Welcome back everyone. So I've been tossing an idea featuring an…intimate encounter in my head, but I might not go through with it given that it wouldn't add that much to the story at all. Still, if I can make it work then I'll put it in, but we'll have to wait for a definitive answer. But for now, I'll give you all another chapter to enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.
*ding, ding, ding* Captain Augustus alerted everyone attending the banquet by tapping a spoon against his wine glass, the old sailor's eyes surveying the room. "I'd like to thank you all for attending this banquet, a celebration over escaping from the clutches of Team Xen. Though our experience was a most harrowing one, it was our perseverance and teamwork that lead to our success. However, it was not without cost; Nancy…my dear friend fell in battle, giving up her life so that ours can be saved. Let this banquet be held to honor her sacrifice, so that it would not have been in vain." He spoke to the crowd, wiping a few small tears from his eyes. "Now that I've said my piece, you may begin dining."
Having paid their respects, the passengers began digging into the freshly cooked meals placed before them, with Louise playing the piano to add to the atmosphere. Though it wasn't five-star dining, it was a step above what they were served back at Blacksteeple Castle, something which they were most grateful for. Melia soon found herself the center of attention for Saki and her friends, the group opting to pass the time by chatting.
"Look…I'm sorry for acting like Neved's toady back there, but it was the best shot I had at disabling Madame X for good." The blonde apologized to the group, her gaze focused on Aelita. "Special apologies go to Aelita for treating you like some mindless puppet back then. I don't expect your forgiveness at all, but I hope you understand my reasons for doing such things."
"You helped break me out during the riot, so I can consider things even." Aelita smiled, her wounds and burns looking a lot better now thanks to the medical supplies on the ship.
"If your intentions were sincere, then why didn't you come to us for help? Why keep your identity a secret until back then?" Valarie inquired, resting her fork on the plate and took a small sip of red wine.
"…I wasn't sure if I could trust you guys yet with what I had to do. As for my identity, I can't tell you why I kept it secret." Melia answered, averting her gaze back to her food. "I'm sorry, but if you knew what I'm a part of, then it could lead to dire consequences."
"You know, it's been ages since I watched the news story about the disappearance of Professor Jenner and his daughter back in Grand Dream City. Now that you're back, the media is going to get whipped up into a frenzy." Adam commented. "Which reminds me, do you know where Prof—"
"No, and I couldn't careless about where my "father" is!" The blonde retorted viciously, her voice expressing her contempt for the man who betrayed her trust. The blue-haired man had a confused expression on his face, wondering what Jenner had done to anger his daughter, but chose not to press the issue further.
*munch, munch* "I'm surprised Julius is missing out on this banquet, there's plenty of good eats here." Saki chimed in, digging into a freshly cooked pork chop covered in Dijon sauce. "The guy's been in his cabin ever since we placed his body there."
"I don't think he's gonna leave that room for the rest of the trip. Can't blame him; after all he did see his mother get murdered right before his eyes." Valarie reminded her friend, recalling the gruesome image of Nancy getting impaled by Madame X's sword. One thing's for sure, it would not be a sight that's easily forgotten.
"If only I would've gotten there faster, I—" Melia called out, hitting the table in frustration over her failure back then, with Aelita resting her hand over her fist.
"Don't blame yourself; there wasn't anything any of us could've done to prevent it." The purple-haired girl reassured the blonde, the latter's glare softening a bit. "The ones who are to blame for her death are Team Xen; rest assured they'll pay for their cowardly act."
"If you want, I can check up on him." Adam offered, the rest of the group giving him the 'go ahead' look as the older man hopped off his seat and exited the dining room, making his way to the personal cabins and stopped before the door to Julius' room, knocking on it a few times before entering it. The room had been reduced to an utter mess, with clothing hastily scattered around the room. Adam's focus soon shifted to Julius, the young man wearing nothing but a singlet and boxers, his hair an unkempt mess. He had a blank look in his eyes, as if he lost all reason to keep going, his right arm cradling the plush doll he was so fond of.
"…" The young man turned his head to face Adam, keeping quiet as the older man shifted a little uncomfortably at the sight.
"Hey Julius…it's been a few days since we left the island, and you've cooped yourself up here for the entire time. I know it may not mean much, but I wanted to say that we're all here for you, man." Adam informed the young man. "To tell you the truth, I feel kind of guilty; had I been there I'm confident things would've ended differently."
"…Don't blame yourself…" The young man replied in a dull tone, one so lifeless that it was as if her was on the edge of death itself.
"I appreciate your comment; next time I promise I'll be there for ya. After all, we got each other's backs. So yeah, that's it…" The older man ended on a semi-awkward tone, making his way to leave the room before stopping suddenly. "Wait, I just remembered something. Melia wanted to meet you in her room alongside Val and Aelita. I dunno what it's about, but I highly suggest you freshen up before meeting her there."
The young man nodded slightly, accepting the request with Adam taking his leave and exited the room. He mulled over the memories that he had made with his mother, as well as reflect on the ones she'll never get to see, be it his victory over the Aevium League, his wedding, and any potential grandchildren she could dote over. A fiery resolve soon formed in his mind; Team Xen wanted her death to break him, to render him useless, but it won't work. Instead, all it would lead to is their slow, painful demise. With a second wind coursing through the young man, he opted to tidy himself up from his funk; after all he wanted to look his absolute best when he meets up with a friend he thought had died.
