The salty tang of the ocean carried on the breeze long before the city itself came into view. By the time the cobbled path sloped downward toward Hulbury's port, the sound of gulls and crashing waves filled the air.
Niyah stood at the top of the hill, eyes wide and lips parting slightly. "Whoa…"
Spread out before them, the seaside city glittered like a gem of glass and steel. Ships bobbed lazily in the harbor, sails painted with bright logos of fishing companies and trading guilds. The air shimmered with reflected sunlight as water Pokémon leapt and splashed in the shallows. Wingull gliding above, Pelipper diving sharply into the water before emerging with silver fish wriggling in their beaks.
Mimikyu clung to Niyah's arm, peeking from beneath her cloth disguise, her eyes wide in fascination. Litwick floated beside them, flame flickering low, his waxy form stiff with what could only be described as disapproval.
He let out a small flicker-huff sound that Niyah had come to recognize as a complaint. "What's the matter?" she teased. "Too wet for you?"
Litwick's flame flared indignantly, earning a soft laugh from Niyah. "Don't worry, Lumos. We'll keep you nice and dry. No one's gonna blow your flame out here."
Togepi squealed happily, spinning in a little circle before toddling to the edge of the path to watch a school of Magikarp splash near the shoreline below. The faint light from her shell sparkled faintly in the sun, and Niyah couldn't help smiling. For a moment, all the mischief, all the traveling and battling, faded into a sense of awe.
"This place is…" she whispered, words catching in her throat. "Beautiful."
The breeze tugged at her hair as they began the walk downhill, weaving through market stalls and narrow stone streets. Vendors called out cheerfully, offering roasted seaweed snacks, coral charms for luck, and polished seashell trinkets. The air smelled of salt, citrus, and freshly baked bread.
For once, her little team didn't plot any pranks or detours. Mimikyu was too distracted watching a Lapras ferry glide by. Togepi chirped at every splash. And even Litwick, though scowling, couldn't hide the occasional curious glance toward the lighthouse that towered over the sea.
It was strange but nice to just walk.
—
The Pokémon Center stood near the heart of Hulbury, its design sleek and modern, with curved glass walls that reflected the ocean beyond. Inside, the faint scent of antiseptic mixed with salt air. Trainers bustled in and out, many of them sun-kissed and dripping from recent swims.
Niyah approached the counter, her backpack heavier than usual, the faint clink of the Rusted Sword muffled under layers of cloth and potions. She pretended not to notice the curious looks from nearby trainers; word of her mischief seemed to have traveled fast, even here.
Nurse Joy looked up with her usual bright smile. "Welcome to the Hulbury Pokémon Center! How can I help you today?"
"Just a routine check-up," Niyah said, sliding her Poké Balls forward. "They've had a long trip."
Joy nodded cheerfully. "Of course! Let's see, oh!" Her eyes widened slightly as she read the registration tag. "Niyah, correct?"
"That's me," Niyah said, trying not to sound too proud.
"Well then," Joy said, clearly intrigued. "I imagine you're here to register your next Gym Challenge. You'll be facing Nessa, our Water-type Leader?"
For a moment, the answer should have been automatic. The words "Yes, sign me up" hung on Niyah's tongue but she surprised even herself when she shook her head.
"Not yet," she said simply.
Nurse Joy blinked. "Oh? You're not registering right away?"
Niyah folded her arms, gaze thoughtful. "We're not done training yet. Water-types are tricky and I want to make sure my team's ready for whatever Nessa throws at us."
Joy hesitated, caught between professionalism and curiosity. "That's… actually very responsible of you," she said, blinking. "Forgive me, but most of the reports about you made it sound like you leap before you look."
Niyah smirked, eyes glinting with mischief. "Maybe I'm learning."
Joy chuckled softly, shaking her head. "In that case, I'll keep your record open until you're ready to register. Your team will be fully healed and ready in no time."
As Joy turned to place the Poké Balls into the healing tray, Niyah leaned on the counter, her eyes drifting toward the large window overlooking the harbor. The sun had begun to sink, casting orange light across the sea and for a moment, she imagined Nessa somewhere out there, maybe training with her Drednaw, the woman's expression calm and unreadable.
"I'll be ready for you," Niyah murmured under her breath.
When Joy returned the Poké Balls, Niyah thanked her and took them back carefully, feeling the faint warmth of her team through the capsules. As she turned toward the rows of bunks in the trainer rest area, Mimikyu's ball trembled once, a faint echo of approval.
Niyah smiled softly. "Yeah," she whispered, "we'll get stronger. Together."
—
The Pokémon Center's trainer lounge was calm after dusk. Soft lights hummed overhead and the harbor's distant murmur slipped through the open window like a slow song. Niyah sank onto a cushioned bench by the window, Roty bobbing beside her with its screen dimmed but still alert. The Luxury Balls beside her glowed faintly with the warmth of their occupants, a comfortable, steady pulse.
She opened a small notebook, the cover worn from travel, and retrieved a stubby pencil. "Okay," she murmured, "notes." Her handwriting was quick and messy: train for water types, keep Litwick dry, make Mimi keep Disguise for longer, Iris: Serene Grace upkeep = key. She underlined Morning Sun + Tide = advantage.
Roty chimed softly, its usual pragmatic buzz. "Btzz, recommendation: Tidepool training window increases Morning Sun efficiency by 23%. Also: water Pokémon often use field-control moves; practice mobility and Shadow Sneak timing." Its text flickered across the holographic display above the bench.
