As soon as Flash walked through the waterfall, his whole body screamed at him, flinching as the freezing cold water slammed into him. The next thing he noticed was a light, seeing it to be a crystal torch which had a second one that was affixed to either side of the place.
"A tunnel?" Flash whispered as he saw he was now in a rectangular tunnel that was hidden behind the waterfall, roughly eight feet in height and lit by the aforementioned torches. The light was incredibly bright, Flash now surprised that he couldn't seen them through the water.
"Ri..." Flash turned to see Springer further down the tunnel. The teen careful walked over to him, now finding the Riolu standing at the top of a stone staircase. He saw it lead downward with the same torches lighting the way, unable to see the bottom as the staircase appeared to curve several hundred meters down.
"What have I gotten myself into?" Flash sighed as he and Springer began to descend. The teen tried to count the steps as he climbed down, but lost count somewhere between a hundred and fifty and two hundred. Seeing that the staircase was built in a zigzag pattern, the duo weren't sure which direction they were always going as they went left and right repeatedly.
And when they reached a straight tunnel, they saw it was devoid of the torches, as there was light seeping in through the exit of it tunnel several meters away. Springer ran ahead as Flash slowly followed behind, the two reaching the end soon before almost going blind by the light.
As they did this, their eyes adjusted before going wide-eyed. They were in some kind of underground chamber that looked out of a fairy tail book. It was round and roughly half a mile in diameter, which half of it was filled with pools of varying sizes. Several large pillars came up from the floor, each having the same crystals that made up the torches from before. Large holes also adorned the walls, some expelling water while others just stood there.
And the two of them weren't the only living things there, as many different Pokémon could be seen. Several kinds of Water-types were jumping in and out of the water, Flash noting most of them being Kelpool and Lokelpie, while small Flying-types like Zubat, Yanma and Noibat flew in from the holes on the ceiling.
"Wow," was all Flash could say as the two of them made their way deeper into the chamber. "This place is... amazing."
But as they stared, the two didn't notice they had been spotted by the Pokémon. The Water-types leapt into the pools while the flyers retreated into the tunnels. As this happened, a pair of eyes inside one of the pools glared at the intruders before swimming into a tunnel that connected that pool to another.
Flash continued to look around in total awe at the sight, only for his eyes to fall on one of the pillars. Hiding behind it was the girl he had chased, though she had pulled her hood up. "Hey," he said as he started to move to her, only for Springer to suddenly sense something.
"RI!" Springer leapt at his trainer and pushed him away from a nearby pool, seconds before something exploded out of it.
"WHOA!" Flash yelped as he hit the ground, both him and Springer rolling to their feet. Then they saw what tried to hit him, which was a being currently wrapped in water and flying through the air, the cord of water curving through the air after missing the trainer. "What is that?!" Flash asked as he pushed himself to full height, only to see a pair of purple eyes glowing through the water along with a red light shining through it from further down.
Their attacker then changed direction and dived into another pool, the two getting into fighting stances. But as Springer sense the presence of the enemy, the Riolu spun around before the pool behind them exploded.
"RI!" Springer yelled, Flash turning to the approaching danger just in time for him and Springer to leap away.
"Counter with Aura Sphere!" he commanded as Springer tried to fire an orb at the attacker, only for it go into another pool, "Shoot!" Flash growled as he got back up, "Be careful bud," He glanced at all the pools. "If these things are all connected..."
They waited several seconds, both remaining on edge. Despite this, nothing seemed to happen. "Is it gone?"
"Ri..." Springer muttered, only for both to hear a sound.
The first word that came to mind was that it wasn't a random sound, It being too rhythmic to be anything but singing. Flash tried to listen, but all he could hear was the same 'ahhhhh' sound being played over and over in an almost hypnotic way. It was then that the pools of water around them exploded, the water flying into the air before curving around to shoot down at them.
"GYAH!" Flash cried as he barely managed to jump back before one of the water blasts hit him, Springer doing the same while the singing continued. The music started to get louder as the two began to jump around, barely dodging the water until one attack hit Springer, "NO!" Flash yelled as his friend was sent flying, a water blast then hitting him as well.
The two hit a pillar and slumped down with grunts of pain, the two clutching their heads as their attacker shot out of the pool, its body still covered in water. And as their senses returned to normal, they found the creature floating in place above them. It glared down at them for a few seconds before charging, Flash grabbing Springer in response as they both closed their eyes.
