PARAGON

Remnants of the Great War Arc [21]

Chapter 30 : Beach Episode

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By the time Ash touched down again in Rota, the sky was black, and the hill upon which Albrecht’s manor sat had gone silent and dark. However, that did not mean he made a quiet return. Almost immediately after he’d landed and recalled Dragonite, several suited Guardians surrounded him, materializing from the shadows. They were Albrecht’s household guard, of course, but upon seeing who had just trespassed on their master’s property, they relaxed and led Ash back inside. On the way, he’d learned Sabrina had gotten back several hours earlier, but that she refused to disclose where she, or he and Cynthia, had gone. She’d simply swept upstairs to check on Anabel, then disappeared into her room, skipping dinner once again.

Ash thanked them as they parted from him, and headed upstairs himself. He considered going to talk to Sabrina now, but ultimately decided against it. She would still be here in the morning, and if she was anything like him, then she was exhausted from the day’s events as well. He returned to his own room, and he and Pikachu quickly fell asleep together.

The next day, Ash got up later than usual. He’d actually woken up early enough to go for his usual jog, and though it probably would’ve cleared his head some, he’d just gone back to sleep instead. Waking up meant possibly running into Albrecht, and he wanted to talk with Sabrina first. She was an early riser as well, but based on how she’d acted yesterday, he suspected she also would’ve foregone her usual sun-staring training today.

So around nine, he finally rolled out of bed and cleaned up for the day. There was a brief message from Sylvester saying Cynthia still refused to talk, so no updates on that front. He noticed he’d neglected to mention her reaction to being put away like she was, but no news hopefully meant good news. Surely she understood, he hoped.

Either way, Ash sent Pikachu on his way to go get breakfast, and he trodded across the hall toward Sabrina’s room. He’d check there first, but if she wasn’t in, then he’d check the hospital room.

But after knocking on her door gently, after a few seconds, he heard movement on the other side, and the door opened, surprisingly. Sabrina was dressed and showered for the day, but she did not make eye contact.

“Can I come in?” Ash asked.

She nodded and paced back over to her bed, which was neatly made. She sat on the edge, facing a small couch, like she’d been expecting this conversation. Ash obliged and closed the door behind him before seating himself on the couch.

“How is Cynthia?” Sabrina asked.

Caught off guard at the fact that she’d initiated the conversation, Ash hesitated for a moment. “She seems fine. Sylvester didn’t say much. He’s watching over her in the cells under the island. He’ll be taking point for the rest of this mission.”

Sabrina nodded slowly, no doubt processing his surprising decision.

Ash caressed his hands. “I was wondering how you were, though. You kinda ran out of there before we could get a handle on everything.” Ash inhaled. “Honestly…”

Sabrina closed her eyes and her gauntlets flickered.

The next day, Ash got up far later than usual. Pikachu wasn’t nuzzled beside him, so Ash figured he must’ve gone ahead to get breakfast. Honestly, he hadn’t expected to sleep this late, so he quickly cleaned up and headed over to Sabrina’s room to talk with her. However, she wasn’t there. Next, he checked the hospital room, and though she wasn’t there either, he did find Anabel awake.

“Oh, good morning, Ash,” she smiled.

She looked like she was getting better, and Ash breathed an internal sigh of relief. But honestly, he really thought Sabrina would be here, as she had been the past several days. “Hey, Anabel… Sorry, have you seen Sabrina at all today?”

“Mm, no, not yet.” She smiled softly and averted her gaze. “Sorry, I actually overheard your conversation yesterday, when you said she was important.” She looked up at him. “Thank you for telling her that. I tried to make the same point, but she just wouldn’t listen to me. It’s like all she saw was this,” she said, shrugging her right shoulder.

“O-Oh, yeah. No problem.” He didn’t think he’d said anything that impressive. Really he was just speaking his mind.

Anabel frowned. “Is everything alright, Ash? You look worried.”

Ash refocused his attention on her and smacked his cheeks. “Sorry! Nah, it’s nothing. I just wanted to talk to Sabrina is all.” He faltered, and his gaze dipped. “No, actually, a lot happened yesterday. Let me tell you everything.”

He pulled over a chair and started to explain from the beginning. Anabel listened attentively without interrupting, and when he was finished, she exhaled.

“Wow, I see. That’s…I don’t even know what to say.”

“Believe me, I’m just as confused as you,” Ash said. “Why Cynthia would do what she did, or what’s in Sabrina’s head right now.”

Anabel stayed quiet in thought for a moment. “Sabrina’s always had trouble expressing herself. And she doesn’t take resistance to her desires well. I suppose the question now is what exactly she wants. Not to sound overly humble, but I don’t think she would’ve done that to Cynthia just for my sake. She returned here for another reason.” She tapped her lips, and a smile perked up on them. “Think she fell in love with a Guardian after being sent here on her last assignment?” Her eyes flitted over at Ash mischievously.

“I doubt it,” he sighed.

“Why not? You don’t think she’s capable of that?”

“What? Are you being serious right now?”

Anabel waved her hand. “Never mind, never mind. I was just kidding. In all seriousness, I think what you said to her sunk in. About friends and all that.”

Ash frowned, trying to remember exactly what he’d said. “What do you mean?”

“I mean about taking care of herself for the sake of her friends,” Anabel explained. “Maybe she thought she was doing you a favor by standing up for herself and incapacitating Cynthia for you.”

