After getting as much information as they could from Spinda, Team Sunrise set out to look for Lapras. They checked the beach first, as Lapras had apparently been spotted there occasionally in the recent months, but no such luck. That left Brine Cave as the other likely place to check. Thankfully, the Kabutops and Omastar outlaws who had been lurking in the area had been successfully arrested months ago, so the area was relatively safe.
As they had hoped, Lapras was still dwelling in the area, and he quickly showed himself to the team when they reached the deepest part of the cavern. He was pleasantly surprised to see the two of them again, his eyes widening a bit at the sight of the Cyndaquil, in particular. He had heard of Flynn's revival already, thanks to chatting with Wigglytuff some time ago, but it was still a bit surprising to see first hand.
Melody explained the team's request, and Lapras graciously agreed to ferry them to Blizzard Island. Though, given it was already well into the afternoon and Team Sunrise had used some of their supplies getting through Brine Cave, they decided not to leave right away. Lapras gave them a quick ride back to Treasure Town, and Team Sunrise spent some of the rest of the day getting everything ready.
Bright and early the next morning, Melody and Flynn made their way to Treasure Town's beach, finding Lapras waiting there for them. Soon, the three of them were on their way, Melody and Flynn riding on Lapras's shell as he gracefully glided across the water.
"Thanks again for the help, Lapras."
"It is no trouble at all," the water-type responded, glancing back at the Skitty. "It's thanks to both of you that Temporal Tower's collapse was averted. I, and the rest of the world for that matter, owe you a debt of gratitude. Giving you a ride across the ocean is the least I can do."
He paused, turning his gaze back out to the open ocean ahead of him. "You know, I could make a point of stopping by Treasure Town's beach in the mornings, if you want to explore other places like this going forward. I've been going there every now and then regardless, so it would hardly be going out of my way."
Melody smiled eagerly. "We'd certainly appreciate that, if you don't mind it. You could even offer your services to other teams as well, if you wanted. I know we're not the only ones who would be interested in exploring across the sea like this."
"...I suppose it's not that strange of an idea. My duty of guiding the bearer of the Relic Fragment to the Hidden Land is essentially complete at this point. Ferrying explorers around to other islands, or perhaps even other continents... would certainly be an interesting change of pace. And... while I don't entirely mind the solitary peace and quiet of Brine Cave, it wouldn't hurt to stretch my fins a bit and see more of the world. Perhaps I will consider it."
They passed some more time with idle chatter, mostly Lapras curiously asking about what the explorers had done lately. After a couple hours of sailing, they finally arrived at Blizzard Island. Flynn and Melody disembarked from Lapras, taking a long look at their surroundings.
(This place sure lives up to its name,) Melody thought. She couldn't see even a speck of ground that wasn't covered in snow or ice. Large snowdrifts and frozen ponds shaped the landscape, and the gentle snowfall was being constantly blown around by not-so-gentle bursts of wind.
Melody and Flynn started their long trek through the frozen expanse, Lapras promising to remain there and wait for them to return. The conditions were a bit harsher than the pair had been hoping for, though. Melody shivered as another freezing gust blew past. "Brr... We knew it was going to be c-cold here, but... this wind is a-awful."
Flynn stepped a bit closer to her in response, sparking the flame on his back to help keep her warm. As a fire-type, the cold wasn't bothering him as much, though the falling snow was more than a little unpleasant.
Melody gave an appreciative smile, almost pressing against Flynn's side as they continued to walk. She stretched her tail up toward the fire, carefully trying to warm it up without accidentally burning herself.
Before long, the wide-open snowfield gave way to the distinctive rooms and corridors of a mystery dungeon. The wind was a bit calmer within the dungeon, thankfully, but the cold and snow continued to bite at the pair as they pressed on.
It didn't help that the wild pokemon were unbothered by the weather, and in fact thrived in it. The ice-types could easily move through the snow, and more than once an enemy with Snow Cloak was able to catch the explorers off-guard before they even noticed it was there.
There were also half-frozen pools of water scattered here and there across the dungeon's floors. Flynn eyed them warily, keeping a wide distance from them, and for once Melody was just as eager to avoid the water as Flynn was. She could only imagine how bone-chillingly cold the water here would be, and although she noticed the occasional wild Piplup or Marill happily splashing in it, she was struggling enough to keep from freezing as it was.
