To Gareda, there was nothing quite as lonely as gatherings she had no connection with. When said gathering was a religious festival, even more so. When you were one of the few in the city without that faith, the story was a whole different beast.

A beast Gareda wanted to slay.

The joy of the celebrating Pokemon melted when they saw the Garchomp coming down the street, the ground vibrating with each footstep. Laughter died down, smiles turned to frowns, and the familiar scent of fear drowned out the spicy dishes being cooked. All that remained the same was the constant wall of sound in the distance. Gareda greeted Rustborough’s people with a scowl. Her bodyguards weren’t pleased about the situation, either.

Somewhere by a fruit stand, the fearful Magmar tapped the Garchomp on her shoulder.

“Gareda?,” Luffy whispered. “You look worried, I don’t-”

“Hmpfh,” was what Luffy got in response. “Speak up. I can barely hear you.”

“S-sorry,” Luffy replied. “It’s just, you’ve been on edge ever since you woke up.”

“That’s been the case for the last few days, hasn’t it?” Vli asked, ticking his beak together.

Gareda grumbled. “Didn’t I tell you why? This is going to be a difficult day, Luffy. If there’s any day the bastards in the Alliance want to ruin, it is this one. And I am not going to let it happen. Just look around you.”

Past all the grim snouts looking up at the trio, the festival was proceeding with flying colours. Literally. All the blue and greyish bricks had received a fresh lick of paint. Bright greens, reds, and all other colours of the rainbow shining bright on triangular flags and stands. Every shopkeep had decorated their stand with plants, or any kind of small curiosities they could think of, as if they’d all secretly agreed to be as creative as possible. From a Luxray using tufts of their fur, or a Salazzle playing with paint, they were all trying to make people happy.

And it worked. All Pokemon past a ten meter radius from the trio were smiling. Eating food, dancing, young and old playing games, a group near a makeshift altar kneeling in prayer to the gods of the harvest… Gareda smiled as well. It was only morning, yet the festival had brought sun to a cloudy day.

“Don’t tell me now you want all this ruined,” Gareda said. “Don’t care for their religious motives. But this? Reminds me of celebrations back home.”

“Eh,” Vli said. “It’s not that special. This is just the Azzurros on an ordinary day.”

Gareda scoffed at the Toucannon. “Yes, and you all sing in a big circle on the beach too, bird brain.”

“It’s the truth!” Vli protested, ticking his beak upwards, then flinching with a meep as he touched the end of Gareda’s tail by accident, much to her amusement.

“Suure, bird brain. I believe that.” ‘In my dreams, maybe.’

Before she took another step forward, Luffy ran up to Gareda. “Hey,” she said, tugging on her arm. “I don’t recall you talking about festivities back home.”

“Why yes. I never mentioned them,” Gareda deadpanned. Luffy’s eyes grew bigger.

“What do you celebrate?”

Gareda shrugged at Luffy, tilting the fins on her arms in the Magmar’s direction. “Not the time to… ah, whatever. I’ll keep a long story short, but we dragons love our own. Thus we celebrate the greatest draconic heroes throughout Eravate’s history.”

“Do you have any examples?” Luffy pressed on. Gareda tilted her head backwards.

“For now, one. Ask me over dinner next time. But since you’re so eager… Akan. Lithe Dragapult fellow, but you’d be gravely mistaken to think of him as weak. Saved a fledgling tribe of dragons from marauding fairies long, long ago.”

Luffy, still not taking the hint, put her claws right on top of Gareda’s scarf. “Marauding fairies? I didn’t think fairies would be-”

“You would be surprised,” Gareda blurted out, hastily shooing the Magmar’s arms away. “Anyway, enough of this. We have a job to do,” she said while shaking her head. ’What am I even going to tell her?’

“Oh,” Luffy said. “Yeah. K-keeping the peace, and all.”

Gareda’s eyes met Vli’s for a moment. He must’ve had ideas, and Gareda wasn’t eager to hear him spit them out. She took a deep breath, before moving on.

‘Or rather, how am I going to tell her…’

The festivities proceeded at a steady pace, as did Gareda’s patrol through the city. Her mood had been elevated a little, though not by much. There was a hint of uncertainty in the way she scowled now. Other Pokemon couldn’t tell the difference, though. Most were still fearful as they passed by, worried of what would happen if they made any suspicious moves.

And suspicion was precisely what they were looking for. Gareda stopped someone every minute, grilled them for information, then watched them scamper off. Everyone looked so small compared to her. Even an Incineroar of the exact same height looked like a Litten in comparison. No one in the crowds was willing to stick up for them, either. Throwing yourself in front of a Garchomp took a lot of bravery. Bravery no one had. Or foolishness. Even the stupid knew better.

