Chapter 23: The Legend of Pauline Phoenix and Vincent Silver.

"Ugh...This house," Justin says, rolling his eyes. "Is so freaking small!"

Forest's home contains three sofas and a table in the living room's center, a kitchen being next to it. A door sits beside the living room, leading to the bedrooms. Two slender, silver swords are leaning against the wall beside the front door, not moving a muscle.

Everyone except for Forest relaxes on the sofas, Mokuri sitting on the wooden floor while closing his eyes. His grassy fingers nudge each other, meditating.

Ada looks at the swords, scabbards covering them, the handles hanging low. "Who's swords are those?" Ada asks.

"That would be ours!" Courtney says before smirking, pointing at herself and Sylock.

"Oh? They look fantastic."

"Thanks!"

"Where did you get them?"

Courtney waves her hand around. "We got them from our master, Forest. As a reward for helping him and Mokuri fight off against a lotta criminals here long ago." Her hands rest behind her head. "We've been respected by the folks here since."

Sylock glances off, his head resting on his hand. ...Fakes. All of them are, he thinks.

Ada smiles. "Sounds like a similar situation Justin, Ramon, and I went through at Majestic City."

The Lopunny pounces forward, inching close to Ada. "WHAT!? You mean THE Majestic City!?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"Well…it started when we met this man named Clinton and the mayor of that city, Nickel, who…" Ada tells Courtney the rest of the Majestic City situation.

Courtney's eyes widen. "Oh wowie: What a terrible fella that Nickel mayor was. I hope that city gets someone miles better than him."

"Agreed." The girl puts her hand underneath her chin, glancing down. "Although, it's odd that we don't get celebrated for helping the city. Unlike you and the others who helped Serenity."

Courtney tilts her head, her finger nudging her lips. "That is mighty strange, alright."

Justin gazes at the ceiling, grumbling at its closeness. "Dawg, how can you live like this?"

Forest walks towards his bookshelf in the corner, scanning through it. "By knowing the ins and outs of this lovely home, of course." He smirks. "I'm not as tall as you all, which also helps."

Justin squints. "Aight then."

Ada looks at the bookshelf. "You know, Merlin would've loved to read those many books you have there."

"He has, actually," Forest replies.

"Go figure. He doesn't care if it's generic information or not, he finds words to be so interesting."

Justin yawns, his foot relaxing on the couch's edge. "I envy his ass. Because I can't read through a single word without falling asleep."

Ada giggles. "At least I know I'm not the worst reader ever."

"Shut it, fam." Justin pouts.

Forest takes two books. "Perhaps both of you can become better readers." Turns. "Anyone can."

"That's true," Ada says, smiling. She soon sighs, looking down. "I hope he's doing okay out there while with Mrs. Phoenix...Really do miss him."

"Was the separation that bad?" Courtney asks, her hands resting on the sofa, staring at Ada.

"Yes...I assume he and the others told you about it?"

Forest sits on the left sofa as Courtney nods. "Mhm..." Courtney shakes her head. "I've said it to Delia and the others before, but: I'm sorry for what happened there. I...can't imagine how it feels to escape that nasty event without your friends and family."

"Mhm..." Ada grips her jeans, voice drenching in haze. "I hope they're all safe and sound. Merlin, X, Serene, Ethan, Mrs. Phoenix, Terran, and my fath—" a force lands onto her shoulder with grace. She looks beside her, Justin's shaky smile displaying its best warmth possible.

"We'll find them, Ada. No worries," the boy says softly.

Ada gazes at him for a moment, the sheer gleeness expanding throughout him. She stops gripping her jeans, nodding. "You're right." She smiles back before taking her attention towards Forest, who's resting against the sofa while reading. "Sorry about the commotion there. Was...not in the right state of mind, I guess…"

"So that's how you make an Oran Berry pie, huh?" Forest says, holding the book. "Interesting."

Mesmeren's ears perk up, turning towards the elder eagerly. Oran Berry pie!? That...can't be real, right? She salivates a bit, Ramon blinking at her.

Is she alright? he thinks, shrugging.

Ada quirks her brow. "Uh, sir?"

Forest looks at the girl, snickering. "My apologies. I got distracted by this cookbook I picked up."

"Cookbook? Thought that one was about my ancestor," Justin says with confusion.

"Nope." Forest sets the book on his desk beside him, holding up the second one. "But this one is."

The second book has vibrant purple coloring, the interconnecting triangle and circle symbol sprinkling throughout, and the following words on its cover: 'The Birth of Wizlore'.

The background has a couple of humans and Pokémon living alongside each other in a forest, the sun casting its light on them. Ramon's eyes widen, rainbows spawning over the mainlands.

"Whoa…" The Zorua says, captivated.

Justin snaps his fingers, pointing his finger guns at the cover. "Nice."

