Poppy’s eyes traced the silver ridges of the clouds above. The sky never got this dark near the city, she remembered. It was like an ink painting.
You made the national news, you know, said Ann. Not headlines, quite, but at this rate it won’t be long.
Was it that big of a company?
I think when a teleporting leafeon threatens the members of a steering committee, that’s going to make a splash regardless of the company’s size. Ann chuckled. I almost think the absurdity of the story makes it more believable.
Hm. Poppy frowned. Well, so long as they don’t know who I am…
You worried about your reputation?
Just don’t want the folks back at the guild finding out. Though they’ll have cause enough to hate me soon, I suppose.
Hm. Speaking of which… Well, there’s good news and bad news on that front. The good news is that Xerneas hasn’t acceded to the guild’s demands to harvest the planet’s energy. The bad news is that they’ve already set sail to take it by force.
Poppy stifled her sigh so that she wouldn’t wake the shaymin behind her. Of course they are. I should have never thought so highly of them.
I know, right? Anyway, we’re in trouble if we don’t stop them, because, well, I kinda run off of that energy. More than most pokemon, I mean. And I don’t wanna die, you know? But old Ann’s got a plan, so we’re not licked yet. I’ll tell you the details tomorrow.
As you like.
Poppy heard footsteps and turned her head. She hadn’t noticed Holly approaching her until she was less than a meter away.
“You look troubled,” Holly said.
“I suppose that makes two.”
Holly sat beside Poppy. “It’s been a lot, this week.” She exhaled. “I still haven’t told anyone about… that gallade.”
“It’s best we forget about him. It’s not like he would have cared if we died.”
“A part of me envies your pragmatism.” She looked away and batted at her ear. “But still… I’m not proud of how things have gone. I’d have liked it if we came up with a solution that satisfied everyone.”
“Sure. But that would have been up to them to figure out—and they weren’t willing or able.”
“I guess I’ll trust your judgment on this. It is… your domain, in a sense.” She sighed. “You know, if you lived with pokemon that were really that bad, I can see why you wouldn’t want to talk about your past.”
“Well. Some of them were worse than others. But that’s neither here nor there.”
“Fair enough.”
For a while it was silent, but for the whispers of the wind. It would probably rain tomorrow, Poppy thought. Just as well. She could train under shelter if she had to, since most of the work was mental.
“…So, your deal with the god of the underworld,” Holly said. “How’s that been going? He treating you well?”
Poppy smiled. “Why in fact, he is. Fine fellow, really. I’ll have to introduce you to him sometime.”
Holly smiled back. “Sounds good. Maybe we can all spar together.”
“Yeah.”
It was quiet again. Ordinarily Poppy wouldn’t have minded that, but now she felt the need to say something.
“Thanks for taking me in. And remind me to tell everyone else the same. It’s really made a difference.”
“Don’t mention it, Poppy. We’re all glad to have you around. Especially now.”
Poppy nodded. “I know it’s difficult, but we should try to get back to sleep. I’m sure we’ll get through this faster if we keep up our strength.”
“If you insist, then; I’ll get right to it.” Holly curled up right there, pressing her back against Poppy. Poppy smiled and followed suit, resting her head on her companion’s shoulder.
The oppressive din of the rain drowned out all other sounds. Flecks of water tickled Poppy’s paws from splattered drops. The ground was soaked even beneath the overhang.
Clear your mind, said Ann.
Poppy sighed. Ann—
If you’re talking, then your mind isn’t clear enough. I’m not expecting anything, but you need to keep trying.
But are we progressing fast enough? At this rate, will we be able to fight them off?
It’s hard to say. If we went with my plan—
Your plan would kill dozens of innocents, Poppy replied testily. Not everyone on those ships is a combatant, and few could escape the vortex of a sinking vessel, let alone swim back to shore. She sighed. If only we’d been faster, we could have destroyed their ships before they’d set sail in the first place.
Yeah, I didn’t think we’d have to scramble like this. That mining business was very poorly timed.
It shows there’s always wrongs to right. Poppy’s head dipped, and she watched sheets of rain slowly beat the soil into a turbid slurry. But for now, let’s just focus on what’s ahead.