“You really think so?”

Anabel just looked at him, staying silent. Eventually, Ash nodded.

“Yeah, I guess that does sort of sound like something she’d do,” he said. “Well, I’d better find her, then. Gotta catch her up to speed since she flew off before everything was resolved.” He stood up. “Do you need anything?”

Anabel shook her head. “No, thanks. Before you ask, it’s not as painful as before. I just want it to heal as fast as possible so I can hurry up and take a shower.”

“Do you want me to tell Sabrina not to worry about you?”

“If you would, please, thanks. I think I’m just gonna sleep all day today.” Anabel slid back down under her covers and nestled under the blankets. “Thank you, Ash. Talking to you has made me feel better.”

Ash flashed a peace sign. “No prob! You took a weight off of me too, so thanks.”

Anabel smiled and nodded, then closed her eyes. As Ash shut the door behind him, Anabel was already drifting back to sleep. And when she did go under, she dreamt of a day from the past, one of her treasured memories.

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Paragon Island, one year ago

“Ah.”

It was quiet on Paragon Island and Anabel found herself alone in the kitchen. It was a bit past ten and she’d been on her way to get breakfast, but something on the counter had caught her eye as she was walking past.

A deep blue box, about the size of a birthday cake. Golden embossed lettering adorned the top, the name of a place she didn’t recognize. She glanced around the empty room warily.

I mean….my birthday is today.

Slowly, she reached to lift the lid of the box open.

But a muffled shout from down the hall tore her attention away, and she instinctively slunk back. She slipped out of the kitchen and pressed herself against the wall, listening for further noise. Sure enough, she heard footsteps coming from the opposite hall just a few seconds later, coming closer.

“You’re just not serious about this,” came Ash’s voice, and Anabel heard the sound of thumps on the counter. “It’s one day in the whole year, it’s not that hard.”

“There’s seven of us, that’s seven days, dumbass,” Zinnia said in response.

“Okay, seven days. You’re telling me you can’t lay off for just seven days out of the whole year?” Anabel began to hear the crinkling of cellophane, the ruffling of a plastic bag, and more plops on the counter.

“Yeah, that’s just how serious I am about becoming a Dragon Master. You don’t know anything about that.”

“Former World Champion, by the way. Dropped out voluntarily.”

“Okay? And actually it’d only be six days because we’d definitely be battling on my birthday. You’d definitely have to do what I say!”

Anabel heard Ash sigh. “You can challenge me on my birthday too for all I care. That makes only five birthdays. Just five days for you to put the challenges on pause so we can—“

Ash went silent, and Anabel’s heart began thundering in her chest, wondering if she’d been spotted.

“Are you kidding me?” Ash said after a few seconds.

“What?”

There was a one second silence. Ash must’ve gestured.

“Oh, whoops,” Zinnia said.

“Has that been sitting here this whole time?”

“…Uh, yeah, probably.”

Anabel heard Ash sweep around the counter, and she was afraid he’d pop out of the kitchen right next to her. But he didn’t, and she heard him slide something off the counter. Probably the box she’d seen.

“The frosting’s probably all melted by now,” Ash said, clearly annoyed.

“Relax! It’s only been like an hour!”

“Well, where were you gonna put it?”

“Cynthia has a minifridge in her office!” Zinnia shouted.

“Shhhhh!” Ash hissed. “Are you sure she’s still in the shower?”

“Yes! She works out every morning, then takes a longass shower after!”

Anabel blushed outside in the hall. She’d cut her workout short today, because it was her birthday.

“Can you even get into Cynthia’s office? Doesn’t she keep it locked all the time?” Ash asked.

“Ash, get serious. This is Anabel’s birthday we’re talking about here. Are you gonna let something like that ruin it?”

“I don’t want to hear that from you,” Ash said in a low voice. “Help me put the rest of this stuff away before she gets out here. Once she does, I’ll distract her, then you can get the cake to Cynthia’s room.”

“Won’t the cake melt even more though?”

Another pause.

“Can you please, please, please just cooperate with me here?” Ash pleaded.

Anabel clutched her face to stifle a laugh. Working with Zinnia to plan Ash’s eighteenth birthday several months ago had been a similarly hair-graying exercise. But it seemed like they’d be busy for a few minutes, which gave her the perfect window to sneak away back to her room before they realized she’d left it. And as much as she wanted to continue eavesdropping, she’d already spoiled their surprise for her enough, so quietly, she slipped away.

Once back at her room, she carefully shut the door behind her, then flung herself onto her bed and smiled giddily.

The surprise party for Ash had been her idea originally, and she’d hatched her plan along with Zinnia and Sabrina, who’d happened to be unassigned at the time, and Sylvester, of course. Ash himself hadn’t had anything planned for his big day, as expected, so after battling Zinnia all day, he was pleasantly surprised to find a celebratory feast fit for a king waiting for him inside. To be fair, Sylvester had done most of the cooking, but at least she and Sabrina had enough brain cells between them to whip up a shitty vanilla cake from one of those store-bought boxes.

For her birthday, they seemed to have foregone the hassle in favor of something professionally made. Not to knock them, but the idea of Ash and Zinnia working together to make her a birthday cake…hmm, inconceivable. Ash + Zinnia = cake was an equation just as false as 1 + 1 = 3.

