[ti]location[/ti] NOONLIGHT SHRINE

Furrlicity's 'Tall Grass HP' was still pretty high. Between his last four catches, it had only went down by about a quarter. He planned on being out here for a while, though, and the place was pretty close so he thought he may as well swing by. The Noonlight Shrine had a very interesting aesthetic. Where the shrines to both Kyogre and Groudon had looked like proper shrines, little building for them to pray at, these looked more like holy areas.

Shrugging, he approached with his Litten in tow. It's hot here. So hot that he can feel the sweat on his brow as he approaches the tree. A palm is laid on the wood, scorching underneath, and he pulls it away startled. Closer examination reveals that Furrlicity's hand is just fine. The sensation did not stay.

But his health did recover. Interesting.

Smoke fills the air, carrying the scent of burned wood. The area around the tree is warm, almost too warm, to the point that waves of heat distort the view of the autumnal birches around them if staring at one spot for too long. However, as she finds a spot to sit next to the tree’s trunk, Tuesday realises that she doesn’t really mind it all that much… aside from the strange feeling it gives her. Perhaps it’s the whole Kindler thing, she’s sure she read something about that when choosing a class.

Unsurprisingly enough, her Fennekin also seems more than comfortable with the warmth of their surroundings.

"Oh. Here we go." Looking at her palms, Tuesday opens the user interface, searching for all information available regarding the pokémon she had just caught. A Petilil, apparently. "Says here it’s a ‘grass’ type. Shouldn’t you have been able to deal with it easily? Since you’re fire and all?"

Obviously, the implications don’t please the little golden fox. <'If you’re going to complain so much then maybe you should deal with it next time.'>

Eyes of ruby and sapphire fall upon the pokémon, a single strawberry blonde eyebrow being raised then. Professor Ash had mentioned that Fennekin can be temperamental but do their best for their trainer, and so far, that description is spot on when it comes to Aesop… Still could do without all the sass, though.

"Maybe I will, but then I’d have no use for you."

If only for a couple of seconds, something akin to shock and concern overtakes the fox’s expression, but then it puffs out its chest and its ears heat up, shooting out sparks.

<'Ha. Don’t be dumb. You need me!'>

Proud. Tuesday smirks at that, and instead of giving a reply, she turns her attention to looking for the pokedex entry on Fennekin. After reading it, she hands the small fox a twig.

"Here. Play with that while I figure out these settings. They’ve been bothering me."

Might as well use her time at the shrine to do something productive.

Soon it would be time for another round of hunting wild pokemon. That meant Furrlicity needed to go and touch the weird bark so he could get full HP.

He wrinkled his nose when he reached out and brushed his fingertips along the trunk. More unnerving that the actual feel of the ashy bark under his hand was that he was getting kind of used to it.

"This is disgusting." He muttered to himself, shivering.

Once again, Furrlicity touches the shrine. It coats his palm and leaves him feel feeling wrong. He shivers as he leaves, stopping at a small stream as he has been doing to wash what he can from his skin. It usually stains, which was fine, but he hated the feeling of the tacky sap(?) on his hand.

Only this time, he has to pause and frown. It's not washing off.

"Um."

None of his pokemon are out with him him this time so he doesn't' have anyone else to ask. More frantic scrubbing before he finally gives up. He can... maybe ask one of the NPCs about this. He was about to go visit Ash. Maybe she knew something?

Here she was again, except this time under much more pleasant circumstances since her Pokémon hadn't fainted.

That didn't make the atmosphere any less uncomfortable though.

"Glad I was unconscious when you took me here," Stella complained as they moved toward the towering tree whose touch would heal all of them.

She rolled her eyes. "I guess as a Grass-Type, you probably don't like feeling hot, huh?" She picked up the Chikorita - his leaf was fully drooped against his back as if it couldn't hold itself up any longer. "This is our last stop before we head back to where all the tutorials are, so just survive the next few minutes." Her voice had a teasing lilt to it.

Before long, she was leaning down to touch the Shrine.

NOONLIGHT SHRINE

Something has changed.

Autumn isn't a state of being, it's a process. An ebbing of life and warmth as the world settles in for months of cold.

Autumn is dependable. Expected. It can't be hurried in or shooed out early.

But some things can be, and as Finnegan Fjord carelessly swats away another UI popup, he sets events into motion. And as the Briar Beast rises in the attic of Chadwick's family home, he unknowingly sends cascades of leaves tumbling from the Shrine on the other side of Asper.

Blackened, sooty bark falls away from the trunk of the Noonlight Shrine, revealing clear, ancient wood underneath. The tree stretches out, fresh green buds popping at the tips of its branches. Whatever darkness that had afflicted the Shrine has moved elsewhere, along with the power that it once held.

Pokemon can now be changed to Galarian Form.

• Players can now make a transformation post at the Noonlight Shrine to change or evolve a Pokemon to Galarian Form. This change is irreversible.

Furrlicity Purrfection Finnegan Fjord Tuesday manish Alice! amanita