It was early evening, the sun was just starting to lower itself in the sky, turning the clouds a lovely orange, red, and pink color. The weather was pleasant, just warm enough to wear less clothing, but not hot enough to feel uncomfortable. Spring was in full bloom, nearing it's end with summer peeking around the corner. Life was nice, and the days were long. It was perfect for going out and adventuring, which is exactly what any Pokemon Trainer would do.

Near East Lake Axwell, just past Axew's Eye, a large camping tent could be seen underneath a lone tree. It was yellow, with blue and red stripes, and a kettle set up over a campfire was letting off small puffs of steam and smoke. The fire was crackling merrily, and a group of Pokemon could be seen running around, playing while they waited for the food to be finished cooking.

"Hey, Yū, is the food almost done?" A young man with spiked light orange hair and green eyes spoke up, walking over to the campfire, where another youth was standing, pulling off the lid to the pot, and stirring a bit.

"Almost. Be a little more patient, Kenka...I'm trying to make one of these 'curry' recipes that everyone keeps talking about." Yūrei, a very frail looking feminine male with long black hair and golden eyes, looked back to Kenka, who grinned.

"Sorry. This whole change of pace is exhausting. It seems just like yesterday were were in Kalos."

Yūrei looks at the food as he stirred, a small smile on his face. "Yes, it does. But I think we'll have a lot of fun here." He looks down at the small porcelain cup that was floating next to him, a Sinistea that had decided to follow him back here. "Are you hungry too, Sini?" He laughs softly, reaching out so that the cup rested on his hand.

Kenka looks out at the Pokemon playing, giving a big sigh. He was really happy for coming here, and even more so that yet again Yūrei agreed to accompany him. He didn't know why Yūrei did it, he must miss his home, but here he was, keeping Kenka company. He wasn't complaining though, he enjoyed Yūrei's friendship a lot, and his cooking was phenomenal.

"Alright, I think it's done!" Yūrei steps back, a big grin on his face, and pulls out plates, getting some for himself and Kenka. He also puts a small amount in separate bowls for all the Pokemon, watching them as they ate, happy that they seemed to like it.

"Oh wow, this is great!" Kenka takes a big bite, savoring the flavor.

"You think so? I'm so happy!" Yūrei sighs in relief, taking a bite of his own food, and they all just relax and enjoy the evening, basking in the beautiful sunset on the first day of their new adventure in Galar.

_________________

It had been some time since Seiren had been back home to Galar—years, probably. She had never been the type to sit still or to want to stay in the same place for too long, so when she’d done basically everything she could here, she’d moved on. It had been nice to get away, to see new places, meet new friends, and try new things. It had also been nice to get away from all of her brothers and finally find a female friend around her age.

She’d met Mai when she was adventuring in Alola and they had hit it off right away, so when she’d moved on to the next region, Mai had decided to come with her, to finally go on her own adventure. They’d been together ever since. Now that she was finally heading home, intent on finally catching the Legendary Pokémon in the region, Mai had come with her. It was nice to have someone to travel with. It was a lot more fun, not to mention livelier.

“I’m getting hungry,” Seiren voiced as they walked along East Lake Axewell, looking over at the slightly shorter white-haired girl next to her. “How long before we reach your house?” Mai asked, earning a snort of laughter from Seiren. “We still have a long way to go. I hate to break it to you, but we’re sleeping outside again,” Seiren told her, the grin on her face and the glint in her purple eyes giving away that she was perfectly happy with this prospect. Mai pouted a little, “Alright, well, let’s find somewhere to set up camp then, if you want me to cook.”

Suddenly, Seiren perked up, sniffing the air as if she were a dog who just caught whiff of something. “I smell… Curry!” she announced before taking off running. “Wait, you can’t just…! Uggh!” Mai groaned, “I’m not running after you!” she called after her before rolling her eyes, groaning, and doing exactly that. Seiren ran until she had passed Axew’s Eye and then came to a skidding stop, pointing as she located the source of the smell, “Found it!” the taller, athletic girl announced with a grin, barely seeming out of breath despite how fast she’d sprinted over.