Niyah nodded, jotting Roty's numbers into the margin. "Good. We'll practice timing for Shadow Sneak so Mimi can strike and hide before surf or Whirlpool hits." She glanced at the healing Poké Balls. "Lumos, you keep the flame focused and don't let it get put out, okay?" she said aloud.
"Iris, practice getting as much health when healing as possible," she added, speaking to the Pokémon by name. Her Luxury Balls all buzzed faintly as if in agreement.
Roty added one more analytic beep. "Training module suggestion: dock pilings for balance drills, tidepools for controlled water resistance, and storage-buoy obstacles to simulate Drednaw's field-control. Suggest implementing gradual immersion to prevent Lumos' flame suppression." It flashed a diagram of the harbor with little icons where each drill would be practical.
Niyah smiled down at the screen. "Smart, Roty. We'll do that tomorrow. For now we sleep." She closed her notebook and hugged the little team's warmed pokéballs to her chest, watching the moonlight dance on the water before drifting toward the bunk area.
—
Lying awake later that night in the Pokémon Center bunks, Niyah couldn't shake the feeling that Zacian had left her with more than a sword. The Rusted Sword, wrapped in cloth, thrummed softly at the bottom of her pack with her heartbeat. The memory of the wolf's eyes, the way it had set the weapon at her feet and then simply walked away, played through her mind like a scene that refused to end.
Roty hovered above the bunk, casting a small, cool glow. "Btzz, environmental note: nocturnal energy signatures altered near your team. Unknown field persists." It appended a calm analytic tone: "Hypothesis: latent bond-forming resonance from legendary artifact. Suggest monitoring physiological changes."
Niyah propped herself on an elbow, whispering into the dark. "Why me?" The question was smaller, softer than she'd expected. "Why leave it with a kid who pranks Wooloo?" The image of Zacian's regal posture kept returning not predatory, not hostile; something like assurance. The wolf had looked at her as if it had chosen the right person to pass something dangerous and important to.
Roty replied, practical as ever. "Btzz, probability: twofold. One, the artifact detects potential compatibility markers (resilience, adaptability, unusual energy resonance). Two, strategic placement to influence regional balance. Legendary choices are not random." Its datapoints flickered: compatibility markers: resilience + adaptability + latent atypical aura = HIGH.
Niyah swallowed. "So maybe it was a 'you' thing, not a 'me' thing." She considered the possible futures that blade might carve open: power, attention, enemies, new friends or responsibility she hadn't asked for. The little tug at her chest was no longer just curiosity; it was a call.
"I won't let it make me something I'm not," she murmured. "But I'll learn what it wants me to do."
Roty's screen flashed with a single line: "Btzz, advice: catalog emotional responses. Legendary bonds benefit from guided training; uncontrolled exposure can lead to external interest (League, Champions). Remain discreet." The machine's caution felt oddly like care.
Niyah let the words settle, feeling a new kind of resolve warm through her. She tucked her notebook and the Rusted Sword under her pillow, and finally allowed sleep to come conscious now that the world had grown a layer deeper overnight.
—
The next morning dawned slow and silver at Hulbury. Nessa had been up with the tide, training routines with Drednaw and reviewing the day's roster. Her Rotom terminal flashed with the updated Trainer Registry a routine check she did every day, when a small flag caught her eye: Niyah - Endorsement Pending, Registration Not Completed.
She frowned, tapping open the file. The notes from Turffield were attached: apology completed, Togepi added, pranks witnessed, Drednaw intervention, all there in crisp, clear text. The line that made her pause, though, was the Registration status: Delayed by Trainer.
Nessa's first reaction was practical. "Possible reasons: training readiness, strategy, or confidence," she mused, but that didn't fully account for the unease she felt. She'd expected the girl to be impulsive; she'd caught her red-handed and still been impressed by Niyah's quick thinking. Delaying the battle that suggested something else.
A message arrived on her communicator: a short clip from Hulbury Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy's short note that Niyah had requested extra time to train for water Pokémon. Nessa clicked through the footage: Niyah leaning at the counter, her expression measured rather than boastful. The girl had smiled when Joy suggested registration, then politely refused. Quiet, thoughtful refusal. That replay tightened something in Nessa's chest.
Nessa padded out onto the training deck where Drednaw splashed, and she replayed the Turffield encounter in her head. She'd seen the way the girl looked at Drednaw while begging her team to apologize, a look that had something like recognition in it. Not fear. Not just mischief. A glance that said, I see you. Nessa's stomach gave a small, unfamiliar twist.
Nessa's empathy nudged at her pride as a Gym Leader. Maybe this was an opportunity, not to lecture but to mentor.
Her thoughts wandered to Leon's earlier comments, their easy camaraderie on the line a week ago. He'd called her with updates, she'd filed reports and placed an observation flag. Now the flag sat on her screen like a question mark she couldn't ignore.
Nessa walked the harbor, Drednaw lumbering beside her, and the sea air felt bracing. She imagined Niyah walking the port at dusk, feeling the pull from whatever thoughts were bothering her.
Finally, Nessa made a decision. She flicked a quick message to Leon and Nurse Joy, noting that she'd keep an eye on Niyah's progress personally. Then she tapped open her own brief to the Trainer Registry and added a small note: Allow observation. Do not interfere. Consider offering guidance if requested.
Back in Hulbury, as she watched the sunrise scatter ribbons of pearly light across the water, Nessa found that her curiosity had turned soft in the middle. Not just professional interest, but something like protective concern. The girl had caught her off-guard, yes. But she'd also captured a sliver of Nessa's attention.
"Niyah," she murmured to herself, "you don't know what you walked into." And for the first time in a long while, she looked forward to watching someone else grow into something great.