HAPPY SUMMER, YOU GUYS!

I'd like to start off by congratulating all the new graduates out there. Great job, and I wish you luck in your new life! I know, I'm a bit late for that, but... it's the thought that counts...?

I would also like to apologize for the lack of updates. Writers' block is horrible. I had to have a bit of a beach getaway to get my creative gears turning. I almost got stung by a jellyfish... don't worry, I'm okay!

I think you guys will like this chapter a lot. Enjoy!

Chapter 21: Home Sweet Home

Jay was almost overwhelmed by the feeling of air rushing into his lungs. It was as if he had taken off a heavy backpack full of rocks—he could finally breathe again.

He stumbled about, dizzied by the clean oxygen. He was quickly brought back on track by Aria, who gave him a slap on the knee before running off.

"C'mon, dude! Focus! The guild's still after us!" she cried.

Jay shook his head and blinked before running off after Aria.

The world seemed so foreign to Jay. The lush greens of the forest clashed with the dull grays and browns of the volcano cavern. Heavy purple clouds covered most of the sky, leaving only a few patches of atmosphere to be seen. The sun had slipped below the horizon, dyeing the sky a reddish-pink and the clouds a deep purple. There was a distinct scent of ozone in the air—perhaps it was just from the forest.

That's weird… There wasn't a cloud in the sky this morning. Why's it all gloomy now…?

Jay stayed close to Aria, trying to ignore the growing cramp in his side. He didn't talk much with his partner, instead focusing on running, but he couldn't help but hear a few snippets of conversation.

"You said Krokorok was back at camp, right?" Flygon asked from the front of the group.

"Yep," Magby reported. "He didn't seem well at all… He was wheezing and coughing, and he sounded horrible… I'm worried."

"I wouldn't worry about him," Flygon said without looking back. "He is incredibly… resilient." She said that last word with a bitter edge. Jay could only wonder why she sounded so sour.

A few moments later, the explorers rounded into camp. Flygon returned to her tent to fetch Krokorok. Magby and Plusle ran to another tent and tried to pull the stakes out from the ground, but Altaria stopped them. "Don't bother getting the tents down. We're just gonna grab our stuff and get out of here," she said.

Jay glanced fearfully at the curves of the mountain. He could hear Victini and her followers screaming cries of rage, like a bunch of rogue pirates. The distant patter of their feet grew louder by the second.

Flygon didn't emerge from Krokorok's tent for quite some time. Jay heard a few words being passed between the two, and none of them sounded very friendly. Jay tapped his foot impatiently, trying not to listen to Victini's stampeding crew.

Finally, Flygon emerged from the tent with Krokorok on her back. The other apprentices gathered around her, awaiting instruction.

"I don't want to have to risk exploring Coral Jungle again—there's just too much of a chance that someone'll get lost or captured… but I think we're going to have to. There's no other way around…" Flygon said glumly.

There was a simultaneous groan from everyone else.

"It's okay. This time, we'll stick together—we won't wander off, no matter—"

Before the dragon could continue, she was interrupted by a great many things happening at once. It took a moment for Jay to process the sensory onslaught, but when he finally did, he was none too pleased.

Victini's cronies had finally caught up to them. It had taken quite a while; they were unusually slow when they were outside of their hideaway. Led by the tiny pixie, the gang rounded the mountainside, having seemingly cornered the heroes.

Victini opened her mouth, ready to spit out a boastful comment, but instead of words, the low sound of a cannon shot came from her mouth.

Thunder.

The group faltered, glancing anxiously at the sky. The deep purple clouds were sparking with electricity and the winds picked up, signifying a storm was imminent. Magby mumbled something incomprehensible—it sounded like a curse, but he had never heard him swear before.

A tiny drop of rain fell on Jay's nose. He shuddered as the cold prick of water slid down his face, and judging by the looks of his companions, they felt raindrops as well.

Victini and her followers were reacting quite adversely to the rain. Some Pokémon cowered behind taller ones, while some fell to the ground with a wail that screamed "overdramatic".

"What have you done?!" Victini screeched. "Are you trying to help them?! Do you WANT this world to drown?!"

"What do you—" Magby inquired.

"It's nothing!" Krokorok moaned weakly. He paused for a fit of coughing before continuing: "Let's go already! They won't be distracted for long!"

