Chapter 3 - Far From Home

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Shiron had to admit the cake was way better than he thought, not that he had many of them back in Hoenn. Because of this, the sweet taste on his mouth was so invigorating he never wanted it to go away.

Can't believe it! If only they added more frosting, or chocolate bars! You can never have enough, heh. Maybe I'll ask Magnus to do it the next time.

Speaking of Magnus, the Quilladin was looking at Shiron, both impressed and a little scared that he was eating a cake for two or three mons without any issue. Even the other customers were staring, not that Shiron minded.

The grass-type cleared his throat, now standing next to Shiron. "H-Hey, uh, Shiron? Might wanna slow down on the chewing there. It's, well… kinda fast. You're gonna get sick!"

"Hm?" Shiron gulped a large piece of the dessert and blinked. "Oh. I didn't notice it, sorry… it's just so good! I've never had chocolate cake before, so… got carried away."

"You never had it?" He gasped, his furry face turning red. "N-No wonder you're this impressed! But did you like it?"

That kind of question answered itself, Shiron mused. Still, he could say his full opinion on the course. The Marshtomp puffed his chest and smiled. "Well, I gotta give the chef my utmost congratulations! This meal is astonishingly good~! See, it ain't too sweet that I feel sick, but it's not too bitter for my taste. In other words, it's amazing! I could get another one myself!"

"...But I don't wanna abuse your kindness and ask for another free cake. I'll just pay the next time I come here."

Magnus' eyes sparkled in excitement and his tail began to wag, while the blush on his face grew. "Oh, thank you so much! I worked hard on this one!"

"I can see that," Shiron said, pushing the plate away and slurping down the pinap juice. "Hm, this one is good too. Seems you love your job."

"Yeah." Magnus replied with a smile as he looked around the shop. "It's the family business, but I like working here. It's relaxing, and seeing all the clients enjoy the food… dunno, brings me joy!"

He then turned to face Shiron again. "Actually, what about you? I know you lost your memory, but what're you planning to do?"

No idea. Shiron only stopped to think about it now, having been busy with other things, but what would he do? It's not like he could just live freely in Nick's house and eat sweets all the time. Even if he could, that'd surely drive them away from him, and being alone was the worst.

"Do you have any idea?" Shiron decided to ask, hoping that Magnus would have any answer.

"Hmmm," he pondered. "Depending on what skills you have, maybe you could work with me?"

At that, Shiron shook his head repeatedly. "N-No, no, no! I have, like, zero skills! I'm totally useless as a cook!"

"Too bad, then." Magnus sighed. "Well, I can try and help, somewhat. Alright? Let me just finish the shift, and I'll give you a hand!"

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Meanwhile, Nick had gone to another hill. Unlike the one his house was located in, this one was greener, and there was a nice view of the ocean beyond the village.

Nick watched as the Zorua with him put down a white blanket and grabbed a basket with her mouth, offering it to him. He nodded and put it on top of the blanket, before opening it to reveal the content. Inside the basket were several berries, along with a few cupcakes.

"Nothing to drink?" Audrey snickered, laying down and looking at the Riolu with a smile on her face.

He shrugged and sat next to her, grabbing a chocolate cupcake from inside the box. "Couldn't get any this time. Pops' too careful now."

"No worries. Can't say I miss it." Audrey chirped, right before Nick began patting her on her head, causing the fox to bark in excitement.

"Has the day been good?" Nick asked before looking at the large horizon in front of him. The storm clouds had gathered and he could see the storm approaching. Luckily, they should still have some time to go on with their date.

"Very exhausting, but good!" She replied, giggling and munching on the cupcake Nick held. "Gotta wake up early, though. Seems I'll have to take care of the shop myself. Sooo… if you need anything done, you should probably ask already!"

"Hm. Nah, don't think I need anything, you already made my goggles!"

Audrey sat on her haunches and touched her chin in thought. "How about scarves or bands for your team? Have you got any members yet?"

Nick shrugged and sighed. "...No. Yes. Maybe, I dunno. I'm working on it. I've thought about recruiting one, but he might not accept it. I just met him, and he's, uh… the amnesiac guy."

"Eh?" Audrey blinked, opening her mouth to gasp. "Sure you wanna recruit him?"

On second thought, Shiron was too new to be recruited. Still, he was the only choice Nick had. All he needed to do was figure out a way to convince him.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he finally replied.

"Good luck, then!" Audrey chirped. She took a look at the ocean like Nick. It was so peaceful, seeing the waves, the wind blowing on their fur… oh, she could stay there forever.

But Nick couldn't. She saw in his eyes. Those bright, red eyes. There was hope in them. Audrey grabbed Nick's paw tightly and laid her head on his arms, purring.

"Audrey," Nick sighed, his ears drooping. "Be real with me on this one. You think I'll really become a hero?"

"I'm not a psychic or medium, so I have no clue what the future holds for us," she laughed. Her blue eyes sparkled in happiness and bliss. "But answering your question… yeah, I think you will! You'll be just like the Lucario of legend!"

Said sentence did little to soothe his worries. Nick wasn't like others of his kind. His aura senses barely worked, as Magnus so quickly reminded him. But if he still tried… and if what he thought about Shiron was true, then...

Just like mom, Nick remembered the picture in his house and felt his heart skipping a beat. I'll become a good Lucario… I promise!

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At the bakery, most of the other clients had left, leaving only Shiron and Magnus, the latter of which decided to sit next to Shiron. To his shock, the Marshtomp was still going at it. It was like he had some vacuum in his belly.

"By the way, Magnus," Shiron sighed in relief, patting his belly. He managed to hold in a burp, not wanting to embarrass one of his only friends. "Gotta say. You're one hell of a caker. Is that even a word…?"

"No clue. Ahem, Shiron! Still trying to help you out here. You have any hobbies? Anything you remember enjoying?"

Boy did these Pokémon enjoy asking him questions. Maybe he should just drop the charade and say he didn't have any amnesia. Still, what did he enjoy doing?

"Sleeping, eating… relaxing."

"You sound like a feral Skitty," Magnus mused, covering his mouth.

"...W-Well, I don't really know what I like!" Shiron blurted out, feeling heat rise up.

"That's fine! You don't need to know everything now…"

Except Shiron could remember something he liked. Was it embarrassing? No. Probably not. Now, how to say it without raising suspicions?

"Wait," Shiron stopped. He had to make this work. With a flair for the dramatic, he started tapping the sides of his cheeks repeatedly, as if thinking very hard. He had no idea if that would be convincing, but it was the best thing to do now. "...I think I got something. I like, hmm… singing? Y-Yeah! I like singing!"

"Singing? Oh, that's really cool! Can you try it? Do you remember any song?"

The heat grew stronger. "Wait, what? No! I-I mean, I can try, but… why? Just because I like singing doesn't mean I can sing!"

"Just curious! Besides, you're my friend, and I wanna know more about you."

Friend? Shiron got a friend! And without even trying all that much, which made it much better. His heart thumped with the news, and he smiled. Guess Nick and Magnus were his friends. Well, oughta get to work.

"...F-Fine, just don't make fun of me, okay?" Gosh this was anxiety-inducing. Maybe just a few lyrics and he was done. Yeah, that could do it. "...Don't fail me now, trembling wings! You're my hope, you're my everything! We can fly if you believe… in… my… looooove!"

Turns out Shiron's singing voice was awful, Magnus thought. Very out of rhythm, squeaky and the pitch shifted while he sang that verse. But it was adorable to see. And, despite how nervous Shiron looked, Magnus could see the Marshtomp was having fun, even smiling and wiggling his body a little.

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"Why don't you try it?" Audrey asked.

"I am trying!"

Nick stood up, extending his arm in the air. He closed his eyes and took a large breath, making his feelers twitch.