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As he said he would, Julius had arrived at Melia's cabin, knocking on the door to inform her of his arrival. The quick shower and grooming he did to himself had cleared his mind up a lot, enabling him to focus on the matter at hand, that being some questions he wanted to ask Melia. Upon entering the cabin, he was immediately greeted by the trio, with the young man promptly taking a seat beside Aelita.
"Hey, you're looking a lot better than before." The young man commented, noticing what little remained of her once grievous injuries.
"Thanks…the medical supplies stashed on this boat are a lot better than I initially expected. Seems that we'd be able to cure a wide variety of ailments and injuries." Aelita smiled back, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I just wanna say I'm sorry about your loss. I know the pain of losing a beloved parent as well."
"Adam may have said this already, but we're here for you, in case you need us." Valarie expressed her sympathies as well.
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to do anything to save her. Had I arrived just a bit sooner, none of this would've happened." Melia apologized, looking the young man directly in his eyes.
"Thanks everyone…I really mean it." Julius smiled slightly, his mind at ease knowing that he had such great friends beside him, even though he felt he didn't deserve them. "Anyway, you wanted to talk to us?"
"Yes, I wanted to bring you three to my cabin so I could apologize personally, for my actions under the alias of 'Emma'." Melia explained her case. "I treated you all terribly, just so I can do what I had to do."
"You said that you weren't allowed to tell us these reasons back at the table. Now that were in a more, private setting, would it be safe to tell us now?" Valarie inquired.
"Indeed. I was sent to the castle for two reasons; to save you all from Team Xen, and to investigate the island. I'm not to sure if you're aware of this, but Blacksteeple Castle consists of two buildings." The blonde woman began, running her hand through her hair.
"I remember Braixen mentioning something about a second castle, surrounded by a barrier that even Neved had trouble getting around." Julius chimed in.
"Right; that barrier was put up there to protect a great secret; one that only Madame X knows about. She put the barrier up there to ensure that no intruders would enter the premises. I tried finding a way to remove said barrier, but I came up empty-handed." Melia replied.
"So that was why you acted like Neved's personal assistant; you were hoping he knew about the barrier and how to deactivate it." Aelita deduced.
"Correct. Had I been treated like a regular prisoner, then my movements would've been incredibly limited. Mind you, I didn't find much even with the amount of freedom I was bestowed, apart from one thing. Team Xen wishes to gather energy, specifically from humans." She informed the trio, catching them off-guard.
"Energy, what kind of energy are they looking for?" Valarie pressed.
"The sort of energy that humans release when they are killed. I'm not too sure what makes it vital for Team Xen's goals, I wasn't able to get any more from Neved." Melia continued. "You said that you could've helped me in my endeavor earlier, but I didn't want to risk blowing my cover, it was an all or nothing scenario."
"There's something that I wanted to ask and it's really important. If you're not dead at all, then where were you this entire time?" Julius inquired, with Melia giggling in response.
"I figured you'd want an answer for that. It's a fairly long story, but in short, I was rescued by two women named Spacea and Tiempa. With their power, they were able to fake my death and erase myself off Team Xen's radar. I owe everything to them, who knows where I'd be if it weren't for them." She answered
"In that case, wouldn't it be best if you let Venam know about the situation? Ever since that day, she was wracked with grief." The young man suggested.
"A fair point, but I'm unable to do so now. Once we make our way to Kakori Village, I'd be able to send her a message regarding my status." Melia replied.
"Well I'm glad your safe; had it not been for you, we would've been minced by Madame X and her sword. So I trust you with my life." Valarie interjected.
"Yeah, me too!" Aelita chimed in.
"Same here. Truth be told, I had a gut feeling you were alive, and I'm glad I stuck by it. If you ever need a trump card to deal with Team Xen, then consider me yours!" Julius pledged.
"You guys…" Melia smiled softly, turning to the side. "Thank you all for putting your trust into me."
"Anyway, Augustus said that we're should be docking at Oceana Pier within a few hours, so I'm gonna check up on him. Oh and Julius? If you ever want to talk to me about anything, I'll be there for you." Valarie informed the young man, giving him a quick hug before exiting the cabin.
"I'll give you two a bit of time together. I've been on edge ever since Neved attacked me, and I need some time alone to settle my nerves. I'll catch you two later." Aelita said, waving at the duo before exiting the cabin, leaving the young man and Melia alone. The blonde girl removed the dusty old robe she was wearing, showing off her lovely outfit, which was the same as what she wore when she went to Goldenwood Forest, but slightly larger to accommodate the sudden growth spurt she went through. As a matter of fact, she was a couple years older then when he first met her, now looking to be around 18 years older; her hair was much longer than before, now reaching to her waist. Additionally, her body was curvier than it was before, though Julius didn't want to pay too much attention, lest he get called out for checking her out.
"So now that we're alone, is there anything you want to—" Julius began, before Melia embraced him with a warm hug, surprising the young man though he didn't mind it.
"It's so good to see you again, you don't know just how much I missed you, Venam and Ren…" Melia replied, breaking off the hug after a few seconds. "I'm so sorry that we weren't able to retrieve your mother's body, but we had to go now, or all would've been lost."
"…I understand." The young man replied, directing his gaze to his feet. "After all, it was but another kick to a man who's already been through it all."
"Huh, what happened?" Melia inquired, gesturing the young man to take a seat beside her.
