Morning crept gently over the rooftops of Hartwick, casting golden light through the crooked alleys and dew-kissed fields beyond. Thin mist clung to the cobblestones like a memory reluctant to fade, and the soft trill of bird Pokémon echoed from the thatched eaves of the stables.
Shion stood near the edge of the main market square, adjusting the strap of his satchel and eyeing a cluster of stalls that had just begun to open. The town was already stirring vendors setting out fruit baskets, farmers hauling crates of grain, and guild runners pinning up the day's quest notices. The scent of roasted chestnuts and warm bread lingered on the breeze.
He took it all in, slowly.
His boots were worn and dusty, the green scarf around his neck frayed and torn at the edges. It had been vibrant once Brought in a stall in brookmill but now it bore the marks of travel, battle, and rain. A tattered symbol of how far he'd come.
He looked down at the bracelet on his wrist Miya had made it for him the day he left Riverleaf. It was slightly faded now, but the knot was still strong.
"One more town," he murmured to himself, thumb brushing the threads. "Then Ravios."
A flicker of emotion passed through him not quite homesickness, but close. Riverleaf felt like another life. He wondered if his father's leg was healing. If his sister had move on from his departure . If his mother still left out sweet bread for the bird Pokémon that nested on their roof.
A sudden shout pulled him back.
"Oi, kid! You done brooding?" came Jareth's voice from across the square.
Shion turned to see the older adventurer holding the reins of their cart's lead Mudsdale, its sturdy hooves clopping lightly against the dirt road as it pawed the ground. Jareth stood tall, weathered cloak draped over one shoulder, a rough braid tucked beneath his hood.
Shion gave a small smile. "Just grabbing a few last things."
"Well hurry it up. We've got wheels to turn and hills to climb."
---
Fifteen minutes later, the party had gathered outside the eastern gate of Hartwick.
The cart stood packed and ready: barrels tied down, canvas flaps fastened, and wheels checked twice for splits. Mudsdale snorted patiently, steam rising from its nostrils in the morning chill.
Inside the wagon, Fena reclined on a bedroll, writing something on her journal with rhythmic strokes, eyes half-lidded. Dunlin sat across from her, nibbling on dried Oran fruit while leafing through a small leather ledger. He wore his usual half-awake expression, despite having done most of the inventory work himself.
Bidoof, naturally, was sprawled across a bundle of cloth like a furry little emperor, snoring with full abandon. The rise and fall of his round belly matched the wagon's gentle creak.
Kiba remained in his Poké Ball, resting from the spar the day before.
Shion climbed into the cart and sat beside a barrel of dried provisions, tucking his scarf higher against the breeze. He cast a final glance at Hartwick's gates as they rolled shut behind them.
---
"Next stop's Bellmire," Dunlin said as the wagon began to roll. "We ride steady, take the southern pass around the hills, and make it by dusk if the road behaves."
"And if it doesn't?" Shion asked.
"Then we fight the road," Fena said dryly, not looking up from her Journal .
Dunlin stretched, cracking his knuckles. "Let's just hope there aren't any more bandits this time. Or wild Tauros stampedes. ."
Fena didn't miss a beat. "Don't jinx it."
---
The road wound gently through the open fields south of Hartwick, flanked by low stone walls and groves of blooming duskthorn trees. Their violet petals fluttered in the breeze like soft confetti, trailing behind the wagon in scattered spirals.
The countryside seemed calm. Too calm.
Shion leaned forward on the edge of the wagon, watching a pair of Rookidee circle overhead before diving toward a nearby hill. He found himself tuning into every sound the creak of the wheels, the occasional snort from Mudsdale, the hum of bug type in the underbrush.
There was peace in the journey, but it never lasted long. Not in this world.
"Hey," Fena said quietly. She had shifted to sit beside him now, brushing her hair back from her eyes. "You alright?"
He nodded. "Just thinking. About Riverleaf. Ravios. Everything in between."