The fox waddled in front of Nick and tilted her head. "Aight. You feel anything different? Can you sense me?"

"No and no." Nick replied.

It was only half a lie. He could vaguely feel something. It was very faint, and it kept flicking out, no matter how much effort he was putting into it. The entire thing was annoying, but most of all, demotivating. Why couldn't he do this one simple thing?! Most, if not all, Riolu his age had mastered aura training, if not evolved already!

Nick grunted in frustration, his fur standing on end. "Damn it! Why can't I do it?!"

Unknowingly, Nick got on his knees, panting, and then he looked at his paws. There was an orange glow around them, but even so, it faded instantly. Nothing worked.

Except, maybe, the hug that Audrey decided to give him. The fluffiness of his partner managed to calm him down a little, but he still whined like a sad puppy.

"There, there… Nicky, you'll get there eventually! I know it, I believe in you…"

"I know. I know," he sat down and frowned, patting the fox's head. "...Wonder if mom had this much trouble."

"You're not her!" Audrey shook her head and pouted, playfully tapping Nick's cheeks. "Listen. You're Nick. You're you. I know things'll get better. Just gotta practice, y'know?"

"Yeah, yeah." Nick forced a smile as he looked in the sky, deciding to lie down on the blanket. He found the clouds above him to be pretty, even if they had no particular formation. "And you? Got any illusions to show me?"

"I'm not really interested in doing them," she chirped. "Besides, gotta work at the shop. Supplies don't build themselves!"

A Riolu with no affinity for aura and a Zorua that wanted nothing to do with illusions. Anyone could tell they were an unusual couple. And Nick enjoyed it exactly the way it was.

"Heh. You're gonna build our scarves? 'Cause the team might be closer than ever before. If Shiron accepts the offer, 'course."

"Just say the word and I'll do it right away!" Audrey blepped in response, snickering.

"I know you will," Nick sighed in relief, cuddling alongside her again and letting their fur touch one another.

All things considered, Nick was glad he had her to depend on. Made a lot much easier, more bearable. Or should I say bewearable? Heh. I'm an idiot. Damn, glad she didn't catch me saying it. Wouldn't hear the end of it.

Stupid pun. Nick chuckled at it, though it was stupid of him to think about it. Much better than the alternative, however. And for now, he could relax and cuddle with Audrey, for as long as they needed.

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After saying his goodbyes, Shiron left the bakery. He could properly gather his thoughts on the world now, or at least, those were his plans.

Right. So: humans are myths, for some reason there's a lot of "amnesiacs", and also, there's someone named Rowan here?

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

If only the people back home knew about this place. It was nice of Xerneas to invite him here. Shiron wanted to know more about the place, for sure. See new things on this journey of his.

Wait a sec. If I'm a Marshtomp now, can I… can I use moves? Yo, that'd be sick! Maybe I should try it!

Except he never learned what moves Marshtomp learned. Water Gun was obvious, as was Mud Shot. The problem: he was really new at this.

New idea. Figure out what I'm doing here. Maybe I could find a job… for an eighteen-year-old, former human and with no qualifications.

His mind flashed back to a burned oven and the firefighters coming to his house. And a nasty grounding from his guardians.

Definitely no qualifications for cooking, at least.

Shiron stretched his arms for the first time since entering the world. They were definitely different than what he was used to, and having scales was noteworthy as well. He couldn't help but wonder if there was a chance he'd shed later. Ew.

And now he wanted to check the village again. Shiron noticed it was probably the middle of the afternoon, and managed to see a few of the citizens, not that they bothered to talk with him.

With one exception; a Houndoom wearing the same fedora as the one on Nick's house, making Shiron realize it was… he forgot the mutt's name.

"Hello, kid. Shiron, was it?"

Ivan. He was Ivan. Shiron nodded. "Yup, that's lil ol' me! Nice seeing you again, sir."

"Please, there's no need for that formality here," he barked, swishing his tail. "Are you enjoying your time here? I can smell chocolate on your mouth."

