— Let me get this straight... so you were camping nearby, when you got attacked by a horde of Corvisquire during the night?
Edward looked at the red-haired girl who had just explained the reason why they were sleeping in the middle of the road. Then he turned to Alyssa, who avoided his gaze, whistling (at least mentally) and pretending she knew absolutely nothing about any horde.
The horde probably scattered after the Corviknight was defeated... and attacked the first humans it saw to take out its anger.
Even though he had... let's say, a certain share of blame in that horde attacking those kids, Edward decided, for now, to follow Alyssa's strategy and pretend he didn't know anything.
— Well... I guess you guys are pretty unlucky. But there's not much to do about it now. I think we can help you — at least for now. By the way... my name's Edward. And this crazy one here is Alyssa.
The two smiled, visibly relieved by the offer of help.
The girl pointed her thumb at herself. — My name's Sonia. — Then pointed to the boy beside her. — And this is my friend, Leon.
For a second, Edward's mind went blank. At first, he couldn't recognize them. But after staring for a few seconds... he recognized them instantly. They were much younger than their game counterparts, but without a doubt... it was them.
Sonia... and Leon...
His stomach even twisted. It was surreal. Weird. Seeing, right there, in flesh, bone, and scraped knees, two faces that had only existed inside a screen. His mind raced, trying to pull dates, events, any relevant information... But he quickly shook his head. No point freaking out over it now. Especially because... he had no idea how this world actually worked.
Beside him, Alyssa crossed her arms, letting out a heavy sigh, loaded with pure impatience. She clearly wasn't happy about helping two complete strangers — especially knowing that, deep down, maybe... just maybe... the chaos that fell upon them was kind of... okay, totally her fault.
— Right... so... — Edward adjusted the guitar on his back. — I think we can take you to the city. It's not safe to stay around here, with or without a bunch of psychopathic birds loose in the woods.
— Yeah... we appreciate it. — Sonia replied, adjusting her slightly crooked glasses.
Leon just nodded, with the face of someone who isn't much into thanking. He had that classic energy of someone who thinks everything can be solved with sheer willpower — and if not, with a punch.
The group started walking along the dirt trail. For a few minutes, the only sound was the boots stepping on gravel.
Sonia was the first to break the silence. — So... you guys are trainers, right?
Edward didn't even have time to think.
— Kind of. — He replied, forcing a smile. — We're not doing the league or anything. We just... left the city to help a friend with a little problem on a farm nearby.
He said it as casually as possible, as if that excuse hadn't just been made up on the spot.
Leon frowned, analyzing the two. — Really? It's just... your Pokémon look pretty strong.
Alyssa scoffed, kicking a little rock on the road. — We're not badge trainers, if that's what you're thinking. — Her voice came out a bit sharp, almost dismissive. — I don't care about collecting little medals to prove anything to anyone.
Sonia raised an eyebrow, suspicious of the answer, but chose not to comment.
Edward shrugged, lightly tapping the body of the guitar, clearly wanting to change the subject. — Actually... we're more musicians than anything else. Alyssa and I... we have a band.
And that alone made Alyssa turn into a different person. Her closed, slightly grumpy face opened into a wide smile — one she rarely showed.
— Yeah, our band. — She flipped her hair, suddenly excited. — We make a pretty unique sound, you know? Like... a mix of folk, metal, blues... I don't know, we're still experimenting. Honestly, we just play whatever we feel like.
— Whoa, seriously? — Leon grinned, genuinely interested. — That's awesome! What's your band's name?
Silence.
Alyssa froze mid-step. Edward looked at her. She looked at him.
Alyssa blinked. — ...Crap.
Edward ran a hand down his face, taking a deep breath. — Oh, crap... our band doesn't have a name.
— You... have a band, but no name? — Sonia crossed her arms, clearly trying not to laugh.
— Yeah... technically, yes. — Edward replied, half embarrassed, half wishing he could crawl into a hole. — We never... like... never needed one, you know?
Alyssa was already groaning. — We always kept putting it off. 'We'll pick one later.' 'When it's official, we'll decide.' Yeah... it never became official, so...
Leon chuckled. — Well... then it's time to come up with one.
Edward looked at Alyssa. Alyssa looked at Edward.
— Alright, let's get this over with... — Alyssa huffed, crossing her arms and kicking another little rock along the path. — We need a name for the band. Can't keep wandering around just being... 'the band.'
She paced back and forth, tapping her chin. — How about... Storm Claws?
Edward raised an eyebrow. — Sounds like a fighting-type Pokémon move.
— So what? — She shot back. — Pokémon moves are stylish as hell. And check this out... Black Howl! No... no... that one's kinda overused. Maybe... Wicked Feathers! — Oh, this one's brilliant. Dark, poetic vibe... with that... corvine energy.
— By Arceus... — Edward massaged his temple. — If that's a jab, I'm gonna pretend I didn't get it.
Sonia and Leon exchanged quick glances, clearly realizing something weird was going on, but chose not to comment.
— Okay, so listen to this... — Alyssa made a wide gesture, almost tripping over a root. — Graveyard Parade! Imagine it, the stage all decorated with lanterns, smoke, a spooky vibe... beautiful.
— You've got problems. — Edward replied, deadpan.
— And you have no artistic vision, Edie. — She shot back, flipping her hair dramatically.
— If I didn't know you, I'd think you've got like five ghosts in your closet.
— Pfft, two at most.
Leon and Sonia laughed silently, watching Alyssa firing a machine gun of names while Edward made faces, rejecting every single one.
— The name! The band! It's decided. If it's something wilder... Feral Hearts! Or... Echoes of the Wild! No, no... wait... Bloody Talon! — Huh? Huh?!
— For the love of... Alyssa... — Edward closed his eyes, breathing deep. — You're literally coming up with Pokémon move names mixed with teenage existential crisis.
She grinned. — Exactly. That's what sells, Edie.
— You're impossible.
— Thank you.
And she didn't stop. — Shattered Wings! Wolfstorm! Nocturne Riot! The Outlaws! Rusted Chains! — Oh... that one's good.
Sonia and Leon kept watching, blinking, trying to process it all. It was like they had been thrown, without warning, into the middle of a weird sitcom — and now had to decide whether to laugh or pretend nothing was happening.
Edward let out a heavy sigh, and it was just when Alyssa opened her mouth to probably throw out another absurd name that he saw, on the horizon, the red rooftops and the chimneys puffing smoke.
— Thank... ARCEUS. — He practically pointed, as if it were an oasis in the desert. — Look! The city! We made it!
— Huh... that was quick. — Alyssa grumbled, pouting. — It was starting to get fun.
— Fun for who? To me, that felt like auditory torture. — Edward replied, running a hand down his face, as relieved as someone who just escaped a Primeape ambush.
— You guys are... different. — Leon commented, chuckling awkwardly.
— That's putting it lightly. — Sonia replied, adjusting her glasses, unable to hold back a smile.