[ti]location[/ti] NOONLIGHT SHRINE

“Verai was nice, wasn’t he?” Saint hums, returning to the shrine. He’s in a better mood; the journey may have begun with a mud fight and some confusing NPC dialogue, but he’s just been taught how to befriend pokemon by a generous player, and Gumball made himself a new friend.

The popplio cheers, waving his flippers animatedly as he recounts their little adventure with charades. Saint chuckles as Gumball puts his flippers over his head, somehow curling his mouth into a perfect cat mouth. “Yes, Kitten was nice too. Maybe I could arrange a playdate for you when I see her trainer again.”

Gumball erupts into applause. It’s fast enough that Saint has to lean back, lest his nose get clapped into oblivion. Gumball is looking forward to the reunion, and maybe he’ll even meet this ‘Sprigatito’ fellow Kitten mentioned!

The quest for friends continues.

Tamara really needed to upgrade her tall grass HP. It was getting awfully old to need to heal so often, but she really did only have herself to blame. Without the help of other trainers, it would have been a real slog to take down the Duraludons she kept finding in the Steppes.

She was working towards purchasing a different upgrade for now, but as she stood with her palm pressed to the oddly warm wood, she made the decision - that would be what she bought next!

“God, you’re a feral little bugger when you want to be, aren’t you?” Tam remarked, walking towards the shrine with a struggling Imp in her arms.

<Lemme go!> He screeched. <I almost had her!>

“You absolutely did not,” the teen commented, keeping hold of the squirming gremlin without too much difficulty. He was pretty damn scrawny, after all. Resting a hand against the bark of the tree, she waited patiently for the healing to kick in. Well, much more patiently than Imp did, at least.

Silvermoon was at the shrine. They did not look around the glade with wonder, or offer prayer and blessings up to the Moltres high in the trees. No, they simply sat, knees tucked close to their chest.

They had a lot of failings. One was caring too much, all the time. Another was wanting approval, desperately. Always wanting to be seen as good enough. And this- this recent string of events were certainly not making them seem good enough.

This visit to the shrine was more peaceful than the last. After the last fight with a Duraludon had taken three separate visits for healing, Tamara had decided that it would probably be wise to heal before a hunt, this time. Not that it would make much of a difference if they ran into another of the metal beasts and had to tackle it alone, but it couldn't hurt, right?

She sat with her back pressed to the tree now, breathing in the temperate afternoon air and taking a rare moment to relax. She normally never really stopped, always dashing about from one adventure to another, but it was nice now and then to take a second to just be.

He takes a break. Saint is sitting under the shade of the Noonlight shrine, his back against the stone outcrop from which the holy tree wraps its roots over. Gumball is lounging in his lap, luxuriating in the moment of rest after an exciting battle. He blows bubbles, sending them floating up to pop gently on Saint’s face.

“Enjoying yourself?” Saint hums, watching the iridescent glow of the Ascended Moltres’ wings bounce off the little bubbles. For every one that pops, Gumball claps his flippers, delighted.

Kitten was livid. <I had it on my own!!> She howled, furious.

Verai held her in his arms, despite her wiggling. "I know."

<I don't need your help!!!>

"I know, I'm not going to help."

<Put me down!!>