The funny thing about using the back door is that most people don’t do the same. Normally, no one raises their eyes seeing someone come through. But the story was different on a rainy day. Back out front, the hospital’s entrance hall was covered in footprints; a Pansear breathed on the floor to try and dry the place, but his efforts were like mopping with the tap still open.

  Meanwhile, in the back, the floor was actually dry. Well, until a Charizard came sauntering in, carrying a Pikachu in his claws. Water might drip out of fur, and fall from scales, but the end result was the same. Any doctor, nurse or anyone passing by could see a trail where they had walked. A trail that led right into Speedy’s room.

  “Back again so-” Speedy greeted as Blitzer ducked his way through the door frame. Well, tried to greet, in any case. It took all of two seconds for his eyes to narrow. “Hang on a minute. You’re not telling me you went out in the rain, did you?”

  Blitzer licked his mouth down. “Uhm. Actually, that’s exactly what we did.”

  “Daaad,” Junior moaned.. “Didn’t I literally say out loud that I wanted to meet him in the garden? I told you about the tree!”

  Speedy folded his arms. “I thought you were joking, lad! Did your mind get a little loopy recently? Colds and fevers are no jokes! I raised you better than that!”

  Now sitting beside the bed, Sefonia leaned over backwards while rolling her eyes. “Could do without the parent lecture, but yeah. Come on, guys. Blitzer too, you’ve also got your injuries. Plus, you’re a fireling, What kind of fireling willingly jumps out in the rain for no reason?”

  A small growl spilled out of Blitzer’s throat. “Hey, I can handle a little pain if it means supporting a friend! Don’t give me flack over that! And don’t give him flack over it, either.”

  “I know, but-” Sefonia pressed her mouth shut, kicked her feet around, then perked up her antennae. “Look, I just don't want you to suffer if you don’t have to. Please-”

  “Everybody, everybody, calm yourselves, for the love of Arceus!” Speedy grimaced. “We don’t need to argue over this! What a waste of energy. Please, you two should get cozy around that big hearth in the common area. Get dry, before you develop something sneezy. Okay?”

  “In a moment,” Blitzer said. “I don’t know how Junior here feels about-”

  The Pikachu pushed Blitzer’s digits aside, then jumped out his claws without warning. “That sounds nice. I’d prefer not waiting around,” he said, then headed for the door.

  At first, he’d taken Blitzer by surprise, but it didn’t take long for him to understand. Who wouldn’t do the same in his paws? Thus the Charizard didn’t resist, and pitched his tail away when Junior passed. Moments later, the door creaked before clicking back into the frame.

  “Well, there he goes.”

  “Should probably do the same yourself,” Speedy quipped. “But it’s your choice, at the end of the day. Kids gotta grow up eventually… heck, you’re no kid anymore, ain't ya? Some growth spurt you went through!”

  Speedy chuckled, and Sefonia giggled along. Blitzer clenched his teeth behind a closed mouth. ‘Eh. That’s not something to be proud of.’ he thought, giving his arms a good stretch before stepping up to Speedy’s bed, his wings dripping behind him. “So uh, what have you guys been talking about while we weren’t here?”

  The Dragonite shrugged. “Just life things! Nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “Out of the ordinary?” the Charizard raised an eye. “So you didn’t talk about the war? Or about finding Sisu?”

  The Raichu whistled, leaning further back against the bed. “I’d prefer not to talk wars, kid. Can’t say we’re doing so hot.”

  Blitzer frowned. “Yeah. Yeah…” ‘Losing people everyday…’

  Sefonia pulled herself back up upon hearing the word ‘war’; she looked skeptical. “We can’t hold out forever. They’ve got more people, and all the resources in the world. We’ve just got each other. Not sure how long we’ll last against that.”

  “Hello.” Speedy patted on the sheets, right beside his injured legs. His one raised brow told the whole story; the Dragonite sighed.

  “Apologies. Anyway, we’re no closer to finding Sisu. Still got the same clues to work with. Camp out near the Cathedral, or wherever else Dritch spends her days. Sisu’s been around her, apparently.”

  “Nah, allegedly.” Speedy wagged a paw around, right in between where Blitzer and Sefonia were. “Like I said, I haven’t seen her around much, either. All I know is that she’s one busy Bidoof. ‘S impressive, given that she ain’t a Bidoof. But y’know what that Marshadow girl’s like. Off doing all sorts of crap, and us common folk? We’re just left guessing what.”

  “Mhm,” Blitzer hummed. His cheeks puffed up as he blew all the air out of his lungs; no fire, just that light scent of ash mixing in with the smell of hardwood and Raichu. “Man. I thought she’d show up again eventually, or at least leave us hints on how to find her.”

  The Dragonite bit her lip. “Yep. Guess we’re outta luck on that front. Gods know what she’s up to.”

  Blitzer grumbled nervously. “I just hope we didn’t upset her in any way. What if I said something wrong? Or did something out of line?”

  The Raichu scoffed, hearing the Charizard admit his fears. “Nah, that girl’s got more than enough attitude herself. Doubt she’d take offense to anything you did, trust me.”

  The Charizard nodded along, shielding his chest with his claws. “Alright, if you say so. Uhh, what did you and Sef talk about, actually? What life things?”

  “Nothing you haven’t heard from either of us,” Speedy said, smirking. “Lad, I’ve bored you to tears with my yapping more than enough when you were little. I’m sure you can remember most of it. She can repeat it for you, if you want to hear it again,” he casually reminded, waving at Sefonia. The Dragonite stuck her tongue into a cheek. “For now though? How about you get yourself dry? And don’t forget to check in with a doctor, if you haven’t!”

  Blitzer and Sefonia both groaned. “We got it,” the former mumbled. ‘I’ve literally been to the doctor already!’

  * * *

  The two dragons spent some time besides Junior in the commons, warming up at the hearth before braving the rain once more. Sefonia got the chance to chat with Junior, though the result made standing in the downpour seem delightful in comparison. She was too pushy for his liking, and thus he retreated into himself, curling up by the fireplace. The Dragonite shirked away, frowning. Blitzer bit his tongue.

  ‘So much for making friends, huh. It’s the size thing, isn’t it? He had a hard time getting used to me as is.’

  Upon exiting the hospital, Blizer and Sefonia got a taste of what was to come. A whole lot of rain, and then some: Snow melted when winter ended, but the northern sun had a month of spring downpours to get through. A glance up revealed a thick layer of purple-tinted clouds. Soldiers marched through the street ahead, civilians dashing from building to building on all fours, others holding a plank or shield, or using their powers to keep themselves dry. An Abomasnow used a large leaf while shuffling over the cobbles, a Mr. Rime held up an invisible barrier that the rain couldn’t cross.

  “Pff…” Sefonia clenched her teeth, then freed the air in her lungs. “Didn’t rain this much earlier.”

  Blitzer nudged in her side with an elbow, his wing crossing over hers. “Well, it did when I went into the garden. We should get a move on.”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  “Towards the cathedral, right?” Sefonia leaned towards him. Their tails brushed up against each other.

  “Yes, where else do you want to look?” the Charizard groaned, his elbow joining his wing in nudging the Dragonite forwards.

  Sefonia rolled her eyes. “Just double checking, that’s all.”

  “Sure.” ‘And here I thought you didn’t want me to stay outside unnecessarily.’

  Walking the streets of Northpoint after months of snow was an experience, to say the least. First Blitzer spotted others slipping across the floor, getting a face full of slush. Then, his foot damn near detached itself from his body, with how fast it slipped on the ice underneath. The Charizard tumbled over, thrusting his arms out in front of him and landing on his right knee. The pain in his left leg surged up his body, like Skal had returned to smash it one more time.

  “Ghhh!”

  An orange claw extended out to him. “Need help?” Sefonia asked, a little smirk forming under her nose. Blitzer accepted with a soft growl.

  “Urgh, could’ve broken something there.”

  “Not if you walked the right way,” said Sefonia while pulling the Charizard back up. “C’mon, how long have you been up north, now? You didn’t trip once while we were escaping from the Smaugus, and- actually, you get snow down south too, right?”

  “Of course, but not months of it!” Blitzer pouted. “And what do you mean, walk properly? I’m trying my best here, it’s not like my leg’s going to start cooperating all of a sudden, is it?”

  The Dragonite shook her head, one antennae pitching down at his chest. “That’s not the problem. Let’s talk about avoiding, shall we? Look at your feet for a second. See those big toes on your feet? And how they look like claws?”

  “Yeah?” The Charizard rolled his eyes. ‘They are claws. Duh.’

  “Try digging into the ice with those when you set ‘em down,” Sefonia explained, then giving Blitzer a demonstration. A city well stuck out of the street a few steps further; she walked to it with exaggerated steps, careful to spotlight her toes sinking into the slush. “Been doin’ this for years. Haven’t had a fall since.”

  Blitzer sighed, then followed in the Dragonite’s footsteps, curling his toes on each step until the ice cracked underneath. His feet were larger than Sefonia’s, and his toes had all the strength to get a firm grip. Learning how to walk in the winter was no flight lesson; if his body was built to live on a mountainside, a little snow shouldn’t be a problem.

  From there on, Sefonia took the lead towards the cathedral, letting Blitzer figure out walking at his own rhythm. The Charizard groveled behind her, looking off towards the cityscape surrounding them. The once frozen layers covering the wooden buildings sank away into liquid. Gutters lined most buildings, preventing the rainfall from being worse than it needed to be. Icicles which had formed on said gutters dripped away alongside the rain, until snapping and falling off as the ice weakened, poor souls underneath be damned.

