The next morning...
The dirt path was hot, rough and worn under our feet as we trekked along merrily, the wind picking up as a comfortable breeze swept across the trees. Rose and I matched our stride easily, the two of us vigorously marching through the forested trail, the sound of flowing water growing louder and louder as we neared our first destination. Behind us, I could hear Cyan stomping along, weighted down by his pack of supplies, not to mention the passenger that was hitching a ride on top of the bag.
"Oi, Bill!" The Samurott yelled out, his voice ragged as he gulped down air. "Hold... hold up'a moment!"
We slowed to a stop, turning around to watch the sea lion dramatically drag himself a few more paces forward before crumpling to the ground, his tongue lolling out as he wheezed heavily. Erin let out an amused giggle as she hopped off of her perch, poking playfully at Cyan's mustache with her paw.
"Aww, are you tired?" She teased, receiving a mild grunt in response. She stomped forward a few paces in an imitation of the teen, raising her arms high as she flexed. "The big, tough, Heatmor-trained mercenary, defeated by an hour or two's march!"
"'Ey!" Cyan frowned, curling his head up to look at Erin. Rose and I walked forward, and I stretched my back, ready to interject as soon as the argument got heated. "We spent th'whole evening yesterday packin' and we didn't even eat before leavin' at the crack o'dawn! I might be trained, but I've still got my limits!"
As if to punctuate the statement, a loud, collective rumbling sounded out, and the four of us glanced at our stomachs. I felt my face flame up a bit, and I scratched idly behind my ears, the aura tassels bumping against my shoulders. Erin seemed to be having trouble containing a fit of laughter, and Cyan was resting his head in his paws, drumming his fingers against his cheeks.
"I guess we did forget to eat," Rose said, clawing a thin trio of lines in the dirt. "We rushed out and everything."
I nodded, shooting Cyan a look of embarrassment. "It's just a few more paces until we get to the fork in the road. Should we break for brunch there?"
"Nooooo!"
"Wait, what?" I blurted out in surprise. Cyan pushed himself back onto his feet, his eyes narrowing. "Why not?"
"Geeeeeet back here, you... you rapscallion! You scalawag!"
"Above us!" He yelled out, drawing a seamitar as he shoved past us. "Over the hill!"
Erin paused to tie her sleeve into a sling, and Rose and I ran after Cyan, skidding to an abrupt stop as we reached the apex of the rising soil. Below, to the left of a small clearing, sat a statue of a Kangaskhan, the monument to traveling obscured by thick clumps of shrubbery. In front of the statue, two Pokemon played tug-of-war with a bright and shiny coin charm. One was an old, brown duck, holding a leek in his beak as he tugged doggedly on the necklace. The other was a mass of discolored vines with two stubby red feet. Neither had the upper hand.
"No way, old timer! Don't think you can beat me!"
"That's mine, you fool, and I will not stand for you taking it!"
Cyan brandished his weapon and let out a mighty battlecry, the roar startling both of the Pokemon, and he leapt from the hill, slamming hard into the clearing. He eyed the two warily, holding his blade in a defensive stance. Erin bounced over our heads after him, and Rose and I carefully slid down the hill.
"Alright, hold on," I said, stepping past and eyeing the two Pokemon warily. "What's going on here?"
"He's trying to steal my lucky charm!"
"What'd you say!? That's-"
"Shaddap!" Cyan bellowed, drawing his other seamitar and pointing both at the feuding Pokemon. "Drop it now, both'a ya!
The Tangela was too surprised to respond, its vines hanging loosely as they began to uncoil, and the Farfetch'd yanked the coin away with enough force to send him stumbling backwards. The grass-type yelped and ran, wading into the water as he escaped into the mystery dungeon. Cyan growled, about to give chase, and I lashed out, grabbing him by his tail.
"Woah there, now," I cautioned, standing my ground as best I could as Cyan struggled to break free. "Cyan, hold still! Let him go!"
The Samurott thrashed for a few more moments before settling down, stabbing his sword into the dirt and shaking his fist in the direction of Serenity River. "And y'better not come back!"
"Hoohoo... achoo!" The Farfetch'd sneezed, covering his beak with his wings. "My goodness!"
"Are you alright, mister?" Erin tottered forward, squatting to the old bird's level.
His stomach rumbled. We all let out a round of nervous chuckles.
"We should probably get some food ready."
Departure! Fording the Serenity River!
