George woke up to the sounds of fires crackling. He was slow getting up, first giving his eyes a good rub before searching for the sound’s source. Chances were that one of the lanterns had fallen down, or gotten out of control. You can never be too careful with fire. Unless you’re Blitzer, in which case playing with fire on bed was perfectly normal.

“Good morning, George! Slept well?”

With a tired groan, the Oshawott got out of ears, then scratched himself behind the ears like he was someone’s pet, even leaning into his own hand.The absurdity hit him moments later. After all, he had the appearance of a pet, what with the scarf still wrapped around his neck. He hadn’t bothered taking it off before going to bed.

“Guess I did. It’s not like I want to crash back for another five hours. What about you?”

Blitzer stopped blowing fire onto his tail.

“I’m fine! Perfectly healthy and well, and not sleepy either.”

And back he went to blowing fire. George stared for about a split second before shielding his eyes. Sun blindness was a silent killer. “What are you doing?”

“Oh, this is something I learned from my fellow fire breathers! Your fire says a lot about how healthy you are, so I make sure to breathe some in the morning to see how I’m doing.”

George raised an eye. “Is that some kind of morning ritual?”

The Charmeleon shrugged. “I guess! In any case, my fire’s bright and hot, so I’m all good! Perfect for today, right?”

“Sure is,” George replied. “I’m fine too, so this whole ‘graduation’ won’t be a problem.” He neglected to mention the itchiness in his legs and thighs. Who knows what the reaction to that would be should it slip.

‘No need to cause panic. Itchiness always goes away eventually.’

“That’s right! We’re graduating today!” said Blitzer as he got up, stretching his limbs and muscles to get any leftover sleepiness out. “Feels like we only arrived yesterday, doesn't it?”

George shrugged, before turning to his weapon rack. “I dunno, it’s been a few weeks, right? More than a month at least.”

As he spoke, his attention went up and down the large weapon rack he received with the quarters. He had no use for it now besides decoration, of course. But much like the full size of his bed, one day he’d put his blades on them. Seamitars. The world alone stirred his imagination, even getting a reaction out of his itchy legs.

“Oh hey, I see you’ve got your own morning rituals, huh?”

“What?” George spun around to see Blitzer leaning over, a smug grin spread all over his face. The Oshawott’s brow furrowed. “No it isn’t. I’m just thinking.”

Blitzer laughed. “C’mon George, no harm in wanting to evolve, right? You know how much I want to.”

George bit his lip. “Y-yeah, that would be nice, but I’m fine being like this, I swear.” ‘Though I wouldn’t mind being taller…’ “L-look, we were supposed to be ready after breakfast, weren’t we? We should probably hurry up. I don’t want Terez pulling my ear.”

“Don’t you worry about that.” Blitzer threw his claws up in a shrug. “I’m a speed eater!”

They scarfed down berries before exiting their quarters. Outside, a Carkol awaited them, greeting with a wink and gesturing towards the large cart he was attached to. He was there to take them straight to Artanouk. Blitzer didn’t hesitate hopping aboard the cart, nor helping George in when he struggled getting aboard.

‘Ugh. Okay, maybe I do want to evolve…’

It wasn’t long before Carkol got moving. George had to stand on his toes to see anything past the cart, and given that he hadn’t got much place to sit besides atop Blitzer’s knee, that wasn’t particularly viable. Nevertheless, he tried, just to see if anything was different in the base this morning. No dice. From the glimpses he got, it was business as usual: Pokemon going through the halls, buying food, going to whatever work was cut out for them, and so on. No celebration, no acknowledgement, nothing.

George breathed a sigh of relief. ‘At least they keep this stuff under wraps. Last thing I want to be is a celebrity-’ “Whoa, whoa!!”

The relief would be short lived, it turned out. Balancing on a knee required good footwork, especially when trying to stand in a moving cart. Given the wind and his now sloppy foot coordination, it wasn’t long before George fell over backwards, right against Blitzer’s chest.

“Hey! Easy there, bud! You could fly out of the cart, you know!”

George’s head slid down against Blitzer’s scales. “...Sorry. I don’t like not seeing where I’m going.”

Blitzer chuckled. “It’s okay. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again, alright?”

“Sure.”

Alas for George, Blitzer’s definition of ‘making sure’ was holding him tight by the chest. In case having his face pressed against scales for a second wasn’t bad enough, now there was no escaping it. George bit his lip. The alien touch was bad enough, then the heat settled in. Charmeleon had a natural heat, and it wasn’t particularly pretty to experience. He’d felt it before, but that was still at a distance, not with his back and chest getting smooshed against the Charmeleon’s chest.