"H-Huh?" Shiron instinctively rubbed it away, thanking once again his inability to blush. "Oh, w-well…"

"I'll take that as a yes," he smiled. "Say, since you're staying here, you might want to check the bank whenever you can. I run it, and can open an account for you. Is that alright?"

"W-Whoa, okay…" Shiron replied, gulping as he felt his gills droop. "I-I'll go. Uh, don't remember much about myself, will that be a problem?"

Ivan shook his head. "Just between the two of us… Rowan might explain some of this to you, just ask."

"Hm… sure." Shiron bowed to him and waved as the mutt went on his way.

By this point, he was almost sure that this Rowan guy was the same person as the professor. Did Nick know?

Questions for later.

With a sigh, Shiron looked up. The storm was getting near, and he heard thunder echoing. Maybe going back to Nick's house was the best idea for now.

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Nick stayed with Audrey until she fell asleep on his lap. He was basically stuck there, not even wanting to get up because it was very cozy. He eyed the storm clouds, before moving on to the ocean.

At first, he failed to see anything worthwhile. But then, amidst the large body of water, he saw something brown. A boat? It couldn't be a boat. Yet, it looked like one, being dragged to the shore by the waves.

If that's junk… then I don't need to go there. B-But what if there's someone inside…?

That thought crawled inside Nick's head and he gulped, shivering. Oh no. There was no way someone would go on a boat trip with the rain, right? No. There was a chance, albeit a small one.

"D-Damn it. Damn it! Audrey, wake up!" He said, shaking her away from him.

Audrey snapped her eyes open and yawned, looking around until she saw Nick. Then, she snarled. "What was that for?!"

"No time to explain. I think there's someone on the beach again! C'mon!"

Before she knew it, Nick was dragging her by the face off of the hill and into the main plaza. The Riolu panted, not stopping even for a second, at least until he saw Shiron next to the bakery's door.

"Hey, Shiron! Come with us! I think something's up!"

"E-Eh?" Not having time to properly react, he followed the two to the beach. What was that all about?

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As the three made their way to the beach, the wind began howling, and thunder reverberated. Raindrops fell on their heads, much to Audrey's annoyance, thinking about how her fur would smell later.

Nick, on the other hand, finally stopped, both to breathe and to search for the boat. "It's gotta be here somewhere…"

"What's going on?" Shiron asked, panting and grunting in annoyance.

"Nick found someone on the beach. Again." Audrey answered, sighing.

"Someone else?"

"Focus," Nick grunted, squinting his eyes as the rain grew thicker. The cold breeze made him shiver, but the canine still continued.

They finally arrived on the beach. It was empty, at least from Nick and Audrey's viewpoints, and the sand was wet from the torrential rain, along with the waves that every so often tapped their feets.

"Can't you track them by their scent? Or aura?" Shiron asked, gulping and covering his eyes from the rain.

"N-No!" Nick grunted, stopping in his tracks. "I'm useless in that regard. And if we don't act quickly, they'll… y'know."

"W-What can we do?" The fox asked, drooping her ears.

"Wait," Nick looked at Shiron. "You can do it! I've heard Marshtomp have incredible underwater vision, or mud. I don't know."

"M-Me?! But I've never done it!"

"Shiron, you need to try!"

He gulped. Could he do it? See if he could find the boat? Time was running out. They were counting on him. They trusted him.

I-I… I… I-I can do it… I-I need to do it!

Shiron lowered his arm and focused. The rain produced a fog that was making it hard for the others to see, but the moment he tried, it was as clear as a mirror. And the boat? The boat was there, so close to them.

"I-I found it! Follow me!"

Not just that. Shiron managed to see a Roselia crawling out of the vessel, carrying a Tyrunt in her vines. She raised her head to look at them before collapsing on the ground.

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After putting the two knocked out mons on his back, Shiron followed Nick's lead as they left the beach.

Shiron ran without putting much of an effort in holding the Tyrunt and Roselia, much to his surprise. "Where are we going?! We need to take care of them!"

"Of course we do! We're going to the hospital!" Nick shouted, not looking back as he ran.

Audrey nodded. She was sprinting too. "The doctor's our friend! Kinda. His daughter is, so don't worry!"

"I wasn't!" Shiron lied. He was worried, and just didn't want to tell them that.

On the bright side, they did the right thing by rescuing these two. Shiron thought that was the right thing, at least. And he somehow helped, which only made it better.

Alright! Rescue… mission. It ain't a mission, but if I treat it like that, then I guess it'll make me calm down! Shiron sighed.

Nick eyed his Marshtomp friend for a moment and gulped. He's probably worried too. We need to get there asap… we got this. We gotta… got this, he grunted. No time for jokes.

What came next was a trio of Pokémon following the streets, getting to the plaza, before turning onto another street on their right. Nick frantically looked around, almost like he wasn't sure this was the proper place.

"It's there, Nicky!" Audrey barked, her eyes locked on a large, white house. "Amy lives there, and her dad too, so c'mon!"

"You alright, Shiron? We're very close!"

"Carrying them is easy. I'm fine!"

Nick nodded and he approached the door, before knocking on it multiple times to really get the owner's attention. It didn't take long before the door opened, revealing a Kirlia wearing a purple ribbon on her head.

Shiron, though, noticed that said Kirlia had a different coloration. A shiny?! Whoa… and she's cute, too. Way out of my lea—Why am I thinking this? I'm human. Or… I was. Damn it brain, why are you so weird?!

Thankfully, none of them noticed Shiron's internal debate over whether or not he could have crushes on Pokémon. There were bigger things to talk about anyway. And speaking of these things...

"Nick, Audrey. Always a pleasure. And…" she eyed Shiron and the other two, before gasping. "Oh dear! Say no more, come inside! I'll do my best to heal them!"

"Thanks, Amy." Audrey replied, looking at her before charging inside.

"W-Whoa!" Amy dodged the fox and eyed Nick with wide eyes. "She's very feisty, huh?"

"Tell me about it," Nick shrugged. "Not the point now. Shiron, c'mon!"

The Marshtomp merely nodded before joining his friends, mentally chuckling at the thought of having actual friends.

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By Amy's orders, Shiron put the two mons down on different beds slowly and carefully, so they would not be hurt any more than they already were.

The room they were in had white walls and a couple of beds. The air inside smelled fresh, like a mint, along with several drawers. Shiron assumed these things were to bring comfort to any patients.

"Nick, and Audrey, get some orans from the fridge!" Amy said, watching them walk away before she approached her patients. She eyed them with precision, and touched the Tyrunt's arms, legs and tail. He had a purple cape and a golden necklace. Probably someone important. She saw a few bruises, but nothing too harsh. "I don't think there's… anything broken. This one's a tough cookie."

"Orans? But they're not so good to heal… or are they?" Shiron asked.

"What're you talking about? Orans are incredible!" Amy rolled her eyes. "Wait, who are you? Never seen you before."

"Uh, Shiron. I'm new in town," he smiled sheepishly. She could probably kick my ass. Nice…?

"Too bad we're meeting this way." She smiled. "Don't worry, I think these guys will be fine. I take it you're on Nick's team?"

"T-Team? No. We just met."

"Oh. I thought you were since you saved them. Nick has a bit of a hero complex."

Shiron rubbed the back of his head. He really just did rescue them, without even thinking about it. Well, there was nothing to think about.

"It was the right thing to do."

"I know," Amy smiled. She then looked at Shiron for a moment, before touching the Tyrunt's body. "By the way, I'm Amelia, but my friends call me Amy. Nice meeting you."

She's too cute… Shiron stuttered. "T-The pleasure is mine!"

Amelia's hands were enveloped in a pink glow, as were her eyes. She soon began to inject energy into the Tyrunt. The glow transferred from her to him, and his bruises began to heal.