"Alright, sir..." Rose started, looking up from her bowl of soup at the strange Farfetch'd. The bird had let his leek rest inside of his own bowl, not noticing that the broth was staining the vegetable bright red, preferring focus on vigorously shining his necklace. "Could you repeat that one more time... now that your mouth isn't full?"
"Mmumph!" He peeked his head up, letting the charm rest against his downy chest as he finally took a gulp of his soup. "Yes, ah... what was I saying again?"
Cyan grunted, picking a bit of a berry out of his teeth. "You were tellin' us who y'are and what you're doin' here."
"Oh! Uh, yes," The Farfetch'd backpedaled a bit, chuckling absentmindedly. "Silly me. My name is, ah... Hermit! Yes, that's it. I'm the lucky Hermit!"
I folded my arms, lifting a bowl to my lips and taking a sip. Tamato's familiar, spicy heat washed over my tongue before quickly being neutralized by a chunk of a potato, and I licked my lips, savoring the various flavors before continuing the conversation. "So, Hermit. You live around here?"
"Yes, old boy, I live near a cave just over that way." Hermit stretched out his wings before pointing vaguely in the direction of the woods. Four pairs of eyes followed, and I stifled a skeptical snicker as an awkward silence fell over us.
"R-Right..." Rose's tails lay low to the ground as she cocked her head in mild confusion. "Around the Drenched Bluff... then."
"But if you live over there, what are you doing out here, mister?" Erin asked. "Are you going on a trip?"
"Why, yes, actually!" The Farfetch'd nodded, turning around and jabbing his now-very-red leek towards the path leading away from Treasure Town. "I'm going to visit a friend of mine, he lives near the Waterfall Cave..."
He hopped onto his feet in a sudden panic, startling everyone as his head flicking every which way before settling on the exact opposite direction. "Er, that way! Yes, that way, across Serenity... River?"
We all let out a long sigh of frustration, and I leaned backwards against the Kangaskhan Stone. "You're off to visit a friend, eh... us too."
"Really?" Hermit's head perked up. "But where's your good luck charms? You aren't traveling without them, are you?"
"Luck's nice, but we've got plenty'f experience under our belts," Cyan boasted, nonchalantly dipping his bowl into the pot of soup and serving himself a second helping. Hermit shook his head in surprise, gaping at us. "We're guild graduates, y'know! Team Returners!"
"You're... you're are four explorers?" He asked lamely, light glinting off of his lucky coin. His grasp of his leek slackened, just a little. "I used to be a warrior myself, back when I was your age..."
"So this coin of yours is a good luck charm?" Rose swiftly changed the subject, nodding towards the Farfetch'd with a wave of her head. The old bird nodded, removing the necklace from his head and passing it over. The unremarkable accessory went back and forth along its string.
"Yes, missy!" He explained, trying to act informal but clearly keeping a close eye on the treasured possession. "I've owned that lucky coin as long as I can remember!"
"Ooh!" Erin piped up, scrambling over and yanking the thing away from Rose, pressing her nose against the metal. Hermit squawked irritably, and I took the necklace out of Erin's paws, returning it to its true owner. She shrugged innocently. "So this must be worth a lot of money, then!"
"No, no, nothing like that," The Farfetch'd snapped, huffily wrapping the necklace back around his head. "My old pappy told me a story about this coin once, back when he gave it to me. It's special!"
"So it's got some kinda magic power?" Cyan stroked his mustache thoughtfully, his mind drifting away as he began to daydream. "Does it let ya find lotsa money?"
"Or does it make you super-strong?" Erin joined in, rocking back and forth on her heels as he brought her paws to her chin in excitement.
"Does it let ya stay healthy and never get sick?"
"Or poisoned?"
"Or frozen?"
"Guys, let him be," Before they could crowd around the small bird, I pushed them both away, sending them both a scolding look. Rose padded up to us as Hermit took a series of deep breaths. "Besides, it's probably just something with sentimental value and the outlaw thinks it's valuable. That's always how it turns out."
"Er, yes..." Hermit mumbled, embarrassed. Cyan and Erin both promptly faceplanted into the ground, and I shrugged. Rose chuckled, walking over to my side, and I reached over and tousled her headfur. "It really is just a special family heirloom, nothing magic about it."
"You could have told us that before getting our hopes up!" Erin jokingly complained.
