24 – Mega Evolution

Tinker sat watching the little swablu hatchling, tucking into a small bowl of berries on his desk. The newly named Starshine seemed rather content, interspersing each mouthful with a little chirp and a glance in his direction probably to make sure he was still there.

"Decided to keep it then, aye?"

Tinker looked sharply at his office door. He hadn't even heard the knock. Skipper leant against the door frame, half in and half out of his room. The riolu looked back at the baby pokemon and let out a small sigh.

"Told anyone yet?" Skipper closed the door and moved to stand beside him.

"No." Tinker leant back in his seat and rubbed his paws over his face. "I don't know how."

"Ye ne'er told anyone ye were gonna get rid of it though, did ye?"

"No... no, I didn't." He looked up at his friend. "But I doubt this will be met with joy, Skipper."

The marshstomp shrugged. "Nae, I agree wi' that. However..." He adjusted his goggles on his head and stared thoughtfully at the little swablu. "Ye can't keep 'im a secret, Tinker. Sooner or later he's gonna be runnin' 'round New City like th' rest o' the hatchlings."

Tinker stared down at the baby, completely unaware of their conversation.

"Laughin'," Skipper went on. "Yellin', playin', makin' friends-"

"Making friends?" Tinker looked up at him sharply. That was a thought that had never occurred to him before.

Skipper raised an eyebrow. "Ye ne'er considered that?"

"No..." Tinker looked back at the swablu. He was watching him now with his little black eyes. "That's... brilliant."

"Oh?"

Tinker stood up, sending his chair toppling backwards with a loud clatter. "Skipper, you're a genius!"

"Ahh, Tink. I was only sayin' like t'other kids-"

"Yes! Starshine is just like other kids." Tinker turned to face him, a large smile beaming on his face. "If he mixes with the other pokemon and makes friends..." He trailed off, his smile faltering.

"Ye think he mightn't make friends?"

"No, it's not that." Tinker scratched his ear and let out a flustered breath. "It's the mothers. Hatchlings don't tend to be judgemental. But the mothers won't want their children playing with a swablu."

Skipper looked thoughtful, glancing at the door then back at Starshine. "I could ask my sis? Wee Tad ain't much older."

"Your sister? That hadn't occurred to me... of course, she has a child."

"Aye, my nephew." Skipper fiddled with his goggles again. "Trouble is she's a wee bit protective, ya know. There ain't many of us left alive now."

Tinker nodded. He was strongly considering this. He stared down at Starshine who had abandoned the bowl of berries, perching near the edge of his desk and fixing them both with his tiny eyes.

"How much do you think he can understand?" Tinker asked Skipper. "Do you think he'd be able to play with anyone at his age?"

"I dunno." Skipper made for the door. "I'll be back soon, aye? Sis is only at th' market."

Tinker nodded and picked up his chair, falling heavily onto the seat. Starshine inclined his head on one side and chirped. It sounded like a question. Tinker stared at him and gave a small smile. The little swablu bounced up and down with glee and ran back to the bowl of berries.

"Still hungry?" Tinker asked.

Starshine turned to face him, a cheri berry clutched in his beak. He flopped across the desk towards Tinker, the edge completely obscured from his view by the large fruit.

Tinker's heart almost struck his throat. He stuck out both paws and caught the baby swablu before he plummeted to the floor. A sigh of relief escaped his lips and he set the swablu on his lap. Starshine chirped and dropped the berry, smiling and flapping his wings, completely oblivious to his narrowly avoided demise.

Tinker laughed. "You just wanted to share?" He ran a paw across his forehead. "That's no reason to rush off the desk, Starshine."

"Tinker!"

The door to his office flew open and he leapt from his seat, holding the swablu in his arms. He fixed wide eyes on a female marshstomp, a large red ribbon adorning her head. Standing behind her was a shrewd-looking Skipper and a small mudkip peering at him behind her ankle.

"Is this ano'er one o' ye mad experiments?!"

Tinker shushed her and shook his head. "Can you come inside and talk about this? You'll have all of New City in an uproar."

"An' rightly so, ye mad fool!" Regardless, she stepped inside, ushering her son ahead of her.

Skipper closed the door quietly and leant against it, giving Tinker an apologetic look.

This was Skipper's sister. Unlike her brother, Lily rarely left New City. However, she was well known amongst the other mothers. If this didn't go down well, word would quickly spread about the swablu and Tinker might find himself on the receiving end of a very unpleasant riot.

