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Description

My submissions for the June 2023 event! They’re in chronological order as natural continuations of each other. They may get moved to a stash or google doc after being processed so that the description is not overwhelming.

LEVELS

Part 1
1278 words total
Harajuku - 14 (1200 words) + 5 (Trainer) + 4 (NPC) = 23

Part 2
2540 words total
Harajuku - 29 (2500 words) + 5 (Trainer) = 34
Nihao - 8 (800 words) + 5 (Trainer) = 13
Tibbles - 8 (800 words) + 5 (Trainer) = 13
Andromedei - honorable mention

Part 3
2273 words total
Harajuku - 26 (2200 words) + 5 (Trainer) + 4 (NPC) = 35
Nihao - 17 (1500 words) + 5 (Trainer) + 4 (NPC) = 26
Tibbles - 17 (1500 words) + 5 (Trainer) + 4 (NPC) = 26
Cael - 2 (200 words) + 5 (Trainer) + 4 (NPC) = 11
Rosegold - 15 (1300 words) + 5 (Trainer) + 4 (NPC) + 2 (Type Bonus) = 27



Hara was daydreaming about the warm spot under the window of the shop where the sun hit just right.

Normally, because she was big enough to muscle into the space if one of the other milcery or alcremie had taken up the spot, she would be there this time of day... but today she was stuck with a task outside of it's proximity.

And it was hard to sneak off to nap when she was acting as a mount.

Io made a clicking noise, and the mudbray drew to a stop beneath them. “What do you think, Haru?” They murmured, clocking the courier wearing familiar wear quickly approaching, their gaze fixed on the trainer, “Trouble?”

The mudbray snuffled, pawing at the ground as tension lined her chocolate body, ears perked in excitement. A new friend maybe! If Paislyn had been here, she wouldn't have wondered about trouble, but miserably her trainer was off galavanting with that other trainer, the one that spent more time glaring than anything else.

She couldn’t stand that man. He was convinced of his own superiority through and through. And his Pokémon were just as weird as he was. Still, she’d suffer through it if Paislyn was with her.

Instead she was here with Io. Nothing wrong with Io, exactly, except like anyone, a lot less interesting or compelling without Paislyn nearby.

In fact Haru would go so far as to say the dragon-type trainer was boring.

Perhaps it was the past hour of trotting along a dusty trail getting to her, though. She stood at attention as the courier and mon approached, rigid with interest. Almost anything would be interesting at this point.

The curiosity melted a little as the courier’s mount entered her personal space, however, its wild eyes darting too and fro.

“A letter?” Harajuku heard Io say, as she leaned back slightly from the beasts breath as it shifted, uncomfortably close. It couldn’t seem to stop moving or come to a rest, the muscles coiling as it perpetually absorbed its surroundings for some hidden threat.

Harajuku took a step back, and felt the familiar press of a heel at her flank, stopping her from taking more, “Easy,” Io murmured, the letter balanced in their hands. The glanced between the mudbray and the zapdos, “Say, friend, your mon alright?”

The courier was busy shifting through the massive messenger bags saddled on either side of their mon, laden with papers. Harajuku did not envy the task of bearing such a load, but the mon seemed hardly to notice it.

“I am sorry-'' the courier looked up, clearly having missed what Io asked, “I have many more routes to travel, this is urgent. I’ll be on my way now.” They tipped their cap dutifully, and then as they tugged the reigns, the mon let out a growl, its body spring loaded as it attempted to buck him off. The courier just barely managed to hold on.

Harajuku drew away instantly, and this time, Io did not stop her. “Careful, man!” Io said, “You don’t want to ride a mon in that state.”

The courier patted the beast's neck and it settled, its gaze still unfocused, “We will be fine.” They said curtly, straightening as they looked around, distracted from Io’s words, “Good luck to you and yours.”
They began to speed off, the lopping gait of the beast seeming slightly uneven to Harajuku, whether it was her mind or not.

“To you and yours.” Io said quietly. They both watched the mon and rider disappear behind a bend, before a gentle tug at the reigns told Haru it was time to move again.

“Do you think that’s what Other meant?” Io said above her, the crumpling sound of paper as they looked over the letter again. “‘An encounter in red.’ Read? One of One’s little riddles?”

They were quoting the other trainer from that morning. Harujuku snuffled, knowing the trainer wasn’t really looking for a response. Unlike the myserious trainer that went by the name 'One', Io was not a whisperer - a 'psychic' as some trainers called it. One who could speak with pokemon. She knew that whatever she wanted to respond with, the trainer would nod and smile and continue on. Much like the courier, though hopefully Io was more attuned to her distress. They weren't her trainer proper, but Paislyn had brought the two together often enough that the Mudbray would follow Io's orders almost to the same standard.

They continued on at a slow gait, Io murmuring as they re-read the letter. Haru was half curious - she didn't much care for reading, and even when Paislyn did storytime all it did was soothe the mudbray into a deep, happy sleep.

She yawned, glancing towards the noon sun hanging overhead. They had been riding for a while in this direction, looking for something. Paislyn and Mal, the mean one, they had ridden off in another direction on the proud kirin. The farmer had taken her miltank another direction. And then there had been a mulitude of others. Not Other, though. Other, on behalf of One, had wrung their hands at the center, haltingly recounting instructions as the trainers all prepared to ride out, covering as much distance as possible.

Haru did not appreciate their names, much. Other and One. Strange, mysterious, ordering people around... to look for some sort of encounter? Something like that?

She hadn't been paying much attention, sure, but it still seemed a bit pretentious. Ask a bunch of trainers to drop everything they were doing and go looking for something unknown? Meruba's ranch was pretty far, if memory served. Sure, the farmer was happy to travel the distance, or at least she had been when she was delivering fresh milk to Paislyn, but who wouldn't be happy to deliver something to Paislyn? If her radiant smile wasn't compelling enough, she tipped with poffins.

The whole thing seemed stupid to the mudbray, but that was probably why she wasn't in charge.

She supposed if Paislyn was paying attention to them, perhaps they knew something worth knowing.

It didn’t help that no one seemed to know exactly what was going on - it was odd enough that Paislyn had offered her up as a ride. Not that she minded! But she was used to helping around the bakery, not trotting along a dust road, keeping her ears perked for something interesting and mysterious.