However, all of Paragon, save for Cynthia, was unassigned. They’d hit a lull in their work, and over the past few days, they’d all trickled back onto the island. Honestly, she’d expected Zinnia to take off immediately like she usually did, but Ash or Sylvester must’ve pulled her aside.

Or, hey, c’mon. Maybe she’d remembered herself. Sometimes Anabel wondered if she was too harsh on Zinnia. The girl was an excellent trainer, and you’d never know it by looking at her, but her quest for the Great Dragon required a lot more brains than anyone gave her credit for possessing.

Either way, that meant everyone was here. So did that mean all of them were in on the surprise? She hadn’t seen Sabrina, N, or Sylvester this morning, but that wasn’t entirely suspicious. Sabrina usually stayed in her room. N could’ve been outside, chilling with Reshiram. And Sylvester may have been over at his daycare, since he usually headed over there before lunch if there were no other chores to do.

So maybe the surprise wasn’t completely spoiled after all.

A few minutes later, she heard footsteps approaching her room from the hall outside, and she quickly jumped off her bed to flip the fan on in her bathroom so it sounded like she’d just finished showering. But after ducking in, she glanced in the mirror and realized her hair was way too dry for that to be plausible. She froze in the middle of her bedroom, frantically trying to think of a solution.

“Magic!” she exclaimed, tearing her pokéball off her belt. She released her, and Espeon immediately began yipping at her ankles. “Thank you, thank you for the happy birthday, but hurry! Mist me!”

Magic shuddered, and her skin shimmered, turning turquoise. Before her fins had even finished growing, she sprayed a cloud of watery mist at Anabel’s hair. The girl ran her fingers through it in a hurry, trying to get it to soak in as much as possible and look damp. Luckily she’d done this before to get rid of her bedhead, so Magic knew what ‘Mist me’ meant. But she offered a perplexed expression as she looked up at her trainer, unable to comprehend the urgency of the situation.

Not a moment later, there was a knock at Anabel’s door, and she quickly recalled Magic. She peeked into the bathroom one more time to make sure she looked fine, and that’s when she noticed the top of her tank top was a little damp from the mist.

“Whatever,” she muttered. She quickly reset her face, putting on a smile, and opened the door.

“Morning, Anabel! Happy birthday!” Ash waved, Pikachu mimicking him.

“Heyyy, yeah, thanks!” Anabel beamed.

“How was the workout?”

“Oh…yeah, same old, I guess,” Anabel chuckled.

“So, anything special planned for today?” he asked.

You tell me. “No, nothing, really. I was just about to go get some breakfast, though.”

Ash noticeably tensed up, and Pikachu grinned at her like a psychopath, seemingly determined to keep facing forward and not look suspicious. She noticed his paws clench on Ash’s shoulder, and she had to swallow a laugh.

“Uhhh, actually I was wondering if you could help me out with something real quick. Just for a few minutes!” Ash clapped his hands together and bowed.

“Hmmm, I don’t know, I’m kind of hungry. Can it wait till later?” Anabel asked innocently. As curious as she was about what excuse Ash had come up with, toying with him like this was just too fun.

“Uhhhhh, I mean, not reall—“

Zinnia came up from behind Ash and joined him at Anabel’s door, slinging an arm around his shoulder. “Yo, happy birthday, Anabel!” She seemed out of breath.

“Oh, morning, Zinnia, thanks!” Anabel said. Dang it!

“Ah, yeah! You know what, actually it can wait till later, let’s go eat!” Ash suddenly said, nodding and smacking Zinnia on the back. Pikachu deflated on Ash’s shoulder, like a weight had just evaporated off his back.

“Great idea, buddy!” Zinnia nudged him back, and they shared a laugh.

Anabel deadpanned in the door frame. Even if she hadn’t caught them earlier, this performance was embarrassingly transparent. She smiled weakly and shut her door behind her, and joined them on the trek to the kitchen.

“You guys haven’t eaten yet?” Anabel asked as they walked.

“Nah, way too busy,” Zinnia said. She had her hands behind her head like she didn’t have a care in the world.

“What were you doing up so early anyway?” Anabel asked, eyeing Zinnia.

“What do you mean, I’m always up this early,” Zinnia yawned.

“Wait, actually?”

“Yeah,” she said seriously. “Journey won’t plan itself.”

Anabel nodded. Impressive. She hadn’t known that. Though to be fair, Zinnia didn’t spend very much time on the island, and the path she walked as a Draconid seemed a solitary endeavor.

Sylvester was still absent when they got to the kitchen, though Anabel usually didn’t catch him in the mornings. He always prepared breakfast a few hours before she woke up, for Sabrina and Ash, the early risers. There was a serving plate full of eggs and a tray of sausage and bacon sitting covered on the stove, out of the way.

Ash and Zinnia insisted they be allowed to serve her, so she seated herself at the table while they readied the plates. The sun outside sat high in the sky, warming the dining room beautifully while she waited, and she half-regretted not getting in a workout earlier. Once they joined her at the table, they all dug into breakfast, talking about what they’d been up to as of late. Anabel noticed they kept steering the conversation away from any talk about Sabrina and N any time it started to head in that direction, so she graciously decided to stop bringing them up after getting her fill of nervous twitches from them.

“What do you have planned for today?” Anabel asked, placing her dishes in the dishwasher after Ash rinsed them off. “Another battle with Zinnia?”

The Dragon Master herself had already run off, leaving her dishes behind.