"Well it's a pretty long story, so I'll try and condense it for you. Anyway, following your "death" I made my way to Sheridan Village and defeated Keta, with the older man running off into some secret cave, with me and Aelita joining forces to rescue him. Turns out the cave hid a Team Xen base that produced Shadow Pokémon for the grunts, and Keta was an agent for them, though whether he joined on his free will, or was coerced into it is unknown. Unfortunately, he was slain by Madelis and her Shadow Mewtwo before we could rescue him, however we were saved by Crescent who stole the Mewtwo from her, following the bases imminent destruction." Julius began.
"I guess that explains why Aelita was so sympathetic to you; she experienced that pain as well." Melia chimed in.
"True. Now, where was I? Oh yes, after finishing my business in Sheridan, Aelita and I went our separate ways temporarily in order to find a way to Akuwa Town, which meant going through Goldenleaf Town, which would've been rather tricky for her. Before I was able to enter the place, Ren challenged me to a battle and upon defeating him, he closed the gate to the town, leaving me no other option than to ask Venam for help. Turns out that she and her friends had discovered this mysterious rune in the Abandoned Sewers, which warped us all to this mysterious mansion. After breaking into the mansion, we were soon confronted by it's owner, that self-absorbed piece of sh—…Indriad, who trapped us all in these cubes for his own enjoyment." He continued, cutting himself off before he could finish his cursing, with Melia watching him with rapt attention. "Anyway, I was soon saved by Maria, the cutest little sister anyone could ask for. The two of us had a blast working together to save Venam and her friends, in order for the five of us to escape. Unfortunately, that bastard Indriad cheated in our game, ensuring that none of us would leave his manor, leaving Maria no choice but to stay behind so that we could escape…god I still miss her to this day."
"Wait, you said Maria before. Did Indriad often refer to her as Marianette?" Melia inquired.
"Y-Yeah…why'd you ask?" The young man inquired back, a startled expression appearing on Melia's face.
"I-It's nothing, pay it no heed…" She hastily replied, hiding something from the young man, though he opted not to press it any further. "So what happened next?"
"R-Right. So Venam helped destroy the gate in gratitude for saving her hide, enabling me to enter the town. As you'd expect, Goldenleaf wasn't in the nicest of states, heck I had just saved a young girl from getting lynched. Soon enough, I reunited with Narcissa, and together with Aelita we formed an idea to help save the town, though they mostly did it behind my back. Some Team Xen jackass by the name of Geara tried to sic his Giratina onto him, but I taught him not to mess with me. After that distraction, the plan to save the town had begun, with Ren arriving on time. Despite my pleas, Narcissa insisted that we competed for the role, which is what we did. He managed to have me on the ropes for a bit, but I managed to defeat him, bestowing the honor of saving the town onto him. He was thankful for that and made his way to the stage, when something happened. For no inexplicable reason, he flipped out on me, hurling all sorts of abuse at me, saying such things as "I wanted you all to myself" and "I would've thrown Maria to the wolves to save myself" before stating that he wished he never meet me…" Julius concluded, the young man no longer wishing to divulge about what he went through.
"There, there. I'm sure he didn't mean those things…" Melia rested her hand on his shoulder, the young man's gaze turning to her face as a brilliant idea popped into her mind. "I know what'll cheer you up, a 3-on-3 battle!"
"Hmm?" The young man inquired.
"Strength is important for what we're doing; after all I'm sure a lot of this would've ended differently were we a lot stronger back then. It's been ages since that day at Goldenwood Forest, the day that everything changed. I wanted to come back for you, but I had to escape Gearen City as soon as possible. On another note, Aelita informed me about why you two went to Akuwa Town in the first place; don't worry, the Snag Machine's safe with me!" Melia smiled, flashing the familiar device to the young man. "But back to the topic at hand; I wasn't at my full strength back at Blacksteeple Castle, but now that we're away from that place, I've been itching for a serious battle with you."
"Sounds fair, my Pokémon could use a nice stretch after all. Is there a safe place for us to battle on this ship?" Julius agreed to the idea.
"Yep, there's a battlefield on the floor below us. Come, I'll show you!" Melia smiled, the duo leaving the cabin with the young woman escorting her friend to their destination.
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The young man was surprised at the size of the arena; roughly around twice the size of the main courtyard back in Blacksteeple Castle. The walls were a mixture of black and red, fitting when considering who the ship used to belong to. Was this one of the places where Shadow Pokémon were trained up before getting drafted to the front lines? Regardless of its initial use, it would prove to be a useful asset in the second part of the war against Team Xen.
"I take it you're impressed by this place…" Melia smiled, taking her place on the battlefield opposite Julius. Knowing the strength of you, your friends and your enemies is all you have on the battlefield, asides from your Pokémon of course. When all else fails, you'll need the trust of those closest to you."
"Sounds logical, after all it was thanks to my friends that I was able to come this far. If you thought I was out of surprises, then you've got another thing coming!" Julius declared, a determined look in his eyes.
"Now that's the Julius I made friends with!" The blonde girl smiled, reaching for a Pokéball. "Luckily for you, I too have some new surprises. Snorlax, I choose you!" The massive Pokémon emerged from its ball, causing the ship to quiver momentarily before calming down. It's belly fur was a darker shade of white and had arrow-like patterns on its chest, while the rest of its fur was dark green.
"At this stage, I'm not surprised you have another shiny Pokémon. But can it defeat my Laissure?" The young man chuckled, opting to send out his first Pokémon. It was a large, quadrupedal rabbit, with light brown fur covering the majority of its body, save for the tan polka-dots covering its body. It had two, long thick tails that were used to create devastating tremors, and two curly horns that reached below its jaw. Melia could tell that this was one serious customer and opted to play it safe for the start of the fight.
"Snorlax, start things off with a Curse!" She called out, the large sloth-like creature uttering an ancient blessing to bolster its physical capabilities, but at the cost of some speed which wasn't an issue for the lazy Pokémon. The Laissure opted to retaliate by slamming its tails against the metal floor, sending a series of tremors that caused the Snorlax to fall back on its hindquarters. Seizing an opportunity to launch a counterattack, the large rabbit hastily bolted towards the sloth, its thick legs running at impressive speeds. As it leapt into the air towards its for, the Snorlax's head began glowing a bluish pink, having gathered all its willpower into its head and headbutted the rabbit, pushing it back as it skidded on the cold floor.
Not deterred in the slightest, the Laissure opted to try a different strategy, scurrying alongside the arena and tripped Snorlax over, the large Pokémon letting out a cry of surprise as it landed face first into the arena. Slowly getting up off the floor, it roared at the rabbit and waddled towards it, leaping up into the air and slammed down on it, causing the ship to shake violently for a while. The Snorlax chuckled momentarily, only to yelp in surprised once more as Laissure hoisted it off its body and ran towards it, its body glowing in an orangish-red aura. It tackled into the sloth, causing it to roar in pain as it was pushed back into to wall, leaving a large dent as it slumped down afterwards, no longer able to battle.
"Don't worry Snorlax, you did your best…" Melia consoled her friend, recalling it to its ball before reaching for another one. "Not bad, but my Gardevoir is more than capable of dealing with that rabbit!" She smirked, sending out the Embrace Pokémon, the latter calmly gazing at the Laissure. Eager for a second victory, the Laissure began slamming its tails on the ground once more, creating a series of tremors that caused Gardevoir to lose her footing, though she was able to recover very quickly. Focusing on the ground below her foe, Gardevoir used her mental energy to create a series of roots on the ground, their tendrils ensnaring Laissure's paws, enabling the Embrace Pokémon to charge up a Moonblast. The ball of lunar energy struck the rabbit, causing it to cry out in pain as it was flung back a few feet, only for the roots to tighten their grip and slam it down into the ground, before disappearing into nothingness. Wearily getting up off the ground, it glared at its foe and opted to go out in a bang. Cloaking its body in a harsh orange light, it charged into Gardevoir as she was charging up a second Moonblast, the attack causing an explosion that filled the room with dark grey smoke. Once the smoke had died down, it showed that both Laissure and Gardevoir were unable to battle.
"Oh my…your Laissure is rather incredible." Melia complimented, recalling her fallen friend.
"Yeah, his kind are rather powerful, so much so that they're often compared to Pokémon such as Salamence and Tyranitar. I'm impressed with how well you retained your composure against it." Julius replied, congratulating his comrade before recalling it.
"In that case I better step up my game…with a familiar face of course. Go, Happiness!" The blonde smiled, sending out her trusty Togekiss, who chirped happily upon seeing Julius.
"Hey there, it's nice to see you again. Unfortunately, I won't go easy on you just because you're my friend. I'm sure my Chimaconda would provide a most suitable challenge." The young man smirked confidently, sending out his next Pokémon. It was a rather mysterious creature, with a red, lionlike body with a billowing white mane, purple goat horns and a pair of purple-feathered wings sprouting from it's back. The most intriguing feature was the thick, green-scaled tail that ended in a snake's head, which promptly hissed at the Jubilee Pokémon. "Let's heat things up with a Flamethrower!"
The Chimera Pokémon roared in agreement, letting out a stream of oppressive flames from its main head, with Togekiss responding by letting out her own Flamethrower, the two streams of fire colliding in midair before exploding, sending smoke everywhere. The Jubilee Pokémon hovered above the cloud, waiting patiently for it to die down so it can get a decisive strike in. As the cloud started to dissipate, the Togekiss began waving its fingers back and forth, it's eyes glowing an ethereal blue as it opted to use its special move. Soon enough, it had finished selecting a random move and spewed a stream of boiling hot water at Chimaconda, who hissed in pain as its body was assaulted by the hot water and stepped back a few feet.
It's attention now directed at the Jubilee Pokémon, the Chimaconda reared its snake head, a barrage of noxious sludge spewing forth from its mouth. The Togekiss flew around the room in an attempt to evade the powerful Sludge Bomb, however it was soon struck by the attack, crying out in pain as its body was assaulted by the barrage and soon started falling to the ground. Luckily Chimaconda was able to catch it in time, its snake head slowly lowering it to the ground as Togekiss chirped sadly at Melia.
"No need to get upset, you did your best." She replied, consoling her dearest friend before recalling it. "I must say I'm impressed by your strength; it'll be greatly needed in the future."
"Heh, I guess you're right, especially if there's a bunch of assholes who need a throttling—oh wait, I forgot about Jenner's allegiance to them…" The young man chimed in, petting his Pokémon before recalling it.
"Like you need my permission to deal with him." Melia retorted, a hint of seriousness in her tone. "That aside, we should head back upstairs. I'm sure everyone's wondering where we got up to down here."
"Oh I can see Saki teasing me about this." Julius commented, the two leaving the battlefield and made their way to the front bow, their friends shooting them some quick glances.
"Heh, sounds like you two had quite the wild ride down there. I wonder how Val feels about you cheating on her…" Saki giggled, with Julius hesitantly chuckling as well.
