Gentle Snow

The Building of Stories

That night, Petal woke up, feeling as though something was wrong. Riolu woke up seconds after, whimpering softly.

"You too?" whispered Petal, rubbing her hands together as she looked over at Riolu. "Come on, let's see what's going on."

Petal tip-toed slowly through the house until she stopped outside Riley's room. She raised a hand to knock, but faltered when she heard something thrashing on the bed. Riolu seemed distressed.

Etiquette be damned, she opened the door and ran in.

Lucario looked up as soon as she stepped through the door, and her heart went out to the distress on his face. "He's locked in a nightmare."

Petal walked up to Riley, whose face was glistening with pain and exertion. His gasps broke her heart, and she reached out a hand to him. He pulled away from her touch as though it burned him, and she let her hand fall.

"Lucario, please stay and look after him," said Petal, grabbing one of Riley's Pokéballs. She gathered Riolu in her arms, and with one final glance at Riley, she steeled her resolve, heading out the house. She wasn't sure where she was going yet, but there was no way this was something that was happening for the first time in history. Someone, somewhere should know.

"Metagross," she said as she threw the Pokéball. The sun had just begun to rise, bathing Metagross in its light. Metagross looked perplexed to see Petal instead of his owner. "I need your help," said Petal, walking up to him with Riolu in her arms. "Riley's stuck in a nighmare."

Metagross and Riolu shared a look, and Petal didn't really know what had passed between them, but he nodded. Before Petal could land on his back, another Pokémon landed beside her, causing her to jump. Cynthia was on its back.

"Cynthia, Garchomp!"

"Petal," said Cynthia, hopping off Garchomp's back. "Were you going somewhere?"

"Kind of. Did you need something?"

"I wanted to see Riley..." she trailed off at the look on Petal's face. "What's wrong?"

"Riley's... locked in a nightmare," offered Petal, shuffling her feet as her eyes stung. The reality of the situation hit her full-force. Riley had been looking after her ever since she'd woken up, and now he was asleep. What now?

Cynthia briefly placed a hand on her shoulder, before walking into the house. Petal stood there, numb, until she returned. "We'll find a way to wake him up," she said softly.

Petal could barely do more than nod. "What did you need him for?" Her voice cracked.

"Floaroma Town has lost all its flowers overnight. I was wondering if he'd help me find out why." Cynthia pushed her hair back. Her eyes lit up as though she'd gotten an idea. "Say, why don't you head over to Canalave City and see what the library has to say?"

Petal knew she was talking with regard to both the problems they were currently facing.

"And you?"

"I'm going to see my grandma and see what she thinks. I'll meet you at the library."

Petal nodded as Cynthia hopped onto Garchomp's back. Cynthia lifted a hand as Garchomp took to the skies. The sun had fully risen by the time Petal and Riolu hopped onto Metagross' back.

"Metagross, I don't know where Canalave City is, but please take us there."

                                 *

Metagross dropped them off in front of the library, and Petal breathed a sigh of relief as her feet hit land. She held up the Pokéball, and Metagross vanished. "Thank you so much."

Lifting Riolu, she walked into the library. And then stood at the entrance in awe as she looked around at the ceiling-high shelves packed with books. The smell of old books wafted through the air.

"Hi, first time here?" asked the librarian.

"Yes."

"Right. Please don't talk or disturb others when they're reading." A young woman standing before a shelf looked back at them and glared. The man seemed to wilt under her stare. "Anything specific you're looking for?" he asked quietly.

"Dreams, nightmares, Floaroma's flowers," said Petal, sounding like a Rotom.

"Myths and legends are on the second floor."

"Thank you."

Petal counted the floors as she ran up, hissing when she stumbled on the last step.

She started looking through the books, picking up whatever seemed relevant, when Riolu ran over to her with a book in hand, looking excited.

"Shaymin?" asked Petal, reading through the page Riolu showed her. "If this is the Pokémon responsible for Floaroma's flowers, then something must've happened to it."

Riolu nodded in agreement, and Petal picked up another book, featuring a Pokemon looking like it was born from crescent moons. "Riolu, this book says Cresselia can wake up Riley. But how do we find Cresselia?"

Petal flipped through the book at inhuman speed, skimming through every word, but nowhere did it say how to wake up Riley. She put her head down on the table and sighed, just as someone else walked in.

"Cynthia."

Cynthia waved a hand, her black dress flowing behind her. Petal watched with amusement as the people around them stared with their jaws hanging when Cynthia walked up to her. "Found anything, my dear?"

Petal gestured to both books, as Riolu struggled to get onto the table. "Shaymin—" Cynthia's eyes widened slightly "—and Cresselia."

"Shaymin and Cresselia," she repeated, picking up one of the books and looking through it.

"What did grandma say?"

Cynthia's lips twitched, the shadow of a smile on her face. "You make it sound like she's your grandma too." Petal slapped a hand over her mouth. "She said Floaroma's flowers were caused by a mythical Pokémon, and that something might have happened to it, and that's why Floaroma's in such a state." Cynthia closed the book with an audible sound. And now they knew that the mythical Pokémon in question was Shaymin. "I overheard some people with a bad bowl-cut saying something about having captured Shaymin. They're in Eterna City."

She looked at Petal, and Petal nodded. Petal picked up Riolu, and the headed down the stairs together. "I don't know what to do about Cresselia, but I think Shaymin could help us find her."

Petal nodded as they reached the front of the library. The librarian was staring at Cynthia, shell-shocked. Petal wondered if he was in that state ever since Cynthia walked in. Cynthia threw her Pokéball, and Garchomp appeared. She took Petal by the arm, and pulled her onto Garchomp, settling behind Petal. "Hold on."

"To what?"

"Anything!" called Cynthia as Garchomp took off.

"Woah!"

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