Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any of its characters. I do not make money from the writing of this story.
Author's Note: This chapter has been improved as well.
Rated T for irreverence and sassy euphemisms.
Melemele: The Untold Stories
Chapter 2: Is it the Ghost type?
Hau strode up the incline on Route 2, lips pursed and brow knitted with resolve. Eevee loped to keep up with its short legs, and didn't notice when Hau stopped. Eevee bashed into his ankle.
"We've got to find them. It's been almost two days, and Litten and Pichu haven't turned up anywhere! They must be scared." Hau clenched his fists, "What would gramps think of me if I lost my first Pokémon? We have to bring them home." He spun around and kneeled in front of Eevee. "Let's go, Eevee! We've got to do whatever it takes to find them! You search around this side and I'll start on the other."
"Eee vee!" his companion chirped.
Haunter drifted just under the crown of a palm. The only visible feature in the shade was his two eyes and points of his claws that mimicked the fringe of the leaves. Yungoos reclined at the base, surrounded by a pile of half-eaten oran berries. It was a reliable spot for a meal on the seldom-tended berry farm. The hot day buzzed with the harmonies of insect Pokémon.
"This bud of love by summer's ripening breath may prove a beauteous flower when we next meet," Haunter crooned from above.
"What in the steaming Houndour dump does that mean? I hate it when you speak human," Yungoos griped.
Haunter frowned. "I'm talking about the girl."
"Oh, that again. You don't even know where to find her. If you ask me, they all look the same anyway." Yungoos folded his arms over his chest and closed his sleepy eyes to bask in the afternoon sun.
Haunter surveyed the landscape from his aerial vantage and spied a dark-haired boy with an Eevee several yards away, just beyond the gates of the farm. He watched the boy speak to the Eevee and then turn away. The Eevee scampered around the side of the road, staring at the ground and sticking its short nose into bushes. The boy did much the same farther down the path.
"Hey, I need you to do something," Haunter said quickly. The mouth in the shade made it appear that the tree was talking.
Yungoos opened one eye to a squint. "Last time you 'needed' me I was sucked into a dimension of weird animals and I couldn't get out for three days! I still have nightmares. That spiky blue one with the red sneakers…" Yungoos shuddered and smacked himself back to the present.
"This will be different. See that Eevee? It was with the girl. Go see what it knows." Haunter's excited eyeballs made motions towards the target. Yungoos sat up from his bed of berries and saw the little Pokémon showing intense interest in the ground just outside the farm.
"It looks harmless and naïve. Just your type. You talk to it." Yungoos plopped back down.
"It'll flee if it sees me, so what's it worth to you?"
Yungoos thought a moment. He pointed up at Haunter with a thorn-shaped finger and gave him a glare. "You know how Ekans keeps stuffing dead Delibirds into my sleeping hole? If you take care of that, I'll talk to the powderpuff."
"Right. Done."
Yungoos rolled onto all fours and sauntered past Eevee along the wide dirt path. He glanced over casually. "You lost?" Yungoos tried to act friendly, but the inability to conceal his pointed teeth made it difficult. Eevee perked its ears and turned attention from the weeds to Yungoos.
"Oh hello," Eevee greeted with a youthful, boyish voice, "I'm not lost, I'm with my master. Have you seen any lost Pokémon around here lately? They would have been in trap balls."
Yungoos reared up on his stout legs. He looked behind Eevee to see the young trainer still rummaging around the road with his back turned. "I know of one. A Litten, right?"
"Yeah!" Eevee looked relieved. "Where did you see it?"
"He was found in the road. I can take you to him." Yungoos smirked, or at least approximated a smirk.
"Please, we would appreciate it!"
Yungoos looked over at the palm with berries piled under it and called, "Haunter! Get over here! We're going on a trip!"
"What?" Eevee followed Yungoos gaze to the tree, but there was only silence and a slight breeze.
"I've got it worked out! Get over here!" Yungoos smacked his tail on the ground with impatience. A set of disembodied eyes opened behind Yungoos, and a hypnotic stare concentrated directly on Eevee. Eevee hopped jolly high.
"What is this?" he squealed. Yungoos' long body squiggled. Eevee struggled to keep his balance as his sense of reality distorted into a kaleidoscope of bright, colorful evolution stones and dancing Pokébeans. The edges of his vision darkened. He whinnied gaily and collapsed, asleep.
Eevee awoke to a loud finger snap in his ear. Yungoos sat in front of him. Eevee was planted between two gravestones backed against a tall, thick hedge that separated the cemetery from the forest. Hovering near Yungoos was Haunter.
Eevee yelped at the sight of the ghost and tried to run. He fell over instead. He looked down to see his four legs and voluptuous tail were tied together with a thread as strong and fine as a fishing line. "What are you doing? I told her I wasn't serious about this!" he shouted.