Mai came shortly after, panting as she stopped next to her friend and put a hand on her shoulder. “You can’t…just go running off… like that,” Mai told her between breaths. “And you can’t just… barge in on someone’s dinner, either,” she admonished her, although the edge was taken off by the fact that she was still trying to catch her breath. Seiren smiled bashfully, chuckling nervously as she rubbed the back of her head, messing up her long ashy lilac hair as she did.

Mai’s blue eyes flicked between the thin and somewhat feminine young man with long dark hair to the more athletic one with short and spiky orange hair. “Sorry for my friend. She forgets her manners sometimes,” she looked up at Seiren and glared, although there was no real anger in her gaze. Seiren shrugged and turned her gaze away, as if it weren’t a big deal. “I told you I was hungry. I couldn’t help myself,” she retorted.

Mai ignored her and looked at the two young men, “Well, I guess since we just barged in on your meal, we should at least introduce ourselves. I’m Mai, and my rude friend here is Seiren,” she introduced them, earning a ‘hey!’ of protest from Seiren as she did. “I take if you’re Pokémon trainers, too?” she observed, noting the Pokémon around them.

_________________

Yūrei looked up when he heard a noise nearby, looking over as two girls approached their campsite. He was the first to notice, and Kenka only realized they were there when they actually stepped forward into view. He gives a smile when the white haired girl apologized for the other, and he shakes his head dismissively.

"Don't worry about it."

The two then promptly introduce themselves as Mai and Seiren, and Kenka stared, until Yūrei nudges him in the side, making him jump slightly, giving a sheepish grin.

"Yeah, we are! Well, I am at least. We just came here yesterday, so this is all new to us." Kenka gives a big smile. "My name is Kenka, and this is Yūrei. He's shy, but once you get to know him he's really nice."

Yūrei gives a small wave, picking up two extra plates, and putting some of the curry on to it. Without a word, he hands them over to the two girls, smiling to each as he did so. "It's my first try in making curry, so I hope it tastes okay to you."

Kenka laughs a little. "You worry too much Yū. You're cooking is perfect, no matter what you make."

He looks at the Pokemon who were still eating, and gets an idea. "Oh, I'm sure there is enough left so your Pokemon can eat too! Feel free to bring them out if you want." He then gets a mischievous look in his eye. "And then maybe we can have a battle!" Yūrei looks at Kenka, giving an exasperated sigh. "Really Kenka? Now? I don't think that's a good idea..."

"Why not?" Kenka gives a disappointed look to Yūrei, pouting slightly.

"It just isn't a good idea right now. Trust me, okay?" Yūrei turned slightly, looking out beyond the campsite, staring at who knows what.

"Alright then...Anyway, you guys can stay as long as you want!" Kenka gives Mai and Seiren another smile, before sitting down on the ground, to continue eating his own food.

_________________

Seiren grinned when the boy when Kenka introduced them after confirming that they were trainers—or he was, anyways—and explaining that they had just gotten here, so this was all new to them. “Really? Well, I grew up in Galar, so if you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask!” she offered. “This is Mai’s first time here, too, so I’m kind of helping her out, too,” she explained. “Oh, and it’s nice to meet you both,” she added as kind of an afterthought when she remembered her manners.

“Oh, thank you,” Mai smiled sweetly when Yūrei handed the two of them plates of curry. “I’m sure it’s great,” she offered with a smile, “And it’s nice to meet you, Yūrei, and you, too, Kenka,” she added.