  ‘I don’t need a walking lesson damn it, why does she have to show me how to walk? I’m better than that!’

  Buildings’ timber frames were covered in wet stains. Queues formed at select wells in the city; Pokemon waited for a green-scarved Rapidash to wrap up their job: They stomped the ground beside the well, their fiery hooves sending heat down to the bottom. In a way, life was returning to the city. The endless white and muted colours faded, and all the painted surfaces gained their brightness back.

  But reality wasn’t quite so kind. The purple tint didn’t look so bad on the snow after a while. But as the Corruption spread further in the sky, said tint became all the more pronounced. A sobering reminder of the world’s sickness revealed its ugly head. All one had to do was touch the grass.

  “Looks a little livelier,” Blitzer muttered under his breath.

  Sefonia glanced over her shoulder, keeping her wings folded. “What, the town?”

  “Yeah, what else? It’s getting warmer, there’s less snow. It’s rainy, sure, but it beats more snow.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about saying that, honestly.”

  Blitzer raised an eye. “Wouldn’t be so sure?” he asked, then gazed through the surroundings as they reached a different street; the cathedral’s base emerged on the far end. They were about halfway there. ‘Did I miss the news somewhere?’

  The Dragonite turned her head back around, shaking it moments later. “The Crest had to retreat from part of the front. Too much risk of the Smaugus breaking through.”

  “S-say that again?!” Blitzer gritted his teeth. ‘What happened?! How did I not know about this?’

  Sefonia sighed, her antennae dropping. “I don’t know why you’re surprised about this. Between the Power Crystals and the numbers, they’ve got time on their side. We’ve only got so much to defend ourselves with.” She paused, pinching herself in the side before moving on. “Let’s not get lost thinking this through, please.”

  “Ergh…” Blitzer breathed in deep through his nose, the air whistling on the way in. “Hope we’ll find Sisu soon. Any lead’s welcome.” ‘And if we don’t find any, we don’t ever give up. I promised that long ago.’

  Sefonia’s feet shifted in the slush. “We’ll see,” she said, eyes fixed upon the cathedral gates in the distance.

  Passing by a handful of green-scarved Pokemon, half of whom hailed from warmer regions, the two dragons made their way down the street. Blitzer spaced out as he walked. The warmth from the fireplace had long faded, and he had naught but his body heat to keep him going. Rain soaked his scales, his feet felt like they’d gone through a swamp. They weren’t going to find Sisu on a whim. Someone had to go looking, and time was of the essence.

  Right as they approached the cathedral’s front entrance, the door leading to the nave opened on a hinge. Out stepped an impish figure, who tapped the gate with the back of her feet before walking off. She didn’t so much as peek over her shoulder to make sure it closed: not a worshipper, not her problem.

  And neither was she Blitzer and Sefonia’s problem. Not anymore. The two dragons stopped dead in their tracks, the Dragonite’s eyes narrowing, the Charizard’s jaw opening. They weren’t going to find Sisu on a whim. The other way around, however?

  “Seriously?” The Marshadow stuck her fists in her sides. “Now, of all times?”

  “Where in the world have you been?” Sefonia growled.

  “‘S what I’ve wanted to ask you guys!” Sisu half-yelled. “Swear, I’ve been looking all over the place. You two lunkheads both just disappeared on me! I mean, barracks? Nope, always gone by the time I got there. Front? Dunno where you’re assigned to!” She ranted away while shuffling towards them. “I mean, crap, here I was thinkin’ you just ditched me. Like, for no real reason. Did I set you off, or somethin’?”

  The Dragonite blocked Sisu with her tail, right as she wanted to pass on by. “Uh, hello? What do you think we’ve been doing? Dritch has been sticking orders in our faces, you think she’d slow down if we asked nicely enough?”

  “Orders?“ Sisu raised her chin up, her horns flickering. “What orders?”

  “Ergh.” Blitzer emerged besides Sefonia, the Dragonite’s tail making way for him to block Sisu instead. “We’re looking for Power Crystals. The ones the Smaugus uses. It’s been rough, and we need your help.”

  “Whoa, slow down there, Blitz!” The Marshadow raised her hands. “You’re looking for Power Crystals too? Like, Dritch asked you to?”

  “Yeah, what about it?” Sefonia tapped her feet. “Are you telling me you’ve been-”

  “Looking for them as well, because Dritch specifically asked me to?” Cutting her off, Sisu leaned so far forward, she needed to put a foot ahead of herself. Her two little horns curled around her largest as she tapped the side of her head. “Yeah, damn straight that’s what I’ve been doin’! And guess what? I can’t do this crap on my own, either. Guess what my plan’s been?”