"Oh! That gives me an idea," Hermit's eyes brightened, and he turned to Rose and I, extending his wings in an open gesture. "If you're explorers, would you mind helping me pass across Serenity River?"
"Eh?" I felt an eyebrow quirk upward, and I took a step backwards. Rose and I both glanced at each other, wearing a look of mutual apprehension. "Er..."
"Please help an old Farfetch'd, would you?" He gave us a sad, pleading look, holding his leek close to his chest; the pressure sent excess broth running down the bird's feathers as it exited the vegetable's fronds like a sponge. "I wouldn't have been able to fend off that outlaw without you four, and I certainly don't think I'd be able to get there on my own if he's going to follow me."
"Well, heh, uh," I let out a short, hasty laugh, folding my arms and crossing my feet. Something felt off. "This is kinda out of the blue, here-"
"I don't think that it's too big of a deal," Rose cut me off, pushing past me and placing a paw on top of Hermit's head. "We were planning to go to Tiny Town anyway, so fording the river is just the long way around."
"Does that mean you'll help me?"
"Guys, could we just wait a moment-"
"Yay, a water day!" Erin cheered to herself, bouncing excitedly around the clearing. Cyan was already packing up the supplies, the soup long finished and the pot long cooled. The sun was past its highest point, finally arcing into the afternoon. The dry heat suddenly felt a lot more obvious, and I unconsciously stared at the Kangaskhan Stone, the sound of the running water filling my ears.
"Oi, Bill," Cyan brusquely grabbed my shoulder, breaking me out of my trance. "Are we helpin' the old guy'r what?"
"The heat's getting to him," Rose laughed lightheartedly, sending a wink my way, and I felt my face flame, rubbing at my cheeks to try and remove the blush under my fur. "Shall we head out, then?"
"Haah..." I exhaled heavily, pushing my concerns to the back of my mind. "I guess that's fine. Off to Serenity River, then!"
The river carried a strong current, the knee-deep water swirling and twisting around our legs as it threatened to sweep us off of our feet and send us floating away. Hermit perched atop Rose's head, nestled snugly in her headfur, and I watched as Erin skipped around, curling up as she cannonballed into a deeper pool. Cyan stomped after her, wincing as a stray wave of water hit him head on, and he slowly eased himself into the river, kicking against the pull.
"C'mon, Erin!" The Samurott called, watching as the lean pink mink flung her arms about, the thick fur quickly becoming sopping wet. With the added weight, Erin struggled to fight against the current. "I know you can do better'n that!"
"Cyan, Erin," I yelled, cupping my paws to my mouth. "You two go on ahead, and keep an eye out for trouble! I'll send up a signal if we find it first."
"Fine, fine!" Cyan replied, paddling over to his friend and lifting her onto his back. She wheezed heavily, wringing out her sleeves on top of his bag. He grimaced. "C'mon, Erin, let's roll!"
The pair swam off, turning a corner near a thick wall of plants and disappearing from sight, and I looked over at Hermit, who was waving goodbye to a thick tree root in the opposite direction. Rose noticed my annoyed look, and peered upward, sighing as she noticed her passenger. "Other way."
"Oh!" Hermit hopped a good few inches into the air before turning around and waving. "Ahem, yes."
The two of us waded through the stream in silence, the babbling brook belying the tension that hung in the air. Schools of Barboach fluttered by, content to leave us alone in their search for food, and the occasional Lotad sprang out from the depths, basking in the warm, springtime sun.
"For wild Pokemon, they seem pretty tame," Rose remarked, the tips of her tails dragging through the water. "I've got an idea. Hold up, Bill."
"Huh?" I blurted, watching as the fox trotted up to a large Quagsire that lay, half-submerged, in the river. I blinked in mild confusion. "What now?"
Rose prodded the water type with a paw, prompting him to roll onto his back, sitting up slowly as a dopey grin spread across his features. "Excuse me, but we're looking for a Tangela that ran through here earlier today. Have you seen him?
"Er?" The Quagsire cocked its head, his eyes briefly widening at Hermit, the old bird shrinking under its gaze. "Hm? Mm-mm."
"Well, uh, he attempted to steal a coin from our client here," She gestured towards her passenger. "Would you mind keeping an eye out in case he passes by?"