She remembered the strange trainer’s words well enough, not that they had made sense. Admittedly she hadn’t been looking for greater context, more disturbed by the fact that Paislyn was leaving her for the mean trainer. Mal, dark hair, dark eyes, dark countenance, looking like he had perpetually sucked on a salac berry. She rolled her eyes. That trainer was something else, but as long as he treated Paislyn alright, she wouldn't make a fuss about it.

She liked Io well enough but still, she didn’t like being away from Paislyn more than that.

She felt the nudge at her side and sped up, shedding sprinkles as the foliage began to blur past them. They were heading back down the road they had already come. The muddled recognition was cut through by a sudden, glittering thought occurring to her. Were they heading back? Back to Paislyn?

She let out a whinny of excitement as she began to race, encounter with the strange mon already fading from her mind.

If this meant they were going back to Paislyn she’d be the fastest mon in the world!

Dust floated up in their wake as they began their return, all the quicker by the thought of Harajuku's favorite person in the world being at the end of the road.



It had been a long morning.

Even after the letter had been delivered, Haru had been kept on her hooves, ferrying around smaller pokemon as the trainers congregated back at the large, haunted building.

If she had more energy, she might have been excited by the trainerless ghosts flitting about the place, but as it was, Haru had just been pleased when Paislyn had found a quiet spot in the meeting room and patted a cushion next to her.

Harajuku napped soundly after that, only paying attention half-heartedly every so often, an ear rising amongst the cream topping her head as she listened for anything of note before slipping back into contented dozing.

Around them, a myriad of trainers chattered, distressed, annoyed, fearful - the mudbray had no inclination to listen so long as Paislyn sat next to her, a little less vibrant and cheery, but not as alarmed as the others seemed.

Io seemed quieter too, somehow, even though the trainer had never been especially chatty. Tibbles, ever nervous, sheltered in their arms, rolling up and then looking around nervously, then moving again.

It wasn't unlike the courier's mount had been in some ways, but instead of a glazed look in their eyes, the wurmple was digging into Io's scarf and peering out in worry.

And all the humans talked, their voices rising in cadence as they argued, pointed, worried. It was background noise to Harajuku. It wasn't as pleasant as Paislyn reading a bedtime story, but she was primed for a nap, so her eyelids began to droop yet again.

“Do you think we’ll be okay?” The little caterpillar piped up finally. The mudbray snuffled, forcing herself to respond, “I dunno. No use worrying, though, right?”

It was the incorrect answer. The wurmple hemmed and hawed, looking for some other answer, glancing around as if it had been a call to action for any of the pokemon nearby to respond.

Harajuku hadn’t really followed what was going on, so perhaps that was part of the issue.

Nihao chirped, climbing into Io’s lap and pressing against Tibbles insistently. The wurmple made room, distressed noises settling a bit.

Harajuku felt a pat at their side, lifting an eyelid to spy a trainer above on the stairwell overlooking the room, dressed in a resplendent outfit that glittered in the candle light.

"Bit much, don't you think?" She mumbled to no one in particular.

The enigmatic trainer spread her hands and the discourse quieted. "Good." came a voice amongst the pokemon near them, a vibrant draconic growlithe and rockruff mix. Harajuku yawned, glancing her way, trying to draw up her name. Andromedei - that was it - she was one of Io's flock, as ever. The Collector did focus on dragon types, of course. "I was tired of listening to them bicker." The rockruff said, with the energy of someone used to getting their way as her paws crossed thoughtfully.

Harajuku dozed as the trainer who everyone called "One" began to speak. Something, something... research?

Sounded boring.

Before long she was being jostled awake.

"Come, come little one." Cooed her favorite voice.

She swallowed her grumble and drew her legs beneath her as she readied herself to stand.

"Would you like to rest, beloved?" Paislyn's gentle fingers wound their way into Harajuku's creamy mane, "It's been a long day, hasn't it? And you've been so good. Thank you for taking Io like I asked."

It didn't take much, Harajuku always got excited when Paislyn was focused on her, and the mudbray roused, surging up and blinking the sleep from her eyes.

She shook her head, snorting as she pressed her forehead to her trainer's cheerfully. Paislyn laughed in shock at the sudden exuberance, as if it was new every time.

"You can come, you can come-" She kissed the mudbray's head and Harajuku happily stomped in place.

"Where are we going?" She said, yawning. She knew her trainer could not answer.

"You're going with Paislyn, right?" She swiveled her head towards Tibbles. The cyndaquil at their side chirped and waved.

The mudbray nodded.

"Then that's going to be the library."

The mudbray's ears drooped, but she didn't regret the choice.

At least she'd be going with Paislyn this time.

Her trainer walked alongside her, chatting with the other humans nearby as the crowd began to disperse. Paislyn patted her leg to call the other mons apparently joining them.

Tibbles crawled up her back and then clung to her shoulder, resisting her attempts to place him on Harajuku.

Standing just under her knee, Nihao stuck out its little arms and waved them with an insistant chirp until they were also picked up, ending up tucked like a baby against her chest.

Harajuku sometimes regretted not being the size of an alcremie, just because it meant she couldn't get carried around by Paislyn, but unlike the other alcremie, she could carry Paislyn around, and that made her special-er and better-er.

"Coming with us?" Harajuku said in surprise. Whatever was going on, there was a lot of mon swapping and hubub for a trainer meet.

"Yes, we have to find out what's going on!" Tibbles said insistently as if it was obvious.

"Right," The mudbray didn't disguise the disinterest in her voice, "Yippee."

Io stood before Paislyn as they murmured their soft goodbyes with their lingering gaze and gentle smiles. Sure, sure - Haru butted her head against Io's shoulder, suddenly the insistent one.

"Yes, yes," Io chuckled, "Thank you for your service today, great Harajuku."

Harajuku still had a little bit of rivalry (one-sided though it might be) with the trainer for getting so much attention from Paislyn, but she liked the lilt of their voice, some cadence to their tone that was especially appealing when it was praising her and expressing admiration of her many wonderful qualities.

"Will you take care of them for me?" Io's voice lost a little of it's lightness, their smile not quite reaching their eyes, "And be safe."