No protests got Blitzer to change his mind, however, so George resigned himself to this for however many minutes it was going to take.

Two minutes passed. It couldn’t be much longer before the cart came to a stop, the base wasn’t that big. George twiddled his feet around waiting, while Blitzer whispered in the wind. It wasn’t easy to hear over the rushing air, the rolling of the cart and the crackle of his fire, but it was audible enough. Given what he was speaking about, perhaps that wasn’t a surprise.

“Mom… dad… wherever you are… I’ll find you. And I’ll save you, okay? I… I can do it, I promise. I’m not going to fail you. I’m not…”

George exhaled through his nose, and didn’t say anything. It wouldn’t be of any use.

* * *

Within a few minutes, the cart had come to a stop, and they were taken to Artanouk’s chamber. The doors were already wide open when they arrived, a dozen extra guards standing stalwart and true in a row, their eyes masked behind black cloth. Most were groundlings or psychics, with a lone Heracross in the middle. They all quietly watched as George and Blitzer passed, directing their attention ahead with the point of a claw. Artanouk was waiting.

‘I guess Art does have this much planned for us, huh. What’s with the masks, though? The trident on them is deformed.’

George and Blitzer pressed on into the chamber. It hadn’t changed since their last visit, aside from the fact that Artanouk wasn’t alone. Skal, Terez, Porov and Allora were all there as well, standing in a half circle with Artanouk in the centre as the two walked in. Blitzer licked his upper lip on the approach, a chirp following. George tugged on his scarf.

Then, the doors were slammed shut. A smile appeared on Artanouk’s face.

“Good morning, Othersider. And good morning to you as well, Blitzer.”

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“Good morning,” they both answered, George’s voice slow and clear, while Blitzer spoke with audible nerves.

“It’s not every day that we get to celebrate the successful training of an Othersider… in fact, that hasn’t happened before. But I am proud to be here today for such a monumental event, George. You’ve done well.”

George nodded. “Thank you, King Artanouk.” ‘Wasn’t it Prince Artanouk? Or just-’

The Empoleon chuckled. “As always, a simple Art would be fine. At this time, both of you are far more deserving of formalities. I am but a fallen regent. You two, on the other hand, are successful trainees now. Proven warriors, prepared to face the struggles ahead. And that is precisely what we, no, what Eravate needs.”

“It’s a pleasure!” Blitzer suddenly shouted. “I’m, I’m, uhh, I’m more than ready to be the hero Eravate needs, yeah! And George too! With his powers!”

A crack appeared in George’s stoic facade. ‘You know, a simple ‘that’s right’ would’ve been just fine, Blitzer. The hero? We can’t fill giant shoes like that, can we?’

Once again, Artanouk was amused, and the mentors were laughing along with him. “You’re hungry for it, that much is certain. And that, indeed, is precisely what Eravate needs. Pokemon prepared to set things right. To restore the natural order and end the reign of despotic terror once and for all. You will both serve an important role in this fight… especially the Othersider and his… power. Hidden power, was it not?”

Terez raised her head. “Indeed. He has adapted well to his power’s awakening. Just as I expected from someone not from this world, his natural limitations are a mere suggestion in his eyes. Othersider George is destined for greater. I’m sure you all would agree.”

“Yeah!” Blitzer shouted in between. The other mentors all followed with an excited growl and foot forward.

“Oh yes,” Artanouk continued, “but I must advise you to temper your expectations a little. Do not misunderstand, enthusiasm for the future is always appreciated to some extent, but too much is fatal. Remember what happened at Agate. There is no single key to success. Never has been. And there are others who have awakened their Hidden Power, remember. The Othersider is not an exception to the rule.”

George bit his lip. ‘Here he goes again with that whole ‘you’re not special’ act. I’ve been here for just a few months and yet I know something most Pokemon won’t ever learn, apparently, isn’t that at least somewhat special?’

“Excuse me?”

“Hm?” Artanouk tilted his head upon hearing George interrupt. “What is it, Othersider?”

The Oshawott tapped his foot. “Well, you have to admit there’s something noteworthy about me having my hidden power.”

Artanouk nodded. “Do not misunderstand me, George, you are skilled. But you aren’t alone in that skill. No one is alone in any skill. Such beliefs… often lead to an ego developing. I’m sure you’ve been on the receiving end of one before.”

