Chapter 1: New Squid on the Block (Or is it a Kid?)
"Soon, very soon. But not yet." A mysterious figure said, whilst shrouded in darkness. He stood up, a whole head taller than the dreamer was. He strode towards a balcony, the dreamer following.
Below was nothing but darkness. He felt afraid, something seemed amiss. The towering figure beside him glowed eerily, and was giving him a piercing glare. The huge "thing" was missing something, but he couldn't make it out before something bright appeared.
It was brighter than the sun, illuminating the sphere below him, he couldn't figure out it was the world in which he dwelt before the brightness overcame him.
His eyes seemed to burn in the intense sunlight…
[TRANSLATOR ONLINE {Calamarese-English} ]
He woke up with a jolt, and the morning sun was stinging his eyes. His name was Kalmar, and he turned 14 just last night. Being an Inkling, this was a very special day for him. To his surprise, he was already half transformed when he woke up, but when he made his first move, he lost it. He tumbled out of bed, a full-on squid.
"Dang it!" Kalmar said, barely able to speak through his formless mouth. His mother heard the noise, and came barging into his room. She was exasperated and started yelling.
"Kalmar! What are you doing up so late!? It's almost ten!" She shouted, her voice carrying out of his open window. It didn't take her yelling and endless rambling afterward to tell him that he had overslept. After nearly three whole minutes of her unpleasant rambling, he finally interrupted her.
He felt his body change form, a slipping, melting, almost sickening feeling as his internal organs rapidly shifted around. But the feeling was surprisingly brief. Within three seconds, his tentacles had relocated to his scalp, his pudgy squid body had morphed into a slim, rather strong humanoid form.
He was a kid now!
"My, my! Time flows so fast!" His mother whispered softly. To Kalmar's surprise, he was already equipped with some cream colored Krak-On shoes, a plain yellow shirt with "Squid" in Calamarese, a pair of bicycle shorts, and a white sweatband. He surmised that he was given these early in his life, but he didn't care at that moment.
He was finally here, now that he was no longer bound to being a squid, he could finally participate in the sport he had always dreamed of. Shown on his walls were many famous teams, like the Thunder Eels, the Whale Sharks, and the Inkstrikers. More posters showing the hot new weapons like the Inkbrush, the Luna Blaster, and the leaked Ink Hose among a few Squid Sisters posters clearly stated his passion for this sport.
He could aspire to compete in Turf Wars. And his hype intensified.
"I have waited for this my whole life! I can finally show my true worth in a Turf War!" Kalmar said. Without another word spoken, he rushed out of his room. But he didn't get far, a lone finger snagged his shirt, and he was pulled back. "Not yet, you aren't. You still have a morning routine to handle." His mom said. Kalmar groaned, remembering the annoying chore that was saddled onto him.
After dumping his family's inked clothing down the laundry chute, he sighed, knowing that his mother still wasn't happy about him being up late. But thankfully, the job wasn't nearly as awkward as it used to be. The memory of falling down the chute as a squid still bothered him to an extent.
He tried to walk down the stairs, but he didn't get all the way down. He tumbled down the stairs, one after the other. He ducked into squid form to cushion the blows until he reached the bottom. His older brother, Ikardam (age 18) , saw Kalmar collapse at the base of the stairs.
"Are you okay, Kalmar?" He said. Kalmar groaned and said, "I'll live…". Ikardam wasn't pleased. "Don't you remember what I said last night? I TOLD YOU ABOUT STAIRS!" He yelled. Kalmar pushed himself away from the stairs, and sat at the table in human form.
"Well now! Look at the fresh, new Inkling on the block," Ikardam said pridefully. "So, tell me now, are you a kid? Or are you a squid?"
Kalmar was immediately tired of this joke. The terrible infomercials that advertised Turf Wars ruined it before Ikardam had a chance. After eating his bowl of Kelp Flakes, he went for the door. He went outside to go for his first long walk, but something tripped him.
"What the-" He said before noticing something in plastic wrap. He couldn't believe his eyes when he opened it. "NO WAY!" It was a Splattershot Jr., complete with an ink tank. He went back inside to show Ikardam.