"If anything, it's gotten me intrigued as opposed to offended." Valarie joined in, the young man ceasing his chuckles as a flustered look soon grew on his face.
"As much as I wanna brag about it, I just wanna chill out here for a while, the refreshing ocean breeze blowing against my face." Melia shot down their joke, taking a deep breath to fully enjoy the clean air. "By the way, how is Jenner doing?"
"Oh, I thought you didn't care about him." Julius inquired.
"It's not that I care, I'm just curious, that's all." The blonde quickly replied.
"Well in that case, he was abducted by this woman named Crescent, who took him who knows where." The young man answered.
"Hah, serves him right if you ask me!" Melia hasilty retorted, a more thoughtful look appearing on her face. "It's kind of funny, actually. In an ironic twist of fate, he sent me to Goldenwood Forest to be abducted, only to be abducted himself."
"Yeah, well karma works in mysterious ways." Julius replied, as he began thinking to himself. "You know, since I don't have much reason to continue my journey here, would you have an issue if I tagged with you to Grand Dream City?"
"I don't see why not." The blonde woman smiled at him, before a blue fog suddenly enveloped the ship, the air growing cold all of a sudden. "…Where did this fog come fro—wait, this is just like that time in Goldenwood Forest."
"Huh? I didn't see any fog on the horizon, so I've got no clue as to where it came from." Valarie chimed in, a confused look on her face. Just as suddenly as it appeared, it soon died down leaving everyone even more confused. "I-It disappeared!"
"Y-Yeah…" Aelita chimed in, before suddenly fanning herself with her hand. "Phew, is it just me or did it grow really hot in an instant?"
"It's not just you, I'm feeling the heat as well." Julius chimed in, using his hat to fan himself as Saki began whooping and hollering by the bow of the ship.
"Woooo, I'm flying! I'm flying!" She cheered, her arms outstretched as Valarie peered through her binoculars, her eyes widening in surprise.
"L-Land ho?" She called out, turning her attention to the Captain's room. "Whoa there, slow down, slow down! Otherwise we're gonna crash!"
"Land?! There wasn't land there a second ago." Melia called out; the ship continued to sail towards the island. Though Captain Augustus tried his best to slow down, it was too little, too late and issued out a warning for everyone to brace for impact. However, Saki opted not to brace and was sent flying when the shop shocked, calling out in a mixture of awe and shock as she was sent flying over the treetops and landed somewhere deep inside the island.
"Shit, Saki!" Julius cried out in fear, hoping nothing too serious had happened to her. "W-We better start looking for her!"
"No kidding. Luckily for us I knew exactly where we are now; Terajuma Shore." Melia replied, the group quickly making their way off the ship and began exploring the beach before them. "Yep, as I expected, we're on Terajuma Shore."
"If that's the case, then that means we're on Terajuma Island." Valarie deduced, a puzzled expression appearing on her face. "But how is this the case, we were heading towards Gearen City!"
"That weird fog must've had something to do with our sudden teleportation, but I'm not sure how that's possible." Aelita chimed in, as the door to a nearby shack opened, a young woman with medium-length brown hair and wore what looked like a Pokémon Ranger's uniform exited the building, took a quick look at the group of six before re-entering the shack.
"Uh…what do we do now?" Julius asked out-loud, as he heard what sounded like two people discussing something about a ship crashing into the island, before the woman from before exited the shack once more, this time with her co-worker.
"So err…it's a nice day, isn't it?" Aelita opted to break the ice, though it didn't seem to work.
"As per our regulations, we're gonna have to take you to Kakori Village for some questioning. I hope none of you have any issues with that." The male ranger informed the group.
"Well I can't say we blame you for asking about us, given that we appeared out of the blue. But there's something else we need to take care of, namely that our friend flew off the ship when we crash-landed." Valarie replied.
"Normally we don't have any experience dealing with people flying off of ships, but a ranger never turns down a request for help." The female ranger proudly proclaimed.
"Rangers…" Melia mused under Her breath, looking up at the duo. "You two wouldn't happen to work for Crawli, wouldn't you?"
"Yes…why are you asking?" The male ranger inquired, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
"I'm Melia, and these are my friends. I'm sure your boss knows who I am." She smiled sweetly, with both rangers yelping in surprise.
"Wait, you're Melia? That girl we saw a few months ago?" The female ranger replied, eying her carefully. "You look…older than when we first saw you."
"It's a long story, but I'm still the same girl you know." Melia replied. "Now would you mind helping us out?"
"Definitely, after all it's part of our job. Come with us, we'll show you the way." The male ranger called out to the group, as they all walked down the path through Terajuma Jungle, towards Kakori Village. During the walk, they learnt that the male ranger was named Sam, and the female ranger was named Alex.
"Alright, once we arrive at the Village, we'll organize a search-and-rescue party to look for your missing friend. Be thankful that you don't have to go through the actual jungle, it's a complete maze there." Sam informed the group.
"Most people who try to do so end up getting heatstroke or get bitten by a poisonous Pokémon." Alex chimed in.
"Oh? And here I was eagerly looking forward to an adventure with my pals…" Braixen commented, a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Yeah right, you're a total priss, Braixen. I bet you wouldn't say no to someone carrying you throughout the jungle." Adam snidely retorted.
"Pffft, like you wouldn't turn down the offer yourself." The bipedal fox retorted.
"Will you two keep it down? I'm getting a headache from this horrid humidity, and I don't need you two making it worse!" Valarie snapped at them, causing them to clam up instantly, not wanting to test her patience.
