"Ma-ge!"
The large iron ball that had suddenly rolled out began to transform. Its metal surface shifted and unfolded, quickly reshaping itself into a Pokémon that looked like a mechanical maid.
However, the vibrant colors it once possessed five hundred years ago were long gone. Now its entire body was colored in muted shades of gray and white.
Its head was spherical, topped with a hat shaped like a seven toothed gear, and it had large ears on both sides. Its upper body had round shoulders, while its forearms ended in claw like hands. Its lower half was an even larger sphere that resembled the skirt of a ballroom gown, tapering slightly toward the legs.
A mechanical maid, how wonderful.
"Magearna, leave this place. Do not interact with humans."
Behind her, Volcanion struggled as it tried to stand up again. The Noivern paid no attention to its efforts. One of them immediately pressed its massive body down on top of Volcanion, preventing it from moving.
"Mage, mage…"
Driven by the mysterious power known as the Soul Heart, Magearna produced a mechanical sounding electronic female voice. She bowed toward Silas in apology and pleaded with him on Volcanion's behalf.
To be honest, Silas could not understand a single word Magearna was saying. All he heard was a series of mechanical sounding syllables.
However, judging from her gestures he could still roughly grasp the meaning.
Silas nodded and signaled the Noivern to release Volcanion.
"Alright, you three. Let Volcanion go. This was just a misunderstanding."
"Noi."
The three Noivern glanced at each other before slowly moving their massive bodies away from Volcanion.
The dark red energy around them faded, yet they still remained beside Silas, vigilantly watching Volcanion in case it decided to attack again.
The Noivern that had first come to Silas's side even gently rubbed against his arm. Its previously ferocious expression softened, revealing a much gentler demeanor.
"Magearna, we are leaving."
Having recovered a bit of strength, Volcanion wrapped its arms around Magearna and prepared to leave.
However, after taking only two steps it could no longer move due to the injuries covering its body. The Noivern had not held back during the fight.
Magearna hurried forward and checked Volcanion's condition.
At that moment Silas quietly tossed a bottle of Max Potion toward them from behind. Without saying anything he silently mouthed a few words, then demonstrated how to use it on one of the Noivern.
Magearna was an artificial Pokémon created five hundred years ago. Her movements and consciousness were entirely powered by the mysterious technology in her chest known as the Soul Heart.
For some reason, the creator back then had not installed any language module in her system. As a result she was one of the very few Mythical Pokémon that could not speak human language.
Magearna nodded. She used the Max Potion to treat Volcanion's injuries while making a series of soft mechanical sounds to explain the situation.
"Hmph. Impossible."
Volcanion turned its head away proudly.
"Once I recover some strength, we will leave this place."
Upon hearing this, Magearna showed an angry expression. Her short little arms lightly tapped against Volcanion's crimson body.
When Volcanion remained unmoved, Magearna angrily turned her body into a large round ball and faced away from it, clearly sulking.
Seeing this, Volcanion moved its arms and gently turned Magearna back toward itself.
"Fine, I apologize. Magearna, do not be angry."
"Mage, mage!"
Magearna instantly smiled again and happily hugged Volcanion.
Volcanion awkwardly turned its face away. It simply found it difficult to lower its pride.
Under Magearna's strong insistence, Volcanion reluctantly apologized.
Silas signaled the three Noivern to accept the apology. This was already the limit of what Volcanion could do.
Although its temper was indeed explosive, its personality was somewhat similar to the cats at home. It was basically a proud and tsundere lion.
"Magearna, if you encounter humans again in the future, it would be better to keep your distance."
Silas reached out and gently pinched one of the large ear like structures on Magearna's head.
"Mage, Mage!"
Magearna pointed at the Noivern and Dragonite, then pointed at Silas.
Silas blinked, still somewhat confused.
At that moment the silent Volcanion suddenly spoke.
"Magearna says that she could feel how much Noivern and Dragonite like and trust you. That is why she was willing to believe you."
"Mage, Mage!"
Magearna nodded vigorously, confirming that was exactly the case.
The Soul Heart did more than simply transform Magearna from a machine into an artificial Pokémon. It also allowed her to sense the emotions, thoughts, and even the physical conditions of other Pokémon.
In other words, she was an even more capable mechanical maid than the entire Indeedee line.
Fortunately there is only one in the entire world. If there were more, it would be unbelievable.
Pokémon like Audino, Blissey, and Indeedee would probably all lose their jobs.
Dragonite's antennae on its head suddenly perked up. Its chubby hand poked Silas.
"Draa!" (Silas, Silas, I hear Indeedee and Diantha calling us. It sounds like they are telling us to come back for dinner.)
"Ah, I almost forgot."
Silas glanced at the sky. Only the last trace of sunset remained on the horizon.
"Magearna, you two should come join us."
"No. Magea…"
"Mage, Mage!"
Magearna quickly agreed without hesitation. In her view, someone who could receive so much trust and affection from Pokémon like Silas must definitely be a very good person.
And so when Silas returned to the campsite, two unfamiliar Pokémon were following behind him.
"What is this?"
Diantha, wearing an apron like a housewife with a scarf tied around her neck, cast him a curious glance.
Silas stepped forward and introduced them to everyone.
"This is Magearna, and this is Volcanion. I just met them in the wild. They live here on the Nebel Plateau."
"Mage, Mage!"
The gentle and adorable Magearna was quickly surrounded by the other Pokémon. They warmly welcomed her, and soon everyone was happily playing together.
Volcanion was pushed aside by the crowd. Yet when it saw the genuine smile on Magearna's face, it snorted softly and lay down between the arch shaped ancient trees, pretending not to care while secretly watching with the corner of its eye.
The delicious smell drifting over from the campsite soon caused Volcanion's stomach to growl.
Magearna called for it to come over and eat together.
Volcanion faced the lake and made a proud declaration.
"I, Volcanion, would rather starve to death and jump into this lake than eat a single bite of food given by humans."
A short while later.
Volcanion spoke again.
"Oh my goodness… this smells incredible."
Fragrant Poffins and various delicious dishes were laid out around the campfire. Although they were not as tasty as the food Silas usually prepared, the Pokémon all enjoyed them very much.
Even the Pokémon hiding in the darkness could not resist. While Volcanion was not paying attention, it quietly borrowed the portion that had been meant for him.
After sharing the meal together, the relationship between them and Volcanion eased somewhat.
Everyone sat around the campfire together. While chatting with the group, Silas's gaze drifted toward the shadows where several Pokémon were quietly watching.
"Volcanion, why are the wild Pokémon here so afraid of humans?"
"Mage, Mage!"
Magearna, who had been playing with Cinccino and Gardevoir, answered his question.
"The Pokémon living on the Nebel Plateau were all abandoned by humans."
"I see."
Silas nodded in understanding.
It seemed that Volcanion's hostility toward humans had also been influenced by these Pokémon.
Abandoning Pokémon was forbidden and widely despised in every region. Even though the Pokémon League had strict regulations, such things still occasionally happened.
For a moment the conversation fell into silence.
After a long pause, Silas finally raised his head and asked another question.
"Have you ever thought about starting a new life?"
The Pokémon in the shadows, along with Volcanion, all turned their eyes toward him.
"What if the Nebel Plateau became a paradise that belongs entirely to Pokémon? You could start by building a Pokémon habitat here and begin a brand new life."
(End of Chapter)