Chapter 25: Preperations

  The morning broke soft and golden over the Umbral Abyss. Sunlight spilled across the rooftops, catching on dew that still clung to the eaves, turning them into tiny sparks of silver.

  The usual hum of Newleaf Village had begun to rise, voices drifting from the square, the rhythmic thunk of tools from some repair work, children’s laughter carried faintly from the training field. It was the kind of morning that felt alive yet unhurried, as though the whole village had decided together that nothing dreadful could reach them today.

  Yuki trotted along the packed dirt path, her feathers still a little ruffled from sleep, but her steps quick with the kind of their routine more and more. It felt almost normal by now, his life in the village. The air smelled faintly of bread, warm and sweet, and Yuki’s stomach gave an eager growl. Her eyes lit up, and she turned sharply toward Auri.

  "Breakfast!" she declared, feathers fluffing with excitement. "At my place! You’re coming."

  Auri blinked, slowing a little. "I don’t-"

  "Nope!" Yuki cut him off, hopping backward a step so she could walk in front of him, wings half-spread in determination. "No excuses this time! You always vanish off to eat alone or act like you’re not hungry, and I’m not letting you do that today! My parents also asked when you'd join us again and you’ve been through enough lately! You’re sitting down with us, and that’s final!”

  He tilted his head, her insistence catching him off guard more than the idea itself. "Yuki, I-"

  "Final!" she repeated, eyes gleaming with ferocity. Then she softened just a little, her voice gentler beneath the playful edge. "Besides… you could use a normal morning. And my family likes you, whether you believe it or not."

  Auri’s ears flicked back, but after a moment he let out a quiet breath. "Alright."

  Yuki grinned, triumphant. "Good. You’ll thank me later, I'm sure."

  By the time they reached Yuki's home, the smell had grown stronger, filling the air with buttery sweetness and the faint tang of berries. Yuki practically bounded up the steps and pushed the door open with her shoulder, calling into the house as though she’d been gone for weeks instead of hours. "I brought company!"

  Inside, the kitchen was already lively. Mira stood at the stove, sliding another tray onto the counter, while Daigo leaned casually against the doorframe with a mug in hand. Ayra was at the table, halfway through her second scone, and shot her younger sister a sharp look the instant she appeared. "You’re late."

  "That's because I decided to bring Auri!" Yuki countered, puffing her chest in mock defiance as she stepped aside to reveal him.

  For a moment, the room went quiet, surprise flickering across their faces. After all across his three months in Newleaf Village, Auri had only joined them to eat a hnadful of times. But quickly the surprise melted gave way to joy, Mira’s smile warming instantly. "Oh! Welcome, Auri! I’m glad Yuki finally convinced you to join us again."

  Auri hesitated on the threshold, ears angled back slightly. "I… hope I’m not intruding."

  "Nonsense!" Mira said, already setting an extra plate on the table. "Sit. Eat. You’re still growing, you need the nutrition."

  Ayra arched a brow, smirk tugging at her beak. "Careful, Auri. Once she ropes you into breakfast, you’ll never escape."

  Yuki shot her a glare. "Don’t scare him off!"

  But Auri stepped further in, his paws quiet against the floorboards. The house smelled of warmth and berry and something faintly spiced, and for the first time in days, the tension in his chest loosened. He slid into the seat Yuki gestured toward. Daigo gave him a nod, tone amused but not unkind. "Good to see you here. Yuki’s been pestering you for a while about this, hasn't she?"

  "Dad!" Yuki squawked.

  "What? I'm confident it’s true." He chuckled, sipping from his mug.

  Mira placed a plate in front of Auri with a gentle pat to his shoulder. "Eat before it gets cold. You’ll both need your energy if you’re off running around the village again today."

  Yuki flopped into her chair beside him, already tearing into a scone. "See? I told you this was a good idea!"

  Auri eyed the plate, then picked up one of the pastries. The crust was crisp, flaking softly under his paws, and the first bite flooded his mouth with warmth and sweet-tart berry. "…I knew Mira's food is good. You know that's not why I didn't want to come," he muttered to Yuki.

  Mira’s laugh was quiet, but pleased. "It's always a joy for me when people like my food."

  Ayra leaned forward on her elbows, smirking at him. "Careful, Auri. If you praise her cooking too much, she’ll make you the official taste-tester."