Seiren, for her part, basically leapt for joy when Yūrei produced the plate of curry. “Thank you for the food!” she grinned, clearly excited by the prospect of tasting the food that had produced the smell that had drawn her here to start with. She was just about to take a bite and dig in right then and there when Kenka suggested that there was probably enough for their Pokémon, too, if they wanted to let them out. “Yeah! I’m down!” she announced when a battle was suggested, looking rather crestfallen when the other young man shot down the idea, saying it wasn’t a good idea. “Aww…”

“I’m sure there will be other chances,” Mai offered in an attempt to comfort her friend, “Besides, you got your food, at least,” she reminded her friend.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Seiren nodded, perking up when she remembered her curry. She moved to take a seat near the two young men and took a bite of the curry. “Delicious!” she exclaimed as she savored the flavor of the curry.

“Thank you,” Mai said to Kenka as she moved to take a seat on the ground next to her friend. Deciding to take him up on his previous offer and took out her Pokéballs and released them before she took a bite of her own curry. “It is very good. Thanks again for sharing,” Mai said to Yūrei, smiling sweetly as she did.

After one more bite of the curry, Seiren followed her friend’s lead and released her own Pokémon to allow them to play or eat as they wished.

_________________

Yūrei gave a smile when the both of them started to eat, as well as letting their own Pokemon out of their balls. He grabs some more bowls, serving them all up some food, and placing them down for them to eat at their leisure. When he was finished, he sat down next to Kenka, taking a bite of his food, glancing over at that one spot every now and then.

"So, you're from around here, huh? What's it like? Is there any really good places to go?"

Kenka looked to Seiren, who had said she was from Galar, and had told him to ask about anything if he had questions.

Just as he was about to ask something else, a large blast of what looked like blue fire could be seen in the distance, and Yūrei jumps to his feet, staring off where it was. His eyes were narrowed, wondering what it was. It was what he had sensed before, the reason why he told Kenka it wasn't a good idea to be battling right now.

Silence followed, as Kenka and his own Pokemon ran over to them, huddling in a small crowd, frightened by the sudden blast.

"What was that about?!?" Kenka jumped up as well, more excited than scared. "I don't know, but it doesn't seem good." Yūrei murmured this, shaking his head. Nothing else happened, and it took a few minutes for them all to relax again. Until they looked up, and in the sky was a Pokemon not from around those parts. It was a Pokemon that didn't belong there in Galar at all.

Just for a moment, a large black figure flew in the sky, before disappearing over the horizon, a trail of electricity following. "What was that?!" Kenka exclaimed, ecstatic for the event that just took place.

Yūrei wasn't too sure, but it looked like, just maybe, one of the Legendary Pokemon from Unova. He glanced at Mai and Seiren, giving a small smile. "What do you two know about the Legendary Pokemon?" Kenka gave Yūrei a weird look. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"It's just a question, that's all." He looked at their Pokemon, noticing two Mythics. "It seems like you've befriended some Mythical Pokemon." He smiled at Zeraora and Magearna, before turning back to Mai and Seiren. "If you don't want to answer, that's okay. I was just wondering is all."

_________________

Seiren was focused on eating her food when Kenka asked what it was like here and if there were any really good places to go. She nodded to both his first and last questions, but before she had time to actually say anything, a blast in the distance pulled their attention away.

Both girls were on their feet almost immediately. Mai frowned a little, wondering what it was and hoping it was nothing serious. Seiren, on the other hand, looked intrigued more than scared or worried. “I don’t know but…. I really want to know,” she said, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

“Oh no you don’t. I know that look,” Mai reached up and put her hands on Seiren’s shoulders, pushing down to force her to sit, “You’re not going anywhere.” Of course, she wasn’t actually strong enough to physically force her taller and much more athletic friend to do anything, but she didn’t need to be, as the other girl slowly sank to a seated position, pouting slightly.

“You’re no fun,” Seiren told her as she sat back down just in time to have a Rockruff hop into her lap and curl up. “It’s alright, little guy,” she told him in a soft voice as she stroked the top of his head. She looked up to see a Pokémon that she knew didn’t belong here flying across the sky before disappearing. She narrowed her eyes as she watched the dark figure but saying nothing.

