Summer Festival: Aura Reading

With the final nail hammered in the last 2 x 4 plank, I had finished making all the stalls Cassie the Sandshrew instructed me to. My body was a little sore from working on my feet all day, but I felt proud of the work I accomplished in the short time I had been given. I strolled over to where Cassie had been working.

Wooden planks were carefully stacked in many piles bound together by string. A couple of the bundles had been unbounded. Nails had been scattered everywhere. The entire construction site was blocked off by barriers made of excess wood. At the worksite, Cassie was hard at work building the festival stalls. She had already completed the main stage despite only working on it for a bit over a day. The speed at which she worked, and the precision and quality of her builds, made it clear that her carpentry skills far outclassed mine. Her ability to work while also instructing me and Testa made her feats even more impressive.

“Hey, Cassie!” I shouted, cutting through the rest of the noise in the construction site.

“Oh, hi KFC!” Cassie replied, looking up from her work. “Did you need something?”

“I finished building the stalls you asked me to,” I answered bluntly. “Do you need my help with anything else?”

“Great!” Cassie said in a cheery tone. "I think Testa and I have everything else handled. Thank you so much for your help!”

“No problem,” I said, turning myself around and getting ready to leave.

“Wait, not so fast!” Cassie yelled. “You didn’t even tell me what you’re doing for the festival! I'm awfully curious!”

Turning myself back around, I explained, “Oh… I’m going to be doing aura readings. It was Booker’s idea. I thought about it and realized, if I’m gonna be participating in the festival I might as well train.”

“I see! That’s very pragmatic of you.”

“Right. I built my stall to resemble those psychic huts you see sometimes. I covered it with purple fabric from that Ariados tailor. It cost quite a bit, but I think it was worth it.”

“So, what’s aura reading entail?”

“It’s pretty simple. I sit someone down in a room and deeply sense their aura. I primarily look at the color and focus on all the intricacies of their entire being. From that, I can predict their personality, personal issues, and even their interests.”

Suddenly Cassie got a gleam in her eye. Something I said must have gotten her attention as she hopped off the stall she was working on and ran over to me.

“KFC, this is really really really important! Could you use this ability to test how good of a match a couple is?”

I thought about it for a moment. “Hmm… I suppose so, but I’d need to actually get a good look at someone’s aura before I could make a judgment call.”

Cassie’s smile stretched from ear to ear. It looked as if she was about to leap into the sky with joy. “You absolutely have to include stuff like that in your aura readings! It's one hundred percent necessary!”

“Really, you think the fairgoers would be interested in something like that?”

“Definitely, I would— I mean they would definitely be interested in learning how compatible their relationship is. I mean... Who wouldn't?”

I scratched my head, confused as to why something like this would draw Cassie’s attention. “Alright, I think I can include that in the services I’ll offer. However, I’ll have to update my sign.”

“Great! I'm looking forward to it! I have one last thing to ask. What do you plan to wear for the festival?”

“Huh?! I just planned to wear my scarf. Nobody informed me we’re supposed to have special outfits for this.”

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned traveling with Kiyo and Bean, it’s that you have to look the part for people to trust you,” Cassie explained.

Pointing to my eyepatch and scarf that I wear every day, I said, “If you couldn’t already tell, fashion isn’t exactly my strong suit.”

Cassie put her claw under her chin for a minute before speaking up. “I have the perfect idea! Meet me at the front of the guildhall tomorrow morning, okay?”

It was clear Cassie was going to get me some kind of get-up for the festival. I had no idea what she had in mind. I just hoped that it wasn’t too excessive.

* * *

The next morning, as instructed, I met up with Cassie outside the guildhall. Before I could even say good morning, she put a white hat in my arms. “Oh uh… good morning and thank you for the gift. I assume it’s an outfit for the festival.”

“Good morning,” Cassie smiled. “Yep, that hat is for the festival. Think of it as a thank-you gift for your help with construction. You seem like a pretty simple, straightforward kind of guy when it comes to fashion, and there really isn’t enough time to get you a tailored outfit made, but this hat should do the trick!”

“Good call.” The hat was a white ball that almost looked like a Bouffalant’s hairdo. There were many folds going around the hat and in the middle was a blue and oval gem.

I fidgeted with the hat to get it around my feather crest. After getting it to stand up right, I asked her, “So what do you think?”

“It looks great,” she said excitedly. “However, ditch the scarf. It clashes with the hat.”

“No, the scarf doesn’t come off,” I explained. “It was a gift from a friend, and I don’t want to lose it.”

“Oh, I completely understand!” she smiled. “I guess if you really wanted it out of the way you could simply tie it around your waist.”

“That’s a good suggestion, but I like it where it is.”

“In the grand scheme of things, the scarf around your neck hardly matters,” Cassie responded. “What you offer at your stall will be more than appealing enough to attract people at the festival. Anyway, I gotta run. See you around!”

“Take care!” I waved Cassie goodbye and returned to the dojo for the rest of my morning workout.

* * *

With the festival only a few hours away, I decided to pick up the final thing I needed to complete my stall, a luminous orb. After breakfast, I headed straight to the basement where the storeroom was located. I had spent well over a year at the guild. However, I had only been to the storeroom a handful of times, mostly to move heavy deliveries and to hand Toge things I bought for the guild from the Kecleon market.

The storeroom was dimly lit by lanterns and the walls were made of gray cobblestone. The room had a musty odor. I didn’t mind the scent though; it reminded me of the smell of the place I stayed at before I joined the guild. While some open boxes littered the floor, most of the cardboard boxes were stacked against the walls and shelves.

I knew Toge usually manned the storeroom, but, at the moment, he was nowhere to be found.

“(Guess I better look for the orb myself.)” I peeked inside the first open box I saw, and it was filled with blast seeds. The second box I looked in was filled with pink scarves with light pink polka dots.

I kept looking and found boxes filled with heal seeds, oran berries, apples, and even assorted plushies, but I was unable to locate any luminous orbs. I moved onto the stacks of closed boxes. I pulled out one of the boxes from the bottom of a stack. I immediately realized this was a bad idea as the tower of boxes toppled over.

I managed to catch most of the boxes with my claws. However, a few of them hit the floor with a hard thud. One of the boxes broke open spilling iron thorns all over the floor. “Crap, I better clean this up before Toge sees it. This seems like the type of thing to get him to overreact.” I said to myself.

Almost on cue, Toge barged into the storeroom looking more frantic than usual. As he looked at the mess of thorns all over the floor, Toge screamed, “AIIIIIIIIEEEE! W-what h-happened here?!”

“It was a mistake,” I explained. “I was looking for a luminous orb and the boxes fell.”

“I-I don’t have t-time to c-clean th-this up! I-I am very b-busy. I n-need to g-get th-these p-plushies over to T-team Braves’s stall and get the surplus items over to Team Cozy and--”

“I’ll clean it up, as soon as I find a luminous orb. There’s so much stuff here though that locating it might take a while.”

Toge sighed, as he floated over a box tucked away in the back corner of the room. “H-have you tried r-reading the l-labels?!” Toge pointed to the black text on the box that spelled out “Luminous Orbs.”

“Oh…” I said, feeling a bit embarrassed “My eyesight isn’t really what it used to be.” I gestured to my eyepatch.

Toge, equally as embarrassed as I was, looked down at the floor. “Oh… uh… right…”

I approached the luminous orb box while carefully maneuvering my way around the iron spikes on the floor. Toge opened the box and pulled out the orb I was searching for. Once I was by Toge’s side, he dropped it in my hands.

The orb was golden and perfectly fit in the palm of my hand. Looking closely, I noticed a bright star sparkling in the center of the wonder orb. To test the orb out, I activated it. The star in the center grew brighter, letting out a burst of white light and illuminating the room for a fraction of a second.

“GAH! My eyes!!” Toge cried. I winced and tightly closed my eye as well.

As our vision readjusted to the natural dimness of the storeroom, I noticed that the orb had crumbled with not a speck of light remaining. All that was left in my hand was dull blue glass dust.

“Crap.” I realized that if I wanted to use a luminous orb to create the flashes of light then I’d need a whole bunch of them since they’re a one-time use. But then I’d also have to clean up the dust as well. “Hmm…” I thought for a minute before coming up with an idea.

“Hey Toge, pass me another of those orbs, will ya?” I asked.

“O-okay, but please t-tell me when you’re gonna use the orb. It hurts my eyes.” Toge picked out another luminous orb from the box and dropped it into my hands.

“Well, I wasn’t planning on using the orb per se. Also, the light this time shouldn’t be nearly as intense.”

I held the orb in my left hand and in my right quickly generated a small ball of aura. “Okay, watch this.”

Toge stared at the orb intently.

I shot the aura sphere behind the luminous orb, and out of Toge’s line of sight. Once the ball of energy was in the right position I burst it, giving the illusion that the orb created a flash of blue light. “This way I don’t have to go through an entire box of orbs, and I can control the brightness of the light.”

“That’s n-neat and all… but um… wh-why do you need the l-luminous o-orb in th-the f-first place?”

“I was told to put more showmanship into my stall if I wanted people to visit it, and flashy lights seem to draw peoples’ attention. I was also told that crystal balls are common in fortune telling, so I just put 2 and 2 together.”

“Ah, th-that makes s-sense.”

“Anyway, thanks for your help finding the orb. This will be useful for my tent. By the way, are you doing something special for this festival?”

Toge nodded, “I-I don’t h-have a-anything planned. There’s too m-much to d-do already.”

“Alright, just make sure you don’t overwork yourself,” I said.

Toge looked toward the floor and began to fidget with his hands. “Oh, I’ll b-be f-fine. I sh-should bring these p-plushies to T-team B-brave now. Y-you said you’ll c-clean up here?”

I turned to the mess of iron thorns on the floor. “Yeah, I’ll clean up. Good luck.”

“Th-thanks, KFC,” Toge replied before flying out the door with the box of plushies.

* * *

After tidying up the supply room, I headed to my aura reading stand with the Luminous orb in hand.

On my basic purple tent was a giant sign that spells out “Aura Reading.” Next to the tent, there was a sign listing the services I offered for 100 Poke: Personality Reading, Health Reading, Strength Reading, Advice, and Relationship Compatibility Reading.

The inside of the tent was decorated with many pillows giving it a fortune-teller aesthetic. In the center, there was a round wooden table covered in cloth with a stand for holding a wonder orb. I ensured that the tent was dark, which I thought added to the mystique.

I sat down on the pillow opposite the tent’s entrance and set the luminous orb on the table stand. With nothing left to do but wait, I meditated for about an hour, until the festival began.

* * *

A Plusle barged into my tent and shouted, “Woah! This place looks so mysterious. Come on, Minun, let’s try it!”

A Minun meekly walked into my tent. “Oh… it’s darker inside than I expected,” he muttered under his breath.

“Welcome, guests. What is it that I can help you with today?” I asked while the blue light flashed from the luminous orb.

“Well,” Minun muttered, “I was h-hoping that you could help me with--”

“We wanna try that relationship thing!” the Plusle interrupted.

“I see. I can certainly help with that,” I explained, “The way this works is that you two have a seat. Then, I read your auras and compare how well you fit together as a couple with a compatibility rating from 0% to 100%. 100% means super compatible and 0% means not compatible at all.”

“Sounds perfect!” the Plusle energetically responded, while she found a comfortable seat on the floor.

The Minun waited by the door, clearly nervous about something as he was fidgeting and rapidly looking around the room.

Plusle handed me a 100-Poké coin. Then, she turned her head back at Minun. “We don’t have all day, you goofball. Sit over here.” Plusle gestured to the pillow beside her, and Minun obeyed.

“Alright,” I said. “Just sit back and relax, this’ll only take a minute. However, I’ll need complete silence during the process.” I closed my eye and focused on Plusle. Her aura radiated a bright fuchsia. Specs of orange and lime littered her being. After about 30 seconds or so, I moved on to Minun. His aura was a mix of mint and sky blue with specs of pink and viridian.

I opened my eye and looked at the couple sitting across from me. “Alright, I think I got a pretty good read on the both of you.”

“So what’d we get?!” Plusle yelled. “85%, 90%, 100%?!”

“I’d say you’re at 17% or 18%,” I answered bluntly.

Minun opened his mouth like he was about to say something to Plusle. However, after he glanced at Plusle, he folded his ears down and winced.

Plusle screamed, “WHAT?! You’d better check again mister! Miny and I are soulmates.”

“I disagree. Do you want to hear my reasoning?”

“NO!” Plusle cried. “Unless it’s ‘I made a mistake’ then I don’t want to hear anything that comes out of your mouth.”

“I’d like to hear your rationale,” Minun shyly spoke up.

“No, you don’t,” she said sternly to Minun. “We’re leaving.”

“See? It’s stuff like that which proves you aren’t very compatible.” I interjected. “You completely overrule anything he thinks or says.”

Plusle looked at me confused, but definitely interested in what I had to say. “Huh? No, I don’t. We agree on everything. Tell him, Miny!”

“Well, actually I…” Minun trailed off and seemed very anxious.

I looked at Plusle and said, “The bright Fushia in your aura shows that you are a spontaneous control freak. The orange and lime pieces indicate you are self-assured and willing to force your will onto others, with little regard for the people around you. Minun, on the other hand, is gentle and kind as seen with his mint aura, but also shy and non-combative. The pieces of viridian and silver show that he is indecisive and willing to help you by doing things the way you want. The point I am getting at is that you aren’t on equal footing, which I believe to be a poor basis for a relationship, and it needs to be fixed.”

“That’s kinda true…” Minun said under his breath.

“You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about! This whole place is a scam.” Plusle stood up and forcefully pulled Minun out of the tent. “We are leaving!”

That didn’t go as smoothly as I wanted. Hopefully, they’ll work things out.

* * *

A short time later, a Pignite came into the tent. “So, what’s this tent all about?”

After I finished my aura reading spiel, the Pignite gave me a blank stare for a moment, trying to process what I told him. Then, Pignite just laughed, “HAHAHA! What a silly idea that can only be thought up by some Clover Guild clown.”

I took a deep breath and stated, “If you want your aura read, you can take a seat and fork over 100 Poké. However, if you’re just here to mock me or the guild, you can leave.”

“Woah! What’s with the cold attitude, guy? I was just playing around, I didn’t mean anything by it.” The Pignite waddled over to one of the cushions on the floor and took a seat. “I’ll take that advice service,” the Pignite demanded after throwing a 100-Poké coin at me.

Scanning Pignite’s aura showed almost equal parts yellow and red with a bit of orange in the mix. The strength of his aura was more concerning, however. It was quite weak for a Pokémon of his type and size. This really only meant one thing. “I finished my reading, and I do have advice for you.”

“Ha, and what would that be?” The Pignite laughed sarcastically.

“The red and yellow in your aura make you out to be an emotional person and the bits of orange make you appear to be arrogant. This results in you being confident even when you act lazy or do something foolish. However, what’s more concerning is the strength of your aura. It is very weak, probably due to a lifetime of piggishness. The best advice I can possibly give you is that you’re fat and need to lose some weight.”

I could practically see the vein popping out of his forehead. “I dare you to call me that again, Clover Guild trash!” Pignite shouted.

“I’m not trying to offend you!” I explained. “I am saying you need to lose weight, or you will die young.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Pignite argued. “For a Pignite, I’m a perfectly healthy weight. It’s just how we’re born.”

“I have not met any Pignite before, but even I can tell you’re carrying extra weight. The first step is to put down the fork and admit you have a problem.”

“I told you I’m not fat!” Pignite screamed.

“You also have a bad temper too,” I continued. “That’s not to say anger is a bad thing, but you have to learn to control it. If you say something in a fit of rage, it might be something you’d regret later.”

“I’m not an angry Pokémon! Raising my voice is the only way people I can get people to listen!”

“Really?” I asked. “To me, it just seems like a way to deflect criticism.”

“I’m fine the way I am!” He yelled. “At least I’m not a weirdo or a crook like you guild people. I’m not the one who sells lootboxes scamming people out of all their money, I don’t steal, and I certainly don’t act like a tribal savage.”

“If a small critique is enough to throw you into a fit of rage, then you may as well be tribal savage.”

Pignite paused as if he wanted to say some clever comeback or retort. However, it seemed like he couldn’t think of anything. “Tch, I’m done wasting my time with you,” he grumbled and stomped out of the tent.

If he wanted to end up in an early grave, then who was I to stop him? Getting two customers back-to-back unwilling to accept criticism, surely must have been a coincidence. I just had to keep moving forward.

Throughout the rest of the morning, the majority of the festival attendees who visited my tent left on bad terms. “(Ugh, what the hell is going on?)” I thought. “(I give people what they ask for, then they get mad.)” The whole point of this was to tell people where they are going wrong, so they can correct it. However, these people never wanted to take accountability. This can’t get more out of hand.

* * *

“For the last time, I can’t use aura to find lost items,” I explained.

“Humph! Whoever is in charge of running this festival clearly cheaped out on the help,” the nasally voiced Granbull scoffed. “My husband is an aura expert and can find anything I lose.”

I tried one final time to explain it to her. "I've studied aura for years, and I know for a fact that it's impossible to locate items using aura. However, I think there is a lost and found somewhere, so try checking there.”