“Uh-huh,” George answered. Images of the headmistress filled his head. His protests ended right there and then. All the while, Blitzer muttered two names under his breath. ‘Lance’ and ‘Hein’, followed by ‘the creepy ghost’. None of the mentors, nor Artanouk noticed.

The Empoleon suddenly turned to his altar. “Now then. The time is ripe for us to discuss your first assignment, shall we? You are full fledged warriors of the Grand Alliance, and it is only fair that you are given a bigger role.” He spun around, then leaned forward in a manner that felt far too slow. Despite the distance, George couldn’t help but feel belittled.

“But I’m certain you knew that already, didn’t you?”

George clicked his tongue. “You say that like you’re surprised we’re standing here,” he replied. The first thing that came to his mind, spoken out loud.

Artanouk tilted his head. “People.. Aren’t always who they seem to be, George. Even I am caught off guard at times, yet I cannot deny what stands before me. But let’s not waste time with these mundane little disputes. Mentors? Come closer for a moment.”

All four mentors huddled around Artanouk, their voices muted to a whisper. No matter how giant, oafish, cheerful or as big a sweet talker as some of them were, not a word they said was legible. There wasn’t an echo to tell their tale, nor odd body language to grasp onto. George looked beside himself; Blitzer did the same.

‘Must be deciding the best place to put us, huh. Still, why don’t either of us get a say in that?’

After a while, the mentors went back to the half circle, and Artanouk cleared his throat before holding up an arm, his footsteps loud and clear in the chamber.

“My apologies for how long that took. We were discussing… what would be an adequate assignment for you. Quite frankly, there are a thousand ways in which your talents would be of use. But our best bet would be for you to return to something… familiar, if you will.”

George and Blitzer’s eyes widened.

“Greenfield?”

“M-my parents?” A growl shot out of Blitzer’s throat. “Please, tell me you know where they are.”

Artanouk made a short bow. “Close, but not quite. You will aid us in recovering the remaining pieces of the Azure Flute.”

Blitzer’s arms fell by his side, as did his tail flop onto the ground. “Aww…”

“Now, there are two pieces that still must be recovered,” Artanouk continued. “The problem is, they are in the hands of third parties, and it is they who must be won over into aiding us. Aiding all of Eravate, rather. We do fight for everyone’s freedom.”

“That shouldn’t be too difficult, right?” George asked. “The Soldiers aren’t exactly the kindest folk to have running around.” ‘That’s putting it lightly. Sponsored gangsters would be more accurate.’

“Oh, there is no love for them,” Artanouk said, to which Skal chuckled. “But our resistance to them… has not been as great as we’d hoped. And no man is going to risk everything on a chance. They want guaranteed success. Reliability. Proof we will help out in the end. And that is where you all come in.”

The Empoleon stopped to breathe. Terez had begun to nod along to his speech, while Allora kept her smile trained on George, occasionally turning it to Blitzer, but keeping George in her eyes at all times. Porov followed in her footsteps, except with the roles reversed. The jitteriness in George’s eyebrows wasn’t making it comforting, though. Neither were his fidgety hands. The nerves were creeping up on him, and even the blind could see.

“You will head to the Ruby province. There, you will work to win over the trust of the local populace. At this time, they are under the paws of Arcanine Cerben. He is their chosen leader, and stands proud in public, but let no appearances deceive you. He is weak. A mere puppet of Patrina.”

A cavernous rumble stirred in Skal’s throat. Terez had to shush him.

“You must get in the good graces of the Rubyfolk. The Soldiers have been troubling them into giving up what independence they have. Expose them, and expose Cerben. Show them that the Grand Alliance is a far greater force for them, and we will win their support. They will be of great aid… and another piece of the Azure Flute will be ours. They have been guarding that piece for centuries. No stranger will be allowed to waltz in and take it. Even the Crest struggles to win them over.”

“Alright,” George replied. “Is there anything else we need to know? Or is this everything? Seems uh, a little on the short side.“

Artanouk nodded. “Indeed. The small details such as contacts and preparations will be explained over time. This is the general view of what he, or we, excuse me, want. Is that understood?”

”Yes Art-”

“Yes sir!” Blitzer shouted.

The Empoleon bowed. “Good. You will be heading out in a week’s time. Until then, take your time in preparing yourself with whatever means you and your mentors deem necessary. Until we meet again, and remember: People aren’t always who they seem to be.”

“‘Aight! Time to get goin’, we got some things planned, lemme tell ya!”

