CHAPTER 1: REELED IN
Ugh… Am I… Am I regaining consciousness? I feel really weak and dizzy, but my stomach's not hurting anymore at least. What happened last night? Did I hit my head? My whole body feels numb, as if I'm paralyzed or something from the waist down. I can't feel my legs, or my hands, or most of my body for that matter. The world around me feels really hot and uncomfortable, and I feel like I'm swaying.
Aidan: "Ohhh… Ugggh..."
I gotta try and wake up, I remember I made quite the mess in the kitchen last night. I hope my parents aren't back before I have the chance to clean it… Wait… Is it just me, or is breathing harder? I feel like my nose is blocked.
Aidan: "*Attempts to inhale*... Grk!"
I can't breathe through my mouth either, but how am I alive then? Wait, am I dead? Ugh… My head… Wait… I just opened my eyes, this isn't home. Where is this? It looks so dark and scary. Is this hell? What did I do wrong? Shit, what the hell is going on? First my body feels all weird, and now I can barely see a thing? Ugh… God damnit I feel weak… Almost like I'm gonna be sick…
Aidan: "Uuggh..."
"Zzzt... Zzt..."
What the hell was that? Was that a… A light? That just flickered over my head? So I'm not blind, it's just dark in here. I definitely saw a floor, but the floor looked wavy and grainy. That wasn't my kitchen floor, so where am I? Hang on, what am I lying on? This doesn't feel like wood at all, it's more… Mud? No, sand! Really, soft sand? Am I dreaming? No, if I was I wouldn't feel as sick as this… I think I'm gonna… Ah shit...
Aidan: "Bwwaaah!"
"Zzzzt, Zzzt... Zzzzzzzt..."
Even my own vomit tastes weird. It's fishy and horrible. But there's that light again, and that noise that came with it. My vision's a bit hazy right now but it's coming back…
Aidan: "*Gasp!*"
"Zzzzzzzt!"
Wait! My vomit! It's just floating there! Spinning around like it's in space! What the fuck? Ew! What the fuck is going on? I'm getting away from that, it's disgusting.
"Shrff, shrrf!"
Ouch, that's definitely sand I'm on, it hurts to scrape my body against. But I feel really light, almost as if when I move there's a rush of something moving with me. Am I… Underwater? But why am I underwater? And my body, it feels so weird. It's like I'm missing limbs but I also feel limbs in places there aren't supposed to be any. Breathing is still so hard, if I'm not dreaming, or dead, then what am I?
Aidan: "Achoo!"
"Bubble bubble..."
Ack! I just felt bubbles or something come out from my sides! Something's wrong, very wrong. Wait, my hands! What the shit!?
Aidan: "H-H-H-Hah… O-O-Okay! W-What's happened… T-To me?"
F-F-F-... