Of course Princess, a florges, would be interested in magic flowers. Now how do I even explain that... Wait. Do I have to explain it?

"Your highness. May I ask you a question that could appear disrespectful? It is not my intention to be so." I quickly add.

The ancient florges looks at me, then gestures for me to ask.

"Can you read your highness?"

The florges almost balks at my question. But then she calms down and looks at me in disappointment. Did I have any ways of know. Thou should really read the tales of thy predecessor, revenant. Yes I did... Fuck

I am fully able to write as well as understand thine species written language. She continues. I do enjoy the few tomes we have managed to find over the years. Most are journals of others like my savior, but few are works of fictions. Although the majority were written by those few literate within the true inhabitants of this world, there are few that were written by abductees with somehow time to do so. So yes revenant. I can indeed read.

"Good, that makes thing easier for me." I say with a smile, taking the Lexica Botanica out of my inventory. "This explains almost everything I have done so far and more." I give her the green book, and she takes it almost reverently.

Where has thou found such a relic?

"Relic?" I look Mewtwo's way, but the psychic mon just shrugs. "It was a reward for collecting flowers and then reading on how it all would work. The Trio gifted it to me."

It is an intact one. Princess says in a psychic whisper, then she explains. We found many similar books, but most were ruined by time. All were illisible or just fully rotten. We never could pierce the secrets within their degraded pages. Princess turns each pages with the utmost care, almost scared she would rip one. Does thine power would allow you to make a copy of this tome? I would be willing to give much to possess such an precious book.

That was something I had not even considered. Can I duplicate the book? I ask for princess to give the book back, store it again and then click it within my inventory. There is a recipe. It is an absurd one, but it exists: a book, and any saplings of trees. I look at it again, and yes. A book with a tree sapling. The spaces they occupy matter not, only the presence of both.

"Well... would it be alright for me to use some of the books within the cottage? I would also need to find a sapling of any sort as well."

Those books? Well most are empty, but please leave those that are written alone. As for a sapling, what would thou consider a sapling?

"Uh..." Hold on that's a good question here. What is a sapling? How is it different from any branches? I never got any from the trees I broke. Do I need a specific tool? "That's... a good question. Something from which a tree could grow back from I would wager?"

Ah, then one of the guardian trevenants may have what thou seeks. Princess nods. We shall tell them to send some thy way.

"My thanks. Ah also, could we harvest wood within the forest? I have an almost constant need for wood logs right now."

This might be more difficult to accommodate. We shall consult with some of our grass type charges to see what can be done. Now come, tis almost time to present thee to the forest.

With that, Princess starts to float away. We follow her, slowly going around the massive tree. Mewtwo and I are both surprised to see a path that goes between and beneath the large roots of the tree. We traverse the tunnels of root covered in moss and glowing mushrooms and finally exit into the shores of the lake we saw earlier.

We arrive upon a surprisingly large beach enclosed on each sides by the tree roots. Upon the sand, multiple large blankets have been laid out. Each are large enough to accommodate more that two dozen normal person. The blankets only have my attention for a moment however. What does get most of my attention are the many pokemons busily putting decorations and food on each of the blankets. Multiple gardevoirs along with kirlias are working together, the green and white humanoids dashing left and right, multiple item held in levitation all around them, but pudgy black, grey and white humanoid pokemon are directing most groups. The indeedees, both male and females are the one running the show. They are organizing and controlling the ordered chaos with ease.

One redirects a couple of flying types toward a rushing group of kirlias. The brown and beige pidgeotos add the baskets of food they were holding to the blanket that group had miscalculated the quantity they needed. Another scolds a green spider for their rash use of string shot. They then direct a scyther to clean the string covered blanket up.

The chaos, however, seems to be winding down as we approach. Most of the blankets are stocked and only a couple of decorations remain.

Princess seems to ignore the spectacle, as if completely used to it. And she might be. After all, she must have ordered for all of this massive picnic set up to be made.

Princess makes her way toward a more decorated blanket standing near the tree. The zoroark joins her as well as an old male indeedee. He bows to his liege and then stand motionless, his impassive face staring straight at Princess's own. after a moment, Princess acquiesces and the indeedee bows once more before turning away.

After a moment, more pokemons appear. A swarm of beedrills, dozens strong land on some of the blankets. each of the wasp like insect type pokemons have kakunas and weedles on their back or in their drill shaped upper legs. A sawsbuck missing one of his blooming horn enters from another passage within the roots. He bows to Princess and leads a couple of deerling. The little fawn pokemons come in many colors. Some green, some pink a one orange.