"Heal Pulse?" Shiron wondered. Could they use moves without a trainer's help? How cool was that?!

"Yup." Amelia smiled. "Now I'll take care of the Roselia. Hm."

She inspected the Roselia, and noticed the garment she wore. A black cape, a belt with some seeds on it, and what looked like the tip of some sort of weapon, like a blade.

"...Not my place to ask what they were doing here," Amelia sighed, preparing another Heal Pulse.

As she did so, Nick arrived with two large, fluffy and white blankets. At his side, Audrey carried a bowl with various berries in her teeth.

"Alright, we got it! Did you do your thing?" Nick asked.

"Yes. Please leave me be. The living room is there!" The Kirlia pointed to an open door. "I'll take care of them."

The other three nodded and walked out of the room. Amelia sighed as she watched them go.

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"Urgh…"

Terry felt like he was hit by something very large and very dangerous. Once he opened his eyes, the Tyrunt realized he was nowhere near the boat, or the shore! He was on a bed, covered in a blanket, and the moment he tried standing up, a nasty headache prevented him from doing so.

"W-Wha…?"

"Hello. I'm Amelia."

He managed to see a Kirlia standing next to him. She smiled, approaching him.

"How are you feeling?" Amelia asked.

"Y-You took care of me?" Terry blinked. He clutched his blanket and looked away, tail wagging slowly. "I-I'm okay."

"Good," she replied. "You're lucky, it's nothing too severe. You'll only need to stay here for a day."

While Amelia explained the situation, Terry looked around until he saw Liz in a similar position to him, albeit on a different bed.

"You rescued me and my friend?" Terry asked.

Amelia shook her head. "Not exactly. I just healed you, but the ones that brought you here are outside. Would you like me to invite them in?"

"O-Okay," he nodded, but soon gasped. "W-Wait, Liz isn't gonna like—"

"Gah!" The Roselia woke up, gasping and panting. Her eyes were wide open as she looked at the surroundings, before her injuries forced her to lay down again. Even so, she mustered enough strength to look at Terry. "S-Sir Terrence. Pardon me… it appears we are in a peasant's house."

"I'm sorry?" Amelia glared at the grass-type, scoffing. "This might not be the biggest hospital around here, but it's still good enough!"

Liz ignored her, only locking eyes with the Tyrunt. "Sir. Would you like me to take care of this? I believe we can escape and find shelter if we move soon."

"Are you kidding me?!" Amelia raised a brow, her eyes glowing with psychic energy. "Nobody's leaving! You two are hurt."

"Nobody asked for your opinion," Liz finally looked at Amy, huffing. "And you should show more respect. You are in the presence of the great Terrence, prince of Cydonia, and his loyal bodyguard, Miss Elizabeth! You shall address us as—"

"Enough, Liz. I told you being king isn't what I want," Terry sighed. "And can you please show respect to the commonfolk? They saved us!"

"Prince? Bodyguard?" Amelia tilted her head and soon facepalmed. "Look, I'm not interested in your status. I just did my job, healing you two."

"We appreciate it!" Terry answered with a smile.

"I do not."

"You do now. That's an order, Liz." Terry snarled.

Amelia ignored their antics and turned around. "I'll get you two something to drink. Meanwhile… I think my friends want to ask you some questions."

"Feel free to bring them in!" Terry replied, looking at Liz. "Okay, can you at least try to be friendly? I wanna know more about the… uh, peeps that rescued me!"

"That vocabulary is unfit for you, sir. I recommend using other terms. And they have not saved us. We could have done it without their help."

The rock-type pouted. "I told you, it's Terry! And please, show some gratitude!"

"...Alright, sir Terry. I will do my best."

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Shiron and Nick entered the room. They locked eyes with one another, before looking at the two patients.

"Heya," Shiron waved. "You guys got hit pretty hard, huh? Glad you're alright."

