Shion had arrived in Hartwick just the day before.
The cart rumbled to a stop near the southern gate as the sun dipped low behind the rooftops. The air smelled of fresh grain, metal, and roasting Cherubi signs of a town equal parts trade hub and farming stronghold. The gate guards, clad in green-tinged armor with the Hartwick crest, gave only a cursory glance at Dunlin's merchant papers before waving them through.
Once inside, Dunlin had parked the cart near the guild square and turned to the group with his usual sleepy smile.
---
> "Well, lads and lady, I've got some business to attend to. We'll rest here a couple days before moving on. Eat something. Walk around. Try not to get stabbed."
---
And with that, he vanished into the alleys of the town, muttering about "loose trade contracts" and "that damned Aldaran spice merchant."
Fena had wandered off toward the alchemist's row.
Jareth had immediately gone off to reconnect with an old friend in the forge district apparently, Hartwick had once been home to a famous smithing guild, and his former sparring partner worked there now.
Which left Shion.
Alone in a new town with time on his hands and, for once, no pokenon trying to kill him.
---
The following day dawned crisp and clear.
Shion stepped out of the Hartwick Adventurer Guild, his Bronze Rank card tucked back into his belt pouch, and a little heavier bag of coin now hanging from his side.
"Whew," he sighed, stretching his back. "Four quests in two days. Not bad."
They were simple things helping a lost child find her Mudbray, delivering a wrapped parcel to a scribe, even helping dig out a clogged irrigation pipe just south of the berry farms. Nothing glamorous, but they paid well enough.
Even Golurk had helped just not in the way Shion expected.
Yesterday, while guiding a cart through thick mud, he'd let Golurk out to clear a path. The towering Pokémon had silently stomped ahead, unintentionally terrifying every farmer within twenty meters.
One man nearly dropped a sack of flour on himself when Golurk simply looked at him.
Shion had scrambled to explain.
> "N-no, it's tamed! I swear! It's just… uh, really big!"
Eventually, people got used to it sort of.
Now, Golurk was back inside his Poké Ball, mostly because no one wanted to sit next to Shion when the massive golem was out. Even Bidoof had started snoring from the inside of his travel pack again.
With his guild errands done for the day, Shion wandered back to the quest board.
His eyes scanned the parchments out of curiosity. Most were typical requests: missing Combee, lost satchels, patrolling the east farmland…
And then he saw one.
"Urgent: Corrupted Pokémon Sighting – Northern Woods"
Reported Species: Bisharp
Status: Red-Eyed. Hostile. Two prior attempts failed. Proceed with extreme caution.
Reward: 50 silver coin + Bonus
Shion frowned.
He hadn't encountered one of them since the Ursaring the day his quiet village nearly fell apart. Since then, stories of red-eyed Pokémon had grown louder.
He remembered whispers in Avia Hallow, then again in Brookmill, and now here in Hartwick.
Behind him, a group of adventurers muttered among themselves:
"They say it sliced through a Graveler like it was bread."
"Left nothing but armor behind."
"It's spreading. They show up more often now. The guilds are worried."
Shion stared at the parchment.
He gripped the strap of his satchel tightly.
He'd grown stronger. He'd tamed Golurk. Kiba had mastered Rock Slide. He'd learned to survive on the road.
But was he ready to face another corrupted Pokémon?
Just reading the word "Bisharp" made him tense. He'd seen a few in books. They were lethal at close range, blades built into their arms. A red-eyed one…?
"…Not today," Shion whispered, backing away.
There was no point rushing into it. He'd faced enough close calls.
He stepped out into the market street, determined to do something more pleasant.
---
"Two berry pies, please," he told the bakery stall vendor minutes later.
The man a kind-eyed elder with flour in his beard wrapped them with care and passed them over.
Shion had to admit Dunlin was right.
> "Hartwick pies, lad," Dunlin had said with pride. "They bake 'em with Pecha syrup, Cheri zest, and Oran filling. One bite and you'll forget what sadness tastes like."
He was already excited.
He found a quiet bench by a dry stone fountain and let out a breath.
With a smooth flick of his wrist, he released Kiba from its Poké Ball. The orange Lycanroc gave a low, happy bark and shook itself out before padding beside him.
"Alright, you get one," Shion said, unwrapping the pie.
The moment the crust cracked, a snort came from inside his bag.
Bidoof popped out, eyes wide, nose twitching furiously.
"Don't even think about it," Shion warned.
"Pie is sacred," Bidoof said telepathically or at least, Shion imagined it.
The chubby Pokémon lunged before he could stop it and faceplanted directly into the berry pie.
Kiba gave a flat stare, then delicately bit into the other.
Shion looked at the two of them, utterly betrayed. Again.
"…I bought those. With my money."
Snort.
He sighed. Then chuckled.
---
They sat there like that for a while, sun shining down, the buzz of the city around them. It was almost peaceful.
Shion leaned back on the bench, full from the last few bites of pie, eyes half-closed.
Golurk's ball rested beside him on the bench, still and silent. He didn't dare let it out in the middle of a city square but just having it there made him feel stronger.