"Sorry Val…" The duo sheepishly apologized.
"Anyway, it'll be better for us if we kept—Nim?" Melia blurted out, watching as the young psychic sluggishly walked up to Julius and Aelita, the duo swiftly catching her so she wouldn't fall over.
"D-Don't go without me…" She requested, the young man raising his hand to her forehead.
"Shit, she's running an intense fever. We better hurry up and give her some medical care, pronto!" Julius blurted, with Nim raising her hand in objection.
"Nah…it's just the boat ride. I get sea sick at times…best if I just walk this off." She replied, managing to lift herself away from the duo and quickly make her way down the path, with the group watching her go.
"We better keep an eye on her, just to be on the safe side." Aelita commented, the group agreeing to do so as they continued walking down the path, only to come to a complete halt as they saw several vines sprouting up from the ground, blocking the path towards the village.
"Great, looks like our "favorite" Pokémon is at it again…" Sam retorted sarcastically, inspecting the vines. "Looks like these ones are fresh, as in few minutes fresh."
"Sam and I have been searching the jungle for the culprit, but it continues to elude us. So we were going to report this back at Kakori, but the warp pads our out, meaning that we'll have to go the long way, where that blasted Carnivine is lurking." Alex added.
"W-Wait, I'm missing something. How is a lone Carnivine able to create all these vines?" Adam inquired, with Braixen giggling under her breath.
"I don't know, but I do know one thing; you're missing a lot of things, dear." The bipedal fox retorted, the blue-haired man glaring at her in response.
"That Carnivine was sent here by Angie to punish us all with an eternal headache, and I won't hear anything to the contrary!" Alex hastily commented.
"I'm sorry, but who is this Angie?" Melia asked.
"She's the leader of Kristiline Town, ruling over it with a theocratic grip and harasses those who refuses to follow her doctrine." Sam answered, crossing his arms. "Though she is a handful, I doubt she's behind the Carnivine-related incidents."
"Whatever the case, I best she's really fun at parties…" Julius retorted snidely.
"Look on the plus side, there's a functioning warp pad on the other side of Terajuma Cave, which is just to the west of here. However, it's usually flooded at this time of day so we might have to wait a while before we can go through it." Alex chimed happily, pointing west of their position. "Well come on, let's not dilly-dally!"
Watching the young ranger walk to the cave, the rest of the group shrugged their shoulders before opting to follow her through the thick foliage. Around five or so minutes later, they had arrived at the mouth of the cave, with the rangers inspecting the area to see if it was safe to traverse. Soon enough, the duo exited the cave, their shoes absolutely soaked to the brim.
"As I expected, it's completely flooded. It'll be a while before the water subsides enough for you to walk through." Sam informed the group, the two rangers sitting down on a rock and removed their shoes so their feet can get dried off.
"Well what are we gonna do to pass the time?" Aelita inquired, her gaze focused on what looked like a small body of water beneath a waterfall, a couple of very small islands in it.
"I could challenge Julius to a gym battle, after all I doubt, he'd turn it down." Valarie offered, perking up the young man's attention.
"It's better than standing around and doing nothing…" He agreed to the plan, his gaze focusing on the small cove that Aelita had spotted. "Hey, that place looks like an ideal battleground. Do you have any issues with it, Val?"
"Not at all, in fact I'll help you get down there." The blue haired woman offered, outstretching her hand to the young man as he took it, the duo carefully scaling down the rocky wall surrounding the water and swam towards the small islands, the rest of the group standing by the edge to watch them battle. "I know the thought and sight of me all hot and wet must be exciting for your mind, but I don't want you staring off into space as I wipe the floor with you." Valarie smirked at the young man.
"V-Val!" Julius called out in protest, a fierce blush appearing on his face as the group chuckled at his detriment.
"All jokes aside, I must say that your battling skills, and devotion to your Pokémon have impressed me. Hence why I won't show you any hint of hesitation whatsoever in this battle; I think I'll start off with Gorebyss." The older woman send out her first Pokémon, the pink dolphin emerging from its ball and dove into the water, poking its head above the water's surface.
"That's fine, I can work with it. Well since this is a jungle, I think it'll be smart to send out Coatlith." The young man chimed in, the grassy dragon flying up above the cove and eyed up its opponent. The Coatlith began planning its next move, bolstering its mental energy with its devious strategies, only for its eyes to widen in shock as Gorebyss fired a beam of chilly energy at the dragon. It was able to escape the brunt of the attack, though the icy beam grazed its fuzzy back, the dragon hissing in pain as it retaliated with a swift Energy Ball, knocking Gorebyss back under the waters surface. However, the dolphin wasn't out for the count yet, leaping out the water and cloaked itself with a magical barrier of water to slowly restore its vitality. Scowling at the devious opponent, the Coatlith promptly swatted it back down with its tail before firing a beam of draconic energy at the area it fell, kicking up a large amount of water with the bystanders stepping back a few feet to avoid getting wet.
"Ah, be careful next time! You know I hate getting wet." Braixen scolded the young man from behind Adam, who took the brunt of the splash.
"Sorry 'bout that…" Julius chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as his attention soon turned to the unconscious form of Gorebyss, the attack striking her head on.
"Not bad, not bad at all…" Valarie commented, recalling her fallen Pokémon before making her next decision. "But I'm sure this one'll end your streak; go, Qwilfish!" The marine biologist sent out her next Pokémon, the pufferfish taking in water to greatly increase its size, an act that intimidated Coatlith. In a move that nobody but Valarie saw coming, the Qwilfish used the water in it as propulsion to launch it into the air, diving straight towards the Forest Lord and assaulting it with its poisonous quills, the dragon squawking in pain as it knocked the fish away. Plucking the leftover quills out of its body, it gathered energy from its surroundings and fired a vivid green ball at Qwilfish, the attack striking it head on with the pufferfish grunting in frustration. Diving back down into the water, it lunged up once more, its body cloaked in water as it propelled itself at Coatlith once more. The dragon opted to draw in natural energy again, its gaze fixated at Qwilfish who glared back at it, its eyes glowing a reddish-purple. Julius quickly realized what the pufferfish was trying to do, and quickly called out to Coatlith, but it would be in vain; the dragon firing off an Energy Ball at its foe. As the attack struck Qwilfish, a spectral form emerged from its body and quickly phased through the Forest Lord Pokémon, who slowly fell to the ground before Julius' feet, its energy having been drained. Bobbing on the water a few feet from the young man was the defeated Qwilfish, too tired to continue battling.
"Normally, I'm against utilizing such unorthodox tactics, but I didn't want you to decimate my team with just the one Pokémon." Valarie explained her case, recalling her fallen Pokémon with Julius doing the same. "But now it's time for me to step my game up, and my Ludicolo has what it takes to teach you a lesson!"
The young man eyed up the Pokémon in amusement, the Carefree Pokémon happily frolicking in the water. "My Coatlith did an excellent job of showing you my capabilities, but I think it's about time I sent out it's partner in crime; Frikitiki, you're up!" He called out, the new Pokémon quickly scurrying up the nearest tree overlooking the cove. It was a small, monkey-like Pokemon with a slender tail that had blades of grass growing around the base, and short, light brown fur all over it's body. The most striking feature was that its head resembled a tall, oblong tiki mask, small flames emitting from the yellow eyeholes on the mask. It proceeded to yank several hard seeds off the tree before hurling it at Ludicolo, the latter using its hat to shield itself from the relentless assault.
"Nice try, but it's gonna take more than that to best me; retaliate with Scald!" Valarie retorted, the Ludicolo gulping a large quantity of cove water, heating it up inside its mouth and spewed it at the monkey, who leapt from branch to branch to evade the attack, chucking a few more seeds in the process. It then ran down a rather long branch and leapt off it, its body cloaked in flames as it tackled the Carefree Pokémon, who cried out in pain as it was pushed into the water. Confident over it's victory, the Frikitiki chuckled to itself, unaware that Ludicolo re-emerged from the water and fired a beam of chilly energy at its foe, encasing its tail in ice. The monkey yelped in surprise, running around in circles as the crowd watched in amusement, before dipping it into the water, sighing in relief as the ice soon melted. Glaring at the Ludicolo, it hopped back up on the branch and threw seeds at such a rapid pace that the Carefree Pokémon wasn't able to block them all. Once it was dazed, the monkey scooped up several stray vines with its tail, leaping back down to the cove and began smacking Ludicolo with them, charging up its focus in one last hit that sent it flying towards the rocky wall besides Valarie, the unconscious Pokémon sliding down into the waters beside her.
"I guess that's enough proof that I'm not into the whole monkey business thing…" Julius quipped, the crowd groaning at his joke.
"And you say my humor is painful…" Nim called out, coughing a few times as Aelita brought her a little closer to provide some small comfort to the ill girl.
"Bad jokes aside, I was right about you being a serious customer. However, I'm confident that my Milotic will turn the tides for me." Valarie smiled, recalling her Ludicolo and sent out her fourth Pokémon, the graceful sea serpent calmly eying up the Frikitiki, the latter poking its tongue out at her. Mildly annoyed by its rude demeanor, the Milotic swung her tail down on the branch, snapping it effortlessly as the monkey flailed its arms helplessly before crashing into the water. It tried swimming to the closest island to escape, only for the Milotic to call forth a large tidal wave that swept it up, the wave crashing down on Julius who managed to catch Frikitiki, the monkey knocked out from the powerful attack.
"Ah, you're safe and sound now." The young man cooed to his companion, recalling it back in its ball before making a quick decision on who to send out next. "Alright Gellin, time to send sparks flying!" He called out, the Amoeba Pokémon emerging from its ball and started treading water, quietly gazing at its foe. Soon enough, it began galloping on the water, sending bolts of lighting everywhere with one striking Milotic head on. Though it managed to shrug it off, the Tender Pokémon's movements stiffened, weak crackles of electricity coursing on her body with her scales hardening in response to the paralysis. The Milotic fired off an Ice Beam to halt Gellin in it's tracks, the amoeba chirping in shock as its hind legs were encased in the frozen water, before its foe slammed her tail onto the ice, sending the Gellin flying to the opposite side of the arena. Quickly getting back up, it launched a series of tendrils that ensnared the sea serpent, which soon glowed a vivid green as they drain Milotic of her vitality, using it to recover some much-needed energy. Once it had its fill, it charged up electricity in its organelles before firing a bolt of lighting at the Milotic, who cried out in pain as she was sent flying towards the rocky wall and crashed into it, sliding down into the water and was in no condition to continue battling.
"Looks like Julius has you on the ropes, Val." Melia called out, the blue-haired woman recalling her Pokémon.
"Oh I'm just going easy on him." She replied in a joking manner, sending out her next Pokémon. "My Lanturn's going to give him quite a nasty shock, so you better not miss it."