Lily put her paws on her hips and leant in until she was almost nose to nose with Tinker.

"What on earth made ye think ye could just bring a swablu down 'ere into New City?"

Tinker's mouth hung open but all that came out was, "I... I..."

"It's a dragon, Tinker!" Lily growled. "What if it turns on us, gets out and reveals New City to Hydreigon?!"

"It's a baby!" Tinker's voice took himself by surprise. Lily just blinked at him, waiting for him to elaborate. "It's a baby, Lily. If we raise it with our morals, and it makes friends amongst us... maybe even joins our ranks to fight in this war. This could give us a strong advantage."

"An' a glarin' weakness."

Tinker stared at the female marshstomp. She crossed her arms and looked from Starshine to Tinker.

"Ye know the dragon type's weak t'itself. It wouldn't take much for 'em t'pick it off. One altaria in the army ain't gonna give us much of an advantage, ye old fool."

Tinker stared down at the swablu in his arms and sighed.

"I think ye went soft," Lily went on. "Ye found an egg an' wanted t'hatch it. A little baby abandoned in th' wild an' ye couldn't leave it." She paused, observing Tinker's sullen expression. "I'm right ain't I?"

Tinker couldn't say anything. Her words struck him hard and he flinched. She was right, of course she was right. He glanced up at her, but the look of fury was gone from her face.

"C'mon, Tinker, I ain't 'eartless." She smiled. "I'd've done th' same."

Tinker's jaw dropped. "You're not angry?"

"Oh I'm angry!" She crossed her arms. "Angry ye lied! Why not just admit it that ye went soft an' rescued a defenceless egg?"

"Because I feared the pokemon here wouldn't understand."

"They already know it's 'ere, Tinker. The Elites didn't exactly keep their yaps shut ye know?" She laughed. "Anyway, Tad 'ere knows moves t'defend himself if need be."

Tinker's eyes widened. "Are you saying-"

"I'll 'elp ye? Yeh sure, why not." She smiled warmly at him. "But I'm tellin' ye... anythin' goes wrong, that swablu's out of 'ere. All right?"

Tinker gave her a smile and nodded. "Yes."

"Whew!" Skipper slipped down the door and fell to his bottom. "Seriously, sis. I thought ye were gonna 'ave 'is 'ead off!"

Lily ignored her brother, instead looking down at the swablu. "What've ye named it then?"

"He's called Starshine," Tinker explained.

The swablu chirped at her.

"Can't speak yet, eh?" Lily chuckled and took Starshine from Tinker, setting him down on the floor. "C'mon, Tad, don't be shy. Say 'ello."

The little mudkip glanced up at his mother with uncertainty, then ventured slowly towards the swablu. Starshine was too busy observing the room from his new position on the floor to give Tad much attention. The mudkip stopped a few paces away from the new hatchling and cleared his throat.

"Hi there."

Starshine glanced at him, chirped, then hopped in a little circle with his eyes on the ceiling.

Tad looked up at his mother. "Don't do much does he?"

Lily chuckled. "O'course not, lad, he's only just hatched! Give 'im a few weeks 'n' he'll be laughin' and playin' on your level." She turned to Tinker and gave him a serious look. "This is you're responsibility now, Tinker."

"I'm aware." Tinker nodded. "If he turns on us, I'm to blame."

"I weren't sayin' that!" Lily frowned. "I'm sayin' yer his surrogate dad. It ain't easy bein' a parent. Come on, Tad. It's almost dinner time."

Tad gave Starshine one last glance before following his mother from Tinker's office. Lily paused in the open doorway and fired a look at Skipper.

"As fer you. Don't keep serious matters like this from me again, aye?"

"I was sworn t' secrecy, sis!"

"Yes, well." Lily gave Skipper and Tinker a smile. "I could've helped ye. If ye need anythin' just ask, all right?" She gave them a wave and closed the door quietly.

"By 'eck." Skipper flopped against Tinker's desk. "She can be a wee bit intimidatin', that one."

Tinker nodded and gave a sigh of relief as he fell back into his chair. "I didn't expect that at all."

"At least ye have some hope of 'im makin' friends now, aye?"

"Certainly."

Tinker watched the little swablu flop along the floor, inspecting every piece of paper and clutter he came across. Hope of making friends... he was starting to feel he had hope of a little more than that.

...

