Offscreen Activities

[Jackie Cat]

With Alexander gone, many Wayfarers will soon feel their hearts a little lighter, the load on their shoulders less heavy. Bad dreams abate, dark thoughts have a less vicious burn, Shadow becomes easier to manage. It's as if merely by being such a singularly powerful being, the world as it was had been bent towards the world as he imagined it – darker, crueller, more predatory. No longer. Things seem somehow... more normal.

Across Luctemar, dungeons are also returning to a more 'normal' level of activity, and the Shadow corruption is fading from those that were not already darkened. With so many offworlders – and such powerful offworlders – evicted from Forlas, the pressure on the skin of the world has clearly eased off considerably. So long as there's not another en masse arrival of offworlders, mystery dungeons should remain stable, if not return to their previous sizes and intensities.

Reportedly, the Ranger Union locked down an attempt to seize their Headquarters while coordinating militia efforts across the Soja', the Escarpa Clan kept voidlings at bay in the tunnels under Blaguarro (earning much favour with the locals), and a Shadow-seeped dungeon in the northern badlands was held fast by a lone Zeraora. From the west come rumours that Templefall Cavern was purified once again by a pair of light-wielding monks, while from the east there are reports of a dip in Vanguard activity in Novelux, and a dragon-riding knight sighted around Trembling Weft. It seems that wherever there were dungeons falling into Shadow, pokémon stepped up to face the threat. Many of these allies send their thanks and congratulations, in various forms, to the Wayfarers.

The Winter Arbiter – Lord Articuno – sends such a message of their own, and reports a full recovery from holding off Glastrier in the Wight Barrens. In it, they humbly request that the Wayfarers share any intelligence they gather on Glastrier, and expresses a wish to meet with representatives of the party soon to discuss next steps in their plan to investigate the dark corners of the Covenant of Light. It seems the paperwork to admit various Wayfarers to the organisation has gone through.

Brisa and Sonora – having held the fort in Bedaurejo Castle – start an impromptu celebration of sorts in the Wanderin' Zera, after telling the story to other patrons. Brisa is the happiest most have ever seen her, overjoyed at having had the chance to let loose against a foe without holding back. Sonora held her own with the help of her Radiance, and many, many drinks later, she embellishes the tale by claiming to have arrested Alexander as her first official collar as sheriff. This soon becomes popularly accepted fact. (It's impossible to tell who believes it sincerely and who's just committed to the bit.)

Shortly after the work of banishing Cipher is complete, Powehi appears to the Wayfarers in another collective dream. Although the risks were considerable, the threat of interminable corruption has been put down, and a dangerous faction entirely neutralised. Although he may not express gratitude, as such – mostly relief, and sombre expectation of further troubles to come – he does acknowledge the weight of the party's achievement, and that without their help he could only have protected Forlas through unthinkable sacrifice. As such, he extends his blessing for them to remain on Forlas for the time being, if they feel their mission is not yet concluded. He makes an opaque reference to the "artificial beacon" that makes it clear he thinks it worth investigating...

Leona, now more isolated than ever, has taken to searching for clues as to the nature and whereabouts of the world's natural 'beacon', in hopes of finding her own way home. On the way back from the Wight Barrens, Laura made a passing suggestion that Leona was a sort of Wayfarer in her own right, and while the wolf's response was non-committal, she's begun showing up to team meetings all the same.

 

[Jackie Cat]

After a few days for wounds to heal and preparations to be made, the Escarpa Clan throw a celebration at their winter camp. There's some ceremony, as Clan affairs go, but for the most part it's really just a giant party with lots of food and lots of alcohol. Singing, dancing, intimate relations, exhibition battles, and campfire storytelling are all on the (purely figurative) itinerary.

Zeraora Luz makes an appearance, despite insisting more than once that her partying years are long-passed. She still out-drinks everyone and wins any arm-wrestling challenge made to her. Brisa attends wearing more clanner-typical garb than usual, along with Sonora, who does her best to keep the Luxio's lingering discomfort at bay. (Mostly through liberal application of whiskey and similar libations.) By nightfall, Brisa is in decent spirits having deftly introduced the likes of Luxray Viento and Piedra to the taste of dirt.

