Edie had been eyeing Alyssa judgmentally ever since they'd left the orchard. She was still laughing uncontrollably, like a maniac, while shaking a thick wad of hundred Pokédollar bills. It was a surreal sight — Alyssa danced down the path, thrilled, twirling the banknotes through the air like confetti.
The payment for their help against the horde in the orchard had been, at the very least, generous. Alyssa had received almost twenty thousand Pokédollars. Edie, even though he had only served as support, was rewarded with four thousand, a new guitar, and even a Pokémon. He had tried to refuse, claiming he hadn't been that useful, but Evert had insisted so much that he eventually accepted.
Even with the weight of gratitude, Edie couldn't take his eyes off the girl walking ahead, humming cheerfully.
"You do know walking around waving that much money is dangerous, right, Aly?" he warned, dragging out his voice.
Alyssa just threw him a carefree smile over her shoulder and looked up at the sky. High above, two imposing shadows soared across the sky. A massive Noivern, with a perpetually irritated expression, flew ahead. Right behind, a pitch-black Corviknight with visible scars on its metal wings followed in silent vigilance.
"And who exactly is gonna try and steal my greens, Edie boy?" she teased. "They'll be bird food for Noir and BeakMetal before they can say a word!"
Edie raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"BeakMetal?"
Alyssa nodded, proud as if she'd named a star.
"Good nickname, right? I couldn't keep calling him 'roided-up chicken' forever..."
She then launched into a thirty-minute monologue about how stylish and badass Corviknight was — until she was interrupted when Noir and BeakMetal began circling something ahead, clearly on alert.
As they approached, Edie and Alyssa spotted two figures lying in the grass: a boy and a girl, seemingly unconscious.
"They're just kids," Edie murmured upon seeing their faces. "They must be around fourteen or fifteen."
The boy wore a blue denim jacket over a black shirt and a cap that partially covered his lilac hair, which reached down to his shoulders. The girl wore jeans and a light green hoodie. Her red hair was tied back in a messy ponytail.
Their condition was pitiful. Torn clothes, scratches all over, mud on their boots. They looked like they'd come out of a war zone.
Edie stepped forward, concerned, but Alyssa held out her arm in front of him, stopping him.
"Hold up, Edie boy. They could be dead... or worse: infected with some freaky disease. You really wanna leave your fingerprints on those bodies?"
Edie looked at her like he was dealing with a lunatic — which wasn't far from the truth.
"Aly, I can see from here they're breathing. They just need help."
Alyssa scoffed but reluctantly agreed. She picked up a stick from the ground and, with ridiculous caution, approached the fallen boy. She crouched and began poking him like a curious child messing with a dead animal.
Edie just shook his head in disbelief and knelt beside the girl. Gently, he grabbed her shoulders and lifted her slightly.
That's when, suddenly, the girl's eyes snapped open. She stared at Edie with intensity.
The world seemed to pause for a second.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!" the girl screamed. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"
Edie jumped back, startled. Alyssa, still poking the boy, lost her balance from the scream and fell on her butt, muttering a muffled curse.
The boy also woke up from the commotion. He sat up abruptly, his eyes still blurry, trying to figure out where he was and what was happening.
After a few chaotic minutes and explanations that did more harm than good, everyone finally managed to calm down. The red-haired girl stood up, still a bit shaky, and watched as Edward pulled Alyssa off the ground like she was a rag doll. The trainer's body looked too fragile for so much drama.
"See, Edie boy? I warned you!" Alyssa barked, flailing her arms. "I tried being nice! But they don't cooperate! Now I'll have to have them killed!"
With Alyssa's theatrical command, the two dark shadows descended from the sky with force. Noir landed first, wings spread, letting out a low, threatening roar. BeakMetal landed right after, with a metallic thud that made the grass tremble.
The two teens widened their eyes, paralyzed. The girl went pale, and the boy seemed in shock, looking around as if unsure whether it was a nightmare or an ambush.
Edie sighed, tired. He gave Alyssa a light smack on the top of her head — not hard enough to hurt, but just enough to make a point.
She clutched her head with both hands, eyes watery.
"That hurts, Edie boy..."
He just stared at her, exhausted.
"No one's killing anyone, okay?!" he declared, turning toward the two Pokémon. His voice came out firm, laced with authority.
Noir and BeakMetal tilted their heads, confused, then looked at Alyssa, who was muttering something while rubbing her head with a sulky expression.
The boy and girl watched the whole scene in silence. Their faces showed a mix of confusion and a certain fear — after all, who were these two strange figures, and what were the bizarre Pokémon that followed them?