It was a reminder of what he'd done.
Of what he was capable of.
And maybe… of what he was going to face next.
---
The soft hum of Hartwick's evening breeze greeted Shion as he stepped inside the Dragon's Roost Inn. The scent of roasted meat, warm bread, and sweet berry glaze wafted through the air, inviting him into a world that felt oddly comforting. He was surprised to find that, even after weeks of travel, that feeling of peace hadn't quite worn off.
Inside, the inn flickered with firelight and low conversation. No sign of Dunlin or Jareth, but Fena was tucked away in the corner, seated at a small table near the hearth, scribbling in a worn notebook. The fire's glow painted warm highlights across her sharp features, her expression focused.
Shion smiled and wandered over. "Hey, Fena. Long day?" he asked, sliding into the chair across from her.
She looked up, expression softening with a faint smile. "Oh, just the usual," she replied, snapping the notebook shut. "You?"
Shion leaned back, stretching. "Finished a few quests. Helped a farmer with a broken plow. Guided a kid who couldn't find her Mudbray. Nothing big, but hey made some coin."
Fena chuckled lightly. "Adventurer life."
There was a tiredness behind her eyes she tried to hide, but Shion had gotten used to reading between the lines. Fena always moved with purpose, but even purpose weighed heavy when carried too long.
After a pause, Shion tilted his head. "Hey… why are you traveling with Dunlin anyway? I mean you've been adventuring longer than me. You could be off doing bigger stuff, right?"
Fena shrugged. "Maybe." She leaned forward, elbows on the table. "But traveling alone gets… old. Dunlin's got connections. Knows how to get places fast. Besides…" Her voice softened. "He's not a bad man. Just a pain."
Shion grinned. "You say that like you care."
She smirked back. "I do. In my own way. He has a habit of pulling people into his mess, and somehow people stay."
They shared a small laugh.
"And you?" Fena asked, flipping the question. "What's your reason for tagging along?"
Shion thought about it. "I dunno. I was planning to stay in Riverleaf forever. But something changed. I just… I felt like I couldn't stay. Dunlin's offer gave me a path forward. Maybe even a reason."
Fena nodded. "Sometimes that's all we need. A direction."
Before they could sink too deep into the talk, the door creaked open.
Jareth stepped in, soot-smudged and clearly fresh from a forge. He raised a hand in lazy greeting. "Evenin', you two."
"Forge go well?" Shion asked.
Jareth groaned dramatically. "My arms are dead. But yeah made progress. Blacksteel alloy's tricky, but my old pal's still got the touch."
He dragged a chair over and joined them. The three talked a while longer.about strange alchemy orders, pie thieving Bidoofs, and awkward local customs. It was one of those nights where no one said anything important, but everyone felt better afterward.
---
Later, Shion stood alone in his rented room. The moonlight pooled through the small window. He sat on the edge of his bed, Golurk's Poké Ball in his hand.
"You're… something else," he muttered, looking down at it.
Golurk hadn't said a word, obviously. But its loyalty and sheer strength were undeniable. It had pulled him from a collapsing cavern. Fought beside him. Stared down death more than once.
He set the Poké Ball beside his bed and stared out at the night sky.
"I wonder how Riverleaf's doing," he whispered, thinking of his parents… Miya… his father's leg. "They're probably worried."
His eyes drifted to the braided bracelet on his wrist Miya's lucky charm.
Shion decided to write a letter for them
Bidoof snored gently in his bag at the corner of the room. Kiba was curled up beside the door, ears twitching in a dream.
After he finished writing the letter Shion lay down and closed his eyes, the warmth of the fire from earlier still lingering in his chest.
---
Far from the comfort of inns and shared laughter, Ren stirred.
His body ached. His mind felt like it had been dragged through shattered glass. He groaned softly as he tried to sit, but a firm hand pushed him gently back down.
"Easy," a voice said.
He blinked.
Commander Seris sat beside him. The room was small wooden walls, narrow windows, soft candlelight.
"You're lucky," she said quietly. "You were a breath away from death."
"Commande?....!! The Hydreigon!," Ren shout.
Seris nodded grimly. "Gone. Disintegrated after the battle. What remained of it, anyway."
Ren tried to sit again, more slowly this time. His ribs protested, but he managed. He looked down at his hands still trembling.
"I failed," he said flatly.
Seris tilted her head. "You think so?"
"I… couldn't protect them. Berric's gone. Lia and Maia were" His throat caught.
"You kept them alive. Even when you thought you couldn't," Seris said. "That power you used your Aura it awakened beyond what most ever see."
Ren remembered it. The light. The pulse. His Lucario glowing with something divine. That moment had burned into him.
"Was that… Aura?"
Seris nodded. "The rarest kind. You're one in a million, Ren. Maybe even rarer than that."
Ren was quiet for a long while.
Then he asked, "What now?"
Seris stood, folding her arms behind her back. "Rest. Then we'll train. You're no longer a boy chasing strength. You've found it. Now you need to learn how to wield it."
Ren met her gaze. The guilt still burned in his chest. But beneath it… something else stirred.
Resolve.