Chapter 3: A Secret Unfolded

Josephine curled up as the dawn light finally came. "Here. Have some oran berries." Valerie said. She walked away and served Jubilee, then walked out into the cold morning. "There's something strange about her." Jubilee commented. "Yes. I'm still trying to figure it out. Her tribe mates thinks so, too. But they think she poses a threat to them. They say they will exile her." Kindle said. "Let's follow her, then." Josephine said. "It's not that easy, but let's try." After some hours of coming up with a plan, it was close to night. Valerie called to her sister, Mirage, and they walked up the hill. Team Stardust followed. They saw them sitting down, patiently. Suddenly, a bird with blue wings flew down and rested, then sat up. "That's Articuno!" Jubilee whispered. "Yes! But why..?" Kindle said. She watched as Articuno shot an ice beam at Mirage, but she dodged it. Valerie used ice beam at Articuno, but Articuno flew sideways. Articuno flew down and lanes on the snow. "You must learn to be quicker." Articuno commented, and they went back to practicing. Team Stardust fled back towards Valerie's Tribe. Their leader, Kanto, was the first pokemon Team Stardust saw. "Please! We must tell you something! You must not exile Mirage and Valerie!" Kindle said. "Really..? Why?" Kanto asked. "They are going to Articuno! There practicing!" Kindle was about to say something, when Mirage appeared. "We were training to be stronger, for the Tribe. We shouldn't have gone, please exile us." Mirage said. Kanto's eyes flared. "Why would i do that?!" Mirage stepped back, surprised her leader was angry with her asking to leave. Kanto jumped up on Icy Rock. "Everybody gather! It's time to decide to exile Mirage and Valerie!" Almost everybody gathered, various conversations about whether they would be exiled. "I have now see that they were training harder, to make us stronger! We haven't forgotten about Camp Zorua, have we?" Uneasy glances appeared. "They will stay." Kanto finished. Murmurs of approval sounded louder. Cheers of joy filled the Tribe. Mirage walked over to Josephine. "It's time for youth go. I'll walk you as far as Snowy Area." And they all left.