Eventually, the team reached a clearing, finding a broad, ice-covered cliff face standing imposingly in their way. A large, jagged opening in the wall lead onward into a cavern, likely another mystery dungeon if Melody had to guess.
The pair decided to take the opportunity for a short break, and Melody slid the treasure bag off her back, letting out a quiet sneeze as a snowflake settled on her nose. She snuggled up to her partner's side as he started looking through their supplies. "You know, I'm starting to really wish we'd been able to find that TM you wanted already. Sunny Day sounds really nice, right about now." She could feel a small chuckle go through him at that.
The Cyndaquil retrieved a couple of apples, lightly roasting them with his fire for a moment before passing one to Melody. He also took out a couple of aspear berries, the pair having bought several of them specifically to help deal with the island's freezing climate.
Flynn paused briefly as he finished grabbing the items, humming in thought before setting the treasure bag aside for now. "Might need another elixer soon. My inner fire feels like it's working overtime." Between fighting off wild pokemon and trying to keep both of them warm, perhaps it shouldn't have been a surprise that his fire would be struggling to keep up.
"...I hadn't really thought about that," Melody replied. "Sorry if I'm, um..."
Flynn shook his head before Melody had even finished her sentence, smiling reassuringly. "It's fine." They'd packed multiple elixers, they should have enough to last.
A short while passed in silence as the pair ate. Melody scrunched up her face slightly at the sour taste of her aspear berry, but soon a surge of warmth seemed to form in her belly, gradually spreading through the rest of her body. She sighed contentedly at the temporary relief from the freezing cold, and the cooked apple helped to get the berry's unpleasant taste out of her mouth.
She glanced around, taking in the surroundings. "I have to admit, the snow and everything is at least kinda pretty, in its own way. Though I'm still looking forward to this being over."
Flynn nodded absently, though his attention was focused elsewhere as he stared cautiously at the cave entrance ahead. "...What do you think is in there?"
"I don't know. But I still can't help but wonder about Scizor. He likely went in there, searching for whatever treasure he'd come looking for, but... evidently something must have happened to him, if he never came back..." A small shudder went through the Skitty, and this time it wasn't caused by the cold. Her curiosity and drive to explore still made her want to press on, but there was a piece of her that was rather nervous as well. Scizor had apparently been quite an experienced explorer. Were they being reckless, trying to take on a dungeon that had already seemingly proved too much for someone like him?
The Skitty's tail was twitching nervously, and her ears drooped a bit, making it easy for Flynn to guess what she was thinking. He reached over with a paw, gently stroking Melody's back. "...We'll be okay. We're... in this together."
Melody gave a soft purr in response, some of her nervousness melting away as she nuzzled further into Flynn's embrace. (He's probably right. No matter how strong Scizor may have been, he was apparently exploring alone. Flynn and I have each-other, and there's no-one else I'd sooner trust to have my back. And even if things do get really bad, we do have an escape orb we can use.)
After a few more minutes, the pair decided they were ready, stepping forward into the unknown.
The wild pokemon in Crevice Cave weren't much different from those that the team had to deal with in the prior dungeon, but the terrain did change things a bit. Instead of a thick layer of snow covering the ground, the floor of the cavern was almost entirely covered with ice. And of course, now that they were inside the cavern, they were at least shielded from the harsh weather. No more wind, snow or hail to deal with, now.
...Or at least, that was their hope. Some of the wild pokemon still decided to manually summon Hail upon seeing the explorers. The resulting hailstorm clouds were relatively small, and only lasted a short time before dispersing against the ceiling, but it still made some fights a bit tougher for the duo.
The ice didn't make things easy for the explorers either, as the slippery terrain continued to give the ice-types the advantage. At one point, Melody had to dive out of the way of a pair of charging Piloswine, only to end up sliding right onto a hidden spin trap. The trap left her horribly dizzy, making it practically impossible to even stay standing on the ice, let alone defend herself. Thankfully, Flynn managed to fend off both Piloswine on his own thanks to his type-advantage, while Melody woozily chimed a Heal Bell for herself, trying to get the world to stop spinning.
