Harvest Festival!
The sun shone in a cloudless sky on festival day. Harvest crews were called in from the fields in the early morning, toting berries and herbs. The staff of the Wisdom Cafe set to work for hours, the aromas of stews, pies, and breads spreading throughout the village. And as the morning gave way to afternoon, villagers lifted colorful banners over the tables on Outlook Hill, which were being loaded with a mountain of food.
When the banquet is laid out and the whole village has made its way to the hill, Mayor Conkeldurr walks through the crowd to the podium placed beneath the tree. He waits for attention, then starts:
"Friends, neighbors, dear residents of New Shaleton. Only half a year ago, a band of Pokemon left home; for the sake of a dream, of opportunity, of promises or convictions. Whatever the reason, their journey took them across the ocean, to a land uncharted on any map. They built their village on a hill beneath the open sky, and named it for the port of their departure.
That is the story of New Shaleton, my friends. It is a story which many of you have lived with me, which I hope is as dear to your hearts as it is to mine. We feared, when storms raged in the night, that we might not last as a village. But two seasons have come and gone, and here we are - together as a community, not only surviving but thriving. To the Pokemon which have joined us, following us to a new home beyond the horizon - we welcome you, whole-heartedly, and hope that we may always be neighbors. To the merchants who have helped this town to grow - we thank you, genuinely, and hope that you continue to serve our community.
And to the guildmasters, who have come here to found a new tradition of exploration - we are honored to host you, truly honored, and trust our safety and well-being to your diligence. The partnership between the town of New Shaleton and the exploration guilds of Carnelian Island will bring prosperity to its residents and serve to uphold the rich history of Pokemonkind. Guildmaster Smeargle, Guildmaster Mawile, Guildmaster Honchkrow: welcome to our town."
Conkeldurr steps aside, allowing the Guildmasters to come up one by one and give their speeches. Once they have said their piece, the feast begins, and does not end until the setting sun paints the sky orange.
When the banquet is laid out and the whole village has made its way to the hill, Mayor Conkeldurr walks through the crowd to the podium placed beneath the tree. He waits for attention, then starts:
"Friends, neighbors, dear residents of New Shaleton. Only half a year ago, a band of Pokemon left home; for the sake of a dream, of opportunity, of promises or convictions. Whatever the reason, their journey took them across the ocean, to a land uncharted on any map. They built their village on a hill beneath the open sky, and named it for the port of their departure.
That is the story of New Shaleton, my friends. It is a story which many of you have lived with me, which I hope is as dear to your hearts as it is to mine. We feared, when storms raged in the night, that we might not last as a village. But two seasons have come and gone, and here we are - together as a community, not only surviving but thriving. To the Pokemon which have joined us, following us to a new home beyond the horizon - we welcome you, whole-heartedly, and hope that we may always be neighbors. To the merchants who have helped this town to grow - we thank you, genuinely, and hope that you continue to serve our community.
And to the guildmasters, who have come here to found a new tradition of exploration - we are honored to host you, truly honored, and trust our safety and well-being to your diligence. The partnership between the town of New Shaleton and the exploration guilds of Carnelian Island will bring prosperity to its residents and serve to uphold the rich history of Pokemonkind. Guildmaster Smeargle, Guildmaster Mawile, Guildmaster Honchkrow: welcome to our town."
Conkeldurr steps aside, allowing the Guildmasters to come up one by one and give their speeches. Once they have said their piece, the feast begins, and does not end until the setting sun paints the sky orange.