Chapter 8: Peeko and Briney
"That was amazing," Wally said as they left the Gym. "It took a lot longer for me and Amigo to beat that Nosepass. And I'm glad she couldn't use spells against me."
"I wasn't badly hurt," Kiri said. "Although my mind feels a bit fuzzy now."
"Maybe you should rest before we go on."
They had to stop, though, as a man wearing black rushed out of Devon Headquarters and ran north. He was followed by a man in a brown jacket. "Hey get back here!" he yelled. "Give back our goods!"
"Isn't that the Researcher we found in the Woods two weeks ago?" Wally asked.
"Let's go help him." She followed after, catching up to the man at the edge of town. His face was red and he looked out of breath. "Hey, what happened?"
"Oh... young Mage..." He looked down the eastern road. "That thief broke into our building and made off with some... valuable prototypes. I should... go ask for Roxanne's assistance."
"I'll go after him," Kiri offered.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm faster in my wheelchair and that road dead ends into the tunnel."
"Wait," Wally said, catching up. "I shouldn't run that fast."
"Go back and get Roxanne," Kiri told him. "Tell her there's a thief that has some things from Devon. He's headed towards Rock Tunnel."
"Okay."
The Researcher started to say something, but Kiri had already sped off. The road was paved well, probably from when they were bringing in the tunneling machines. She could easily push her wheels to move faster than ordinary people could run. When she reached the tunnel entrance, she caught sight of the thief running inside. 'Sucker' she thought.
She slowed to get by the small crowd of people outside the tunnel. "What's going on?" she asked.
"He, he kidnapped my darling Peeko," an old man said, distraught.
"That's right," a muscular man added. "Took the poor 'gull hostage. He won't like what he finds inside, though."
"Roxanne should be coming," she told them. "I'll go see if I can get Peeko back."
"But this is a dangerous and desperate man," the old man said, but Kiri didn't pay attention. She went on inside.
It was a misty tunnel, with white wisps of moisture following all air currents. There were some of the pink Whismurs nearby, looking curiously at her. She brought out Billina and went down the tunnel.
"Aw crud," she heard the thief say as she rolled through the mist. "I'm already late getting these goods, the Pokemon I kidnap turns out to be totally useless, and now this stupid tunnel is unfinished. What gives? This was supposed to be a cakewalk."
The forms of the thief and a Wingull appeared. The bird Pokemon appeared scared stiff. Kiri thought about using Cut to get the man to let Peeko go. However, she decided against it because she might miss from exhaustion of the Gym battle, or even hit the poor bird instead. She ought to just keep him here until Roxanne showed up. "Hey, let him go!"
The CCP grunt stiffened, then turned around. "Oh, it's that Mage brat. What are you doing here?"
"Getting Peeko back. You shouldn't be stealing Pokemon."
"You wouldn't understand. Lokire's mission is far more important. Now you either get out of my way or I'll kill this dumb bird." He put his hand against Peeko's shivering body.
Kiri hesitated, not sure what to do now. But then the Whismurs, alarmed at the events, began shrieking. It was bad enough outside, but in the tunnel, the uproar was amplified by the rock walls. Billina squawked and retreated back to her ball. The thief dropped the Wingull to cover his ears, cursing the Whismurs inaudibly. Kiri wanted to cover her ears too, but saw the chance. "Peeko!" She gestured for the Wingull to come to her.
Thankfully, the Wingull darted into her lap. He looked scared and bruised from the rough handling, but would be fine after being returned and healed. Kiri spun her chair around and raced out of the tunnel.
"Peeko!" the old man called. "Are you hurt?"
"I-I-I'm alive?" the Wingull stammered.
Kiri stopped by the two men. "He seems mostly scared."
He picked up his Pokemon gently. "You're okay now, you're back with me."
A brown column of light appeared, then formed into Roxanne. She had a Golem and her Guardian, a Swampert, with her. "Where's this thief?"
"In the tunnel," the strong man said.
"He scared the Whismurs," Kiri added, rubbing her ringing ears.
"That was dumb," the Leader commented. Noticing the thief run out, she ordered, "Golem, restrain him."
"Right away." The large rock Pokemon ran over and grabbed hold of the thief while he was still getting his bearings.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" the thief asked brazenly of the much heavier Pokemon. He glared at Roxanne. "You'll pay for this, both of you girls. Who are you to intervene with my sacred mission?"
