Chapter 9: Saving the Relic Fragment
Team Legend entered Beach Cave in search of Sandra's Relic Fragment. Quickly, the four scoured the first floor for any sign of Zubat and Koffing. Carlos took out most of the enemy Pokemon they encountered but Sandra did her best to knock a few out, too. Suddenly, Joy noticed something.
"Remember what Chatot said about the mission he gave us?" the Raichu said. "He didn't tell us which floor Houndoom was on. He also told us the reward was unmarked. Isn't that strange?"
"Sandra, do you know anything about missions with unspecified floors or unmarked rewards?" Lucar asked.
"Well…a little," the Eevee replied. "Big sis once told me that missions without a location are very hard because you have to search every floor for your client. Missions with unmarked rewards are actually a pretty good thing. You can either get really rare items, a Pokemon egg, or your client will join your team."
"A Pokemon…egg?" Carlos repeated.
"Oh, yes! Baby Pokemon are born from eggs, Carlos. Even if you lost your memory, that much should be obvious." Joy explained.
Maybe it would be obvious if I was a Pokemon my whole life, Carlos thought. But since I wasn't, of course I wouldn't know that. That's right…I still have to tell Joy I was once human.
"There's the stairs!" Sandra cried.
Team Legend went up the stairs, arriving on the second floor. A quick Thundershock eliminated the lone Shellos in the room, allowing Carlos to pick up the Blast Seed placed on the other side of the room. They moved on, making steady progress toward the Beach Cave Pit.
/I can guess what you're thinking. 'Man, what a boring mission. Why not just zoom straight to the main action?' Patience is key here. Even boring things like this have action hidden within it…/
After searching the whole floor for Houndoom, they found the stairs and climbed them to search the third floor. But the moment Sandra set foot on the ground, it moved beneath her. Yelping, she stared in horror as a Kabuto rose up from under her feet. She was standing on its back!
"Help!" the Eevee cried.
"Don't worry! I'm com—"
"Watch out!"
Joy crashed into Carlos just as a second Kabuto reared up from the ground where he had once stood. Lucar jumped and hauled Sandra off of the Kabuto, avoiding a swipe from its claw-like legs.
"I'll take care of these two!" Joy growled. "Carlos, go search for Houndoom!"
"Are you sure?" Carlos asked.
"Yes! Now go!" Joy shouted.
"Guys, let's go!" Carlos ordered.
Carlos, Lucar, and Sandra ran down a nearby tunnel, leaving Joy to fight the pair of Kabuto herself. Lucar suddenly sensed an odd aura and led Team Legend to it, revealing it to be Houndoom. The devil dog was overjoyed to have rescuers find him.
"Mission 1 complete!" Sandra said, holding out her badge. Houndoom vanished in a flash of light. "Now to find the stairs and get my Relic Fragment back."
"Yeah," Carlos nodded.
As they searched for the stairs, Lucar knocked a Corsola out on his own. Carlos easily electrocuted two oncoming Shellder while Sandra tackled a Shellos to defeat. Once they found the stairs, they climbed up o the fourth floor of Beach Cave. Joy was waiting for them there.
"Joy, are you okay?" Sandra asked.
"It was a piece of cake. Don't worry about me, Sandra. Let's find those bullies and get your Relic fragment back!" the Raichu said.
/For the longest time, Joy was like a mother to us. She guarded us, cared for us, supported us, and swore revenge upon those who hurt us. But, like any mother, she could become a bit overprotective and baby us a bit. That would change in the future once she met up with David again…even if it did hurt her to do so./
Once they left the room, Carlos picked up a Sleep Seed and the team tiptoed around a sleeping Shellos. As they continued their search, they fought off a pair of angry Shellder and a Kabuto. The moment they finally found the stairs, Sandra knocked out the lone Corsola that attacked them.
"Here we go, guys!" Carlos said, running up the stairs.
As Team Legend arrived on the fifth and final floor, they were shocked to see that this room had a view of the sea at the far back. And huddled in front of that view, muttering to each other…were Zubat and Koffing.
Sparks jumped from Joy's cheeks. "Hey! Turn around, you bullies! We're here to take back Sandra's Relic Fragment!"
"Huh?" The pair turned around and smirked. "Awww! What's the matter? The little chicken can't fight for herself?" Zubat teased
"Whoa-ho-ho! Should've guessed as much, Zubat." Koffing laughed. "Her famous big sister usually fights her battles for her. Now that she's not here, her friends have to do it for her."
"Heh-heh-heh! I guess you're right, Koffing. She really is a chicken!" Zubat chuckled.
"You…" Joy growled.
"Joy, wait." Lucar said. "I know why you're mad. But this is Sandra's battle. I think we should let her fight."
"Huh? Me?" Sandra yelped. "No, it's okay! Joy can beat them!"
"But it's your Relic Fragment they stole!" Carlos argued. "I'll fight with you if it makes you feel better, Sandra. We'll fight together."