"Nothing broken? Or any limbs missing?" Nick asked, only realizing the severity of his words after saying them. "O-Oh, hm. I know you're not hurt anymore, sorry for that question…"

"It's okay. I get your concern," Terry said. He quickly looked at himself; there were no bruises. "Thank you for saving us."

"..." Liz said nothing, and simply crossed her arms.

Is she mute? Shiron tilted his head, somewhat confused by her silence.

"What exactly happened?" Nick asked. He looked around and found a chair, taking a seat. "That boat is wrecked, what were you doing exactly?"

"None of your business, Riolu." Liz snarled, her voice piercing him like thorns.

"Liz."

"...Fine," she raised her head in a regal pose. "My name is Elizabeth, and the Tyrunt in your presence is the heir to the crown, prince Terrence. You two are peasants, so at the very least, should bow in his presence!"

Shiron heard that with wide eyes. There were kings and queens in this world? Neat. Though, that raised the question of where they were from and why they left the kingdom.

Nick scoffed. "I ain't bowin' for anyone, lady. If it weren't for us, you'd be at the bottom of the sea by now!"

"Take it easy, Liz!" Terry frowned, slapping his tail on the bed. "...Look, I don't want to talk about being a prince. I don't want anything to do with it."

"Sir. They do not need to know what we are doing here."

"Well, I should be the one to decide that!" He sighed, looking down at the blanket. "I'm sorry for her. Liz's… uptight. She was raised this way. We're here because I wanted to run away. The life of a prince isn't what I want for me."

"You don't want it?" Shiron asked, looking directly at Terry. The Marshtomp's eyes sparkled.

"Terrence believes we are all equal." Elizabeth explained. "He wanted to forge his own path in the world, away from the pressure and responsibility that his heritage entitles."

Terry smiled sheepishly. "I've heard this town was a dump. No offense."

"None taken," Nick chuckled. "Can't say I disagree."

Terry nodded, managing to smile. "That's why we chose to come here all the way from Cydonia."

"You came all the way from there?!" Nick was left dumbstruck by what he said, and gulped. "All because of what you wanted to do with your life?"

I have no clue what Cydonia is, but judging from Nick's reaction… must be something big. Shiron thought, scratching his chin.

Liz glared at the duo. "I am orde—asking you to stop with the questions for now. Terrence and I are very exhausted. And we need to stay here for a while, at least."

"Oh, right." Terry yawned. "Hm, normally I'd love to stay and chat, but she's right."

"We'll come here tomorrow, then!" Nick replied, turning around to exit. "C'mon, Shiron! We gotta go home, and I need to ask you something when we get there!"

With no other choice but to comply, Shiron left with him.

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As they walked towards the hill once more, Shiron remained in silence. At least he was getting some rest; the day had been very hectic after all. And Nick also wanted to ask him something.

Like all the times when he was asked to come and talk alone with his parents, Shiron got nervous. He wasn't sweating, but his gills were drooping, as was his fin. He hadn't done anything wrong, had he?

Don't think so. Maybe I should just get along with it.

"Hey, Shiron." Nick stopped in his tracks, looking at him. The rain fell from above him, and he let the water touch his fur.

Oh shit, he wants to talk now? I'm screwed!

"Y-Yeah?"

"You're a stranger in a brave new world. You lost your memory, and don't know anyone here. But… I think I can consider you a friend."

"T-Thanks, you too. You're my friend."

"What Terrence said about the town is true. It's a dump." Nick added, chuckling.

"I mean… it's not what I expected, but it still looks good?"

Nick raised one of his hands in the air and focused, his feelers twitching. His paw glowed with energy.

"I'm terrible at using aura unless I'm really focusing on it," as if to prove his point, the glow dissipated. "But that's not what I'm here to talk about."

"Then what is it? You're kinda stretching things."

"Considering all that happened today, I've decided… I'm going to make my own team of heroes. Heroes that try to save others and go on adventures."

Nick approached Shiron, smiling even more. "I guess what I mean is… Shiron, will you join my team?"

"E-Eh?!"