Harajuku pressed her head even harder into their shoulder, almost with the intent to bruise.

Along her mane she felt the pressure of little claws digging into her cream as Nihao clambered up her neck to chatter and chirp at Io, the softer, tenfold pitter-patter of Tibbles following.

"Alright, alright - you'll be fine, 'course you will." The trainer chuckled, patting her so she'd let up, taking the two other pokemon with her.

"Hey, you two, back down." She said to them as they clung to her creamy, fluffy mane, swinging on either side of her head from her delicate loops, "Watch the cream puffs, watch the- nevermind."

Io waved as they turned, clambering atop the kirin that lived on the grounds and disappearing around a hallway.

She was in higher spirits after that, until she remembered they were headed to the library.

Harajuku felt she was being a good sport, all things considered. She stood dutifully as Paislyn rested a book against her flank, reading urgently. Didn't complain as Tibbles traipsed along her back, looking fretfully over Paislyn's shoulder and unhelpfully commenting as if she could understand. And Nihao just hung off her or ran around, occasionally bringing a storybook up tot the trainer and then getting annoyed when the trainer didn't read it to them and put it down.

But Paislyn found something that seemed to excite her, so off they went traipsing back towards the mysterious One’s ranch to share with the other trainers.

"I am sleeping in for an entire day after this." Harajuku grumbled to no one in particular as they went.



In the time following that first letter things had changed. Harajuku had come to understand exactly what had frightened Tibbles so, and she had come to not be much of a fan herself.

Even Paislyn, normally so chipper, had seemed sadder and more worried than normal. There was something especially fearful about a condition that struck without warning, without preference.

Any Pokémon, at risk of endangering their trainer.

They all went their way after the different groups returned with their notes. Whatever Paislyn had discovered at the library had not been so substantial to answer every question, but it had not inspired much confidence apparently, or assuaged their worries.

There were no easy answers.

Just the hanging threat of Pokémon turning on those they loved.

Every day a new report reached the bakery, Paislyn’s clipped voice thanking someone from behind the door. The couriers had stabled their mons, forced to travel by foot.

Harajuku stared out at the shuttered windows mournfully, the empty shelves that promised no sweets for visitors. It was enough to make a fairy type cry, is what it was.

And sweet, sad Paislyn. Determined to not fear her own Pokémon. At first she had made poffins as if in revolt, to pass out and keep up spirits.

But when people stopped taking them, distrustfully eyeing the trainer and her mons, then she stopped making those, too.

Late one night, Harajuku awoke, shivering. Something had taken ahold of her. For a moment she listened, as if the terrible thing had finally struck, but after a long pause she felt no more evil or big or angry.

Just tired and determined.

She thought of the mysterious trainer. It wasn’t her fault - she hasn’t started all of it, really Harajuku knew that. But she didn’t like her very much because she was the one who had called all the trainers together and sent them out and really she was the reason Paislyn knew something was wrong. And maybe Paislyn would be happier if she didn’t know.

None of the Baker’s Dozen had turned. She might have been confused that no one was coming to buy treats but she would have hummed and packed a picnic for the day, shrugging and laughing, and they would have all been happier and none the wiser.

Before the mudbray really knew what she was doing she had come to stand, slipping out the poke-door flap. Into the cool evening.

They had stopped going outside since the quarantine had hit. As if it might protect them from the invisible assailant.

She stood a moment, breathing in the air, looking up at the empty, luminous moon.

What was she doing out here?

Her hooves clopped against the cobblestone path as she left the grass.

One.

The trainer called One. She would answer or apologize or something.

Harajuku had only been to the dilapidated building twice, but her hooves remembered the path somehow, and before so long had passed, its sunken silhouette loomed in the distance.

It was just Harajuku and the moon, until it wasn’t. First it was the buzz of illumise and nincada in the undergrowth, then the flitting whispers of gastly and wandering duskull disappearing when she turned to look at them… and then Harajuku realized there were other Pokémon.

Other Pokémon in a solemn march towards the Observatory.

“Tibbles!” Harajuku said in surprise at a familiar shape inching along the ground, and her grim reverie seemed to disipate, “Nihao is that you?”

Their bodies illuminated in the cool blue light, the wurmple startled, the cyndaquil letting out a happy chirp as it waved at Harajuku in excitement.

“W-we had to come.” Tibbles managed, scampering over to Harajuku’s leg and up onto her back without even an invitation, “Compelled, I guess. Couldn’t j-just keep -“

“Waiting.” Harajuku said quietly. She felt more stern than she had ever felt before. Nihao stared up at her with its little smile and patted one of its forearms as if there was muscle to display.

“You came to fight?” Harajuku said in surprise. Now that she was present, it seemed a stupid thing to do.

One had compiled the research with great dedication, she had heard, worked tirelessly to try and find some answers from what the trainers had collected.

She had no answers to give, and it wasn't as if she she was responsible.

Harajuku felt a little sheepish all of a sudden, for coming. But as they closed the gap to the entrance, other Pokémon got closer and closer.

She wasn’t the only one.

A familiar little Riolu appeared, face wrapped in bandages. They sometimes helped Io with tasks, the Mudbray seemed to remember. Harajuku summoned the name up from the depths of her memory.

“Carl?” She said. It’s head whipped in her direction, but not as if it had heard her exactly, almost like it had sensed her presence.

“Cael.” It said gently in correction, as if it appreciated the effort, “This way please.”

“You’re with the One?” Harajuku said in surprise, her hoof steps almost cheerful as she fell into line behind the riolu as it led the congregation down a hall.

“We all are.” The riolu said unhelpfully, but seeming to sense her eye roll, added, “I- we don’t consider her our ‘trainer’ exactly.”

Harajuku get the sense there was more to it than that, and not desiring to know more chalked it up to some cult thing and shrugged it off.

“Good for you.” And she meant it, if they were happy then just as well. What did she care if they were part of some cult worshipping the human? Didn't matter to her.

The riolu nodded, seemingly relieved, and gestures through an open doorway before dating back down the hall, to help guide the continuous arrivals, Harajuku guessed.