"Coin... round coin..." The Quagsire looked at the shiny charm, his eyes clouding over as his head slackened. Without warning he lunged forward, wrapping Hermit into a death grip, and Rose jumped backwards with a gasp. I ran to her side, watching closely as the oversized salamander roughly yanked the amulet coin off of Hermit's neck before winding his arm up. "Round!"
"Not even fifteen minutes in and we already found trouble," I quipped dryly as I curled my paws into fists. "Maybe we should've had Cyan and Erin just stick with us."
"Too late to worry about it now," The Ninetales nudged me to the left, keeping a close eye on the enemy. "You head that way, I've got the right!"
We both bounded out of the way as the Quagsire flung Hermit towards us, sending the duck skimming across the river, his leek nearly flying out of his beak. Rose dashed at the water fish, tackling him and sending them both into a heap. As she let loose with a blast of fire, Quagsire submerged himself into the muddy depths of the riverbed, smearing his body with a coating of mud. Strangely, the amulet coin seemed untouched.
"Mine!" He slammed a scoopful of the glop hard into Rose's head, and she yelped as she was forced into the water, temporarily blinded. I ran forwards, forming two tiny spheres of aura in the palms of my paws, and the Quagsire turned to face me, shifting his weight to the back of his feet, bracing himself for an all-out attack.
It never came. I skidded to a stop and sprang into the air, somersaulting over his head and stomping hard on his tail, slapping both aura spheres into his uncovered back. Quagsire didn't even flinch, immediately pulling his tail out from under me. My eyes widened as I felt the movement, and I waved my arms wildly, trying as hard as I could to keep my balance.
"CoiiIIIIII-" A sudden blast of energy came from close by, toppling Quagsire over once again, and I felt soft fur press against my sides, gently breaking my fall. I playfully tugged on one of the tails in thanks.
"Thanks, partner," I said, taking a deep breath. "Is Hermit alright?"
Rose took a brief glance at the old bird as Quagsire got to his feet. "He's... he's headed this way!?"
I snapped to attention, watching as the Farfetch'd brandished his leek with both wings, the vegetable glowing brightly. Quagsire was too dazed to notice the little Pokemon, only noticing him as he let out a battlecry. "Ruffian!"
The leek flashed, the fronds merging into one long strand, and Hermit brought the weapon down, landing a clean cut on the water type's body. The pain quickly brought Quagsire back to attention, and sunlight danced off of the lucky coin as he dabbed at the gash, getting mud in the wound (and probably making it worse).
I quickly charged up an aura sphere and sent it towards the outlaw. Booting Hermit away with a gentle flick of his tail, he looked to the sky, spraying out a concentrated blast of water into the air, catching the aura and sending it high into the air, where it let out a flash of light before dematerializing. As the makeshift rainstorm pitter-patted down, Quagsire dove into the river, making a hasty retreat towards a gap in the thick, overgrown walls.
"You're not gonna get away that easily!" I yelled, tightening the straps of the treasure bag before slamming my feet into the ground and pouncing forward. As Rose and I chased fervently after the escaping Pokemon, Hermit hobbled behind us, casually pushing through the water with his webbed feet. He let out a chuckle.
"Cyan, hold up a second!"
"If it's 'nother half-buried orb, then jus' forget 'bout it," The Samurott replied grumpily, pushing through the deep water, and Erin let out a joking pout as she examined two other orbs, giving them a quick rub with her sleeve. The early shrubbery had given way to a thick orchard of willow trees, their branches dangling low to the ground and dappling the river with their fallen flowers. "'Sides, you've got plenty of 'em already."
"Doesn't mean I can't stock up, doofus face!" Erin slipped the magical items into her pouch before patting Cyan's side, rubbing small circles on his arm. "None of the ones I have right now are good for keeping wild Pokemon away, and what if we run into Tangela?"
"Then I'll deal with 'im, and you'll back me up, like we normally do-" Cyan paused mid-sentence, his gaze tightening as he pushed a few lily pads from his path with a seamitar. "And I think I hear something right now..."
"You do!?" Erin scrambled onto his helmet, seating herself in front of the first spike and brusquely pushing Cyan's face into the drink. The Mienshao's head twitched from side to side as Cyan let out a bundle of bubbles from underwater, staring up at his partner with an irritated expression. "Which way?"
"No way, if you keep chatterin'!" He gave a sharp shrug with his head, sending Erin toppling backwards onto his backpack. "Now shush it! Lemme listen..."
Erin let out a brief huff before growing quiet, the pair clearly hearing a voice over the gentle stream.