Mai had taken a seat as well, comforting her own Pokémon that had come to surround her after the loud explosion. She had no more of an answer for what this creature was than any of the others did, so she hadn’t said anything, either, when Kenka had exclaimed a question, wondering what the creature was. When Yūrei spoke up again, though, she looked up from the small Chinchou that she was comforting, her blue eyes shifting up to meet his.

She leaned back, placing her hands on the ground behind her to prop herself up as she thought about how to answer his question. She looked over at Magearna and smiled when he mentioned that they had befriended some mythical Pokémon. “No, it’s okay. I don’t mind,” she assured him when he added that they didn’t have to answer if they didn’t want to. “Hmmm, well, I guess it depends on what exactly you want to know about them,” she said thoughtfully. “I know more about those from Alola than any others, although I’ve never actually encountered any of them,” she admitted.

Having finally finished her curry, Seiren set her empty plate off to the side and stretched, “Are you asking because of the Pokémon we just saw?” she asked curiously, earning a raised eyebrow from Mai. She shrugged and looked off into the distance. “I can tell you one thing: stick with me and you’ll see one soon enough,” she promised. “I came back to find the Legendary Pokémon here, and I won’t stop until I do!” she announced with a grin.

“Well, that and your mother kept pestering you to come home so that you could celebrate your birthday with them,” Mai reminded her, snickering a little when Seiren grumbled under her breath. Her gaze shifted to Magearna, who was standing just behind her, eyeing Yūrei. “You can go say hi, if you want,” she assured the Pokémon with a smile, gathering that Yūrei wouldn’t mind.

Magearna tilted her head a bit and only hesitated a moment before slowly approaching Yūrei, ”Hello,” she said to him as she circled him once before stopping in front of him.

_________________

"I'm only asking because I was curious about what you knew. That's all." Yūrei gives a small smile, setting down his empty plate. He glances over at Kenka, who looked like he was trying to calculate what Seiren had said, before getting a gleam in his eye.

"When you said 'stick with me', did you mean you wanted to travel with us?"

Yūrei tilts his head slightly, laughing a little bit. "You always like having a lot of people on your adventures, don't you?"

Kenka turned to look at Yūrei, grinning. "So?"

Yūrei didn't say anything else, his attention now on Magearna as she approached him, he could feel her calculating and thinking. Then, she stops in front of him, greeting him with a 'hello'. He smiles, and tilts his head slightly to the side.

"Hello to you too. How are you?"

Kenka watched Yūrei for a moment, and chuckles. "He thinks he can talk to Pokemon." Yūrei ignores the comment, keeping his focus on Magearna. It was okay if Kenka didn't believe him or not. He knew what he could do, and that was all that mattered.

"So, do you guys want to travel with us for a while? It's okay if you don't wanna, I just think it'd be fun! Plus we might get to see that Pokemon we just saw again!"

Yūrei glances over at Kenka, a worried look in his eyes. "I don't think that would be a good idea...it doesn't feel right to me."

"Aw, come on Yū. Don't be such a party pooper! We're here to have fun and find new things! Adventure isn't adventure if there isn't a little bit of danger involved! You agree, right Seiren? You seem like the kinda person to seek out that kind of stuff!" He gives her a big grin, laughing as Chimchar ran up to him, and climbs up onto his shoulder. "See, even Chimchar wants to have some fun!"

_________________

Mai nodded, “Hmm, well, I guess I would say I know about as much as anyone else. Maybe a little more, but I wouldn’t call myself an expert. Seiren probably knows more than I do. She has sort of an obsession with them, so she reads about them all the time,” she explained, glancing at Seiren who narrowed her eyes at her.

“It isn’t an obsession; I just find them intriguing is all. And don’t give them the wrong idea. I’m not some kind of bookworm,” Seiren retorted before glancing over at Kenka when he spoke. “Well, I’d say it’s more like I’m inviting you to travel with us, but yeah!” she replied, teasing more than she was serious, as the semantics didn’t matter.