"STOP!" a voice called out, the two flinching at the sound. They both opened their eyes next, now seeing the girl standing between between them and their attacker. The creature was again floating in midair while the girl stood firm with her arms out wide. "Enough..." she said sternly. "Please stop."
It was here that the water exploded off the perpetrator, revealing itself to Flash and Springer. The being looked similar to the Kelpool and Lokelpie, but it was much bigger. The horse section of its body was light blue while its tail was dark blue, while its hooves were dark blue and the back of its legs had three dark blue spikes connected by light blue weeping. The same thing was on the side of its cheeks while on its back had four long curved spikes sticking out and were also connected by light blue weeping. On its forehead between it's ears were two dark blue antenna while embedded into its chest was a bright red gem that looked exactly like the one on the girl's necklace.
Flash went wide-eyed at the sight, his mind suddenly flashing back to the many statues he had seen all around the city. "No way..." he whispered, "Sirenity."
"Sai!" The Legendary growled at the girl.
"You don't need to hurt them," she replied, "They're not here to hurt you." She glanced back at them, Flash unable to see her eyes because of the hood. "They're annoying, but they're not bad." She turned back to Sirenity, "They actually saved me before." Sirenity did a low hiss, the girl then stepping up and holding out her hand. "Trust me."
"Ren..." it neighed before placing its snout into her hand, the girl patting it while scratching it under the chin.
"Thank you." Sirenity pulled back and swam through the air before diving into another pool, Flash and Springer releasing a sigh of relief at the sight.
"Thanks," Flash said as they picked themselves up, "You saved our butts."
"You shouldn't be here," she instantly replied, her tone increasing in anger, "Leave and don't tell anyone about this place!"
"But-"
"Leave!" She turned away, doing a slight pant as she added, "Leave and...don't come back."
She started to walk away next, making Flash yell, "Wait!" The girl stopped for a second, Flash then asking, "You know I can't just leave. No offense, but I need some answers. Who are you? What is this place and what was with those two weirdos that were trying to nab you before?"
She remained silent for a few moments, only to let out a long sigh. "Alright." Flash watched as the girl removed her hood, revealing a blue ponytail as she turned to him. "My name is Sonata."
The name instantly rang a bell, Flash now remembering back to the story Vinyl and Octavia had told him. "Wait...you're the priestess?"
Sonata looked away, her mouth barely moving, "You know about that? Figures..."
"I got told about it earlier," Flash replied, "And uh...I'm sorry about your sisters."
The girl fully turned away from him, "Um...thanks." She moved over to a nearby rock, sitting down as she kept looking away.
"Right..." Flash did a small gulp, unable to think of what to say next. He then felt Springer tug his leg, making him look down at the Riolu. Springer gave him a frown, Flash grimacing before looking back at the girl, "So...I don't think I've introduced myself. I'm Flash Sentry and this is my partner, Springer."
"Riolu!"
She glanced back at them, "Nice to meet you two."
"Same." Flash replied while doing a small nod, trying to form a smile on his face, "Now uh...do you just stay down here?"
"I do." she responded before sighing, "I can be...alone here. Its something I need since...well, its been so hard since they vanished."
"I'm sure it has." Flash added before hearing a splash. Turning to the noise, he saw Sirenity jump out of a nearby pool before moving over to a section of the chamber with several large rocks, the horse fish pulling itself onto the largest rock and laying out on it. "Is that really the Legendary Pokémon, Sirenity?"
"Yup," Sonata nodded as Sirenity began to sing, "That's her alright." They watched as the other Pokémon came out of hiding, Sirenity's voice clearly putting them at ease. "This is where she slept all those centuries ago. But after she woke up, she made it the home for any Pokémon that don't feel safe in the outside world." She reached down and patted the head of a Poliwag that waddled over to them. "I guess that's why she brought me here."
"She brought you here?" Flash asked as he sat down beside her as the Poliwag turned to Springer, motioning for him to follow.
"In a way." Sonata sighed while leaning against the pillar behind them, "It happened about two weeks after...the incident." Her face scrunched at these words, her eyes squinting to hold back the tears, "I had just been released from the hospital after I was given the all clear. When I tried to sleep that night, I just...I just couldn't." She began to hug herself, "I just kept thinking back to that night and what I might have done differently."
