In a world full of floating islands, sky pirates, exiled magicians, and Pokémon, peace is difficult to maintain.
Shaymin, kind Pokémon who'd guided travelers once man learned how to fly, were hunted to extinction for their Gracideas: magical flowers...
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No matter how hard she tried, Gracie could not fall asleep. The restless energy she hadn't felt since she was younger thrummed through her veins, filling her with a foreign feeling she pinned down as being negative. It made her nervous and jittery and all-around bad. Unable to take it any longer, she squirmed out from beneath a dozing August's hold and shook her pelt free of creased leaves.
Not a single companion of hers stirred at her sudden movements. August simply rolled over. Pidge perched on a tree bunch above, his head tucked under his wing. Cyryl muttered gibberish in zir dreams. Omar and his Pokémon snored loudly. Lang curled in a ball close to the extinguished fire. Carefully, Gracie tiptoed past them and trekked further into the isle.
Soft grass swelled around the Shaymin and tickled her belly as she waded through the greenery. She jumped and trembled when the canopies rustled overhead—it was polar to the quietness of the open sky. The longer she listened to the breezes swaying the treetops, though, the more she found comfort in the noise. It felt welcoming.
The crescent moon's pale light illuminated her floral path, causing Gracie's eyes to twinkle as she gazed skyward. She'd dreamed of finding a land full of Shaymin for months now. Disappointment pinched her features. Why was it nothing like how she'd imagined?
In her mind, the Shaymin here were supposed to welcome Gracie and her friends with open arms. They would help them, and everything would be fine as they'd all get along. Instead, they were mean and hurtful and everything Gracie didn't like. The flowers on either side of her head drooped. This wasn't what she wanted. Not at all.
Gracie shook her head. She couldn't give up like this. Things would get better, she'd make sure it did. The Shaymin were scared, she saw it in their faces. She had to show them August and everyone else were good guys then everything would be okay.
But how? she wondered to herself. Lifting her chin high, she raised her own spirit and vowed to herself, "I'll figure it out!"
Determined, she quickened her pace in search of an idea. As she wandered through the tall ferns, she noticed unnatural shadows flickering overhead. Someone was following her, a Shaymin doing zir assigned guard job. She tried ignoring zir as she focused on her task-at-hand, but the stranger only made zir presence more obvious as zie purposely trembled bushes and shook tree branches.
Rather than being annoyed or frightened, Gracie faced the Shaymin silhouette and asked in genuine confusion, "Why are you hiding? I know you're there. I think it'd be a lot easier if you walked with me instead of flying around."
The Shaymin hesitated then replied in a serious, masculine voice, "I don't think so."
She blinked. "Why not?"
His head tilted, not having expected her question. "It's just not."
"Why?"
"I have to watch you and make sure you don't do anything suspicious. To do that, I need to have the high ground."
