMN IT! That’s not hip, I’m already slipping up.” Ronnie’s sudden outburst drew the attention of some of the other tables in the room.

“Please, if you have any ideas – anything! – tell me. Zangoose is going to kill me if I don’t come up with something good. Please, I’m begging you!” Grabbing Felicia wasn’t really going to do anything, but it at least made me feel that someone else knew what I was feeling.

Ronnie psht’d me. “Man, that’s so not hip. Let a true guru help you out, man. Yes, I’m back in it!” She pumped her fist in a moment of self-congratulation. Felicia and I exchanged the Look.

“I swear, if you’re going to be like that tomorrow, I’m going to gag you,” Felicia muttered darkly in a tone I’d never heard from her before. It was crazy to see something finally get on her nerves – those two have never done anything to get each other angry. Ronnie had done some stuff in the past to make Felicia annoyed, but never to the extent that she would say it in such a dead pan voice.

“Someone just end me now,” I implored to the table, banging my head on it in the hope the pain could take some of my higher brain functions away from me. “I’m never going to get something he likes.”

“You really are struggling with this, aren’t you?” Felicia chirped, her eyes back to their usual sympathetic, sparkly selves. She sounded like her normal self again. Guess her anger can only be sustained for one person at a time.

“Well my dude, let’s have a look at what you got,” Ronnie said, grabbing my crumpled paper away from me and smoothing it out.

They started to read it, scanning down them as if there was only one word on each.

“Maybe… You could make the cheese as the moon reflecting in the lake?” Felicia offered, completely ignoring the ideas I’d set out.

“Too much water on the table,” I muttered back, not moving my eyes from the grain of the wood on the table.

“Flower display,” Ronnie proffered after Felicia’s idea was shot down.

“Allergies,” I shot back.

“Cheese… Volcano?” Felicia smiled awkwardly, obviously running out of ideas.

I sighed again. “Apparently this cheese isn’t good melted… Which is a bunch of lies in my opinion completely wrong if you ask me. Cheese is only good melted,” I snapped, my raised voice getting more people to look our way. Most would know I’m doing something for Zangoose by now so they just went back to talking about the preparations.

“My dude, they melt it with the red berry juice they have,” Ronnie implored.

I raised an eyebrow at her. “You mean… wine?”

“Woah, it has a name!” Ronnie gasped. Felicia just shook her head at her friend’s ignorance. “Like, that must make it even more special!” Ronnie was staring off into pace as if her tiny world had just been expanded to include alcohol.

I blinked at her. “If you’re this bad off it, I don’t want to know what you’re like on it.” Had she ever drunk something alcoholic? What would she be like? She’d probably talk way too much. That would be it without a doubt.

“It does stuff to you!?” Ronnie exclaimed in genuine surprise. “Why would they keep that here if it does stuff to you!?” She babbled incoherently, staring at her paws as if they held the answers. Felicia facepalmed.

“Ronnie, we’re in a rescue Guild, we have all sort of contraband. And besides it’s not poison, it’s closer to when you get… Uh, confused, or really tired, but not as bad as a totter seed.” I explained, waving my claws about trying to find the words.

“My dude, where did you get this information?” The Vulpix asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion behind her sunglasses.

“Working in the office all the time you see a thing or two from the admins… and I’ve seen horrible things there.” My eyes glazed over as I stared into the middle distance. So many things, so much kissing.

“Wow, the horrors of bureaucracy,” Ronnie chuckled. “Like, man, what did you see? Let a guru of healing help throw your pain away,” Ronnie intoned, moving her paws to make a praying gesture.

I clicked my tongue. Ah, what the hell, couldn’t hurt to share. “Okay, so, picture this: I was working late one night, when I start to hear this giggling form Mismagius’ office. Now, I got curious to what this was, so I went to have a peek. I look into her office and I see Zangoose down an entire bottle of wine before they started to kiss. I didn’t sleep that week.” Both Ronnie and Felicia gagged.

