On the surface of Starfell Lake stood a Statue of The Seven, holding a stone orb in its hands. The statue radiated the light of a blessing, symbolizing vitality and healing the weary traveler beneath it.
Paimon floated in the air, arms outstretched as she sat on the ground, enjoying the cool breeze blowing from the valley.
Lumine lay sprawled out on the ground, her sword Lion's Roar discarded beside her. Her eyes were half-closed, and she was panting heavily.
Her fair, delicate face was flushed as red as a Sunsetia, with beads of sweat on her cheeks, the corners of her eyes, and around her nose.
"Not a drop of energy left," Lumine sighed regretfully, having exhausted all her energy reserves that had been saved up for several days in just half a day.
In this area, where the terrain was all steep hills and mountains, she and Paimon had been running back and forth to find Ley Line Blossoms, desperately grinding for Mora. Each time yielded twenty-eight thousand, and after less than ten attempts, they had only accumulated two hundred and eighty thousand Mora.
There were still seventy-two thousand Mora left to pay off for Wingull. Just thinking about it made her feel hopeless.
"Traveler, get up," Paimon said, tugging at her clothes. She had spotted Wingull soaring through the sky, disappearing into the woods.
"Hmm?" Lumine looked around. "Where's my bird? Wingull? Wingull?"
Paimon slapped her forehead helplessly. "I was just about to tell you, and you..."
"This is so frustrating, Paimon..." Lumine lamented. Not only was she in debt, but her Pokémon had also fled. What was she supposed to do now? "Hey, can I pawn you off as collateral?"
"What?!" Paimon's eyes rolled back in shock, and her neck instinctively shrank back. Ever since that scout knight in town had referred to her as emergency rations, she had felt like an endangered species and should consider applying for heritage protection sooner rather than later.
Lumine was just joking, of course. This little cutie had followed her through thick and thin, deserving credit for her hard work.
Besides, she wasn't Gazzot; she didn't eat her friends.
Lumine lay on the ground, staring at the boundless blue sky, feeling the pleasant breeze. She didn't want to move at all.
Paimon's stomach grumbled loudly, and she tilted her head, sticking out her tongue. "Hey, Traveler, make me some Sticky Honey Roast."
Lumine knew that this little glutton was picky and particularly fond of that dish. Unfortunately, they weren't in Mondstadt; otherwise, she would have ordered a plate for her.
Making that dish required a complicated process, and usually, when camping in the wild, they just made do with grilled steaks, chicken-mushroom skewers, fried eggs, and some harvested fruits like Lotus Heads, Raspberries, Sunsetias, and Apples. They added a bit of jam and cream to make a mixed fruit salad.
"We only have grilled skewers," Lumine said as she handed over the skewers she had prepared in advance.
"Nom..." Paimon opened her mouth wide and swallowed it.
After resting for a while, Lumine had recovered enough to stand up. She checked her stamina, still not quite ready for another Ley Line battle.
She looked at her map and saw they were still some distance from their marked location. By the time they got there, she might be ready.
"Paimon, let's go."
With a skewer in her mouth, Paimon asked, "Aren't you going to wait for Wingull?"
Lumine looked at the empty Poké Ball in her hand, deep in thought. What a troublesome creature! It had cost her two hundred thousand Mora and acted like it had long legs, running around everywhere.
"Seriously, where did it go? Am I the one training it, or is it training me?" Lumine couldn't help but wonder. She opened the Pokédex to check Wingull's information.
"Wingull flies over the sea, riding on updrafts like a glider. It carries food in its beak and hides it in various locations."
Paimon rubbed her head, indicating that she had no idea either.
"Caw..."
Suddenly, a cry came from above the peaceful lake.
Lumine and Paimon turned around to see Wingull flying down from a distant mountain, holding a piece of string with two fruits attached—Sunsetias.
On the mountainside, several angry Hilichurls with wooden shields and clubs were jumping up and down.
Wingull dropped the string at Lumine's feet, flapped its snowy white wings, and landed on her shoulder.
Lumine's bright golden eyes sparkled, her brows relaxing as a cheerful smile appeared on her face. "So, you went to find food?"
"Caw..." Wingull narrowed its eyes, flapping its wings.
Paimon picked up a Sunsetia, noticing the few tender green leaves still attached. It was freshly picked. She grinned mischievously. "Stole it from the Hilichurls, didn't you?"
"Caw..."
Wingull didn't deny it.
Lumine covered her forehead. This little fellow truly had no fear. She decided to scare it to prevent it from running off again. Making a spooky face, she said, "Don't leave my side again. Some Hilichurls carry big axes and shields—they're like bulls and really scary."
"Caw..."
The cheerful response remained unchanged.
Lumine was still new at this and couldn't understand what Wingull was saying. She'd learn in time; after all, there was still a long road ahead.
The two of them, with their Wingull, left Starfell Lake and headed for the nearby Starfell Valley. Along the way, whenever they encountered Hilichurls, they picked a fight to gain some experience and also to help Wingull settle the score.
After climbing up the valley, they reached a high ground covered in dandelions. There, they spotted a tree full of fruit, much like a Sunsetia tree.
Paimon tapped her head. "Just a regular tree. I'm tired of this fruit. Can we have something else?"
"You mean you?" Lumine rolled her eyes, recalling the task given to her by the shopkeeper—to find Jade Stones and Chuchu Fruit in the wild for crafting Poké Balls.
She approached the tree and saw that each fruit was perfectly round, not the shape of a Sunsetia. The orange skin felt tough—definitely not something humans could easily bite into.
"Hilichurl brutes with axes might be the only ones capable of that," Lumine mused, rubbing her chin.
Paimon drooled, unable to resist stepping forward to pick one. But the weight of the fruit made her fall to the ground instantly, her vision going black.
Lumine grabbed Paimon by her collar like a little chick. "You okay?"
"This fruit is so heavy," Paimon's eyes swirled, but she still clung tightly to the fruit.
"You little glutton." Lumine took the fruit from Paimon, weighed it carefully, and found it as heavy as a shot put. No wonder the little one couldn't handle it.
Paimon mumbled, "Paimon doesn't want to eat this anymore."
Lumine put the fruit into her bag and marked the spot on her map for future reference.
"Caw..."
Wingull, perched on her shoulder, pointed one wing at the path ahead, where a group of Hilichurls wielding shields and clubs approached.
A smile spread across Lumine's face. Was this a hidden quest?
"Mora, come to Mama," she said, grabbing her sword, Lion's Roar, and charging forward.