Fey is completely silent, withholding some of her Margerita in her mouth and in the straw and avoiding any single noise so as to not distract this Battle of Wits!

The Nidoran-Raticate patrol reaches the next clearing where they see various Pokémon. There's a an Aerodactyl (quite a rare sight), a couple of Pidgeot, all carrying some boxes a bit smaller than themselves. There's also a Swellow who carries a couple of Pokémon on his back - a Nidorino and a Nidoran♂ who quickly take to safe ground again, and take a brief moment to sniff around and stretch their legs.

Silentran♂: <Ooooh! Grass! This is lovely!> -- starts chewing some grass.

Maekrite -stretches: <What's with birds trying to grab me the wrong way?> -- looks around annoyed -- <Thanks for the ride, girls, we can take it from here.>

Swellow♀: <Actually the rules say we need to receive confirmation that the cargo has been unloaded successfully, you see.> -- pecks one of the boxes, the smallest one -- <Can't let this kind of stuff lying around.>

Maekrite -sighs: <Fair point, let's see...>

The Nidorino listens for a while and notices the group coming into the clearing. Some guards of the Golden Forest who come to receive them…

Leader Nidorino -rushes ahead with his troupe: <Hold still right there! Where are your [permits]?> - nods to his group who start surrounding the birds.

…Warmly.

Golden Forests

A caravan of various mons and carts with boxes marches to the settlement of Phoenix Landing to the north, where [Her Perch] is located. The caravan itself is led by a Ursaring couple; behind then three carts follow, one carrying some food and materials for the youth to have and share while they're there and the other two, heavily custodied, carry a large [box] custodied one by an Espeon and the other by an Umbreon. An escort group comprised of Nidos, Noctowls and Ledybas surround the caravan and march alongside it. The Nidorino and Nidorina walk in double columns at each side of the caravan, the Noctowl fly both ahead and behind (but not ahead the lead Ursaring couple) and the Ledyba fly and move around more or less freely. Tailing the caravan there are four mons: Fey the Gengar♀, a Floatzel mother, and two Raticate.

Accompanying the main caravan there is a group of various mons including Buizel, Loudred, Butterfree and Stantler, as well as some Nidos and Rattata. Maekrite and Silentran♂ are also marching by the side.

Maekrite -frowns: <We are going a bit slow... Hopefully we don't arrive too late for the opening ceremony.>

Silentran♂ -pokes the Nidorino: <We're fine. So you approve of the idea to reconnect the Golden Forests to PEFE Island or not?>

The Nidorino shakes his head and snorts to show hesitation. He remembers that among the boxes the caravan from PEFE Island brought to the forest there was the Portal Gun they fetched back from the facilities.

Maekrite: <You sure there won't be any issues with it? I was thinking it could cause some imbalance.>

Silentran♂: <Itt's there to provide a better resistance. You heard the leaders talking about that evil empire to the west and their attempts to conquer the region. I don't want another Scolemis happening, much less this close to home.> -- frowns.

Maekrite -looks around him: <Well, the ability to trade with PEFE island easily for supplies will surely be welcome. And the Nidos can still use some of the armors that have remained.> -- thinks for a moment -- <We'll see how it goes. If it helps keeping stability against Bluescale's attacks, it might help against the Empire as well. But it still makes me itch.>

Silentran♂: <Hey, it makes me itch too, but it's better than the alternative. I mean think back to what this timeline means>

The Nidorino lowers his head.

Maekrite: <Point.>

After reaching the top of a hill the base of the Bell Tower can be seen in the distance. This is met with exclamations of joy from the caravan and with the kits of various species running ahead - forcing their parents to try to call them back to order, of course.

Phoenix Landing, Nix Festival 26xx

The caravan from the Golden Forests has mostly spread out to enjoy the festivities, though the lead Ursaring couple, the Espeon-Umbreon pair and some of the Nidos remain in the center with the [boxes]. Maekrite and Silentran♂ are also there watching the Eeveelution dancers. To do so because of his smaller size the Nidoran is sitting on Maekrite's head.

