Pokemon: Echoes of the dusk

The cart was gone.

So were the voices he'd come to know so well Jareth's dry muttering, Fena's pointed jokes, Dunlin's gravelly grumbles. The sound of wagon wheels and fire-crackled nights now echoed only in memory.

Shion sat alone on a bench.

Stone-paved. Half shaded by ivy.

He sat forward, elbows on his knees, chin resting in his hands, eyes locked on nothing.

"This is ridiculous." He muttered aloud.

He rubbed his eyes with a sigh. They're still in the city, he reminded himself. It's not like they vanished into another world.

It's just different.

He wasn't afraid. Not like he was back in Riverleaf. He'd traveled. Fought corrupted Pokémon. Earned his Silver badge, bandit raids, and being chased through wildlands by angry Graveler.

But…

He wasn't traveling with them anymore.

That was the part he hadn't prepared for.

He'd thought the hardest part would be the danger not the quiet.

A snort snapped him out of his spiral.

Bidoof waddled up from under the bench, his little feet making soft plap sounds against the cobblestone.

Shion blinked. "What?"

The divine Bidoof stared at him with uncharacteristic seriousness.

Shion raised an eyebrow. "I don't have food."

Bidoof didn't answer. Just kept staring.

"…What?"

Still staring.

Now concerned, Shion leaned forward. "Okay. What's wrong?"

Bidoof finally spoke in his usual nasally voice, but without the usual comedic bounce.

"I feel a Plate."

Shion's heart skipped.

"Wait what?"

Bidoof huffed. "A Plate. Here. In the city."

"You're serious?"

"If I wasn't, I'd be demanding pie."

"…You usually do that anyway."

"Shion."

"Right. Sorry."

He stood up quickly, brushing off his coat. "Where?"

Bidoof sniffed and pointed a stubby paw in a vague direction. "That way. Stronger pulse than usual. It's here, I'm sure."

Shion looked toward the direction a sea of rooftops, narrow alleys, curving towers and terracotta arches.

And a lot of people.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"You were crying and dramatic. I didn't feel like bothering you in your dramatic moment."

Shion sweat-dropped. "You're unbelievable."

"I'm divine."

"Still unbelievable."

He started walking.

The city opened around him and only now, with purpose under his boots and his eyes finally lifted, did he really look at Ravios.

And it was… stunning.

The streets were wide and curved in elegant patterns, designed more like rivers of stone than grids. Carriages of every shape royal, merchant, cargo rolled by, accompanied by Pokémon pulling and guiding them. The buildings towered overhead, made of pale stone and steel-laced wood, their windows cut with colored glass that shimmered under the sunlight like fragments of crystal.

Banners hung between rooftops in brilliant reds and golds, all marked with the Ravelle crest a sunburst rising behind a crowned wing.

Children chased a balloon-like Drifloon past a bakery with open shutters, where an Audino hummed while arranging berry tarts. On one street corner, a silver-haired violinist played a soft tune while her Chatot harmonized people paused to toss coins into a hat.

The city had levels.

Highwalks and under-paths crisscrossed the upper ring, lined with railings of swirling wrought iron. Gardevoir and Gallade strolled in pairs alongside wealthy citizens. Streetlamps glowed with charged orbs Rotom-powered, according to a sign.

Even the air smelled different.

Not like Riverleaf's soil or Bellmire's market dust.

This was spiced incense, polished wood, and city-cleaned wind.

And it was busy.

Too busy.

Soldiers marched with banners. Vendors sold commemorative emblems. People whispered about the royal square. Decorations were being strung from balconies and watchtowers.

They're preparing for something, Shion realized.

A festival?

A ceremony?

He didn't know but it gave the air a strange edge. Excitement wrapped in tension.

---

Shion walked for almost an hour.

Up winding roads. Down mossy steps. Across a narrow bridge that passed over a man-made canal filled with Lotad.

Bidoof led the way more or less occasionally stopping to sniff, mutter, then redirect.

"Are you sure this is the right way"

"Yes."

"You said that three alleys ago."

"Yes."

"…You don't know, do you?"

"Yes."

They turned a final corner and then Bidoof stopped cold.

"This is it," he said.

Shion followed his gaze.

And his heart skipped.

There it was.

A massive, walled complex set slightly higher than the surrounding buildings its towers coated in white stone and deep blue tile, domed rooftops reflecting the afternoon light.

Steel fences laced with golden filigree encircled the grounds. Several guard Pokémon patrolled inside Scizor, Aegislash, and even a Flygon perched atop a tower.

At the front gate stood a pair of knight cadets, dressed in black and gold, each holding a long staff tipped with a Luminous Gem.

Above the iron archway was the emblem carved in proud stone:

RAVELLE ROYAL ACADEMY

"Strength in Light, Grace in Wisdom"

Shion took a step closer, almost in awe.

"This is…"

Bidoof nodded.

"That's where the Plate is. Somewhere inside...maybe below"

Shion swallowed.

He didn't know what he expected. A hidden ruin. A forgotten cavern. Not this.

Not the most prestigious school in the kingdom.

And certainly not the very place where his childhood friends Ren and Mila now lived.

"Of course," Shion muttered. "Of course it'd be here."

Bidoof patted his leg. "You're welcome."

Shion glanced down. "For what?"

"For dragging you here."

"I did the walking."

"Divine guidance, mortal legs. Same thing."

Shion sighed and looked up at the academy again.

"So what now?"

Bidoof shrugged. "We find the Plate. We take it. try not to get expelled from a school you don't attend."

Shion wasn't sure whether to laugh or groan.

But one thing was certain

The journey wasn't slowing down.