Sandra blushed. "…Okay…"
"Huh? So the little chicken's really going to fight us. This'll be a laugh!" Zubat said. "Let's get them, Koffing!"
"Yeah!" Koffing nodded.
Joy and Lucar retreated to the far side of the cavern. "Lucar, are you sure?" Joy asked. "Sandra might not be able to beat them."
"She's not alone, Joy. She has Carlos with her." Lucar reminded. "I don't know why, but Sandra seems to gain courage from being near Carlos. Something about him makes her want to get stronger and braver. I know you just want to help but she isn't David, Joy."
Joy gasped. "…You're right," she admitted. "I've been relating you three to my little boy because you're around his age. I don't want to lose anyone again."
"You won't lose us, Joy. And we won't lose you either. I promise," the Riolu said.
"…Thank you, Lucar." Joy turned to watch the battle. These children aren't defenseless like my little David. They know how to fight. They may be children…but they don't need a mother. They need a teammate…
"Let's do this, Sandra!" Carlos cried.
"Yeah!" the Eevee nodded. I'm not going to chicken out this time. Not like with Yanmega. This time…I'm going to fight!
Koffing went first, diving in for a Tackle. Sandra dodged him and threw sand in his face, causing him to yelp in surprise. Carlos unleashed a Thundershock, hitting Koffing hard. Suddenly, the Pikachu cried out as Zubat bit him with Leech Life, draining a bit of his health.
"Carlos!" Sandra cried.
"Take this! Poison Gas!"
Sandra yelped, coughing as she was surrounded by a cloud of purple gas. Her vision was a bit fuzzy and she knew she was poisoned. Suddenly, Zubat collided with her from behind. Carlos unleashed a Thundershock, electrocuting the bat in revenge. Koffing then crashed into the Pikachu, knocking him down.
"Heh-heh-heh! You really think we're so easy to take down? Think again!" Zubat laughed.
"Hey, Zubat! Let's get rid of the mousy first!" Koffing suggested.
"Sure! The poison will knock the chicken out soon enough, anyway." Zubat said.
Koffing unleashed a thick cloud of black smoke upon Carlos, allowing him and Zubat to attack him without warning. The Pikachu coughed and looked around, squinting to try and find them. Suddenly, Koffing hit him hard from behind with Assurance. Carlos growled and struggled to his feet.
"This is cheating!" Carlos cried. "Two on one isn't fair!"
"So?" Zubat said from somewhere to his right. "It's your fault for fighting alongside the chicken."
Carlos shot a Thundershock toward the voice, only to hear Zubat cackling from behind him. A set of fangs sank into his arm, causing Carlos to cry out. Koffing hit Carlos' chest with Tackle, throwing him backward. A loud screech suddenly confused the Pikachu, causing him to look around wildly for his attackers.
"Car…los…" Sandra coughed, struggling to her feet as the poison cloud cleared. She felt sick but ignored it. Carlos needed her! "I'm…coming!"
She dashed into the Smokescreen and felt around until she found Carlos. Searching in the bag, she grabbed a seed and waited until the pair struck. A Zubat shot forward to unleash another Leech Life, Sandra tossed the seed…and put him to sleep! Grabbing to unconscious bat, she threw him in the direction she heard Koffing coming from…and scored a direct hit!
As the black cloud cleared, Koffing shoved Zubat off of him and glared at Sandra. "You cheated, chicken!" he accused.
"I didn't cheat. I just used my big ears to find you." Sandra twitched her ears to show off their size. "They're not this big for nothing, you know."
Before Koffing could say another word, a Thundershock hit him and knocked him out. Sandra turned and laughed at the shocked look on Carlos' face. The Pikachu stumbled over and grabbed her shoulder, trying to remain upright.
"I was aiming for Zubat," he admitted.
"At least you knocked one of them out." Sandra said, smiling. "Now we just have Zubat to deal with."
"Ugh…what hit me?" Zubat slowly sat up and groaned. Then he noticed Koffing unconscious next to him. "Hey, Koffing! What's wrong with you? Wake up!"
Carlos smirked at Sandra. "Do you want the honors?"
"It would be my pleasure." Sandra approached Zubat. "Ready to give back my Relic Fragment?"
"Uh…" Zubat was trembling in fear.
Sandra tackled him, knocking the bat out instantly. The Relic Fragment flew out of his wing and Sandra pounced, catching it. Landing on the ground, she smiled triumphantly and hugged her Relic Fragment to her chest.
"We did it, Carlos! We got my Relic Fragment back!" the Eevee cried.
"No," Lucar shook his head. "You got your Relic Fragment back, Sandra."
The Eevee smiled and nodded. "Yeah…I guess I did!"
"I knew you could do it, Sandra." Carlos said. "That was really good."
"Thanks!" Sandra cried, blushing. "I couldn't have done it without you, though."
"Hey, what do we do about them?" Joy asked, glaring at Zubat and Koffing.
"Nothing. They should be waking up any minute now." Lucar replied. "We should head back to the guild now, guys. It's been a long day."
"Yeah," Sandra pulled out her badge. "Mission 2 completed!"