“Do you think I’m stupid?” Granbull stomped her feet. “I’ve already checked, and they hadn’t found my necklace!”

“Listen! I’m sorry that you lost your necklace. Maybe it’ll turn up at the end of the festival. Unless there is anything else I can actually help you with, please leave.”

Granbull was beside herself, whatever that necklace was must have been important. She spat on the floor just to spite me. “You should be ashamed, scamming people into believing you are anything but a pathetic phony.”

Any sympathy I had felt for Granbull had vanished. The polite inflection I put on my voice had disappeared. “You need to leave, now.” I pointed at the exit.

“I will not sit by while liars like you are scamming innocent people,” she said, marching out the door.

Not a moment later, I heard shouting outside. “DO NOT TRUST ANYTHING HE SAYS! HE’S A FRAUD!”

As I ran out of the tent, the source of the yelling became apparent. Granbull was shouting at passersby warning them of my stall.

I stepped in between her and some festivalgoers and yelled, “What is your problem?!”

“Preventing you from tricking any more people,” she smirked confidently.

“Just because I can’t help you with one thing, doesn’t mean I’m a fraud,” I retorted. “Why don’t you just cut your losses and go away? You’re only disturbing the peace.”

“It’s public land. I can do what I want, and you can’t stop me,” she said in a mocking tone.

At this point, a crowd had gathered around the commotion Granbull and I were making.

“I’m not going through this with you again. You’d better stay outta trouble,” Skiploom said as she floated away.

“Now that the distraction is out of the way, there’s nothing to stop me from exposing your lies.”

I was at my wit’s end. No matter what I told this woman she refused to see any reason. “If you don’t stop, I’ll make you stop, by force, if I have to.”

Granbull got in my face. Her rancid breath assaulted my nostrils while she spoke. “Ha! I’d like to see you try, little man.”

Adding some distance between Granbull and me, I leaped back and tucked in my arms. I felt the air swirl around my feathers. This entire time Granbull was egging me on. As I was about to launch off the ground and charge in, Percival the head of security for the festival swooped down, obstructing my line of attack.

“Woah, woah, woah!” the Corviknight shrieked. “What’s going on here?”

“He’s a phony and just pretending to use aura! His tent is a scam!” Granbull yelled.

“She’s causing a scene,” I explained. “I couldn’t find her stupid necklace and now she’s out for blood.”

“Nothing to see here, folks!” the Corviknight told the crowd. “Everything is under control.” The crowd began to disperse as Percival turned to the irritated Granbull, “Ma’am, I understand your concerns; However, I can attest to this Combusken’s aura proficiency. I don’t know much about aura but if he is saying he can’t do something he is probably being truthful. As for the issue of the missing necklace, I can notify my team to be on the lookout for one.” The Corviknight rustled through his bag and pulled out a small slip of paper. “I’ll even throw in this coupon for one free snack at one of our food stalls for the inconvenience.”

Granbull swiftly snatched the coupon from the Corviknight’s wing. “As long as you see to the return of my necklace and telling off that brutish Combusken, I suppose I can accept this.”

“Sure thing, ma’am. Enjoy the rest of the festival,” Percival said with a smile.

Granbull scoffed and walked away.

“Good riddance,” I said. “I thought she’d never leave.”

Percival looked at me. “It’s all about telling them what they want to hear.”

“Good to know,” I grumbled. “Thanks for the help.” I began to return to my tent, but Percival stopped me in my tracks.

“I’m not done yet,” he continued. “I saw that you were about to attack that lady. You should know better than to do that.”

“I tried using my words, but she still refused to see reason. There was nothing else I could do.”

“You could have flagged me down,” he rebutted. “You could have even ignored her. She could have gotten bored and left on her own. All you did was stoke her anger.” Percival sighed. “Unless you’re being attacked, you are to never hit one of the attendees here. Do I make myself clear?”

“Fine, have it your way,” I snapped.

* * *

I returned to the tent and the frustration had gotten to me. It had taken a bit of time to quell my irritation. I drank from the water canteen I brought to calm down further.

I heard a voice saying, “I see I’m not the only one thirsty around here.”

Once I put the canteen down, I saw that Cyndaquil entered the tent. “Oh, hi Cyndaquil. Did you need something?” I asked.

“Actually, yeah. I saw your little sign and was hoping you could find me someone.”

“Wait, is someone lost? If so, I could probably locate them.”

“I'm the one who's lost. Lost and alone! I need your help finding someone to dance the horizontal tango with me.”