"I'm Roxanne, Leader of Rustboro Gym."
He paled. It was a Wizard's honor to defend his or her hometown, doubly so for a Gym Leader. "Uh-oh."
"That's right," she said, slightly amused. "What are you doing, stealing from Devon?"
"And kidnapping a sweet harmless Wingull," the old man said bitterly.
"Orders from the Ambassador. You need know nothing more."
"I'm sure we'll find out more about your Ambassador in due time." She took a Devon parcel from his arm, then handed it to Kiri. "Would you take this to Devon Headquarters, Kiri? On your honor as a Mage."
She nodded and took the black box. "Right, on my honor as a Mage."
"Good. I'll handle this one." She teleported off with the grunt.
"So your name is Kiri?" the old man asked. "I'm Mr. Briney."
She smiled. "Hi Mr. Briney, good to meet you."
"Thank you so much for rescuing my dear friend Peeko. Many of my friends have passed on, but my loyal Peeko is always there for me."
"My friend makes the best fish treats in the whole world," Peeko boasted happily.
"Tell you what; I'm a sailor, even in my old age. If you ever need to go anywhere out on the sea, just come to my cottage by Petalburg Woods. I'll be glad to take you along."
"That sounds great," Kiri said. "I'll remember that."
"I should head back home now before it gets too late. I'll see you later."
As Briney left, the muscular man said, "I should be getting back to the tunnel."
"Are you the wizard they sent to complete it?" she asked. If so, they might get to Verdanturf soon.
He shook his head. "Nah, I'm just a trainer with a pair of Machops. See, my girlfriend lives in Verdanturf, so we were really happy when this tunnel was being planned. But then they had to stop. Still, I figure that if I work carefully and quietly, I can complete the tunnel myself without disturbing the wild Whismurs. There's not much left to clear and that specialist may not get here for another few weeks."
"That's pretty impressive. Good luck with that."
"Thanks. And good luck to you."
Kiri returned to Rustboro and went straight to Devon Headquarters. Wally was sitting with the Researcher in the lobby as she rolled up. "Here you are," Kiri said, handing over the stolen bag. "Roxanne has the thief in custody."
"Oh, thank you so much," the Researcher said, taking the bag back. "I hope it's not damaged. Can I offer you something in thanks?"
"No need," Kiri said. "It's my duty as a Mage. That, and I'm tired right now after the Gym challenge."
"I see. Maybe we'll talk tomorrow."
As it turned out, the Researcher had sent her and Wally a message the next morning to meet with him.
And, interestingly enough, the President of Devon Corporation. Mr. Stone was an older man, although not as old as Mr. Briney. He wore a sophisticated black suit with a red tie. A Pokeball shaped tie tack was attached to it. "I've heard about you two from Gerald here and Roxanne. You both helped out so selflessly."
"It was the right thing to do," Wally said nervously. He was sweating under all the attention.
"I was wondering if I could ask you two travelers for another favor. The parcel you returned yesterday is very important and needs to reach the Shipyard in Slateport by next month. However, the CCP cult is interested in intercepting it, even going so far as to hijack mail enchantments on anything of this size. But I don't think they'll expect a pair of teenagers on a journey to have this package."
"What is it?"
"Right now, these plans are top secret. If you leave for Slateport from the small port in Petalburg, you'll pass Dewford on the way. I'd like you to deliver a letter to my son Steven, who should be there. My Mail spell keeps getting bounced, so I'd like someone to take it to him personally."
"We can deliver a package and a letter," Kiri said.
Mr. Stone nodded. "Thank you. And I wouldn't be so selfish as to ask for a favor without anything in return, so these are for you." He handed over a pair of small books.
Wally went wide-eyed. "These are the new Pokenav books! But they're really expensive."
The President smiled. "It's no trouble at all. You can even combine it with a Pokedex for convenience."
"We'll keep your deliveries safe, we promise," Wally said. When they left, he opened the enchanted book excitedly. "These are great! They have full maps of the Hoenn region, and a special journal to record battle history, and another journal to record contest results."
"I wasn't gonna buy one for a while, cause the price was too high. But getting them free is perfect."