Mai watched as Magearna approached Yūrei and he spoke to her, which earned a comment from Kenka about how he thought he could talk to Pokémon. “Maybe he can,” she shrugged, not one to dismiss anything. In this world, she didn’t think there was anything that was really impossible. She focused on the two of them once again as Magearna tilted her head, inspecting him.

“You can understand me?” Magearna asked, moving a little closer to him. “I am… good. You are worried?” she asked, as if picking up on his apprehension towards Kenka’s suggestion.

She grinned when he suggested that they might see that Pokémon again. “Sure! It’s always more fun to travel with friends,” she readily agreed for the both of them, just assuming that Mai didn’t mind, which was true.

Yurei didn’t seem to think that seeing this Pokémon again was such a good idea, but Seiren didn’t share his worries. She did share his thoughts that it might be a Legendary Pokémon, but that excited her more than it worried her. “I most certainly do!” she replied when Kenka asked if she agreed, suggesting that she was the type to seek out this type of thing. “Life is boring if you never take risks. A little danger spices things up and makes them more interesting,” she grinned, laughing a little when Chimchar climbed onto his shoulders.

Mai sighed a little, “Well, I’m happy to travel together. I don’t know if seeing that Pokémon again is really the best idea, but I know better than to try to argue with this one once she sets her mind to something,” she said, gesturing to Seiren, who smiled innocently, as if she had no idea what her friend was talking about. “What about you, Yūrei? Will you agree to travel together?” she asked, tilting her head a bit, not wanting to assume he would agree, although she hoped he would. The idea of traveling with more people really did sound like fun.

_________________

Yūrei gives a small smile to Magearna, and nods when she asked if he could understand her. A lot of Pokemon who he first meets seem surprised and confused about his ability, but they always ease into it almost immediately. He always had a good way with them, and was great with making Pokemon friends.

"Yes. I am most worried...I sense something that doesn't not feel right. Something that does not belong here in this place, in Galar. And I'm worried that it might cause disaster, if not worse...if we somehow manage to come into contact with whatever it is, I fear that things might not go well. But at the same time...I sense hope."

Kenka grins when they agreed to traveling together, it was going to be so much fun! "I'm glad that you guys wanna come with! Trust me, being around myself and Yū here, life never gets boring!"

He looks over at Yūrei, who was still talking to Magearna, giving a soft laugh. He sometimes didn't understand Yūrei, even though they'd been traveling together for a while now.

When he was spoken to, Yūrei looks up, blinking. "What? Oh, yes...I'm okay with that." He looks back at Magearna, smiling softly. "I want to get to know you better. I am Yūrei, by the way. It is so nice to meet you." He then stands up, stretching his arms over his head, yawning.

"I think I'm going to turn in for the night. All this excitement has made me quite tired. I look forward to your company in this journey of ours. Mai. Seiren. Good night everyone."

He then turns and goes into the tent, closing the flap behind himself, changing into his pajamas and laying down in his sleeping bag, quickly falling asleep.

When they saw that Yūrei had gone into the tent, three Pokemon follow closely behind. Two go into the tent, while one stayed out. The two that went in were an Emolga, and a Sinistea, and the one floating around the tent was a Misdreavous. The Misdreavous looked over at the two new girls and shivered slightly at them, as if in greeting, and gave a smile.

"Sorry about him. He's shy. He doesn't really act all too well around new people. Though he doesn't mind Pokemon, as you can see." Kenka grins.

_________________

“I see…” Magearna said thoughtfully. “Do not worry. Mai will take good care of you, I’m sure of it. Miss Seiren, too. They won’t let anything bad happen,”[/i] she told him earnestly. “There is always hope,” she assured him.

Mai had her attention split between the interaction Yūrei with having with Magearna and the conversation between Seiren and Jenka. She couldn’t tell exactly what was happening between her Pokémon and the young man, but it really did seem like there was some sort of understanding between them. It was interesting to say the least.

Meanwhile, Seiren smiled at Kenka’s enthusiastic response to her agreement to travel with them. “Well, it’s never boring to travel with us, either, so this should be fun!” she replied, wondering what sort of adventures they might have.