  "Which means more scones," Yuki said through a mouthful. "Lucky you."

  Auri found himself almost smiling, the corners of his mouth twitching as he shook his head.

  After breakfast, the house slowly fell back into its usual rhythm. Mira and Daigo left to do their jobs as gatherers of Newleaf Village, and Ayra lingered downstairs with a book. Yuki tugged Auri into her room before anyone could ask too many questions.

  The space was small but undeniably hers with feathers tucked into little cracks of the shelves, scraps of paper pinned with messy notes, and a pouch draped across a chair. A faint smell of ash and parchment clung to the air, mixed with the berry-sweetness from breakfast. Yuki shut the door with her beak and spun to face Auri, her feathers fluffing as if sealing them both into the bubble of her world.

  "Alright!" she said, hopping onto her nest while gesturing for him to sit down on the chair. "Serious talk time! Tomorrow it's time for us to start our small expedition! And if we’re really going to pull this off, we can’t just wing it!"

  Auri climbed up to sit across from her, paws resting neatly on his knees. "So. Supplies first?"

  "Supplies first!" Yuki agreed with a sharp nod. She grabbed a scrap of paper and a bit of charcoal from the desk beside her, holding it with her talons like a general drafting war plans. "Food, obviously. Enough for at least three days, maybe four, just in case!"

  "Dried berries," Auri added, his voice calm and even. "They’ll last longer. And water flasks. There's no way I'm drinking something from a Dungeon called Blackwater Stream."

  "Right!" Yuki said, scribbling furiously. "Food, water. Next is light. Torches won’t cut it for long, so we'll need Luminous Stones, at least two each, just in case. Trader Alain sometimes stocks them and is still in Newleaf Village for another month, I believe. He should have everything except the Luminous Stones. But those we should be able to get from the miners."

  She paused, chewing her beak, then glanced at him. "What about maps?"

  Auri’s ears twitched. "Do we have any of the northwestern crater? You said the territory is unclaimed."

  "Not official ones," Yuki said, shaking her head. "Most Pokemon don’t wander that far. Even the guards rarely do. But Risa might know someone! She’s led patrols in that direction before and if anyone’s marked safe paths of the area, it’ll be her!"

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  He nodded slowly. "Then we talk to her tomorrow. Subtly."

  "Subtly," Yuki echoed, underlining the word as if carving it into stone. Her feathers ruffled at the thought, but she smoothed them down again and glanced back at the list. "Okay, that covers the basics! Food, water, light, maps."

  "...And rope," Auri added after a pause. "If there are rivers underground, we might need it. I would also add something to mark paths, but knowing Dungeons, that would be pointless."

  Yuki blinked, then grinned. "See? This is why I dragged you in here! I’d have only remembered rope after we’d already fallen down some hole."

  His mouth twitched almost into a smile. "I’d rather avoid that."

  "Same." Yuki jotted down the additions, the list filling with quick scratches of charcoal. Then she sat back, looking it over with satisfaction. "Alright, that’s our shopping trip sorted! Feels good to have it down, doesn’t it?"

  Auri looked at the list once more, then nodded. "It does."

  Yuki hopped off her nest with a flap of her wings, pushing the paper with one of her talons into her satchel. "No point waiting any longer, let’s get this done now!"

  Auri followed her down, past Ayra who still read her book, and then outside, blinking against the soft light. Together they moved through the village towards the market square.

  The market square was calm, just busy enough to hum with life but not crowded. The smell of dried herbs and cooking fires drifted in the air, and shopkeepers called warm greetings as they passed. Auri let the sound of it settle around him, grounding in its ordinariness.

  "First on the list are dried berries," Yuki said, already veering towards Alain’s stall.

  Alain glanced up from weighing a pouch of nuts, his face splitting into an easy smile. "Yuki. Stocking up again?" Then his eyes narrowed slightly. "And you brought Auri with you? How... pleasant."

  "Just enough supllies for a short trip," Yuki said, propping her wings on the counter. "Four days' worth of dried berries, preferably oran and pecha if you have them."

  Auri scanned the neatly stacked satchels while Alain turned to fill the order. "Water flasks too," he said quietly.

  "Two each," Yuki added before Alain could reply.

  Auri opened his mouth, hesitated. "I can-"

  "Nope!" Yuki was already pulling coins from her satchel, sliding them across the counter with a bright finality that left no room for argument.