"I ordered that for you." Ikardam said. "I want you to get in the game and get fresh, like me. I'm an esteemed Turf War veteran myself." Kalmar was gaining hype, for his dreams were coming true. "Let me give you a test run."
They went to the side of the house, Ikardam was carrying a Custom E-Liter 3K, while Kalmar was stuck with the Splattershot Jr.. "There are 3 main categories of ink weaponry, there is the shooter, the roller, and the charger." Ikardam explained. "You have a shooter, so just hold the trigger and you'll be fine."
Kalmar, with his ink tank attached to his back and now full of ink, he fired his first few shots out of many. The tiny weapon, despite its size, had serious recoil. He continued firing until he heard a loud *CLICK*. He was annoyed at the fact that he wasn't able to ink the entire wall.
"Don't worry, dive into the ink and you'll be back in business in no time." Ikardam reassured. "You can also climb up the wall while it's inked." But Kalmar was already on the roof. "You little octo!" He said before firing a charged blast at Kalmar. He was splattered, and he reformed at the small circle in front of his house.
"Hey! What was that for?!" Kalmar complained. "Listen when I talk next time!" Ikardam scolded. Their training continued until midday, when Ikardam handed him a slip of paper.
"What's this for?" Kalmar asked. Ikardam scoffed and said, "Your ticket to heaven. The one place I have known you wanted to go, its in your hands now!" Ikardam said before walking upstairs and into his room. Kalmar saw that the ticket read, "One-Way Trip: Inkopolis". He thought that Ikardam wasn't serious. But he was shaken out of his thoughts by his mother and Ikardam suddenly in front of him.
"Good luck in the big city, dear." His mother said before nearly crushing him in a hug. Kalmar thought he was about to split, but he was released. He then spoke, "Why am I going there?" Ikardam spoke up, "I know that you can handle it, you are of age now. And besides, its a fresh start, and you want to prove your worth, right?"
Kalmar thought for a moment. He was always picked on by other Inklings his age, and he could never find a friend in anyone at Cuttleton, his home. And the hilly backdrop always bored him out. Inkopolis was objectively better for a squid kid. His decision was clear.
"I'll go." He simply stated. Ikardam held up a duffle bag filled with clothes, money, and whatever else a squid kid needs for the journey. "Well, good luck squiddo." Ikardam said, waving goodbye to Kalmar as he left for Cuttleton Transit Station. His mother waved as well, with hope and prayer that he would do well.
Kalmar stuffed his weapon and tank into his duffle, hoping none of the Stinging Jellies, the local bully gang, would notice him with such a dinky weapon. He continued to the station, where he sat down and waited.
The trolley heading to Inkopolis had arrived, and people were scuffling to get in. With all the people crowding the entry, Kalmar found it hard to get through. But then he morphed into squid form and found the perfect seat for him wide open. And when the conductor came around, he ordered the passengers into single file, and the loading process was easier.
"Ticket, please." The conductor said to Kalmar. He handed it over, and the conducted appraised it, and pocketed it. "Thank you." Kalmar watched as bigger, buffer Inklings boarded. He tensed up until the train lurched forward. He was off!
Kalmar watched as Cuttleton was slowly scrolling away from him. He knew he wouldn't return for a while, because he knew that a better future was ahead of him. He was a kid now!
"Approaching Cuttle Bay Transit Station! Next stop: Inkopolis!" Kalmar was pumped when he heard this. More inklings flooded the train car, many of them obviously ready to live the very same dream. As the train started moving again, Kalmar looked at the view of beautiful Cuttle Bay. But something caught his eye.
In the shadowy area of the station, a huge figure stood. His strange armorsuit glowed in the darkness, and he gave a sharp glance to his surroundings. Kalmar couldn't bear to look much longer, as he saw that it was missing something…
[TRANSLATOR OFFLINE]
"Area secure, nothing new to report…"
Just who is this figure? What is he doing there? Is he even an Inkling? Find out next time, on another thrilling chapter of Splatoon: The Phantom Agent.