The Wayfarers are invited! That is, provided they're enough fun to be worth keeping around~

(It's not really Laura's thing, but she goes anyway and puts away enough cider to be half-asleep and giggly by the end of the night.)

 

[Chibi Pika]

The Escarpa clan's festivities last well into the moonlit night, and before long, it's attracted the attention of that wandering storm, the Roaming Cyclone himself. He claims that he only came to retrieve the Stormbringer's relic from Steven's safekeeping, but ends up staying long enough to scarf down six helpings of roast wild bouffalant, regaling the clan with the tale of his and the Wayfarers' journey into the Dark Thunderhead. Before leaving, he eagerly takes on all challengers and puts over a dozen Escarpa warriors in the dust before growing tired.

The longest night has passed, and longer days are ahead.

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova has... generally been in a rut of sorts following the fight in the voidlands. The Alexander business had taken most of his energy and attention. So, now that it was done he's somewhat directionless. Nova ends up going to buy a manual plough and smoothing out some of the land around Brisa's cabin. He gets a hold of some seeds to grow produce... and tries to use his Grass, Water, and Fire memories to start a garden.

He attends the festivities and... attempts to regale the clan recounting how he, Silver, and Grace were the trio holding the line directly against Alexander down in the Voidlands. And how the idiot hydreigon could barely touch him. He offers to demonstrate his... resilience against those interested in trying him and his Guardian.

 

[Tetra]

In the couple days following their victory against Alexander, Koa feels a great sense of relief. Not just because that stupid ugly wretched dragon is finally gone, but watching Cipher leave, especially Ein, awakens a smug satisfaction in him. Finally he doesn't have to share the same breathing space as that Manectric.

His dreams are weird in the day or two after but he tries not to think too hard about them. They'd won, definitely and decisively, and the world was a little brighter for it. And that is what Koa chooses to dwell on.

---

Koa decides to make an appearance at the party, even if he isn't a big party kind of person. Cipher is gone, Alex is dead and he's happy to celebrate that. Plus it gives him an excuse to hang out with Brisa a little and watch her fight. Cheering her on while she duels is a familiar and pleasant feeling. The Cyclone making an appearance wasn't on his bingo sheet but he's shed most of his previous dislike for the Saint and is happy to see the Saint.

Naturally of course, he's among the first to challenge him to fight, and then probably a rematch too. Even if he can't win, it's fun to pit himself against a legendary. And after their battle together against Alex, he's less annoyed by the Cyclone (but no less opinionated about his takes). If Koa can manage to convince Brisa to join him in a fight against the Cyclone, he definitely gives that a shot too.

He asks Luz about any cool stories she has to share about Saints she's met. Once, he sneaks a sip of cider because he can't help but be curious, but mainly it makes him feel weird. Nostalgic? And the flavor is strange. He's not entirely sure why people are so into these drinks. It's nice to celebrate a solid victory though.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Gladion is there for the Escarpa party. He needs the break between this and tackling all the other stuff on his to-do list. As much as his instinct is to hunker down and isolate when he's stressed, he also knows some good food and company would be better for him than doing that. Hell, he didn't burst into flames, explode, or immediately become an alcoholic when he had a beer with Brisa, so maybe sticking with the black and white perception of alcohol he got from Lusamine wasn't actually necessary, maybe the family history of addiction came from being a bunch of emotionally fucked up rich bastards, maybe he didn't actually have to be completely petrified of the idea that his inner censor might come down a little among friends.

He finds he likes sweeter drinks, like cider and mead. Turns out that he, perhaps unsurprisingly given his species, has a pretty good tolerance for the stuff. That realization lets him get a little complacent as the night goes on, ending up a little less than sober and unearthing an uncharacteristic willingness to show affection towards his friends. Nova, Laura, Halcón, hell, even though he's only really spoken to Brisa and Sonora once he came away from it trusting them and is congratulatory towards their whatever they've got going on.

Exhibition battles are a good time. He didn't figure out how to use Shadow Resentment what that itch of shadow beneath his skin was against Eldes, and certainly won't figure it out tonight. In fact, he doesn't feel it at all. It's normal, mundane fights for him that night, he only needs to try one corrupting force at a time thank you very much. Hearing stories from Escarpa warriors is interesting to him, too. He's more than willing to offer up what happened to the team as a whole in Terminal One, but anyone who pays enough attention to how he tells it might notice that details on what he did are scarcer than the parts of the story about Nascour and Alexander. The similarities between him and Eldes are too personal to get into with strangers, even under the influence of alcohol. He... got one of their superiors to stand down. That's all.

He has a good night- he really did need it. Even if he's mildly embarrassed by the memories of vulnerability the next morning.

 

[Inkedust]

After the battle with Alexander, the Blazing Twilight returns to Frontier Town to retrieve the Blazing Dawn's relic from Jade. Though she was aware of the Escarpa's celebrations, Moltres abstained from appearing as she had no connection to the clan nor did she care to cross paths with Zapdos any time soon. Instead, she flies off and chooses to stay in Blaguarro for the time being. She is last seen speaking to Tala and Anite although none share what was said between them.

---

In the week following the successful raid and banishment of Terminal One, Cipher, and Alexander, Bellatrix settled back into her usual routine, acting as if nothing had happened. Perhaps she would attend and drink at the odd celebration or two out of obligation (or if Odette had been there) but it seemed that the zoroark hadn't spared the Wayfarer's achievement any further thought as to her, they were just another set of names on her long list of successful bounties.

However, as the days passed, one thing left Bellatrix more restless than usual...

It seemed that, despite word of dungeon activity settling throughout all of Luctemar, one dungeon located on a remote lake island within Tyrrier's borders, had lit up like a beacon – its golden light splitting the night sky in two – and continued to shine for several days. It was, undoubtedly, the very same Radiant Dungeon Powehi had opened a pathway to in order cripple Alexander as the hydreigon had attempted his getaway and it was now the open target in a race between any faction that had taken interest.

But to most laymon this was nothing special, just another one of Tyrrier's oddities. As it turned out, Tyrrier had been a hotbed of strange activity for several months and Bellatrix's ensuing research into local newspapers and tabloids revealed a whole host of rumours and accounts, though it was impossible to tell which ones were true or bogus. These included but weren't limited to...

• Abnormal behaviour in the region's wild pokémon, particularly within the murkrow and gyarados populations. Although the Wayfarers were very familiar with the murkrows' odd behaviour, there had also been many reports from fishers, researchers and nearby settlements of a gyarados in Lake Lazuli who would often surface to watch any passerby. Its bizzare lack of aggression earned it the nickname of "the Watcher" among the locals.
• Reports of local spirits tampering with signs and landmarks causing travellers to lose their way in the Tyrrian wilderness. More "professional" articles claim that this is the work of a mischievous Saint but there is little evidence of this beyond baseless speculation.
• The appearance of odd glyphs, carved into tree trunks, branches and standing stones, across Tyrrier's forests. The source is widely agreed to be extraterrestrial as nobody is able to make sense of any of the markings or trace who or whatever may be responsible.
• Elgyem and beeheeyem are said to roam the wide open areas of Tyrrier to abduct anyone unlucky enough to cross paths with them. The fates of the abducted remain unknown as they were never seen again but the bones of unidentified pokémon were spotted nearby.
• Whisperings of a local lord who invites the denizens of their citadel into their castle to feast on them. Though articles appear to initially dismiss this one, they can't seem to help but throw the term "vampire" or the more exotic "strigòi" before the tabloid's end to muddy the waters for the sake of intrigue.

Perhaps Seir, the ninetales who hailed from Tyrrier, might know more about this. The Wayfarers ought to visit some time soon...

 

[Jackie Cat]

He offers to demonstrate his... resilience against those interested in trying him and his Guardian.

Several Escarpa find enormous entertainment value in treating a (willing) Nova like a glorified 'high striker' carnival game. (There was one in Frontier Town in '80, and some youths tried it out. They broke it. They didn't pay.) They make a decent showing collectively, but Nova is already as tough as they come in this world. Even Brisa and Zapdos aren't quite able to shatter his Substitute with a single attack!

Zapdos's Thunderous Kick dealt 82/101 dmg! No dice!

He earns plenty of offers from admiring clanners afterwards – for free drinks, and for warm beds.

Cheering her on while she duels is a familiar and pleasant feeling. The Cyclone making an appearance wasn't on his bingo sheet but he's shed most of his previous dislike for the Saint and is happy to see the Saint.

