Author's Notes: Here's part 3 of this story. Nothing more to say here, so let's just move on.


Alrest: Population, Dwindling

Part 3: Preparation & Maelstrom


"... and that about covers it," Rex said to Azurda, who is still moored on the dock outside of Argentum.

Rex, Ash, and Kari had recently accepted a job from Bana to haul up something for their clients. Said clients were quite a group consisting of a cat-eared girl, a masked man, and another man who had the gall to attack Rex without warning! Between this and the revelation that 2 countries were about to go to war with each other, this has been quite an experience for Ash and Kari, though not in a good way... Rex has just explained to Azurda the... general gist of what happened, leaving out the man's attack so as to not alarm his gramps. However...

"That does not 'about cover it' in the slightest!" Azurda shouted, clearly in a bad mood, "Why would you take a job you know nothing about!? You don't even know who your employer is!"

Rex attempted to hand-wave it... to little effect. "This came straight from the Chairman, remember?" he reasoned, "What more do you need?"

"And besides, we at least caught the names of the clients," Kari attempted to defuse the situation, "Apparently, they go by Jin, Nia, and Malos." Upon saying that, however...

"JIN AND MALOS!?" Azurda shouted, startling the group as just how much more enraged he sounded, "What were you thinking, accepting a job from those two!?"

"Sheese, someone's losing their temper..." Gatomon commented, "You seem to know a bit about these guys. Mind telling us about them?"

"Only that those guys are bad news!" Azurda answered... vaguely, "If they're the ones who supplied that job, all the more reason to not take it!"

"Sheese, stop getting your cords in a knot, Gramps!" Rex tried to calm the enraged Titan down... also to little effect, "... Okay, so maybe this 'Malos' is bad news, but so what if he attacked me-"

"HE WHAT!?" the Titan shouted, even louder than before as the group covered their faces. Apparently, the group just kept making Azurda madder and madder... "You mean he attacked you RIGHT IN THE CHAIRMAN'S OFFICE!? What more reason do you need to decline!?"

"Look, I'm sorry about not telling the full story," Rex apologized as he and the others lowered their arms, "But we've already accepted the job. It's all part of the Salvager Code: 'Never leave a job unfinished.'"

Azurda still looks unconvinced. Just then, Ash stepped up. "Look, Azurda. I know that we may be biting off more than we can chew from this. Heck, Kari and I aren't even salvagers!" he reasoned with the angry Titan, "But trust me when I say that Rex'll be in good hands. Pikachu and I won't let anything happen to him, okay?"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered in agreement, also promising to protect Rex. Azurda looked back and forth between Ash and Pikachu, but after a while, he merely sigh...

"... Alright... I suppose there's nothing I can do about it..." the Titan sighed in defeat before staring at Ash, "Just make sure that Rex is alright after this, okay?"

Ash replied with a nod and a smile. "Don't you worry, Azurda. Rex and I'll be alright," he said.

"And if it's too much for Ash and Pikachu, you still got me and Gatomon to keep these boys in line," Kari added with a smile of her own. Ash couldn't help but chuckle.

Azurda sighed before turning back to Rex. "However, my opinion still hasn't changed," he added with a stern look, "Jin and Malos are bad news, and you'd do well to watch yourselves around those two."

"Alright, I will," Rex hastily replied as he starts heading back into Argentum, with Ash and Kari hot on his tail, "You can take a nap while you wait, right? We're off!"

Azurda, startled by Rex's quick escape, merely sighed. 'That boy... I swear...' he thought before gazing at the Cloud Sea horizon, 'Still... Just what happened to you, Jin... to be working with Malos...?'


Rex has only just made it to the shops within Argentum only to be stopped by Ash and Kari.

"Rex, don't you think this may be a bit much?" Kari questioned with a worried face. Rex couldn't help but sigh.

"Yea, I know, Kari... But it's like I said: I can't just decline after I've already accepted it," he informed, "If I did, then that may be the end of my salvaging career. And then what would I do?"

"I guess you got a point..." Ash conceded, "It's just... something doesn't seem right with this..."

