I felt himself being shaken. Groaning, I opened my eyes.

"Woah, you look awful," Xera arched an eyebrow. Then she smirked. "Still not used to tribal traditions, Outsider?"

I sat up, rubbing my eyes as I registered sunlight streaming past the leather flap over the doorway. I felt tired after barely getting any sleep. That dream, no, nightmare had happened the moment I closed my eyes. Trapped in the endless darkness with the never ending screeching. Thankfully it hadn't lasted long until I awoke, but...

I shuddered.

"What?" Xera asked.

I almost told her, but I shook my head. "Nothing. Just a dream. Why'd you wake me?"

"He's back," she stood. "The Healer."

In an instant my weariness was gone. I got to my feet, looking to my left. Z was leaning against the mud wall, asleep, with Luna still appearing to be in a peaceful slumber.

"Where-?" I began to ask Xera if she knew where the Healer was exactly, but at that moment the flap at the door was held up, letting in sunlight. The woman who had substituted for the Healer came in, her strange bird Pokemon still on her shoulder. She was followed by an elderly man in a jewel-decorated skirt, a Carbink hovering in after him. I took in a quick breath. It was him. The one that I had dreamt of when I found myself in the Starlit Cavern in my dreams.

He made his way over to Luna carefully, leaning slightly on his knobby walking stick. He lowered himself to the ground, resting on his knees as he set his walking stick down. He began murmuring, leaning over Luna as his hands found her face. He opened her right eye before moving his fingers around her scalp. He stayed like that for a couple minutes before finally he withdrew them. 

"Her wounds are not serious," the old man said softly, his tone surprising me. In the dream, he had sounded more joyous, but now he seemed less so, almost somber. "But her mind, it is... damaged. She will continue to slumber until her death."

"But you can do something about that, right!?" I looked at him desperately, then to the woman. 

She shook her head, crystal earrings dancing. "Something like this is beyond our capabilities."

"Hm..." the man murmured. He grabbed his walking stick and pointed it to me, turning his head. My breath got caught in my throat. The dark eyes I had seen in my dream were now replaced by milky whites. He was blind. 

"There is someone who can help," he said to me, lowering the stick. "He has strange powers, but he can heal the body and the mind."

The woman shot him a sharp glance. "Him? They cannot. He has been-"

The old man began coughing and wheezing, cutting her off as he bent over. She quickly knelt beside him. "What's wrong, Healer?"

He continued to cough, but when the woman grabbed for a bowl sitting beside the entrance, he flashed me a toothy grin. He waved her off as she tried to give him a small, red fruit. He stood, leaning on his walking stick as he began walking towards the entrance. "Seriyll, I will speak to the Village Leaders. They will understand." He passed beneath the flap, Carbink having held it up for him before following him.

When he left, Seriyll let out an irritated sigh. I glanced at her. "Are you his apprentice?"

She nodded, crossing her arms as she glared at the flap. "He is a stubborn old man. He'll get his way, he always does."

"How does he see, erm, know where he is going?" I asked awkwardly.

"He wasn't always blind," she said. "I've heard stories about how he had explored every part of our Village and what lies around it. So much so that even when he went blind, he could still find his way around with ease. He is both our Healer and Spirit Guide, so perhaps the spirits help guide him wherever he goes."

Just like Meda, I thought. Aloud, I asked the other question on my mind. "Who is this person you were talking about? Can he really heal Luna?"

Her face grew dark. "I will not speak of that outcast. If the Village Leaders do decide to let you find him, then I will not argue. But he has been banished for a reason." With that, she left, flap swishing behind her as she ducked beneath it. 

"Weird," I said.

"Not really," Xera said from behind. "It's common for outcasts to be viewed harshly by everyone else."

"Then what about us?" I asked her. "We're outcasts of the Jungle Tribe aren't we?"

Xera nodded. "We are, but it seems other tribes don't like the Jungle Tribe much. If I had to guess, I'd say that if someone was banished from the Jungle Tribe, they're more trustworthy than the Jungle Tribe as a whole."

"I... guess that makes sense?" I shook my head in confusion, sitting down next to Luna. "I just hope we can find this outcast. If he can help Luna, then that's all I need to know." I looked over at Z, who was now awake. "Will you come with us?"

Z shook her head. "No. I must stay by her side."

I wanted to object, but I held myself back. If Z thought she needed to be with Luna, then I wouldn't argue. I turned to Xera. "Are you willing to come?"

She shrugged. "Perhaps. Maybe I'll just stay here and live with the Tribe."

Despite her words, I thought I saw her grimace before she turned away from me. A buzzing sound and Yanmega settled on my head. Grinning up at the bug, I said "I know you'll come." I reached up and scratched the underside of his chin. "Thank you."

"Leavann," Leavanny cried as she walked over. 

I rubbed her head. "And thank you too."