Without further hesitation, Flygon leapt up off the ground, giving her wings a mighty flap. She beckoned for the others to follow her into the jungle.

Jay took one last look at Victini, who was trying to rally her troops into following them. "I don't care if it's raining—go after them! Hurry!" As the rain picked up, however, nobody seemed to be eager to pursue the escapees.

He shook his head, blinking raindrops out of his eyes. He followed Flygon and the others into Coral Jungle as the sky roared with thunder.

Jay tromped through the undergrowth, focusing on the outline of Flygon that hovered a few feet above the ground. The forest seemed even more frightening than the day before—every crack of thunder made him jump, and the darkness didn't help at all. Whenever he heard a rustle of leaves or footsteps on the muddy ground, he'd turn around, half-expecting to find himself face-to-face with Victini. However, the fairylike Pokémon was nowhere to be found.

The rain picked up, pounding harder than ever. The canopy shielded them somewhat from the torrent, but Jay was soaked to the skin instantly. He didn't mind; he felt right at home when he was wet and muddy.

Aria, on the other hand, was a different story. Her pink fur was matted with mud and her tail hung low to the ground. She was screaming and trying to avoid stepping in mud puddles, but in her quest to avoid grubby paws, she only ended up getting dirtier.

He couldn't believe their luck: so far, his day had been a series of fortunate coincidences. First, Magby managed to infiltrate the stronghold, then Flygon saved them from Malamar and the guards, then, Flygon busted them out of the castle with Superpower, and now, their adversaries were too disorganized to follow them.

Gosh, we're almost too lucky…

As Jay tromped through the jungle, he found himself wishing that the expedition had been more challenging. Sure, the jungle was full of challenges—even more so with the rain and darkness—and being kidnapped by Victini's Guild was quite exciting (albeit very frightening), but other than that, the expedition was… underwhelming.

There weren't very many Pokémon that were interested in engaging the group; although Jay did see a few creatures roaming the darkened woods, none of them seemed to take note of the explorers. Jay was greatly relieved of this fact; he remembered his standoff with the Exeggutor the other day, and he was none too eager to see it again.

Over time, he began to tire, his scramble slowing to a jog. His stomach cramped, and though he had been invigorated by the rain, his burst of energy seemed to be fading. Everyone else showed signs of fatigue, and Flygon, noticing her apprentices' distress, called for a five-minute break under a tall willow tree.

The five-minute rest period was over too quickly. Jay sat down with Aria and nibbled on an apple, tenderly rubbing his cramped stomach. Flygon hovered over the group, watching for signs of Victini, but the jungle was unyielding. She eventually concluded that Victini had stopped her pursuit, but she encouraged the others to keep a brisk pace to avoid lagging behind.

"We can do this, guys. I think we're almost there—I can smell saltwater. Or maybe that's just the ozone from the rain…" Flygon said.

Once everyone was adequately rested up, they began their adventure again.

Jay followed Flygon's instructions and tried to keep a steady jog, but after only a few minutes of this, he began to cramp up again. Most of the others were faring no better—even Flygon was tiring, though this may have been from the effort of carrying Krokorok on her back.

Magby, however, was on the verge of a panic attack. The intense storm had left him battered and weakened, and his labored breathing indicated that he was about ready to collapse. He struggled to keep up with the rest of the explorers.

Jay and Aria, however, stuck by Magby, encouraging him and pushing him forward. He was soaked by the rain and the mud, but Jay could've sworn he saw tears falling down from his grimy face. Every step was a labor for him.

"Agh… I don't know if I can take this for much longer…" Magby gasped.

"Don't worry, my friend," Flygon said, apparently having heard him from the front of the group. "I believe we're almost there, and if the worst-case scenario comes to pass, one of us could always carry you."

"Sorry for being… such a weakling," Magby apologized. He looked to the ground, eyeing his muddy feet with disdain.

Jay put a hand on his shoulder, waiting until his companion looked up at him to speak. "Listen. You aren't a weakling. You're the first Fire type I've seen that can do all that… Freeing me and Aria and the others from Victini? Now, that takes skill," he said.

Magby looked bashful for a second, but he quickly looked down. Jay squeezed his shoulder tighter, making him look back up.

