The sun dipped behind the western trees, casting long golden streaks across the winding streets of Avia's Hollow.
For Shion, it was like stepping into another world.
The town was alive a swirl of sound, scent, and color. Wooden stalls lined the cobblestone streets, their canopies fluttering in the breeze. A pair of musicians played near a fountain, their melodic tune harmonizing with the distant clanging of a blacksmith's forge. Flying-type Pokémon swooped between rooftops, perching on hanging signs and chimneys.
Shion wandered cautiously, a little overwhelmed.
This was nothing like Riverleaf.
He glanced around, realizing with a cold jolt that he'd forgotten where the inn was.
"…I think I'm lost."
"Shocking," Bidoof muttered from the inside of Shion's satchel, his round head poking out like a disgruntled berry. "Put the farm boy in a circle and he walks in a square."
"Do you want to walk again?"
"…I love this bag. Please don't remove me."
Shion approached a pair of older women sweeping their shopfront. "Excuse me do you know where the Hollow Hearth Inn is?"
"Oh, of course, dear," one said, smiling. "Go past the bakery, take a right at the painted lantern, and it's just across from the florist."
"Thank you!"
"First time in Avia's Hollow?" asked the other, curious.
Shion nodded. "Just passing through."
"Then be careful, lad. There's been talk of wild Pokémon on the outskirts. Strange behavior. Red eyes."
He hesitated. "Right… thanks."
He followed their directions and soon found the inn.
It was a three-story timber-and-stone building with ivy curling up the sides and wind chimes hanging over the entrance. The sign swayed gently overhead: Hollow Hearth Inn – Warm Beds, Hot Meals, No Questions Asked.
Inside, it was warm and cozy. A fire crackled in a wide hearth. Lanterns glowed along the walls, and travelers murmured over mugs and plates. A long wooden counter sat beneath a shelf full of keys and bundled herbs.
The innkeeper a round man with a mustache that looked like it had its own mood looked up as Shion entered.
"Evenin'. You the one from Master Dunlin's cart?"
"Yes. I'm Shion."
"Well then, right this way! You're in luck last free room on the second floor."
---
The room was simple but clean. A small window let in the last orange light of sunset. There was a wash basin, a wooden dresser, and most importantly a soft bed.
The moment the door closed behind them, Bidoof launched himself from the satchel and onto the bed, belly-first.
"By the heavens, the softness!" he cried, flopping like a Magikarp.
He rolled onto his back, already snoring, a bubble of snot slowly inflating from his nose.
Shion stared. "Unbelievable."
Kiba, who had been quietly walking beside them the whole time, curled up in a corner with a soft grunt. Shion crouched beside him, brushing a hand over his fur.
"You did a lot today. I'll take you to the town clinic tomorrow, alright?"
Kiba gave a tired bark, nuzzling into his pack.
Shion unpacked, stretched, and was about to collapse into bed himself when his stomach growled like a wild Gible.
"Right… food."
---
Downstairs
Shion found a seat near the fire. The warmth was comforting, and the hum of conversation helped ease his nerves. He ordered a simple meal: roast bread, carrot-root stew, and a small slice of honeyed fruitcake.
It wasn't his mother's cooking… but it was warm, and it filled his belly.
Around him, travelers shared stories. A pair of cloaked traders discussed a cart crash near the southern pass. A woman in guard leathers leaned in, whispering about "another red-eyed Pinsir" spotted near the orchard.
Shion frowned.
He was hearing about red-eyed Pokémon more often now. The pattern was no longer a coincidence.
Was this really all because Arceus lost its Plates? Or was something worse happening behind the scenes?
The door slammed open.
Everyone in the inn turned.
A tall girl stepped inside, her presence sharp as a dagger through the warm air.
She looked older than Shion maybe by a few years with long, wind-tangled black hair and a thin scar cutting just below one eye. Her gear was dusty: hardened boots, a traveler's coat with multiple tears, and leather gloves stained by long use.
Her Poké Ball belt clinked when she moved.
"Evenin', Rowen," she said to the innkeeper, casually dropping a few coins on the counter.
Rowen the innkeeper stood a little straighter. "Ah, Miss Kaela. Back again?"
"Need a room and a meal. Long day."
"Right away!"
Without another word, she turned and strode toward Shion's table.
He blinked, confused, watching as she pulled out the chair across from him and sat down like she owned the place.
He gawked. "Uh…"
She glared at him. "What're you staring at?"
"I sorry! I just I didn't expect"
"You're in my seat."
"…Oh. Sorry. I didn't know—"
She didn't say anything else. Just leaned back and crossed her arms while the innkeeper brought her a plate of stew and roasted meat.
Shion ate quietly.
This had to be her regular spot. That must be it.
He tried not to look up, focusing on his food.
But his mind wandered.
Who was she?
She looked like she'd fought a dozen wild Pokémon before breakfast. She had that air of danger not wild, but trained. Battle-worn.
He wondered if she'd seen red-eyed Pokémon too.
He wondered
"Eat faster," she muttered without looking at him. "You chew like a Piplup."
Shion gulped.
This was going to be a long dinner.
The inn was filled with the hum of conversation again, but at Shion's table, there was nothing but silence and awkward chewing.
Kaela sat across from him, spooning up her stew with deliberate rhythm. She didn't say a word. Occasionally, her sharp eyes glanced at him, and Shion swore she was trying to figure out his battle record, life story, and blood type all in one look.
Shion focused on his food, pretending to be invisible.
Then she spoke.
"So," Kaela said, voice flat, "you just wander around looking like a lost Hoothoot, or do you actually know what you're doing?"