More and more species joins the large creek nestled between the great tree roots. I recognize a clefairy I think I saw when I first arrived. They look at me, but flinch when they realize I saw them as well. Some pokemons seems to hide beneath others, most definitely from me. Little brown rabbits with tufts of beige fur on their ears and lower bodies hide under a gardevoir robes. The poor bunearies are clearly terrified of me. The most absurd however, is when a snorlax comes out of one of the passage. The obese blue cat with a beige belly stops dead when he sees me next to Princess and almost goes back into the passage. Only what I can only assume are reassuring words from a large tangrowth seems to convince the absolutely massive upright cat to keep going to their spot.

The snorlax keeps eyeing me all the way, even as the writhing mass of blue vines that is his tangrowth friend tries to reassure him.

It is then that I realize something else. As the snorlax turns, his back is revealed, and I gasp, unable to contain myself. The blue fur on his back is sparse, instead it is scars that decorates the poor mon back.

With that realization, I scan the growing crowd and wince as I realize many pokemons bear scars or signs of old injuries. The name Sanctuary suddenly takes a new meaning, one that makes me realize why most of its inhabitants fear me.

After long minutes and many pokemons entering the creek. Silence slowly descend into the crowd. They need not be told that their liege will now talk.

While we were waiting for her citizen to arrive, Princess had been briefing Mewtwo on a strange form of telepathy. It had taken only minutes for him to understand and master it, and now, as Princess clears her throat to use her voice, her words ring loud, clear and understandable to my ears. He had done something similar previously, but it is now almost perfectly in sync with the speech.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Citizen of the Magical Forest Sanctuary, we thank thee for joining this grand party. Some already know what has transpired yesterday." She stops as the crowd whispers among themselves. Some share what they saw at the assembly before the great tree, others gossip at what they heard from friends and family. "Our savior's Sanctuary... is no longer his."

Gasps, cries. The crowd is shocked at the revelation, even those that heard her speech yesterday are shocked. Of course, she had only told them that everything was under control and now she just declared the Sanctuary is no longer under the name of Aster.

"Indeed. The Sanctuary has new owners, and we are one of them!." More gasps, followed with curious and exited chatter. "Thanks to these two individual," The Zoroark shoves both me and Mewtwo forward, "no longer do we depends on the whims of humans and the dreadful god ruling this land. The Sanctuary is free of the foul one influence."

Cheers erupts from the crowd. Many take each others in their arms, or rub their head together, weeping. "Many of thee have seen the strange new light shine from the altar yesterday. This light signify a grand change for us all. The time within the Sanctuary has been slowed." Silence returns to the creek. Confusion passes from one pokemon to another.

"Such change was a compromise to these two who conquered the Sanctuary, making it their own." She once more points at us.

"What does that mean?" One of the pokemons asks.

"For all of us, little. For those that left for expeditions outside the forest however, they will return far further in our future. Do not fret for them and count ten time the time they should take. Should they have not returned by then, we shall consider their lives endangered and act accordingly."

Princess stops and breathe in. The crowd chatters in a mix of worries and excitement. That was something I had not considered. Let's hope it will all turn out alright...

"Now for less... welcomed news. We declared that we are free of the foul god, but we sadly are not free from gods." Dread spreads among the assembled pokemons. Many cry out in despair.

"The new Sanctuary is still linked to beings beyond us all. Revenant, legend, thou shall explain."

I freeze. What? I can feel the instant translation falter as Mewtwo gets as shocked as me. After a moment, we both turn to Princess, and only contempt meets us. Oh Trio she still despises them so much.

We both turn to each other. How do we explain that?

We go with the truth?

Do we even know the truth?

Even if we don't we have to explain what their safety cost.

Okay yeah, let's go with that then.

"H-Hi..." Great start Astra... Stumbling on your first word. "I- I am Astra. I... I was... I arrived in this world about 9 days ago. However, it was not by the hand of Eziakophael." I can feel myself calming down.

"Greetings, I am Mewtwo. I have also arrived 9 days ago into this world. Like Astra, my arrival was not by the hand of Eziakophael." Hearing Mewtwo garbled electronic voice turn into coherent words is quite the experience.

The crowd has gone silent, flinching every time Eziakophael name is said. Let's avoid it now.

"Those that brought us here call themselves the Trio. As the name imply, they are three gods working together. From what we gathered, we are meant to create an item for them, using the ressources present within this world for the sake of a bet they made with the foul one. We only have a single chance at this." I breath in before continuing. "Both me and Mewtwo have met those gods. Multiple times now. We have means to communicate with them, although at a risk for our safety, but we..." I look at Mewtwo. What I am about to say next is a clear spur of the moment, but I want to know if he will be okay with it.

To answer my silent question, he continue my sentence. "We are willing to ask them a question on your behalf. Although do choose that question wisely for we only get one each per occasions."