“You need a dance partner?” Confused at what Cyndaquil was getting at, I took his question at face value. “I can’t really discern if someone is good at dancing or not based on their aura. You’d have better luck just asking around.”

“Not quite. I need you to direct me to someone who can handle all this.” Cyndaquil began to show off his body by striking several poses.

I sighed, exasperated at Cyndaquil’s antics. “Enough. Just tell me straight, what do you want?”

“Well, it doesn’t have to be straight… But, I want you to find me a date, someone to hold me, someone to stroke me, someone to fulfill me.”

“Oh, I see. I’m not sure I can help with that. I mean I can certainly try, but my range is basically restricted to the festival ground. There are a lot of Pokémon here. With so many different auras in one spot, it will be exceedingly difficult to pick one out of the crowd who is compatible with you, especially because it would be an aura from a person I never met. Not to mention, all of this hinges on the theory that there is someone compatible with you even at the festival.”

“Well, it can’t hurt to try.”

“I guess not. Do you um… have any preferences?” I felt the blush rush to my face.

“Someone who will say yes,” Cyndaquil smirked.

“At least, you aren’t picky. I think the best way to go about this is for me to scan your aura first then try to find something that matches it in the crowd.”

“Well, you’re the expert, so feel free to come inside me and get what you need.”

Gesturing to the cushion on the floor, I said, “Alright, just get comfortable. This might take a while.”

Cyndaquil belly-flopped onto the pillow.

Scanning Cyndaquil’s aura revealed an array of colors. The only way I could describe it was that his personality encompassed everyone, but at the same time, it encompassed no one. I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Analyzing Cyndaquil was far above my ability.

After only one short moment, I finished my attempted reading. “Sorry, Cyndaquil. I don’t think there is anyone on the planet who can match you. You’re one of a kind.”

“Oh well,” Cyndaquil shrugged. “It was worth a shot.” Cyndaquil didn’t seem dejected at all.

Surprised, I questioned him. “I just told you that there is probably nobody out there for you. Yet, you don’t seem upset at all.”

“The key word being ‘probably.’ That means there is still a chance, and I think it’s better to focus on the positives. Nothing’s really changed, I just have to go back to my original way.”

“Huh? I hadn’t considered that. Thank you, Cyndaquil. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you today, but you’ve helped me quite a bit.”

Cyndaquil got back up and I swear I could see a twinkle in his eye. “No need to apologize, there is still one way you can help me.”

“I’d be happy to. What is it?”

"Your figure really speaks to me." Cyndaquil smiled. "It reminds me of my little friend."

Caught off guard by Cyndaquil’s response, I tilted my head in confusion. “Huh?! I don’t follow.”

“I just think you should come with me tonight and meet my friend,” he continued. “As a one-eyed cock yourself, I’m sure you’d have a lot in common.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the nonsense coming out of Cyndaquil’s mouth. “In my 6 years of life, I have never met someone who talks like you. However, if I understand you correctly, then my answer is yes, I’ll carry you to meet your friend.”

Cyndaquil suddenly grimaced. “Wait, what was that?” he asked.

“Yes, I’ll carry you to meet your friend.” I reiterated.

“No, that first part. You said your age was…”

“6,” I replied. “I’ll be 7 years old in the fall though.”

The color drained from Cyndaquil’s face. “I-I s-see. Th-thanks for letting me kn-know,” he stuttered.

“No, problem. So, when and where do we need to meet your friend?”

“Oh!” Cyndaquil shouted. “Umm… we’ll need to take a 12-year rain check on that.” Cyndaquil rushed out the door. “See you around!”

“(I wonder what made him so afraid)” I thought.

* * *

The whole reason for this festival in the first place was to improve the guild’s reputation, and I had to put that line of thinking above everything else. I wanted to use the festival to help people even if it was in a small like giving advice. Unfortunately, it has been made abundantly clear that nobody wants my advice or readings. I needed to think of a new approach. Percival explained that he was able to get a good response out of Granbull by telling her what she wanted to hear. When I couldn’t help Cyndaquil, he remained positive because the way I phrased it still gave him hope. Maybe the best way to help people was to avoid telling them the whole truth or even lie, if necessary. Basically, I needed to remove the parts of the reading that would upset them.

With no other ideas in mind, I was ready to test my new method, even if it goes against my morals. I just had to remember that this was for the guild, and I had to improve our reputation using any means necessary.

“(I’ll right, I think I need a new approach.)” Percival was able to placate Granbull by telling her what she wanted from her. I thought I could do this by focusing on only the positives like Cyndaquil does.

A Volbeat and an Illumise entered the tent and asked for the relationship reading. The Volbeat wore a small shoulder bag, and he appeared to be a tad worn out. The Illumise on the other hand looked perfect. She was even wearing a fancy, tailor-made summer dress adorned with floral patterning.

Illumise reached over into Volbeat’s bag and pulled out a sack filled with coins. Volbeat pretended not to notice and Illumise politely handed me a 100 Poké coin.

Volbeat’s aura radiated with the colors of pink and mint with a dash of brown in the mix. He was a kind soul and eager to please, most likely to a fault. Illumise was the opposite; her aura was mostly lime with a bit of orange. She seemed cold and manipulative. Their relationship was one-sided, but both did seem to be content, so I suppressed my urge to point out the imperfections of their relationship.

“You two are made for each other,” I exclaimed with a forced grin. “They say opposites attract and you two are a perfect example of that.”

“I knew it all along,” Illumise explained. “From the moment I laid eyes on him at the gala, I knew he was the one.”

“Heh, thanks, love,” the Volbeat blushed.

“I think that’s enough festival for me,” Illumise blurted out. “We should get dinner at Bucktooth Bar and Grill.”

“Bucktooth Bar and Grill is a little pricey. I thought we were going to go to the Blue Claw Inn.”

“Gross,” Illumise exclaimed. “That place is so filthy and cheap. If you want me to keep being your perfect match, you are going to have to treat me right.”

Volbeat put his arm around Illumise. “You make an excellent point, sweetheart. Let’s head out.”

“We also need to stop by the market and purchase that diamond bracelet I saw on the way here.”

“You got it!”

For once, I actually managed to satisfy my customers. However, I felt a pit in my stomach form. Illumise did not seem to care for Volbeat. She seemed much more interested in his wallet if anything. Yet, I had affirmed their unstable relationship to keep the peace.

* * *

I continued with this new approach to my aura readings. While I still got to hone my aura sensing, my visitors got affirmation and a sound mind. People were happy and that would surely improve the guild’s image, so why couldn’t this anxious feeling just go away already?

A Pidgeotto complained about a heated fight he and his mother got into. It culminated in Pidgeotto’s mother kicking him out of the nest since he refused to get a job. He believed that he shouldn’t have to do something he hated, and his mother should’ve respected that.

I thought Pidgeotto was just a lazy person. His mother’s request was more than reasonable. The idea that his mother had to spend a lot of time and energy to support him probably had not even crossed his mind. He was a parasite through and through.

In the interest of preserving the peace, I gritted my beak and did my best to heavily sugarcoat my opinion. I told Pidgeotto that he should try to repair his relationship with his mother. I explained that he should remain firm but be open to compromise. Pidgeotto seemed satisfied with what I said and left.

Hopefully, he could smooth things out with his mother. It would probably be best if he saw his mother’s side and got a job even if it’s a small part-time one. On the other hand, the argument could escalate.

A Clefairy came in with her arms full of fried festival food and complained about her low energy. I told her that her lack of energy was just a result of her species. It had nothing to do with her weight or diet. Clefairy smiled taking a bite of her funnel cake.

Clefairy appeared happy as she left, but for how long? If she kept eating like that, moving would become a daily struggle for her. Eventually, her heart could give out.

I informed Murkrow who was down on his luck that he was going to do great at the festival games. Aura reading couldn’t really measure someone’s luck, but I gave him positive encouragement anyway. He seemed interested in going to the stalls that gave real money as prizes.

Murkrow might turn a profit from the festival games since they weren’t just about luck and did require some amount of skill. Although, if he was too cocky, because of what I told him, it could cause him to be reckless. It could result in him choking and losing what little money he had.

* * *

The festival was nearing its end. I had gotten through countless visitors, but this pit in my stomach wasn’t going away. It didn’t sit right with me to give people only agreeable advice. However, I had to grin and bear it for the sake of the guild’s reputation.

“(One more reading, and I’ll close up shop.)”

A young and energetic Rockruff stepped through my tent. “Hurry up, gramps! We haven’t tried this one yet.”

A Lycanroc sauntered behind him. “Be patient,” he said. “We’ve been running around this festival all day, I’m a little worn out.”

Lycanroc’s muzzle was gray and the orange in his fur was faded. His eyes were a little glossy and his knees shook a little.