“Yes, it was nice to speak with you, Yūrei,” Magearna replied to him, circling him once more as she stood, before she returned to Mai’s side. Mai smiled at her, “Welcome back,” she said before looking up at Yūrei, “Alright. Sleep well. It was nice to meet you,” she waved good night to him before stretching herself.

“Good night!” Seiren waved, “And thanks for the curry. It really was delicious,” she smiled before he went into his tent. She tilted her head to watch as the Pokémon followed after him, grinning and waving at the Misdreavous as it greeted them.

“Hmm?” her attention turned back to Kenka when he spoke again, apologizing for his friend being so shy. “That’s alright. I used to be shy, too, but you can’t really stay that way with five brothers,” she laughed lightly, waving it off.

“No need to apologize. Everyone is different, after all. And I think Magearna was quite happy to meet him, so that’s good enough for me,” she smiled, looking over at Magearna, who bounced just a little, as if to agree with the sentiment. Mai giggled a little before falling backwards onto the grass, “Honestly, I’m pretty tired, too,” she admitted.

“That’s because you aren’t used to all this trekking. You need to work on your cardio,” Seiren teased, a playful twinkle in her eye.

“Maybe, or perhaps you’re just exhausted,” Mai shot back, the small smile that tugged at her lips giving away that she was joking.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s probably true,” Seiren shrugged, smirking as she did. “Alright, I’ll set up the tent for you, princess,” she said, stretching before she stood, glanced around to choose a spot, and then went about getting the tent set up. While she did this, Mai went about gathering the dishes and tidying up the campsite.

It didn’t take her long, the ease with which she assembled it giving away how many times she had done this. When she had finished, she plopped herself back down on the ground where she had been sitting before. “There you go,” she said, putting her hands on the ground behind her and leaning back against them.

“Thank you. What would I do without you, my knight in shining armor?” Mai teased her friend as she stood. “Not much,” Seiren teased right back with a playful smirk.

“Yeah, yeah,” Mai waved off the comment. “I’m going to go ahead and turn in. It was nice to meet you, Kenka. Goodnight, both of you. Don’t stay up too late,” she smiled, waving as she headed off towards the tent with all of her Pokémon in tow. Most of them followed her inside, but her Alolan Ninetales curled up outside the tent, watching the two of them with an intelligent gaze.

“Good night,” Seiren waved to her friend. “No promises!” she called back when she was told not to stay up too late. She moved to lay back in the grass, moving her arms to rest behind her head like a pillow as she stared up at the sky for a short time before looking over at Kenka.

“So, where did you two come from, anyways? And what made you come to Gallar?” she asked curiously. She had about a million different questions she wanted to ask, as it was her nature to be inquisitive, but she decided to hold back on most of them for the moment, anyways.

_________________

It wasn't much longer that Mai was up, retiring for the night into their own tent that they had put together. Soon, it was just Kenka and Seiren, sitting out next to the campfire that was slowly starting to die down to nothing more than burning embers. He looked over at the Ninetails, a smile on his face, before turning his attention back to Seiren, who had spoken up, asking a question.

"Me? I'm originally from Sinnoh. Veilstone City is my home." He gives a smile, gently patting his Chimchar on the back. "That's where I got my Chimchar here. I never could battle with him, he's more of a companion than a battle partner."

He takes a breath, looking up at the stars. "As for Yūrei...I don't know where he's from. We met on my journey in Sinnoh, and he's been traveling together since. We even went to Kalos together, before coming here." He glances over at the tent, which was dark and quiet. He looks down, before shrugging, giving a half-smile.

"He doesn't know where he's from either. Says his memory is all blurred and fuzzy. Has a hard time remembering anything before meeting me. When we first met he didn't even remember his name, took a few days before he could. Since then...well, we've been trying to find out more about him."

He gives Seiren a smile. "That's one of the main reasons why we came here. Maybe it'll help him find out some more about himself, make some memories come back." He shrugs his shoulders. "And if it doesn't, it will still have been a ton of fun."

