The vines had tripped her, and now Yamei's ankle was paying the price.
Though there was no severe stinging or visible swelling, a faint, dull ache pulsed from her joint with every small movement. The gentle, graceful older woman couldn't suppress a soft moan of discomfort.
"Sister Yami. Try rotating it slowly—gently. Let's see how much mobility you have."
Wade supported her as she stumbled, easing her down until she was half-reclining against his chest. His voice was calm, reassuring.
A sprained ankle could mean many things. Mild cases responded to ice and massage. Severe ones required bandaging and rest—possibly a hospital. But first, they needed to assess the damage.
Yamei inhaled deeply, drawing in the warm scent that surrounded her. A delicate flush crept across her fair features.
"It seems... I can still move it."
"Good. That suggests a minor injury. Massage and a day or two of rest should do it."
Satisfied, Wade nodded. In his arms, the gentlewoman remained still, her face a portrait of shyness. Her emerald side-ponytail had slipped over one snowy shoulder, swaying gently across her chest and drawing attention to the plush mounds concealed beneath her green traveling clothes.
Her well-proportioned legs weren't pressed together in modesty, but slightly parted—revealing a glimpse of fair, delicate thigh beyond her skirt's hem. The silky thin stockings clinging to her calves gleamed like high-quality cream, impossibly smooth, promising to melt at the slightest touch.
"I'm going to massage it now. Tell me if the pressure is too much."
Wade's hands found her calf.
Without an ice pack, direct massage was the next best option. He lifted her foot, carefully removing the black boot. Then, with practiced gentleness, he slid the thin stocking down—over her ankle, along her arch, past her toes—revealing her bare, fair-skinned foot.
Yamei's breath caught.
Her first instinct was to curl away, to hide that sensitive foot beneath her skirt. But reason intervened: he'd already seen. And he was helping her. Gratefulness warred with embarrassment.
Besides, she told herself, it's just a foot. Not a sensitive area.
"Big brother... be gentle... gentle~"
Having made peace with the situation, she lifted her snowy neck—already beaded with faint perspiration—and extended her soft, boneless foot toward him.
Her cherry lips pressed together, fighting the warmth that came with each ticklish touch. Her silver-thread lashes fluttered helplessly, as if her entire sensitive body was being tenderly toyed with. Soft, charming moans escaped despite her best efforts.
Her exquisite face burned an even deeper crimson. Even the emerald hair spilling over her snowy shoulders couldn't hide the furious red of her jade-like earlobes. Shyness, visibly escalating.
Though she was older than the black-haired youth holding her, she had never once managed to project an older sister's demeanor. And now—her delicate foot cradled in his hands—she felt smaller, softer, more vulnerable than ever.
A strange sensation stirred in her heart.
"Mmm... wuwuwu~"
Lost in thought, she was startled when his fingers found a particularly sensitive spot. Tears brimmed in her eyes. Her delicate body trembled.
Her exquisite foot was being handled with such care. The warm, smooth jade of her sole, the pink, sensitive arch, the round, cute toes—all massaged in slow, thorough patterns. Beneath his silky touch, she felt that with just slightly more pressure, she might gasp openly. Tiny mists of moisture gathered in her clear, gentle dark green eyes.
"Doesn't seem serious at all," Wade murmured, noting her reactions. He lightened his touch further. "Once I've worked through the acupoints, you should be much better. If you're not in a hurry afterward, you can return to my farm for an ice pack. And no moving around freely for the next few days."
"Hmm... okay~"
The pressure on her ankle eased, replaced by a spreading warmth that made Yamei bite her pearl-white teeth. A cherry-colored flush bloomed across her jade-like features, and she unconsciously pressed her creamy foot more firmly into the black-haired youth's palm.
If Wade were to tilt her sole slightly upward at this moment, the displacement of her thigh would grant him a view beneath her half-opened green skirt—her entire pair of fresh, plump legs, and even the firm, rounded curves of her honeyed buttocks.
But his focus remained professional.
"Hmm... I feel much better~"
After a final pass, Yamei tested her ankle with a gentle twist. To her relief, she could manage a few tentative steps.
"Good. We'll head back to the farm soon and apply an ice pack."
Wade helped her stand, noting with satisfaction that despite her flushed cheeks and lingering tremors, she could support herself. Then his attention shifted.
The massive mural dominated the far wall.
He studied the two figures carved into ancient stone. Their forms were unmistakable—one wreathed in shadow, the other radiating lunar light.
"Darkrai and Cresselia?"
His eyebrows rose. Mythical Pokémon. Here.
"Eh?!"
Beside him, the gentle older sister figure widened her beautiful eyes.
In this world, beyond the League's official classifications, Pokémon were popularly divided into categories: Normal, Pseudo-Legendary, Mythical, and Legendary. And among Legendary Pokémon, tiers existed—First and Second—with further distinctions based on whether individuals wielded divine authority.
The two on this wall were both Mythical: Darkrai, the Nightmare God, and Cresselia, the Lunar Pokémon.
"An ancient ruin... dedicated to them?" Yamei breathed, taking in the grand images and the flowing inscriptions carved beside them. "It's magnificent!"
The Sinnoh region was unique. Its longer history meant ruins dedicated to Legendary Pokémon dotted the wilderness—small shrines, vast temples, forgotten altars. This had spawned a thriving field of mythological archaeology. Even the region's beautiful and powerful Champion, Cynthia, was a professional scholar who spent her free time exploring such sites.
Wade studied the ancient script, drawing on knowledge from the Pokémon Academy. After a moment, understanding dawned.
"It seems... the people who once lived on Mt. Coronet built this. To commemorate Cresselia saving them from Darkrai's nightmares."
He read further, piecing together the story.
Normally, Darkrai appeared only on moonless nights, plunging humans and Pokémon into endless nightmares. But the Darkrai on this wall was different—a rogue individual who could move freely at any time, tormenting the mountain dwellers without rest.
Desperate, they had prayed to Cresselia. And she had answered.
"Boo~!"
Tinkaton's excited cry interrupted his reading. The little one had leaped onto the stone table before the mural and was now presenting a glowing, feather-like object with obvious pride.
Wade accepted it—and the system panel materialized.
[Lunar Wing (Rainbow)] : A feather that emits a moonlight-like glow. Said to contain the power to dispel nightmares.
[Note] : The effect of this item has now expired. However, it may be able to summon the Lunar Pokémon, Cresselia, under specific circumstances.
Well, well.
Beyond carving the stone wall, the ancient mountain dwellers had enshrined the very feather that had saved them. A relic. A treasure. A key.
"Thank you, Tinkaton."
He smiled and ruffled the little one's head before carefully storing the Lunar Wing in his backpack. Its nightmare-dispelling power was spent—but the promise of summoning Cresselia someday? That was worth keeping.
"Sha~"
Beside him, Gardevoir's expression shifted. Her sensitive psychic senses prickled with unease. Throughout their exploration, she'd felt it—a persistent awareness, like unseen eyes watching from the shadows.
"Alright. We've searched everything. Let's go."
Wade found no other items of interest. He called to Yamei and the Pokémon, leading them toward the exit.
Moments Later
Silence reclaimed the ancient chamber.
Then, from the deepest shadows behind the mural, darkness coalesced.
A figure emerged—tall, spectral, wreathed in shadow. Its single visible eye gleamed with ancient awareness.
Darkrai.
It had watched them the entire time.
And now, silently, it followed.