  Blitzer frowned. “Get help from some greenscarves?”

  The Marshadow rolled her eyes. “Does your neck look green to you? Does hers?” she dismissively stuck a thumb out at Sefonia. A low growl rose up the Dragonite’s throat in response, her knuckles cracking as her claws squeezed into fists.

  “Grr! You mean to tell me you’ve been doing the same thing as us, and didn’t tell anyone?! Not even Dritch?!”

  Sisu now bawled her own fists. “What are you gettin’ mad at me for? She never told me a damn thing about you guys!”

  Blitzer’s frown disintegrated into a scowl, his body glowing red hot on the inside as his nerves went hyperactive. Sefonia and Sisu looked just about ready to jump for each other’s throats right then and there. Just when things were getting brighter, no less. They’d literally been looking for each other, now they wanted to tear the other’s skin off?

  Without thinking, and before the heat would shoot blue fire out of his eyes, the Charizard pushed himself in between the two, stretching a claw out to each. “Stop! STOP! Don’t start fighting now! We can talk this out, for gods’ sake!”

  Both the Dragonite and the Marshadow relaxed, looking annoyed more than anything as the Charizard got in between them, his tail flaring and flickering.

  “Didn’t need to get in between us, Blitz, but alright,” the Marshadow deadpanned; she glanced off to either the snow, or some unlucky ‘mon in the distance. Blitzer couldn’t tell.

  Sefonia kicked the slush off her feet. “Yeah, yeah. Gods damn me if we’d start fighting in the street, ugh,” she pouted. “Anyway. Can we just sit down and talk about this, then? I’d like to actually make something of my day, here.”

  “Suuuure,” Sisu drawled. “You want to get something to drink? Tea, maybe?”

  “Please.”

  Crisis averted, Blitzer thought. How a lucky coincidence nearly spiralled into a, he had no idea. Did Sefonia and Sisu hate each other? Sure, they weren’t on the best of terms, but of all the reasons to get aggressive with each other, this shouldn’t be one of them. It all was a bit much, and he ended up trailing them on the way to whichever tea house one of them selected, hoping that decision wouldn’t result in blows, either.

  * * *

  Fortunately, the worst didn’t come to pass. No need to look past the first place they found, which turned out to be a hole in the wall with a shelter. Blitzer, Sefonia, and Sisu weren’t sitting, but they weren’t catching rain, either. Since the cold hadn’t disappeared, it was Aspear tea for the three of them. Upon receiving the beverages, they moved from the wooden counter towards a nearby wall. It didn’t take long for questions to fill the silence.

  “So, you’re not kidding? Dritch never told you she gave us the same assignment?” Sefonia asked, steam coiling around her nose. Sisu nodded.

  “You know, if she actually told me, the last thing I’d do is go runnin’ off on my own. Look, I’m a crafty gal, if I’d say so myself. But I can’t lug a whole damn Crystal through a warzone all by myself, let alone with a hundred Anomalies trying to jump me. You’ve seen how big those things are, right?”

  “Uh-huh,” Blitzer grumbled. “But that’s what you’ve been up to, then? Multiple times?”

  Sisu blinked at him. “Yeah? I just said that.”

  The Charizard bared his upper teeth. “That’s crazy. I’ve tried to carry one of them myself. I’m just as big, yet they were still way too heavy. What chance did you have?” he asked, his tone growing deeper.

  The Marshadow raised her hands. “Hey, it was worth a try! Dritch wasn’t givin’ me any help, and I didn’t want to let anybody down. Did the best I could. Want to argue with me about that? Should ask why Dritch kept what I was doing a secret from you. I know I’d love to hear the bot spit out why.”

  Grumbling, Sefonia downed the rest of her cup, then forcefully set it back down on the counter before swallowing the tea. “Ask the Creator. She’s been talking to him everyday, right? Maybe he put the idea in her head.” She flicked her head sideways. “Who would’ve ever guessed? A clanker who worships gods. Not even all of ‘em, just one.”

  Sisu scoffed. “How blasphemous.”

  Sefonia scowled at her. “Bite me.”

  Blitzer hummed to himself, watching the Dragonite and Marshadow from up close to see if they wouldn’t get pissy with each other again. At least this time, they had a scapegoat. Not something you’d normally give compliments for, but exceptional situations required exceptions.

  Besides, Dritch’s motives were questionable. Why hide such a critical piece of information at all, let alone in times like this? What made her believe that was the right course of action? Was it a mistake? Or something less honest?

  The Charizard groaned, his tail flame flickering. Eravate had deceived him enough over the past year. Finding out the truth early felt like a blessing. And blessings should be cherished. Sisu’s feelings on the matter summed up Blitzer’s emotions nicely.

  “Right. Anyway, why don’t we confront that robot about this some other day? Let’s focus on getting Crystals first.”