“You always say you’re worn out,” Rockruff retorted.

“Cause, I’m old!” Lycanroc laughed. “Once you get to my age, you’ll understand.”

“Ha, but that’s forever from now.”

“Welcome, to the Aura reading tent,” I interrupted. “How can I help you today?”

“I want one of those health readings for my gramps,” Rockruff replied, tossing me 100 Poké.

Lycanroc sounded surprised. “Wouldn’t you rather get something for yourself?”

“You’re the one always talking about your bum knees and hearing loss. Maybe this guy can help.”

“Oh, I just say that stuff, so you know to cherish your youth. I’m fine, really!”

“Then, let’s put it to the test.” Rockruff smiled.

“Heh, if you insist,” Lycanroc chuckled.

Both the Lycanroc and the Rockruff sat down, and I began the reading. Lycanroc’s aura was mostly purple with hints of yellow and pink. He was a cheerful and friendly soul. It was clear that he had his vices, but those hang-ups had been left in the past.

Measuring the intensity of his aura revealed a lot about his health. His aura was much stronger than it should have been. Under normal circumstances, someone who radiated this much aura would be in amazing health. In fact, at first glance, I would have thought they were at least partially trained in aura expression. However, his body did not match his aura. If he was truly in great health, his body would not be as worn as it was. The only reason his body could have been producing that much aura was that he was dying. His body was burning off the last of his energy. At best, Lycanroc had a week left.

I felt a bit uneasy when I looked up at Lycanroc. “I finished,” I said quietly.

“So, what’s his health?” Rockruff asked, now appearing concerned.

“He’s probably gonna tell us that I’m in solid shape for my age and that we should enjoy the rest of the carnival,” said Lycanroc.

“W-well, uh,” I stuttered. I didn’t know what to do. If I told the kid the truth, he’d be devastated. However, if I lied, I don’t think I could forgive myself. If I were in this kid’s place, I would have liked to know. Although, I didn’t think knowing would have done much good in the long run either. I could almost feel a tear well up in my eye, as I desperately wrestled with my options.

“Is Gramps in good shape or not?” Rockruff raised his voice.

I turned to the Lycanroc one more time and noticed the pleading look in his eye. Suddenly, it all clicked in my mind. He knew. He was intentionally hiding the truth from his grandson.

I gritted my beak and respected his wishes. In the cheeriest voice I could possibly muster, I said, “Your grandfather is in great health. I can tell by how radiant his aura is!”

“Told ya, kiddo!” Lycanroc boasted.

“Phew, I was worried there for a moment,” Rockruff sighed.

“Eh, don’t sweat it. I might have felt the same when I was a kid. Have we visited every stall?”

“Yep,” Rockruff exclaimed. “I don’t think there’s anything left to do.”

“Actually,” I interrupted. “I think there’s supposed to be a fireworks show after the sun sets if you’re interested.”

Rockruff’s eyes lit up. “Can we go see it, gramps? Can we?”

“Of course,” he smiled. “We have to end the day on a high note like that after all.”

“You better hurry; the sun is about to set,” I said.

“That’s right. Otherwise, we won’t get good seats to watch them.”

“What are you waiting for then?!” Rockruff yelled. “Let’s go!” He bolted out of the tent in the blink of an eye.

Lycanroc slowly followed behind him. As he was about to exit the tent, he turned to me. “Thanks, kid. It means a lot.”

My soul felt a little lighter. I quickly closed my tent by tying the entrance shut and placing a small wooden plank with “CLOSED” inscribed on it over the services offered sign.

I made my way toward the area where everyone had gathered for the fireworks show. It was only a short wait for the sun to set and the show to start.

As the fireworks lit up the night in vibrant reds, blues, greens, whites, and yellows, I spotted Rockruff curled up next to Lycanroc on a grassy slope across from me. They both had smiles plastered across their faces, as their gaze remained fixated on the sky above.

Lycanroc gave me a bit of perspective. It didn’t feel wrong to be untruthful to him and Rockruff. He was proof that lying isn’t always bad. He was doing it for the sake of Rockruff’s benefit, giving him one last good day with his grandfather. In contrast, I had been lying for my own sake. I realized that I showed incredible weakness by caving into peoples’ desires and frivolously lying instead of providing the sincere support they truly needed. I made it easier for myself in the short term, while making it harder for the Pokémon I was supposed to be helping in the long term. I swore that I would not make that mistake again.