  Auri let the protest fade, simply watching her with a faint shake of his head. That was Yuki, extremely stubborn if she wanted to.

  Alain returned with the supplies. "Here it is," he said as he handed over the wrapped berries and polished flasks. "No idea for what you'd need them, but it's not my business, I suppose.

  Yuki tucked the package away without reacting to Alain's words, and they moved on.

  The miner’s supply stall was quieter, lit only by a faint glow from deeper inside the shop. At Yuki’s request for luminous stones, the Diglett behind the counter fetched a small pouch and set it down.

  "They’re good for about a day of steady light each," he explained.

  "We’ll take four," Auri said, but Yuki had already placed the payment on the counter.

  "Make it five!" she said, wings fluffing with satisfaction.

  Auri shot her a look but didn’t argue. "You’re overbuying," he muttered.

  “You’ll thank me later,” she said, already fastening the pouch to her satchel.

  Next came rope and chalk from Eri’s Stitchery. The Leavanny stood behind a neat array of tools and travel gear, her scissors clicking softly as she tied a bundle of herbs.

  "Well, look who’s out shopping together again," she said, her voice warm and teasing. "Planning a trip, are we? Or just some supplies for gatherers Mira and Daigo?"

  "Something like that!" Yuki answered with a grin. "We’ll need climbing rope. You make some, right?"

  Eri nodded and turned gracefully, pulling several coiled ropes from a shelf. The fibers were clean and tightly woven, smelling faintly of resin. "These are fresh from the last batch. Strong enough for cave work."

  Auri ran his paw along the rope’s edge, testing its give. "This one should do."

  Eri set the coil on the counter and added a small pouch of chalk beside it. "And because I know how you two tend to find trouble," she said, snipping off another short length of rope and tucking it in, "take an extra piece. For free. Consider it… insurance."

  Yuki laughed. "You make it sound like we’re accident-prone!"

  "You are accident-prone Yuki," Eri replied dryly, her eyes glinting with amusement.

  Before Auri could reach for his own money in his scarf, Yuki had already placed her coins on the counter. Eri accepted them with a knowing smile, her leaf-hands brushing over the stack. "Travel safely, you two. And do try not to bring back trouble, will you?"

  "We’ll do our best," Auri said, gathering the supplies.

  By the time they left, Yuki’s satchel was noticeably heavier, the ropes neatly coiled inside. Auri found himself quietly ticking off each item in his mind. food, water, light, rope. Slowly but surely, everything was falling into place.

  "Last thing," Yuki said, tapping the bottom of the list. "Maps. Risa should still be at the training field, I think. Though it's hard to say with how much she always has on her plate."

  They indeed found Risa near the training fields, overseeing a pair of younger guards practicing their drills. The Hawlucha’s sharp eyes flicked toward them immediately.

  "Morning," she said. "You two look like you’re up to something again."

  "Not this time!" Yuki said quickly, feathers fluffing. "We were actually hoping you could help us with something! Auri and I wanted to practice some basic route-marking, the kind the patrols do when scouting. We thought it’d be good training!"

  Risa folded her wings, considering them both for a long moment. "Route-marking, huh? You’re finally starting to think like proper explorers."

  Yuki grinned. "Trying to, anyway. I figured we could use a rough example of how patrols sketch paths, especially through tricky terrain. I heard the northern and eastern parts of the crater are some of the roughest?"

  Risa huffed, half amused. "Alright, I’ll bite. Here." She crouched and began tracing a quick map in the dirt, marking simple lines and symbols. Rivers, cliffs, rough elevations. It wasn’t detailed, but it was enough for them to study the layout carefully.

  "This," Risa said, tapping the line that curled into shadow, "is where the guard always stopped. The border of Nayru's and Velari's territory, who both still tolerate our presence from time to time. Beyond that, no Mythical claims dominion over the area for some reason. And no Mythical Pokemon keeping the local Dungeons in check means incredibly dangerous and untamed land. It's better to just ignore that area, especially with how none of it borders Vian's or Shae's territory directly."

  Auri nodded, taking mental note of every curve and angle. "Got it!" Yuki said brightly. "Thanks for showing us a few examples!"

  "No problem," Risa said, dusting her claws off. "And if I hear about you actually going there to 'explore' instead of bring satisfied with theoretical knowledge of the area, I promise you that it will have consequences."

