Howlsong

A Clover Guild Story
By Ribombee-anon

I rarely got visitors when meditating at the waterfall pond. It was a restful place tucked away in the woodlands not far from Capim, and most people had no reason to come out here. This evening was different.

As I sat atop the small cliff over which the waterfall flowed, I sensed someone approaching. With all my Aura training, I’d grown skilled enough to detect Pokemon from quite a distance away. This one’s life force felt soothing and cool, tinted with a mixture of many shades of blue. I knew I’d seen it before, but I wasn’t too familiar with it. Out of an abundance of caution, I lay down flat on the rock, peeking over the edge to see who would arrive. If they looked like trouble, I’d fly away.

Fortunately, the Pokemon that emerged from the shadows of the forest looked like the opposite of trouble. The fading sunlight illuminated a young Houndour with a pretty yellow flower tucked behind her ear, and I recognized her as Heidi—a new guild member who was part of Team Petal-Purr. The three-girl team had joined the Clover Guild no more than a couple weeks ago. I’d seen them at the guildhall, but I hadn’t really gotten to know them yet.

I watched as the dog left the woods, approached the pond, and carefully hopped across the row of stepping stones in the water. Once she reached the large flat rock in the center, she watched the waterfall briefly before turning away and sitting down. She hadn’t seen me. I decided to fly down and introduce myself, but as soon as I got to my feet, she cleared her throat and began wagging her tail in a precise rhythm. She looked up at the orange and purple sky, and then she howled.

I froze. This was no animalistic call—this was tightly controlled and perfectly melodic. She sounded less like a dog and more like a human soprano vocalist performing a wordless solo, accompanied only by the white noise of the waterfall. I’d heard canine Pokemon sing by howling before, but this hauntingly beautiful performance somehow stirred up more emotion than any of them. I could do nothing but stare in awe and listen to the Houndour’s operatic howlsong.

When Heidi finished, I felt like I’d been snapped out of a trance. I wanted to hear more, but I suddenly realized I still hadn’t made my presence known. Shame struck me—I knew it was rude to watch and listen to this Pokemon without her knowledge, and I certainly wouldn’t like it if someone did the same to me—so I immediately fluttered my wings and twisted the wind to fly down to the dog.

As the hum of my wings reached her, her ears twitched. She looked around until her eyes finally found the little yellow bug approaching her. Once she spotted me, her demeanor changed entirely. She yelped, then leaped to her feet and backed away from me, her tail tucked between her legs and her ears pressed against her head in a very canine show of fear.

The sight reminded me of my old pet dog whenever Independence Day came around. I always hated seeing him scared, and Heidi triggered the same feeling now. I stopped in midair, slowly raising a hand and speaking softly to her. “H-hello,” I said. “Sorry to scare you, but... I was sitting nearby, and I heard your singing. I just—”

“Y-you heard me?” she stammered.

The discomfort in her Aura felt like a block of ice in my brain. I flinched and replied, “Um... Y-yes, I did. I’m really sorry. I didn’t plan it—I just happened to be meditating nearby. I sh-should’ve shown myself earlier... but I got caught up in the music. You sounded wonderful, by the way. You’re a v-very talented vocalist.”

Heidi shuddered slightly and sat down. “Th-thanks,” she murmured.

“Do you sing with words too, o-or only howl?”

“Both. Howling lets me practice scales, so that’s nice. But I enjoy singing songs with lyrics too. I just... really don’t like it when people hear me singing, though.”

“I understand how you feel,” I said. “I promise I won’t tell anyone a-about this.”

“Thanks,” she said again, quieter this time.

“Um... If you’d like me to leave, I can go meditate elsewhere.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to kick you out of your meditation spot. I’ll leave in a minute.”

I would have been fine with her presence—having other Pokemon nearby let me get some extra training by studying their Aura—but I didn’t want to argue. “Very well,” I said. “I know a place upstream with a lot of nice yellow flowers, l-like the one you have. It’s a pretty quiet spot, so you could try singing there instead. J-just follow the river for about... five minutes, at your size.”