"Not exactly free. We still have to get those things delivered. But how are we going to get to Dewford and Slateport?"
Kiri smiled. "Oh, I know somebody."
Mr. Briney was more than happy to take them to their destinations. They stayed at his house overnight, then sailed south shortly after dawn. "I hope you won't be affected by the sea's motions," Briney said as Wally helped him tie down Kiri's wheelchair.
"So long as this is going nowhere, I don't mind," Kiri replied.
"I was fine riding a Surfing Pokemon," Wally added. "This look alright?"
The old man tugged at the rope. "It's strong. You've got a good hand at tying knots."
"Thanks. My uncle showed me a lot of knots one time when I was sick. I still remember how to do them, like the monkey's fist."
"Sounds like you're well on your way to becoming a sailor."
He blushed. "You think so?"
"It's a possibility. Come over here and I'll show you some things."
Fortunately, the place Kiri was secured was close enough to listen in and chat with them as the boat went south. The trip took several hours, as the Sea Route was long and dotted with small rocky islands. Samba seemed fascinated by the ocean, running up and down the boat to get a view on everything. Wary of the ocean spray, Billina stayed by Kiri and Amigo talked with her. Above them, Peeko whistled out to wild Wingulls and teased the Tentacools, although he always stuck near the boat.
"I hadn't considered being a sailor," Wally told Briney. "Of course, I hadn't thought much on what else I could do, besides being a Wizard like my parents. I was almost certain I'd be doing that."
Briney shook his head. "You're too young to have settled on one course. You're seventeen; you should be exploring every possibility in life that you have."
"I guess. But there seems to be so many things I could do now, and I don't want to disappoint my parents further."
"You have any siblings?"
"No, why?"
"That may be making it harder for them to let you go. But if they're sensible people, they should come around to realizing your independence."
"I hope that's so," Amigo said.
"But you don't think so?" Billina asked, curious.
"I'm afraid that may not be so for his mother." He frowned.
"Hey, Mr. Briney?" Kiri called from her spot. "You guys were saying earlier that Dewford's the sacred town of Kyogre, right?"
"That's right," Wally answered. "Kyogre's spirit resides there while she's under the sleeping spell of Rayquaza. We don't know where her body is, though."
"The people of Hoenn are grateful for that," Briney added. "As spirits, Kyogre and Groudon are much calmer than they were when awake."
Kiri nodded. "I heard some stories from Dad, but I'm still learning your legends. So it was Kyogre who caused endless rain to increase the seas and Groudon who caused endless drought to increase the lands?"
"That's how it was."
"Then why is Dewford so absurdly sunny right now?"
Squinting to the south, they could see the island of Dewford. It was rocky, like most of the other islands out here. The sun seemed particularly powerful that afternoon, causing the seas to become brightly glossy and the island to shimmer like a desert in summer. As they approached the island, the air became drier and hotter.
"It does seem ominous," Wally said nervously. "Wait, isn't it about the time of year they summon her spirit?"
"Hmm." Briney checked a calender on the wall. "Yes, it should be today, but the signs are of Groudon's power, not Kyogre's. This can't be good."
They pulled up to the docks among many other boats that were in early, presumably for the summoning. The Gym was southeast of the docks, a large and old building with a stone mural of ocean life around the outside. A large blue and white whale dominated the mural on the back wall; presumably, that was Kyogre. Other buildings in town were weathered like the Gym, after years of facing the sea winds, rain, and the occasional tsunami.
But there were unmistakable signs of drought. Plants were wilting or toughening in response to the dry heat. A painting of Kyogre on another building was beginning to peel from lack of moisture. Rain barrels were empty, so the desalination plant nearby was working noisily to keep up with water demands. On a board by the dock exit, someone had recently put up a list of tips to conserve water.
"Dewford shouldn't be like this," Wally said as he walked alongside Kiri and Briney.
"They seemed all right last time I was down here," the old sailor responded, "but that was six months ago. I wonder if they've left for the other shore already. With conditions like this, it'd be no surprise if everyone was anxious."
"No, there seems to be a lot of people over there." He was pointing to the Community Center.
It was a space with a large roof and few walls, ideal for a place that rained a lot. However, now people were using it as a place to escape the intense sun overhead. The residents were trying to be cheerful, but there were worried tones littering the general chatter: talk of how the tide lines seemed to be receding or of how wild Pokemon on the island were acting strangely. Briney waved the two teens to follow him as he looked for someone.