"I look forward to doing so much here. I've heard a lot about this place, it has so much to offer. I want to go to as many places as I can, and see as much as I can see. Do everything, you know?"

He gives her the biggest smile. "I want to leave my own past behind, and start a life of my own."

He looks out across the field, before raising his eyes to look at the sky, the stars twinkling now in the deep blue. "What about you? What sort of things are you looking forward to?"

_________________

Seiren was quiet as she listened to Kenka explain where he was from, chuckling a little when he talked about the Chimchar, how he could never battle with him. “Really? I’ve never been to Sinnoh. I want to go someday,” she grinned, “And I can understand that,” she said, looking down at the Rockruff curled up on top of her.

She was quiet again as he talked about Yūrei, explaining how he didn’t know where he was from, how they’d met, and how he hoped that this journey would help him find out more about himself. She smiled a little when he said that it would still be tons of fun, even if he didn’t find what he was looking for. She hoped that he would be able to find what he was looking for. It had to be hard, not knowing who you were.

She smiled a little brighter, nodding when he continued, telling her his own goals for the journey and giving her the biggest smile as he added that he wanted to start a life of his own. She looked up at the twinkling stars when he asked about her.

“Well, I completely understand all of that. Actually, that’s always been my goal. That was why I left home years ago, because I wanted to see as many places, do as many things, and meet as many people and Pokémon as I could. I just want to experience everything this world has to offer, you know?” she shrugged, smiling lightly.

“Mai was kind of right in what she said earlier. My mom has been pestering me to come home for my birthday the past few years, but I haven’t. I just wasn’t ready, I guess. But I figured I should probably come back for this one. Eighteen is a big one, I guess,” she shrugged.

“I meant what I said earlier, about the Legendary Pokémon. That’s my goal for this journey: to find them, to prove that everything I’ve done has been worth it, that I’m finally strong enough, that I’m worthy, I guess,” she shrugged, chuckling a little, wondering if that made any sense.

“Maybe then I can face everyone with my head held high, show them that I’ve grown up, that I’m not a little girl,” she moved one of her arms, bringing her hand close to her face and scratching her cheek with her index finger. “Maybe then I can leave my past behind and start a life that’s just mine, too,” she looked at him, smiling brightly, obviously happy about the prospect.

“Well, I also look forward to having plenty of fun adventures with my friends,” she added with a bright grin, including the two of them instead of just Mai. “I’ll be happy to show you all the best places, so you can get the full experience! Who knows, maybe I’ll even find something I haven’t seen along the way,” she added hopefully, smiling as she turned her gaze back up to the sky, the faint starlight reflecting in her dark eyes as she dwelt on the prospect of the adventure ahead of them.

She briefly wondered if she should go to bed, too, but she was too excited to sleep right now. At any rate, she was perfectly happy right here, anyways. It was a perfect evening, she was surrounded by her Pokémon and a new friend, and the soft grass was pleasure and comfortable—to her, anyways, Mai had obviously disagreed.

_________________

"Maybe some day you can. Go to Sinnoh, I mean." Kenka gives a big smile, looking up at the stars as Seiren did the same thing. Here they shone brightly, much brighter than he could ever remember. He thought they were beautiful, the sky being so clear and visible, each one shining with such glory that it was almost enough to make one cry.

He looks over at her as she spoke, talking about how her mom had been wanting her to come home, and now she had, saying that maybe her eighteenth birthday would be a good one to return home on. He agreed, it was a big day, for sure. For every person, almost as important as when you turn old enough to first set out on your Pokemon adventure. He'd always looked forward to big days, and going out on his own, and now that her was older, he could do a lot more than he used to be able to.

Her goal was an impressive one, and some people might think it to be an impossible feat, but to Kenka, a goal like that one was perfect.

