Lydia screwed up her mouth a bit as she listened to Brollem's explanation, deciding to hide her distaste behind what remained of her food. There had always been legends and rumors of things that were neither animal nor Pokemon. Eleyna was right in that any that held any merit had proven to be simply unknown Pokemon. Still, Brollem was a former Gym Leader and Researcher with decades more experience than Lydia had, surely that must count for something. In the back of her mind, however, she could only think that he had let the superstition and isolation get to his head.<br/><br/><span style="color: Gray">"Well we'll certainly never learn what it is or what it might be if we're so openly afraid of it."</span>She spoke finally after Jake mentioned his fears.<span style="color: Gray">"Caution should always be exercised but little good ever comes from fear."</span><br/><br/>There was some small amount of courage behind what she said, but mostly pragmatism. There was a common enough saying that Pokemon can smell fear. A wild Pokemon, particularly one of great or strange power, would not be impressed by a terrified human. Worse still, fear tended to bring out the worst in people. Despite her words, however, she could not help but feel her own twinge of nervousness. Had the night always been so dark here? Beyond the lights of the town it truly did seem to be a veritable wall of darkness, keeping them clinging to their lights and hiding a menagerie of nightmares behind its veil.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>