“Eh, I don't know,” Ash said, drying his hands. “I figure you probably want to have a quiet day to yourself, so I was thinking we’d hold off for today.”

Anabel shook her head. “I don’t mind at all. Actually, I wouldn’t mind watching. I’m always hearing about your matches from Zinnia but I’ve only seen a couple of them.”

“Let me guess, she wipes the floor with me everytime and it’s not even close?”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“And leaves you in tears, begging for mercy,” Anabel grinned.

While Ash dipped back to his room to get ready, Anabel headed outside to wait for them. The temperature really was perfect outside, and the cool breeze blew across the island every now and then felt blissful on her skin. She’d actually planned on tanning at the beach all day, so she’d already put on sunscreen.

Ash and Zinnia always started their matches at a clearing in the forest so that’s where she waited. But before they arrived, she released all five of her pokémon.

Magic the Espeon curled her tail around her leg as she lay down on the grass. As her first pokémon, Magic was the most affectionate with her by far, and she gently stroked her behind the ears. Like many a young trainer, she’d received her as a gift at age ten, but shortly after setting out on her journey, her Eevee had begun to show signs that it wasn’t quite like others of its kind. Her fur began to change colors sporadically, and at first, her mood changed along with it. Abrasive and standoffish when it turned bronze, quiet and stoic when it turned silver, and mischievous and unruly when it turned gold. Anabel and Eevee hadn’t even decided what they wanted her to evolve into when she suddenly woke up one morning to find an Espeon curled against her chest. It took some time for them to get the hang of Espeon’s quirky new ability, but it soon became one of their trump cards. It was then that Anabel decided she wanted an entire team full of ‘weird’ or unusual pokémon, like her Espeon which changed form like Magic.

The next pokémon she’d caught she hadn’t even recognized when she first saw it, and that’s how she knew she wanted it. Soon after coalescing onto the grass, Juggernaut the Snorlax stretched his arms, and promptly wandered off into the forest. He ambled away on his long legs, and his long arms swayed at his side. There was no delicate way to put it. Juggernaut was a skinny Snorlax. Most people looked at him with horror, wondering what sort of abuse Anabel must’ve put him through to get him looking so emaciated. But the truth is that Anabel had found him just as thin when he was only a Munchlax. In fact, she’d caught him while he was sleeping, thinking he was actually dead, or close to it. Only after she’d hauled ass back to the nearest pokémon center did she realize Munchlax had slimmed down of its own accord. He was a lover of battle through and through, and his many quarrels with the denizens of his local forest had somehow burned his fat faster than he could accumulate it, a complete anomaly for his species. Although he still maintained a blasé attitude about everything, he actually didn’t sleep all that much, and even now, he was no doubt heading off to go punch some trees or something.

Her next two pokémon were a little embarrassing. She’d gotten addicted to the Battle Frontier after arriving there on her journey, and midway through her gym circuit, her pursuit shifted toward wanting to become a Frontier Brain. All the Brains had one or two legendary or mythical pokémon. So that led Anabel to seek out her own. Sakura the Latias and Royal the Suicune were the powerhouses of her arsenal. Initially, they’d both been quite proud, as expected, but they’d been together for years now, and all their pompousness had since ebbed away. Sakura especially had gotten jealous of her other pokémon shortly after Anabel had caught her, and she soon began acting like a baby to get some of her trainer’s mothering too. Royal had a bit more dignity. Anabel supposed she could only put on airs for so long after Sakura had already tarnished the title of ‘legendary.’ Immediately after spilling from her pokéball, Latias soared into the sky, chittering with delight beneath the warm sun, and Royal simply laid down beside Magic, ignoring her antics.

Sophia the Decidueye was the newest member of her team, but at first glance, there wasn’t anything too special about her. Anabel had learned her lesson after the last two catches and decided to lighten up a little on the team restrictions. She’d picked up Sophia in Alola while she was with the International Police on a whim. She hadn’t raised a new pokémon in awhile, and she didn’t see too many Alolan pokémon in Hoenn, so she figured, why not? But despite being the newest, Sophia watched over her comrades like a hawk, and she did not tolerate horseplay in her presence. Even Royal respected Sophia’s gaze, though Anabel had a feeling there was a bit of a rivalry there. They’d been fighting over the position of matriarch to the rest ever since Dartrix had evolved, and it had led to many a long and silent brooding sessions between the two. Luckily, that was all it ever amounted to, and Anabel was glad they both cared for their comrades so much. Sophia took flight into a tree to oversee everyone at once.

Ash and Zinnia came out several minutes later, taking their places on opposite ends of the clearing. As they got situated, Anabel scooted further back, as did her pokémon.

“Ready to lose again?” Zinnia challenged, tossing her pokéball in the air casually.

“We’ve been training hard since the last time we battled! You won’t know what hit you!” Ash barked, unclipping his own pokéball.

“Oh?” Zinnia’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s see it then!” She hurled her pokéball forward, and it snapped open in midair. Tyrantrum crashed down onto the grass and roared, glaring at Ash.

“Same as usual, huh?” Ash sighed, and he tossed his pokémon out as well. Floatzel coalesced onto the ground, its tail spinning, and it hunched down, ready for battle.

“A counter, of course. Can’t win without a type advantage?” Zinnia taunted.

“That’s not even a type advantage,” Ash muttered. “Well, we’ll start things off if you’re just gonna complain. Wave Crash!”