"Don't come any closer!"
A chorus of burbling noises rose up, and a vine reached up towards one of the willow branches. It stopped just short of grasping it, instead tensing up before falling to earth. The voice called out again, much more frantic.
"Let go of me! You and your boss aren't gonna get me, I mean it!"
"Boss?" Erin cocked her head, leaping off of Cyan's back and swimming towards Tangela. "C'mon, let's go, Cyan!"
"W-what? Erin!" Cyan yelled, kicking hard after her. They swiftly made their way into the room, only stopping once they really saw the crowd of Pokemon that sat in the shallow pool. "Wait, Woopers!?"
A good seven or eight blue salamanders turned around and stared listlessly at the newcomers, letting out a low, screechy noise that made everyone around wince in pain. A couple of the Wooper were biting down hard on Tangela's vines, keeping the outlaw from escaping, and the grass type sucked in a fearful breath as the Samurott and Mienshao came into view. "You... you two! Please, help me!"
Cyan unsheathed his second blade, clasping the two together in a two-pawed stance. "You'll need a lot more help where you're goin', outlaw!"
"Heeeeey!" Erin let out a loud whine, nearly as ear-piercing as the Woopers' screeching, and she bunny-hopped forward, bouncing on one foot and then the other as she lightly flicked her sleeves at the group of Wooper. "Let him go, you big bullies!"
A large spout of water erupted from far off in the distance, with a bright flash of light following, catching the attention of the water fishes. Like clockwork, they dropped everything, rushing frantically towards the signal, obliviously trampling and knocking each other over as they fled. Tangela slumped over, breathing heavily as Erin flashing him a giddy smile.
"I can't believe that really worked!" She pumped a fist in the air, jumping for joy. "I guess I should try doing that more often!"
"No..." Tangela managed to spit out in between gulps of air. "Don't celebrate... yet..."
"He's right, Erin," Cyan stomped up to the two, pointing his seamitar loosely at the outlaw. "We got lucky with th'small fry, but there's one other Pokemon to take care of!"
"Wait, n-no!" Tangela rose to his full height, wriggling around in a panic. "Just hear me out, please! The waterfall, wait!"
"A real good excuse for'real bad outlaw," Cyan fired back, raising his sword as it glowed a drab green. "I hope you're ready to get stuck in a pris'n sphere!"
"Cyan, will you calm down for a minute!?" Erin yanked the Samurott's helmet right off, dumping it unceremoniously into the mud, and pulled his ear wide open, moving her head mere inches away before screaming into it. Cyan dropped both of his seamitars, dazed by the loud noise. "Didn't you even look at that water? There was an aura sphere up there! Bill and Rose need our help!"
"But we've got th'outlaw right here!" Cyan shook his head, moving his partner out of the way as he retrieved his helmet. He growled angrily as he looked at the grime that covered the inside of it. "We jus' bag him here, go help Bill 'n Rose, and drop 'em with the guards at Tiny Town! We finished the mission!"
"Forget the mission! Bill and Rose might be hurt!"
"And we let th'outlaw go free? Great plan!"
"Oh, forget it, I'll go myself!"
"Forget what? The outlaw? No way, Erin!"
"What?" Erin blinked, her temper cooling. "No, I didn't say that!"
"You said somethin'!" Cyan took a deep breath and ran his paw down his face, turning away from Erin to scoop river water into his helmet. After a few seconds of washing the mud out, he looked at her again, his expression much calmer. "You said to forget somethin', right? What didja mean?"
"No, I never said anything like that!" The Mienshao shook her head, hiding her face in her sleeves. "Um... sorry about the helmet."
"It's fine, don't worry 'bout it," Cyan shook his head. "Sorry for snappin'."
"But if I didn't say it... and you obviously didn't say it," Erin put the pieces together in her head, the gears turning and turning. "Then Tangela..."
The two of them whipped their heads around just in time to catch a glimpse of Tangela's foot disappearing down a narrow passageway in the riverbed, the same one that the Wooper had taken.
"Dammit all!" Cyan swore, slamming his helmet back onto his head and sheathing his blades. "C'mon, Erin, you're gettin' your way after all! Followin' Tangela should bring us right t'Bill and Rose!"
"All righty!" Erin gave a thumbs-up, nodding cheerfully. "Let's go!"