  Yuki laughed a little too fast. "We wouldn’t dream of it!"

  "Uh-huh." Risa shot them both one last, suspicious look before turning back to her trainees. "You better mean that."

  As they walked away, Auri caught Yuki’s glance, a silent exchange of understanding. They had gotten what they needed, their actual plan neatly hidden behind their franclly terrible excuse. And Risa definitely knew that as well. She just preferred to have them sneak out informed and prepared, instead of without. Because as of now, the guards still hadn't found out how Yuki always managed to sneak out, so they couldn't stop her either.

  They took the longer, quieter path back toward Yuki’s home. The sun hung low now, washing the crater walls in soft amber light. The air carried the faint scent of soil and berries from the nearby gardens, the kind of warmth that only came at the end of a long, peaceful day.

  Beside him, Yuki flicked through the checklist again, feathers rustling as she read it for what had to be the fifth time. "Alright!" she said finally, her voice lighter now, almost triumphant. "Everything checked! We’re ready!"

  Auri’s gaze drifted upward to the sky above the crater’s rim, streaks of rose and gold fading into deepening blue. He nodded once, quiet but certain. "Tomorrow, then."

  "Tomorrow," Yuki echoed, and tucked the folded list into her satchel.

  They walked in companionable silence after that, the kind that didn’t demand words. Auri’s mind moved over the day’s small victories. He had never expected them getting everything they'd need for their little expedition could be so easy. He'd expected much more questions and pushback, seeing how they were still just kids.

  Yuki stretched her wings beside him, shaking loose the stiffness of the day. "It’s honestly weird," she said after a moment, not looking at him. "I know most of our days are like that, but every single time it feels like forever since we had something simple to do."

  Auri’s ear twitched. "Simple isn’t the word I’d use."

  She laughed quietly, the sound cutting through the calm like a spark. "Fair. But it’s nice, right? Just… preparing. Doing normal things in the village."

  He glanced at her, the way her feathers caught the light, the unguarded ease in her movements, and found himself agreeing. "Yeah. It's nice and I would love if we could just continue on like that. But life always finds a way to make everything complicated," he muttered.

  They passed the edge of the square, now half-empty, a few lanterns flickering to life in doorways. The hum of evening voices echoed softly from the houses ahead. As they reached Yuki’s home, she slowed, then stopped, turning to him with a grin that was smaller than usual but more real for it. "See you tomorrow, Auri! I'll come and get you at your home. Be prepared!"

  Auri met her eyes, steady and sure. "I will be," he promised.

  When she slipped inside, the door closing softly behind her, Auri lingered a moment on the path. The crater beyond was quiet, the last light sliding down its rim. He exhaled, the sound soft, almost lost to the breeze. The questions could wait. Tonight, at least, there was peace, a fragile, fleeting calm that felt worth holding onto.

  He turned toward his own home and felt that small, steady spark inside him settle into something almost like confidence. Whatever waited for them in the northwest, they would face it prepared. And together. Whatever Miu planned this time, she would not win.

  Important characters in the chapter:

  Pikachu (Auri) – Level 15

  Ability: Lightning Rod

  Battle Nature: Lonely

  Stats:

  TE Pool (Health/AP): 71

  Attack: 47

  Ranged Attack: 41

  Defense: 49

  Speed: 55

  Total: 263 (Strength Level: Teenager)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Nuzzle], [Tail Whip], [Quick Attack], [Brick Break], [Thunder Wave], [Feint]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Thunder Shock], [Electro Ball], [Swift], [Thunder Bolt]

  Utility Moves: [Nasty Plot], [Charm], [Double Team], [Growl], [Agility], [Dig]

  Torchic (Yuki) – Level 16 (Evolution Requirements Not Met, Stat Boost Applied)

  Ability: Speed Boost

  Battle Nature: Hasty

  Stats:

  TE Pool (Health/AP): 80

  Attack: 47

  Ranged Attack: 47

  Defense: 55

  Speed: 40

  Total: 269 (Strength Level: Teenager)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Scratch], [Quick Attack], [Feint], [Fire Spin], [Flame Charge], [Aerial Ace], [Counter], [Slash]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Ember], [Sand Attack]

  Utility Moves: [Growl], [Detect], [Dig]