A torrent of water spun into existence around Floatzel’s, and it bulleted forward, its tail spinning like a motor to propel itself.

“Head Smash!” Zinnia commanded.

Tyrantrum snorted, and charged, the crest on its head hardening beyond belief. At their collision, water sprayed out in all directions, and fragments of rock shattered off of Tyrantrum’s skull. Royal conjured a shield lazily to protect her master, but otherwise took no interest in the battle.

Anabel sweatdropped. Ash was normally a pretty creative trainer, but against a meathead like Zinnia, he seemed to always prefer meeting her with brute force head on. Though knowing him, this was probably just another vector by which he could train his more frail pokémon’s toughness.

After a few seconds of clashing, Tyrantrum dug under Floatzel’s body and tossed it back with a roar. However, Floatzel landed deftly back on the ground, not looking overly worse for wear. On the other hand, Tyrantrum shook its head with discomfort, blinking its beady eyes.

“Follow up! Dragon Crunch!” Zinnia hollered.

Tyrantrum’s cragged maw burned with violet flames, its teeth turned an unholy black, and it once again charged toward Floatzel. Its feet cratered the ground where it stepped, and it was on top of Floatzel faster than one would expect for a creature of its size and bulk. Its jaw opened, a hellish chasm ready to devour its prey.

“Counter Shield!” Ash commanded.

Floatzel spun on its tail, conjuring a cable of water all around it. The rope caught Tyrantrum on its side and knocked it off kilter. Its jaw smashed closed around open air, but before it could recover, another rope lashed its body, forcing it back. A spiral of water tornadoed around Floatzel, and try as it might, Tyrantrum couldn’t penetrate it without sustaining heavy damage.

It’s flecked with shards of ice too, Anabel noticed, squinting. Those will cut up Tyrantrum bad if it continues. Nice one, Ash.

Suddenly, Pikachu cried out beside Ash, and before he even had time to turn, the mouse had wreathed himself in electricity and shot into the air with a Volt Tackle. An Altaria tore through the forest, its fluffy wings angled straight at Ash. Pikachu careened into its before it could hit, and Ash reared back in surprise.

“Are you kidding me?!” he roared.

“Ha ha! Outrage, Tyrantrum!” Zinnia smirked.

Anabel’s jaw dropped, stunned, as Pikachu derailed Altaria’s sneak attack. Really, Zinnia…

With its concentration momentarily broken, Tyrantrum surged through Floatzel’s cage of water and smacked it with its giant head, then continued to pummel it with skull, jaw, and claw alike.

Ash grit his teeth and ripped another pokéball from his belt. “Throw her into the sea! Aqua Ring, and Whirlpool, Floatzel!”

Altaria rolled back into the sky, its attack having failed, but Staraptor was speed incarnate. Its unmaterialized form streaked across the sky, and by the time it finished coalescing out of its pokéball, it was already directly above Zinnia.

“What?!” Zinnia squawked.

Staraptor snatched her up in its talons and took to the skies, then changed its trajectory and bulleted toward the beach. Zinnia wailed, but Staraptor was so fast, her cries were quickly muted.

Meanwhile, a storm of water erupted from Floatzel’s battered form, flinging Tyrantrum skyward. It landed back on the ground with a giant crash, and groaned from the impact. Floatzel slumped to the ground, breathing heavily. Neither of them were knocked out, but they were both spent.

After seeing the battle here had ended, Ash took off toward the beach, and Anabel leapt up after him, laughing. Magic and Sophia came with, and Sakura cooed excitedly above them.

Over at the beach Staraptor and Altaria were locked in a death stare, both suspended above the ocean, waiting for the other to make a move. A second later, Zinnia’s head popped up out of the water, gasping for air. Staraptor broke eye contact, a sign of ceasing hostilities, and Altaria took it up on its offer, fluttering down to check on her trainer. Zinnia swam closer to the shore, then waded back the rest of the way. She saw Ash’s grinning face and glared.

“Fuck!” she screamed, shaking the loose water off her hands and hair.

“Nice try, loser!” Ash taunted. “What the hell was that?”

“Urggggh,” Zinnia groaned. She rounded on Altaria. “You’re too damn nice, you know that?! You could’ve gotten him if you really wanted it! You need more bloodlust!”

Altaria chuckled weakly, trying to put on a mean face, though it couldn’t keep it up.

“Don’t blame Altaria,” Ash scolded. “It’s your fault for trying out something you’ve never done before. So tired of losing you’re trying to sneak me now?”

Zinnia closed her eyes and raised her finger. “One must always be ready for the unexpected. I’m glad you took my lesson to heart. Her lecture could not have looked more unconvincing, sopping wet as she was.

“Lesson, huh?” Ash said, rolling his eyes. “Well, that was short.”

Anabel clapped beside them. “Congratulations. Great battle.”

Ash nodded in thanks while Zinnia continued to wring out her shirt.

“Whatever, I was getting hot anyway,” Zinnia said. “I’m going to change.” She recalled Altaria and headed back toward the forest to get Tyrantrum.

“Not a bad idea actually,” Anabel said once she was gone. “It’s a nice day for a swim.”

“Yeah,” Ash agreed. “Though one time I decided to go for a swim and swam so far out the island disappeared. Need to be careful of that.”