Finally, the pair reached the end of the cavern, emerging into a wide-open room. They were a bit surprised at how empty the room seemed, though. Other than a multitude of icicles hanging down from the ceiling, the only real object of interest was a large crystal of ice leaning against the far wall. It was fairly transparent...
...and as Team Sunrise got closer, they realized that there was a pokemon frozen within the ice. A tall, bipedal red bug-type... with a treasure bag slung over his shoulder. While Flynn didn't recognize the pokemon's species, Melody did, letting out a quiet gasp. "T-That's... that's Scizor..."
Flynn examined the trapped pokemon sadly. Scizor stared back from within the crystal, a pained expression stuck on his face. "...Do you think that he's still... alive, in there?" Flynn asked. "After so many years?"
"Hopefully. There's only one way to find out, though."
Flynn nodded. He was about to start using his fire to thaw Scizor out when the air darkened slightly, an Ominous Wind blowing through the room and sending a painful shiver down Flynn's spine. The explorers quickly looked around, trying to see where the attack had come from, but they couldn't spot anything noteworthy.
The air darkened again as another Ominous Wind hit. Melody was unaffected by the attacks, thanks to her type, but Flynn wasn't as lucky. He wouldn't be able to last very long if this kept up.
Thankfully, as the second Ominous Wind had started up, Flynn managed to spot where it was coming from. He let loose a Flamethrower towards one of the icicles hanging from the ceiling. A Froslass was forced to quickly float out from behind it, just in time to avoid the stream of fire as it easily melted through her icy hiding spot.
The Froslass let out a chilling laugh, seemingly unperturbed by the attack. "My, my. It's been such a long time since I've had a visitor, let alone two. You dears must be just freezing, after such a long, tiring journey to get here." She spoke in an aged voice, her tone feigning concern as if she hadn't just been attacking the two explorers. She didn't even attempt to hide her haughty smirk, however. "Just stay right there, I know just the thing to-"
Froslass cut herself off, quickly drifting to the side to avoid another Flamethrower. But Melody quickly followed Flynn's attack with one of her own, striking the foe with a Thunderbolt before she could retaliate. Froslass braced herself as the attack reached her... before glancing down in confusion. The attack had passed right through her without dealing any damage.
Melody gulped, mentally chastising herself for forgetting about her own ability for a moment. Normalize had its uses sometimes, but in a situation like this, against an obvious ghost-type, it was only going to make things harder.
Getting over her brief confusion, the Froslass' smirk returned, even bigger now. "Well. If only one of you is a threat..." She charged a Shadow Ball, hurling it at the Cyndaquil, only for Melody to quickly stand in the way and shield her partner. Flynn nodded gratefully, starting to look through the team's bag as Melody glared daggers at the Froslass.
Froslass shook her head in annoyance. "Tsk. Very well, then. If that's how you want it..." She raised her arms, conjuring a Hail cloud that quickly rose up to the ceiling. A surge of small hailstones rapidly started to pound down, and the Froslass seemed to almost vanish as her Snow Cloak helped to camouflage her from view.
Flynn was able to retrieve an oran berry, healing some of the damage he'd taken, but before the pair of explorers could try to pin the specter down again, the hail intensified into a Blizzard. The harsh wind and snow made the area feel even more unbearably cold than it already was, and Melody huddled against Flynn's side in an attempt to ward off the painful chill. They could hear Froslass let out a cackle, but they couldn't tell where she was in the snowy haze. They needed to fight back and stop this attack, but how?
Not giving up, Melody focused, continuing to glare straight ahead.
(Come on, work!) she thought. (I so rarely have a reason to use this move, it's always so difficult to remember how to get it to work when I need it to...)
A strange pulse emitted from her eyes as she finally managed to use Foresight. The pulse expanded out through the room, and while the snow and hail didn't go away, Melody had an easier time seeing through it now. She spotted the Froslass hiding in a corner of the room, laughing to herself as she swept her arms to direct the frigid wind.