The anglerfish Pokémon surveyed the area, snacking on any stray static charges in the area as it's blub glowed brighter after its quick meal. A few seconds later, a multicolored beam of light shot out from its bulb, striking Gellin head on as the amoeba started teetering on the spot in a momentary bout of confusion. Lanturn opted to follow up with a potent Scald, the stream of boiling hot water rocketing towards Gellin and pushed it into the water. However, the attack only served to snap it out of its confused state, the amoeba emerging from the water and drew in energy from its surroundings to launch a green ball of energy at the angelfish Pokémon, striking it head on and pushed it back a few feet.
Shaking its head to regain focus, the Lanturn dove into the water and re-emerged a few seconds later, tackling the amoeba with its body as they both fell below the waters surface. Now underwater, the Gellin was at the mercy of its foe, who opted to fire continuous pulses of water at it in order to confuse it once more, before opting to go for a desperate strategy. Storing an incredible amount of energy in its body, it unleashed a massive explosion, causing a large shockwave to course through the water as a large splash sent water everywhere, getting both Julius and Valarie soaking wet as they watched in curiosity to see who'd emerge victorious. They'd soon get their answer, as the unconscious forms of Gellin and Lanturn rose to the surface, bobbing carelessly with both trainers running over to check on them.
"Don't worry Gellin, I'll make sure you get all the rest you need once we arrive at Kakori Village." The young man consoled his companion, with Valarie doing the same as they recalled their Pokémon. "For someone who said they're going easy on me, you're giving me quite a run for my money. In that case, I'll repay you the favor; Glavinug, I choose you!" He called out, the sea slug emerging from its ball. It was a most graceful creature, it's body a mixture of dark blue and white as its fins treaded the water calmly. It also had a pair of long fins above its ears, and a frilly tail that moved calmly in the water.
"What a lovely Pokémon you have there…" Valarie cooed, reaching for her final Pokémon. "But when it comes to beauty and grace, it pales when compared to my Primarina!" She continued, sending out her ace Pokémon, who bowed before the crowd in an act of showmanship. Generating a ball of vivid green energy in her flippers, the Soloist Pokémon hurled it at the sea slug who dived underwater to dodge the attack before firing a blast of icy energy at its foe, the seal effortlessly withstanding the attack thanks to her impressive bulk.
Standing up on her tail, the Primarina let out an enchanting cry, a large ball of water emerging from the pool before bursting into a barrage of bubbles, assaulting the Glavinug as it was pushed back a few feet, with the Soloist Pokémon bowing to the crowd before diving in once more. Rearing itself back up, the Sea Slug Pokémon waddled back onto land, a cunning plan forming in its mind as it charged up ice-cold energy in its mouth, firing it at the water's surface in order to freeze it. Having realized what her foe was up to, the Primarina attempted to escape the water, but only managed to get her top half out before the ice encased her, leaving her a sitting duck. Excited over its plan succeeding, the Glavinug started retching on the spot before firing a barrage of sludge at the seal, the latter wincing in pain and disgust as the sludge assaulted her body and got it dirty. The sea slug soon hopped on the ice and slid towards Primarina, its fins coated in a shadow aura as it leapt up and slashed at her, the Soloist Pokémon crying out once more as it broke out of the ice and was sent flying towards the rocky wall, crashing into it and fell down on the frozen surface, too exhausted to continue battling.
"P-Primarina is no longer able to battle, rendering Valarie out of battle-capable Pokémon. Thus, as per regulations, Julius is declared the winner!" Melia called out, surprised at how powerful the small Pokémon was.
"Haha! Now that's one way to end a show!" Julius cheered victoriously, Glavinug leaping up in joy as Valarie recalled her fallen friend.
"As the waves come and go, so too must all battles end." She spoke to herself, her gaze focusing on the young man. "As much as I'm impressed with you over your victory, a part of my is upset with myself for losing. A natural feeling that all trainers feel upon failing their trusted partners. I guess you can say that you managed to satisfy me…" The blue-haired woman continued, smirking slightly upon saying the last sentence.
"I'm just glad Saki didn't hear that, otherwise we'll never hear the end of it." Julius chuckled, petting his Glavinug before recalling it.
"As proof of your victory and our friendship, I present to you the Dewdrop badge." Valarie said, handing the young man a crystal blue badge in the shape of a circle that had two notches in its sides. He nodded gratefully and attached it to his card alongside the other badges before putting it away.
"Aw man, I wanted Val to win…n-no offense Julius; it was still a good match overall." Braxien called out, masking her traces of disappointment.
"Heh, I knew you'd emerge victorious." Aelita smirked, having just realized that both Alex and Sam weren't there. "H-Hey, where'd they go?"
"Checking the cave while you were watching the battle; the path's all clear now." Alex called out to the group, the duo emerging from the cave.
"Now that's a relief; come Julius, I'll help you get back up." Valarie informed the young man, outstretching her hand once more.
"Thanks; I guess I owe you and the others a free meal…" The young man chuckled politely, taking her hand.
"Well I'm not one to turn down a free meal, so I'll accept your offer." She smiled at him, helping him scale the rocky wall as they watched the others make their way to the cave.
Another badge to the collection and oh boy was it a doozy. Throughout all the playthroughs I did, Valarie was always one of the harder battles due to how well structured her team is, coupled that with the field effect. The next chapter will be a little slower, providing everyone with a nice breather after that intense battle. Thank you all for reading, I'll see you all soon!