"I know rain is difficult for you Fire types, but you've pushed through it like a champ. Did you see those guys at Victini's Guild? They chickened out at the first sign of danger! And they're bigger and stronger than you and all…"

"Great… Jay's spouting information that's actually intelligent. This must be some kinda world record…" Aria mumbled.

"Look, I'm trying to be a friend here! If you want me to be a big ol' grump, I can be a grump. Is that what you want?" Jay barked.

"No—I'm just saying that… it's odd, you know? For you to be all nice and helpful after only a few weeks with us…" Aria said.

"It's called 'change'. Maybe you've heard of it. Just because I was a stupid airhead for the first few days here doesn't mean I always have to be a stupid airhead," Jay retorted.

"But change doesn't happen this quickly!" Aria said.

"I agree…" Jay didn't really have an answer for this. It was true: change didn't happen this quickly. His scattered memories of the human world indicated that change took place over a lifetime of growth. Unless the Pokémon world was different than the human world, there was no way he could've changed from a grump to a caring Pokémon in only a few weeks…

"We'll talk about this later; all this existential change-y mumbo-jumbo is really hurting my brain," Aria said indifferently.

"I second that," Jay said, rubbing his temples. "But until then, don't make any jokes about me being kind. To be honest, they're running a little stale," he added.

"Yeah… sorry about that. I swear, I can be so much funnier than this," Aria apologized.

The group continued their journey through the jungle in silence. Magby seemed to have taken Jay's words to heart, as he was trying harder than ever to not complain. Jay was impressed by the tyke, as he wasn't afraid to journey into the wet rainforest while the entirety of Victini's Guild was too chicken to pursue them.

After about thirty minutes of quietly sneaking through the forest, the trees began to thin. The air held a salty tinge, and the gentle whoosh of ocean waves filled the still air. Another five minutes passed, and finally, the explorers found themselves on the edge of Coral Jungle.

The tide seemed higher than before; each wave crawled up the shore, almost brushing the trees. White-capped waves crashed over each other, spraying the air with salty foam. The sand was wet and smelled like rotten eggs, and each step he took left a clawed footprint. Wind whipped past Jay, chilling his already cold body.

Wailord was still anchored by the shore, his body half submerged in water. His beady eyes were closed, and his content breathing indicated that he had fallen asleep.

Flygon flew up to his head and tapped him with her claw. The massive Pokémon snorted and woke up instantly, taking a moment to regain his bearings. When he saw Flygon and the others, he smiled.

"You're back! I was wondering when you'd return… Did you find any treasure?" Wailord inquired.

"Well, in a way. See, there were a bunch of criminal Pokémon that wanted our skin, and so we… raided their fort and found a bunch of treasure…" Altaria said shiftily.

"We're not gonna keep it all; if we did, we'd be no better than them. No, we're gonna give most of it away. Hopefully, we'll be able to find the rightful owners to the treasures," Whimsicott put in.

Wailord smiled. "That's a very noble deed… I'd expect nothing less from you noble Pokémon!"

"So anyway, could we cut the chit-chat? I want to get back to the mainland before the storm starts picking up again," Flygon interrupted.

"Ah, yes." Wailord began to turn around. It was more difficult than it looked, considering his massive size and the shallow water. Once he had made a complete 180, he lowered his tail to form a "ramp" of sorts. "Climb aboard! The S.S. Wailord is ready to depart!"

Altaria and Flygon fluttered up, while the others grabbed onto his tail and hoisted themselves to Wailord's back. Jay steered Aria, Magby, and Plusle towards the center of Wailord; he didn't want another Pokémon to fall into the ocean, especially considering the weather and the choppy seas.

"Are we all on board?" Wailord asked.

"Yep!" Altaria cried.

"Wonderful! Here we go… Back to Flygon's Guild!"

Wailord lurched forward, his tiny flippers steering him away from the island. Movement was slow and choppy at first, but as the water grew deeper, the ride grew smoother and faster. Jay looked back at Dew Island, which rapidly faded in the distance. Soon, there was only a dark smudge of clouds where the landmass once was.

Despite everyone's best hopes, the storm wasn't finished with them yet. A few minutes after they had left the island, the rain picked up once more. It was merely drizzly at first, but in an instant, the raindrops had swollen to the size of Poké.