Fena studied him for a moment. "You've changed since we met."
"Have I?" he asked.
"A lot. You look more mature now and confident too ."
Shion looked down at his hands. "I don't feel that different...."
She offered a small smile. "don't think about it too much ."
---
The wagon passed a trio of travelers headed west two women in merchant cloaks and a tall man leading a Tauros pack. They gave polite nods, and Dunlin exchanged brief pleasantries about road conditions.
No sign of danger. Yet.
The road turned narrower as they entered a wood-lined stretch, the sun dappled through the leaves. Wild Pokémon rustled in the underbrush mostly harmless: Pidgeotto, Oddish, the occasional Zigzagoon darting between roots.
The peace was still fragile.
"I've got a bad feeling," Dunlin muttered after a while, squinting up at the trees. "Every time the birds go quiet, it's either bandits or something worse."
"Again with the jinxing," Fena said, rolling her eyes.
Shion shifted slightly, fingers brushing the side of Golurk's Poké Ball in his satchel.
"Relax," Jareth called back. "No signs of an ambush. Besides, this road's too narrow for wagons and too public for traps."
As if in response, the cart wheel hit a rock with a jolt.
Bidoof rolled off his bundle and landed in Shion's lap, still snoring.
---
By midday, they stopped at a shallow creek to water the Mudsdale and stretch their legs.
Jareth wandered off to scout ahead. Fena and Shion helped gather clean water, while Dunlin heated a small kettle over a fire stone to brew something vaguely resembling tea.
Bidoof promptly found a patch of moss and declared it his nap site.
Shion sat by the water's edge, letting the cold creek run over his fingers. The bracelet around his wrist caught the light Miya's thread.
Kiba appeared beside him in a flash of light, tail swishing as he dipped his nose into the stream.
Shion smiled. "You thirsty too, huh?"
Kiba gave a low bark and lapped at the water, shaking his head afterward with a spray of droplets.
From behind, Fena approached quietly.
She handed Shion a strip of dried meat. "Eat. You look like you're carrying the whole world again."
"I'm just thinking," he said.
"Thinking is a luxury we don't always get on the road," she said, sitting beside him. "So enjoy it while it lasts."
He nodded, biting into the food. It was tough, but warm. Like most things out here.
---
The rest of the afternoon passed without incident. The land began to rise and fall gently, hills giving way to scattered woods, then back to open fields.
In the far distance, barely visible through a shimmer of heat and wind, rose the silhouette of Bellmire last town before Ravios.
But the wind had changed.
The air smelled wrong less like flowers and dirt, and more like ozone and something sharp. Jareth seemed to notice it too. He slowed the wagon slightly and narrowed his eyes.
"I don't like that sky," he muttered.
Fena stood, one hand on the edge of the cart. "Storm?"
"No. Look at the birds."
They all looked.
Above the treeline, a flock of Murkrow circled, cawing sharply. But instead of flying away from the hills, they hovered like vultures over something unseen.
Then, a shrill, distorted cry echoed in the distance.
Not a Pokémon sound they recognized.
Shion stood, hand drifting toward his belt.
Fena whispered, "Please tell me that wasn't what I think it was."
Dunlin groaned. "Should've kept my mouth shut."
---
But the sound faded as quickly as it came.
The birds dispersed.
The road ahead remained calm.
Jareth picked up the pace again, but warily. "Let's not stop again until Bellmire."
No one disagreed.
---
As evening approached, the sky shifted to soft golds and lavender, shadows stretching long across the fields.
Shion leaned out of the cart, watching the horizon as the town drew closer.
He could feel it Ravios wasn't far now. His friends. His next steps. And whatever waited beyond.
Kiba stirred at his side, sensing the same.
In his lap, Bidoof blinked awake, snorted, and immediately rolled over to nap again.
"Some god you are," Shion muttered with a smirk.
But still… he felt ready.
Whatever was coming next he would face it.