After a solid hour of this process, Vli and Luffy became more eager to try their hand. All Gareda questioned was what took them so long. They were a lot kinder in their approach. One did the questioning, the other stood on the side. Curiously, they always did it in such a way that Gareda couldn’t see what they were doing. Neither knew what she was talking about when she asked about it, either. Coincidence? Not a chance. Gareda knew better than that.

But the streets were not the place for discipline. Least of all on a day like this. One wrong move could send their reputations spiralling into the drain, and that would be the end of them. The Crest, most of all. They were treading on thin ice here as was, and nobody asked to make it worse.

They kept going, sticking to their guns. Despite how bright the streets were, none of them joined in on the festivities. Gareda didn’t care. Vli wasn’t moved by it either, having laid himself down by his job long ago.

Luffy was a different story, however. As the hours ticked on by, the happiness in her voice disappeared, and sadness was right there to take the torch. By the afternoon, she looked miserable, struggling to stand up straight while talking. She sounded like she wanted to cry.

Eventually, Gareda pulled her aside.

“What is with the long face, now?”

The Magmar took in a shaky breath. “It’s… the festival…”

Gareda raised an eye. “Yes. This is the festival. What of it?”

“I wanted to participate,” Luffy said. “It’s always the happiest time of the year, but-”

She got a growl and a pat on the shoulder gifted to her by Gareda. “Yeah. I’ll make that up with you afterwards, alright? We don’t have any time for luxury here.”

Luffy sniffed. “But I haven’t gotten to celebrate it in the past few years… ever since I joined the army I’ve been away from home.”

“What, you don’t get to celebrate at all? There’s more people from here in the army,” Vli butted in with his beak. Gareda elbowed him away.

“Not the same thing, Vli,” the Garchomp groaned. “Compose yourself. None of this is easy on me either. Once our work is done, we… you’ll have all the time, money and reason to celebrate in the world, is that clear?”

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Luffy nodded teary eyed. “Clear. It is clear… promise?” She looked at the Garchomp holding her in search of any comfort. Gareda tilted her head backwards.

“Promise.” ‘Arceus almighty, as if I can make miracles happen! Ugh. She’ll be heartbroken one day…’

Gareda kept an eye on Luffy from now on. She was hurting enough as was, and the last thing she wanted was for that hurt to grow any further. At the end of the day, people had to stand and work together. How else would they deal with life, when the weight of the world came down upon them? When the night was at its darkest, where else would one find a bright light?

And whether she liked to admit it or not, Gareda had her own feelings to deal with.

‘I can’t just deny her things forever, can I.’

* * *

The lunch hours arrived. It was time for a break at last. Spirits were raised as bells jingled through the streets, hordes of Pokemon making their way to the nearest kitchen. In restaurants, on public squares, some even serving directly from their own home.

Not letting the opportunity escape, Luffy asked Gareda if they could join the civilians for lunchtime. Gareda, conflicted enough about her job for the day, ultimately agreed on one condition: That they did so in public, preferably as close to the castle as possible. If disaster struck, heads were going to roll. But Gareda didn’t want to see Luffy end up completely miserable, and thus risked her head. Plus, the food was free, anyhow.

To say Luffy was elated when Gareda told her the news wouldn’t be an understatement. It wouldn’t have been a statement at all. She scooped up Vli with one claw, then ran off with him before he had so much a chance to say ‘aaah’. Gareda clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

‘I don’t know if I should be embarrassed, or glad they can at least have fun in this whole mess. Should ask them how they manage it, Arceus almighty.’

Gareda strolled the same way, ending up at the square right in front of the castle. Vli and Luffy were already waiting for their turn to get served, Luffy holding the plates while Vli sat perched on her arm. Punishment for ten seconds earlier, if Gareda had to guess. She growled, except not voluntarily.

“Right. So what is on the menu, exactly?”

“Sauteed vegetables, rice, and soy sauce!” Luffy answered, sounding as if she's rehearsed it since hatching. “Oh, and a lil’ pork, too.”

Gareda’s eyes narrowed. ‘Sounds disgusting.’

It took a while for their turn to come. Half the city must’ve been queueing up here, it felt like. And no, there wasn’t any skipping in line. Crest be damned, they’d wait their turn like everyone else. Fortunately, everyone else was thinking the same. No one was cheating, pushing or shoving, and it was remarkably calm in the square. Aside from a few noisy children, no one said much. The food and the fire did the talking.

After some time, they had their food, and sat down at the corner of a large bench. Gareda and Luffy sat next to each other, while Vli preferred pecking his plate clean atop the table itself.

“Why aren’t you sitting down like everyone else?” Luffy asked. Vli turned his beak to her with an unamused frown.

