"I don't need any reward. And knowing the person who gave me this, I doubt he would mind either."
Summer shook his head, the image of Aster flashing through his mind. He reached into his coat and pulled out a shimmering feather, its silver-blue glow resembling the gentle light of a crescent moon.
The moment it caught the light, an overwhelming sense of drowsiness spread through the room.
"…That feather…" Irida's voice trailed off as she stifled a yawn, raising a hand to her mouth.
"This is a Lunar Feather—a gift from Cresselia, the Lunar Guardian. It's said to ward off nightmares and bring peaceful dreams to those who touch it."
Rei's eyes widened. "Cresselia… The Pokémon that Dawn once studied at the Coronet Highlands?"
Irida blinked, suddenly remembering. "Right… Old Lady Calaba helped with that research. If she were still here, she probably would've known about the feather's power." Her voice softened. Though the elderly woman had lived a long and full life, passing peacefully at 105, the loss still stung.
Rei turned to Summer. "If you already knew what was causing the nightmares, why didn't you tell us earlier?"
Summer shrugged. "Because the priority is letting the people rest first. We have plenty of time to talk afterward."
Tauri nodded firmly. "Right! I just want Grandma to finally get a good night's sleep!"
"…I understand your reasoning," Irida said, rubbing her temples. "But we need to be careful. We should test it on someone first—just in case."
Her gaze drifted toward a familiar figure approaching from the village.
"…Perfect timing. Cell, I have a special task for you."
The burly night-shift guard instinctively tensed.
"…Why do I feel like I'm about to regret this?"
A Few Minutes Later
Inside the warm glow of a wooden cabin, Cell lay on a mat, snoring softly. A small trail of drool dribbled from the corner of his mouth, and…
"…Gweyn… I… love… you…"
Rei grimaced. "Ugh. Why do men always get so honest in their dreams?"
Irida, arms crossed, simply nodded in satisfaction. "Well, at least we know the feather works."
Rei picked up the glowing Lunar Feather. Even after removing it from Cell's hand, the peaceful expression remained.
"The nightmares are completely gone."
Irida let out a deep breath—the first truly relieved sigh in weeks. "We'll need to distribute the feather to everyone in the village," she decided.
"…And by 'we,' you mean me, don't you?" Rei muttered dryly.
"Exactly. Get to it."
"Tch." The red-bereted warden grumbled but didn't argue. He turned and strode out the door.
Irida stretched, then turned to Summer with a small, grateful bow. "Thank you, Summer. Even though you refused a reward, I still want to repay you somehow. Is there anything you need?"
Summer hesitated for a moment before speaking. "…I do have one question. Is the Diamond Clan still settled at the Crimson Mirelands?"
Irida's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "…That's an odd thing to ask," she mused, studying him carefully. Then, a thought struck her.
"…Wait. You're not from this time, are you?"
Summer chuckled softly. "You caught on pretty fast."
"…I had a feeling," she admitted. "Your clothes, your way of speaking… everything about you doesn't belong to this era." She tilted her head slightly. "But that still doesn't explain how you know about the Diamond Clan."
Summer met her gaze. "Because I've been here before."
Irida's lips parted slightly, but she said nothing.
Summer continued. "Back then, I met someone named Adaman. I'd like to visit him again if possible."
Irida stared at him for a long moment, then sighed deeply.
"You're correct. The Diamond Clan is still in the Mirelands—though they now call their village Veilstone."
"…I see." Summer murmured, his gaze distant. So he's still there.
"That makes us even, then." Irida forced a small smirk, though there was something melancholic in her eyes.
Summer raised an eyebrow. "You don't look too happy about it."
She hesitated, then shook her head. "…I'm just envious, that's all."
Summer blinked, confused. "Of what?"
Irida crossed her arms, looking away. "…That idiot Adaman got to live peacefully with his clan, while I…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "Never mind."
She turned back to him, her usual confidence returning. "Summer. One last thing."
He tilted his head. "Hm?"
"…Do you have the ability to travel through time at will?"
Summer let out a small laugh. "I wish. But no—I never know where or when I'll end up."
"…I see." Irida tapped a finger against her arm, thoughtful.
"Then let me ask you one more thing." Her voice softened.
"In your time, have you ever heard the name… Emmet?"
Summer's expression froze.
"…Emmet?"
"Yes." Irida's blue eyes searched his face. "He was a battle facility leader, if I recall correctly. And…" She hesitated before continuing.
"…He had an older brother."
Summer inhaled sharply.
"…Ingo."
Irida's fingers curled into tight fists. "He wasn't from this era either." Her voice was quieter now. "He was one of our wardens. He lost his memories when he arrived, but recently… he got them back."
Summer remained silent, listening.
Irida bit her lip. "Ever since then, he's been different. He still does his duty, but sometimes… I find him just standing alone at night, staring at the sky."
Her hands clenched tighter. "…I know he misses his home. And his brother." She took a deep breath, then looked Summer straight in the eye.
"…Can you take him back?"
Summer hesitated.
"…I don't know," he admitted. "I've never tried bringing another person through time before."
Irida's shoulders tensed.
"But," Summer continued, "I do know a Pokémon who might be able to help."
Irida's breath caught. "You mean…"
Summer nodded.
"Celebi."
A Pokémon capable of traveling through time.
Irida's hands trembled slightly. "Then—"
"If I can't take him back myself, I'll find Celebi and ask for its help."
"…That means I need an exact date." His expression grew serious. "Otherwise, we risk changing history."
Irida's lips parted slightly, then she swallowed hard and nodded. "Right… Today's date is Year 8 of the Hisui Calendar."
"He usually stays in Jubilife Village."
"I'll take you to meet him."
Before Summer could respond, the cabin door burst open—a flurry of snow and wind blasting into the room.
Rei stomped inside, shaking off the cold. "Done. I gave everyone the feather." He paused, frowning slightly. "…You two look like you were talking about something serious."
Irida glanced at Summer, then back at Rei. "…We'll explain later."
Rei let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine." He then turned to Summer, eyes gleaming.
"So. Now that that's over—can you finally tell us what's been causing the nightmares?"
Summer exhaled.
"…Yeah." His expression darkened.
"The culprit's name is Darkrai."