Magby took no more chances; he rushed to Altaria's arms and buried himself in her fluff. Altaria was more than happy to accommodate, and she wrapped her wings around the shivering Pokémon, enveloping him in a motherly hug. The only thing Jay could see of Magby was his head poking out of her cottony fur. It was actually rather adorable to see Magby wrapped up in Altaria's arms.

"Ugh… Not again! My fur's already dirty and wet; now it has to come and rain again?!" Aria wailed. She turned around in a circle and flopped to the ground, covering her eyes with her paws. "N-nobody look at me… I'm hideous!"

Her beautifully groomed fur was now scruffy and splotched with mud, but her pink and tan fuzz could still be seen beneath the grime. Jay really didn't know what the big fuss was about—he thought she looked fine.

"Don't worry. We'll get it washed off once we get to the guild. Or, if you want…" Jay grinned. "I can give you a quick power-wash right now," he offered.

"Oh no, I'm not gonna be on the receiving end of one of your Water Guns!" Aria protested.

"Well, there's not much I can do to force you…" Jay shrugged in resignation.

From then, the storm picked up. Waves splashed against Wailord's side, spraying the guild members with foam and seawater. Flashes of electricity danced in the sky along to the music of the thunder. Wailord slowed down, trying not to rock around too much. Jay scooted closer to the center of the whale, wanting to be as far away from the ocean as possible—he didn't fancy another high dive into stormy waters.

"I thought Castform said there was some sort of heat wave coming!" Aria yelled over the howling wind.

"I thought she did too… Maybe she was wrong this time?" Jay asked.

"Castforms are never wrong, though!" Whimsicott cried. "They have some sort of funny instinct that lets them accurately predict the weather… I've never heard a Castform give an incorrect prediction before!"

"That is odd…" Plusle noted.

They continued slowly through the sea for a while. The skies grew darker, but Jay didn't know if it was a sign of night approaching or the inclement weather intensifying. Conversation was scarce, with most comments being about the weather or the well-being of others.

After about an hour, Krokorok revived. He expressed confusion when he got a look at his surroundings, however, a quick briefing from Flygon caught him up to speed.

"Thank you, ma'am. I apologize; my sickness has really taken me out of the game…" Krokorok said respectfully.

"Are you feeling any better now?" Flygon asked.

"I-I guess…" Krokorok coughed and rubbed his eyes.

"Good… because when we get back to the guild, you and I are gonna be having some words!" Flygon hissed.

Krokorok's eyes widened. "B-but Guildmaster… What have I done wrong?!"

"Oh, let's see… You abandoned the guild in our time of need all because you weren't feeling good… yeah, that's a big one." Flygon inched closer to Krokorok's face. "We've been over this a million times, my friend. If you want to remain a part of this guild, you will not be so selfish!"

"But ma'am, you have to understand…"

"Oh, I understand all right! I understand that you're too much of a chicken to help us out! You'd rather sit back and moan about how sick you are… Well, guess what? Boo hoo, I could care a whole lot less! Get off your lazy seat and help us out, for a change!" Flygon interrupted. "Even Magby was more helpful than you—he risked his own safety to rescue the rest of us even though he knew he was weak!"

Jay scooted away from Flygon, wanting to get as far away from her as possible. He had never seen her so angry: he could practically see the fire in her eyes.

"You have been an explorer for so much longer than him… You have experience! Nothing against Magby or anything, but you could've at least helped him out! But noooo, you're too sick to help any of us out! Have you always been this lazy?!" Flygon continued.

Krokorok could do little more than tremble in place.

"We'll talk more about this when we get back to the guild… Just know that you're in hot water, mister!" Flygon said.

She turned away from Krokorok and flew over to Altaria, hoping to console a crying Magby.

The rest of the trip continued with no incident. The rain pounded harder than ever, and Wailord's progress seemed to be hindered by the weather. He continued to trudge steadily through the water, faithfully continuing his journey back to the mainland. Jay felt nothing but respect for their "ferry"—he was feeling tired just looking at the turbulent waters. It must've taken a whole lot of willpower to get through it.