“Mismagius and Zangooses KISSED!” Ronnie shrieked, the shock popping the sunglasses off of her face. I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, she was learning a lot of new things today.

“You do know they are married, right?” I chuckled.

“Wow dude, like, don’t blow my mind like that.”

“How long have you been here for again?”

“Ronnie, they’ve been married since before we were hatched,” Felicia smiled, poking her friend playfully.

“What?! Was I meant to just like know that? Like, I’m no psychic,” Ronnie huffed, crossing her arms.

Felicia rolled her eyes and muttered to herself. “Just how did I end up with you as my partner?”

“Because you two kept winning the cutest team awards,” I laughed.

Ronnie jumped up, her tail lashing behind her. “Not last year! Team Waterdrop won that,” she growled, Felicia flinched at the mention. “And I swear to Arceus, I will reclaim the title of CUTEST TEAM!” She declared, paws on her hips. She blinked. “Oh! Why don’t you do a cute themed display for the cheese?”

“You think I want to be known as the cute cheese guy? Would have been nice if they let me do the fire display instead,” I muttered.

Felicia piped up. “Well, if you’re really out of ideas, I think cute would work quite well. I can already imagine it: pink hearts and flowers with soft, knitted blankets,” she sighed, leaning her fluffy chin on her paws.

I recoiled at the mental image. “Well if you think it’s a good idea, you can go ahead and do it. It’ll be better than anything I can come up with,” I said, throwing my arms up in defeat. I’d take any help at this point – there were only three days left before the festival.

“I wish I could, but they’ve got us on litter picking.” Felicia started pouting.

“Helping the environment is the best way to show your love for the world, Feli!” Ronnie grabbed a disgruntled Felicia in a hug.

“I guess I could do an earth themed display,” I commented, tapping my chin with a claw. “Well that’s a theme sorted, at least. I’m going to bed now,” I said, standing up.

“So you’re like, going to leave that food?” Ronnie questioned with the most innocent look on her face she could manage, not disguising her stare at the now cold food placed in front of my chair. “Can I have it?”

“If you think I was going to say yes, you’re just a ditto imposter. Would explain why you’re talking like that,” I replied, picking up my food to take with me.

 

---

And so, the fabled day came. The day I can start to get rid of this smell. I’d managed to at least have something for the stand display: a crappy cut out of the world, with the cheese as the moon. Zangoose just huffed at it and moved on with a slice, so at least I wouldn’t be dying tonight.

“Hey Charlie! How you doing?” Brad was now running up to the stall. He was wearing stuff all over his body – you wouldn’t have been able to tell it was him from the way he looked.

“What are you wearing?” I asked incredulously, eyeing his questionable outfit.

“It’s called a snowsuit,” he scoffed, turning around. “Keeps you warm and snug on cold nights like these!” he seemed overly proud of it.

“…Why do you have one?”

“To keep me warm and snug. What else?” Brad grinned at me like I was stupid. Smug bastard.

“You look like someone tried to sculpt a Buizel out of wood, gave up and just threw yellow paint on it.”

“Well I think I look fine,” he pouted, putting his arms to his side and striking a pose.

I shook my head in exasperation. “When and where did you get it?”

“Went to a mountain up north – the village there was selling them. Tailor made, too,” he explained, gesturing to the seaming around the fins of his arms.

“Wait, didn’t you go on that in the summer? You were complaining about the cold for ages when you got back.”

“Why do you think I got one, dummy? Even got these boots on sale too.” He tried to move his feet up to show me, but his stubby legs meant he only shook his foot about before completely losing balance and almost falling over.

“Please don’t say that Liz got one too?” I can’t imagine her needing one, but also getting one means she finds it funny.

“Na, she said something like ‘I’ll burn the world down before I even put a hat on’,” he said, putting on his best Liz accent. It wasn’t anywhere close to how she sounded.