Naturally of course, he's among the first to challenge him to fight, and then probably a rematch too. Even if he can't win, it's fun to pit himself against a legendary. And after their battle together against Alex, he's less annoyed by the Cyclone (but no less opinionated about his takes). If Koa can manage to convince Brisa to join him in a fight against the Cyclone, he definitely gives that a shot too.

Zapdos is more than happy to oblige. Alone, Koa is little match for the Cyclone, but he puts up enough of a showing to get a round of laudatory shouts and cries from the clanners.

Together with Brisa, however – and after an evening of heavy drinking on Zapdos' part – the duo put the bird through his paces, equalling his strength with an astonishing level of coordination for two 'mon who've literally never battled together in this world.

Brisa and Koa end the night bruised and bloodied from the adrenaline-soaked contest, but they emerge victorious, with the Cyclone yielding at last to one of the Luxio's blindingly-powerful blows. He thanks them for a rare worthy battle, and promises them a serious rematch when he's rested. And sober.

He asks Luz about any cool stories she has to share about Saints she's met. Once, he sneaks a sip of cider because he can't help but be curious, but mainly it makes him feel weird. Nostalgic?

Luz has met a few Saints here and there on her travels. She tells of the Pacifist Princeling, adored by the Lucre tribes for teaching the art of navigation to their ancestors, and for embodying the virtues of diplomacy, empathy, and joy. She tells of the Sword Saints, a quartet of knights who serve no master but justice, and who band together to cut down any tyrants who should arise among Tenacine nobility. She tells of the Two Aeons, who have weathered their old age (without their bright souls fading) by keeping a promise to befriend at least one mortal for each moon that passes since their ascendance.

(The Saints aren't as perfect as the brighter tales would imply – but the tales are true.)

Later, Koa catches Brisa giving him an odd look. As if there were something on the tip of her tongue... that she just can't remember.

He finds he likes sweeter drinks, like cider and mead. Turns out that he, perhaps unsurprisingly given his species, has a pretty good tolerance for the stuff. That realization lets him get a little complacent as the night goes on, ending up a little less than sober and unearthing an uncharacteristic willingness to show affection towards his friends. Nova, Laura, Halcón, hell, even though he's only really spoken to Brisa and Sonora once he came away from it trusting them and is congratulatory towards their whatever they've got going on.

Exhibition battles are a good time. He didn't figure out how to use Shadow Resentment what that itch of shadow beneath his skin was against Eldes, and certainly won't figure it out tonight. In fact, he doesn't feel it at all. It's normal, mundane fights for him that night, he only needs to try one corrupting force at a time thank you very much. Hearing stories from Escarpa warriors is interesting to him, too. He's more than willing to offer up what happened to the team as a whole in Terminal One, but anyone who pays enough attention to how he tells it might notice that details on what he did are scarcer than the parts of the story about Nascour and Alexander. The similarities between him and Eldes are too personal to get into with strangers, even under the influence of alcohol. He... got one of their superiors to stand down. That's all.

He has a good night- he really did need it. Even if he's mildly embarrassed by the memories of vulnerability the next morning.

Laura is plenty affectionate after a round of cider and mead, and tells Gladion that he's, like, her bestie, he's f— uh, fuckin' great, great guy, one of her favourites, and d-does he like her? As a friend, she means. 'Cause. She thinks she likes girls mostly? If anyone, haha. He's gay, right? Pretty sure he's gay. Probably gay. Anyway, he's one of her best friends now. And she's super happy about it.

Halcón knows better than to take liberties with a civilised boy, especially one trying strong drink for the first time. He spends part of his evening in easy, pleasant conversation with Gladion, making deadpan, sanguine quips to gently roast other partygoers. He gives Gladion a peck on the cheek at the end of the night, and says he hopes that Wayfarer business in the Commonwealth won't keep Gladion from visiting.

Laura's, like, pretty sure Halcón's gay too. She's got, like, a hunch.

At one point, Gladion is among those that Sonora steers Brisa into, while managing her friend's social anxiety. Brisa gets a chance to hear Gladion's abridged account of the great battle, and is reassuringly normal about the heavier stuff he elides over. Gladion, if he'd like, gets a chance to hear more about Brisa, and what she's been through. There's plenty to tell. Some of it obviously has an effect on Sonora, who naturally must still feel strangely from time to time about their reconciliation, what's to come next, and the time Brisa spent with Starr.

