Even after night fully fell, Palina's letter still hadn't arrived.
By now, Irida was absolutely certain something had happened.
Given Palina's steady, responsible nature, even at her busiest, she wouldn't neglect sending her daily report to the clan.
Realizing this, Irida abruptly stood up.
She would go and check personally!
As clan leader, she shouldn't leave the settlement casually, but…
She couldn't simply sit idle when Palina might be in danger.
She would never again allow herself to experience what had happened with Elias.
Scooping up Glaceon from beside the table, Irida moved swiftly toward the tent's entrance, her long robes trailing behind her.
But just as she reached out to push open the wooden door, it opened from the outside.
"Lady Irida, there seems to be trouble at the Cobalt Coastlands," the guard responsible for messages reported immediately upon seeing her standing there, momentarily startled. "Warden Palina has requested to meet with you."
Hearing this, Irida's expression froze for a second—then her eyes immediately brightened.
Palina?
So she was alright?
A weight lifted instantly from Irida's heart. Although she'd been correct that there was trouble at the Cobalt Coastlands, at least Palina was safe.
Then again, Palina had once been a candidate for clan leader herself. Even if she couldn't resolve the situation, surely she'd manage to escape safely.
"I understand," Irida responded calmly, quickly regaining her composure.
Holding Glaceon close, she began making her way to meet Palina.
Walking through the settlement, Irida arrived at a wooden building. In recent years, thanks to rising technological standards, the Pearl Settlement had expanded significantly. Guided by Elias's earlier development plans, Irida had meticulously managed the settlement, resulting in a neat, orderly layout.
This building in particular had been specially set aside as a meeting hall.
With a quiet creak, Irida opened the wooden door and stepped inside.
Only Palina was there, waiting patiently. The empty hall felt oddly lonely, especially in the gloom of evening.
"Palina, I heard something happened at the Cobalt Coastlands," Irida began gently, approaching her friend. "Are you alright?"
Since Palina had practically watched her grow up, Irida relaxed a bit, speaking softly and warmly—her voice clearly conveying deep concern.
After all, of her two childhood companions, only Palina remained.
Seeing Irida arrive, Palina allowed herself a small, barely noticeable smile.
Finally here.
Though not usually the type to plan "little surprises," she wholeheartedly approved of Elias's intentions this time. Irida had carried so much burden for far too long. It was time she had a chance to relax.
"I'm fine," Palina reassured, shaking her head gently. "Heatran, who was sleeping beneath the volcano, woke up today. It caused me quite a bit of trouble."
Her words were truthful. Without Elias's timely arrival, she would indeed have been in serious danger.
"Heatran?" Irida repeated, breathing slightly harder.
Though this was her first time hearing its name, she'd often heard rumors of a powerful legendary Pokémon living under the volcano at the Cobalt Coastlands. Clearly, those rumors had been true.
Carefully examining Palina and confirming she had no injuries, Irida sighed softly with relief. Then her expression grew serious again.
"This…Heatran, is it still at the Coastlands now?"
If such a dangerous Pokémon wasn't restrained, who knew how much damage it might cause?
Irida briefly wondered if Palina might have somehow dealt with Heatran herself, but quickly dismissed the thought. After all, Palina only had two Growlithe—one was indeed the offspring of the previous "Noble," but it showed little sign of inheriting that strength. Moreover, Palina's gentle nature had prevented it from evolving into Arcanine, which had drawn criticism from others in the clan.
Under these circumstances, how could she possibly defeat a legendary Pokémon of the same type?
Yet just as these thoughts crossed her mind, Palina took out a Poké Ball and placed it directly in front of Irida.
"What's this?" Irida blinked uncertainly.
"Heatran," Palina replied calmly, a playful smile tugging at her lips.
Irida: ?
Holding the Poké Ball instinctively, Irida's brain momentarily failed to process this new information.
Did Palina…really subdue a legendary Pokémon with only two Growlithe?
Since when did Hisuians catch Pokémon like this?!
Noticing Irida's confusion, Palina cleared her throat lightly and explained:
"It wasn't me who caught it. I was careless and nearly got myself killed. Someone else intervened and saved me."
Realization dawned instantly on Irida's face.
Of course—Palina isn't Elias. How could she possibly pull off something that outrageous?
Still…
"Palina," Irida asked curiously, "Do you know who saved you? I'd like to thank them properly on behalf of the Pearl Clan."
After hearing Palina briefly describe the situation, Irida realized just how dire things had been. She'd almost lost another close friend and an important Warden. Naturally, gratitude toward this unknown rescuer was a given.
Palina had clearly been waiting for these exact words. She nodded immediately, gesturing toward the rear door with a small smile.
"He's right outside with his Pokémon," Palina said softly, clearly holding back amusement. "Why don't you go and see?"
Irida tilted her head slightly, puzzled by Palina's odd behavior. Something about her was suspiciously different today, as if she was hiding something.
Suddenly, Irida's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
This passerby had saved Palina's life. Considering Palina's age, it wouldn't be too surprising if she'd fallen for a powerful trainer who'd come to her rescue.
Irida wondered curiously which group he belonged to. The Diamond Clan, perhaps? Or maybe the Galaxy Expedition Team?
A mischievous smile slowly formed on Irida's lips.
Meeting Palina's confused gaze, Irida gently patted her friend's shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Palina. No matter which faction this person belongs to, I'll do my best to win him over and tie him securely to your side."
Irida seemed deeply invested in Palina's romantic life. As she stepped toward the wooden door, she found herself increasingly intrigued by the identity of this mysterious rescuer waiting just outside.
---
P.S.: Irida is starting to feel even more like Misty here…
T/N: i wonder why author thinks that