The sun is sinking below the horizon, and the last rays of light reflect a warm fiery cloud on the skyline. And the eastern sky had begun to appear with the stars, twinkling with the torches on the ground.

Boys and girls walk on the gravel path of the valley. Busy and happy Flame Folk ran around carrying the ingredients, their steps to the rhythm of the drums, forcing them to zoom out to barely hear what they were saying.

"The Mighty Chicken evolved in yesterday's battle?"

Sayo was surprised.

"Hmm. Yang Yu nodded and smiled, "It's been in the form of a strong chicken for a long time, and I thought it might have something to do with not being able to use flames - it's great that it can evolve smoothly now." ”

The flaming chicken that was talked about was walking next to the three of them. Although it has grown tall, its temperament has not changed at all, and it happily runs after people who come and go, like a bouncing bird.

Yang Yu's succinct phrase "evolve in battle" is far from sufficient to describe the actual situation at that time. Sayo instinctively thinks that something must have happened, but now that everyone is looking forward to the upcoming dinner party with all their hearts, let's save the boring topic of reminiscing about the battle situation until after the banquet is over.

Subsequently, Xiao Ye returned to Yang Yu's house with two friends and picked up his Pokémon.

The Pokémon, who had just experienced a big battle, were still a little frightened, and when they finally saw their trainers, they rushed up impatiently and chattered around the night. Charizard looked crying and chirping, and it looked like it wanted to crush its owner - fortunately, the courtyard of Yang Yu's house was not so wide, and Xiao Ye only needed to take a few steps back to return to the corridor, avoiding the tragic ending of the newly connected left arm bone being crushed and misplaced again.

Probably due to the unprecedented strength of the opponent, the trainer has fallen for too long, and even the usually calm Dabi Bird and the Forest Lizard are no longer distracted, nervously circling around the outside of the Pokémon pile - only the heartless Ghost Stone is still leisurely, leaning forward and smelling the medicine of the bandage on the master's head, then wrinkling his face and starting to tilt back tactically, looking like he can't swallow.

Xiao Ye hurriedly comforted his companions one by one, and checked the physical condition of Dabi Bird by the way.

Of course, the damage caused by the rock cannon could not be healed in just one day, and the wings of the Dabi bird were wrapped in bandages, faintly exuding a light smell of medicine. However, it seems to be in good spirits, and it will probably recover after a few more days of rest.

Seeing that the Pokémon were all worried and worried, Xiao Ye thought about it for a while, and said the most effective reassuring sentence succinctly, "The dinner party is about to start, do you want to go together? ”

“！！！”

The effect of this statement was amazing, and the expressions of all the Pokémon instantly reversed, and several of them already had "Crazy with Joy" written all over their faces.

So, the Pokémon who had forgotten their sorrows behind them drove out of the room with the three humans, and dragged them into a long queue on the gravel road.

Xiao Ye gently lifted the fluff ball, looked at her bandaged shoulders, and didn't know where to put Pichu for a moment. The one person and the mouse looked at each other in confusion for a moment, and finally Xiao Yeyi raised his hand and placed the electric mouse on the top of Yang Yu's head.

Pichu seemed pleased with the position, and with a flick of his little paws, he overwhelmed the young seedling-like hairs that were swaying in front of him. The red-haired boy's neck was tickled by its tail, and he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.

By the time the warm afterglow fades, the dinner is ready.

Long tables are arranged in rows, along with torches, stretching along the riverbank into the distance. All kinds of dishes were already placed on the table, and for a time the fragrance was wafting for ten miles, and even the king carp in the river jumped out of the water in groups, greedily sniffing the fragrance that filled the water vapor.

The once-collapsed embankment has been reinforced, and there are many colorful stick figures on it that have not yet dried, apparently the whims of laborers. It seems that some people want to move the table farther away to prevent the smell of paint and cement from affecting their appetite, while others feel that they are too far away from the river to enjoy the lights floating down the river and lose the atmosphere of the feast. The two sides argued seriously over this trivial matter, and even had the idea of a Pokémon battle on the spot, until the black-faced Jing Mu couldn't bear to stop it.

Many of those who participated in yesterday's battle were still wearing bandages, and several of the more seriously injured were even unsteady on their feet. But they all forgot about it for a while, and they were always in high spirits and smiling.

— as if it had never been harmed.

The three of them poured into the square by the river along the flow of people. The density of the crowd made Xiao Ye stunned, and before he could ask what he was doing, he saw Yang Yu smiling and stuffing Xiao Pichu to Yong Zhen, waving at his friends.

"Then I'll go back first. ”

"Oh, come on, Yang Yu!"

Yong Zhen watched his bamboo horse squeeze towards the altar like a crab, and carried the back of Pichu's neck very unelegantly, until he was bitten by an unbearable electric mouse before he hurriedly changed his position.

"Returning to the team means ......" Saya winked absently.

Yong Jin shook his hand as he stood on tiptoe and pointed forward, "Needless to say—look there." ”

Xiao Ye looked in the direction the brown-haired boy was pointing.

The square was already full of tall and short red hairs, but the central altar was much empty, except for a group of people standing under the pillar of the Covenant. They were uniformly dressed, the fabric was dyed with a fiery bright red, and small but delicate drums hung around their waists. Yang Yu barely managed to squeeze a way out of the crowd and was greeting the people on the altar.

The patriarchs and successors of the Flame People are clustered in the center. Perhaps because the stranger's hair color was so striking, they could see the night from a distance, but it was too difficult to see through the dense crowd, so they could only wave their hands in greeting.

It was only at this point that Saya noticed that almost all of the Flame Folk had gathered in the square, surrounding the altar three times inside and three times outside, no wonder the wide square had become so crowded.

The stranger suddenly understood, "Could it be ......?"

Yong Zhen smiled and showed a mouthful of white teeth, "That's the 'Isn't it'!"

The night was like water, and the surroundings gradually quieted down. The torches on the periphery flickered and sprinkled with light, dyeing the entire square a warm orange red.

The people on the altar were already lined up in a neat queue and stood solemnly. The moment the hour hand pointed to eight o'clock, the patriarch in the audience raised his hand and vigorously struck the first strong note announcing the beginning.

[The time has come.] ]

[Dance of the Gods, begin.] ]

The steps of the twenty-four dancers surrounding the Pillars of the Covenant move to the rhythm. They beat the waist drums, and the seemingly thin surface of the drum rumbled, echoing like thunder in the Valley of Flames. The brightly colored placket is like a flame burning warmly, and it has a shocking sense of power.

Xiao Ye's eyes were bright when she saw Yang Yu - it was as if her long-held wish had finally come true.

The light of the torch reflected on the Pillar of the Covenant, penetrating deep into the crystal through a deep crack from top to bottom, causing the points of light to dance with the beat of the drum.

Haruna, dressed in a red dress, spun around and landed in the middle of the altar. She opened her arms and made a gentle and firm gesture of embrace, and the rhythm of the Upe drum reached its most passionate peak.

A brilliant firelight spilled down.

Everyone subconsciously held their breath and watched the beautiful firebird join the dance in the night sky, a miracle that spanned five hundred years.

The flaming feather lit up the night, but it didn't look dazzling, and it swirled, flipped and danced lightly in the gentle light. Mars, which has been lingering for a long time, dragged out a long trail of light behind it, like the tail of a comet, and like a miniature Milky Way, almost breathtakingly beautiful.

A dance created by the relatives of the gods to welcome the gods. Only when the gods answer the call and dance with their families will the dance, and indeed the entire festival of fire, be complete.

And now, the last piece of the ring that had been broken for 500 years has been put together, and everything is finally complete.

The dance is nearing its end. The torches surrounding the altar stirred as if they had been given a spirit, the flames vividly detached from their original positions and swirled towards the Pillar of the Covenant, the twenty-four dancers suddenly changed formations and moved closer to Haruna, and the firebirds in the night sky descended at the same moment. For a moment, it was as if all the light between heaven and earth was concentrated in one place—and the next, with the last note, it burst out together, turning into a huge fire lotus that covered the sky.

The Flame Folk were already teary-eyed, but they still stubbornly kept their eyes open, staring at their gods in the sky, for fear of missing the slightest detail. Low sobs rang out around every corner – not sad, but filled with pure joy.

The fiery lotus blossom is fleeting. Misty light fell on the ground, covering the entire Valley of Flames, almost like a drizzle of Mars.

This is the first curtain call for the ancient dance of welcoming the gods, created by the gods of fire and their dependents, after 500 years.

The silence lasted for a few moments before being dispelled by the intermittent whispers or laughter and crying.

Yongzhen, who had endured so hard, finally howled happily. The last time he cried, he was still a little embarrassed while howling, and quietly looked at the clansmen next to him who were also immersed in strong emotions and couldn't extricate themselves, as well as the stranger Xiaoye......

Well?

Realizing that the maverick purple hair had disappeared at some point, Yongzhen's howl suddenly froze. He looked around in a daze, and looked around for a long time before he found Xiao Ye's - a wisp of clothes not far away.

Due to the fact that her tracksuit is already tattered, Xiao Ya is now wearing the single clothes that the Flame Folk usually wear in summer, the color is a light milky white, which is quite conspicuous in the dark night. Yong Jin walked around the crowd to the edge of the square, and accurately captured the whole person hidden behind a huge juice bucket.

"You...... What are you doing?" the brown-haired boy looked at his little friend who was about to hide as a ball, and his face was full of question marks.

"I just think," Saya cautiously tugged at the corners of her clothes, "isn't ......it good to appear in front of Niwa-sama with purple hair at this time?"

