'"Abo~ abo~~"'
Absol desperately explained that it was not trying to cause trouble, but everyone still refused to believe it.
'"Flame~ flame~"' Talonflame urged Absol to leave and stop causing trouble there.
'"Abo~ abo~~"'
Absol was worried to death. Why wouldn't anyone believe it?
'"Flame~ flame~"' If you don't leave right now, I won't be polite.
Seeing that Absol remained stubborn, Talonflame issued a warning to it.
'"Abo~ abo~~"'
However, Absol had no intention of leaving. It continued to try and persuade everyone, but this behavior undoubtedly infuriated the group.
'"Flame~"'
Talonflame finally lost its patience and launched an attack against Absol. Flapping its wings, its entire body flared with a blue light as it used Aerial Ace to crash straight into Absol.
'"Abo~~"' Spotting the incoming attack, Absol leaped sideways and dodged cleanly.
'"Flame~"' Leave this place!
Talonflame flapped its wings and hovered in the air, looking down at Absol from above.
'"Abo~~"' Absol shook its head with a resolute gaze. It would not leave until it persuaded the Pokémon here to evacuate.
'"Flame~~"' Finished with empty words, Talonflame launched another Aerial Ace attack at Absol.
Having been struck earlier by Ceruledge and now targeted by Talonflame, Absol was no punching bag and naturally felt frustrated, deciding to stop playing purely defensive.
Raising its right front paw, which glowed with a dark, sinister energy, it slashed fiercely toward the incoming Talonflame.
It was Night Slash!
Bang~~~
Talonflame's wing and Absol's paw collided head-on, sending rolling shockwaves rippling outward in every direction. Gogoat, Skiddo, and Miltank hurriedly scrambled backward.
The two Pokémon touched and immediately parted, rapidly retreating in opposite directions.
Far away in the sky, Staraptor and the pair of Altaria heard the commotion and flew over to investigate.
However, they chose not to interfere with the clash between Talonflame and Absol, instead landing not far away to keep a quiet watch.
Failing to decide the victor in a single exchange, Talonflame unleashed Flamethrower, opening its beak to spew a pillar of fire that swept across Absol.
Absol darted back and forth, dodging while simultaneously using Swords Dance to boost its attack power.
The next second, a series of purple blade waves shot straight from its horn toward Talonflame in the air.
Talonflame maneuvered flexibly through the air, rapidly ascending, descending, dashing, and braking to dodge Absol's attacks, while flapping its wings to fire off successive Air Slashes in retaliation.
Absol lacked Talonflame's blinding speed and agility. Although it managed to evade the first few air blades, the final one struck home squarely.
'"Abo~~"' Absol let out a miserable cry as it was sent flying backward through the air.
Seeing that Absol was injured, Talonflame ceased its attack and shouted down at it:
'"Flame~ flame~"' Leave, quickly!
Enduring the sharp pain, Absol struggled to prop its body up from the ground, looking up at Talonflame with unwavering determination as it cried out:
'"Abo~ abo~~~"' The disaster is truly coming. I am not lying to you. Please leave this place with me!
'"Flame~ flame~"'
Talonflame shook its head. Regardless of whether Absol's warning was true or false, they could never abandon the Nebel Plateau because this was their home, a place they could never bear to leave.
'"Abo~ abo~"' Absol turned its gaze toward the surrounding Gogoat, Skiddo, and Miltank, only to see every single one of them shaking their heads with resolute expressions.
'"Flame~ flame~"' Since you refuse to leave willingly, we will just have to escort you out ourselves!
Talonflame declared.
As its voice fell, the group of Gogoat and Skiddo unleashed Vine Whip, shooting green vines from all directions that bound Absol tightly from head to toe.
Talonflame swooped forward, grabbed the vines wrapped around Absol, hoisted it high into the air, and intended to toss it clear of the Nebel Plateau.
Absol struggled fiercely, but failed to break free from the vines. Once lifted into the sky, it suddenly let out a sharp cry, unleashing a barrage of air blades from its body that tore every single vine into shreds.
Immediately afterward, it plummeted straight down toward the ground.
As it turned out, Absol could use Air Slash as well.
Because it was already injured, however, it stumbled upon landing and panted heavily for breath.
Having traveled a long distance all the way to the Nebel Plateau and fought successively against Ceruledge and Talonflame, it had long since exhausted its stamina.
'"Flame~~"' Seeing that Absol refused to listen to reason, Talonflame grew furious and decided to teach it a lesson.
Yet right as it prepared to launch its assault, Absol suddenly collapsed onto the ground with a soft thud.