That someone was a Wizard who, despite the weather, was wearing his formal robes, deep blue with gold Unown text embroidered along the edges. He also wore a pale blue necklace with an Ice enchantment, to keep him safe from heat exhaustion. He had dark blue-gray hair, much like the toddler he had on his lap. When he noticed them coming, he smiled. "Afternoon, Mr. Briney. It's been a while since I saw you last."
The old sailor smiled back. "Afternoon, Brawly. It has been some time; I might have checked in sooner if I heard about this."
"Bad, isn't it? I've searched this island the past couple of weeks, but there hasn't been a sign that this is anything but a poor stretch of weather. Yet it feels like something more."
"Have you checked in with old Dusack?"
"I've thought about it. Who are your young friends?"
"This would be Kiri Brown and Wally Chesterfield. They're really great kids and they'll probably be out to challenge you in a couple of days. Kids, this is the local Gym Leader, Brawly."
"Hi, nice to meet you," Kiri said.
Brawly pointed at her. "Wait, you mean... you're Norman and Samantha's daughter, aren't you?"
She nodded. "Yeah, you know them?"
"From years ago. And this is my son, Jeffery."
Jeffery looked at them, then laughed nervously. The toddler clutched at his father's robes, as if feeling he should be friendly, but too shy to follow through. But Brawly's presence meant that he wasn't scared.
"He talks, but is a little shy around new people." His eyes flickered, thinking over things in the past. "I knew them fairly well, mostly Sam. I keep thinking I ought to go visit, but I figured he'd be busy with settling into his Gym and then I've had local issues to deal with. Still, if only to show that I wouldn't be petty enough to hold a grudge when those things are far gone."
"What happened?"
He waved his hand to that. "It's old things, nothing to worry about. It'll be interesting to see how you battle, but the Gym will be closed for tomorrow so I can recover from the ceremony this evening. You three want to come watch? It's an important ceremony for the whole region, but only happens once a year."
"We'd love to," Wally said. "I've read about it for years and always wanted to come."
Brawly nodded. "You're welcome to come anytime. And hopefully Kyogre might give us some rain, or at least a sign of what's troubling her. She wouldn't let us fall to this without reason."
Pokenav Extra
People
Mr. Briney
Job: Retired
Hobby: boating (or is that his life?)
Secret: It's said that only three people know his real name.
Leonard Stone
Job: Devon Corp CEO
Hobby: collecting rare rocks and fossils
Secret: As a child, he started his fortune by selling to his Trainer classmates.
Brawly Fisher
Job: Dewford Gym Leader/Pokemon Wizard
Battle strategy: Martial arts, for myself and my Pokemon
Hobby: surfing (not Surfing)
Secret: When he was training around Kanto and Johto, he met someone...
Pokemon
Peeko (Wingull)
Trainer: Mr. Briney
Nature: Jolly
Likes: fish treats!
Dislikes: thunderstorms
Jessie (Swampert/Guardian)
Trainer: Roxanne
Team: Inactive
Nature: Timid
Likes: rock gardens
Dislikes: crowds
Golem
Trainer: Roxanne
Team: 6th and 7th Tier
Nature: Hasty
Likes: battles
Dislikes: boats
Places
Dewford: The holy town of Dewford is where the spirit of Kyogre resides. The Gym Leader for this town is responsible for protecting the Sapphire that represents her promise to help the town thrive. Although visited often by outsiders, the island has its own sub-culture which every resident keeps up-to-date with, even if it mystifies others.
Items
Pokenav: This enchanted book is Devon's latest hot seller, sure to become an invaluable tool to Trainers everywhere. It combines many features of other Journals, such as regional maps, battle records, and contest strategies, while containing many new features which Trainers have asked for: contest stat evaluators, notations of certain battle laws, and even a Gym log for Gym Trainers. For Mages and Wizards, it is a perfect compliment to the Pokedex. (And it is not, as some have suggested, a fountain of useless knowledge...)
The Peeko and Briney event is kinda cute; show how much people can care about Pokemon. Although I've heard some people say it's weird.
Making Brawly a surfer just makes sense, you know? Between his dialogue, location, and physique, it fits perfectly.