Flash slowly opened his mouth to respond, "You don't have to-"
"That's when I heard it," she interrupted, "A voice, echoing through the night. It almost felt like it was calling me. I followed it through the city and eventually found the entrance to this chamber." She turned to legendary Pokémon, "That's when I met Sirenity." She got up and started to move through the cave, Flash following her as Springer continued to play with the other Pokémon. "Ever since then, I've come here whenever the world outside feels to overwhelming." She smiled as a Kelpool leapt out of a pool next to her, patting it on the head. "This place just makes me feel safe."
"I get that," Flash added as he stared at the many Pokémon around them, all showing happy faces, "This place is amazing." He turned back to her. "So, what was with those two weirdos before? Did you know them?"
Sonata shook her head. "No, I've never seen them before. But I'm willing to bet they wanted me to show them where to find Sirenity." Flash raised an eyebrow at this. "Every since Vocanctus was founded, there have been trainers coming here to try and capture Sirenity."
"Seriously?" Sonata nodded back.
"Yes. Many of them would come to the priestess and ask her where they could find it, but they would be turned away every time."
"Well of course they are," Flash chimed in, "Isn't Sirenity the guardian of the city? It's the reason this place hasn't been wiped off the map by storms."
"Exactly...but they didn't care. All they cared about was having a strong Pokémon they could use to become rich and famous."
"That's terrible," Flash turned to the Legendary in question. "No wonder it attacked us."
"Yes, and those trainers have almost ruined the festival." Flash glanced back at her, now seeing a huge frown on her face as she stared at the Pokémon, "Years ago, before I was born, the Voice of the Ocean Festival didn't end with fireworks. Instead, Sirenity would appear from out of the ocean and put on a performance, using her voice to make the water dance. But then one year, a group of trainers attacked Sirenity during the performance. They tried to capture her, but they failed. But ever since then, Sirenity's refused to show up during the festival."
"Wow..." Flash sighed, "Talk about messed up. So it just stays here and hides away?"
"Better then going out there and facing the evils of the world," Sonata replied as she walked over to the rock Sirenity sat on, "Out there, I'm all alone and have so many people looking to me to fulfil so many responsibilities. But I can't do it. Not without my sisters." She reached up and let her fingers dance across the necklace she wore.
"But hiding from the world isn't gonna make the problems you have go away." Sonata turned to glare at him. "Don't get me wrong, I have no idea what you're going through. But you'll never be able to get over it if you just keep hiding away down here." He looked up at Sirenity, "Both of you are missing so much hiding down here."
"And what's waiting for us up there?!" Sonata barked back, "My sisters are gone and everyone's expecting me to sing at the festival alone! I...I can't do that." She turned away, "Not...not without them."
She folded her arms and stared down into one of the pools, silence taking the area. Flash opened his mouth, only to close it. His mind told him he had never suffered this kind of loss, his brain unable to come up with words. Instead, he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, but pulled back at the last moment. "I'm sorry. I uh...I was rude. I shouldn't have pushed you there." He turned away, his feet shuffling as he started to make his way through the chamber, Sonata slowly turning back to him.
She then felt something poking into her, the teen turning to see Sirenity staring at her. She sighed before looking back at Flash, "Hey." He glanced back, "Wanna see something cool?" Flash blinked at her, only to nod as she motioned him to come over to her. The teen hopped onto Sirenity's back next, Springer following her before she reached out her arm to Flash, "Come on."
"Um...alright," Flash took her hand, both soon sitting atop the legendary as it pushed itself to full height on its front hooves. "Now what?"
"Wait for it." Sirenity's crystal began to glow, radiating a light that began to surround them all.
"Sai!" it yelled as it suddenly jumped up, floating and flying through the air like it was water.
"Whoa!" Flash yelped as he and Springer started to tighten their grip on the Pokémon, "Awesome..."
"You haven't seen anything yet," Sonata giggle as Sirenity shifted midair before diving down. It went right into the pool, Flash gasping as he and Springer took a deep breath as the legendary dived underwater.
And as the water consumed them, a certain little Surskit walked out of the shadow of one of the pillars, its camera recording everything as Guile and his subordinates commented on the scene, "So, this is where it was hiding out."
"Looks a little damp for my taste," White chimed in, "So what now? Want us to head down there and capture it?"
"No." Guile instantly replied, "Without the song, we have no way of controlling it and I know a Pokeball won't work. But at least now we have a way of getting to it."