Talonflame froze in place. I haven't even used my full power yet, why did you pass out?
It flapped its wings softly to land beside Absol, then nudged the fallen Pokémon with its claw.
Absol remained completely motionless.
Gogoat, Skiddo, Miltank, Staraptor, and Altaria rushed over to crowd around the scene. Talonflame asked:
'"Flame~ flame~"' What's wrong with it?
A Miltank stepped forward to examine Absol, then announced to the group:
'"La~ la~"' It's just utterly exhausted.
'"Bleat~ bleat~"' What should we do with it then?
The Gogoat leader asked.
If Absol were still standing, they could simply throw it out of the Nebel Plateau, but since it had fallen unconscious, tossing it out like that would be terribly heartless.
'"Hoot~ hoot~"' We should go notify Ange.
Staraptor suggested.
The other Pokémon nodded in agreement.
'"Voir~ voir~"' I'll go find Ange!
The mother Altaria volunteered. With that, she flapped her wings and soared into the sky, flying toward Ange's house.
Back at his home, Ange was busy drying beans with Munchlax and Mew after finishing lunch.
The newly harvested Roller Beans at home were still quite damp. If they weren't dried promptly, they would easily sprout and mold, so he took advantage of the fine weather to haul them all outside.
Just then, the mother Altaria descended from the sky.
'"Altaria, is something wrong?"' Ange inquired.
'"Voir~ voir~"' Altaria gestured and explained the situation regarding Absol to Ange.
'"An Absol came to the grassland?"' Ange paused in surprise upon hearing this. Could it be the same one Ceruledge and the others ran into earlier?
With that thought in mind, he turned to Munchlax and Diancie and said, '"You two keep working, I'll go check things out and be right back."'
Diancie nodded. '"Go ahead, go ahead."'
'"Munch~"' Munchlax nodded along as well.
Promptly after, Ange hurried off behind Altaria to see Absol.
When Ange arrived at the scene, the Gogoat leader was using Grassy Terrain to treat Absol's injuries.
Seeing Ange approach, everyone greeted him warmly.
Ange stepped forward to inspect Absol's condition and confirmed that it had indeed fainted purely from extreme exhaustion, while its minor injuries had already been healed by the Gogoat leader's Grassy Terrain.
The Pokémon chattered excitedly as they recounted the sequence of Absol's "disruptive" behavior to Ange, who listened quietly while deep in thought.
A disaster approaching the Nebel Plateau? Ange found it difficult to imagine.
If Absol was telling the truth, then what kind of disaster could it possibly be?
After a moment of thought, Ange addressed the group, '"I'll take Absol back home to rest first. As for the disaster it mentioned... you don't need to worry too much about it."'
'"Bleat~"'
'"Voir~"'
'"La~"'
...
Hearing his words, the Pokémon nodded. Since they hadn't believed Absol's claims in the first place, they naturally had nothing to fret over.
Promptly picking up Absol, Ange began walking back toward his home.
Though Absol was not particularly small, lifting it proved quite effortless for Ange.
Upon returning home, Diancie and the others looked over curiously when they saw Absol.
'"Is this the Absol that can predict disasters?"' Diancie asked.
Ange had previously explained Absol's background to everyone at home.
'"That's right, it's the one."' Ange nodded.
'"Mew~~"' What's wrong with it?
Mew tilted its head and asked.
Ange answered, '"It was too exhausted, so it passed out."'
'"Mew~"' Mew nodded in understanding.
'"Munch~ munch~~"' Master, leave it to me.
Munchlax stepped forward and volunteered.
'"Alright, I'll leave its care to you."' With that, Ange handed Absol over to Munchlax.
Carrying Absol in its arms, Munchlax headed inside the guest room, while Ange returned outside to resume drying beans with his other partners.
Today's weather was exceptionally bright, with Solrock radiating solar energy high in the sky, making it ideal conditions for sun-drying crops.
Time slipped by until evening, and the Pokémon gradually returned home one by one.
As the sun sank below the horizon, the beans needed to be packed away. While waiting for dinner to be ready, everyone helped Ange gather the dried beans indoors.
Meanwhile, Absol slowly regained consciousness.
Munchlax pushed open the guest room door carrying a tray for dinner, only to find Absol staring blankly around the room with a bewildered expression.
'"Munch~"' You're awake!
Munchlax said happily.
'"Abo~"' Where is this?
Absol asked.
'"Munch~"' This is my home!
Munchlax replied.
'"Is this still the Nebel Plateau?"' Absol asked anxiously.
'"Yes, it is! What's wrong?"' Munchlax said.