Laura's dead certain these bitches gay. Good for them! Good for them.

 

[Jackie Cat]

As it turned out, Tyrrier had been a hotbed of strange activity for several months and Bellatrix's ensuing research into local newspapers and tabloids revealed a whole host of rumours and accounts, though it was impossible to tell which ones were true or bogus.

Laura spends some of her time in the run-up to the Shining Congress cross-referencing what she knows from her Earth with what she can research locally, trying to figure out what's bullshit and what's real. Obviously something's real, even if it's just dungeon-induced environmental disturbance and local rich people being creepy, weird assholes.

She has a pet theory that maybe some of the odd behaviour by 'wild' 'mon means they're not actually wild 'mon? She knows it's a taboo to forgo wearing some kind of sapience indicator, but lots of cultures barely wear anything anyway, and it's easy to miss stuff like that if visual conditions are poor. Not that it would explain why they'd behave like that, if she was even right.

Elgyem are just kinda like that though. They love abducting people to shake them down, or just mess with them before sending them home with their heads scrambled. That part's real. They definitely don't eat people, though, and they... probably don't eat sapient 'mon?

 

[Butterfree]

Dave attends the Escarpa party, of course; it's free booze, so why not. There's singing and fighting and everyone's trying to bed each other. Dave has drunk enough to almost start thinking about trying to chat up some of the Escarpa girls before he remembers they're all a bunch of fucking Pokémon.

More importantly, he realizes Brisa's there. Jesse Stranger and Sierra Escarpa's half-human daughter, the one they'd been trying to find for most of this entire ordeal, before everyone got distracted by all the bullshit that's been going on since the whole rescue expedition.

She's there, a Luxio decked out in traditional Escarpa accessories, taking on battles to eager cheers from the other clanners. After she and Koa manage to successfully beat Zapdos into the dirt (satisfying), he approaches her tentatively.

"Hey, uh. Brisa...? We haven't met, but, uh, Gerome mentioned you'd been missing for a while, as well as your dad, and we were out looking for you for a while. Glad to see you home safe."

That might be a weird fucking thing to say to someone he doesn't even know. "I've, uh, also got a daughter who's half-human and tends to get treated like shit for it," he adds, grasping for an explanation. He doesn't even know why this girl seems so important in all this and the actual reasons are all muddled by alcohol. "We also want to find your partner Starr," he manages. That one's better. "We, uh, think we were summoned to help her."

 

[Jackie Cat]

Brisa snorts at Dave's clumsy introduction. Haven't we? she mouths to herself when he says they haven't met. But, no, she can't recall speaking to the guy. Guess they haven't met, then.

"Hang fire," she drawls, "half-human daughter? Back in yer own world, somehow?"

One stop-start explanation later, Dave has endeared himself to Brisa somewhat. Seems like she's got a soft spot for weirdos, outcasts, and monsters. (Even if Dave reminds her a little bit of her pa.)

She's coming around to this idea that the Wayfarers were meant to help Starr, or at least she's willing to entertain their collective offer to help her. One way or another, she's determined to get her back and snuff out any Lanterns that get in her goddamn way. Dave's alignment on this sticks with her – he's that dog fella as means to strike east with her. Good.

Judging from her quiet attentiveness to her flask of mead, Sonora sure ain't sure how to feel about it. Is she going east, too? Or, no, she'll surely be staying behind to serve as sheriff? It's a tough one for a gal who doesn't want to become irrelevant again so soon...

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven politely declines to go to the Escarpa party (though he asks those going to send his regards to the clan), opting instead to go somewhere in Frontier Town for a quieter celebration. He leaves an open invitation at the front desk of the Haus for anyone, Wayfarer or friend-of, who cares to join him at the Sun Stone. In the same breath, he makes a point to pay a visit to Lucien and invite him as well.

The day after the Escarpa party, Steven crosses paths with the Roaming Cyclone while outside of town. He could have done without the surprise cyclone dropping out of the sky on a clear, blue day and scaring him half to death, but it felt good to hand the Stormbringer's Relic back to its rightful protector.