Whatever questions lingered in George’s head were left unanswered, as Skal quickly stomped his way out of the chamber, dragging Blitzer along with him. Porov ran right after.

“Hey! HEEY! Not so rough!”

‘Ugh, here we go again.’

George bit his lip as he waddled right after, Allora keeping pace with him while Terez waddled behind. For some reason, everyone was adamant on wrapping up faster than light would’ve.

* * *

Yet another busy day flew by. Their training had gotten hectic before, but there had been hope things would slow down after graduating. No dice. Right back to preparing for the worst it was, from the afternoon to the evening, stopping only for food and rest.

By the time they were back in their quarters, George fell flat onto his bed, and Blitzer crashed with a thud, his tail flopping onto the cold ground as if it was nothing. On any ordinary day, that would be it. Sleep would’ve come soon enough, and it would be time to get up before either of them could realise.

Today was a different story, however. George had detached his scalchop and tossed it beside his bed, rolling over to look at his still unused weapons rack. His body was more than ready to sleep. His spirit, however, was begging for time in the sun, and he wasn’t alone.

“Psst. Hey…”

Blitzer’s tail tipped up and down. “Are you awake?” he whispered. George rubbed the area around his face, slowly moving up to his ears.

“Yeah, I am. Don’t bother whispering, I can’t sleep anyways.”

“You too?”

“Yeah… Barely got time to think for myself in between fighting and listening to Skal’s non stop rambling about Rubyland… whatever he calls it.”

Blitzer clicked his tongue. “Can relate. He’s all excited that we’re going there, wants to get involved, too. I don;’t know about you, but I’d like to get some alone time on the road again, you know… I honestly don’t like listening to them much. Constantly talking about how I should put on a proper scarf already instead of this one…the one my mom made for me.”

Towards the end, the Charmeleon’s voice had muted to a whisper. Almost like a Charmander’s. George breathed in deep, and pressed a finger into his thigh, if only to have a distraction from the itching.

“Apparently being ‘professional’ is more important than your mom,” George deadpanned.

“Not in a million years,” Blitzer growled.

“Yeah. Exactly.” George rolled onto his shoulder, and scratched both his forearms. The itch wasn’t giving up without a fight. “Don’t worry. I don’t like it either. It’s all a lot of ‘me, me, me’ at times. Today especially. No questions, no nothing. I still wasn’t done talking to Artanouk. You notice how he said ‘he’ instead of ‘we’ first?”

“I did.”

“Wanted to ask about that, but nope. Had to get going, unless I wanted Terez to drag me out by the neck.” George rolled onto his side. “Sometimes, it feels like my opinion doesn’t matter to them. We’re just fighters. At fourteen. Which is also messed up, but what can we do about that now. It’s not like anyone else would invite us into their home, is it.”

George stated his question, knowing the answer deep down already. Still, he wanted to know Blitzer’s opinion. His was guaranteed to be sincere, no matter what.

“That makes a lot of sense,” he began, claws resting on his belly. “Just got to keep going… all I really want is my parents back. That’s it. And some payback, too. But my parents are the most important thing. I really want them back. If they’re still around, that is…”

“Don’t worry, they are,” George immediately said. “They’re tough people, they’ll manage. And I’ve met plenty of tough people over the years, you know.”

Blitzer chuckled. “You and your human stories. Always got something you haven’t let on yet. Probably haven’t even gotten to the eggs yet.”

“Eggs?”

“What, you haven’t heard that metaphor?”

“No? Maybe your dad said it once-”

“Oh. Right.” Blitzer smacked himself in the face. “Gaah, I’m too tired to think properly.”

George scoffed at him. “Sure you are.”

“I wasn’t kidding!” Blitzer’s tail flopped around beside the bed, much to George’s amusement.

“Oh, I know. Anyway, I’ll probably tell you about it once we’re out of this place… on the road, and we got time to kill. For now though….” The Oshawott let out a yawn which had been building up for a while. “Sheesh, that was a big one. Let’s just go to sleep, before Terez comes knocking, yeah?”

“I’ll throw my bedsheets at her when she does,” Blitzer said, his voice muffled.

“What, do you have a death wish, or something?” George moved his scalchop further away from the bed.

“Nah, I just want to see her reaction.”

“Pfft.” ‘Me too.’ “Anyway, hope you have a good night.”

“You too!”

George and Blitzer rolled over, hoping they hadn’t squandered too much time talking before falling asleep.