Silentran♂: <Oh this is great! I remember when they added a Leafeon and a Glaceon to the ceremonies in our timeline.>

Maekrite -ears perk up: <You were there? When was this? Why don't I remember?>

Silentran♂ -chuckles: <You were busy training Pierce and Teala.>

Maekrite tilts his head just a bit then continues watching. Meanwhile Silentran♂ focuses his attention on the various Eeveelution children.

Silentran♂ -flickers ears excitedly: <Oooh, I wonder if there are ????eon and other Eeveelutions within the group. Perhaps even a [insert‑prefix‑of‑Gen14‑Eeveelution]eon?>

Maekrite: <How are you and your humans going to solve this for when ever you write the Eevee article?>

Silentran♂: <"This"? You mean the not-knowing-future-Eeveelutions thing?>

Maekrite nods.

Silentran♂: <No idea. I'll have to ask Tangent. :3>

While the festivities carry on, the Ursaring couple are preparing themselves with some ceremonial paintings and small crowns made of leaves and branches somewhat stylized after a Ho-Oh's crest. Near them the Espeon and Umbreon are assisting some of the other Pokémon in moving the boxes from the Golden Forest to one side of the backstage for the next events when their turn comes.

Nix Festival 26xx

An Eevee kit is running around between some boxes, trying to look for a place to hide. After a moment, he peeks out from under a fruit box and takes a look at the various mons around, looking for something interesting. He yips (in a low voice!) when he sees something big and brown heading his way.

Eevee #24: <Yay! No mon is going to find me there!:3>

As soon as the big brown thing and a small group of Pokémon pass by the fruit stand's side, the little Eevee hunches and takes a leap to cling to the side of the big thing. After a moment and before any of the Ursaring or the guards notice, the little rascal (no, not Rascal!) finds a hole in the [ceremonial gift box] and goes through to hide inside.

Caravan Espeon -swirls his tail: <Did you feel something?>

The Umbreon on the other box uncurls, gives out a leer at the Espeon for interrupting his nap, and curls again.

Silentran♂ reaches to where Suicune is doing… something, and greets him, taking advantage of the fact that the Festival is more or less backgrounded for the time being due to the Thethercat principle.

(After this post

Maekrite picks the little Eevee up and puts him before the Legendary.

Maekrite: <You suck at stealth, but hey, let's go meet a Legendary.>

Maekrite nudges the Eevee and the two go sit by Suicune's side.

Silentran♂: <Yeah, I was Inka's Trainer. Still am in this timeline. Was. Once.> -- lowers head -- <Multiverses are complicated. So, yeah, a pleasure to see you… have things been o'kay here?>

Maekrite rawrs, as does the little Eevee.

Silentran♂: <And this is Maekrite, and that is...?> -- looks at the Eevee -- <Dunno who that is.>

Eevee#11: <I'm invisible. I'm a Mirageon~> -- prances around.

Nix Fest 26xx

The Eevee leaps around a couple of times and sits before Suicune respectfully.

Eevee #11: <B-but it's not nap time yet! I can play around! And I have a trick so that my parents are not worried about me.> -- smirks.

Maekrite -swings a paw: <If you left them a Eevee plushie, trust me, that won't fool anymon.>

Eevee #11: <W-wha- of course I didn't do that, that's silly!> -- ¬¬.

Silentran♂ meanwhile talks to Suicune.

Silentran♂: <We've been learning about what happened to this world. PEFE HQ was a disaster.> -- looks more than a bit angry -- <It's incredible how some jerk dragons managed to cripple pretty much everything. Where were we when this happened? I mean... not "we", the other we. You catch my drift.>

Maekrite -looks around: <I wonder when will the Golden Forest offerings take place?>

After this post.

The Eevee :3's at the prospect of telling a story, but Silentran♂ can see it won't be a nice one.

Silentran: <Uhm... perhaps we should do something about this?>

The Eevee just growls cutely and sits orderly to listen, but just as he is getting comfortable he is picked up by the scuffle of his neck.

Mom!Glaceon: <Heee~re you are little rascal.>

Eevee#11: <eeeeeeeep~> -- flails -- <Wrong kit! I'm a plushie!>

The Glaceon nuzzles her kit and turns to the Nidos and Suicune. She bows before Suicune in reverence, with the kit kinda doing the same.

Glaceon: <Thanks for taking care of my kit, Lord Suicune. I'm sorry if he has caused any trouble.>

Eevee#11: <B-but mom! They were going to tell a story~>

The Glaceon takes the kit away, leaving Silentran♂ and Maekrite with Suicune.

Silentran♂ -chuckles: <That solved itself. So, anything else that we need to clear up before the story, or we are all set now that we can go to PG-15 rating?>

Nix Fest 26xx

While some peoplemons are gathering less-than-25 Eevee kits around randomly, Silentran♂ and Maekrite are having a bit of a talk with Suicune about how the world had changed in the last 6xx years.

Suicune: <…and after that happened the dragons started moving in to take over. The plan was not very much welcome even by the other dragons though - the Seven just sent other dragons to do the dirty job, and even those minor dragons decided to delegate the occupation on other dragon-like Pokémon by threatening.> -- sighs -- <I guess it was because of things like that that the Empire of Ancients was born.>

Maekrite: <So those guys have been at it for a while. Heard some bad stuff about them.>

Suicune -shakes his head: <Oooh no not all is bad. They are the pinnacle of social organization at this point, and it is pretty cool to live when them if you are an Ancient, or to trade with them if you are not. Granted, beneath the surface they are no different than any of the other murderous dictatorships across History, I'm afraid.>

Silentran♂: <Well, when we went to the Golden Forests the leaders weren't very keen even towards trading with them.>

Maekrite -frowns: <They have the impression those ancients try to use trading to take over, or something.>

Suicune: <Well yes. Instead of waging in horrible wars, they just buy or threaten peoplemons into following their law, which then they make law of the land by pushing peoplemons following their interests into positions of leadership.> -- thinks back to several hundred years -- <I think they learn that from a country back in the time of humans,  near Unova? I mean, forcing people to trade and use your goods as a way to oppress them into abiding to your laws.>

Silentran♂: <Oh yeah, them. One good thing that the draconic uprising had was that such people were lost to history. It is a shame that some very good things had to be lost with them, though if the Ancients at least dont start bombing other regions and turning them into McDonalds parking slots, I guess there is still hope.>

Silentran♂ and Suicune stay silent for a moment thinking back to better times. At some moment, they both sigh.

Maekrite: <....?> -- blinks, unsure what to make of the conversation.

Nix Festival 26xx

As Ho-Oh gets word of the offering and proceeds to glide and land on the center stage, the painted Ursaring couple leads a small group from the caravan who are lifting the boxes to the center stage. Atop one of the boxes there is a Espeon, atop the other a Umbreon, the two feline mons bowing before Ho-Oh.

Miranda the Ursaring♀: <Oh, Sun Lord [Nix], we the Pokémon who live in the Golden Forest present to you these offerings as both a display of gratitude for giving light and warmth to our lands, and a proof of our promise to keep these lands healthy.>

The Ursaring proceeds to walk to one of the boxes, while her male companion moves aside, still within the godly bird's view,  and sits ceremoniously.

Box Espeon: <At day we give food for the trees to grow~ :3>

Box Umbreon: <At night we guard for the trees to properly rest~ :3>

The two Eeveelutions then cast their powers with small Light Screens and other attacks aimed at nowhere, mostly for show; they jump high into the air and after a couple of airborne swirls and pirouettes (hey, they're cats, they defy gravity), land on their feet besides the Ursaring.

Espeon and Umbreon: <To Ho-Oh we give our thanks! :3>

Miranda the Ursaring♀: <The sworn police force, the Nidoran race, will present You with a report while You enjoy these [fruits] from across the Golden Forest and its neighbour lands.>

The Pokémon in the group, mostly Nidos and Loudred, start moving the boxes to Ho-Oh's side.