"I've been reading this book as many times as I can remember. I'll let you know when I get to your ancestor, Justin." Forest flips through the many pages of the book, humming.

Justin leans over to Courtney, his hand hovering his lips. "Does he usually get distracted like that earlier?"

The Lopunny shrugs. "Eh, sometimes."

Forest stops. "Alright. I've reached the true historic part. So prep yourselves: We're in for a lesson."

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Everyone except Mokuri gazes at the elder, anticipation rising. Mokuri simply turns his head to a small degree, eyes remaining closed.

"Now then..." Forest clears his throat. "Wizlore has many aspects that changed the Pokémon world for centuries. Those aspects are Magic type and Intellicates." He flips a page. "But how did they change society? Who was the first to discover them? That's where two iconic figures enter: Pauline Phoenix and Vincent Silver."

Vincent Silver, huh? Justin thinks.

"These two sail across the seas to find a region they've never seen before. Stumbling through many trials and errors, they came across a region filled with many Pokémon. These Pokémon weren't no ordinary ones, however. They were able to communicate and perceive knowledge similar to humans: Intellicates were their names. Most of them were even capable of switching between their evolution by will: They were known as Transvians."

Transvian...That Yvonne guy was working on that, Ramon thinks, looking down before tilting his head. However, this book said 'most', implying there used to be more Transvians back then compared to now. His head tilts. Maybe it has something to do with the war Ada mentioned? He shakes his head. I'm not sure.

Another page flips. "One day, the two noticed the native Pokémon of Wizlore struggling to build a town. Once they helped them, Phoenix discovered her Magic typing after saving one from a fallen boulder. After helping them build the town, Phoenix and Silver called it 'PV Town' before sailing away. This discovery led to an unexpected change in all of the regions upon hearing this news: More people became Magic type, more Pokémon became Intellicates and Transvians."

"Humans with Magic type were known as Sorcerous, while those that didn't have it were called Ordinas. Nativu was the name given to a Pokémon who lacks human communication. No one knew why this phenomenon happened after the discovery of the Wizlore region, nor why some newborns were given this gift. Regardless, many considered this revolutionary era as the Sorcery Ascension Era. Not only for Wizlore, but also for the entirety of the Pokémon world."

Forest clears his throat once again. "However, with all things good lurks the evil within: Enter The Dne War."

"The Dne War?" everyone except for Mokuri, Sylock, and Courtney says, Justin raising his brow in suspicion.

Another page flips. "This war was a result of the many debates involving the concerns of this new life for humans and Pokémon. The morality of Nativus, the abuse of Magic type: Many Sorcerous skewed this gift to the point of reviving an evil deity known as Dne."

"Dne was a malevolent God whose power was beyond that of man and Pokémon. They terrorized the land of Wizlore with an iron grip, doing the same for other regions too. Dne took the many lives of oppositions in their ruling, sending a message."

"The war lasted for 12 years, Dne's followers slowly growing over the years. These followers were people who acknowledged Dne's extraordinary powers and worshiped it, believing it was the future of society."

Page flips. "However, Phoenix and Silver led a rebel group, risking their lives to save the Pokémon world: They ultimately sacrificed themselves upon defeating Dne. No one knew how these two defeated this ruthless being, but society knew their sacrifices were filled with mourn: Both them and the many Transvians that died during the war." Forest nods.

"At the end, two statues of Phoenix and Silver were built in PV Town, which was renamed Glory Pride City. Society felt glory from the war, and pride from the founders of Wizlore. Despite the victory, the grieving remains. Transvians went extinct due to the war, leading society to incorporate many ways people and Pokémon can remain safe."

"Peace has been restored in the Pokémon world, but there's still room for improvement."

Forest closes the book, smiling. "And that's how your ancestor made a huge impact on the Wizlore region," he says to Justin.

Ramon and Justin blink in surprise. Well that explains how Transvians went extinct...But— Ramon glances down. Something tells me there's more to this story.

Justin stares at his hands, glaring. "...So Pauline and Vincent did all of this..." Gripping his fists, he stares off. "And I'm just now learning about it."

Ada rests her hand onto the boy's shoulder. "Same here."

"We're learning about it, too," both Ramon and Mesmeren state.

"I'm surprised at you and your mother's response," Forest joins. "Considering it's your ancestor, you'd know about the accomplishment she made in her life."

"Yeah. But I...guess living in a small village with little knowledge about the world explains it…" Justin sighs, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"I mean, there were newspapers being sent to our village during that time," Ada adds.

"Yeah, but we don't even read those, remember? Only Merlin does."

"Oh. Right."

Justin gazes at the ceiling, squinting. "I really hope my mother is at Glory Pride City, along with my friends..."

"Don't we all." Ada wraps her arms around her legs, looking at the ground.

After a few moments of silence, Sylock taps on Courtney's shoulder, her mouth agape as she snoozes away. She wakes up and yelps, shaking her head.

"Huh!?" Courtney rubs her eyes, seeing the audience stare. "Oh...uh…" She scratches the back of her head, looking away. "...Sorry. I, uh, fell asleep halfway because I heard it when Delia was with us."

Ada rolls her eyes. "That's totally not rude at all," she says. Justin raises his brow at the girl. She looks back. "...What?"

"Seeing you being sarcastic for the first time is the scariest thing ever, fam," Justin says before snickering.

"Justin: Are you seriously going to joke around after someone blatantly disrespected the story about your ancestor!?"

The boy shrugs. "I mean, she said she's heard it before so…"

"That doesn't excuse her for falling asleep, though! She should've at least, I don't know, go outside or something if she didn't want to hear the story again!" Ada pouts. "If that were to happen to my ancestor's story, I'd be really upset with the person in question."

Justin lifts his hand up and down. "Oh relax. It's not that big of a deal. Boredom happens so it's all good."

"It's not that big of a deal? IT'S NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL, YOU SAY!?"

The two teens commence the banters as Mokuri and Forest sigh, Sylock raising his brow at the commotion. The Lopunny laughs in a nervous manner, scratching the back of her head. "I...guessed sleeping on that story was a terrible move, huh?" she says.

"You don't say," the Blaziken signs, glancing at Courtney. Ramon and Mesmeren look at each other, shaking their heads with deadpans.

Soon, Justin finally turns towards Forest. "So about Glory Pride City…"

Forest points at the window, the woods behind a couple of houses. "Beyond Gloomy Woods lies the Windmill Forest to the far right. Passing by there is the Lake of Purity. And then afterwards, you should reach Glory Pride City."

"...Sounds far."

"It is."

Justin groans and rolls his eyes, tapping on the sofa. "Looks like this trip won't end anytime soon."

Ada lifts her finger. "Look on the bright side: We got to know about your ancestor and a bit more about Wizlore." She then snaps her fingers. "And I finally know the name of that war!"

"Yeah…"

Ramon perks up, feeling as though a light bulb spawned above his head. He opens his mouth—

No, a familiar voice says in his head. The fox raises his brow.

What? But Nomar, this seems like the perfect time to ask Forest about Doctor Yvonne and the Prospe—

Please, Ramon…

The Zorua looks down, lowering his ears. Okay…

"Hey, is something wrong?" Ada asks the fox, everyone taking their attention towards him.

Ramon looks up, smiling with brute force. "N-Nothing. I was, uh…" I got to think of something quick. "Thinking about carrots."

Ada lifts her brow, folding her arms. "You looked depressed, though. Like someone took you away from your family or something."

"I…" U-Um. "Was feeling down because I could not for the life of me understand why Justin says carrots a lot!"

Silence.

"...Pfft haha!" Courtney, Justin, and Forest break the silence, covering their stomachs.

Ada shakes her head, her eyes roll. "Honestly, I don't understand his usage of the word carrots, either. But it's nothing to get completely down over. He's just a goofball, that's all."

"Haha, carrots!" Justin exclaims, Ada glancing at him afterwards.

"I haven't laughed this hard since the time Mokuri belly-flopped into a frozen stream of water at Dendemille Town," Forest says, snickering. The Abomasnow groans, shaking his head while stroking his stomach. Mesmeren giggles at the phenomenon while Sylock stares at the group, lost.

Nice save, Ramon, Nomar says, giggling along.

I feel terrible about the lie, though. Ramon sighs.

"At least nothing could go completely downhill on our path towards Glory Pride City," Ada states.

BOOM!

The group jumps from the explosion outside.

Justin casts his Sorcery Blades, jolting up. "Ah man, fam. You just HAD to say that cursed phrase, huh?" He dashes out of the door afterwards. Courtney and Sylock look at each other before nodding, grabbing their swords. Everyone follows the boy.

. . .

A ton of Conjure members terrorize the village, many people and Pokémon running away from them. Some of the grunts fire their magic at the buildings, leading them to collapse onto the ground. Forest frowns, gripping his cane.

"What's the meaning of this?" he asks, a villager running past him. A couple of guards charge towards the Conjure members with their handguns, but a stream of water pushes them away, flying them past the group.

As the guards are knocked out, Jester rides on his mystical river, smirking.

"It's them…" Ada says, casting her purple claws.

Forest looks at her. "You know them?"

"Yes. They're Team Conjure: No good menaces who're the cause of our home being burned down." Ada glares ahead. "They're going to pay for what they did."

Mesmeren whimpers at the sight of so many of them, hiding behind Ramon. Ramon glances at the group, preparing himself. Courtney looks at Sylock before smirking, readying herself as well. Mokuri and Sylock follow suit.

"Might wanna get behind us, Forest. Because it looks like we have a fight coming up." The Lopunny sighs in relief. "And I don't mind that at all."