Shion nearly choked on his bread.
"Wh-What?"
Kaela didn't smile. "You're not from here. You've got that look. Country bumpkin, maybe?"
Shion bristled. "I'm from Riverleaf. It's a farming village west of here."
"Never heard of it," she said, dipping another spoonful of stew. "What're you doing in Avia's Hollow?"
Shion hesitated. He couldn't exactly say 'I'm following a talking Bidoof because it's actually Arceus and I'm looking for magical plates to restore balance to the world.'
"…Just traveling," he said quickly. "Seeing the world a little."
"On your own?"
"Yeah."
She raised an eyebrow. "That's bold. Or dumb."
He blinked. "Excuse me?"
Kaela leaned back, her plate half-empty already. "No offense. Just saying most people your age don't last a week in the wild unless they've got serious experience or something to prove."
Shion's fingers tightened around his fork. "I'm doing fine."
"Sure," she said casually. "Did your Lycanroc evolve naturally?"
That caught him off guard.
"How'd you ?"
"I saw it earlier in town . Orange fur. Not a color you see in the wild. You train it yourself?"
"…Yeah. Kiba's been with me since I was a kid."
Kaela tilted her head. "Hm. So you're not totally helpless."
Shion wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or insulted. "Thanks, I guess?"
She went quiet again. For a moment, Shion almost thought she was done with the conversation until she added:
"You've seen one, haven't you?"
Shion looked up. "What?"
"One of the red-eyed Pokémon. You've seen it."
His hand froze halfway to his mouth.
"…Yeah," he admitted. "An Ursaring. It attacked my village."
Kaela nodded slowly. "You're lucky to be alive. Most people who run into them don't make it back."
There was something in her voice not exactly sympathy. But maybe… understanding.
"Have you seen one too?" Shion asked.
Kaela looked down at her food, then pushed her bowl away.
"I've fought four."
Shion blinked. "Four?!"
"They're getting stronger," she said. "And braver. They're not just wild Pokémon acting up they're… wrong. I don't know how else to explain it."
Shion sat with that thought. "Do you think it's spreading?"
"Yeah," Kaela said simply. "And I think something's behind it."
Before Shion could say more, the front door slammed open again, but this time with more than just bravado.
It was a bloodied man, breath ragged, arm wrapped in cloth that was soaked red.
"HELP!" he shouted, staggering into the common room. "T-the shrine up by the Tornadus shrine something's attacking! A flying Pokémon eyes red like fire it attacked the shrine maidens!"
People gasped.
Several stood at once. The guards in the corner knocked over their mugs as they scrambled to gather weapons.
Kaela was already on her feet.
"Where?" she asked sharply.
"The cliffs. Just above the cedar ridge " the man choked. "It...it screamed. Never heard a sound like that in my life—"
Kaela didn't wait.
She grabbed her satchel and ran out the door.
Shion stood half-up from his chair, caught between shock and instinct.
"Wait!" he called, but Kaela was already gone.
He looked back at his food, untouched now. Then to the other patrons, whispering in fear.
The Tornadus shrine. He remembered Dunlin mentioning it a sacred place, a pillar of stone where wind-type Pokémon were once worshipped.
And now… something was attacking it.
---
The wind was colder near the cliffs.
Kaela ran, boots pounding the forest trail as she cut through the trees with practiced speed. Her black hair whipped behind her like a banner, and her eyes burned with focus.
Her partner a sleek Noivern soared above, flapping silently through the dusk air.
She could hear the sounds now.
The screeching.
Unnatural. Twisted. Like metal tearing through the wind.
As she crested the final rise, the shrine came into view.
It sat atop a ring of stone, with tall cedar trees surrounding a sacred obelisk carved with Tornadus's crest. Wind chimes clanged violently in the air. Papers and offerings were scattered.
And in the center
A creature screeched again.
It was a Talonflame but wrong.
Its feathers were torn and burned, its eyes glowing red, its talons sparking with a crackling black energy. It flapped wildly, lashing out at a shrine maiden hiding behind a tree.
Kaela's hand snapped to her belt.
"Get away from her!" she shouted, hurling a Poké Ball.
In a flash, her Manectric appeared, growling, electricity snapping at its jaws.
"Talonflame!" she started to call, but the creature spun midair and launched an air slash toward her.
Kaela dove aside as the blast carved a deep gouge through the ground where she'd stood.
The shrine trembled.
"This one's worse than the others," she hissed.
Manectric barked in readiness.
"electric Terrain!"
Her Pokémon surged forward, sparks flooding the ground in a radius. Talonflame shrieked as its wings clipped the edge, struggling to keep balance.
"Now! Thunder Fang!"
Manectric leapt up and clamped its jaws onto Talonflame's wing.
The corrupted bird screamed and twisted, slamming into the shrine pillar and shaking loose a flurry of feathers and stone chips. It retaliated with a wild Flame Charge, forcing Manectric back, but Kaela was already moving.
"Echo! Cut it off!"
Her Noivern swooped in from behind, launching a burst of Air Slash that clipped the Talonflame's flight path and sent it tumbling.
The bird hit the ground, twitching, its red eyes still glowing but fading.
Kaela approached, slowly.
"…What happened to you?" she muttered.
She reached into her pouch, pulling out a thin vial filled with green mist. "Sleep powder mix. Hope this works…"
But just as she stepped forward, Talonflame screeched again, louder than before and launched itself into the sky in a final burst of flame.
Kaela shielded her eyes.
When she looked again, the bird was gone—leaving behind a scorched crater and a burning scent in the wind.