“Good to know she’s still the smart one.” You’d find me dead before I look that, don’t mind a hat when it rains though. “All you’re missing is a helmet and you’d be complete. Perfect to fill up with straw and burn on the bonfire, like back in the olden days. It’d be like a real sacrifice,” I grinned at him. I think doing this stand has gotten to me.

Brad’s face went pale. “Morbid, buddy. But when you feel the cold up there, you’ll know why I got one.”

“You know I can heat myself up easily right?” I tried to make the flame on my tail bigger, but I could only do it a little. I just wasn’t in the right mood to do so.

Brad looked at my small flame with a concerned eyebrow raised. “Not if your flame goes out from the cold.”

“Right, sure. You going to want a piece or not?” I gestured to the massive slab of cheese on the table next to me.

“And smell like you? Ha! No way man. I might fight and die for you but I won’t smell like you.” Shaking his head he backed away, as if only now he noticed the cheese was there.

“What ever happened your team plans, then? You and me going off on far away adventure?”

“You smelled bad, is what.”

“And today marks the final day.”

Brad snickered. “You wish. That smell’s probably in your bed now. It’s never going away.”

“Well I guess you’ll just have to get used to it.” I glanced about at the lights from the other stalls. “What’s the rest of the festival like? I’m going to be stuck here for all of it.”

Brad shrugged, leaning an arm on my stall before suddenly remembering the cheese and backing away. “You’re not missing much. Well, except for the Delibird fresh baked goods.”

“The doughnuts of life,” I muttered, nodding. “The only things that keep me from going mad. Get me some and I’ll pay you.”

Brad arched an eyebrow, sensing a business opportunity. “Double?” They only came around here once a year. And they’re never as good if they’re not fresh. This was a hard bargain.

“Fine, done,” I grumbled. This was a bad idea – they were already expensive. And you don’t get a lot to spend in yellow.

Brad flashed me a winning smile. “Nice, well I better see you at the lighting, I’m sure no one would mind if you left for that,” Brad said as he started walking away. He better get me those doughnuts. Or I’m going to find a way to set him and that stupid suit on fire.

About an hour later the I start to hear a drumming, the type that you can feel resonating in your bones. Starts to take control of your heart, and loud enough to make you go deaf. Everyone started to move towards the centre of the festival. This was my chance to see something other than the stands from this stall. The centre was crowded with other Pokemon – no one was making use of the rule of ‘tallest at the back’, making it hard to see much. The centre stage was always visible with it being built next to the fountain where they had built a bonfire. It always amazed me how someone didn’t start it yet, perhaps that’s what the higher level teams were doing. Everyone had started to quiet down when Mismagius came onto the stage.

“Hello everyone!” Mismagius bellowed in her sing-songy voice. “I am soooo happy to see you all here on this wonderful night~! It has been another year with the warmth and light of the sun. But tonight we celebrate the guiding light of the moon. OOOHHHHHHHHH yes! That light which shall show us the way forward and ….” She continued on rambling.

“Ah Charlie! You made it out!” I turned to see a fluffy Eevee staring up at me.

“Oh, hey again.” I waved my claw at Felicia in greeting. “I did make it here at least. I just hope Zangoose doesn’t see me here,” I commented, glancing around.

“Naughty boy, breaking the law,” Ronnie giggled under her breath, appearing spontaneously next to Felicia. “I bet if you wore what Brad was wearing no one would know it’s you.”

I visibly grimaced thinking about how warm and claustrophobic that outfit would make me. “I’ll take Zangoose’s punishment thank you. You could live after that.”

“Well I think I could make it cute,” Felicia laughed, her eyes sparkling.

“Yeah Felicia, you may look good in those kinds of things, but I wouldn’t-” Ronnie suddenly stopped and just stared at something behind us “Oh… Oh dear, Felicia, look behind you – you won’t believe who’s here.”

Looking behind I didn’t recognise anyone in the crowd. It’s hard to keep track of people in it.

Felicia’s doe eyes widened as she noticed what Ronnie was referring to. “Oh no. Quick, how do I look? Do I have anything in my fur?” Felicia panicked, pawing at her mane and swishing her tail.

I looked at the two girls, puzzled. “I’m guessing it not anyone I know then?”

“It’s the team that rescued us! And Felicia seems to be in loOOove with the Riolu,” Ronnie snickered while messing with eves fur. Felicia’s face lit up indignantly.

Looking into the crowed I could see a Riolu with really scruffy fur trying to see over the crowd and a Shinx that looked much like he took care of his coat, jumping to get a look too.

“Those two rescued you when you got lost? They look, uh…” I struggled to find an adjective that wouldn’t offend either of them. “…Young.”

“Oh but they are sooo cool! They found us and took us to their guild. It was so rad. We should take a holiday there,” Felicia exclaimed said with excitement.

“Well aren’t you going to introduce me?” I asked, glancing back down at them

“What!” Felicia hissed, shaking her head. “No I can’t! I can’t let them know I’ve been litter picking!”

Ronnie scratched her face in confusion. “You don’t think they’d think that’s a good thing?”

I shrugged. “Well, if you’re not going to, I’m going.” I started to push my way through the crowd.

“What! Nononononono-!” But for the panicking Eevee it was too late – I had already made it halfway towards them.

“Hey! Riolu! Shinx! Are you the two who found the Eevee and Vulpix back there?” I shouted to be heard above the roar of the crowd and the two young Pokemon looked at me.

“Ah, fire! You’re on fire!” The Riolu shouted, his mouth agape in pure shock. He seemed like a child seeing fire for the first time. He even moved behind the Shinx for protection.

“Danny, that’s rude to say to a Charmander!” The Shinx said back, shaking the Riolu – Danny, I’d assumed – by the shoulder.

I scoffed indignantly. “I’m a Charmeleon! How old are you two?” They had to be older than everyone else in yellow. And yet they don’t know how to recognise Pokemon.

“Hey! I knew what species you were from, and Danny here don’t seem to know much. He doesn’t even know how to read.” The Shinx grinned and turned to Danny. “I mean, we’ve seen fire types before – how is this new?”

“But he’s constantly on fire. Isn’t that dangerous? Don’t you burn things by accident?” His eyes were fixated on my flame. I would have taken that as an insult if he didn’t seem so genuine with his fear.

The Shinx sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry about him, I found him face down in the dirt and he could only remember his name.” A sudden smile came across his face. “And yes! We are a team. Team Blue Dog! I’m Zach, and this is Danny. We did manage to rescue the Eevee and Vulpix. Are you a part of their guild? Oh! What team are you on?” Zach seemed to be overly excited at the mention of guilds.

I smiled at the kid’s enthusiasm. “My name’s Charlie and yes, I am part of the guild. But I’m not in a team as such…” I awkwardly trailed off, not wanting to sully the kids’ opinion of me.

“Yeah, this loser is still in the training group ‘cause he can’t pass the exams.” Ronnie had finally caught up after doing up Felicia’s hair. It had a bunch of random flowers weaved into it. Where did she even get them from?

“You know, you didn’t have to tell them that,” I whispered, leaning down to Ronnie. “Besides they want me to swim!”

“Oh boo hoo,” she whispered back, grinning, then turning to the other two Pokemon. “Zach, Danny, it’s good to see you here! How long have you two been here for?”

“We only arrived not too long ago,” Danny replied, still nervously glancing at the fire on my tail.

“After you told us about the festival your town has I knew we had to come!” Zach was beaming up at Ronnie with a lopsided grin.

“He was begging the guild master for weeks about letting us go,” Danny added, earning him a sharp look from the Shinx.

“Better than all the basic questions you keep asking racoon boy,” Zach shot back.

“Hey, Charlie, you read a lot – do you know what a racoon is?” Felicia asked me in a hushed whisper.

“Never heard of one,” I said back to her, shrugging.

The two of them kept bickering back and forth. There was something really strange about these two boys that I couldn’t put a claw on… The night breeze blew past and chilled me to the bone. My flame is failing me for warmth tonight.