Arc 2 - Tag, We're IT!

Chapter 10: Begin the Registration


~Water Gun's House~

Aside from that nightmare, I had a dreamless, restful sleep. I think hay bed helped. Besides those soft white beds at that hospital place; Water Gun's bed was the softest thing I ever slept on.

I woke up in the morning with the nightmare, though like a fading vague memory, in my mind. Well, that and the delicious smell of fresh berries. Water Gun must have woke up before me and had gotten out several berries for breakfast. He was already at that wooden round table on the other side of the room, eating slowly with a depressed look on his face. It was weird since depressed didn't suit his type of personality. Whatever his personality is.

"Morning, Water Gun." He glanced at me with a bittersweet smile and sighed before returning to eating.

"Morning."

"So, after we finish eating, you'll show me around you place, right?"

"Right." He replied coolly. I frowned a bit. What was wrong with him? I was supposed to be the anti-social― and I'll be dammed before we switched roles.

We both sat there in silence, eating until all of the berries were gone. Even after we finished eating, we still just sat in the awkward silence, Staring at the wall or the table. Finally, I had enough.

"Let's see this place you've got here. If I'm going to live here, I need to know how to get around. Last thing I want is to be attacked by some rabid Lincoon while I'm taking a dump." Surprisingly, he didn't even reply to my joke, Water Gun just stood up from his chair and pointed outside.

"Outside is the pond, where I bathe. There's a forest behind the house for foraging and hunting. Next to the house is an underground storage area. And Above the storage area is a rain barrel incase the river gets low. Lets go to the headmasters now." And with that, Water Gun wordlessly left the table and headed through the door.

I quickly followed behind him. In any other case, I would've wondered what the mew was going on. But, since I already had more than a good idea, I decided to keep quiet about my change of plans. I know I said I wasn't one for surprises, but as long as they were on other people and not me or I was the one doing them, it was fine― No, scratch that, they were plain hilarious.

It was probably my imagination, but we passed through the forest pretty quickly, a lot faster than we did last night. Either way we were at the city in no time and passed a bunch of those shops to head straight for the Rescue Base. Once there, we saw that same Delcatty from the other day at that desk and in the same bored position she was in.

Seeing that Water Gun wasn't going to say something as per usual, I decided to speak up after the weird awkward moment when we all were blinking at each other as if it were a language.

"Hey, Delly, do you know if the Headmasters are here?" Letting out an exasperated sigh, she stretched out her arms across the table.

"Don't call me Delly." She yawned "And yes, they just rushed in about a moment ago. Go up. Knowing them, they probably came here just for you two." The Dellcatty boringly watched us as we headed up the stairs to go to the Headmasters rooms.

~The Rescue Base's Headmaster Meeting Room~

"Truly, we never thought the two of you would decide so quickly on something so trivial. Either you both are quick thinkers or don't think much at all." The other two leaders, Tawny and Jay slightly chuckled at Rai's joke.

"Jokes aside," Began Tawny, "This is pretty quick. Are both of you absolutely sure of what you're going to do? It's going to change you're life and all…" I nodded.

"Yeah, after thinking about it last night, it wasn't that hard to decide." Tawny nodded sagely before turning to Water Gun.

"And what about you? You don't look too well. Are you okay?" After Water Gun nodded once, she set aside her concern. "So what did you choose? Are you going to turn down or accept our offer?"

"I am..." began Water Gun, "I'm going to accept. I really want to be part of a Rescue Team. And Red Fire decided to―"

"I decided to accept too," I interrupted, looking at Water Gun with a smirk on my face. "but only if I can be on a rescue team with Water Gun. He is my friend after all." Said Squirtle gaped at me. Really, his open mouth was quivering and tears were streaming on the sides of his face. And you know what tears mean, right? Sentimental moment. Oh joy...

Ignoring a snort and a couple coughs from Jay, Water Gun grinned back at me. "You really mean that Red?"

"Uh, of course I did. I would've said something else if I didn't."

"But, what made you change you're mind? Last night you were all against the idea, but now you're, well…"

"As much as I'd hate to interrupt, we are busy Pokemon, please continue this conversation sometime else." Said Tawny, "You two are going to become a rescue team. But, first one of us will go down to the Main Hall with you to register you as a proper team. I hope you've decided on a name for yourselves…" Suddenly, the headmasters began staring doggedly at each other. Their faces rapidly changing expressions like someone would when they were in an argument. Finally ending with an exasperated sigh with Jay, and two triumphant looks from Tawny and Rai.

"You two have been hanging around Delphia too much. You're almost as lazy as her. Red Fire, Water Gun; go down to the lobby where Delphia is. I'll meet you there. I need to grab some papers." Water Gun and I nodded and headed for the door that lead to that lobby.

"So?" Asked Tawny. Jay, who was fishing around for several forms on the bookshelf, gave her an annoyed expression.

"What is it Tawny? Can't you see that I'm busy? My teammate decided to be lazy today, so I'm stuck doing her work. The Base's affairs ARE mostly your work Tawny."

"Key word is mostly. You're in charge of some stuff here too. Besides, out of the three of us you work less since we barely hear from the other towns. Anyway, we're getting off topic."

"And would be….?"

"What you think of Red Fire!" Jay curtly rolled his eyes at Tawny.

"I thought we already talked about this yesterday?"

"Yes, but that was before that nightmare Red Fire had. I think it means something important. That he's supposed to be here. What do you think it meant?" Tawny asked, looking at Jay expectantly.

"Do I look like Darkrai to you? How should I know what that nightmare means?" Jay exclaimed while picking up the last of the papers. "See yah, Tawn, I have your work to do." Jay open the door leading to the stairs and proceeded to go down.

Back in the headmaster's room, Tawny was staring at where Jay once was. "Jay," She thought, "you might not realize it, but he is so much like you…"

I blinked. She blinked back. I blinked twice. She blinked once. Annoyed, I blinked twice again. She blinked once again. I growled and blinked once. She smirked and blinked twice. I snarled and was about to blink again before I saw that Lucario standing at the door watching us.

"Delphia, what― never mind I don't care." Jay walked up to Delly's wooden desk with a bunch of paper in his hand and set a couple of them down. "Here's the paperwork already completed for Water Gun and his friend. I'll be back with the rest once these two are officially members. You mind slipping them in for me?"

"Sure, sure; I got it.." Delly yawned.

Chuckling, Jay turned back to us. "Follow me. I'm going to register you two in our records, after that, you officially members of the Ivy Town rescue base." Nodding in understanding, Water Gun and I followed Jay behind Delly's desk, where there seemed to be a large, pitch black hole in the ground. I was surprised I hadn't noticed it before.

Jay walked up to the hole and, to our surprise, jumped down through it. Water Gun and I shared hesitant looks with each other before approaching the hole. Besides a thick, worn wooden ladder, there was nothing inside the hole. Water Grabbed the one of the rungs of the ladder and slowly lowered himself down. I on the other hand, decided to take a leap of faith like Jay and jumped down when I couldn't see Water Gun anymore.

Fortunately, I didn't fall on Water Gun, and landed upright on my feet. After my eyes adjusted a little, I took a look around me and grunted I grunted. There wasn't anything; other than the faded light from the hole above us, it was completely pitch black. Heck, even that stupid dungeon place wasn't this dark; I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face! Next to me I could hear Water Gun take a couple of steps in front of me on what apparently was a sod floor.

"Where are we; where'd Jay go; and why is it so dark?" Water Gun asked. I rolled my eyes a bit, I could almost imagine him looking around curiously.

"Like I'd know; like I'd care; and, thank mew that it's so dark I can't see your underwear." I snickered when I heard Water Gun sigh deeply.

"Red, is there ever a time when you are not sarcast― whhaaaaaa!"

"Water Gun? What happened?" I looked over where I last heard Water Gun scream. He didn't reply. "Water Gun? This isn't some game! Argh, stupid darkness, stupid Squirtle and his stupid antics…" Grumbling, I took a step forward, which was a big mistake on my part.

"..and stupid Lucar― woah! Gaahhhhhhhhhh!"