"You think this is where she's been going to sing?" Black asked.
"Maybe. It's very possible. I'm gonna need you to sneak a camera down there when nobody's looking. We're running out of time and we need to get a sample of her voice." The two nodded and headed out of the room as Guile continued to watch the screen. But to his surprise, Sirenity and the teens did not emerge from the water. "Where did you go this time?"
As soon as they hit the water, Flash knew he wouldn't be able to hold his breath very long. The speed Sirenity was swimming made it almost impossible to keep his lungs filled. He almost instantly needed to take a breath, making his cheeks glow red as they started to puff out. Springer was doing the same, both watching Sirenity swim down a deep tunnel like a torpedo, the sight making them worried as they kept going further.
That is, till Flash saw Sonata wasn't holding her breath. He blinked at her, confusion on his face as he saw her turn to him and giggle, "You can breath in, you know. Sirenity will protect you."
Flash's cheeks kept puffing as he heard this, only to see Springer take a deep breath. "Riolu!" He cheered as he started breathing normally.
Trusting his partner, Flash opened his mouth and took a deep breath. And when he did, he didn't feel the water enter his mouth. Nothing but pure, yet salty, air filled his lungs, making him whisper, "Wow..."
Not having to worry about drowning, Flash found himself able to enjoy their trip as they winded through a barrage of tunnels. And when they reached an exit, the teen's eyes went wide as he saw they were now at the bottom of the ocean. The sight made him gasp the loudest gasp he could do. In front of him was vast fields of seaweed, large underwater sea-stacks that multiple Pokémon had built their homes into and around.
And the amount of Pokémon astounded him. Schools of Remoraid, smacks of Tentacool and a troubling of Goldeen. A small tribe of Feebas swam by next, a Milotic going over them while a few Horsea danced behind the eel. This was followed by some Finneon and Lumineon, all swimming in unison as a lone Luvdisc tried to keep up with them. There was even a consortium of Krabby and Kingler scurrying along the seabed with a Buizel lazily floating over the group.
"Amazing," Flash whispered, his eyes unable to stay on one thing. It was here that he felt Sonata let go of Sirenity, motioning him to follow. Flash and Springer followed her lead and let go as Sirenity swam away, the trio chasing it as it began to swim up to a large coral reef. There they saw a valley filled with multiple Corsola and Reefincer living on one side while a few Mareanie and Toxapex shifted over the other side of the reef.
Flash and Springer kept their wide-eyed expressions as Sonata swam up to them and pointed up to Sirenity. Looking up, they saw the Legendary swim through the water as a bunch of Kelpool and Lokelpie swam up to it and got in a formation. Sirenity then began to sing a beautiful medley beneath the seas, the others horse fish beginning to swim around to the tune.
The teen and his Riolu gasped as they saw the Pokémon swim around, performing what could only be called an underwater ballet that was in perfect sync with Sirenity's music. It was almost...magical how they danced, span, swayed and whatnot, Sirenity's voice just as majestic considering they were underwater. Slowly, more and more Water-types started dancing to the music, the show seeming to go on for hours until Sirenity stopped singing and Water-types swam away.
Sirenity then swam down and motioned for them to grab on. They did so and were pulled back up to the surface, exploding out of the water and soaring through the air before they hit the sea again. The two saw the temple island in the distance, only for Sirenity to nosedive for the place. Before long, they were behind the building, Sirenity letting them off a small stack of rocks before diving back into the sea.
"That...was incredible." Flash gasped, slumping down on one of the rocks. And as he sat down, he looked at himself and saw he wasn't even wet, almost like Sirenity had shielded him from the water.
"Ri, ri, ri!" Springer cheered.
Sonata giggled at their reaction. "I know, right?" She looked back at the ocean and watched as Sirenity and the other seahorse Pokémon dived up and out of the water a good distance away. "I remember the first time Sirenity brought me out here." She once again hugged her body. "It was amazing, but I..."
"You wished your sisters could be there with to enjoy it with you?" Flash asked, Sonata nodding in return. "I'm sorry."
"It's just...hard, you know." She then reached up and clutched the necklace she was wearing.
Flash saw this, remembering her doing it and asking, "Is that something you got from them?"
Sonata looked down at her necklace before shaking her head. "No. Our mom gave us each one when we were little. It's all we have to remember her by." Flash opened his mouth to ask, only for the girl to sigh as she continued, "When we were six, she got really sick and...I don't really remember her that well, but I do remember she was always kind and always found time for all three of us, even with the responsibilities of the priestess."