'"Then you guys need to hurry up and leave this place! A disaster is coming!"' Absol tried to leap down from the bed, but the moment its paws hit the floor, its remaining fatigue caused its legs to buckle, sending it collapsing back down.
Munchlax placed the dinner tray directly in front of it and explained, '"We already know about the disaster you mentioned. I believe you aren't lying, but there's no way we're leaving!"'
'"Why?"' Absol froze in shock.
Munchlax smiled warmly and answered, '"Because this is our home! No matter what difficulties come our way, we face them together and get through them side by side, instead of running away!"'
Munchlax's words left Absol stunned into silence as it stared fixedly at the Pokémon.
Munchlax smiled and urged, '"You must be hungry. This is the food I prepared for you, eat up!"'
With that, it nudged the meal tray a little closer to Absol.
Absol initially felt too embarrassed to accept Munchlax's food, but its stomach was completely hollow from hunger.
Moreover, the rich aroma wafting from the dishes drifted straight into its nose, making it impossible to resist.
'"Th... Thank you..."' After expressing its gratitude, Absol immediately dug in and devoured the meal voraciously.
Munch~ munch~~ It's simply too delicious!
Absol was completely astounded by Munchlax's culinary skill. Moments after swallowing the food, it felt the lingering exhaustion vanish entirely from its body.
Seeing it eat with such ravenous enthusiasm, Munchlax chuckled. '"No need to rush, eat slowly. There's more if you want it."'
Chewing away, Absol looked up at Munchlax and said through a mouthful of food, '"I will never forget this kindness!"'
Absol possessed a very earnest personality. Even though it was just a single meal, it carved the gesture deep into its memory.
Munchlax merely smiled and shook its head without saying anything further.
Upon learning that Absol had woken up, Ange made a special trip to check on it.
Noticing Absol looking at him with a questioning gaze, Ange smiled and introduced himself, '"My name is Ange, and I am the owner of this Nebel Plateau."'
Absol realized the truth upon hearing this.
Ange asked, '"Absol, you mentioned an impending disaster on the Nebel Plateau. What kind of disaster is it, exactly?"'
'"Abo~ abo~"'
Absol shook its head and explained to Ange that it couldn't pinpoint the exact nature of the disaster, having only sensed violent fluctuations occurring in the atmosphere.
The disaster could manifest as a severe drought, or perhaps a devastating flood.
Ange fell into deep contemplation.
A drought? A flood? How could that be? According to Volcanion, the Nebel Plateau had enjoyed favorable weather and peaceful seasons for countless years.
After chatting with Absol for a little longer, Ange told it, '"Get some good rest. You're free to leave whenever you wish."'
'"Abo~"' Absol nodded.
That evening, Ange spent some time relaxing and playing with his Pokémon as usual, followed by their regular training session inside the Cooking Training Room.
Night fell, and a crescent moon hung high in the sky, spilling silver moonlight across the Nebel Plateau and draping the entire landscape in a translucent veil.
Lunar soared through the sky, its body enveloped in a faint silver radiance.
It was absorbing the power of the moonlight.
Right at that moment, however, a bank of dark clouds drifted in from nowhere, instantly swallowing the moon completely.
Lunar wore a look of utter puzzlement.
Where on earth did storm clouds come from? The weather forecast explicitly stated it would be completely clear for the next several days!
At the same time, Yveltal, Honchkrow, and the flock of Murkrow resting in the trees involuntarily lifted their gazes toward the sky.
Swish, splash~~
Before long, a torrential downpour burst from the heavens.
'"Hon~ hon~"'
'"Zee~ zee~"'
Honchkrow hurriedly led the Murkrow flying back toward shelter. Being birds, they despised getting soaked to the bone since it made flying an arduous chore.
Lunar fled toward home as well.
As a Rock-type Pokémon, it held no fondness for water either.
Only Yveltal remained unmoving, standing quietly on a tree branch while letting the heavy raindrops pelt its body.
Rain was nothing unusual, but as time dragged on, the downpour intensified rapidly until it fell with the ferocity of a waterspout.
'"Roar~~"' Yveltal took flight from the branch, its sharp cry piercing straight through the overlapping sheets of driving rain.
It sensed something highly unusual unfolding.
Swish, splash~~
Barely moments after the heavy rain began, Lake Sibel was already overflowing with floodwaters, rushing torrents funneling down from all across the Nebel Plateau into the lake basin.
Fish darted rapidly back and forth near the surface, displaying extreme agitation as they sensed the encroaching disaster.
Inside the training room, Volcanion pushed open the door and stepped inside.
'"Ange, it's raining outside, and this storm looks seriously wrong!"'