Froslass felt an odd sensation pass through her, suddenly feeling somehow exposed. Before she could figure out what had happened, she was struck by a Thunderbolt, actually taking damage this time thanks to Foresight disabling her immunity. A Flamethrower followed almost immediately afterward, and the Froslass collapsed, not having the strength to keep up the Blizzard any longer.
Almost immediately, the winds stopped. Just a few seconds later, the hail came to a halt as well, the artificial cloud reaching its limit and scattering. Melody and Flynn cautiously approached the downed Froslass, ready in-case she got back up.
Indeed, she was still conscious, if only just. She let out a weak groan as she opened her eyes again. But seeing the Cyndaquil, his back aflame as he stared her down, she decided not to press her luck. Turning her body incorporeal, she quickly phased through the floor, disappearing.
"Hmph... fine," her voice came from below. "Take the bug, if you want. He made for a fine decoration... but I suppose I'm bound to get more... 'visitors' again, eventually."
A final round of the ghost's eerie laughter filled the air, both explorers frowning at the coldness of her closing remark. It was a shame that she'd escaped, though they hadn't really had any way to feasibly restrain her, especially given her type. At least they would be able to warn other explorers, and let Magnezone and the rest of the authorities know about her.
In any case, while they didn't let their guards down fully, it seemed that the Froslass had been dealt with for now, so the team turned their attention back to Scizor. Flynn expelled a gentle stream of fire from his mouth, trying to melt the icy prison without hurting the pokemon trapped inside. It was a slow process, but after several minutes, the ice was mostly gone. Scizor limply fell over, hitting the ground with a metallic clang that made Team Sunrise wince.
Hoping for the best, Flynn gave Scizor a reviver seed. Melody also started up a Heal Bell, uncertain if it would help in this situation but figuring it was worth a shot.
After a moment, Scizor's eyes snapped open as he took in a sharp breath. He coughed out the plain seed, before slowly trying to push himself up to a sitting position. He folded his arms close to his chest, still shivering as he hastily turned his head side-to-side and checked the surroundings. "W-What... What happened? Where am I?" He stared curiously at the unfamiliar pair, before adding, "Who are you?"
Melody gave a sigh of relief. "We're Team Sunrise. We were exploring Blizzard Island, and we found you here. You'd been frozen by a Froslass. We weren't sure if you would still be alright after so long, but it's good to see that you are."
Scizor nodded absently. "Yes... I remember now. I was searching this chamber, convinced there had to be a secret hiding here somewhere. But I was suddenly attacked, and by the time I'd even found the pokemon who was attacking me, she'd already worn me down too much..."
He jolted slightly, part of what Melody had said finally registering in his mind. "Wait... 'after so long'? How long was I frozen?"
"Er, w-well..." Melody hesitantly glanced over at her partner, trying to figure out how to break the news. "...What year was it, when you came here?"
Twenty-five years.
That was apparently how long Scizor had been stuck there, frozen and perfectly preserved in ice. He'd been stunned into silence after Melody had told him, not really sure how to react. He barely said anything for a while afterwards, seeming lost in thought as Flynn used the team's badge to warp the three of them back out of the dungeon.
(I can't blame him, really,) Melody thought. (He missed out on over two decades, and things have probably changed quite a lot while he was stuck there.)
The trio silently made their way back to where Lapras was waiting, and after a brief explanation to Lapras about who Scizor was, they started the long ride back across the ocean. Scizor sat up front, blankly staring out at the waters, while Flynn and Melody sat side-by-side a bit further back on Lapras's shell.
As they left the frigid island behind, Flynn finally let the flame on his back go out, giving a quiet sigh of relief that only Melody heard. She, in turn, tiredly rested her head against Flynn's side, glad that they were finally on the way back home after all of that.
Melody glanced over at Scizor again, feeling a pang of sympathy. She wanted to try and say something encouraging to Scizor, but she wasn't really sure what to say.
Before long, however, Scizor shook his head harshly to clear his thoughts, deciding to finally break the silence himself. Though rather than anything about his own situation, he asked, "So... how did you two get into exploring?"
"...Uh?" Melody tilted her head in confusion at the surprising question.
Scizor shifted in place a little, turning to sit facing the younger explorers. "...Once we get back to the mainland, I'll be able to see for myself how much things have changed. Until then... it's not that I don't believe you, but... it's hard to really process this at all." He forced a smile before adding, "For now... I'd rather get my mind off it with a simpler topic."
That made some sense, Melody supposed. She thought for a moment about where to start, a smile beginning to form on her face as she thought back to the day she and Flynn had met. "Well, I'd always wanted to be an explorer, but I was too timid to bring myself to sign up at the guild. One evening, after an unsuccessful attempt to work up the nerve to enter the guild, I went down to the beach to cheer myself up. And that's when I met my partner, here. He was unconscious, passed out on the sand."
"What was a Cyndaquil doing in a situation like that?" Scizor asked curiously.
"That's... a long story," Melody replied with a half-smile. "He actually had amnesia, so he didn't remember what had happened either. He barely even remembered his own name." She left out the part about Flynn originally being human. They hadn't really told many people about that part. She was doubtful Scizor would even believe it, and it wasn't really that relevant at the moment anyway.
Melody's expression soured very slightly, but only for a moment. "Anyway, while we were talking, some pokemon snuck up from behind. They stole an item that was very important to me, and then ran off into a nearby mystery dungeon. But despite his own situation, Flynn didn't hesitate at all to help me chase after them and get my item back."
"...Really?" Scizor gave Flynn an appraising look, a mix of surprise and respect in his eyes. "You had no idea where you were, or how you'd gotten there. You couldn't remember anything at all. And yet you immediately charged into a mystery dungeon to help someone you'd only just met." Flynn simply nodded in response, and Scizor gave a genuine, hearty chuckle. "You... are either very brave, or very reckless. But I suppose being eager to help a pokemon in need is an appropriate quality for an explorer."
Flynn blushed a little, scratching the back of his head modestly, and Melody let out a giggle. "Yeah, that's just part of how he is." She nuzzled his side, her own cheeks warming slightly. "A-Anyway, after we got it back, I asked him about forming a team together. We'd worked pretty well together in that first mystery dungeon, and he didn't have anywhere else to really go, so it made sense."
Scizor nodded, smiling a little at how close the pair seemed to be. "Why Team Sunrise, out of curiosity? It's a fine name, but what made you pick that, in particular?"
"Well, it was sunset down at the beach when we met, and when we agreed to form a team together. So when it was time to pick a team name, Flynn suggested Team Sunset, at first. We both liked that idea... but I thought that Sunrise might fit a little better. You know, since it was sort of a new beginning for us both."
Melody's blush deepened a bit. To be honest, it was... maybe just a little cheesy, now that she was explaining it out loud. But still, she wouldn't want to change their team name to anything else, at this point.
In hindsight, the name had wound up being even more fitting for them, she realized. They'd helped to prevent a future where the sun would never rise again, after all. But of course, she and Flynn couldn't have known that when they'd picked the name originally.
They went on to talk more about Team Sunrise's adventures. Scizor was rather shocked to hear about the Time Gear crisis, and the role Flynn and Melody had played in stopping it.
When Melody mentioned Elder Torkoal, and how he'd told them part of how to reach the Hidden Land, a spark of recognition crossed Scizor's face, and he smiled. "Nice to hear he's still kicking, at least," he muttered quietly. "Still hanging around the Hot Springs, eager to share stories and legends from the past with anyone who's interested."
"You were friends with Elder Torkoal?"
"Well... 'acquaintances' might be more accurate. And he wasn't quite that old, when I knew him. But yes, I know him. He was quite helpful, when I was looking for information on... certain legends that I was researching."
Scizor's smile faltered a bit, his expression turning somewhat melancholy again. But after a few seconds he quietly shook his head, his smile coming back a bit smaller than before. "Anyway, you say you two had to travel to the Hidden Land, yes? How did you manage that?"
"I could actually explain some of that part of the story," Lapras suddenly interjected, slightly startling his passengers as he turned his head to look at them. "But we are almost back to Treasure Town, so it will have to wait for another time."
Melody took a look, and sure enough, she could see Treasure Town getting closer and closer. They had lost track of time a bit, it seemed. It was early evening now, the beginnings of sunset bathing the ocean and the town ahead in brilliant orange light. The Krabby also must have come out already, as a vast cloud of bubbles had already spread across the beach. Melody beamed at the sight. She had seen the view from the beach at sunset many times, by now, and while she probably preferred the view from there, it was still interesting to see it from this angle, for once.
Scizor, however, couldn't quite appreciate the view. He was a bit too distracted focusing on the town itself. While they were still a fair distance away, and he couldn't see things very clearly yet, one thing was undeniable.
Treasure Town had definitely changed, since he last saw it.
After bidding farewell to Lapras, the trio made their way up into town. Scizor numbly looked around at the various buildings, a blank look fixed on his face. It all seemed... familiar, and yet completely alien at the same time. "My goodness. You really weren't kidding... The last time I saw this place, it was quite a bit smaller than this. It wasn't really much more than an outpost for explorers, in my day, and now it's... a full-blown, thriving little town. Not that it's a bad change, by any means, but..."
Scizor paused, his face still void of expression. "...At least I'm alive, thanks to the two of you. But it's hard to believe that so many years have passed, so suddenly. I... quite frankly, I'm still not sure how to even react." Even seeing it clearly for himself, it still didn't actually feel real.
"Where, uh... where are you going to go, now?" Melody hesitantly asked.
"That's... a good question," Scizor responded with a sigh. "...Someone else is probably living in my old home, by now. For that matter, if I've really been gone for as long as you say... everything I owned has probably been passed down to other pokemon, under the assumption that I was... never coming back. Not to mention the fact that everyone I knew is going to be twenty-five years older than I remember..."
Melody and Flynn both gazed sympathetically at Scizor. Melody opened her mouth to say something, but faltered as she still couldn't quite figure out exactly what to actually say.
"...Even if you have to... start over from scratch, somewhat..." Flynn's voice caught Melody by surprise, and jarred Scizor out of his thoughts. "There are still... plenty of pokemon who will... gladly help you find your footing again." He held out a paw, looking up at the much taller Scizor.
Scizor stared down at him silently, caught a little off-guard at hearing the Cyndaquil finally talk. After a few moments, Scizor sighed again, but he managed to crack a half-hearted grin. "I suppose you do have some experience with this kind of thing, huh? Waking up with nothing, in a world you don't really recognize. Your circumstances were much different, granted, but still..."
Melody smiled reassuringly at Scizor, building off of her partner's words. "I'm sure there are still pokemon who have missed you, and will be thrilled to see you alive and well. I'm sure they'd be glad to lend you a hand. And even besides them, really, there's a lot of friendly and generous pokemon around Treasure Town. You can always ask us, or the others from the guild, if you need some help getting back on your feet."
"...Perhaps. And I do still have my skills, I suppose. Provided I can figure out somewhere to stay, and get my supplies restocked a bit... I should be still able to continue exploring, at least. Hopefully, I can... figure the rest out from there, I guess." Scizor gave a final sigh, but this one had a slightly more hopeful sound to it. "This is... still a lot to take in. I'm going to need some time to sort through all of this. But thank you for your words. And for saving me from that Froslass, of course." He glanced down at Team Sunrise again, giving them a somewhat more genuine smile this time.
He cast a look at the treasure bag he was carrying. "I wish I could properly repay you for your help, but at this point all I really have is..." He paused as a thought struck him, and he raised a claw to his chin. "Actually... I might have something interesting I could give you, after all."
Taking his bag off his shoulder, he searched around inside for a moment. Soon, he seemed to find what he was looking for, pulling out a small, rectangular stone tablet. A thin golden trim lined the outer edge, giving a little color to the otherwise plain grey stone. On the tablet's face was some strange writing that Melody couldn't read, although it looked vaguely familiar for some reason. Besides the writing, there were also small music note patterns carved into the corners of the tablet.
"This," Scizor began, "is the Secret Slab." He paused a moment, a sheepish grin crossing his face. "Yes, that is seemingly what it's actually called, from what the text claims. Anyway, I found this in a hidden treasure room, while exploring near a place called Shimmer Hill. The writing you see there is called Unown script."
Melody tilted her head in thought. "Unown script... wait, isn't that the same kind of writing we found in the Hidden Land, that Grovyle had to translate for us?"
