Explorers of Origin: A Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction, Volume 1

Chapter 5: A Really Awkward Dinner

Accept your weaknesses. Then you will find your strengths.

Night falls upon the forest, ceasing activity of daylight dwellers.

All five Pokémon in the den gathered in the kitchen, working together to create a bountiful dinner. Pikachu and Mawile help Espeon with the cooking while Sylveon arranges the silverware with Flareon, whose eye remained yellow after her rest. Ignoring any possible side effects that could affect her eye, Flareon meticulously arranges each plate away from the edges of the dining table. Mawile glances at the table, concerned about Flareon's mood.

"Still worried about my daughter?"

"A little, Espeon. Though, I still find Sylveon's worries cute. It must be nice to have siblings, eh?"

"Oh? You don't have any siblings?"

"I'm an only child. It doesn't necessarily bug me that I don't have a sister or brother, but I know that siblings can be a beautiful blessing."

"I never thought the Chieftess had a single child. Many civilians in my old kingdom widely believed that she had no less than two."

"Oh, yeah? Well, she once told me that motherhood was an afterthought for her, but was equally thankful for the chance to pass on her legacy to me. It's an odd thing to live up to, in a curious way."

"As in learning more about her history?"

"Yeah."

"Sylvy and Flare are part of the opposite style of family style; my other fourteen children are off doing their own thing, but they come visit me every now and then to check up on the three of us. If anything, I want them to respect their shared roots and come together when absolutely necessary."

"It must hurt to raise sixteen babies instead of just one."

"Raising them was actually simple to manage; baby Eevee grow up quickly, and our species can tell when a child reaches maturity."

"I didn't know that."

As Espeon and Mawile carry on their discussion on sibling relationships, Pikachu makes precise, thin cuts to make Pecha slices. Sylveon takes note of his razor-sharp precision, and proceeds to compliment his skills.

"Those are some really pretty slices. Did you watch any video tutorials or something?"

"Nah, I asked my mom to teach me. Not that it really makes a difference."

"Is your mom a housewife?"

"Hell no. She and my dad both work full-time to build a financial cushion. I guess we're stuck in hard times because our current government administration bends the rules to the point that they're forcing people out of the country without reason. Life's a bitch, really."

"Whoa. I didn't think humans would have very similar, simultaneous problems like us Pokémon. You see, there's a group of Muk, Gumshoos, and Oshawott that formed up an anti-human extremist group recently. They force random Pokémon to attend their 'cleansing ceremonies' to spread hate, and it's not uncommon for them to send death threats to those taking a stand against them."

"Where's their latest charade?"

"There's a rumor spreading that they're building an underground base below Açai Town, which is known for its general disinterest in politics. It could be trouble if that group, calling themselves the "Alliance Killers," starts to bleed their influence on the town because many major leaders meet there to discuss improving cross-cultural relationships."