Edie and Alyssa had been completely holed up in the inn's makeshift studio for the past three days.
At the festival, each band would be allowed to play two songs. And since it was their first show, performing anything half-baked simply wasn't an option.
Luckily, Alyssa was a fantastic drummer, and the studio had all the instruments they needed. Edie wasn't far behind. Besides guitar, he could also play bass, cello, piano, and even saxophone — though, for this show, most of that wouldn't be necessary.
After countless hours of brainstorming, they recorded all the backing tracks they needed — drums, guitar, and bass. The setup was decided: for the first song, Iron Man, Edie would be the lead singer and guitarist, while Alyssa handled the drums. For the second, We Will Rock You, Alyssa would drop the drumsticks and take the mic, while Edie stuck to guitar.
It was a weird, kind of improvised setup, but both of them felt confident… or at least tried to be. Confidence, however, didn't cancel out the butterflies in their stomachs every time they thought about the performance.
Alyssa, when nervous, simply couldn't stop talking. And after three days of hearing the girl ramble non-stop about anything and everything that popped into her head, Edie was... well, pretty stressed.
As soon as they finished the recordings, the two headed to Hulbury Station, bound for Wyndon.
The trip was smooth. Alyssa knew the city well — after all, her grandmother lived there. It didn't take long for them to get a taxi straight to said grandmother's house.
Or… that's what Edie thought — until the car stopped.
He got out, looked ahead, and for a moment, he was sure they were in the wrong place. A colossal mansion — no, scratch that — an actual castle stood before him. The boy blinked a few times, thinking he was hallucinating, before slowly turning to Alyssa, who stared at the building like she'd just bitten into a rotten berry.
"Holy crap, Aly…" Edie blinked, jaw practically on the floor. "Let me get this straight... your grandma lives... in there?"
Alyssa crossed her arms, scowling as if the very question annoyed her.
Edie looked back at the mansion, then at her, and — like he needed confirmation — asked:
"And… she owns all of this?"
Alyssa sighed, nodding, arms still crossed, as if it were the most normal — or most annoying — thing in the world.
Edie's brain short-circuited for a solid few seconds. Shaking his head, he asked, half in disbelief:
"Alyssa… are you like... I don't know... a princess or something?"
The girl turned to him with an expression somewhere between exhausted and irritated.
"No, Edward. My grandma's a viscountess. But it's just a title, okay? Those dumb nobility titles in Galar haven't meant anything in centuries. They're just for show." She pointed a finger at him, dead serious. "But you better not say that in front of that old witch. Got it?"
It was the first time Edie had ever seen Alyssa look so... tense.
Before he could reply, a golf cart — the kind that looks like a toy car — appeared in the distance, driving toward the gate.
As it approached, the massive black iron gates swung open on their own, as if by magic. A man in his thirties, dressed in a perfectly pressed butler's uniform, stepped out calmly and walked over to them. With the utmost elegance, he gave a small bow and said:
"Miss Alyssa, it is a pleasure to welcome you back to Ponyta Manor. Your grandmother, Lady Katharine, is expecting you and your guest in the main office."
Alyssa flinched slightly, tightening her grip on her backpack.
"Y-yeah…" she replied, her voice almost trembling.
The butler then turned to Edie, who was still trying to process what was happening.
"You must be young master Edward." He offered a subtle bow. "My name is Simom. It is an honor to welcome a friend of the young miss to the estate."
Edie scratched the back of his head awkwardly and forced a nervous smile.
"Uh… the honor's… mine... I guess."
"If I may…" Simom pulled a Poké Ball from his pocket and released a Meowstic, which immediately used Psychic without even needing a command. Alyssa's luggage, along with Edie's and the instrument cases, floated gracefully into the cargo area of the cart.
Alyssa, completely used to this routine, just sighed, shook her head, and grabbed Edie by the arm.
"Come on. Before I change my mind."
Simom recalled the Meowstic and took the wheel.
As they drove, Edie couldn't believe how massive the property actually was. He'd thought the mansion was right near the gate… but no. It only looked close because it was enormous.
At this point, calling it a "mansion" felt wrong. It was clearly a remodeled castle, complete with towers, massive windows, and ridiculously well-maintained gardens.
But what truly caught his eye was the enormous herd of Galarian Ponytas and Rapidash running freely across the fields.
Alyssa smiled, noticing his stunned expression.
"Pretty, huh?" she said, sounding somewhat proud. "My family's the biggest breeder in Galar. Tons of champion Ponytas and Rapidash came from here. We've held the title for the best bloodline in the country for, I dunno… like, 300 years."
Edie could only nod, completely speechless.
Some time later, they finally reached the main entrance. A line of servants waited at the door, all perfectly lined up, bowing politely as the two stepped out of the cart.
Alyssa grabbed Edie's hand like she was dragging a shopping bag and walked right past them, way too used to this kind of protocol to care.
She strolled through the endless hallways like someone walking through their own backyard, until stopping in front of a massive mahogany door, beautifully carved.
Without hesitation, she knocked three times.
An elderly but firm voice answered from inside:
"Come in."
Alyssa turned the knob, took a deep breath, and pulled Edie inside.
The place was colossal. Edie couldn't even tell if it was an office, a library, or both. Huge bookshelves stretched to the ceiling, and a second-floor balcony ran along the walls, also lined with books. In the center stood a massive desk, beautifully carved with Ponyta patterns, serving as the heart of the room.
Behind it, sitting elegantly, was an older woman with perfectly styled gray hair tied into a bun. She wore a formal white suit with gold details and thin-rimmed glasses, holding a teacup while going over some documents.
On the couch in front of the desk, a blonde girl with straight hair and piercing blue eyes was reading a dark blue book.
Both of them looked up as Edie and Alyssa walked in. The older woman observed them from head to toe, analyzing every detail. The younger girl closed her book, crossed her legs, and smirked mischievously.
"Well, Grandma, look at that..." she said, eyes locking onto Edie. "A bit scruffy, sure, but Alyssa's boyfriend isn't half bad. With a little polish, he could make a fine gentleman."
Edie's brain froze. He glanced at the old lady, who simply nodded in agreement, then looked at Alyssa... and nearly fainted.
The girl was red. Not just regular red. Kantonian Ponyta-on-fire red. Edie fully expected the usual combo of shouting, swearing, and maybe even someone getting punched in the face.
But to his surprise… nothing came.
Alyssa covered her face with both hands, hiding half of it, and stammered:
"E-Edie… he's… he's not… I mean… w-we don't... w-we don't have that… that kind of r-relationship… not that… not that it would be b-bad… but..."
Her voice trailed off into an embarrassed whisper as she practically melted into her own discomfort.
The blonde girl grinned, clearly satisfied. The old lady just sighed, shaking her head like someone thinking, "Ah… kids...", and took another sip of her tea.
Meanwhile, Edie... well... he was just trying not to let his head explode while processing all of this.