The flap parted, letting in more light as Seriyll returned. She was straight faced, as if holding back a particularly strong emotion as she looked at me. "The Village Leaders have requested you to come meet them."

I nodded, forcing Yanmega to fly off my head. He and Leavanny followed me as I followed Seriyll out of the mud house. As soon as I entered the sunlight, I felt warm. It was pleasant, but I knew it would only get hotter.

As we approached the house in the center of the village, I saw both Ahoirr and Ruvain waiting outside for me. The Healer stood beside them, turning his blank gaze onto me as we came to a stop.

"We have been informed of the necessary treatment required for Luna to awake," Ruvain said simply. "But those banished by our tribe are not allowed contact with our tribe ever again."

I opened my mouth to object on instinct, not thinking about the consequences, but Ahoirr cut me off.

"However," he said, smiling softly. "Dear Luna has done our village and tribe a favor once before, so we will make an exception this once. You will be guided down the mountain and to the village alongside the river. There, another guide will take you to Harmony Lake, where the outcast lives."

The Healer stepped forwards, walking stick clunking on the hard earth. He stopped in front of me, gazing up at my face. "As this village's Spirit Guide, I will ask of the spirits to guide you to whom you seek safely." He bowed his head and stepped back, letting Ruvain step forwards. "We wish you a safe journey. We wish to see Luna revived as much as you do."

"Thank you, all of you," I bowed my head. 

"Your guide will be waiting by the land bridge," Ahoirr said once I lifted my head. "Any supplies you'll need will be provided, so do not worry about that."

"Thank you again," I said as both village leaders went back inside their house. Seriyll sighed in defeat and left, leaving me alone with the Healer. I smiled awkwardly at him, unsure of what to do, then decided to turn and leave. I only made it one step before I felt his cane touch my side. I turned to see him regarding me curiously. After a few long moments, he said, "Fear the water."

Then without another word he turned and hobbled away. I shook my head before heading back to the house where I'd been staying. Z didn't glance at me when I entered and Xera and her Pokemon were nowhere to be seen. 

"Where'd they go?" I asked Z.

She shrugged. "Left."

Frowning, I wished her goodbye and left. "I wonder where she went," I said to Leavanny. My question was answered when we reached the land bridge. Dev was waiting there beside three Mudbrays with bags hanging from their sides. Standing to one side was Xera, Dewpider atop her shoulder, and Grovyle.

"You're coming with!?" I asked, eyes wide.

"Don't sound too surprised," Xera scoffed at me. "I'm only repaying her for saving me before. That's it."

"Let us go," Dev said, hitting the rump of the lead Mudbray. The Ground type began trotting onto the land bridge, followed by the other two. I followed after Dev, glancing right. The land sloped downwards towards the expansive plains, the village we were heading to seeming small where it sat beside the wide river.

I wonder what kind of Pokemon live on the plains, I thought, growing excited. I remembered the books I read back in Galar, which is where I learned all of my information on various species of Pokemon. But while I had recognized a lot of Pokemon here, there had been those I hadn't recognized.

"You got a creepy grin on your face," Xera said as she passed me. 

I sighed. I wondered if Xera would ever decide to open up a bit more.

Once we stepped off the land bridge, Dev led us away from the path that would lead us to where we had battled the giant Serperior and instead took us to the right onto another, smaller path that trailed downwards. 

Dev walked in front with the Mudbrays, single filed, while Xera and Grovyle walked behind them. I was in the back of the group with Yanmega flying above me and Leavanny walking beside me. I was careful not to walk too close to the edge of the trail. While the drop wasn't far, and the next bend would bring us down there anyway, I didn't want to end up hurting myself so early. That or force Yanmega or someone else to rescue me.

The hard earth path was only littered with pebbles and stray weeds, but the closer we got to the plains, the more grass that kept appearing between the cracks in the ground. Close to an hour had passed before our group set foot on the plains. Strong winds rushed past, making the sea of grass bend towards the village we were heading towards.

I stopped, turning around to look back at the village on the plateau. The columns of rock loomed over the land and I could only make out small mud houses and no people. I felt a twinge in my stomach. Somewhere up there was Luna, still slumbering, waiting for us to bring the help she needed.

I promise, I thought determinedly. That I will do all that I can to help you, Luna.

...

The lake rippled as a breeze carried over it. A man watched the Pokemon of the island in the middle of the body of water go about their day as they sat at the lake's edge. He closed his eyes, breathing in the cool air as he listened to both the sounds of water on the lakeshore and the rush from the river that fed into the lake.

Holding out his hands, he felt across the pebble-littered shore. An eyebrow arched, a sense of unexpectedness rising. 

"It seems," he opened his eyes as a shell-wearing Pokemon emerged from the lake. "That we will be having company soon." A grin formed, teeth bared. "I cannot wait."

Finally another upload. Probably be a while until the next one as well. Gotta focus on RoC and Fate. Toodles