Cleo struggled to keep up with Faith. The mawile kept pausing to look back at them with a cry of 'come on come on!' before skipping on ahead again, almost losing them in the spread of exuberant flower beds.

Cleo had asked her where she was taking them, but all the mawile had replied with was a chirpy, "You'll see!"

They were led through a massive orchard, the smell of flowers and ripe fruit tickling their noses and igniting their appetite. But this wasn't where Faith was trying to take them. They passed by each well cared for tree and bush until they exploded through to the other side. There it was. A large building looming towards them, the sun's rays embracing the surface in a warm, gentle light.

"What is that?" Cleo gasped between breaths.

Faith looked back at her. "The abbey!"

"Abbey?!" The exclamation had come from both Cleo and Spark.

Faith's large eyes sparkled in amusement. "You seem surprised!"

Cleo was too breathless with the strain of keeping up with the excitable mawile to explain. When they finally reached a stop, she buckled over with her paws on her knees to catch her breath.

Spark flopped onto her back in the soft grass, her breath coming in rapid gasps. Mischief sat down next to her and wiped a paw across his brow.

Hope stopped behind them and chuckled. "I see that run has tired you out?"

Cleo looked back at the gardevoir. "How are you not tired?"

"You get used to it." She smiled. "Faith is always darting about like a beautifly on the first day of the flower season."

Faith grinned at them and folded her paws behind her back. "Want me to show you around?"

Spark wafted a paw in the air. "Gimme a minute. I think I've died."

Mischief looked up at the mawile. "You say this is an abbey?"

She nodded. "Yes! It's the Fairy Garden's main building, too! Filled with warm nest rooms, a massive dinner hall-"

Spark sat bolt upright. "Dinner?"

Faith chuckled. "Yes. And a courtyard filled with flowers and a pretty willow in the middle with a pond... oh it's lovely!" She clapped her paws together. "You simply must see it at night time! The illumise and volbeat light up the sky with the most exquisite dance you've ever seen."

Mischief smiled. "It sounds wonderful!"

"Ah, then let me show you!" Faith took Mischief's paws and pulled him to his feet. "Then I can show you your rooms."

"Rooms?" Cleo stood up straight to face the mawile. "What rooms?"

"Why, your quarters of course! Where else will you sleep?" She glanced at the trees. "Or do you prefer more traditional nests? We have those for arboreal pokemon but-"

"Faith, we're not staying here indefinitely," Cleo explained. "There's a war."

"Yes?"

Cleo narrowed her eyes. "You do know there's a war?"

Faith nodded. "Yes."

"It's been going on for many, many years now," Hope added.

Cleo looked from one to the other. "And you just stay here... safe?"

"We fight when we're needed," Hope explained. "Right now, a small number of our warriors are out there helping pokemon in desperate need of solitude. When they come back, more will be sent out to help them."

Spark looked up at the gardevoir. "So even this place is at war?"

"Yes, but the Fairy Garden is protected. Nothing evil can enter here." She gave the dedenne a warm smile. "The war goes on outside this garden while the pokemon inside it can rest assured they are perfectly safe. We warriors can come and go and help those in need, and we do. "

"That's what I'm saying!" Faith clapped her paws and grinned. "You have a place here, you have rooms. You can come and go and fight this war along side us! Alongside Xerneas!"

Cleo's eyes widened. Fight alongside these pokemon? Like an army?

"You can train with us," Hope explained. "You just need to rest up from your journey then you'll be ready to learn how to fight the Darkness."

"We've been fighting for years." Spark rubbed a paw over her whiskers. "I think we're trained."

Faith shook her head. "No, you're not trained."

Spark was about to retort but Faith cut her off.

"You don't know the right attacks," she added.

"Oh?" Spark raised an eyebrow. "My thunder wave hasn't failed me yet."

"And while that's a good strategy, how do you take down a zweilos?" Hope asked. "Dragons resist electricity." She looked at Cleo. "And dark pokemon are immune to your psychic attacks."

Cleo and Spark both looked at Mischief.

Spark pointed at him. "That's where he comes in."

Mischief inclined his head on one side. "Me? But... I don't want to fight."

"But you can!" Faith grinned. "You're a fairy pokemon!"

"Fairy?" Spark and Cleo looked at each other in shock.

"Yup!" Faith chirped. "Part grass, part fairy."

"Is that.. the new type?" Cleo asked.