She rounded a corner and stopped suddenly enough that she felt the other mon in line behind her grumble as they drew to a halt. It was disorienting after they had walked nonstop all night, no doubt, but the surprising grandeur of the room that awaited them had caught her by surprise. From her back Tibbles let out a little whimper, and she felt the slight movement as she imagined Nihao had begun to wave in earnest to anyone willing to return the gesture.

It was a grand hall. There was white marble and gold along the walls. A more learned or experienced mon might know what it was. Harajuku was not that mon.

And she was more focused don the massive 3-headed beast sitting in the center. Groups of Pokémon surrounded it, almost as if it wasn’t there at all.

They were far from the first.

Then, something somehow more surprising - as Harajuku started forward again, the crowd parted, and she caught sight of a trainer.

One.

“Woah- c-careful!” Tibbles said to no avail as she marched forward.

One good thing about One, or - at least something Hara had heard and could appreciate if it wasn’t just idle gossip - was that the trainer was psychic. Could understand Pokémon.

She marched up, opening her mouth to say something but stopped when she realized One wasn’t alone - there was another trainer. A child of all things.

Or perhaps they were just particularly short.

“Harajuku.” A liquid voice emanated from the beautiful trainer, apparently not perturbed by the sourness of Harajuku’s mood, “Welcome.”

“What’s going on?” Harajuku said after a moment, unable to articulate exactly which thing to focus on.

“Hold on,” said the child, putting a hand up to the mudbray.

“I bite.” She snapped, and the hand withdrew to her surprise.

“So does he.” The child said as the hand disappeared under a poncho. The mudbray glanced up to see a giant dragon head - one of them at least - glancing down at them, it’s teeth glinting under the warm lights.

“Great. Two whisperers. So what have you two come to understand about the mystery plague. Why are we all here? We gonna go solve this tonight or what?”

The two trainers exchanged glances

“It is dangerous.” One said softly.

“We will be fine, Oona.”

One‘s face didn’t shift, just her eyes snapped to the child in disapproval.

Their hands raised in apology or surrender and One clasped her hands and turned towards the Mudbray.

“I understand your desire to aid.” She said managamously.

Harajuku refrained from pointing out she wasn’t exactly there to aid per se.

Cause a ruckus more so. Though anything to help Paislyn would be more important.

“It is incredibly dangerous,” She continued, “I fear your loved ones would be caused great pain to know you were here.”

“With all due respect,” came a high, raspy voice, unfamiliar from Harajuku’s back, “That’s why we’re here, ma’am. We gotta protect them.”

Harajuku blinked in surprise as she twisted to look over her shoulder and saw in fact it had been Nihao, their mouth spread into a smile of small razor sharp teeth.

The child looked pointedly at her.

“We’ll be with Rosey.” They said insistently. A low humming growl sounded above, suddenly resonating with a second, then a third, as the heads stood to attention.

Harajuku almost asked what would happen if that one turned, but thought better of it.

All of a sudden she noticed the quiet in the room around them, as all the collected Pokémon looked towards One.

She clasped her hands in front of her with a sigh, “Be safe. The foe ahead is a mighty one.”

The child’s name was Alomai or something, more commonly known as The Warden. Harajuku would have made more fun of it, but Io was known as the collector. And the great 3-headed beast was Rosegold, or Rosey, or Silence that Dwells in Gold, or whatever, not that Harajuku felt inclined to mock it in the great creature’s presence. The two had taken charge of the physical excursions, apparently having gone scouting on the One’s behalf since reports had come back of the attacks.

The climb to the summit was an arduous one.

Hara faired better than many - even the bug and flying types began to wilt as the atmosphere and air seemed to tighten. Only the ghosts seemed in their element, and some of the water types basking in the heavy fog that shrouded their path.

Nihao had not spoken again since it’s speech to One, and Tibbles spent most of the time whimpering and digging into Harajuku’s mane. She didn’t mind, only she was a little ticklish, and it felt unbecoming of the grim trek up the slope of a mountain when she would suddenly prance to the side at a nerve.

Overhead the three-headed beast led them. How the child atop it was fairing was beyond Harajuku. The air was oppressive. But eventually, it evened out below them. Foliage began to rise from the mist as they marched forward, and it was a relief when it began to clear all together.

“It’s there.” Someone whispered, forcing Harajuku’s head to snap up from where it had begun to lower.

The beast towered in the distance.

This? This was the malignant curse that had hung over them for weeks?

Harajuku had thought she’d taken the journey to protect Paislyn, but as she stared at it blankly, a new thought swam to the forefront of her mind.

The image of Paislyn, holding up a Poffin in peace.

“Ready!” A voice called above, and Hara realized that the white dragon had lowered itself to be just overhead so the child could project his voice.

How thoughtful.

“Forward!!” The Warden called, and like a wave, the masses of Pokémon all charged, small on their own, but like a school of wishiwashi as they swarmed to overwhelm their foe.

They fell upon the beast and Harajuku surged. She was not a candy pony for a moment, but a war horse, and her footfalls became thunder upon the earth as she sped forward. Cries echoed around them, harmonizing almost, reverberating in the air and cutting through the lingering mist. Birds and bugs fell upon it from the skies, and the ranged mons began to stop and levy their attacks.

But not Harajuku. She was a warhorse, speeding to the frontlines.

From her back Tibbles gave a little cry of indignation and fear before she watched string shot shoot out towards the great beast.

She felt a momentary pressure from her back as the cyndaquil sprung off and join the other fire breathers, as flames began to lick at its feet.

But still she kept racing.

And then she was there. With a shrill whinny she slammed into its side with all of her might and her force and her love for Paislyn. It wasn’t elegant. Or cunning. Or maybe even that important considering the hundred fold other attacks hitting it at the same time.

The rest of the battle was something of a blur. Harajuku went from speeding like a bullet towards the beast to trying to avoid its massive foots falls and tail as it flailed against the onslaught.

But eventually the collection of Pokémon stood victorious as it gave one last echoing cry and collapsed.

Shrinking and shrinking down into… something else. A smaller version.

It made sense, Harajuku supposed later. But she did not care at that point. All she did, as many of them did, was turn around and begin the long return trek.

Rosegold and the Warden stayed behind, crouched over the smoking crater of pulsing energy near the fainted pokemon. Let it be their problem. Not hers.

She was going home, like they all were.

Into the waiting arms of their trainers.