Anabel laughed and began walking back beside Ash. “Should’ve told Cresselia what you were up to first!” She slung her arm around his neck and pulled him closer. “Any chance N and Sabrina will be joining us?” she asked quietly

Ash chuckled nervously. “They are kind of taking longer than expected. But trust me, it’ll be worth it.”

Anabel smirked and let him go. Finally, she was getting answers.

She let all her pokémon stay outside while they headed back inside to change. Once inside, Anabel peeled out of her tank top and shorts and changed into a white two-piece with a shawl wrapped around her waist. She grabbed her shades and flip-flops, then headed back outside.

To her surprise, Sylvester was waiting for her just outside the door. “Ah, Anabel. Happy birthday. I apologize I didn’t catch you sooner.” He bowed.

“No problem, thanks!”

“I trust you’ve had a pleasant day thus far?”

“Yep! Probably just gonna chill on the beach now.”

“That sounds wonderful. I’ll bring a towel and other amenities out to you shortly. Lunch in a few hours sound good?”

“Yes! And thanks!” As she walked away she quickly called back, “Oh, yeah, please get towels for the others too!” and Sylvester nodded.

Once she got back to the beach, Magic seemed to materialize out of nowhere as a Vaporeon, and she quickly curled up around Anabel. Several minutes later, Sylvester returned with a bundle of towels and a picnic basket in his other hand.

“Please help yourself to anything inside,” he said as he placed it down next to her. “And do let me know if you’re feeling peckish and I’ll get started on lunch immediately.”

“Thanks, Sylvester!” Anabel said, unfolding her towel and whipping it out over the soft sand. As Sylvester departed, she untied her shawl and took a peek in the basket. It had several water bottles and soda cans, some sliced fruit, and a small bottle of rum, all chilled. She helped herself to a water and a few berries, then laid down on her stomach, allowing the sun and sand to bake her right into a state of pure relaxation.

She was half asleep already when she heard Ash and Zinnia come tearing down the beach, but the constant rumble of the sea soon drowned out their yelling. Even they could not disturb her now.

Never did the sun ever feel too hot, or the breeze too blustery. In her state of half-consciousness, she heard Ash and Zinnia running in and out of the water, and across the beach alongside their pokémon, though they seemed to be paying careful attention to never get too close to her spot, and she was thankful. Eventually, she heard a couple more voices join them, and after recognizing N’s, she stirred in her sleep.

She raised her head and turned over, sitting up. The bright sunlight assaulted her dilated eyes, and she squinted, reaching over for her sunglasses to put them back on.

“Yo, hey, she’s awake!” she heard Zinnia say. As her eyes adjusted, she suddenly found all four of them staring down at her.

“Happy birthday, Anabel,” N smiled. He was in a pair of black trunks and an unbuttoned Alolan t-shirt, and his long green hair hung untied.

Sabrina waved timidly. She appeared to be in a bathing suit, but she was also wearing a thick hoodie that made Anabel wonder how she wasn’t overheating. Her jet black hair was tied in a ponytail, and Anabel resisted the urge to call her cute in front of everyone.

“Hey guys, thanks,” Anabel said, rubbing sand off her arms. “Can you ask Sylvester to start making lunch? I’m kind of hungry.”

“I believe he’s already gotten started. He was just finishing feeding the pokémon when we returned,” N said, shielding his eyes from the sun. “Something on the grill, it looked like.”

“Ooh, let’s go see, Pikachu!” Ash exclaimed, racing off back towards the base. He was in a pair of navy trunks, but he must’ve just been in the water because he was dripping wet. Anabel averted her gaze from his toned back.

“Hey!” Zinnia yelled, and she tore after him. Zinnia looked pretty nice herself. She was in a black two piece that showed off her form quite nicely. And she was also wet from head to toe.

Once they were gone, Sabrina padded over and sat herself down next to Anabel. “Happy birthday,” she murmured.

Anabel glimmered with glee and pulled her closer. “Thank you!” She frowned. Ah.” Something soft hit her side, and she whipped around to face her friend. “What’re you hiding under there?!” She looked down at her own boyish body, defeated.

“Stooop,” Sabrina wailed, curling into a ball defensively, as Anabel jabbed at her.

N, by courtesy or coincidence, was facing the ocean. “Ahhh, what a brilliant day to enjoy the sea,” he declared. “There’s nothing quite like the sight of a clear blue sky above the cerulean ocean to truly make one’s day!”

“Lunch!” Anabel heard Zinnia call, and as if on cue, her stomach rumbled quietly.

“Ah, perfect! I wonder what our friend has prepared for your special day!” N sang, starting back.

Anabel grabbed Sabrina’s hand before she could escape, and she swung it as they walked back. “So, are you gonna tell me where you’ve been all day?” she asked, glancing over, trying to meet her gaze.

“No,” Sabrina said flatly.

Anabel puffed out her cheeks in a pout. “Hmph!” Her eyes landed back on that heavy hoodie. “Aren’t you hot in that?”

Sabrina pointed at her gauntlet.

“Ah.” Right. Of course. Not even the sun could force Sabrina Natsume to bear herself to the world.

Sylvester was just peeling the last burger off the grill when they arrived, and Ash and Zinnia were already seated at the patio table, nearly salivating as they dampened their surroundings with their wet bodies. Anabel was surprised they weren’t chanting and pounding their utensils like middle schoolers.

“Here we have some smashburgers with a special aioli of my own creation. I have some fries that I’ll bring out in a moment, as well as a refreshing spring coleslaw,” he reported, placing the platter in the middle of the table.