"I think that would be awesome. I want to go everywhere, even the places that are small, just so I can see everything. I hope you're up to THAT challenge!" He gives another big grin, leaning back, before laying flat on the ground, staring up at the night sky. He wasn't quite ready to go to bed yet, he was too excited for sleep. His Pokemon on the other hand, had already cuddled up together and fallen asleep, his Chimchar laying next to him, giving off little squeaky snoring sounds.

The minutes trickled by in silence, until almost an hour had gone by, and at that time Kenka had dozed off. It seemed like he was asleep, but he eventually opened his eyes to look over at Seiren, before sitting up. "I think it's about time to call it a night, don't you?"

He stands up, stretching his arms over his head and yawning, before leaning down and scooping Chimchar up into his arms, before looking back at Seiren one last time. "I'm glad we got to meet you guys. I look forward to our adventure together!" He turns after bidding her goodnight, and leans down to enter the tent, closing the flap behind himself, zipping it up and laying down on his sleeping bag, quickly falling asleep soon after.

_________________

The suggestion that she could see Sinnoh one day brought a grin to her face. “I hope so! I hope that one day, I can see them all,” she admitted, glancing over at him before turning her gaze back to the stars. She had a lot of dreams, goals she wanted to accomplish in the future. Some of them probably seemed rather lofty, but what was the point in dreaming if you didn’t dream big and aim for the stars?

It made her happy that Kenka didn’t laugh at her lofty dreams, tell her she was silly, or look at her like she had just told him that she was an alien. She didn’t need anyone to pat her on the back and validate her dream; whether people thought she was crazy or not, she wouldn’t give up on it. Still, it was nice to not get strange looks or hear negative comments about it.

“Challenge accepted!” Seiren gave him a big grin. She would be more than happy to take him to all of the places she knew, whether they were big or small, noteworthy or hidden away. There was a lot to see here, so it would take some time, but she didn’t mind, and she doubted any of the others did, either.

They both fell silent after that, just lying there and staring up at the sky. It wasn’t an awkward silence, though, but instead it was rather nice. After a while, it seemed as if Kenka had fallen asleep, and she couldn’t help but chuckle a little to herself. He soon opened his eyes, though, and looked her way before sitting up and suggesting that it was time to call it a time.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” she agreed, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head before she scooped up the Rockruff in her lap and stood. “I’m glad we got to meet you, too,” she replied with a sweet smile. “I look forward to it as well! I’m sure we’ll have lots of fun,” she bid him goodnight as well before heading off towards their tent, where she climbed in, zipped it behind her, and got into her sleeping bag where she remained for the rest of the night.

--

The morning seemed to come quickly, and by the time Seiren awoke, she found that Mai was no where in the tent. She yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she sat up. She wasn’t worried about the lack of her friend’s presence, as the other often got up before she did, and the smell of food that wafted through the air told her that the other was likely cooking.

She laid there just a little longer, until she was a little more awake, and then began to pack up their things in the tent. Once she had everything packed away neatly, she unzipped the tent to head outside, bringing their bags along with her.

“Good morning,” Mai greeted her from the campfire nearby, a bright smile on her face. She was leaning the fire where several fish were roasting next to two small pots of something that was yet unidentified, but which Seiren guessed were likely rice and some sort of soup.

“Good morning,” Seiren replied, still not feeling fully awake, and not nearly as energetic a morning person as her friend. Still, she slowly took down the tent and got it packed up so that they wouldn’t have to worry about doing so after breakfast. This was how their mornings usually worked, with Mai doing the cooking and Seiren doing the manual labor. It was a rather efficient use of their time, and the routine had served them well.

“Breakfast is almost ready,” Mai said, loud enough not only for Seiren to hear, but also to let their new friends know, too. Once they all gathered around, she would give them each a plate that contained fish, rice, and a small bowl of soup.

"Thank you for the food!" Seiren said happily before digging in. She hummed happily as she ate, always enjoying Mai's cooking. She had enjoyed Yūrei's cooking last night, too. She could definitely get used to having two good cooks around, considering how much she enjoyed eating good food.

_________________