Description

My submissions for the June 2023 event! They’re in chronological order as natural continuations of each other. They may get moved to a stash or google doc after being processed so that the description is not overwhelming.

LEVELS

Part 1
1278 words total
Harajuku - 14 (1200 words) + 5 (Trainer) + 4 (NPC) = 23

Part 2
2540 words total
Harajuku - 29 (2500 words) + 5 (Trainer) = 34
Nihao - 8 (800 words) + 5 (Trainer) = 13
Tibbles - 8 (800 words) + 5 (Trainer) = 13
Andromedei - honorable mention

Part 3
2273 words total
Harajuku - 26 (2200 words) + 5 (Trainer) + 4 (NPC) = 35
Nihao - 17 (1500 words) + 5 (Trainer) + 4 (NPC) = 26
Tibbles - 17 (1500 words) + 5 (Trainer) + 4 (NPC) = 26
Cael - 2 (200 words) + 5 (Trainer) + 4 (NPC) = 11
Rosegold - 15 (1300 words) + 5 (Trainer) + 4 (NPC) + 2 (Type Bonus) = 27



Hara was daydreaming about the warm spot under the window of the shop where the sun hit just right.

Normally, because she was big enough to muscle into the space if one of the other milcery or alcremie had taken up the spot, she would be there this time of day... but today she was stuck with a task outside of it's proximity.

And it was hard to sneak off to nap when she was acting as a mount.

Io made a clicking noise, and the mudbray drew to a stop beneath them. “What do you think, Haru?” They murmured, clocking the courier wearing familiar wear quickly approaching, their gaze fixed on the trainer, “Trouble?”

The mudbray snuffled, pawing at the ground as tension lined her chocolate body, ears perked in excitement. A new friend maybe! If Paislyn had been here, she wouldn't have wondered about trouble, but miserably her trainer was off galavanting with that other trainer, the one that spent more time glaring than anything else.

She couldn’t stand that man. He was convinced of his own superiority through and through. And his Pokémon were just as weird as he was. Still, she’d suffer through it if Paislyn was with her.

Instead she was here with Io. Nothing wrong with Io, exactly, except like anyone, a lot less interesting or compelling without Paislyn nearby.

In fact Haru would go so far as to say the dragon-type trainer was boring.

Perhaps it was the past hour of trotting along a dusty trail getting to her, though. She stood at attention as the courier and mon approached, rigid with interest. Almost anything would be interesting at this point.

The curiosity melted a little as the courier’s mount entered her personal space, however, its wild eyes darting too and fro.

“A letter?” Harajuku heard Io say, as she leaned back slightly from the beasts breath as it shifted, uncomfortably close. It couldn’t seem to stop moving or come to a rest, the muscles coiling as it perpetually absorbed its surroundings for some hidden threat.

Harajuku took a step back, and felt the familiar press of a heel at her flank, stopping her from taking more, “Easy,” Io murmured, the letter balanced in their hands. The glanced between the mudbray and the zapdos, “Say, friend, your mon alright?”

The courier was busy shifting through the massive messenger bags saddled on either side of their mon, laden with papers. Harajuku did not envy the task of bearing such a load, but the mon seemed hardly to notice it.

“I am sorry-'' the courier looked up, clearly having missed what Io asked, “I have many more routes to travel, this is urgent. I’ll be on my way now.” They tipped their cap dutifully, and then as they tugged the reigns, the mon let out a growl, its body spring loaded as it attempted to buck him off. The courier just barely managed to hold on.

Harajuku drew away instantly, and this time, Io did not stop her. “Careful, man!” Io said, “You don’t want to ride a mon in that state.”

The courier patted the beast's neck and it settled, its gaze still unfocused, “We will be fine.” They said curtly, straightening as they looked around, distracted from Io’s words, “Good luck to you and yours.”
They began to speed off, the lopping gait of the beast seeming slightly uneven to Harajuku, whether it was her mind or not.

“To you and yours.” Io said quietly. They both watched the mon and rider disappear behind a bend, before a gentle tug at the reigns told Haru it was time to move again.

“Do you think that’s what Other meant?” Io said above her, the crumpling sound of paper as they looked over the letter again. “‘An encounter in red.’ Read? One of One’s little riddles?”

They were quoting the other trainer from that morning. Harujuku snuffled, knowing the trainer wasn’t really looking for a response. Unlike the myserious trainer that went by the name 'One', Io was not a whisperer - a 'psychic' as some trainers called it. One who could speak with pokemon. She knew that whatever she wanted to respond with, the trainer would nod and smile and continue on. Much like the courier, though hopefully Io was more attuned to her distress. They weren't her trainer proper, but Paislyn had brought the two together often enough that the Mudbray would follow Io's orders almost to the same standard.

They continued on at a slow gait, Io murmuring as they re-read the letter. Haru was half curious - she didn't much care for reading, and even when Paislyn did storytime all it did was soothe the mudbray into a deep, happy sleep.

She yawned, glancing towards the noon sun hanging overhead. They had been riding for a while in this direction, looking for something. Paislyn and Mal, the mean one, they had ridden off in another direction on the proud kirin. The farmer had taken her miltank another direction. And then there had been a mulitude of others. Not Other, though. Other, on behalf of One, had wrung their hands at the center, haltingly recounting instructions as the trainers all prepared to ride out, covering as much distance as possible.

Haru did not appreciate their names, much. Other and One. Strange, mysterious, ordering people around... to look for some sort of encounter? Something like that?

She hadn't been paying much attention, sure, but it still seemed a bit pretentious. Ask a bunch of trainers to drop everything they were doing and go looking for something unknown? Meruba's ranch was pretty far, if memory served. Sure, the farmer was happy to travel the distance, or at least she had been when she was delivering fresh milk to Paislyn, but who wouldn't be happy to deliver something to Paislyn? If her radiant smile wasn't compelling enough, she tipped with poffins.

The whole thing seemed stupid to the mudbray, but that was probably why she wasn't in charge.

She supposed if Paislyn was paying attention to them, perhaps they knew something worth knowing.

It didn’t help that no one seemed to know exactly what was going on - it was odd enough that Paislyn had offered her up as a ride. Not that she minded! But she was used to helping around the bakery, not trotting along a dust road, keeping her ears perked for something interesting and mysterious.