The sky had turned an inky black by the time they had reached the mainland. It appeared as nothing more than a dark haze in the distance, indistinguishable from the clouds. Wailord slowed down before eventually bumping against the shore, indicating that land had been reached.

He turned around, lowering his tail to permit the others off his back. Jay slid down his wet tail and crashed to the ground. He was quickly followed by Aria, Plusle, and Whimsicott. Altaria and Flygon flew down, carrying Magby and Krokorok respectively.

"Can you find your way back from here?" Wailord offered.

"I think so. The guild isn't too far away from here," Flygon replied.

"Okay, then! I guess my work here is done… Thank you for riding the S.S. Wailord, and I hope you come to visit me again!" Wailord said.

"Thank you for taking us to and from the island. We'll be sure to enlist your help again!" Flygon said, nodding respectfully.

Wailord smiled and waved a fin from the water, beckoning farewell to the explorers.

Flygon turned away from Wailord, gazing into the distance. "Uh huh… If my calculations are correct, the guild should be just about… this way." She blinked water out of her eyes and rotated to face the group. "Are you ready for the final leg of our journey? We're almost home… Just one last charge through the pouring rain!"

Flygon flapped her wings and propelled herself forward at great speed, beckoning for everyone else to follow her. Aria glanced at Jay and smiled. "Well, I may as well… I'm not gonna get any more dirty, am I?"

Jay grinned. "Are you sure about that?" He gave Aria a pat on the back, wiping his mud-caked hands on her fur. Aria reacted accordingly: she screamed and began pursuing Jay. The Totodile ran after Flygon, laughing and grinning and trying to keep away from his frenzied partner.

It was all in good fun; Aria didn't seem terribly upset and Jay wasn't trying to discourage his friend. Eventually, he slowed down just enough for Aria to catch him, and she tackled him to the ground, licking his face and giggling.

She let him up after a moment of play wrestling, but not before caking his face with even more dirt. The two ran back to the guild, laughing and giggling and ignoring the storms around them.

The race to the guild was over before he knew it—the familiar tent and towers loomed in front of him after only a minute. Flygon called up to Minun, and the Electric type opened the portcullis, permitting entrance to the guild. "Welcome home, you guys! We missed you!" Minun chided.

Everybody filed into the guild, eager to get out of the rain. Flygon went first, lowering herself and Krokorok down. Everyone else followed, gathering in the main room and greeting the apprentices who had stayed behind.

"Jay! How's it going, man? You… look a little dirty!" Nidorino noted.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Jay said.

"You're welcome, Lieutenant Sarcasm," Nidorino said without missing a beat.

Meanwhile, Cranidos was still trying to flirt with Aria, telling her about her "rugged beauty" or something like that. His attempts to pick her up were met with silence.

The chitchat continued for several minutes before Flygon got to the front of the room, clearing her throat. "Attention, apprentices!" she called.

The chatter fell silent, and all eyes turned to her.

"I know that we are all excited to be home—I'm sure everyone has plenty of fun stories to trade with each other! However, we are all very tired from our expedition, and we could use a first-class nap!" Flygon said.

At the mention of "nap", Jay slumped forward. It hadn't occurred to him just how tired he was. The past two days had been filled with excitement, and he had scarcely gotten a moment to sit back and relax. He could feel his eyelids drooping by the second.

"So! We will be able to catch up tomorrow morning. Don't worry if you're a bit late getting up; we'll have a more laid-back day tomorrow before getting back into the swing of things. Is that understood?" Flygon continued.

There were many sleepy murmurs of agreement amongst the tired guild members. Magby was practically already asleep, as he was leaning on Whimsicott with his eyes closed.

"Good! Well… now that we've got that out of the way… Good night, apprentices! I look forward to seeing your smiling faces tomorrow!" Flygon concluded.

Everyone bid their sleepy goodnights to each other and retreated to their rooms, dragging their feet and yawning.

The long walk to Jay's bedroom seemed to take eternity. When they finally reached their room, they didn't even have enough energy to talk—they just flopped down on their beds and closed their eyes. Jay didn't even care that he was cold and covered in dirt. He was home again, and that was the important thing.

Ahh… It feels so good to finally be sleeping in my own bed, he thought.

The irresistible tendrils of sleep began to pull him under, and he set his mind to rest and succumbed to the temptation of rest.