Usually she watched her weight carefully, but her birthday was enough of an occasion for Anabel to push all caloric considerations from her mind, and she dug in before Sylvester had even finished setting up the rest of the food. And good thing too, because Ash and Zinnia had waited for her to take her first bite before starting themselves, and they were looking impatient.

“Mm!” Anabel moaned, lifting a hand to her mouth. “That is so good!”

“You like it?” Sylvester said, raising an eyebrow.

“Please can I just get this sauce for my birthday?”

Sylvester grinned with pride and amusement. “I’m very pleased it’s to your liking. I can certainly start making it more regularly. Excellent on sandwiches too, I should add.”

Anabel thanked him profusely, and helped herself to the rest of the food. He seemed to have factored in her consciousness over her health into the meal, because despite how casual it looked, everything she ate felt light, and not too greasy at all. And her sentiment seemed to be shared by the rest of the table, because there was hardly any talking throughout all of lunch.

After lunch, while Sylvester tidied everything up, the members of Paragon returned to the beach to enjoy the remaining hours of sunlight they had left. It took some prodding, but eventually Sabrina joined them for a game of volleyball without a net. Zinnia and N waded out into the ocean and the rest of them stayed on land, and they all batted the ball between each other.

Soon, their pokémon returned and the whole beach became busy. Ash’s Greninja dodged splash after splash of ocean water from Juggernaut, Sabrina’s Alakazam levitated into the air to play with Sakura, and Anabel even caught Royal the Suicune, Reshiram, and Cresselia having some sort of talk.

By the time the sun was beginning to hug the horizon, and the sky had melted into orange, Anabel was starting to feel tuckered out. Sabrina had long retired and was snoozing on a towel beneath a beach umbrella, and Anabel collapsed beside her, resting her head on her stomach. The girl didn’t even stir. Somehow, Ash and Zinnia were still messing around, and surprisingly, N was keeping up with them. But when the dinner call came from Sylvester, Anabel gently shook Sabrina awake, and they all slowly trudged back to base.

As always, Sylvester seemed to know exactly what they wanted, for instead of preparing some extravagant feast for their tired selves, he’d whipped up a simple meal of sushi. With a more casual affair, they ate their food slower, and the conversation flowed like a quiet river. Sylvester and Zinnia helped themselves to a beer, and Anabel sipped on a margarita, but no one else partook. By the time they finished dinner, the sun had disappeared entirely beneath the waves.

“That hit the stop,” Zinnia burped out, crumpling onto one of the sofas in the living room.

“I agree, that was delicious, Sylvester, thank you,” N said, taking a seat in one of the plush chairs. Ash took the seat next to him and exhaled loudly. Anabel pulled Sabrina onto another couch and laid back against her. So comfortable.

After a few moments, the lights dimmed, and N cleared his throat.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Anabel! Happy birthday to you! they all sang, in various volumes and pitches. Sylvester approached with a cake in hand, and he carefully placed it on the coffee table in front of Anabel.

That’s what I saw this morning! she thought. It was simple, but it looked majestic. It was completely white all over, with only the candles breaking the field of sugary monotony.

Anabel giggled at their singing and blew out the candles.

“Wonderful!” N chirped, and Zinnia pumped her fist lazily.

Sylvester returned again with plates and forks, and a pie server, which he handed to Anabel. “Cut yourself as large a slice as you’d like.”

“What is it?” she asked, as she pushed the server down through the cake.

“Ash? Zinnia?” Sylvester offered, glancing at them.

“Uhhh,” Ash said, turning to Zinnia.

“It’s a vanilla lemon angel fruit cake,” Zinnia said confidently. “From the finest and most legendary…cake store in Jubilife.”

Anabel glanced back down at the cake, not seeing a single piece of fruit on it.

Sylvester sighed. “Small correction. This is a white lotus buttercream cake from Opaline Patisserie in Jubilife. It received rave reviews from critics in a Jubilife Times article a couple months back, and now you must call ahead a month in advance in order to procure one.” He glanced back at Zinnia and Ash. “You have these two to thank for picking it up this morning.”

“Thanks guys,” Anabel murmured, though her attention was mainly on the sizable slice she’d just cut for herself. Just cutting through it, she could tell it was of extremely high quality, and seeing its cross-section now, it looked like something out of a magazine.

She took a bite tenderly, and was immediately assaulted by a cascade of flavors, each seemingly more blissful than the last. The cream melted on her tongue, and the cake felt like gold in food form. She shook her head and took another bite.

“She’s speechless,” Ash said. “I guess it really is that good.”

“Better be,” Zinnia scoffed. “Some dingus almost knocked me over it was so crowded in there. I swear he was thinking about stealing it when I was walking out.”

“I suppose I’ll cut for the rest of us,” Sylvester said, seeing Anabel make no move to finish her job. Sabrina, Ash, and N all received a piece, but then Anabel finished hers and asked for a second before Zinnia even got her first. Of course, Sylvester accomodated the birthday girl, and Zinnia had to visibly restrain herself from exploding, but after receiving her piece, she was quickly placated.

When they finished, N suddenly stood. “And now, for presents.” He pulled a gift bag out from behind his seat that Anabel genuinely hadn’t seen him get earlier. “For you,” he said, handing it to her. “This is from the four of us.”

Ash, Sabrina, and Zinnia all stared at her expectantly as she took the bag into her lap.