She remembered the strange trainer’s words well enough, not that they had made sense. Admittedly she hadn’t been looking for greater context, more disturbed by the fact that Paislyn was leaving her for the mean trainer. Mal, dark hair, dark eyes, dark countenance, looking like he had perpetually sucked on a salac berry. She rolled her eyes. That trainer was something else, but as long as he treated Paislyn alright, she wouldn't make a fuss about it.

She liked Io well enough but still, she didn’t like being away from Paislyn more than that.

She felt the nudge at her side and sped up, shedding sprinkles as the foliage began to blur past them. They were heading back down the road they had already come. The muddled recognition was cut through by a sudden, glittering thought occurring to her. Were they heading back? Back to Paislyn?

She let out a whinny of excitement as she began to race, encounter with the strange mon already fading from her mind.

If this meant they were going back to Paislyn she’d be the fastest mon in the world!

Dust floated up in their wake as they began their return, all the quicker by the thought of Harajuku's favorite person in the world being at the end of the road.



It had been a long morning.

Even after the letter had been delivered, Haru had been kept on her hooves, ferrying around smaller pokemon as the trainers congregated back at the large, haunted building.

If she had more energy, she might have been excited by the trainerless ghosts flitting about the place, but as it was, Haru had just been pleased when Paislyn had found a quiet spot in the meeting room and patted a cushion next to her.

Harajuku napped soundly after that, only paying attention half-heartedly every so often, an ear rising amongst the cream topping her head as she listened for anything of note before slipping back into contented dozing.

Around them, a myriad of trainers chattered, distressed, annoyed, fearful - the mudbray had no inclination to listen so long as Paislyn sat next to her, a little less vibrant and cheery, but not as alarmed as the others seemed.

Io seemed quieter too, somehow, even though the trainer had never been especially chatty. Tibbles, ever nervous, sheltered in their arms, rolling up and then looking around nervously, then moving again.

It wasn't unlike the courier's mount had been in some ways, but instead of a glazed look in their eyes, the wurmple was digging into Io's scarf and peering out in worry.

And all the humans talked, their voices rising in cadence as they argued, pointed, worried. It was background noise to Harajuku. It wasn't as pleasant as Paislyn reading a bedtime story, but she was primed for a nap, so her eyelids began to droop yet again.

“Do you think we’ll be okay?” The little caterpillar piped up finally. The mudbray snuffled, forcing herself to respond, “I dunno. No use worrying, though, right?”

It was the incorrect answer. The wurmple hemmed and hawed, looking for some other answer, glancing around as if it had been a call to action for any of the pokemon nearby to respond.

Harajuku hadn’t really followed what was going on, so perhaps that was part of the issue.

Nihao chirped, climbing into Io’s lap and pressing against Tibbles insistently. The wurmple made room, distressed noises settling a bit.

Harajuku felt a pat at their side, lifting an eyelid to spy a trainer above on the stairwell overlooking the room, dressed in a resplendent outfit that glittered in the candle light.

"Bit much, don't you think?" She mumbled to no one in particular.

The enigmatic trainer spread her hands and the discourse quieted. "Good." came a voice amongst the pokemon near them, a vibrant draconic growlithe and rockruff mix. Harajuku yawned, glancing her way, trying to draw up her name. Andromedei - that was it - she was one of Io's flock, as ever. The Collector did focus on dragon types, of course. "I was tired of listening to them bicker." The rockruff said, with the energy of someone used to getting their way as her paws crossed thoughtfully.

Harajuku dozed as the trainer who everyone called "One" began to speak. Something, something... research?

Sounded boring.

Before long she was being jostled awake.

"Come, come little one." Cooed her favorite voice.

She swallowed her grumble and drew her legs beneath her as she readied herself to stand.

"Would you like to rest, beloved?" Paislyn's gentle fingers wound their way into Harajuku's creamy mane, "It's been a long day, hasn't it? And you've been so good. Thank you for taking Io like I asked."

It didn't take much, Harajuku always got excited when Paislyn was focused on her, and the mudbray roused, surging up and blinking the sleep from her eyes.

She shook her head, snorting as she pressed her forehead to her trainer's cheerfully. Paislyn laughed in shock at the sudden exuberance, as if it was new every time.

"You can come, you can come-" She kissed the mudbray's head and Harajuku happily stomped in place.

"Where are we going?" She said, yawning. She knew her trainer could not answer.

"You're going with Paislyn, right?" She swiveled her head towards Tibbles. The cyndaquil at their side chirped and waved.

The mudbray nodded.

"Then that's going to be the library."

The mudbray's ears drooped, but she didn't regret the choice.

At least she'd be going with Paislyn this time.

Her trainer walked alongside her, chatting with the other humans nearby as the crowd began to disperse. Paislyn patted her leg to call the other mons apparently joining them.

Tibbles crawled up her back and then clung to her shoulder, resisting her attempts to place him on Harajuku.

Standing just under her knee, Nihao stuck out its little arms and waved them with an insistant chirp until they were also picked up, ending up tucked like a baby against her chest.

Harajuku sometimes regretted not being the size of an alcremie, just because it meant she couldn't get carried around by Paislyn, but unlike the other alcremie, she could carry Paislyn around, and that made her special-er and better-er.

"Coming with us?" Harajuku said in surprise. Whatever was going on, there was a lot of mon swapping and hubub for a trainer meet.

"Yes, we have to find out what's going on!" Tibbles said insistently as if it was obvious.

"Right," The mudbray didn't disguise the disinterest in her voice, "Yippee."

Io stood before Paislyn as they murmured their soft goodbyes with their lingering gaze and gentle smiles. Sure, sure - Haru butted her head against Io's shoulder, suddenly the insistent one.

"Yes, yes," Io chuckled, "Thank you for your service today, great Harajuku."

Harajuku still had a little bit of rivalry (one-sided though it might be) with the trainer for getting so much attention from Paislyn, but she liked the lilt of their voice, some cadence to their tone that was especially appealing when it was praising her and expressing admiration of her many wonderful qualities.

"Will you take care of them for me?" Io's voice lost a little of it's lightness, their smile not quite reaching their eyes, "And be safe."

Harajuku pressed her head even harder into their shoulder, almost with the intent to bruise.

Along her mane she felt the pressure of little claws digging into her cream as Nihao clambered up her neck to chatter and chirp at Io, the softer, tenfold pitter-patter of Tibbles following.

"Alright, alright - you'll be fine, 'course you will." The trainer chuckled, patting her so she'd let up, taking the two other pokemon with her.

"Hey, you two, back down." She said to them as they clung to her creamy, fluffy mane, swinging on either side of her head from her delicate loops, "Watch the cream puffs, watch the- nevermind."

Io waved as they turned, clambering atop the kirin that lived on the grounds and disappearing around a hallway.

She was in higher spirits after that, until she remembered they were headed to the library.

Harajuku felt she was being a good sport, all things considered. She stood dutifully as Paislyn rested a book against her flank, reading urgently. Didn't complain as Tibbles traipsed along her back, looking fretfully over Paislyn's shoulder and unhelpfully commenting as if she could understand. And Nihao just hung off her or ran around, occasionally bringing a storybook up tot the trainer and then getting annoyed when the trainer didn't read it to them and put it down.

But Paislyn found something that seemed to excite her, so off they went traipsing back towards the mysterious One’s ranch to share with the other trainers.

"I am sleeping in for an entire day after this." Harajuku grumbled to no one in particular as they went.



In the time following that first letter things had changed. Harajuku had come to understand exactly what had frightened Tibbles so, and she had come to not be much of a fan herself.

Even Paislyn, normally so chipper, had seemed sadder and more worried than normal. There was something especially fearful about a condition that struck without warning, without preference.

Any Pokémon, at risk of endangering their trainer.

They all went their way after the different groups returned with their notes. Whatever Paislyn had discovered at the library had not been so substantial to answer every question, but it had not inspired much confidence apparently, or assuaged their worries.

There were no easy answers.

Just the hanging threat of Pokémon turning on those they loved.

Every day a new report reached the bakery, Paislyn’s clipped voice thanking someone from behind the door. The couriers had stabled their mons, forced to travel by foot.

Harajuku stared out at the shuttered windows mournfully, the empty shelves that promised no sweets for visitors. It was enough to make a fairy type cry, is what it was.

And sweet, sad Paislyn. Determined to not fear her own Pokémon. At first she had made poffins as if in revolt, to pass out and keep up spirits.

But when people stopped taking them, distrustfully eyeing the trainer and her mons, then she stopped making those, too.

Late one night, Harajuku awoke, shivering. Something had taken ahold of her. For a moment she listened, as if the terrible thing had finally struck, but after a long pause she felt no more evil or big or angry.

Just tired and determined.

She thought of the mysterious trainer. It wasn’t her fault - she hasn’t started all of it, really Harajuku knew that. But she didn’t like her very much because she was the one who had called all the trainers together and sent them out and really she was the reason Paislyn knew something was wrong. And maybe Paislyn would be happier if she didn’t know.

None of the Baker’s Dozen had turned. She might have been confused that no one was coming to buy treats but she would have hummed and packed a picnic for the day, shrugging and laughing, and they would have all been happier and none the wiser.

Before the mudbray really knew what she was doing she had come to stand, slipping out the poke-door flap. Into the cool evening.

They had stopped going outside since the quarantine had hit. As if it might protect them from the invisible assailant.

She stood a moment, breathing in the air, looking up at the empty, luminous moon.

What was she doing out here?

Her hooves clopped against the cobblestone path as she left the grass.

One.

The trainer called One. She would answer or apologize or something.

Harajuku had only been to the dilapidated building twice, but her hooves remembered the path somehow, and before so long had passed, its sunken silhouette loomed in the distance.

It was just Harajuku and the moon, until it wasn’t. First it was the buzz of illumise and nincada in the undergrowth, then the flitting whispers of gastly and wandering duskull disappearing when she turned to look at them… and then Harajuku realized there were other Pokémon.

Other Pokémon in a solemn march towards the Observatory.

“Tibbles!” Harajuku said in surprise at a familiar shape inching along the ground, and her grim reverie seemed to disipate, “Nihao is that you?”

Their bodies illuminated in the cool blue light, the wurmple startled, the cyndaquil letting out a happy chirp as it waved at Harajuku in excitement.

“W-we had to come.” Tibbles managed, scampering over to Harajuku’s leg and up onto her back without even an invitation, “Compelled, I guess. Couldn’t j-just keep -“

“Waiting.” Harajuku said quietly. She felt more stern than she had ever felt before. Nihao stared up at her with its little smile and patted one of its forearms as if there was muscle to display.

“You came to fight?” Harajuku said in surprise. Now that she was present, it seemed a stupid thing to do.

One had compiled the research with great dedication, she had heard, worked tirelessly to try and find some answers from what the trainers had collected.

She had no answers to give, and it wasn't as if she she was responsible.

Harajuku felt a little sheepish all of a sudden, for coming. But as they closed the gap to the entrance, other Pokémon got closer and closer.

She wasn’t the only one.

A familiar little Riolu appeared, face wrapped in bandages. They sometimes helped Io with tasks, the Mudbray seemed to remember. Harajuku summoned the name up from the depths of her memory.

“Carl?” She said. It’s head whipped in her direction, but not as if it had heard her exactly, almost like it had sensed her presence.

“Cael.” It said gently in correction, as if it appreciated the effort, “This way please.”

“You’re with the One?” Harajuku said in surprise, her hoof steps almost cheerful as she fell into line behind the riolu as it led the congregation down a hall.

“We all are.” The riolu said unhelpfully, but seeming to sense her eye roll, added, “I- we don’t consider her our ‘trainer’ exactly.”

Harajuku get the sense there was more to it than that, and not desiring to know more chalked it up to some cult thing and shrugged it off.

“Good for you.” And she meant it, if they were happy then just as well. What did she care if they were part of some cult worshipping the human? Didn't matter to her.

The riolu nodded, seemingly relieved, and gestures through an open doorway before dating back down the hall, to help guide the continuous arrivals, Harajuku guessed.