"What about your dad?"
Sonata just shrugged. "Never met him. He bailed before we were born. He was a trainer who showed up for the festival and met my mom, then left before finding out she was pregnant. I started life with two sisters and a mom...but now I'm all alone, with only my necklace to remember them by."
Flash showed a huge frown on his face, his mind trying to form words. But when none came, he got up and placed a hand on her shoulder, the girl looking back at him as he began to speak from his heart. "Sonata....I have no idea what you're going through. I don't have any siblings." Sonata just blinked at him, only to see Flash reached down and scratch Springer's head. "But I know that if anything ever happened to Springer, or my other Pokémon, I'd be devastated." He bit his lip at his next words, seeing the frown growing on her face as he continued, "But...well...I also think that if something like that ever happened to me and I left those I care about behind, the last thing I'd want is for them to waste the rest of their lives crying over me."
Sonata's eyes went wide at his words, her mouth opening to respond...only for nothing to come out. Instead, Flash continued to speak, "Your sisters loved you, right?" The girl did a weak nod. She knew they might not have easily shown it, but Adagio and Aria did love her. "Well then, if they were here right now, seeing what you were doing, what do you think they would say?"
The girl looked away at this, closing her eyes as the image of her sisters suddenly appearing behind her. Her imagination took hold, and she suddenly clutched her head like something had just slammed into it. "Aria...Aria would have hit me over the head for being such a crybaby." Flash laughed at this as Sonata followed suit, "And Adagio would have mocked me for not being able to do anything on my own."
Despite laughing, Flash couldn't tell if this girl had had a really good relationship with her sisters, or a really bad one. Instead, the teen stopped chuckling as Sonata continued, "The fact is, she's right." Flash saw the girl open her eyes, tears welling up in her eyes as she said, "Ever since I could remember, it was always the three of us. We did everything together. We played together, did chores together, hung out together and...sang together. That's how it always was. But now...now they're gone and I'm all alone. I'm not even sure if I'm capable of doing things on my own."
"Sure you are," Flash instantly replied, patting her shoulder, "You just need more confidence."
"But-"
"Sonata, if there's one thing I learned about being a trainer, its that no one can do everything alone. We always need someone else to help us. The story of this place said the first priestess didn't stop the war alone, she needed the help of the warrior." He pointed to himself, "I want to be the strongest trainer ever, but without my Pokémon...heh, that dream wouldn't even come close to coming true."
"Ri!" Riolu chimed in, nodding.
He increased his grip on her shoulder, the girl fully staring at him as he shined a big grin, "Besides, even if your sisters aren't here, you're not alone. You have Sirenity and all the people of the city standing behind you, willing to give you their support."
Sonata's face tried to form a smile, her hand wiping away a tear as she tried speak, "Thank you....but it's still gonna be hard to sing tomorrow in front of the whole city. I mean, what if I mess up? What if the song isn't great? What if..."
"Honestly, who's gonna know?" Flash interrupted, making Sonata go wide eyed as he stared at her, "I heard your family is the only one that actually knows how to speak the language you sing in. That means no one will know if you mess up. Heck, you could sing an old TV theme song and no one would know." Sonata laughed at this. "And even if you mess up, I doubt Sirenity cares. She's clearly your friend, and I don't think she would destroy a whole city just because you messed up a song."
Flash's words began to take root in Sonata's mind as she slowly replied, "Yeah...I guess that's true. It might not matter if I mess up or not."
Flash let out a chuckle at this and nodded. "Just give it your best shot and you'll do fine." Sonata nodded back, "Besides, if you're really feeling nervous, I don't mind being there to show moral support." A smile began to show on her face as he continued, "And I know my friends will be just as happy to help once you get to know them."
"I...I'd like that."
"Good. Now come on, stop crying and show a big old smile!"
And as the two continued to enjoy themselves and talk, a certain camera on the back of the temple pointed down at them.
"There you are," Guile chuckled as he stared at the screen, watching the two now laughing. "That's it. Make her happy boy. Help her overcome her loss. Make her want to sing, and give me the key I need to achieve everything I want."
It was here that he saw Sirenity return to them before the three grabbed on and was pulled back under the water.