"Well, when you put it like that..." Rex sighed in defeat, before facing Ash with a smile, "But things will be fine. After all, I have you all, and the way you stopped Malos' attack like that was pretty cool."

Hearing that, Ash couldn't help but smile. "If anyone deserve any thanks, it'd be Pikachu and Gatomon," he replied as Pikachu scratched his head in embarrassment, "They're the ones who stopped Malos' attack."

"Well, yea, but you told me that Pokémon Trainers and Digidestineds support their partners in battle," Rex added, "If that display is of any indication, it shows how well you two did in training them."

"I guess you have a point," Kari responded with a giggle. And just like that, the mood finally lightened.

"Anyway, I suppose we better make some preparations," Rex spoke.

"We have quite a lot of gold, though," Gatomon pointed out as Rex pulled out a bag of gold that Bana handed him, "What exactly should we buy?"

"Hm... Not much," Rex answered after a bit of thought, "Probably just an Abyss Suit and some other accessories for you two. After all, Fonsett Village needs this money more than I do."

Ash gave a smile toward Rex. "It is nice of you to be sending money to your village like this," he complimented, "If I had that kind of capability, I'd be doing the same for Pallet Town."

"It's like I said before; my main goal is finding Elysium, but the extra cash is an added bonus, and there's no way I'm letting that go to waste," Rex explained, scratching the back of his head, "Aunt Corrine certainly appreciates it." With that said, the trio plus partners headed toward the shops.


The group made plenty of preparations for the job. As he said, Rex bought himself the Abyss Vest he wanted while also getting a couple of Rigid Vests for Ash and Kari seeing that the other accessories won't help them much (that, and Pikachu and Gatomon are a bit too small for them). He also made a stop to Max to deliver 90,000 of the gold to Aunt Corrine (seeing that Melolo couldn't make a delivery this big). The group also bought some Grilled Anchortail (and a Marine Stir-Fry as Gatomon insisted) from a seafood shop a floor higher before deciding that they're prepared enough.

The group now find themselves on another dock on the other side of Argentum. They're currently gazing at the large Titan ship currently moored. It's certainly impressive enough, being nearly the same size as that black ship they saw before.

"Wheeling out the Maelstrom for this..." Rex commented in awe, "Bana sure has deep pockets..."

"What, the fact that he's rewarding us 200,000 gold in total didn't clue you in?" Ash replied with a chuckle. Soon, the others began chuckling a bit before a cough was heard from behind. The group turned around and saw one of the clients, the cat-eared girl named Nia.

"Gawking at a boat? What are you, twelve?" she commented, much to Rex's unamused face, "Wait, maybe you are twelve."

"What's my age got to do with anything?" Rex retorted, "I can tell an awesome feat of engineering when I see one!"

Nia merely sighed at that. "You don't close your mouth soon, you'll swallow a fly," she responded.

'What is her problem?' Ash thought before noticing a pile of rope by Nia's feet, an idea in mind. "Nia, you might want to watch where you stand," he called out, "Otherwise that rope'll drag you into the sea."

It apparently had the reaction Ash expected as Nia leaped back in shock, mouth hanging open. Ash couldn't help but laugh at Nia's reaction, with Rex doing the same. Nia, as expected, had a stern face, unappreciating the prank, while Kari, Pikachu, and Gatomon, as well as Dromarch, could only sigh at the boys' antics. Off in the distance, Malos apparently had the same thought as Kari as he facepalmed, though Sever, his Blade, thought it was funny as he started laughing as well. And Jin... well, it's hard to tell with that mask of his.

Just then, an adult wearing salvager gear approached the group. "Rex, we're heading out. Your friends are coming?" he questioned with Rex nodding, "You have night watch this time. Until then, rest up inside."

"Aye aye!" Rex responded with a salute before gesturing Ash and Kari, "Come on, you two!" With that, the group, along with the clients, got aboard the Maelstrom. It was time to set sail as the ship sailed toward the destination.


Night has fallen as most of the salvagers started drinking in the main hull, though some, including the clients, had the right idea of remaining in their rooms. Ash and Kari were among them as they had their room all to themselves (Rex was currently on lookout duty). Pikachu and Gatomon were currently curled up to each other taking a nap. Ash soon noticed that Kari was tinkering with what appears to be a small handheld device.