“Do I look like I’d have a good time eating like that?” He gestured at his beak with a wing. Luffy smacked her lips in response.

“Oh yeah, that’s right, hah.”

While all was peachy in Vli and Luffy’s eyes, Gareda’s attention was focused on the surrounding buildings. The sensors on the side of her head were vibrating, prickling her to pay attention to every last sense and movement out there. On the surface, nothing looked wrong. The food smelled good, everyone seemed to be having a blast, yet something prickled at her.

Something didn’t feel right.

She slowly rose from her seat at the table, and glared past the colored flags into a street. A few Soldiers were keeping watch, stopping any latecomers to the square. Among those latecomers were a Meganium and a Lilligant. Gareda sharpened her eyes.

‘Why are there grasslings here?’

Vli and Luffy caught onto her alerted state, and were asking what was going on. Gareda didn’t listen. She wasn’t letting this slip through her talons. Not when the situation was getting shadier by the second. Lilligant whispered something in Meganium’s ear, then she vanished. While the Soldiers caught on to the same suspicions Gareda had, she spotted something in the windows. Shadows. Movement. And not just a little movement, either. Gareda backed away from the table.

Meganium shot a glance her way.

“Madam, what are ye doing?” one of the Soldiers asked.

“Hoping for a good festival. Let me through,” Meganium replied.

The Soldiers weren’t satisfied. “Identify yourself. What are you trying to pull here? Trying to sneak past a-”

“Porov sends his regards! TRINITY!”

The windows on both side of the street were blown to pieces as Meganium screamed. Fire and lightning surged from above and struck the Soldiers were they stood. Both were knocked against the ground, weapons lost, consciousness fading.

Everyone at the table was stunned into silence. Gareda growled out a roar and dropped into a battle stance. Meganium’s head whipped towards her as reinforcements jumped out of the buildings and bursted from the ground. She was glaring with similar lethal attempts.

“Target’s there! GET HER!!”

The crowd began to scream as explosions raged through the festival. Vli and Luffy jumped to their feet in a daze, right at Gareda’s side. “Into position! Civilians out, cover me!” Gareda roared. Fire and vines came rushing at her.

Vli immediately conjured an updraft under his wings to launch himself skywards, flapping his wings to create a Whirlwind. The fires faded, the vines didn’t. Gareda blocked her neck with a talon; the vine coiled around and yanked her towards the ground; she slashed the vines apart with her other talon.

Civilians fled the square as alarm trumpets sounded through the streets. Explosions thundered back to back moments later, drowning out the alarm under a wall of noise. Gareda and Meganium’s eyes met again; the bitterness in the enemy’s eyes burned red hot even from a distance. Gareda bared her teeth in a taunting manner.

‘Come to kill me, haven’t you?’

Windows shattered as Black-scarved Pokemon burst through the surrounding buildings, hollering angrily as they attacked the first thing they saw. Soldiers rushed in from the keep and surrounding streets, their arrival all that prevented the square from being immediately overrun. Vli and Luffy unleashed cannon shots and fire, striking the invaders in their flanks. Within the blink of an eye, Pokemon were roaring and screaming, locked in a deadly clash.

The earth then rumbled. All the attackers suddenly roared, then went on the defensive, shielding themselves from any attacks. But while the ground shifted, and the Soldiers struggled to stay on their feet, the invading force resisted. Hanging from tree branches, walls, or telekinetic hovering, none fell. They used the gap to launch cheap shots.

Gareda hissed as her claws dug into the ground. ‘Too damn coordinated for simple thugs!’ she thought to herself, then stomped a leg directly into the stones, her toe claws digging into the stone. The rumbling tapered out, much to the relief of the Soldiers, and much to the surprise of the invaders.

It was then that Meganium and several blackened Pokemon charged at them, Bisharp by the look of it. From the skies, a Talonflame came swooping down.

“Cover me! Get the Bisharp!”

Gareda roared out her orders before her teeth filled with electricity. The Talonflame swooped down with both talons, eyes burning red with longings for vengenace. She ducked, then leapt right into the Talonflame’s belly, crunching down on bone. Electricity surged through Talonflame’s body, and with nary a shriek, it fell.

She sliced and diced, her talons and teeth coated in an infernal glow of fire. Bisharp were honing in on her as attacks rained down upon them in an arc. No time to think. No time to issue orders. The Bisharp tried stabbing her in the chest, missing by just a hair before being engulfed in a wave of fire. Luffy was roaring wave after wave of flames down on their attackers, roasting the ones in the front while the ones further back narrowly escaped the same fate. Gareda snapped back by biting and clawing at the stragglers, then stomping the ground to trigger a quake. The Bisharp were thrown off their feet, and she lunged, then chomped.