XxX

However, not all was at peace in Flygon's Guild.

After the apprentices had returned to their rooms, Flygon eased Krokorok off her back and gave him a firm slap in the thigh. He blinked and mumbled something sleepily, but Flygon didn't hear his words or even care.

"Whatever. Get up and come to my room. You have some explaining to do," Flygon barked.

She didn't even wait for him to get up off his behind; she picked him up by the tail and dragged him into her chamber.

Krokorok's heart was hammering, but not as much as Flygon's. The dragon hadn't felt this angry in ages, and she had to clench her jaws together to avoid every obscenity she knew from tumbling out of her mouth.

The chamber had been well-kept, as the torches were still burning and her bed of straw was tidy. Flygon closed the door, ignoring Krokorok's moan as she pulled harder on his tail. She dragged him into the center of her room before letting go.

Krokorok eased himself off the ground, rubbing his head and blinking. Flygon crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Why don't you go ahead and tell me the truth about your 'sickness'?" Flygon said simply.

Krokorok put on a look of confusion. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Don't play dumb with me. It's just too much of a coincidence. You get so sick that you can't possibly help rescue me, and as soon as we leave the island, you feel better. Why is that? Were you just… faking your illness?" Flygon said, her voice growing sterner by the word.

"No! I'd never lie to you, Flygon! I-I think it was just seasickness—I swear, I'm feeling a lot better now… I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to help you…" Krokorok gushed.

"Oh, never lie to me, huh? You're lying to me right now!" Flygon cried. "I can see right through you… You were faking it the whole time! Faking it… so you wouldn't have to see your old buddies again!"

Krokorok's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. His arms went slack, and the only noises he made were odd guttural sounds of disbelief.

"You're not trying to deny me, I see," Flygon noted.

Krokorok remained frozen for a few more seconds before sighing in defeat. "H-how long… did it take for you to realize?" he mumbled.

"Let's see now… You were the one who was trying to subdue me in the tent. I distinctly heard your voice barking orders to those other two goons! I've also noticed several of my most prized possessions missing—only to see them turn up in Victini's pile of ill-gotten treasures! You've been mean to the apprentices, mean to me… and your 'business trips'… You've been seeing those jerks at Victini's, haven't you?! Huh?!" Flygon barked.

Krokorok sighed. "Guildmaster… I understand that I've done some things that I regret… But I've moved on… I've left my life of crime behind! I won't ever see those guys again…"

"You were the one who wanted us to go to Dew Island! You fed me lies about the 'riches' and 'wonders' of that place, but you knew—you knew! You little—I can't believe—!" Flygon roared.

"J-just give me another chance! I promise I won't mess up again!" Krokorok begged.

Flygon's eyes narrowed. "You want me to give you another chance?! Ha! You must think I'm pretty dumb, right?!" she cried. She sighed and cradled her head in her hands. "Gah… I should've seen it so much earlier… I can't believe it took me this long to realize… I shoulda just left you on the island! You would've been able to connect with your chums there! Would you have liked that?!"

Krokorok was silent, shaking with sadness. Flygon was still fuming with anger, her eyes cold and unforgiving. The silence dragged on, with neither of them taking a risk to break it.

"I'm sorry…" Krokorok said after several moments of quiet.

"Get out of my guild," Flygon said.

Krokorok was taken aback. "What did you just—" he gasped.

"Get out of my guild. You are no longer welcome here. Get out of my guild," Flygon repeated.

"B-but… Please, Guildmaster…"

"GET OUT! GET OUT BEFORE I DRAG YOU OUT BY THE TAIL!" Flygon screamed.

Krokorok opened his mouth, obviously trying to continue the argument, but he quickly realized it was futile. He bowed his head in shame, avoiding Flygon's fiery eyes. "It has been… a pleasure to work with you, ma'am. I wish you the best in your future endeavors."

He opened the door to Flygon's chamber without another word. He set off into the dark guild, closing the door behind him. She heard Krokorok climbing up the ladder, and then all was quiet.

XxX

Plot twist?! Krokorok was with the BAD GUYS?! I'm sure NOBODY saw it coming! (...Right...?) Either way, looks like the tale's picking up! I wonder what we'll have in store for us next time...

I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Don't forget to review!