"Kari, what are you doing?" he asked, startling Kari out of her focus, "Sorry... It's just, you seem to be focused on your Digivice there. Is there something wrong with it?"

"Well... Ever since we landed in Alrest, my D-3's been unresponsive," she explained with a sigh, "I can't get it to work. That means I won't be able to Digivolve Gatomon into Angewomon..."

"Bummer..." Ash responded with a worried look, "What do you think might have happened to it?"

"Hm... If I had to make a guess, it's probably that portal that took us here in the first place," she theorized, though still worried, "If Izzy was here, he'd probably be able to figure this out..."

"Hmm... I'm guessing you already told Gatomon about this, right?" Ash asked, which was answered by a nod, "It is a bad thing, but at least Gatomon's a Champion-level and not a Rookie. It probably shouldn't get in the way of Gatomon's performance."

"I suppose you're right," Kari responded with a sigh of relief, though Ash had a different sigh.

"You're certainly better off than me," he noted slamming his fists on his knees, "Why did I not think of bringing my other Pokémon for this!? They could've helped out against that thing!"

Kari responded by placing a hand on Ash's shoulder. "You shouldn't blame yourself, Ash. No one knew we'd be attacked like that. It was a surprise for everyone," she reassured.

"Yea, but still..." Ash replied, still not convinced, "As a soon-to-be Pokémon Master, I needed to be ready for anything... I was far too lax during that time, and because of that, Pikachu's the only Pokémon I have for this entire journey."

Despite Ash's reasoning, Kari continued to soothe the trainer. "Even so, is that really so bad?" she asked, "Pikachu's one of your strongest Pokémon. Surely that'll make up for you not having a full team. And has Pikachu ever really let you down?"

Ash gazed toward the sleeping Pokémon for a bit, before turning to Kari with a sigh. "No... Not particularly. Pikachu always tries his best, and that all I can ask of him."

"Well, there you go!" Kari commended with a smile, with Ash joining her. Soon, there was silence, except that Kari still had one more question for the trainer. "... Ash? What do you think of Alrest?"

"What do I think of Alrest?" Ash wondered that as he closed his eyes in thought. After a while of thinking, he opened up and faced Kari with a smile. "Despite what happened that brought us here... I'm glad we landed here. We got to see some amazing sights like the Cloud Sea and Argentum, and that's only just the beginning! I'm also glad to have met Rex and Azurda. Those two are great friends to be sure, especially Rex!"

Kari could only giggle at that response. "I figured you would like Rex. I swear, you two are so alike, I could've sworn you were brothers," she replied, though she soon frowned, "But it certainly can't all be good... The revelation that the Titans are dying out and war coming does make it worrisome. And I'm not entirely set with ALL of Alrest's residents. Case in point, Malos."

Ash merely sighed at that. "That is true, but then, what journey isn't filled with bumps in the road?" he explained, "My journeys are always filled with Team Rocket's failed attempts at snagging Pikachu. And that's saying nothing about other bad people like Team Galactic. Even the discovery of the DigiWorld had me running into LadyDevimon and Myotismon, yet I still don't regret that in the slightest."

Ash then gave Kari a loving look. "After all... I got to meet you."

Blushing from such a comment, Kari gave an embarrassed smile. "Still such a charmer, I see..." she commented, "Though in all honestly, I'm kinda in the same boat. If my friends and I haven't gone through that tunnel, I probably wouldn't have met you, much less... fall in love..."

She then gave a much more cheerful smile. "So in a way, I'm kinda glad all that stuff happened,"

The two smiled at each other, enjoying each other's company. After a bit of silence, though, Kari edged closer to Ash. "Ash...?"

"Yea, Kari...?" Ash replied, also edging closer to Kari.

"Even despite the bad stuff we've encountered, I'm also glad to be here on Alrest..." she spoke softly, "... especially since you're here..."

"Kari..." Ash spoke with a soft smile. The two edged closer until... their lips touched. Eyes closed, the two enjoyed the mood as they kiss passionately... It lasted for a good minute or so...

... until Rex entered through the door.

