Aurora

The Festival of Water

Just FYI, I realized that I never actually gave much background information on these Clans, so these next few chapters will be one-shot-ish things to help show culture and laws and stuff. Hopefully you'll still find it interesting.

Two days after Brook's birthday and Jet's fail is the Festival of Water. The Festival happens on midsummer's day, and is a celebration of the legendary water-type Pokémon who watch over AquaClan. It's somewhat religious, but mostly it's just a fun, social part of our culture. The main focus is Kyogre, but all water-type Pokémon are celebrated, even the ones we eat. There's also a Festival of Ice that takes place in midwinter, which is similar but focuses on ice types.

We all look forward to the Festival because everyone gets a break from chores, work, and training. The day is reserved for wandering with friends or family through the main part of the camp, which is temporarily filled with stalls selling everything from water-themed trinkets to handicrafts to treats, as well as water-themed rides and plays.

I meet Brook and her one-year-old sister, an Eevee named Crystal, on a small ice bridge that spans the stream that runs through our camp. Brook and I each have a little woven bag full of sparkling, polished stones and shells we've collected from the river to trade at the Festival. We decide to visit a stall selling Kyogre balloons first. We trade for one for Crystal, who holds it proudly. I have to admit, the balloons are pure art. They're made from a large Kyogre-shaped bubble of dyed blue water, full of air so they float, with bold red and white details. When they do eventually pop, they're supposed to spray water everywhere, remaining fun until the end. As an ice-type, I simply cannot understand how some Eons do so much with just water.

Crystal soon begins to complain that she's hungry, so we all stop to eat at a stall selling Basculin sashimi and fresh bread filled with Oran berries. Brook finds Crystal's constant neediness annoying, but as an only child I think she's adorable. It's a good thing I only see her every now and then, because I spoil her rotten.

Brook has a gravity-defying water sculpture entered in a contest, so she goes to check if it won a prize while Crystal and I go on a water ride.

A few Vaporeons have worked together to rework the waterfall into a long, gentle, curving slide, and it's filled with Eons sliding down the hill. Since its new path has a very shallow slope, they don't even need a raft. Crystal and I squeal with delight as we go flying along it, and balloon Kyogre soars behind us.

After climbing back up (Crystal having hitched a ride on my back because her legs are too short to carry her up the steep hill), we meet Brook at the top and resume wandering. Her sculpture won third place, and she proudly wears a small, circular glass case filled with bronze water on a ribbon around her neck.

"When I evolve, I want to be just like Aurora," Crystal chatters. I smile.

"Really?" Brook says disapprovingly. "You want to be like her?" I playfully shove her into the creek. Crystal giggles. Brook shakes her head at her little sister in mock disappointment. "I don't know where we went wrong with you."

The sun starts to set, and, laughing, we all make our way back up the street again. We each get an Oran berry popsicle from a Glaceon selling them  by the stream, and settle down on the bank to eat them.

A few minutes later, Jet and a group of friends pass by. His friends all whisper "Is that her?" when they see me. Jet kicks them and tells them to shut up. Jet nods to me, and they continue up the street.

Brook and Crystal giggle. I blush dark blue.

Crystal pops her balloon and drenches us all, and Brook and I buy a few more water decorations. Later, we split up and go back to our families for dinner. Around twilight, the entire Clan assembles by Tide's rock as our leader gives a speech.

"Thank you Kyogre for watching over us and ensuring that we are free to enjoy each day as we please. We thank you for providing us with good food and a lush territory."

"Thank you," the Clan repeats together.

"Thank you to all the water-types who shape our lakes and our rivers, and to those Pokémon who die so we may eat. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten."

"Thank you."

The families all walk back to their caves later, after an hour of socializing and watching their Eevees play. Sugared up Eevees and exhausted Eon teenagers are put to bed, and the camp slowly settles down for the night. In my icicle-covered room, I hang up a teardrop-shaped ornament I bought. It's made of ice, dyed in the two-toned colors of a Glaceon. Curling up on a platform of ice, I immediately fall asleep.