Sylvester sat on the edge of the couch, watching with great interest at what the others had gotten her. Anabel nodded in thanks and slowly pulled sheet after sheet of tissue paper out of the bag. Then, her hands hit something solid, and she pulled it out of the bag.

It was like a pokéball, but significantly heavier, bulkier, and black on both hemispheres. The button was outlined by a raised hexagon. She frowned, recognizing it from somewhere, then her eyes widened. “Is this a Tera Orb?”

“That’s right!” Ash said. “What do you think?”

Anabel turned it around in her hand, then frowned. “Wait, I thought these could only be used in Paldea? Because of some special crystals or something there, right?”

“That’s a very special prototype model from Blueberry Academy,” N explained. “Tera Crystals are embedded within the orb, allowing one to Terastallize anywhere in the world. This is very new technology, and this particular model finished going through quality control just a few days ago. I apologize, but that’s why Sabrina and I were so late today. The flight from Unova is quite long.”

“Oh my goodness, I don’t know what to say,” Anabel said. “You two have been flying all day, but you still made it back in time to celebrate with me.” She clutched the Tera Orb tightly. “Thank you so much.” She met N’s gaze, then turned over to Sabrina.

“Uh, yeah, we had to fly to Jubilife and back this morning too,” Zinnia commented, raising her hand.

Anabel smiled and leapt up off the couch, then wrapped Zinnia in a big hug. “Thank you, Zinnia!”

“Agh!” Zinnia squirmed, trying to break free. While she did, Anabel mouthed a thanks to Ash, and he and Pikachu both gave a thumbs up.

“Well, it seems we had similar ideas,” Sylvester said, withdrawing his own gift bag from who-knows-where. “Paldea is a land of mystery, distant as it is from the rest of the world.” He handed Anabel his gift. “I recall you saying in passing some time ago that you were interested in rounding out your roster with a sixth team member.”

Anabel’s eyes widened, and she pulled the bag open. A blinding smile gleamed onto her face upon seeing its contents: a pokéball. She pulled it out gently and held it in her hand.

“I remember you telling me the story of your first pokémon, and how it’d sparked in you an interest in unusual and unique pokémon. Not to toot my own horn, but frankly, I’m brilliant at what I do. I think you’ll be very pleased with this one.”

Anabel brushed her thumb against the release, feeling the stares of anticipation from everyone in the room. Then, she pressed it.

A small red pokémon with a black face burst out onto the coffee table. It looked around the room, but its flaming eyes hung on Anabel, sizing up its new trainer.

Anabel frowned. “What is it?”

“That’s a Charcadet,” Ash said, transfixed by the pokémon.. “I’ve never seen one before, they’re super rare.”

Charcadet glanced over at the mention of its name, but its attention quickly turned back to Anabel.

“Charcadet…,” Anabel repeated.

“You can consider Charcadet a gift from Cynthia and me,” Sylvester said. “This is my half of the gift. Cynthia’s half would be impractical to lug around, so they’re put away for now, but it’s two sets of armor which are necessary to trigger Charcadet’s evolution. Normally, Charcadet evolve into one of two possible pokémon: Armarouge or Ceruledge.” He stroked his chin. “But…you are a member of Paragon after all, so I don’t suspect convention will hinder you in any way.”

Anabel stared at her new pokémon, and Charcadet stared back. She could feel its strength and potential radiating off of it like heat. Sylvester wasn’t kidding. He knew what he was doing.

“Thank you so much,” she said. “You, and everyone else.” She met all of their gazes individually.

She felt a nudge beneath her, and turned to Sabrina.

“Do you have a name for him?” the psychic asked.

Anabel smiled. The name had come to her the moment she’d laid eyes on him. A being packed with mystery and strength. He respected power, and possessed much more of it than met the eye. And he evolved into a sort of knight?

Anabel reached out and laid her hand on his head, and Charcadet extinguished his flame to allow her to touch him.

“Arcane,” she said.

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Land of Rota, present day

The throne room within Cameran Palace milled with activity, all of Queen Ilene’s captains and advisors assembled before her. At the very back of the room, Albrecht leaned against the wall, observing the meeting from behind.

“Hear me, Guardians,” the Queen said, and all fell silent immediately.

Toward the front of the pack, Riley listened with rapt attention, a bead of sweat trickling down his cheek. He didn’t know what was going on, but he could tell it was big. He’d never seen Captain Magnus so serious after returning from a meeting with the rest of Queen Ilene’s closest retainers a few days ago. Since then, he’d heard rumors that the World Champion was in Rota, and actually owned a house somewhere in the kingdom. And though he didn’t think the others had noticed, he could sense the World Champion’s presence behind him right now, seemingly confirming the rumors.

“Some of you already know this, but I will state this plainly for those who do not,” Ilene continued. “Rota is in danger. At this very moment, a great evil conspires to bring destruction to our peaceful lands.”

A wave of discontent passed through the crowd, and Riley furrowed his brows.

“Captain Magnus,” the Queen addressed, and the old Guardian knelt.

“My Queen,” he intoned.

“Summon the Guardians. For all our brethren across the world, the time has come for us to defend our home.”

Next — Chapter 31 : Ambush

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Anabel’s Nicknames

Magic - Espeon

Juggernaut - Snorlax

Sakura - Latias

Royal - Suicune

Sophia - Decidueye

Arcane - Charcadet, who has since evolved