She nodded, and I flew closer to her. I hovered right in front of her snout, holding out a hand. “By the way... I know we’ve seen each other before at the guild, but I d-don’t think we were properly introduced. My name is Booker, f-from Team Brave.”

She raised a big paw and gently touched my tiny hand. “I’m Heidi, from Team Petal-Purr. Nice to meet you.” She set her paw back down, and after a short pause, she said, “So, um... You said you were meditating here? Do you do that a lot?”

“I do. It’s a g-good way to train my Aura abilities. I meditate in different places, but this is one of my favorites. I love the sound of the waterfall, a-and the sight of the flowers. I come here p-pretty often. I haven’t seen you here before, though.”

“It’s my first time here,” she said. “I wanted to find a private spot to sing, so I was looking around the woods, then I heard the waterfall and came over to check it out. It looked like a good place, but I can try the other spot you mentioned.”

“I hope you like it. And feel free to sing here whenever I’m not here. S-speaking of singing... How often do you do it? It sounds like you’ve had a lot of practice.”

“I do practice, but only when my teammates are the only Pokemon around. Or if I’m all alone. And it feels like that’s happening more and more now...”

Her ears drooped slightly, and my heart sank. I sank as well, drifting down onto the rock to give my wings a rest. “Oh? W-why is that?” I asked, clasping my hands behind my back as I looked up at the dog. “Where’s your team?”

Heidi sighed and lowered her gaze to me. “Blossom and Shelby wanted to do a more challenging mission, but it sounded like too much for me. Sometimes I feel like it’s better if I don’t go with them, so I just stay behind. I don’t like going to dungeons with strong enemies, or places that are too high up, or any place where there’s lots of water... Sometimes I worry I’m not strong enough to deal with any dungeon at all. They’re so scary.”

“They certainly are,” I murmured. “I’m still not the biggest fan of going into dungeons. B-but with enough practice and training, it’s not as intimidating. A-and the same applies to your singing.”

Heidi resumed her previous sad, droopy look. She let out a whine and averted her eyes. “I really hope so. I’d love to go up on stage and sing for everyone, b-but... that’s just a crazy dream. I can’t bear to let anyone except Blossom and Shelby hear me.”

She slid her forelegs forward, stretching them out on either side of me, and lowered herself down. Her chest came down in front of me with a thump, and I hovered out of the way as she rested her chin on her front paws. She stared silently at the falling water while I floated to the side and landed next to her paw.

“It’s definitely easier to do things around friends than around strangers,” I said. “I remember a time when some of my guildmates wanted me to d-dance, but... I just couldn’t do it. It made me s-so anxious. But later, when it was just me and my partner in our dorm... I finally gave it a try.”

“Oh?” Heidi murmured, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. “Did you like it?”

“Not at all,” I said, chuckling at the memory. “I felt terrible. But... at least I gave it a try.”

Heidi seemed to ponder that. Then she gave a little huff. “It’s funny—I’m nervous about singing, but I don’t have a problem with dancing in front of people. I’m not really good at it, but I still like it.”

“You’re still probably better than me,” I said. With a little chuckle, I added, “Even though you l-literally have two left feet.”

Our eyes met. She tilted her head to the side exaggeratedly, making her ears flop a bit. “What does that mean?” she asked flatly.

“Oh. Um... It’s a human joke.”

“Okay then—wait, does that mean you used to be a human? Like some of the other guild members?”

“Yes, actually. I was turned into a Ribombee... a-about a year and a half ago.”

“Wow... I’m so sorry... That must have been hard for you.”

Memories flew through my mind like leaves in the wind. “It certainly was d-difficult at first,” I said. “I was frightened by dungeons, just like you. And I couldn’t use any moves or fly at all. I c-could barely even move my wings. But with enough dedication—and help from my friends—I’ve gotten better over time. I can fight, I can handle dungeons... a-and best of all, I can fly.”

