Pokemon: Echoes of the dusk

Chapter 59: reminiscing



The guild hall doors swung shut behind Shion with a quiet clunk.

He adjusted the strap of his satchel, the weight of the coin pouch freshly handed to him pressing against his hip. Not heavy but earned. He gave a slow exhale as he stepped into the late morning light.

Another quest done.

It hadn't been anything dramatic. Just clearing out a patch of aggressive wild Pokémon near the outer wheat fields. A silver-ranked request, simple but slightly tougher than the ones he used to take. One Raticate had gotten a little too bold, but Rune handled it like he always did like a boulder with fists and righteous indignation.

Shion had handled the rest with Kiba. Clean. Efficient.

He didn't need someone to say "good job."

He just needed the quiet.

It had been a long day yesterday.

His first full day as a silver-ranked adventurer.

He'd returned to the Inn after treating his Pokemon , his body aching but his heart strangely light. The sun had already dipped by then, and the warm glow from the windows made the place feel more like home than it ever had before.

Jareth had clapped him on the back the moment he walked in.

"Silver, huh?" he'd said, grinning like he'd won the badge himself. "Took you long enough."

Fena had laughed, raised her cup, and insisted they celebrate.

They did.

For hours.

Even Dunlin joined in, albeit only after muttering something about "young brats wasting coin on sweet cider and spiced meat."

Then ordering a full pitcher and more spiced meat.

They'd talked late into the night. About battles. About routes. About people they'd met and stories they'd heard. The kind of night where you forget how far you've come because you're too caught up in simply being there.

But today… Dunlin had said they'd be moving again tomorrow.

On the road

Then Ravios.

The thought settled quietly into Shion's chest as he wandered the early streets of Bellmire.

It was strange.

He'd always looked forward to Ravios. That gleaming capital. The place where Ren and Mila trained. The heart of the kingdom.

But now?

Now he realized…

When they got there, they would part ways.

Jareth would likely return to the guild circuit, back to his roots and smithing contacts.

Fena had her own goals alchemy studies, maybe connections she hadn't talked about yet.

Dunlin was a merchant. Always moving.

They'd helped him reach this far. But they weren't meant to stay.

The thought hit harder than expected.

Shion stopped walking for a moment, hands stuffed into his pockets.

He lowered his gaze.

"Not yet," he whispered. "We're not there yet."

He passed a bakery.

A bell jingled as he pushed open the door.

Warmth washed over him. Fresh bread, roasted Cherubi glaze, and that soft, doughy smell that reminded him painfully of his mother's oven in Riverleaf.

He bought three loaves.

All filled with berry jam.

He handed over the coin and stepped outside, still chewing on the scent.

A low snort emerged from his satchel.

Bidoof poked his head out, already sniffing wildly.

"Don't even start," Shion warned.

Bidoof looked him square in the eye, already halfway out of the bag. "Too late."

"I didn't say you could"

"Did you buy pie?"

"No."

Bidoof blinked, unimpressed. "...Uncultured."

Still, he took a jam-filled roll and began munching like a starved noble.

Shion shook his head, but smiled.

This weird little creature this so-called god was the reason he'd left Riverleaf.

The reason he was here at all.

He thought back to that day in Riverleaf. That absurd, fat and talking Bidoof appearing out of nowhere, babbling about Plates, divine power, Balance and danger . Asking him a farm boy to help.

He hadn't believed it at first.

But now?

Now he'd traveled across forests, fought wild Pokemon , made friends, seen towns and cities he'd never imagined. He'd battled beside giants. Walked roads that felt like they never ended.

All because of a divine Bidoof that liked pie and backtalked more than his sister.

He looked down as Bidoof struggled to unstick berry jam from his fur.

"You're ridiculous."

"I'm divine."

"You're sticky."

Bidoof stuck his tongue out. "You're welcome."

Shion didn't answer.

He just smiled.

A short walk later, he reached a quiet park bench near the outer district walls. A place just far enough from the bustle to breathe, but not too far from the city's gentle hum.

He sat down.

Opened his satchel.

And released his Pokémon.

With soft flashes of light, Kiba and Treecko Raku appeared beside him.

Kiba shook out his fur and stretched, tail wagging lazily as he dropped beside Shion's feet.

Raku blinked at the sunlight, then climbed onto the bench beside him, head tilted.

Still a little wary. Still learning to trust.

But getting there.

Shion handed each of them a bread roll.

Kiba took his delicately. Raku stared at his, sniffed it once, and then carefully nibbled.

Then faster.

Cheeks puffed, crumbs flying.

Shion chuckled. "Guess you like it."

Bidoof was already on his second roll.

"Any sign of a Plate?" Shion asked casually, half joking.

Bidoof blinked, mouth full, and gave a noncommittal shrug.

"Might be one.. close. Faint buzz. Maybe a few towns off. Maybe beneath your butt. Can't tell."

Shion raised an eyebrow. "Helpful."

"I live to serve," Bidoof mumbled through jam.

Still, Shion's heart stirred.

It had been months since he'd left home.

And in all that time… he'd only found one Plate.

Seventeen to go.

It felt impossible sometimes. Like walking in circles with your eyes closed, hoping to stumble into history.

But then he looked around.

At Kiba, licking crumbs off his paw.

At Raku, now perched on the backrest like a sleepy cat, blinking slowly.

At Bidoof, humming to himself while eating his third roll.

And he smiled.

"...Yeah," he said, leaning back and watching the sky. "It's going to be a long one."

But maybe…

That wasn't such a bad thing.

---

Bellmire's late afternoon sun filtered softly through the city's upper terraces, dappling the cobblestone streets with golden light.

