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[attr="class","monbody"]It was her father's birthday today. While Aurelie had never been particularly devout, her father had made a tradition of taking his family on the morning of his birthday to visit the shrines of the legendary Pokemon that he had most admired and leaving offerings and prayers every year. Why he wanted to do it, Aurelie had never quite understood. Was it to ask for their blessings, or to hope to attract the great Pokemon's attention, or simply to harmonize himself with the elements and aspirations that the Pokemon represented?

When Aurelie had asked her father, he'd simply replied, "Because it's important to me." And perhaps, that was the only reason that anyone needed.

Though she hadn't kept in contact with any of her family since leaving Kalos, she journeyed today to Mt. Pyre, where she had heard there was a notable shrine to Heatran. Heatran had been one of her father's especial favorites because of its dual nature of fire and steel: the two elements that metalworkers identified with most. Even though her father was an ocean away, keeping up his beloved tradition and visiting the shrine in his honor made Aurelie feel somehow closer to him. And if leaving incense at the shrine brought her good luck or peace of mind as well, then that was all to the good.

And thus, the red-haired bladesmith found herself huffing and puffing as she followed the trail along the side of the mountain, passing by the many gravesites for which Mt. Pyre was best known. Consulting the map that she'd printed off her computer, she estimated she was only a few minutes away from the Heatran shrine, which sat atop a rocky outcropping. She took a deep breath and readied herself for some meditation and self-reflection at the shrine, holding tightly to the bundle of fragrant incense that she'd brought as an offering.

However, when Aurelie finally climbed the last few feet of the outcropping, meditation and peace were the last things on her mind as she took in the shrine. As expected, there was no roof to the shrine, only four soaring crimson pillars to mark its four corners, and there was the statue of Heatran in the center on a steel plinth, surrounded by candles and flanked by open firepits to give the impression of the Pokemon being engulfed in flames. What she hadn't expected, though, was the ugly graffiti messily spray-painted all over the plinth and pillars, as well as missing chunks taken out of the pillars and paving stones too. Some of the candles had been stolen, and coal from the firepits, so that the flames that remained shone dimmer and weaker than they should have.

Aurelie clenched her fists at her sides and gritted her teeth. Even for someone as uncommitted as she, this desecration of a legendary Pokemon's shrine was shocking. She knew her father would be livid to see it. Since he isn't here, though, I'll have to be the one to do something about it, Aurelie resolved. Taking out a Pokeball, she released her Sealeo and directed it to use its WATER GUN to try and cleanse the graffiti off the pillars. As the Sealeo sprayed the pillars with water, she followed behind to scrub vigorously at the pillars with a clean cloth.

And if any of the vandals who'd spray-painted the shrine and torn pieces out of it returned today... She fingered the knife sheath at her belt and smiled grimly. She'd show them that fire and steel weren't just abstract elements to be revered.

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT