Chapter 29: Marshed Continuance

Morning arose over the Forgotten Isles, the light stretching over the plains and jungle of Lele Island, the peaks and desert of Fini, the forest and coast of Koko, and the cliffs and secrets of Bulu island. Pikipek chirped their song to their mother Toucannon, receiving a comforting call in reply. Mudsdale snorted and neighed, alerting their neighbors to move to fresher ground. All the while, the sky stayed clear, not a cloud in sight.

Sion rubbed his eyes, the brightness disturbing his rest. He stretched, opening his eyes gradually, adjusting to the light. He looked up, seeing the gently breathing shape of Cosma, asleep after her long night of watching the moon. He turned to his side and saw Ren snoring, his arms stretched over his head in a contorted position.

Cosma floated upward, making an elongated yawn. "Morning Sion. I fell asleep when the moon disappeared." She stretched her arms, closing her eyes. "I think I only slept a couple hours," she said down the boulder, landing on the grass, snoring gently.

Sion shook his head in amazement, looking to the sky, and picked her up. He nudged Ren with his foot, receiving moans of disapproval. He nudged once more, and Ren slapped at his foot, causing the Zoroark to wince.

The Lucario stood up, stretching as the others did. "What'd you wake me up for?"

"It's time to get up. We need to make it to the raft that the Steenee told us about if we expect to get to Bulu, and it'd be better if we could make it there before tomorrow." Sion replied, adjusting his grasp on Cosma.

Muttering to himself, Ren stood up, leaning back. "Alright, alright, I get it. I wanna get there too you know." He turned, looking over to the river that coursed the plains, scraggly trees growing around it. "That's where we need to head to, right?"

Sion nodded. "Through the marsh, past the river, then across the beach to the cave, if I remember right. Sounds like a lot of ground to cover, so we better get going."

Ren scratched his head, looking out toward the river. "If you say so."

With Sion carrying Cosma, the three progressed toward the distant river, with a brown smudge in the distance connected to it. Spikes of green tufts and ponds were scattered about it, with bubbles of mud popping within.

Drawing closer to the mudpot, Ren plugged his nose. "Whew, what is that smell! It's like a Stunky died or something."

Sion coughed, his eyes watering. "I'm guessing that's the marsh, though I didn't think it'd smell so bad." He looked onward, bushes with dozens of ripe berries scattered amongst the muck. "Look, food!" Sion exclaimed, pointing at the bushes.

Ren beamed, renewing his pace. "About time we found something! Yesterday really got me hungry!" He ran ahead, leaving Sion atop of the final hill of the plains.

The Zoroark struggled to run with much speed with Cosma in his claws, having no chance to catch up with the Lucario. "Wait for me!"

The Lucario looked down at the bog, sceptical. The mud bubbled up, the only sturdy ground that was apparent where the berries were. Still, Ren searched for someplace he may cross.

He saw a trail of grass, as if it was placed by some Pokémon for this specific purpose. He chuckled to himself, running across it. "Berries, here we come!" he whooped. The grass ended, and Ren dove next to one of the bushes, greedily plucking the juicy fruits from it shoving them into his mouth.

Sion finally met with Ren and studied the grass, thinking it odd that such a growth would lead to the berries. "Hey, don't you think we should be a little more careful, especially after what's happened before?"

Ren looked over and motioned to the entire bog. "Nothing's hopping out to kill us now, right? It has to be safe."

Cosma hopped from Sion's claws and cheered, hovering to another berry bush. "Yay, berries!" She ate the berries directly from the branches, relishing every bite.

Sion shrugged, running to his own bush. There didn't appear to be anything hostile, and he was famished from last night. He plucked berries from the bush, which he thought were Iapapa, and swooned with the nourishment.

He looked over to one bubble and stopped, eyeing it warily. It was clear, and appeared to have a small black head with large blue eyes. It had a little green mouth, which was pursed in restrained rage, directed toward the three travelling Pokémon.

He looked around, checking for any sign of wild Pokémon. He looked at a small tree, seeing what looked like a crude sign attached with a grass rope.

Sion pointed at it and called to Cosma, "Does that say anything, or have any pictures?"

The Cosmog licked the juice from her lips and hovered to the sign, reading it carefully. "It says...beware Mother Araquanid and child Dewpider. It's ancient Tapu, most likely written by some elder. It's not known by many, and it's rather odd that we'd see it here."

Sion looked back where he saw the bubble, seeing that it had disappeared. Feeling uneasy, he looked around the bog, sensing that the creature within the bubble wasn't the only one.

Bubbles began to rise from the bog, hovering just above the surface. Sion saw dozens of the bubble-headed Pokémon, all popping above to converge on the intruders. In the river, a larger bubble Pokémon watched.

Sion slowly moved toward the path, continuing to look at the bubbles. "I-I think we should get going now."

Ren popped up from behind the bush, taking no notice of the surrounding Pokémon. "Why? There's plenty of food, and no one's here to attack us."

"Opportunities such as this will not come forever. Walk away, and the Lucario shall be no more."

Sion knew the hoarse voice well, and was prepared to dismiss it once more, Ren's story from the previous night empowering him to do so.

"Do you really think such a sob story would redeem him of his wrongs? He brought that upon himself, and is no excuse to treat you so badly," it countered, slyness creeping into its tone.

Sion now felt compelled to leave Ren to that fate, a dark feeling lurking within his chest. He edged farther away from the bushes, Ren continuing his feast of berries all the while.

Cosma looked around her, seeing the dozens of clear bubbles advancing. "R-Ren..." she stuttered. "S-Sion..."

The dark feeling within the Zoroark lifted, and he finally bellowed, "Run! They're in the mud!" He bolted across the path and towards the river, with Cosma following soon after.

Ren looked around him and halted his feast, jumping out of the bush and narrowly dodging the slamming heads of dozens of Dewpider. He looked back, his jaw dropping as he saw the fate he had escaped. "What in the world?" He looked around him, and more Dewpider popped onto the land, hissing at Ren as they crawled on their tiny green feet.

He chuckled, cracking his knuckles. "They don't look so bad. I can easily knock...them…" He trailed off as larger bubbles appeared on land, showing a multi-legged version of the Dewpider that looked vicious and ready to strike: the Araquanid.

One reared back and charged at Ren, the Lucario leaping to the side, leaving the Araquanid to land in a bush. He looked back and weakly smiled. "I'd like to stay, but I'm not in the mood for dying today." He sprinted after his companions as the Dewpider and Araquanid left their mud wallow and pursued their invaders.

Ren soon caught up with Sion, the Dewpider and Araquanid scuttling ever-closer to them as he did. "Sorry for not believing you back there. Good thing I listened, or I'd be, well, dead!"

Sion made no reply, thinking of how he had nearly left Ren to die. "What's going on with me?" he thought.

They soon reached the bank of the river, where a line of Araquanid floated on the surface, preventing any escape for their prey. They hissed, their blue eyes glaring at them furiously.

Ren looked to either side and sighed, getting into a combative position. "Nothing for it except to fight I suppose. Unless..." He thought back to the attempt made by the Dewpider to attack him, and how those bubbles withstood a powerful charge.

He grinned, running toward the river. "Follow me!" He leapt upward and landed on the giant bubble of one of the Araquanid, bouncing upward and landing on the other bank.

Cosma hovered over it harmlessly, going as fast as she could. "Why can't we have a day where we don't have to worry about wild Pokémon?" she sighed, the Araquanid hissing in annoyance.

Sion halted on the bank, the Araquanid hesitant to move because of the break it would form. He looked back, the dozens of Dewpider all scuttling closer, their bubbles bobbing back and forth over their heads.

"Come on, jump across!" Ren called. The Araquanid rose higher, getting ready to charge.

Sion mustered his courage and leapt atop the Pokémon, narrowly dodging the Araquanid's attack. He jumped toward the shore, landing in the water next to it. He scrambled away from the advancing Dewpider and Araquanid, following Cosma and Ren in their escape.

They darted behind a series of rocks, their assailants losing sight of them. The Araquanid edged a little farther, expecting to find their prey, but soon turned back, deeming it too far from their bog to bother chasing them anymore. The Dewpider, now riding in the bubbles of their mother Araquanid, dove into the river, the thought of Sion, Ren, and Cosma, gone from their minds.

Sion gave a sigh of relief, leaning against the rock. "Thank Arceus we made it out of there. You saw how those Dewpider charged, right?"

Ren nodded grimly, the memory lingering close. "I was nearly on the receiving end of it. At least we got to eat before we left, right?"

"Where does the trail lead Frederick?" Ekon inquired. The Feraligatr was on all-fours, sniffing the grass intently for signs of their charges. They and Gaiden remained in the plains, on the fringes of the new riverland just ahead.

"They be just over the river I think, though, judging from the mud I see, they cross right through a bog. Not too many safe trails through those things, and who's to say that there's no Pokémon guarding the one Cosma and the others went down," Frederick explained. He stood up and pointed to his right, where there were many dead and knocked over trees, along with a pit of steaming mud. "I say we head that way. The trees will make a perfect path across. The smell might be horrible, but it be better than sinkin' like a rock."

Ekon thrust himself into the air, squawking as he did. "I'll go look ahead and see if I can see them. They can't be far, right?"

Frederick shrugged, looking up at the airborne Noivern. "Can't say they aren't. Trails might be useful in where they're goin', but not necessarily when they were there. If I was younger I could tell, but the sniffer ain't as good as it used to be."

Ekon looked toward the coastline, seeing the winding river come to its mouth. The beach extended to a patch of towering rocks, where he couldn't see much of anything. As for the bog, he could see the entire mudpit clearly, and thought he could see what could be called a trail made by the trees.

He dove back down to Frederick and Gaiden and said, "Well, don't see them yet. I'd go ahead, but I'd rather not lose you two like we lost Sion, Ren and Cosma."

Frederick nodded, walking in the direction he suggested. "Understandable, given the fact that we're stuck on an island like this...and the fact that we barely survived killer huggers last night." In the glade, the unconscious forms of dozens of Bewear moaned in pain, regretting their decision to attack the strange Pokémon.

The three made their way to the fallen bog, moving past the scarce trees and soggy earth of the marshland and toward the sinking mud of their chosen path. Soon, blackened fallen trees crisscrossed their way, rotting from the inside out, black sludge dripping from the boughs. Putrid smells drifted from the mudpit, causing the travellers to begin to regret the decision to go this way.

Frederick hacked the horrible gas from his lungs, only to have it re-enter when he breathed in again. "Gah, what horrible stenches linger in this place! Almost as if some nasty sludge made its home here and never left." Several masses suddenly moved in the mud, skimming along the surface like oil on water.

Ekon drew closer to Frederick and whispered, "You might be on to something there. Just like always, we aren't alone." The masses moved once more, with a low growl emanating around them.

Gaiden sprung upward and sprayed a jet of water from his mouth, hitting one of the masses directly. It squealed and drifted away, leaving a trail of multi-coloured slime in its wake.

He landed, looking over to Frederick and Ekon with little care. "You're right that we aren't alone, and I think I know what we're up against, judging by the sounds they make."

One of the masses rose up and formed a mound of green-and-yellow slime, two arms sprouting out and a mouth filled with teeth coming together at the head. Two large eyes blinked open, staring at the strange new Pokémon with wonder and malice. It skidded along the mud, staying a good distance away from Gaiden, not wanting the results as one of its companions.

Ekon sighed, slapping his face. "There's even a new variety of Grimer around here. I guess that explains the horrible smell and the rotting trees." More Grimer formed in the bog, accumulating around the fringe between marshland and mud, where Ekon, Gaiden and Frederick currently gathered.

The Noivern looked to them and said, "I can fly over to the other side and wait for you, if that'll make it any easier." A giant, rainbow-colored mass bellowed, forming a vague mound, two tiny eyes and giant maw forming, two small arms raised high in the air.

Frederick growled and said, "Me and Gaiden can take care of them easier than I could bite off a Wingull head. Go ahead and fly off." Ekon did so, flying high above the rotting logs and Grimer masses, moving toward where the marshland turned to sand, the proposed meeting point.

Frederick took a deep breath and wagged his tail, a misty aura emanating from it. "Only one way to get through sludge like this: clean it up." He leapt upward and landed on a log, slamming his tail down on the mud. A wave of water blasted from the impact point, pushing away the crowd of Grimer and Muk, thinning their viscous grime.

Frederick cackled, running on the log, the trail behind him sinking into the bog. "You cowards aren't so tough now, are ya!" One of the Grimer growled and pulled a chunk of sludge from itself, tossing it into the air and letting it fall back into its hand. Others followed suit, all glaring at the Feraligatr.

"Kyogre's rains," he stammered. The Grimer all launched their slimeballs at Frederick, bits and pieces flying off them as they flew through the air.

Frederick leapt upward once more, landing precariously on an upright tree. The slimeballs landed with a splat on the log, causing it to sink completely under the mud.

Frederick cackled once more, sticking it his tongue. "Ahaha, no way her gonna make me part a yer bog today. I'm outta here!" He leapt once more to another log, more slimeballs splattering against it.

Gaiden stood at the side, his eyes closed. The Grimer, leaving others in the bog to deal with Frederick, turned to him, slime balled up in their hands. They all threw them towards Gaiden, a messy fate seeming certain.

The Greninja opened his eyes, and a torrent of water burst from his mouth once more, blasting away both the slimeballs and Grimer as he swept side-to-side. The thinness of water threatening their existence, the Grimer retreated into the deepest parts of the sludge, aiming to reassemble their battered bodies.

Gaiden gave a slight smirk, and leapt onto a log, landing gracefully and jumping toward another. When he met another crowd of Grimer, he blasted them with his Hydro Pump, leaving them sodden with water.

Eventually, he crossed paths with Frederick, who was waving his arms over a sinking log, no other within leaping distance. "Mind helpin' a lad out here!" he cried. Gaiden looked around, seeing if there was something he could make a suitable platform from. He looked up, and jumped onto the side of a massive dead tree.

"Gah! Get away you blighters!" Frederick hissed, smacking a Grimer away with his tail. Grimer arose from the depths and began encompassing the sinking log, weighing it down further.

Frederick kicked away a Grimer and shook off the mud, looking up at Gaiden. "Any time now!"

Gaiden leaned against the tree and pushed his legs against another nearby one, grunting. There was a large snap, and the Grimer looked up.

Crack! Splort!

The tree landed on the crowd of Grimer and on the log, causing it to instantly sink into the mud. Frederick had leapt off it and onto the tree, now running along it to the next trail.

Gaiden landed on the log, breathing heavier. Frederick swiftly shook his hand and said, "I owe you a favor for savin' me from a muddy doom. Now let's move!" Gaiden agreed, running along the logs and toward the saving grace of the coast.