"I'm back! Mis-" Rex started until he noticed the scene of Ash and Kari kissing, and all became awkward. The accidentally announced couple broke lip contact and faced the salvager with glares, though they still had embarrassed blushes on their faces.

"What the hell, Rex!?" Ash called out harshly, "Couldn't you've entered at a better time!?"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Rex tried to apologize, reduced to a blushing mess, "I didn't mean to- I was just- I didn't know you two were-!"

Kari merely groaned at that, her moment with Ash ruined. "Just... Just rest yourself up..." she spoke with a groan, "There's still that job to do."

Rex scratched his head in embarrassment. "Er, r-right!" he responded before setting himself on the other bed. With that settled, Kari turned to Ash.

"We might as well do the same," she recommended with a yawn, "After all, who knows what might happen. Pupunin did say something about being 'combat trained.'"

"Alright," was Ash's only response as he was also miffed that his moment was ruined. The two then laid down on their bed to nap until the Maelstrom reach its destination. Rex, however, was having trouble sleeping, the sight of Ash and Kari kissing still fresh in his mind.

'Ash and Kari... are a couple...?' he thought, 'I wonder when they planned to tell me and Gramps that...'

He turned toward the now sleeping couple, staring at them. 'I wonder... if I could get myself someone as well...'


Meanwhile, in the client's room, both Jin and Malos, as well as Dromarch took a quiet nap, a stark contrast from the snores coming from Sever. However, Nia couldn't bring herself to sleep, not because of Sever, but because of something else.

'But up there... Elysium is waiting for us,' Nia remembered the words of someone she ran into, 'Everyone could have peace and security. I mean, a dream like that... Isn't that worth believing in?'

'A dream worth believing in...?' she thought to herself, '... Can a place like that really exist...?'

'When I asked Gramps, he told me they died when I was just a kid,' was the person's answer when Nia asked if they had parents, 'He basically raised me himself. He's not like us, though.'

"Can't sleep?" a voice knocked Nia out of her thoughts. One turn revealed it was Jin.

"Sorry..." Nia apologized, head held low, "I guess I have a lot in mind..."

"About the mission?" was Jin's response, prompting Nia to shake her head.

"Nah, it's..." she began, suddenly feeling nervous about speaking to Jin about this, "It's just... There's someone I ran into before. I thought he was just a nobody, but then... he got me thinking about things..."

Jin closed his eyes in thought, thinking that the person Nia was talking about was the salvager they met in Bana's office. The one they called 'Rex.' "... What did he say?" he questioned softly after opening his eyes.

"Well, a couple of things, here and there..." Nia answered, a bit vaguely, "But there was something that caught my mind... Something about 'a dream worth believing in.' It made me think about... our own dreams..."

Jin instantly understood where Nia's coming at, eyes closed once again and sighing. "... Only time will tell whether that'd come true or not..." he spoke, fully facing Nia with open eyes, "But that is precisely why we're on this mission: a first step toward our goal."

He then laid his hand on Nia's shoulder. "All I ask is for your help..."

Nia stared at Jin for a while before giving a soft smile. "... Sure, Jin..." she replied, "After all, you helped me before. It's the least I could to to repay you."

Jin gave a genuine nod as he went back to bed. Nia soon did the same, though her thoughts were still on Rex.


So yea. Again, sorry if it's slow going. Next time, however, we're actually going to get into some combat once the Maelstrom reach the destination. Though I remember combat being one of the hardest things to write on this site, so I don't know how that'll go.

Besides that, that scene between Ash and Kari. I already mentioned back in part 1 that those two are already a couple before the events of this story (again, this takes place in an AU of Pete's Population Trilogy). That being said, don't expect too many romantic moments in this story. This is primary adventure-based, and I'm mostly not going to deviate from that.

Another thing is that scene between Nia and Jin. Aside from sorta setting Nia up to be a possible option for Rex (still unsure whether to go with her or another female that we'll get to very soon), it's also meant to showcase Jin's caring side, as I'd imagine him caring for his subordinates (as we'll see later on when we actually see more of Torna).

Anyway, tell me what you think. Hopefully I'm doing alright with this.