"What?" Yungoos stared at the trembling Eevee quizzically, and then shook his head. "Don't tell me."
Yungoos grabbed Eevee by his thick collar and pulled him upright. Eevee wriggled to loosen the binding around his paws, but it only cinched even more, cutting against his skin.
"I will take you to your master's Pokémon, and you will tell us where to find the female human." Yungoos said.
"Wait, what female human?" Eevee shifted his bewildered expression from Yungoos to Haunter. "You, you mean, are you that Haunter? Are you talking about Lillie? No no no…"
"Well, he knows her name." Haunter drummed his fingers on his cheek. "That's a good start."
"Listen hairball, we could tell you that you'll never see your master or the Litten again, but that wouldn't be the Alolan way, would it? Alolans help one another." Yungoos held out his arms in a gesture of exaggerated goodwill. "Don't you want this to be a positive experience for all of us?"
A tight but jagged smile was plastered on Haunter's face, and Eevee didn't want to know what that meant. Eevee switched to the menacing glare of Yungoos, and drooped.
"Fi-fine, I get it. But you've got to take me to Litten first, and he'd better be okay!" He relented to his captors; such was his docile nature.
"Of course," Yungoos said. Haunter pantomimed snipping a string and the binding loosened. A lavender sphere twisted out from behind Eevee, screeching long and high like air out of a pinhole. Two threads flailed like whips and smacked Eevee repeatedly until the sphere spiraled into the air and was gone. Eevee had doubled in volume, fur standing on end.
"What was that?!" Eevee pawed at the air for several seconds.
Haunter snorted to keep from laughing.
"Sorry," Yungoos said to Eevee, "I would have gone with twine, but it wasn't my call. Follow me." Yungoos scratched up the hedge behind Eevee and vanished over the top. Eevee stared up the green wall. He wasn't much of a jumper or a climber. He tried to follow, but it looked more like he was trying to battle the hedge rather than ascend it.
"Upsy-daisy!"
Eevee felt a cold touch at the scruff as his neck. He lost contact with the ground, and before he knew it, he smacked down through the Ivysaur-sized leaves of tropical flora on the other side of the hedge. Eevee shuffled around and popped his head above the green lobes. Haunter passed straight through and greeted Eevee with a convivial expression that was unnerving.
"What do you want with Lillie anyway?" Eevee asked, trying to sound valiant.
"I have a gift to give her for being such a good scare."
Haunter's gliding timbre made Eevee's fur prickle. He looked at Haunter apprehensively. "Okay. What is it?" he asked slowly.
"A book."
Eevee dropped his guile and wagged his tail. "That would be a good gift! She likes those. Lillie is always reading books at the beach when we go on picnics. She makes us snacks and…"
Eevee faltered. Haunter gave him a saw blade grin.
"Do go on…" said the ominous pall of toxic gas.
"Uh... Silly me! I didn't really mean any of that… sometimes I get mixed up. Lillie probably hates reading… and beaches, and snacks. I mean who knows with humans, right?" Eevee laughed anxiously until it started to sound like crying. "Oh, where did Yungoos go…" Eevee located Yungoos arcing over the under story like a Sharpedo. He hastily shuffled forward to get away from the ghost.
They traveled through the shaded forest, navigating around thick trunks of palms and berry trees until they came upon a particularly large, hollow stump. It was covered in moss and saplings, and the gap in one side was easy to miss if Yungoos didn't direct him to it. Eevee looked back and no longer saw Haunter behind them.
Yungoos slinked into the opening at the base of the trunk and disappeared. Eevee glanced around the serene forest canopy, unsure of what was going to be ahead – or rather, below. He bent down and crawled in.
They descended into a narrow sloped tunnel that smelled of earth and a sweet fragrance he couldn't quite pinpoint. After a couple minutes, Eevee began to catch hints of voices, and the soft soil gradually became illuminated by firelight. Soon the air was thick with incense.
The tunnel opened up into a high ceiling dug-out filled with a mob of Yungoos, but there were a few Rattata and Diglett here and there. The engineering was impressive; it was a cathedral of packed soil decorated with ornate arches built out of delicate roots and chipped rock. It could only be the work of Dugtrio. Torch-lighted passages opened up along the curved walls, but what caught Eevee's attention immediately was a distant corner of the space. A hole in the ceiling allowed for one spot of fresh light to brighten a red drape. The drape framed a table fashioned from polished slate, and there was plenty of pillowed seating.
Eevee then spotted the most enormous Gumshoos he had ever seen lounging there. The golden stripe of fur on his back was longer than usual for the species, and fanned out from his head to drape over his shoulders and short arms. The strange Pokémon was surrounded by Rattata that served generous platters of berries and beverages.
