With some mockery, I saw the Fairy's face wrinkle at my words, as if I’d thrown a Disarming Voice at her.

  I could see the guilt in her eyes, fueling my certainty that she could have prevented all of this before it even started… but it would be short-sighted of me to hold her completely responsible for that shitty day.

  She was the ‘boss’ of the isnd, of course. I was convinced that she was the Yezalel of the Yezalel Accords. However, despite being negligent in not immediately sanctioning the breach of the rules that she herself had imposed, I couldn’t forget that the real culprit behind this whole mess was Kingler. He had been the one who had caused all of this, after all, so my only real compint with the Fairy was that I had to deal with the problem myself.

  I couldn't say I hadn't gotten anything out of the experience, either. Who knows how long it would have taken me to evolve if not for the events of that day, and the literal mine of precious gems was more than a fair reward for my efforts…

  In the end, I suppose what bothered me most was my ck of free will in the whole situation, being forced to assume the role of a ‘soulless office drone’ again. The feeling of being only reacting instead of being the proactive part irritated me.

  I’d been just another actress in the theatre, performing a py for which I hadn’t received a script and which could have ended much sooner if the zy Fairy in front of me, instead of watching the show like just another spectator, had deigned to move her majestic ass on the stage and had, done, her damn, job.

  Pausing my thoughts for a moment, I frowned slightly at that st line. It was unnecessarily aggressive, much more so than usual. It didn't quite fit. Since when did I have so much repressed anger?

  I really needed a good nap…

  “I’m sorry,” the Fairy said, bringing my attention back to her.

  At some point while I was pondering, she had bowed to me, giving me a deep reverence.

  I had to admit there was something about seeing a being so much more powerful than you showing so much respect, but I was too busy analyzing what she’d said to rejoice.

  An apology. As simple as it was, I knew that was all I was going to get from her. No attempt at justification on her part as to why she had allowed this whole spectacle to happen, no half-baked expnation for her decision to merely watch rather than act.

  Nothing. Just three words, ‘I’m sorry’. Nothing more…

  I could work with that.

  “Apology accepted,” I said with a sigh, running my hand through my fming, spectral hair as I settled into the sand… I had to check my new appearance at some point. “I would love to know what has prevented you from taking action on the matter, but I admit I’m not in the right mood right now to take Fairy-nonsenses. I’m too tired for that.”

  “Perhaps we can talk about this another time,” she suggested, rexing a bit upon seeing that I am a perfectly rational being, a Pokemon you can talk to without fear of me jumping on your neck in a fit of blind rage. “When you’ve gotten some sleep, of course.”

  "Tempting…" I murmured, allowing a somewhat pyful smile to filter through my exhaustion. "We'll need a comfortable spot and something to eat. I have the feeling that this will be a veeery long and productive conversation," I finished with a suggestive movement of my fiery brown eyebrows.

  The Gardevoir looked confused for a moment, but soon brought a hand to her mouth and let out a light ugh.

  “I think I’m a little too old for you, child. Try again in a couple of centuries, perhaps you’ll have more success by then,” she said, a purple glint shining in her crimson eyes, much less rigid than I had assumed for a fossil as ancient and powerful as she was.

  “What a shame,” I replied with false resignation, raising my arms dramatically before lowering them and looking at her with the most serious face I could form with my sand. “But the date is still on; it's the least you can do to compensate me.”

  That got another ugh out of her, a little louder than the st.

  “Sure, sure.”

  Satisfied, I looked away from the Fairy and noticed her four-legged friend.

  The poor Zorua beside her was dismayed, so much that he hadn’t said anything this entire time, even though I could almost see the questions forming in his mind in real time. I’d bet my recently regenerated coccyx that he’d never seen Gardevoir behave this way. I didn’t need to turn on my extrasensory sense to savor his confusion; his face alone deserved to be framed…

  Wait a second.

  Frame… Photos… Zorua…

  Spinning my thoughts, I couldn't help but remember the photo of the Zorua and what I assumed was its trainer in the Corphish ir, but it couldn't be him, right? It had to be a coincidence.