Everything was a blur as Rose and I made a mad dash through the forested path, the roar of falling water growing ever louder as the lush grass gave way to smooth sandstone. Quagsire had already disappeared from sight, but there was only one place that you could get to by swimming up the river, and soon enough the Waterfall Cave came into sight, white waves billowing down from the hilltop, masking the tunnels that lay within. As the two of us slowed to a stop, I leaned down, taking a couple deep breaths through my nose.
"He's got to be inside by now..." Rose paced back and forth, her tails wagging up and down. "Let's rest our feet for a little, and then get him."
"We should have Hermit stay outside." I puffed, reaching into the treasure bag and pulling out an apple. One deft flick of the wrist later, I took a bite out of a half, handing the other to Rose. "Something about this whole thing doesn't feel right."
"Wasn't that just the heat getting to you?" Rose said, arching her back in a stretch.
"No, that's just what you thought aloud," I shook my head, gulping down the quick snack. "No, this isn't some passing thing. Something about this whole thing is just off. I'd rather not have Hermit with us in case something happens, with Quagsire or with him himself."
"He pulled a neat trick before, though," The Ninetales replied, her words muffled by fruit bits. "If he can handle himself like that, I don't think he'd be in too much danger if he went along with us."
"If he can handle himself like that, he wouldn't have gotten his coin..." I paused, furrowing my brow in concentration. "Stolen... in the first place..."
A chill ran down our spines, and Rose stopped chewing, the logic break processing. I frowned, surveying the area, and the brown bird was nowhere in sight. "Where... is Hermit, anyway?"
A veritable bomb went off behind us, and Rose cried out as a concentrated torrent of water spiraled into her from through the waterfall. Taking the attack dead on, she dug her claws into the stone, holding her ground as best she could. I turned towards the hidden cave, preparing to dive through the cascading falls, but a sharp, stabbing pain at the back of my head sent me to my knees. I reached around and pulled the attacker off of the treasure bag.
"Hermit..." I growled. "You set us up, didn't you?"
"Too little, too late, explorer!" The bird cackled, his voice no longer old and wheezy. His leek glowed again, the leaf blade held straight from his beak. "You should know better than to trust random Pokemon in the wilderness!"
A trio of strange, silver pulses surrounded the Farfetch'd, tearing him from my grasp, and I glanced over at Rose, her eyes burning angrily as she sent the psyshock into his body. Her legs trembled violently, still frail from taking the brunt of a hydro pump. "And you should know better than to even try and mess with an exploration team like that!"
"Awk! Stop it, you twerp!" Hermit screeched as he fluttered high into the air, and Quagsire jumped out from the entrance to the Waterfall Cave, catching him mid-leap. "I might be an outlaw, but I still demand the respect an old Pokemon deserves!"
"Forget it, outlaw!" I shot back, flashing him a grim smile before wincing in pain, my head aching. "You lost any chance of respect the moment you started playing dirty!"
"It wasn't a request," Hermit poked my nose with his leek. "I don't think you or your stupid little friend would benefit from any more of Quagsire's ground attacks, hm?"
"I..." He had a point. "...agh..."
"Good boy," The brown duck said mockingly, and he extended a wing towards his partner-in-crime. "Now, Quagsire, would you give me the amulet coin back?"
"Round."
The Farfetch'd's smug smirk faltered. "Excuse me?"
"Mine!" Quagsire brought his arms up, slamming them into the bird and knocking him out instantly. As Hermit flopped limply to the ground next to me, a chorus of screeches cheered the wild Pokemon on, and I sucked in a breath, my head and heart pounding, as I turned around and stared a small mob of underlings right in the face.
"Rose..." I gasped out. "Next time we go on a long trip... remind me never to let us get distracted..."
"Remind me..." She replied quietly, breathing raggedly. "Remind me to never get too suckered in... deal?"
Despite everything, I still cracked a smile at her, the both of us curled up against the rocky cliff. "Deal..."
She returned my smile before slumping over, the powerful hydro pump having finally taken its full toll on her, and I felt the feet of some of the Wooper crawl up onto my back and head.
They stomped down hard, and I blacked out.
A/N: I wasn't particularly happy with how this chapter was turning out at first. I decided to split it into two separate chapters instead of fitting it all into one, and that made me feel a lot better about it.
Remember how I said I was wanting to make this in the vein of the anime, where the overarching goal isn't addressed too much and most of the chapters are simply stuff that happens while traveling? Something like this.