Eevee's awestruck gawking was interrupted with a jerk on the ear. Yungoos directed his sight to a split log table packed with several Yungoos and a black and red striped Pokémon with yellow eyes, triangular ears, and red whiskers. Litten! The fire cat created a stark contrast against the sea of sandy-colored Yungoos.
"There is your friend."
"Where are we?" Eevee asked. The incense made his tongue tingle.
"The Order of the Solar Totem," Yungoos answered, pushing Eevee forward.
"Are we allowed to…" Eevee began, but stopped when he turned around and Yungoos was already gone. If he was still close by, Eevee wouldn't know. The multitudes of Yungoos were difficult to tell apart, especially when they were all called Yungoos. He turned his focus back to the mission Hau impressed on him: bring home Litten and Pichu.
Eevee wove between the crowds of Pokémon. He bumped into a Rattata serving drinks, and before he could say "excuse me" the Rattata tail whipped him in the face. Further demoralized than he already was, Eevee nudged his way in to sit next to Litten on an embroidered carpet in front of the log.
"Litten, it's me Eevee," he whispered. Litten was focused on a hand of cards, and gave Eevee a sideways glance.
"What are you doing here?" Litten asked, then declared, "I fold," placing the cards face down on the gnarled surface.
"I was trying to find you! We've got to get out…"
"Hey!" came a bark from across the table. "You can't sit there unless you ante in."
"Huh?" Eevee glanced over the many stares of clearly irritated Yungoos holding playing cards. "I guess I've played once…" he said. Litten rubbed his forhead with a paw and then tossed two bottle caps into the pool.
"He's with me. Deal him in," Litten said. Eevee puffed out his cheeks.
"Litten, we've got to go! Master is…"
Litten cut him off. "What 'master'?"
"Hau! He's worried! We've been looking for you for days." The cards started piling in front of them. Litten picked up his hand.
"Well, you found me, and now you can go. I'm staying here," Litten said.
"You can't say that. You have no idea what trouble it's been to find you. What is Hau going to do if you don't come home?"
"Muff ball! Look at your hand," a Yungoos next to him growled. Eevee fluttered and grabbed up the cards as best he could without thumbs. Two Nidokings, a pair of sixes, and a nine. Not bad. Litten watched Eevee expectantly. Eevee gave him a nod. Litten threw in another two bottle caps.
"Call," Litten said.
"Please come with me, Litten..." Eevee pleaded.
"Look, I know you won't understand this, but I'm a starter Pokémon. I come from a long line of starters. Unlike you ferals, we are raised to be the perfect companion..."
Eevee discarded the nine.
"For generation after generation, all we know is breeding centers, professors, pedigrees... We're groomed from the day we hatch to guide humans as they realize their dreams to master your kind."
The dealer threw Eevee a card. He picked it up.
"Now, I have a chance to be a part of something built by Pokémon, for Pokémon. Even ferals."
"Raise," Eevee interjected, throwing four of Litten's caps in. Two Yungoos folded and three others called.
"As an Ally, I can…"
A swell of snarls and trills drowned out Litten's voice as Eevee rested his full house on the table. His hand beat out the next highest, a flush, but then all attention concentrated on Litten. Litten's mouth gaped as he dropped his pair of Mews and pair of Nidorans. The circle of Yungoos' whooped and pounded the table as Eevee reached out and dragged the caps in.
"Lucky draw," Litten murmured. They joined the next hand with Eevee's winnings and waited for their cards.
"There is so much more we could do traveling with a human. I don't want to be stuck on this island forever. Do you?" Eevee asked. Litten's whiskers twitched as he looked at his hand.
"You should be more concerned about Pichu," Litten said.
"Do you know where he is?" Eevee inquired eagerly. Litten betrayed little in his expression, but gazed at Eevee intently. Eevee had trouble discerning what the message was supposed to be, and so picked up his hand, as well. A royal flush. Eevee swelled inside. He checked three times, and his chest grew tighter. He had this one for sure.
"Raise," Eevee said, trying not to shake with excitement. He pushed in four caps. The entire table glared at him, and no one folded. Eevee felt the tension rise, but didn't see how he'd done anything wrong.
"Hey table-talker, are you discarding?" the steely-eyed dealer asked. Eevee shook his head. Another Yungoos drew two cards and then bid another two bottle caps. Everyone else folded, except for Eevee. Eevee raised again, four more. Litten glanced around nervously and edged away from the table.
Eevee's remaining opponent was a rough-faced Yungoos with three chipped teeth. The Yungoos gave him a nasty look and threw down the caps to match. The entire group was transfixed on the two, waiting for the reveal.
Yungoos dropped four Nidoqueens and Eevee revealed his royal flush. A burst of howls vibrated the table, and Eevee jolted. The chipped-tooth one beat his fists on the battered log and then chomped down to contain his rage. Eevee had wondered why the log was so chewed up.
