We're here!

This is the house the zombies were talking about, right? The plushie who can tell us more about that phoenix lives here!

I wasn't sure what we were going to do at first, but thank goodness that turtle was willing to give us a ride.

Still, I'm curious about this plushie. Why would they know so much about that phoenix?

Well, why don't we ask them?!

Yeah☆ Hello?!
Any plushies home?!

You don't have to yell...

O-Oh, hello! Be right there!

Hello!
Oh, you're a lion plushie!

Y-Yes, I am.
Umm... And you all are...?

Oh, where are our manners!
We apologize for appearing unannounced.

We're...

Y-Yes, I see...!
You saw that phoenix...?

We did! It was so big and cool-looking!

But it took our map, and we're trying to get it back. That's why we need to learn more about it.

I see...

In that case, you can count on me!
I've been studying that phoenix for quite a long time now!

Really?! Thank you!
Uhh...

Oh, I'm sorry!
My name is Rion.

Hi, Rion! Nice to meet you!

Nice to meet you too!
So, let me start telling you more about that phoenix!

Yes, please do!

Although, I don't have many details on it, such as where it lives or what it does each day.

Come to think of it, none of the other plushies we spoke to had even seen it.

Yes... It's just that rare a creature.

However, I've heard a story before about how it lives on the fabled Star Island and appears in the harbor only on rare occasions.

What?! Star Island...?!

I wasn't expecting to hear that...

Which is why it's beyond incredible how you were all lucky enough to see it!

Oh, how I envy you so... I've only ever seen it before from a great distance!

But you're here to learn more about it. Where could it possibly have gone...?

No, first, I should tell you about the rumors and legends surrounding it! That should serve as a nice foundation!

What?

Starting with... How its feathers are said to possess the power to heal others...

(Hehe. Rion looks like he's having a lot of fun telling us about that phoenix!)

(This must be his favorite subject!
I'm getting all warm and fuzzy inside just listening...!)

...is everything I have on that phoenix!

Yes, thank you very much!
You really do know quite a lot.

And I get the feeling that you really love what you do.

O-Oh, I'm sorry!
I didn't mean to get ahead of myself.

No, that was really fun!
You made it really clear that you really love this subject!

Th-Thank goodness. I'm glad to hear that!

But why do you like talking about this phoenix so much?

Because...

I really admire it...

You admire it?

Yes, so... I've always been very clumsy, and have failed at so many different things.

I'm also not very athletic.
I always remember being left behind by everyone during footraces.

Then, one day, I saw that phoenix...
I thought it was so grand and was completely awestruck by its majesty...

Which is when I decided to learn everything I could about it.

And someday... After I've gained more knowledge about it, I want to see it up close and...

What's wrong?

Oh, um... This is going to sound really silly...

But I want to fly in the sky with it someday...

With that phoenix?

Yes. I thought it'd be just so wonderful to fly freely through the sky with that phoenix...

Whoa...!

What a super duper amazingly fantastic dream!

Huh?

I mean, how cool would it be to fly with that phoenix?! I got excited just listening to you talk about your dream!

Me too! Me too!

Th-Thank you...

But there's no way it'll ever come true, right?

Huh? Why not?

Because that phoenix only appears once in a blue moon... Also, I can't fly since I'm not a bird plushie.

And everyone else has already told me that my dream is never going to come true.

Oh...

And I know that...
So, I'm sorry. Please try to forget everything you just heard!

Rion...

(There were a lot of times when I thought my dreams would never come true...)

(Shosuke and the others told me to get my head out of the clouds...)

(But...)

Don't give up, Rion!