She rounded a corner and stopped suddenly enough that she felt the other mon in line behind her grumble as they drew to a halt. It was disorienting after they had walked nonstop all night, no doubt, but the surprising grandeur of the room that awaited them had caught her by surprise. From her back Tibbles let out a little whimper, and she felt the slight movement as she imagined Nihao had begun to wave in earnest to anyone willing to return the gesture.

It was a grand hall. There was white marble and gold along the walls. A more learned or experienced mon might know what it was. Harajuku was not that mon.

And she was more focused don the massive 3-headed beast sitting in the center. Groups of Pokémon surrounded it, almost as if it wasn’t there at all.

They were far from the first.

Then, something somehow more surprising - as Harajuku started forward again, the crowd parted, and she caught sight of a trainer.

One.

“Woah- c-careful!” Tibbles said to no avail as she marched forward.

One good thing about One, or - at least something Hara had heard and could appreciate if it wasn’t just idle gossip - was that the trainer was psychic. Could understand Pokémon.

She marched up, opening her mouth to say something but stopped when she realized One wasn’t alone - there was another trainer. A child of all things.

Or perhaps they were just particularly short.

“Harajuku.” A liquid voice emanated from the beautiful trainer, apparently not perturbed by the sourness of Harajuku’s mood, “Welcome.”

“What’s going on?” Harajuku said after a moment, unable to articulate exactly which thing to focus on.

“Hold on,” said the child, putting a hand up to the mudbray.

“I bite.” She snapped, and the hand withdrew to her surprise.

“So does he.” The child said as the hand disappeared under a poncho. The mudbray glanced up to see a giant dragon head - one of them at least - glancing down at them, it’s teeth glinting under the warm lights.

“Great. Two whisperers. So what have you two come to understand about the mystery plague. Why are we all here? We gonna go solve this tonight or what?”

The two trainers exchanged glances

“It is dangerous.” One said softly.

“We will be fine, Oona.”

One‘s face didn’t shift, just her eyes snapped to the child in disapproval.

Their hands raised in apology or surrender and One clasped her hands and turned towards the Mudbray.

“I understand your desire to aid.” She said managamously.

Harajuku refrained from pointing out she wasn’t exactly there to aid per se.

Cause a ruckus more so. Though anything to help Paislyn would be more important.

“It is incredibly dangerous,” She continued, “I fear your loved ones would be caused great pain to know you were here.”

“With all due respect,” came a high, raspy voice, unfamiliar from Harajuku’s back, “That’s why we’re here, ma’am. We gotta protect them.”

Harajuku blinked in surprise as she twisted to look over her shoulder and saw in fact it had been Nihao, their mouth spread into a smile of small razor sharp teeth.

The child looked pointedly at her.

“We’ll be with Rosey.” They said insistently. A low humming growl sounded above, suddenly resonating with a second, then a third, as the heads stood to attention.

Harajuku almost asked what would happen if that one turned, but thought better of it.

All of a sudden she noticed the quiet in the room around them, as all the collected Pokémon looked towards One.

She clasped her hands in front of her with a sigh, “Be safe. The foe ahead is a mighty one.”

The child’s name was Alomai or something, more commonly known as The Warden. Harajuku would have made more fun of it, but Io was known as the collector. And the great 3-headed beast was Rosegold, or Rosey, or Silence that Dwells in Gold, or whatever, not that Harajuku felt inclined to mock it in the great creature’s presence. The two had taken charge of the physical excursions, apparently having gone scouting on the One’s behalf since reports had come back of the attacks.

The climb to the summit was an arduous one.

Hara faired better than many - even the bug and flying types began to wilt as the atmosphere and air seemed to tighten. Only the ghosts seemed in their element, and some of the water types basking in the heavy fog that shrouded their path.

Nihao had not spoken again since it’s speech to One, and Tibbles spent most of the time whimpering and digging into Harajuku’s mane. She didn’t mind, only she was a little ticklish, and it felt unbecoming of the grim trek up the slope of a mountain when she would suddenly prance to the side at a nerve.

Overhead the three-headed beast led them. How the child atop it was fairing was beyond Harajuku. The air was oppressive. But eventually, it evened out below them. Foliage began to rise from the mist as they marched forward, and it was a relief when it began to clear all together.

“It’s there.” Someone whispered, forcing Harajuku’s head to snap up from where it had begun to lower.

The beast towered in the distance.

This? This was the malignant curse that had hung over them for weeks?

Harajuku had thought she’d taken the journey to protect Paislyn, but as she stared at it blankly, a new thought swam to the forefront of her mind.

The image of Paislyn, holding up a Poffin in peace.

“Ready!” A voice called above, and Hara realized that the white dragon had lowered itself to be just overhead so the child could project his voice.

How thoughtful.

“Forward!!” The Warden called, and like a wave, the masses of Pokémon all charged, small on their own, but like a school of wishiwashi as they swarmed to overwhelm their foe.

They fell upon the beast and Harajuku surged. She was not a candy pony for a moment, but a war horse, and her footfalls became thunder upon the earth as she sped forward. Cries echoed around them, harmonizing almost, reverberating in the air and cutting through the lingering mist. Birds and bugs fell upon it from the skies, and the ranged mons began to stop and levy their attacks.

But not Harajuku. She was a warhorse, speeding to the frontlines.

From her back Tibbles gave a little cry of indignation and fear before she watched string shot shoot out towards the great beast.

She felt a momentary pressure from her back as the cyndaquil sprung off and join the other fire breathers, as flames began to lick at its feet.

But still she kept racing.

And then she was there. With a shrill whinny she slammed into its side with all of her might and her force and her love for Paislyn. It wasn’t elegant. Or cunning. Or maybe even that important considering the hundred fold other attacks hitting it at the same time.

The rest of the battle was something of a blur. Harajuku went from speeding like a bullet towards the beast to trying to avoid its massive foots falls and tail as it flailed against the onslaught.

But eventually the collection of Pokémon stood victorious as it gave one last echoing cry and collapsed.

Shrinking and shrinking down into… something else. A smaller version.

It made sense, Harajuku supposed later. But she did not care at that point. All she did, as many of them did, was turn around and begin the long return trek.

Rosegold and the Warden stayed behind, crouched over the smoking crater of pulsing energy near the fainted pokemon. Let it be their problem. Not hers.

She was going home, like they all were.

Into the waiting arms of their trainers.