"New?" Faith laughed and waved a paw. "Fairy pokemon have been around for years! Those little ones holding the flowers, they're flabebe. They're pure fairy type. And I myself am part fairy, like Mischief here! And so's Hope!" She nudged the gardevoir with her elbow.

"Yes." Hope blinked a couple of times as she took in the situation. "I'm surprised you didn't know this."

"No..." Cleo looked down at Mischief. "It's a new thing. No pokemon we've ran into knows about the fairy type."

"That's odd." Hope exchanged glances with Faith. "They used to."

"Yeh." Faith turned to look at Cleo. "Xerneas is pure fairy type, and the source of it. He gives us all this power. Pokemon know about Xerneas, don't they?"

Cleo rubbed the back of her head, exchanging silent looks with Spark and Mischief. None of them had heard of Xerneas before they came across the ruined abbey. None of them had even heard of the fairy type before. What was going on?

"Oh no." Faith put both paws over her mouth. "You never knew?"

"No," said Cleo.

Spark shook her head. "Nope. First time we even saw Xerneas was a picture in a ruined building yesterday."

"Oh..." Faith slumped. "What has the world come to?"

"Let's not lose heart." Hope gave her a pat on the shoulder. "We can teach these pokemon how to fight alongside us tomorrow. Right now, there's a feast and a dazzle dance to attend."

"Feast?!" Spark leapt into the air. "You mean berries galore?!"

Faith laughed. "Berries, vegetable stew, cake, juice... I can see you're going to love it!"

"Argh, I've only read about feasts! I've never had one!"

"Okay, well." Faith grinned widely. "Let me show you around the abbey and then we can go to the dinner hall, okay?"

"You don't need to ask me twice!" Spark hopped after the mawile. "I think I've found new energy!"

"Wow. This is a big library."

Cleo and Spark looked up at the walls lined with shelves filled with books. They stretched the entire height of the room. The higher shelves needed a ladder to reach them.

"I don't think I've ever read a book before," said Spark.

"Well these ones are the same size as you," said Cleo.

"I don't care for that comment, Cleo."

"But it's true."

"I know, but I still don't care for it."

The two of them stood transfixed, gazing at the endless rows of shelves. Faith couldn't help chuckling at them.

"I've never been in a library before," said Mischief. "I don't think so, anyway. I don't remember it." He scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, as you can see we're not exactly short on reading material," said Faith. "So help yourselves any time."

Cleo made a thoughtful noise and looked round at the mawile and gardevoir. "Is there anything on those stones you're wearing?"

"What, these?" Faith removed the bow from her head and looked down at the stone fastened in it, then back at Cleo. "You've never seen one before, huh?"

"I have, but I don't know what it is."

"Where have you seen one?" Hope asked. "They're pretty rare."

"Harlequin has one."

"Harlequin?" Hope and Faith exchanged glances.

Hope scratched her head and looked up at the book shelves. "I don't think a Zoruite exists."

"It isn't ringing any bells. Want me to check?" Faith scooted over to the ladder.

"No, no." Hope waved a paw which went unseen by the mawile. "You don't need to check, I'm pretty sure."

"Oh, all right." Faith turned back to them and grinned. "Shall we show them, Hope?"

"You're going to show us?" Mischief almost bounced with glee. "I've only seen it in those tapestries!"

"Hold on, Faith." Hope held up a paw. "I don't think they're ready for this yet. The look of confusion on Cleo's face tells me that much."

"Of course I'm confused," said Cleo. "All this is happening pretty fast. We see a picture of Xerneas and an epic battle the day before and now we're standing in a library in a secret place called the Fairy Garden where we've just seen Xerneas standing right before our eyes!"

"Firstly, this place isn't secret," said Faith. "At least, it isn't meant to be. Secondly... this is a Mega Stone."

Hope put a paw over her face and sighed. "Faith, I told you they aren't ready."

Faith bounced up and down. "They are so ready, Hope! They're fighting this war!"

"Mega Stone?" Spark's nose twitched. "I've really never heard of them before. Have you?" She looked up at Cleo.

Cleo shook her head. "They change your form, am I right?"

"Yup!" Faith closed her eyes and smiled. "The one I wear is a Mawilite. Hope is wearing a Gardevoirite."

Hope lifted her wrist so the others could see clearly. "Yes, and this bracelet activates it. Mine activates Faith's and vice-versa. We can do it ourselves, but it is more convenient to have a partner as it uses less energy."