"Excellent. This'll be my chance. I can't afford to miss a second." He pressed a button. "Surskit, they're coming. Be ready to follow them and don't let the girl out of your sight."
"Surs!"
By the time Flash, Springer and Sonata got back to the chamber and made their way to the top of the stairs leading to the exit, the sun was beginning to set as they walked through the waterfall. Now that he wasn't chasing or being chased through the city, Flash had now truly got a chance to really look around and take in the scenery of the city.
"This has gotta be one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been too," he told her as they walked up some stairs.
Sonata sighed and shook her head, "Trust me, it get old after a while."
Flash turned to her with a raised eyebrow, "You alright?"
"Yeah..." Sonata replied while nodding, "I was just...remembering something Adagio said last year. She and Aria were so desperate to leave this place." She turned to look up at the cliff overlooking their city, which had the rest of the region behind it just waiting to be explored. "They wanted to see what was really out there. To not have to spend every day of their lives in this city, constantly preparing for the festival. I...I guess they'll never get to know now."
Flash placed a hand on her shoulder again, "You could still find out."
Sonata just stared at the ground as she responded, "I'm...not sure. I mean, I have a responsibility to the festival."
"The festival's one day a year," he reminded her.
"Two actually. The first day starts tomorrow, and the second day is when I'm meant to sing."
"Alright, two days. That just leaves..." Flash stopped for a second, "Three hundred and...sixty...two?"
Sonata let out a small giggle as she saw steam come out of the teen's head, "Close enough."
"Anyways, you've got a whole year to explore and be back in time for the festival."
The girl gasped at his suggestion, "But...but to travel around the region, all on my own-"
"Who says you'd have to travel on your own? I'm sure there are others who would love to have you join them. Do you know Octavia and Vinyl?"
Sonata did a small nod back, "We went to school together."
"I'm sure they'd be happy to have you along with them. And you wouldn't have to worry about them stopping their journey for you to come back because they'd probably want to do the same thing." Sonata blinked at his words, trying to respond before leaning down and giving Springer a pat on the head.
"Do you think...I might be able to travel with you and your friends?"
This made Flash raise both eyebrows, only to smirk and nod, "Sure. We'd love to have you along. The more the merrier, I always say."
"Ri!" Springer added.
"Thanks..." she replied as she looked away again, "I...I'll think about it. Though I don't even know if I'd be allowed to leave the city. If the mayor says no-"
"What gives him the right to tell you what you can and can't do?" Flash interrupted, "It's your life, so you should have a say in what happens in it." Sonata looked back at him, Flash shining a big confident at his next words, "Come on Sonata, I'm sure the first priestess wouldn't want to know her descendants felt trapped because of her. If she and your sisters were here, what do you think they'd say?"
"They...they would probably say to stop being such a wuss and do what I want to do. At least my sisters would. I have no idea what the first priestess would say." Flash chuckled at her response, Sonata now doing a small nod, "But...I think you're right. It is my life, and I don't want to spend every moment of it in one place."
Flash and Springer smiled at these words, only for Sonata to come to a stop. She pointed at what Flash considered to be one of the largest houses in the city, which they were now standing in front of, "This is it."
"Wow," Flash gasped, "You live here? All on your own?"
Sonata nodded. "It's been in my family for generations. Now that I'm the last member of it...I'm all alone in it."
Flash turned to her. "If you do decide to stay here, maybe think about getting someplace a bit smaller. The house looks nice, but this big? Its got to be lonely."
"It is." Sonata sighed before going up to the door and turning back to the two boys. "Thanks for walking me home."
"No problem," Flash saluted. "Oh, and if those two weirdos show up again, call the Pokémon Center and I'll be here as soon as I can." Sonata smiled and nodded, about to head inside. "Sonata." She stopped and glanced back at him, "Wanna hang out at the festival tomorrow?" She went wide-eyed at his words, the teen seeing a semi-smile on her face, "You could meet my friends and we're bound to have a blast. What do you say?"
Sonata's smile fully formed as she nodded, "I'd love too."
"Sweet! Though uh...where would you wanna meet?"
"The festival always starts with the mayor giving a big speech in the town square. See you there?"
"Got it," Flash gave another salute, Springer doing the same as Sonata went into her house. But as they turned to leave, Flash looked down at his Pokémon as a thought entered his head, "I forgot to ask for directions. Any idea how we get to the Pokémon Center?" Springer just shrugged, the two's heads dropping as they sighed.