"Ah, you've seen it before?" Scizor asked. "I suppose it's not that surprising that an ancient place like the Hidden Land would contain Unown writing."
"What does it say?"
"In short, this tablet apparently functions as a sort of key... to unlock the hiding places of the Seven Treasures."
Melody's face lit up a bit at that. "So the Seven Treasures actually exist?"
"I believe so. I did a fair bit of research into them." Scizor frowned, a distant look settling on his face. "That's... actually why I went to Blizzard Island, in the first place. I was certain one of the treasures should have been somewhere in that area. Perhaps I missed something, or maybe I was searching the wrong part of the island. Or I may have been off the mark, altogether."
After a short silence, he deposited the Secret Slab in Team Sunrise's treasure bag. "In any case, consider this yours, now. As thanks for saving me from that frozen wasteland."
"Are you sure?"
Scizor nodded, a sad smile on his face. "As much as I would have liked to find the Seven Treasures myself, searching for them got me trapped in ice for over two decades... and it's possible I wasn't even searching in the right place. I'm not sure I even want to keep looking after that." His expression turned somewhat stern, and he added, "On that note... please take care, if you decide to take up the search yourselves. I would hate to see such promising young explorers suffer the same fate I did. Or worse."
Melody felt a shiver go through her at the thought. "We'll be careful." She had already lost Flynn once, and no amount of treasure or discovery would be worth going through that again. It was hard to guess what would be guarding the Seven Treasures, but considering their supposed connection to Legendary pokemon, it was probably safe to assume they wouldn't be easy to get, even if you did have the 'key'.
Scizor held Melody's gaze for a few more seconds, before his expression softened, and he gave a satisfied nod. Glancing up at the sky, the setting sun reminded him how late it was getting. "In any case... I should try to find somewhere to spend the night, before it gets any later."
He still had no idea what to do on that front, on such short notice. An inn was probably the most viable option, he supposed, but... he eyed his treasure bag uncertainly. He didn't have much money on hand, as bringing it into mystery dungeons was usually a pointless risk. Not to mention, as unfamiliar as the town seemed now, he would be lucky if he could even find an inn quickly.
Catching onto Scizor's predicament, Flynn exchanged a look with his partner. "We, um... do have room," he quietly whispered. After all, Grovyle had stayed there with them once, after they made it back from the dark future.
Melody was a little surprised at the suggestion, but she nodded after a moment's pause, turning back towards Scizor. "You could stay at our base for tonight, if you want. Our room is big enough, and it would be better than having to quickly search for a cheap inn, or having to sleep outside somewhere."
Scizor hesitated for a moment. He felt awkward imposing, but he didn't have any other quick options, so he eventually agreed. "If you're sure."
A short while later, the three of them sat in Sharpedo Bluff, huddled around a small fire and sharing a simple dinner. They talked amongst themselves as they ate, Scizor sharing some tales from his own journeys this time.
By the time they finished dinner, Scizor had grown fairly tired, which was understandable after what he'd gone through. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough extra straw to make a third bed large enough for Scizor, so his 'bed' was closer to a pillow, in practice. Still, he didn't complain. As an explorer, he'd had to make camp with less than that, on some occasions. At least he had a roof over his head for tonight, and ideally he would be able to figure out a more permanent arrangement somewhere tomorrow.
Flynn knew he should probably go to bed soon as well, honestly. He was certainly worn-out after their exploration of Blizzard Island. But for the moment, he decided to go outside, sitting atop Sharpedo Bluff and just watching the night sky as he let his mind wander. He didn't know any constellations, but the vast sea of stars was calming to look at regardless.
He heard quiet footsteps from behind, and soon a Skitty settled down by his side, smiling gently as she rested her tail on his back. "Can't sleep? Or just thinking about things?"
"...A little of both."
The pair sat there in comfortable silence for a little while, just gazing up at the stars together. "You know, I wasn't really expecting you to chime in like that," Melody eventually said. "When we made it back to town with Scizor, I mean. But I'm glad you did. I think it really did help him, at least a bit."
"...I just said what came to mind," Flynn replied, shrugging. "His situation... reminded me of my own, in some ways." He glanced to his side, giving his partner a warm smile. "I was... lucky to have you by my side, from the beginning."