Yongzhen patronized the bracelet at the clan meeting, and didn't listen much to the situation during the battle of Mount Aso, and when he heard the words, he suddenly turned into a question mark spirit on the spot. On the contrary, the person standing on the side reacted immediately, and unceremoniously said hahaha - if you look closely, this person is the guy who was running around with the patriarch on a flaming horse and a horn.

"What, you're afraid that Niwa-sama will be so angry when he sees you that he vomits fire?" said the young man on horseback with a smile, "That super chaotic bullet has been ineffective for more than a day, it's okay, come out." ”

"However, Niwa-sama's anger when he sees the 'Narujo clan' has nothing to do with the chaos, right?" Saya asked solemnly, "Even if you have calmed down now, is it really okay to see a 'past enemy' mixed up among the clansmen who have managed to turn the corner at an important festival?"

"......" The smile of the young man on horseback froze on his face.

He recalled that Niwa-sama was angry at that time, and he really didn't dare to repeat that it was okay, so he could only say, "But even this can't let you hide ...... it."

"And the dance is over, it's time to disband. ”

“...... Also yes ha. ”

Although hanging glucose can provide the nutrients the body needs for a short time, it is enough to starve a person into a ghost after not eating for more than a day. Yongzhen understands the mood of his little friend very well, and instead of going to the gods to explain that he really doesn't have the surname Mingshang, filling his stomach first is the real need.

So, the brown-haired boy pulled Xiaoye to find a nearby table to sit down and began to feast.

The crowd in the square dispersed partially, but there were still some people who were reluctant to leave, looking at the sacred bird parked next to the pillar of the covenant, for fear that such a large bird would disappear after one less glance. But you can't go hungry on such a big festival - so the clever red-haired people simply dragged a table to the square, facing the altar, and it was very lively to eat and watch the gods at the same time.

There were not a few people who did so, and soon the square was filled with tables, chairs, and dishes, and laughter drowned out the voices of the poor captain of the guards trying to maintain order. Jing Mu, who couldn't see the chaos, was so angry that he had to turn around and be out of sight.

The sacred bird, which was stared at by the people in the square, was very calm, and ate the tree fruits specially prepared for it one by one unhurriedly, not feeling uncomfortable at all.

Kai and Harina had no obsession with the neatness of the tables and chairs, and happily followed the crowd and sat down in the closest position to the altar. They had just welcomed back their gods a day earlier, but they were not overly respectful towards the god of Niwa, and they talked and laughed from time to time between meals, as if they were treating an old friend who was familiar to them. The flame bird didn't squeak either, only occasionally blinking, tilting its head, and shaking its feathers in response, but it didn't look like that terrible monster that went berserk.

Most of the clan had never met the Flame Bird before, and this was the first chance to get up close and personal. The people of the flames, who are never afraid of people and naturally birds, greeted the gods with enthusiasm and unilaterally, and took the initiative to introduce themselves, hoping that they would be remembered.

The flame bird stared at the speaker with dark eyes, and listened attentively, which encouraged the people's desire to express themselves. The patriarch watched with a smile on the sidelines, and from time to time added a few words about the excellence of the self-introduced person and the contributions made in the war, and turned the dinner party into the style of the commendation meeting.

Although eating and drinking juice in a noisy manner, having the first conversation with the Divine Bird was not a serious meeting atmosphere.

Xiao Ye and Yong Zhen sat far away, and they couldn't be affected for a while, but Yang Yu was added to the line of twenty-four dancers to line up one by one to meet the gods, and he couldn't get out of the group to join his friends first.

Seeing that he was getting closer and closer to the flame divine bird, Yang Yu felt a little apprehensive in his heart.

Although there was a reason for the incident, after all, he violated the law by beating the Wupei drum, which only the patriarch and his successor were qualified to touch. Yesterday the patriarch was busy with the aftermath and restoration work and did not say anything about his move, but ......

Could it be that the patriarch and even everyone are actually very dissatisfied?

Will Niwa-sama be angry, will he forgive him?

Before the cranky thoughts were over, he had been pushed to the front and almost fell headlong on the altar. The red-haired boy scrambled to his feet, opening his mouth nervously, unable to make a sound for a moment.

And Huo Yuan Ye had already taken over the conversation calmly, "Niwa-sama, this kid is Huo Yuan Yang Yu, who went deep into the enemy camp yesterday and used the Wupei drum to deliver information to us. And ......"

Seeing that Yang Yu was so nervous that he almost forgot to breathe, Ye narrowed his eyes and said with a smile, "I am also one of the candidates for the next patriarch." ”

Yang Yu: "......"

Sayo & Yuma: "......"

Clansmen: "......"

Yang Yu: "......"

Yang Yu: "......!?"

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Small Theatre:

Flame, Situation, Bird: What's wrong, what's going on, why does the air freeze suddenly?

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PS：

Students who are interested in the various fandom (or official?) pictures of Dawn can go to LOFTER and search for the tag of "Pokemon Dawn"!