If anything…

It was just getting harder.

Shion stood across the street from the Ravelle Royal Academy, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

The city hadn't felt this intimidating until now.

Massive domes and high towers loomed over the courtyard beyond the gates, casting long shadows over the walls. The students who passed by wore tailored uniforms and embroidered sashes elegant, prestigious, and nothing like a dust-coated silver-ranked adventurer with a still-jam-stained Bidoof in his satchel.

"This is a terrible idea," Shion muttered.

Bidoof popped his head out. "No, storming the gates is a terrible idea. This is just tragic."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"I'm here to emotionally support you from a safe distance."

"Helpful."

Still, Shion squared his shoulders. The Plate was in there. Somewhere.

He couldn't exactly wait for it to walk out on its own.

Besides… Ren and Mila might still be here. If he could get in, maybe

He took a breath and stepped forward.

The guards noticed immediately.

Two armored men stood on either side of the gate not soldiers, but clearly professional. Their uniforms were dark blue trimmed with gold, and one had a Gallade crest pinned to his shoulder.

One of them the older one, with a scar over his brow lifted a hand.

"Hold it. This is Academy property. No entry without student clearance."

"Ah, right sorry," Shion said, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm, uh… Shion. I'm a silver-ranked adventurer. I'm actually here to meet someone."

He pulled out his adventurer badge.

The guard raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

The younger guard leaned slightly forward, squinting at the badge like it might bite.

"Yeah?" the older one said. "Who?"

Shion hesitated, then cleared his throat.

"…Ren."

The guards exchanged a look.

"…And Mila," Shion added quickly. "Ren and Mila."

The pause that followed was almost painful.

The younger guard gave a very slow blink. "Uh-huh."

"We're childhood friends," Shion insisted. "We're all from Riverleaf Village."

The older one crossed his arms. "You got any proof for that?"

"Proof?… that we're childhood friends?"

The younger guard chuckled. "You'd be surprised what people try to fake just to get onto the Academy grounds. We had a guy last week claim he was a long-lost cousin of the headmaster ."

"I'm not faking,look, I'm not here to cause trouble. I just"

"Time to move along."

The older guard's tone was firmer now.

More students were starting to glance their way, curious about the conversation. Shion felt the creeping heat of embarrassment start rising in his neck.

Bidoof climbed out of the bag and onto his shoulder. "It's about to get worse."

"What?"

That's when the Machamp appeared.

The older guard had threw a ball into the air earlier and a four-armed behemoth emerged, cracking its knuckles as it towered over the stunned adventurer.

Shion blinked.

"Wait. What's that for?"

"I said move along."

"I-I'm trying! What's the machamp for!"

And then the command came.

"Remove him."

The Machamp grinned.

Before Shion could step back, the fighting-type grabbed him and Bidoof at once, tucking them under each muscled arm like groceries.

"Hey! Hey hey hey hey!" Shion flailed. "This is excessive force! I was being polite!"

Bidoof just went limp. "Tell my story."

And with frightening efficiency, the Machamp walked twenty meters down the main path…

…And threw.

Shion and Bidoof soared through the air in a graceless arc.

They landed with a painful thump in a stack of empty merchant crates.

A passing elderly woman blinked, adjusted her glasses, and kept walking.

Machamp dusted off all four hands, turned, and calmly stomped back to the gates.

Shion groaned.

He sat up slowly, brushing splinters from his coat, hair a mess, dignity in pieces.

Bidoof lay beside him, upside down.

"…You okay?"

"Physically, yes. Emotionally, shattered."

"Same."

The onlookers nearby began to whisper. A few laughed.

Shion sighed, stood, and patted dust off his tunic.

"Well. That could've gone worse."

Bidoof squinted. "How?"

"I could've been thrown into something."

"You were thrown into something."

"…I could've been thrown into a trash can."

Bidoof considered. "Fair."

They started walking away, heads low, leaving behind a small crowd and two very satisfied guards.

Shion muttered, "Okay. I need a new plan."

---

Meanwhile, inside the Academy…

Mila leaned against a shaded courtyard wall, sipping from a tall glass of Nanab juice while listening to her friend Ilyne ramble about the fencing instructor's latest melodrama.

"…And then he dropped the blade mid-lunge because a Spearow hit him in the face. Right in front of everyone. I thought Vince was going to die laughing."

Mila chuckled lightly, but her thoughts drifted. Her gaze wandered to the main gate, visible across the wide green of the quad.

"…What's going on over there? I heard commotion earlier" she asked.

"Hmm?,Oh. Some guy tried to get in earlier."

Mila raised a brow. "Student?"

"Nope. Adventurer, I think. Had a weird scarf. Looked kinda flustered. Said he was looking for a 'Ren' and a 'Mila' or something."

Mila froze mid-sip.

"…What?"

"That's what I heard. A few people were talking about it. One of the gate guards had to call his Machamp to throw the guy out."

Mila blinked. "Wait… really?"

Ilyne nodded, mid-laugh. "Total mess. You should've seen how far he flew."

Mila narrowed her eyes slightly. The name Ren wasn't that uncommon, but…

"Did he say anything else?"

"Not that I heard."

"…Huh."

Mila frowned thoughtfully. Her mind scrolled through memories like pages in a book. She tried to recall if she knew any adventurers from outside the Academy.

No one comes to mind, she thought. And even if someone was from Riverleaf, they wouldn't be here Riverleaf is far after all

She shook her head.

"Probably just a coincidence," she muttered.

"What's that?"

"Nothing. Just thinking."

Ilyne laughed. "Don't overdo it. You'll get wrinkles."

Mila rolled her eyes, but her gaze lingered on the gate.