(For that matter... I'm lucky that Dialga brought me back when he did. It... was somewhat surprising, hearing that a few months had suddenly passed while I was gone. But... to have missed twenty-five years in the blink of an eye... I can barely imagine what that must feel like...)
Flynn shook his head lightly to clear his thoughts. "...It only felt right to... offer Scizor a hand, now."
Melody nodded. "He'll still have a lot of adjusting to do, going forward, but hopefully he'll have pokemon he can depend on to help him along. Maybe after breakfast tomorrow, we can give him a quick tour of the town, help him get reacquainted with everything."
"...Sounds good."
After another short silence, the Skitty's thoughts turned to the Secret Slab that Scizor had given them. "It's amazing to think that the Seven Treasures really are out there somewhere. And we have the key to access them, now!" Her tail started to wag involuntarily as she let her imagination run wild.
As usual, her enthusiasm was contagious, and Flynn gave a quiet chuckle. "...It is exciting. Though we'd still need to find out where they are."
"Scizor can help with that part, at least somewhat. And it wouldn't hurt to take our time with looking for them anyway. We'd want to make sure we're as prepared as possible for whatever we might have to deal with."
"...Agreed."
"And, uh... even if one of them is over on Blizzard Island after all, like Scizor thought, I don't think I'd be in a rush to go back and look for that one right away." Melody shivered a bit as she thought back over the day's adventure. "I think I've had enough of the cold, for a while. Wherever we end up going tomorrow... let's make it somewhere nice and warm, okay?"
"So... the Northern Desert, then?"
Melody gave her partner a deadpan look, and Flynn couldn't suppress his amused grin. The Skitty pretended to pout for a moment, playfully swatting him with her tail before breaking into a brief fit of giggles. "Maybe not there. That place is way too warm, and I know for a fact that neither of us really enjoyed all the sand everywhere either." Flynn nodded, just barely holding in a chuckle.
"Honestly, though," Melody continued after a moment, "at the end of the day... I did still enjoy exploring Blizzard Island. Sure, it was exhausting, and cold, and all of the ice and snow was a pain to deal with. But... I don't think I could ever get tired of what we do. Just getting to see and explore all of the strange and wonderful places the world has to offer is still a dream come true for me." A shy grin spread across her face, and she felt her cheeks start to heat up a bit. "Especially... being able to share it with you."
Flynn blushed slightly as well, the adoring look in Melody's eyes sending a warm flutter through his chest. He smiled bashfully, scooting closer and giving the Skitty an affectionate nuzzle.
Neither of them felt the need to say anything more for a while. Melody leaned her head on Flynn's back, purring gently as they went back to looking up at the starry sky together. Flynn held in a yawn, fatigue from the day's events starting to take its toll on both of them. Still, even though they both knew they needed to get some sleep soon... they were both content to stay there like that for a little bit longer, not wanting to let the moment end just yet.
A/N: Sorry this kinda took a while. I kept going back-and-forth on what exactly to do with certain parts of the chapter, and second-guessing a lot of it, and just... yeah. Hopefully it still turned out well enough to be worth the wait. There's still pieces that I'm not completely satisfied with, to be honest, but I think this is about as good as I'm going to be able to get it for now.
I hadn't originally meant for the Scizor stuff to get quite as serious as it ended up being, but Scizor's situation is kinda rough when you actually stop to think about it. The game just kinda glosses right over it, but I would have felt kinda weird having Scizor just casually take it in stride. But I also didn't want things to get too heavy and bog down the chapter with that part, either. I tried to strike a balance and keep things optimistic, and... hopefully it didn't turn out too bad, at least.
The 'secret rank' that Scizor gives you in the game always seemed rather odd, especially since the only thing it really seems to do is give access to the missions for the Seven Treasures dungeons. So when I realized that one of those dungeons is right next to where Scizor got stuck... it seemed pretty logical to make that the reason Scizor was on the island in the first place, and just cut out the 'secret rank' stuff altogether. (Also, the Secret Slab is an actual item in the game, though its purpose is completely different. It just makes certain Legendaries appear in specific dungeons so you can fight/recruit them)