Shion stayed seated for a while longer, watching his team lounge around the park bench. Kiba sprawled out on his side in the grass, one ear twitching lazily. Raku was grooming his arm with exaggerated, almost prideful movements, clearly mimicking Kiba.

Bidoof, meanwhile, had jam all over his mouth.

Still.

"Seriously?" Shion raised an eyebrow. "I gave you a handkerchief."

Bidoof licked his face. "I'm using it later."

"You're sitting on it."

"Pre-heating it."

Shion sighed, stretched, and was about to suggest heading back when a sudden voice pierced the gentle hum of birds and breeze.

"Hey! Get back here, you cowards!"

Shion turned, startled.

A small figure came running down the road barefoot, flushed, with a wooden sword strapped awkwardly to his back and a tear in one sleeve.

A boy.

Couldn't be older than eight.

"Whoa hey, slow down!" Shion stood instinctively as the kid barreled toward him. "What's going on?"

The boy skidded to a stop, blinking at Shion, then immediately pointed in the opposite direction.

"They took it! My PokéBall! They stole it!"

Shion blinked. "Who did?"

"My stupid friends!" the boy shouted, face red. "They said they were just 'pretending' to be bad guys and then ran off with my partner! That's not how knights act! They're just being mean!"

"Your partner?"

"Yeah! My Snubbull! Her name's Lady Grumples!"

Shion's mouth twitched. "...Seriously?"

"She's noble!" the boy shouted. "She has rank!"

Shion coughed to cover the chuckle.

"Alright, alright. Where'd they go?"

"Down that alley!" the boy said, pointing again. "They're probably in the old courtyard. That's where we play knights."

Shion glanced at Kiba and Raku, both now on alert.

"Well," he said with a slight smile, "I guess we've got a rescue mission."

The "old courtyard" turned out to be a dusty, abandoned lot behind a shuttered smithy. There were broken training dummies scattered around, weathered fencing, and a crumbling stone bench that had clearly become a makeshift fortress.

Three kids stood proudly at the top of it, wooden swords raised like conquerors.

At their feet, in a crude wooden box, sat a single Poké Ball.

"This is your final warning, evildoers!" the boy shouted, storming forward with Shion right behind him.

One of the kids a lanky boy with oversized boots.pointed dramatically.

"Ha! You dare enter the Court of Lord Valiant? The captured princess shall remain with us until our demands are met!"

"She's not a princess! She's a Snubbull!" the boy shouted.

"She's noble," Shion added, trying to be supportive.

"You brought a grown-up!" one of the kids shrieked. "You broke the rules!"

The third kid, a stocky girl with freckles and a cape made of tablecloth, crossed her arms. "Adults can't play. That's the law."

Shion held up his hands. "I'm not here to fight. Just here to… mediate."

Kiba growled softly beside him.

Raku climbed up onto his shoulder.

Bidoof emerged from the satchel at last, looked around, blinked

then climbed onto Shion's head like a crown.

"You brought Pokémon!" one of the kids yelled.

"Yeah!" said another. "That's cheating!"

The boy with the stolen Snubbull shouted back. "Well you stole Lady Grumples!"

"I was giving her a storyline!" the cape-girl yelled.

Shion sighed. "Okay. Everyone pause. Time out."

The kids all froze mid-argument.

Shion crouched down. "Here's a suggestion. You want to act like real knights?"

They nodded slowly.

"Then maybe you should fight me instead."

Their eyes widened.

"I'm an official silver-ranked adventurer," Shion said, pulling out his badge. "If you want to hold someone's Pokémon hostage, you need to earn it."

The lanky kid looked nervous. "But… we only have wooden swords…"

Shion raised an eyebrow. "So?"

One kid whispered, "Is this legal?"

The girl in the cape narrowed her eyes. "Fine. One-on-one. Old-fashioned duel."

Shion stood, cracked his knuckles. "You sure?"

She pointed. "I choose your weird rat."

Bidoof gasped. "RAT?"

"Oh no," Shion whispered. "You've done it now."

Bidoof leapt from his head with a heroic flip, landed in the dirt, and struck a triumphant pose.

The other kids backed up.

The duel began.

It was, to be generous, chaos.

Bidoof refused to move for the first two minutes, claiming he was "psyching her out."

The girl charged with a wild overhead swing.

Bidoof rolled right straight into a barrel.

Shion facepalmed.

Kiba quietly howled laughter from behind.

The girl chased him in circles for a while, until Bidoof faked a dramatic collapse then tripped her with his tail and declared victory.

"I have conquered this realm," he announced. "Bring forth the cheese."

"You mean the Snubbull," Shion corrected.

"Same thing."

The kids, now laughing, returned the Poké Ball. The boy hugged it to his chest, beaming.

"Thank you, sir adventurer!" he said, saluting with his wooden sword. "You have saved Lady Grumples' honor!"

Shion saluted back. "Glad to help."

"And you," the boy added, pointing to Bidoof, "you are now Sir Chews-a-lot."

Bidoof preened. "I accept this title with grace and jam."

By the time they walked back toward the inn, the sun had begun to dip once again. Bells rang faintly in the distance. Warm golden light spread across the rooftops of Bellmire.

Shion walked quietly, Kiba at his side, Raku riding on his shoulder, Bidoof smug and proud in the satchel.

"You're a menace," Shion said to him.

"I'm a knight," Bidoof replied. "Respect the rank."

"You tripped a child."

"She charged me."

"You fell into a barrel."

"I was creating tension."

Shion shook his head but his smile lingered.

The world was getting darker.

The road ahead was long.

But moments like these?

They mattered.


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