The commotion drew more Yungoos' to the table. Spectators leaned into the players with warm bodies and the noise of curiosity. Litten was looking more and more uncomfortable.
"How did you do that?" Litten whispered.
"I have no idea! I've never won anything in my life. This is amazing!" Eevee exclaimed. He scooped up the mound of caps and giggled. The Rattata he bumped into earlier slipped in next to him and offered a moomoo milk fizz. Eevee thanked her heartily and gulped it down as the Rattata swiped several caps off the table with her tail. Litten almost intervened but drew back and sighed.
"Give me the newcomer's cards," the dealer's request rang over the table like a bell, silencing the chatter. Chipped-tooth Yungoos swept up Eevee's royal flush and tossed it over. The dealer picked up the cards and inspected them with his fingers, then pressed them to his pink nose and sniffed carefully. The crowd watched. After a few draws through his nostrils, the Yungoos set the cards down in front of him and looked out at all the faces, first the ones to the left and then the ones to the right, and then he looked directly at Eevee.
"There's a spook in here," he declared. A murmur swept over the table. Haunter became visible directly above Eevee.
"What did you call me?"
Eevee made a short, high pitch noise and jumped behind Litten. The cat looked surprised but didn't show near the fright as the others. Spectators and players sprang in all directions, leaping frantically over one another as if their tails were on fire. They cried, "spook, spook!" until all the Pokémon in the dug-out were fleeing. The dealer rose from the table, a pillar among the chaos.
"Were you there the whole time?" Eevee yelled at Haunter from the other side of Litten.
"You had no complaints a moment ago," Haunter said, picking up a cap and flicking it into the pile.
Litten gave Eevee a sharp look. "What is going on?"
"I was kidnapped!" Eevee wrapped his paws around Litten's neck. Litten stared at Eevee in confusion. "I swear! Please help!" Eevee choked. His dark eyes shone and his round, infantile, squeezable sad face could make a stone weep. Litten groaned.
"The newcomer has brought a curse to this sacred space!" the dealer announced.
"We've got to go," Litten hissed at Eevee, prying him off. Eevee looked at the pile of caps. It was probably enough to bribe a Charizard for a solo ride out of the region; one of the only methods to leave the island without a trainer. The possibility of a different life crossed into Eevee's awareness.
"But the money…"
"You want help? Forget the Cs! This way." Litten scampered into the fleeing crowd and Eevee followed close behind. Haunter spun around to pursue, but then a resonant voice boomed over the now nearly vacant room.
"Who frightened my Allies?"
The dealer and Haunter faced the sound as the last of the crowd escaped. Gumshoos stepped up to the low table between Yungoos and Haunter, its arms folded behind its back. It was nearly six feet tall. Haunter looked pleased.
"Gumshoos! You've grown since I last saw you," he said.
"Shut up," Gumshoos sniped.
"Totem, this spook," he spat, "colluded with newcomers to defile our game using vile trickery and pernicious illusion," the dealer kept his icy glare on the ghost Pokémon hovering by the table.
"Lovely summary, brochette," Haunter gave the dealer a rakish grin.
"Thank you for your vigilance, Ally Number One. I will cleanse this room of the curse. You may leave." Gumshoos' eyes were hidden from view by a swath of golden fur, but his scowl was stern. Number One gritted his teeth even harder than usual. Haunter watched with amusement as the Yungoos swept his flat tail over the deck of cards, scattering them across the floor before he stomped away on his hind legs impressively. After it appeared they were alone, Gumshoos spoke.
"What business do you have interfering in my affairs?"
"I thought I would inspire a little cardio. What are you doing these days besides digging Melemele a new septic system?" Haunter replied, gesturing to the wide expanse.
"Mmm, you haven't changed much. If you understood my position here, you wouldn't be so impolite. We are evolved now. You should act like it."
"Is that what we are," Haunter mocked.
Gumshoos scratched at his tufted chin. "I became a Totem because my vision is clear and ambitious, unlike yours. Yet, even Totem Raticate is more interested in battling humans with their petty Trial rituals than reaching his true potential. He adds nothing to the Order."
"Raticate excels at multiplication, if I recall. You seem to enjoy the fruits of his labor."
"His people come to me because I give them truth." Gumshoos made a fist as if he caught something in it. Haunter paused.
"Would that be before or after you eat them?"
"Perhaps you can compensate for this intrusion by providing another spectacle or two. You are good at that, aren't you?"
Haunter clapped once. "Ha! There it is. You haven't changed, either." His smooth facade withered into gaunt, human-like features with sunken eyes and a shriveled mouth. A full black mask appeared in one claw. He drew it to his face and said with a cryptic tone, "This place could use the talents of le mort vivant. What did you have in mind?"
Gumshoos cocked his head, displayed his sharp teeth and laughed. "Still a fool for human literature. I can overlook that. Come with me, and I'll explain."
To be continued...