With the dangers posed by both Alexander and Cipher eliminated, Steven sends correspondence to Sybil at Ranger HQ. Now that it's safe(er) to travel with the Relic, he wonders if she'd be willing to accompany him to Blauguarro with said Relic in order to attempt to cure the locals there who have suffered from Cipher's shadowification. If she agrees, he has his mind made up to deliver the news to Reno first, just like he'd promised.
(@Inkedust)

 

[Jackie Cat]

In the same breath, he makes a point to pay a visit to Lucien and invite him as well.

Lucien is delighted to accompany Steven for a pleasant evening at the Sun Stone. Ever since the election, he's looking happier and healthier – far less stress weighing him down. Although he is somewhat perturbed by the stakes of the Wayfarers' latest battle. Was Steven safe? Will he be safe in the east? Ah, but he cannot hope to persuade his offworlder friend to stay out of world-saving business, can he.

 

[Sinderella]

While initially wrinkling her nose at the idea of a kegger party, Odette decides she has nothing to lose by attending. After getting a drink or two in her, she takes it upon herself to sing a couple of songs--or perhaps more--as with the more heavier drinks she ingested (that managed to break through her steel-type resistance, of course) the more, uh, comfortable she got. Neither her voice or her dancing skills wavered, but her inhibitions sure did.

When she finally managed a moment of clarity, she was sitting between a few lustful looking Escarpa members and then some. She could not remember their names, nor how she'd ended up in such a pile, and that was when she realized she was far too drunk for whatever the fuck was about to happen.

"I...I'm gonna go get some water," she said. She spent the rest of the night nursing glasses upon glasses of water and hoping her young mentee wasn't paying enough attention to see his mentor was an absolute horny buffoon.

 

[Phoenixsong]

Well. First: nap forever. Then they deserved a god damn party. Then they'd get to the bottom of this.

Leaf is glad someone around here has their priorities straight. A huge party's just what the doctor ordered: friends, food, stories, battles, cheering and laughing loud and wholehearted enough that you forget how tired and sore you are. She makes sure Leona knows about it and encourages her to join in if she's interested/wasn't planning to already.

She has a fantastic time on the night itself. The blow-by-blow of how the Thunderhead squad exploded a hole right out the back of Alexander's head gets a very emphatic retelling to anyone who'll listen. She doesn't join in on the Zapdos brawls herself—giving the impression, fairly convincingly, that she just doesn't feel like it tonight and isn't at all disappointed—but does raucously cheer on her friends as they give the Saint a run for his money. Just watching enough fights in a row without participating makes Leaf antsy, though, and eventually (and after a few tastes of cider, no, of course she didn't know it was spiked, entirely innocent mistake, definitely, shut up) she does take the opportunity to throw down with a few willing clanners, see if she can toss a couple around before the night's done.

Maybe her leg's a little janky afterward; maybe there'll be another couple forevers of naps after this. Screw it. They'd won. They'd searched and they'd struggled and they'd fought some kind of impossible god-muppet and they'd kept going and they'd won. If that ain't worth a killer party, nothing is.

 

[JFought]

Isidora's attendence of the Escarpa party is fueled part by obligation, part by curiosity, and part by restlessness. She was always more of a loiterer at big social events, and this one turns out to be no different as she sits to the side with notebook and pen. Still, she enjoys the energy, making some small conversation, listening to the singing, and watching Laura get way drunker than she probably meant to. Alexander is gone, Nascour is dead, and Cipher is banished. It felt good, to revel in the victory of having helped make that happen.

Watching everyone have fun, an odd feeling stirs in her chest. Her relations to most of the other Wayfayers were no less tenuous, but in a way it never had before, it really occurs to her that she is still nevertheless one of them. That she is a part of something, something worth being proud of. It feels good, and yet, it also makes her anxious. She enjoys a couple sips of cider (not too much, strangely she's not in the mood to get drunk), and takes a couple challenges from some overeager and/or inebriated clanners (if only to get them off her tail). But she ends up spending most of her time observing the festivities and obsessively taking notes on everything she sees, with the graveness of a chronicler writing their final testimony...

All these recent experiences seem to have "unblocked" something, and she wakes up the next morning feeling different. Sometime between the celebration and the Shining Congress excursion, that feeling coalesces, and Isidora finally evolves. She's surprised by how painless it is.

 

[Inkedust]

Laura spends some of her time in the run-up to the Shining Congress cross-referencing what she knows from her Earth with what she can research locally, trying to figure out what's bullshit and what's real. Obviously something's real, even if it's just dungeon-induced environmental disturbance and local rich people being creepy, weird assholes.

Laura would find that trying to discern what's truth and what's fiction was rather difficult as many articles and tabloids would latch onto one detail and run with it, often only citing each other. However, with enough time and dedication, Laura would be able to reach these conclusions:

• The odd behaviour of the murkrow could be the doing of a honchkrow. The birds seem to listen to any honchkrow, regardless of whether or not it is wild. However, this still leaves questions as to why this honchkrow masterminded what was effectively a spy network across Luctemar and what they may be planning...
• The gyarados, based on eye-witness reports, is most certainly wild with no real explanation surrounding its behaviour.
• The glyphs were definitely real but there is nothing to indicate the origin or perpetrator other than it must've been a pokémon with particularly sharp claws.
• The rumours surrounding the elgyem and beeheeyem turn out to have stemmed from a single event that can be considered to be nothing more than an unlucky coincidence. It doesn't appear to be worth investigating further.
• The "vampire" seems to point towards a local lord who had taken charge of a citadel just as these odd events had started to occur. It seems to be a matter of coincidence and the lord himself being described to be rather... odd.

With the dangers posed by both Alexander and Cipher eliminated, Steven sends correspondence to Sybil at Ranger HQ. Now that it's safe(er) to travel with the Relic, he wonders if she'd be willing to accompany him to Blauguarro with said Relic in order to attempt to cure the locals there who have suffered from Cipher's shadowification. If she agrees, he has his mind made up to deliver the news to Reno first, just like he'd promised.

With the dangers surrounding Shadows fully dealt with and the far larger Radiant-based distraction taking up most of the attention, Sybil feels safe enough to travel with the Relic and agrees to travel with Steven to Blauguarro. She agrees to stay in Blauguarro to help purify the populace and intends to remain until there is no further use for the Relic there.

When Steven delivers the news to Reno, the noctowl is as happy as a Shadowed pokémon can be and, thanks to his efforts and the support of Mav, is able to be purified with little hassle. Reno is incredibly thankful and he and Mav invite Steven to the Dragon's Cellar to celebrate.

 

[Ambyssin]

He earns plenty of offers from admiring clanners afterwards – for free drinks, and for warm beds.

Nova accepts drink offers... potentially drinking them under the table thanks to his larger size (and Poison Memory). His response to the others is a more tongue-and-cheek "I'm a 'sleep under the stars' sorta guy."

 

[Jackie Cat]

So are they.

 

[Shadow Serenity]

After her sudden evolution, Kimiko spends most of that large gap of time at Sun Stone, keeping to her work. Though borne of her determination for action and expecting progress, instead she finds regression. Her doubts and fears amplified, and she shies away from any mention of Alexander or his shadowy influence, citing similarities to her home world that she is not ready to face yet to any who question her. Truth or not, she is mercifully left alone, for the most part. She continues her job easily, able to sing and perform as though nothing was wrong, but otherwise locking herself in her room on her off-nights. Sleep is difficult, especially while her allies are off for the second time fighting for their lives without her.

Had the success party happened anywhere else, Kimiko would not have attended. But in the Escarpa she saw an opportunity to begin to right her wrongs. What she needed was a good kick in the ass to kick some ass and get herself back in the fighting mindset, and where better to do that? She deflects any and all praise directed at her; she had no real part in taking down Alexander, and would not take credit for cowering in her quarters. Her entire evening is dedicated solely to fighting anyone who accepts her challenge and promises to go all-out, no holding back, starting with Zapdos - it won't make up for abandoning the team when it mattered, but at the very least, should they accept, she could say she tested herself against the Saint, regardless.

Most of her sparring matches end in a swift defeat, but she does manage to get back on her feet after each one, rejuvenating with a snack or a drink while she catches her breath in between bouts, only to dive into the next one. She does manage to get her rhythm going and start holding her own as the night progresses and she begins breaking out of her mental slump. It's a start.