"Energy? How does it work?" Cleo asked.

Mischief put his paws together. "Can we see? Please?"

Faith fastened the bow back around her horn. "Well, Hope. The best way to learn is by example."

"Okay, but let's do this in the courtyard. I don't want to knock all the books down."

They followed the gardevoir out of the library and down a corridor lined with arched windows overlooking a wide courtyard with a decorative gazebo in the centre. A pond reflected the soft sunlight, and a gentle breeze wafted through the lush branches of a delicate willow tree kindly shading a spot by the pond where two volbeat sat chatting happily.

It was such a stark contrast to the world outside the Fairy Garden. Cleo couldn't help feeling like she was walking in a dream. Any minute, she would wake up and this peaceful world would fade away to be replaced by desolation and war once more.

She shook her head sharply and followed Hope and Faith through an archway out into the courtyard.

"There's more space here," said Hope. "I think we can demonstrate now."

"Yes! Let's hop to it, Hope!" Faith raised her wrist and turned to look at Cleo and the others. "Are you ready for this? Because it might come as a bit of a shock."

Cleo glanced at Spark and Mischief. Spark seemed a little uncertain but Mischief's wide, orange eyes reflected his enthusiasm.

Faith grinned at them and her bracelet began to glow. Hope's lit up alongside it and the two of them were engulfed in a bright light. There was a flash, so bright it dazzled their eyes and Cleo had to shield them with both paws. The sound of shattering glass cut through the tranquil silence. Hope and Faith stood before them again, now significantly altered. The air around them seemed to flicker for a moment, as though it was unsure about touching them, before deciding it was actually safe.

Hope was now almost completely white, the lower half of her body resembling a flowing gown. The fur on her face was longer, curling upwards as though it was defying gravity. The spike on her chest seemed to have been split in two and was sticking out in opposite directions.

Faith was now considerably taller and sported two massive horns, both of which looked like vicious jaws. The left one still had her bow attached to it, detracting from its fierce appearance. Her legs were purple rather than cream, along with her formerly black forearms. If it weren't for her friendly, wide smile, Cleo would have thought she'd been replaced by a completely different pokemon.

"This is Mega Evolution," she told them. "In these forms, our powers are greatly amplified!"

Cleo and Spark stood with their mouths agape, both of them at a loss for words. The only one who had something to say was Mischief.

"Wow!" he gasped. "And this is how you two fight?!"

Hope smiled warmly. "When we need to."

He flexed his paws a few times and shifted on the spot, glancing nervously around him. Something was bothering him, Cleo knew. But right now, she had no idea what to say to him. She was still reeling from the shock of the two pokemon's sudden transformation. It had been similar to evolution, but much more intense.

"I think I need to sit down." Spark fell to her bottom in the grass.

Faith chuckled. "I have to admit, I reacted just the same way you three have."

"I think they've seen enough." Hope gave a nod and her body shrank into itself until her normal form returned.

"Aww, I guess so." Faith shrank down to her previous height and once again resembled a normal mawile.

Spark blinked, rubbed her eyes and blinked again. "What? What?"

"It's temporary?" Cleo gasped.

It sounded like a stupid question now she'd voiced it. She didn't know why she hadn't assumed it was temporary. If they'd done it before and it wasn't, then they wouldn't look like a standard gardevoir and mawile.

Hope and Faith both giggled.

"Yes. It's temporary," said Faith.

Mischief made a little noise that drew the other pokemons' attention. He looked from Hope to Faith and back.

"Can... can anyone do it?"

"That remains to be seen," Hope explained. "But if you were wondering about yourself, not yet."

Faith shook her head. "Never seen a Whimsicottite."

Mischief nodded and folded his paws behind his back. "I think I'd like a walk if that's okay?"

"Okay, but be back soon," Faith told him. "The feast will be starting shortly."

Mischief gave another nod and turned away from them, heading back towards the archway.

Cleo looked back at him. His words and actions had filled her with concern. "Mischief... do you want me to come with you?"

He turned his head to look at her for a moment, then shook it slowly. "No. I'll be okay."

They watched him vanish into the corridor. Once he was out of sight, Faith turned to Cleo.

"Is he all right?"

Cleo shrugged. "I'm honestly not sure."

Spark looked up at her, her black eyes wide with worry. That look alone made Cleo feel like a lead ball had struck the pit of her stomach.

"Cleo... I need to talk to you."