She jumped backwards and clawed the Bisharp away from her; they fell over as if all their muscles had instantly tensed up. Ahead of her, Meganium was strangling a Soldier with one of her vines while others covered for her. A growl stirred in Gareda’s throat.

‘Not so fast…!’ “Clean this place out! Luffy, follow me! Vli! Start barraging the fools in the back! Quick!” Gareda ordered, her heart awash with adrenaline. She and Luffy rushed ahead to clear a path through the fight. They attacked and beat down anyone standing in their way, with fire and draconic might at their side.

The situation was slowly coming under control. Gareda’s claws sported a blue glow as she tore through upturned tables and Alliance attackers, while Luffy supported her with fiery winds. Vli had taken wing and was raining down attack after attack down below, scattering splinters and Pokemon alike. They were the light repelling darkness. None of the attackers put up much of a fight. Not even the remaining Bisharp. Their rage from seeing brothers and sisters be broken was nothing. They were struck over the head, knocked over and smashed. Gareda had a pent up rage of her own, and she was using every last drop to energise her draconic claws.

‘Sword’s lucky he’s not here! I’d cut that fool down myself!’

Bit by bit, the black-scarved Pokemon fell, until Gareda and Meganium were face to face. Suddenly Meganium wasn’t so angry anymore. She was afraid. Very afraid. A smile crept onto Gareda’s mouth.

“Did you think you were leaving with my head?” She slashed the air beside her with both talons. “Last mistake you’ll ever make.”

If Meganium did say anything, Gareda’s sensors blocked every last bit of it. All she heard were her yelps as she went to town on her, clawing and punching, kicking and spitting. Some poor sod tried to stop the beatdown. Gareda didn’t even glance before whipping them away with a well placed whip of her tail. With a swoosh, they were thrown back against a wall. And Gareda sealed the deal at last. One well placed dragon claw was all it took.

A little while later, Rustborough got to hear the voice of a triumphant Gareda.

“Twelve of you, stay here and keep your eyes peeled. We haven’t seen the last of them yet! I want two of you to alert the city doctors! EVERY doctor! We’ve got injured here. Everyone else, sweep the streets immediately. Arrest anyone suspicious, then bring them before me. Do not let any of them escape! OR ELSE!”

Her roars were law, and the Soldiers got to work on fulfilling them. Many were panting and heaving as they ran off, their fur damaged and dirty with scorch marks and other unsightly affections. They all smelled of musk and iron.

Meganium was gagged and placed into custody… not that she was in any position to resist. She wasn’t in a position to move her head, even. Gareda ran a talon over her face. She wouldn’t be awake for a good few hours. All the cuts on her would take far more than that to heal.

Gareda spat beside her prey, then kicked at her neck. ‘Pain’s only gotten started. Enjoy the sleep while it lasts.’

She gave her body one glance before looking over her shoulder. Luffy and Vli were still at her side. Vli hadn’t been harmed… Luffy, on the other hand, had fallen down against a wall. Gareda gasped and ran over to her. The cuts on her own body weren’t important.

“Luffy? Luffy, talk to me.”

The Magmar’s head pitched up to look Gareda in the eyes. Her face seemed indifferent at first glance, but there was a tinge of sadness that betrayed something worse. A lack of strength for proper emotion. Gareda’s mouth fell open a little. ‘Is she hurt?’ repeated in her head, again and again in a clear voice.

“Luffy?”

Hearing her name called out again, Luffy pointed one claw to her thigh. There was a cut from front to back. Gareda gritted her teeth, then looked over both shoulders in a panic.

“Medic? MEDIC! Fast! We’ve got a bad injury here!!”

“I’ll go and fetch the doctors,” Vli said, already flying off.

Several Soldiers responded to Gareda’s call to help apply first aid. She was far kinder tending to Luffy’s injuries. Gentle, even. They quipped under their breaths. Though Gareda overheard it, she pretended to be deaf. Out of sight, out of mind…. Or out of ears, in this case.

With some bandages, Sitrus Berries and a doctor applied cast of Synthesis, Luffy’s wound closed. Gareda sighed with relief when the Magmar was taken away to recover at her own speed, safe on a proper hospital bed. No risk of her passing anymore. Compared to many others today, she was lucky.

Gareda lowered her head. ‘Luffy… I will make this day up to you, I swear. I know fulwell how much it meant to you, and I will make it up. I will. Beginning with…’

Her eyes drifted towards the Meganium, still caught in a painful sleep. She was a serene sight to behold, so peaceful and relaxed despite her injuries. Sleeping on her cobble bed, unaware of what was looming over her…

‘Dream on, little witch, dream on… you’ll be spilling who this Porov is soon enough.’