Once inside the large house, Sonata sighed as she began making her way through the building.
She passed by both her sister's rooms, which had been left untouched since the incident, arriving at hers as she walked over to her bed and flopped down on it. The girl didn't bother to change, groaning as she laid there for a few minutes. And as she did this, she turned over, her eyes dropping on her bedside desk, its drawer now on full focus in her eyes.
After about a minute of staring, she reached out and opened the drawer, pulling out an old notebook.
Written on the pages was a song she had written when she was much younger, written in the language only she knew. She had written it for a previous festival, but never got the chance to use it since Adagio had always been the song writer. The girl sighed at the notes, remembering when she had first hidden the sheet away.
And as she continued to stare at the book, she was completely oblivious to the Surskit staring at her through the window.
The next day...
The city was abuzz with activity as the festival was about to start. The many vendors were ready to start selling and the games were still putting up the prizes that could be won. Many musical acts were also preparing themselves for their time to shine, the festival looking ready to be one of the best ones ever.
Flash and his friend all marveled at the sights around them as they made their way over to the main square, soon seeing both Octavia and Vinyl just a ways off. "Hey guys!" The shades wearing girl called out, "Ready for the best festival ever?!"
"You bet!" Spike cheered before they heard a yawn coming from Flash, everyone turning to him.
"Flash! No yawning! It's your own fault you're so tired," Twilight growled and pointed at him, "If you hadn't wondered off and got lost, you would have gotten back to the Center in time to have a proper night's sleep."
"Yeah yeah...I know." Flash mumbled as he rolled his eyes. But as he fought back a second yawn, he felt Springer tug at his jeans, making him look down. The Riolu was pointing at the crowd, Flash following his paw to see Sonata at the edge of the street, wearing her hoodie again but now had a skirt on instead of jeans.
"Hey!" He yelled, the others watching him wave at her. "We're over here!"
The girl slowly walked over, her hood slightly tugged over her head as she smiled at the sight of Flash. Flash's friends all stared at the girl, only for Octavia to speak up, "Oh, hello Sonata. It's good to see you."
"Sames," Sonata replied.
"It's great you decided to come," Vinyl added, "I'm sure your sisters would want that."
Sonata nodded back. "Thanks. I know they wouldn't want me to be mopping about like I was." She then turned to Twilight and the others, "Um...nice to meet you. Are you Flash's friends?"
"We are," Twilight replied while nodding, "I'm Twilight Sparkle."
"I'm Spike," the youngster cheered. "And this is Peewee."
"Terra!"
"And you can call me Doc."
Sonata nodded, about to reply before the group heard a static like sound. Turning to the stage, they saw it was from a microphone as a pair of women walked up. The older one was middle-aged, with light pink skin and hair that phased from light to dark purple. She was wearing a dress that matched her hair color, along with a pair of light blue fingerless evening gloves that went all the way up to her shoulder. Meanwhile, the younger of the two was a teenager with yellow skin with light blue hair. She wore a pink beach vest and pink shorts, along with a pair of blue fingerless gloves.
"Who's that?" Spike asked.
"Novo, the mayor of Vocanctus and her daughter, Skystar."
Novo stepped up and smiled at the large crowd. "Hello darlings. So nice to see so many people are here to celebrate our town's heritage." The crowd cheered at this, the woman pausing for a brief second before starting again. "Welcome to the Voice of the Ocean Festival. I do hope it'll be the best one yet." The crowd cheered again, this time Novo raising a hand to quiet them down. "But let us not just treat this as a day to have fun. It is also a day to give thanks to those who risked themselves to stop the war so long ago. To give thanks for Sirenity, who protects these lands, and of course, thanks and remembrance to those not here when they should be."
Sonata did a big gulp at these words, knowing where this was going.
"One year ago, an accident took the lives of two amazing young girls. It was horrible and pointless. Survived only by their sister, it would be wrong to simply continue the festival without remembering them and their efforts as priestesses." The crowd all nodded, those who had spotted Sonata earlier turning to give her their sympathy. "But let us not simply mourn them. Instead, let's celebrate the life they lived and try to make up for the life they didn't get to enjoy." The crowd all cheered in agreement, Sonata feeling Flash pat her shoulder again as she turned to him, seeing him nod. And as they looked back at the mayor, she spoke up and said, "So, without further ado, let the Voice of the Ocean Festival...BEGIN!"