  "Honestly, you're a lot calmer than I expected," the little fox said after gathering enough courage, his voice much deeper than his smooth appearance and reduced size might initially suggest.

  “What did you expect? A mindless killing machine consumed by vengeance?” I asked genuinely, tilting my head slightly as I sat cross-legged in the sand.

  “Something like that,” he replied, moving a little closer. “From the way you were fighting and the red glow in your eyes, I feared I would have to face you to protect Lady Yezalel from your wrath after you finished off the Kingler.”

  “Big statements, although I highly doubt that ‘Lady Yezalel’ would require your bodyguard services,” I murmured in a mocking tone, but without meaning to be dismissive, which didn’t seem to work.

  "How dare you!" excimed the fox indignantly, cwing at my face with a Scratch that did absolutely nothing except make me giggle.

  “I keep telling him that I don't need a guardian, since I myself am the Guardian of this isnd, but he doesn't listen,” Yezalel sighed, joining the conversation again. “You would do me a great favor if you showed him another path, one where he can shine with his own light.”

  “Hmm… I’m still pretty new to all this, but I can tell that a Fairy’s favor is far more valuable than a couple of berries. Are you sure about this?” I asked, narrowing my fatuous eyes a little.

  With a snort, she replied, “With all I owe you, adding a favor to the list is almost cheap at this point.”

  “If you say so,” I shrugged and held out my hand, which she shook and a faint pink light surrounded us for a few moments. “I guess our pact has been sealed.”

  So this is what Fairy's nonsense looked like at its finest… Fascinating.

  Using my extrasensory sense (I needed a name for it that wasn't so cumbersome), I could tell that the deal hadn't affected my body or soul in any way I could discern, but I knew that breaking my word would bring more than just a loss of trust this time. Not much, since it was a fairly light and vague agreement, but still…

  I'd have to be more careful with these things in the future, and, of course, not doing them when I was just minutes away from falling asleep.

  "I have no say in this?" replied the Zorua, somewhat embarrassed by his earlier pitiful dispy but still indignant.

  “Nope,” the Fairy and I answered at the same time.

  This seemed to sulk him even more, which only served to elevate his status from ‘he's a cute fox’ to ‘he's too adorable’ in my mind. Unable to resist, my hand moved on its own and began petting the fluffy Ghost's head, who instantly calmed down… until he realized what I was doing and he became indignant again.

  “You’re absolutely adorable, you know that?” I murmured as I ran my fingers through his weightless, almost illusory reddish locks.

  “Let me go, you wicked witch!” he demanded. “I am a dedicated combatant; I will not tolerate this disrespect towards me!”

  “Sure, sorry,” I said, letting him go at the moment he ‘asked’ for. “Anyway, you do know that you can be an honorable fighter and absolutely adorable at the same time, right?”

  That seemed to short-circuit him a bit, as disbelief fshed across his face and he seemed to consider my words seriously.

  “Really?” he asked in a little voice that would have given me a heart attack if I still had one.

  “Of course, kiddo,” I replied, using every ounce of will I had left to stop myself from stroking his head again. “The two things aren’t incompatible. Look at Yezalel, for example; she’s stupidly beautiful, and she could still kick my ass any day of the week.”

  “You ftter me, child, although you are right.”

  “Couldn't she teach me better, then?” he questioned, using his deep voice again after recovering from the shock of my words. “I don't want to doubt your teaching skills, but you've just evolved, and Yezalel has been alive for a long time. I'm sure she possesses profound knowledge that she could transfer to her—”

  "Greedy," I interrupted with a light tap on his head. "You shouldn't impose yourself on others like that, no matter how cute you are. Have you ever considered that maybe she doesn't have time for this? As Guardian of the isnd, she must be very busy, you know?"

  “Also… Well, how do I put it? I’m pretty sure Sandy has more experience in this than I do,” the Fairy added somewhat embarrassedly, making me raise an eyebrow in my mind. “In my long life, I’ve actually never bothered to teach anyone. Sandy, on the other hand, is directly responsible for training all the Corphish, even managing to get 2 of them to evolve.

  “You’ve already witnessed the power of her disciples in battle, and they’ve only been training for 1 week. Just imagine what they’ll be capable of before she leaves the isnd.”

  Yezalel's words seemed to resonate deeply with the young and impressionable Ghost, as the way he looked at me changed from mere respect to something akin to hope, before he became a little discouraged.

  "Then you'll leave..." he murmured with resignation, but also with understanding.

  “Yeah. My dream is to explore this vast world, which is a bit difficult to accomplish if I stay on this isnd forever,” I answered the unspoken question, seeking to cheer the little fox up. “But don’t worry, I doubt I’ll be leaving for a couple of weeks. During the battle earlier, the raft I was building was… caught in the crossfire, so to speak, so I’ll have to build another one.”

  “And you still have plenty of pces to explore on this isnd, too,” Yezalel joined in, giving me a slight wink. “We can always turn our 'date' into a pleasant stroll through my domain. I dare to say that you will enjoy it more than just wandering up and down without stopping for anything.”

  Somewhat hesitantly, I nodded, neither confirming nor denying her specutions about what I understood as ‘explore’, and turned my attention to the Hisuian Zorua. He was deep in thought, almost meditating. For a moment, I could see in his eyes that he wanted to ask me something, but he stopped at the st moment and just nodded with his little head.

  Perhaps my speech about ‘not imposing oneself on others’ had been counterproductive. I would have to teach him that asking about things wasn't bad, assuming a statement without even asking was bad.

  “Well, I think it's time to end this talk,” I said after a few moments of silence, lying down a bit on the sand and looking at the completely night sky. “Shrimp, if you're still interested in this tomorrow, I'll wait for you on this same beach after noon. I doubt The 24 Cws will be in much of a mood to train, so we can talk things over calmly.”

  “What kind of things?” he asked curiously.

  “Things like what your goals are, what base we’re working from, what style of combat you prefer, and so on. Good night, little one, you’re going to need it,” I whispered the st bit somberly, smiling broadly. “And good night to you too, Yezalel. I would have liked to meet you under slightly more favorable circumstances, but I suppose that can change with our date in a couple of days.”

  “Ha, of course. I say the same,” she replied, using a calm tone that belied the mocking glint in her eyes. “Rest well, Sandy. Arceus knows you deserve it.”

  After saying goodbye, Yezalel scooped the fox into her arms and teleported away in mere seconds. I had to see if I could do that too. Teleport in real life seemed much more broken than in the games…

  Shaking my head, I looked at Cap's unconscious form and wondered if it would be wise to simply fall asleep on the sand next to him, and I found no reason not to do so. I doubted that anyone would dare attack us after the battle that had taken pce there that same afternoon, especially with the remnants of the Fairy's presence nearby, as well as my own presence.

  Just as I y down on the beach, right next to my best friend, I took one st look at Mr. Krabs and his brothers.

  It seemed that the Krabbys and the Kingler had been tied up with ropes, probably taken from the objects that the great red lobster had plundered over the years, and were being escorted back to their ir. We were all very tired, so I assumed they would postpone any punishment they wanted to offer until the next day.

  I just hoped no one escaped while everyone else was asleep. It would be a pain to have to scour the isnd to find the fugitives...

  I had just raised a fg? Damn Cap, his habits were rubbing off on me.

  After waving a zy hand to the Corphish, I buried myself slightly in the sand, making it much more comfortable than it had any right to be. From there, I watched once again the waves shining with the stars of the dark sky, reflecting the moon in the water.

  The only thing missing were the mysterious floating bubbles, bubbles that, in hindsight, should have given me a clue as to the Krabby Patty gang's presence on the beach.

  Closing my eyes, I remembered my problem about absorbing life energy accidentally while sleeping. Looking for a solution to not disturb my friend’s rest, I delved again a little into the aspects that made up my Giga Drain move, deactivated its ‘passive mode’ to avoid accidents, and finally allowed myself to succumb to Cresselia’s sweet embrace after living one of the longest days of my life.