I buzzed my wings and went spiraling around Heidi, leaving behind glittering fairy dust as I flew. I couldn’t resist smiling as I showed off my aerobatics; no matter how often I took to the air, the sheer sense of freedom always felt amazing. Heidi moved her head to track me, then sat upright, wagging her tail. I spun in the air before her, and she lifted a paw toward me. I gingerly landed on the back of it, balancing carefully as she held me up in front of her. She leaned in closer to me, nearly bumping me with her wet nose.

“That’s wonderful,” she said, a warm smile growing on her face. But it faltered quickly, and she murmured, “Oh, I wish I were as brave as you... You worked so hard, did so much...”

“A-and you can, too!” I said. I put my hands on her nose and leaned forward, staring into her big dark eyes where I could see my own reflection. “Believe me—I never thought I’d come this far. And it was d-definitely a bumpy road. But I kept trying and trying, and... and that’s why I achieved my dream. I never gave up, and I trusted my friends to support me w-when I needed them. And if someone like me can do it, anyone can.”

I sensed glimmers of brighter light within Heidi’s soft blue Aura. Her energy had been wavering the entire time we spoke, as she admitted her fears and worried about her future. But now, her spirit was certainly growing stronger—and it made my own Aura glow with happiness as well.

In a quiet voice, she asked me, “Do you really think I can get stronger?”

“Absolutely,” I replied. “Heidi, I can understand w-what you’re going through. That fear, that... anxiety. I know that all too well, and I... I don’t want other people to suffer the same way. If I can, I’d like to use my experience to help p-people going through the same kinds of challenges that I did. So I’d be happy to s-support you, talk with you... Whatever you need so that you can feel more c-confident. You shouldn’t have to stay behind when your teammates go exploring, and as for the singing... y-you’re just too good to let that talent go to waste.”

We gazed at each other in silence as Heidi mulled over my words. I reflected on them too, wondering if I’d conveyed my meaning well enough. I was accustomed to Sneasel giving me pep talks when I was feeling down, but I hadn’t done the same for other people very often. I just hoped I’d managed to help this girl, even a little bit.

At long last, Heidi closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh that ruffled my fur and clothes. “That really means a lot,” she said. “Thank you... for all the kind words. I think I feel better now.”

The warm glow of her Aura proved the point, and lightened my mood as well. I couldn’t sit still anymore—I buzzed my wings, pushed off her snout, and rose from her paw. “That’s great!” I said, floating in the air in front of Heidi. “I’m happy I could help you. So, before you go, just remember: practice makes perfect. E-especially if you do it with your friends. Train with your teammates in the dojo, and keep singing when you’re with them. From there, you can try facing some low-level dungeons, and even try s-singing for other people.“

“...Like you?”

Heidi’s meek response surprised me enough to knock my wingbeats out of sync, making me wobble in the air. “Huh?” I asked.

She took a deep breath and said, “W-would it be okay if I sang for you, Booker? I mean, i-it may be a while until I’m comfortable singing to a big audience of strangers, but like you said, if I’m going to reach that goal someday, I have to practice! I still don’t know a lot of people in the guild, so I don’t feel comfortable singing with them yet. But I’m really grateful for all that encouragement you gave me, and it sounds like you won’t judge me or anything, so, um... I think I can give it a try.”

Those words made my spirits soar. “I’d be honored to hear you sing again, Heidi,” I said.

The dog gave a meek smile and cleared her throat. She began to wag her tail rhythmically, just as she’d done when she first came to the waterfall pond. Then she tilted her head back and let out a howl. It was shaky and a bit broken at first, and I could plainly sense the nervousness emanating from her as she sang for a stranger. But as the song progressed, a change slowly came over her. Heidi found her voice, and I felt her anxiety being replaced with focus and contentment. Power and stability returned to her voice, and she masterfully belted out a wordless yet poignant melody. With a small smile, I moved closer to Heidi, leaning against her and listening closely as her beautiful howlsong filled the evening sky.

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