In a flash of light, the badge teleported them back to Wigglytuff's Guild. Once they managed to untangle themselves, they were greeted by a cheerful Plusle. Houndoom was by her side, grinning.
"Thank you so much for rescuing my friend! I don't know what I would've done without you guys!" Plusle cried.
"I could've gotten out on my own…eventually." Houndoom grumbled.
"No you wouldn't! Water puts out fire!" Plusle argued.
"I was fine, honest! But…thanks anyway, Team Legend." Houndoom said.
"So…what's the reward? It was unmarked." Carlos asked.
"Oh, that! I want you guys to have this!" Plusle said. "Take good care of it, okay?"
Plusle held out a tan and blue egg. Joy instantly squealed and picked it up, treating it with care. Carlos looked up at it in shock. "…An egg?"
"Yeah," Plusle nodded. "I found it all alone in the woods and I don't know how to take care of eggs. But it looks like your Raichu friend knows how, so…will you guys take that as your reward?"
"Sure!" Sandra nodded. "We're just glad you and your friend are reunited!"
"Thanks!" Plusle cried. "Let's go, Houndoom!"
"Yeah, yeah…" Houndoom and Plusle climbed up the ladder and left the Guild.
Chatot hopped up to them, only to gape at the egg Joy was holding. "I'm surprised! An egg…this early in your careers? My, you youngsters are sure lucky! Chansey has a Daycare in Treasure Town where you can drop the egg off to hatch."
"No," Joy quickly said. "I…I'll take care of it. If that's okay,"
Carlos knew what was going on. She misses having a kid of her own, he thought. "Sure, Joy. We'll all help."
"Thanks," the Raichu said, rubbing the egg gently.
"Now then, how about some dinner? You must be starving!" Chatot said.
"You bet!" Carlos nodded.
Suddenly, four stomachs started growling. Team Legend looked at each other and blushed, only to burst out laughing a moment later. Shaking his head, Chatot herded them downstairs to eat dinner.
After dinner, Team Legend went to their room to sleep. But none of them were tired. Instead, they chose to chat with each other until they fell asleep.
"Thanks again, guys." Joy said, holding the egg close to keep it warm. "I guess being a mother stays with you…even when you're not one anymore."
"It's okay, Joy. It's just instinct. We all have it." Lucar reassured.
"What do you think it is?" Sandra asked. "The egg, I mean. It's tan with a blue line across the front of it."
"The design on the egg usually gives it away." Lucar said. "Tan and blue…any ideas, Carlos?"
"Hmmm…what's tan and blue?" the Pikachu muttered. "Tan with a blue horizontal line on the front. Hmmm…" Then Carlos shrugged. "I don't know,"
"What do you think, Joy?" Sandra asked.
"Well…I'm not a good guesser, honest. But, if I had to choose, I'd say…" Joy tapped her chin before deciding. "A Phanpy. They're blue."
"But it has more tan on it than blue. I think it's something else." Carlos pointed out. "Lucar, couldn't you check its aura and find out."
"Hey, I don't want to hurt the baby!" the Riolu barked. "Besides, the aura of eggs won't show me what Pokemon it is. Only when it's about to hatch will I know."
"Oh," Carlos said. "Okay…"
"Hey, what are we going to do about the egg during missions? We can't take it with us and we can't leave it here all alone. I could hatch without us!" Sandra cried.
"I could stay here with the egg while you guys go on missions." Joy volunteered. "Sure, I'll end up being lower level than you guys but I'll catch up. And once the baby has hatched and is old enough, maybe it could go on missions with us."
"That sounds like a great idea, Joy!" Sandra cried.
"Okay, it's settled." Carlos said. "Joy will stay here at the Guild and care for the egg while the rest of us do our missions. Does that sound good to you, guys?"
"Yeah!!" Lucar and Sandra cried.
"I'll take good care of the baby for you guys." Joy promised.
"We know you will, Joy." Lucar said.
Sandra yawned and curled up in bed, suddenly tired. "Good night, guys."
"Night!" Carlos and Lucar yawned.
"Good night, everyone," Joy muttered, closing her eyes.
As sleep claimed Team Legend, a ghostly figure floated outside of their window. He smiled the best he could through his zipper-like mouth.
/The next week of our lives would really be stressful, particularly involving the baby. I wouldn't say babies are too hard to care for, but they definitely aren't easy. I'm glad we had Joy with us. Without her, the next week would be a terror to handle. But even with her, it was hard. How, you ask? Well…I'll let you find out./
Only moments after everyone fell asleep, Carlos opened his eyes and groaned. "Crud…I forgot to tell Joy that I'm actually human. I guess I'll have to do it tomorrow. Stupid memory…" Closing his eyes, he fell back asleep.
Outside the window, the ghostly figure froze with his back to the window. Did I just hear what I think I heard? One of these brats is human! Turning, he scanned the four to try and figure out who spoke. Darn! Too late! Oh well…I guess I'll find out tomorrow. Turning once more, he flew away into the night.