Veletra
Cape City
Well, this was a problem. Leaning against the side of what used to be Veletra's back door was a Sableye. This Sableye looked normal in almost every manner, though he looked like he might need a comb to sort out his general scruffy look. However, despite his average look, his wide grin unnerved even Veletra, and it took a lot to do that. And his eyes. Those big, shiny gemstones that acted as his eyes. Veletra knew from personal experience that Sableye were always devious and malicious, but these eyes had a glint of pure evil to them. "Kehehe. Maybe you shouldn't scream so loud next time. Attracts too much attention," the Sableye snickered. Who was this Pokemon? He didn't appear to be your average Silver Tribe grunt, so what then? "And why would you care?" Veletra spat. They were both Ghost-type Pokemon, so they probably both liked to play mind games. Suddenly, a thought slid past Veletra's mind. She remembered them announcing the arrival of one or two new Sentinels to replace the ones that had died in a previous battle. Was this...no...but it had to be. This Pokemon was Snype, one of the Sentinels. "Now then, I got some questions for you since you're the most suspicious one around. You'll answer them, or I'll drag you into the streets and force them out of you." Snype continued. Veletra kept her eyes on his face. His grin still unsettled the Mismagius. "Alright, shoot," Veletra said, doing her best to act natural.
Paladin
Plains of Valkaria
An hour or so passed as Paladin and Excadrill spoke, exchanging tales. Paladin found that he liked this nameless Pokemon. The Excadrill and Paladin could relate on many levels, since they had both lost much over these past two years. Paladin discovered that Excadrill once had a family, and lived peacefully in Cape City. However, when the invasion of the Ancients came, like so many others, he lost his wife and children in the chaos. Since then, the Excadrill had begun working for a mysterious figure in Cape City, one with much influence and power, though he was forbidden to tell Paladin exactly who this was. Paladin explained that he had been looking for Excadrill's employer to find out more about his past, and Excadrill offered to take him as soon as all the commotion had died down. "So, what have you found out about your past so far?" Excadrill asked. The question got Paladin thinking. What had he actually found out this past year? He scolded himself for not putting any more effort into finding it out, as he realised that he only had his Gold Tribe emblem to go on. He showed Excadrill his emblem, on which was marked 'Paladin.' The Excadrill nodded and handed the emblem back to him. "So I suppose that's your title, then? Paladin?" he asked. Paladin nodded and placed the emblem back in his satchel. The two Pokemon sat on the grass in the middle of the plains, between them lay Paladin's egg. He had put it there so that it could catch some sunlight.
For a few minutes, Paladin and Excadrill stopped talking, each taking to their own thoughts in silence as the egg lay between them. In particular, Paladin thought about himself. Since he had found the egg, the Golurk had devoted his entire being to caring for it, and had forgotten all about himself and his quest for truth. He wondered if maybe, just maybe, he could instead try to help the citizens of Cape City. It seemed impossible, but some hardwired instinct inside him made him want to defend the innocent. He thought of being a member of the Gold Tribe again. The thought both terrified and excited him at the same time. If he joined the Gold Tribe, he was extremely likely to get killed. The Ancients were simply too many for a small rabble of resisters to handle, coupled with the strength of those Silver Tribe traitors, and Auron, they were unbeatable. Even with the help of what remained of the Alpha Alliance army, it was hopeless. But...Paladin simply couldn't bear the thought of the land staying under Auron's rule like this for future generations. He didn't want the little Pokemon inside the egg to hatch under oppression. Whatever Gold Tribe was left in him urged him to do something about it. But how?
Just then, Paladin was snapped out of his thoughts by a loud crack coming from beside him. He looked at Excadrill, who also appeared surprised, and looked at the egg in front of them. A large crack had appeared in its side. It was hatching! The egg moved, and Paladin had to grasp it in his palm to stop it from rolling away. He smiled, if that's even possible for a Golurk, as part of the eggshell was kicked away by a tiny, blue leg. Then another piece of egg shattered to reveal the long, pointed, head of a Snivy. Paladin deposited the egg back on the grass, allowing the Snivy to emerge from its shell. Its radiant, blue color glinted in the sunlight as it opened its eyes. Wait...blue? Snivy was usually a green Pokemon with a beige underbelly. This Pokemon was a light shade of blue-green, with a slightly darker underbelly. Other than that, it seemed to be a perfectly normal, healthy Snivy. "Congratulations, mom," Excadrill joked, and they both burst out laughing. Wow...laughter, Paladin thought. It had been such a long time since he had laughed that he'd almost forgotten how. However, the little, delicate Snivy was caught off guard by the laughing and began crying loudly. "Shh, shh," Excadrill said, but the baby kept crying. Excadrill picked it up with the hand underneath his claws, and began singing some form of sweet song. Eventually, the crying subsided and the newborn Pokemon drifted off to sleep. "How did you do that?" Paladin asked. The Excadrill looked at him with a small grin on his face. "It's called a lullaby. I used to be a dad, remember?" he said, as he put the Snivy back on the grass. The small Pokemon turned and tossed endlessely in his sleep. "He's an energetic one, isn't he? What do you want to call him?" Excadrill asked. Paladin thought about this for a moment, but it came to him soon enough.
"His name will be Zed."