"As her highness Princess has stated, the Sanctuary is now under their control." Many in the crowd flinch at shudder at my words. "With this change comes a new price. The Trio are mostly observers, only intervening, this far, when unfair and unjust attempts were made by the foul one. That said, as the Sanctuary is now under their supervision, they will be observing you."

The crowd remains silent. A sentiment of resignation has descended upon it. "How different was it under the foul one?" I ask Princess.

She looks at me in confusion. Then understanding light up on her face. "Tis the same..." She mutters. "IT IS NO DIFFERENT!" She belows in almost shock.

Every pokemon look at Princess. "Citizens. Nothing has changed. Only the one who judges us from above has been replaced. It changes nothing to us!"

The resignation slowly shifts. The inhabitants of the magical forest have been living with a bloodthirsty god above them for decades, and now there are three new ones replacing the previous one, possibly with better morals. More and more the assembled pokemons realize that indeed, for them nothing has changed in that front. Eziakophael was always watching, and now it is the Trio.

"What if they decide they want to hurt us?" A voice cries out above the whispers.

Ah... "I do not believe the Trio would act to hurt anyone willingly. I do not think they can act much within this world actually." I explain

"How would you know?"

"The Trio would have aided us far more if they could. They would not have sent a single letter telling us they will do all they can on their end." Mewtwo answers.

"But this place is theirs now is it not?"

Wait that's true.

o0o_How Astute._o0o

A chill runs over the entire clearing. The words float above everyone. Then they congregate on a single individual. An young drowzee. A deep purple glow envelops her for a second and she cries in fear. Everyone recoil from her. The upright tapir pokemon has her shorts arm on her head and her eyes screwed shut. Everybody collectively hold their breath, me and Mewtwo included. What did they do? Fuck that was Chaos as well, right? It was his color, I think. I never saw his boxes, but it was not Knowledge or Hunt that is for sure.

After a minute, the drowzee opens one eye. She slowly right himself up and inspect herself. "Wha... What did they do?" She fearfully asks.

"Hum..." I clean my throat. "That is... part of the price. If an individual catches the Trio attentions, they will receive... blessings from them." I explain.

"Do not expect powers beyond your comprehension however," Mewtwo continues, "These blessings will range from mundane and useful to useless, but never detrimental."

The drowzee suddenly gasps. "I- I can see again! My right eye! It's healed!" She squeals in shock.

She closes one of her eyes and looks at everyone around her. Tears slowly gather in both her closed and open eye and soon she falls on her knees. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" she exclaims.

The crowd slowly closes back on her, rubbing her back and exchanging words of happiness.

Many new discussions spring up all over the creek. Many questions are asked but the uproar drown the individual words.

"Quiet thyselves down citizens." Princess says in a soft but carrying voice.

The effect is immediate. The discussions die down, calm returns. "Now, one at a time, who has questions?"

Multiple pokemons signal themselves by raising head or appendages. Princess points at one at random.

"What can we do to gain their attentions?" Many echo that question.

Fuck you Chaos, fuck you so much for that. Do you want them to make a cult or something?

Is that how you thank me?

You know nothing about us little one.

Uh? Wait did Chaos just answer me? That was the first time one of the Trio answered me directly.

Still, I have to answer the question.

"I do not know."

"Nor do I" Mewtwo adds.

"Then how did you get their attention in the first place?" Someone shouts before Princess can point the next to ask a question.

"They made us." I answer.

Another wave of silence washes over the crowd.

Mewtwo is the one to break it. "I am sure many of you have heard of Aster Stradivii as well as his legendary companions." He points at Princess, who huffs at the casual gesture. "For Astra, it is a certitude that Aster's soul dwells within his body. For me, from what I have experienced here, I have the souls of two of Aster's dead companions within me." He finishes in a low voice.

The silence persists after the loaded declaration. Only Princess seems unsurprised at Mewtwo's admission. Even I am surprised at his admission. He had shared his doubts about it, but that was completely new. I'll tell you more later. Mewtwo whispers in my mind. Yeah I have things to tell you as well.

"If you wish for the Trio attention, then live your lives as best as you can. They care not what or who you are, only that you may be true to yourselves." Mewtwo states before going silent once more.

Where did that come from?

He simply points at a deep blue screen. Ah, Knowledge. The distant sound of someone getting whacked on the head echoes in the creek, but only me and Mewtwo seem to hear it.

"Are there any more questions?"

Most of the crowd mutter to each others, but no new questions arise.

"Then let us feast for our newfound freedom!" Princess declares.

Cheers echo all around the creek and people start to gather in groups. Princess gestures for us to join her and we sit upon the blanket. Time to eat.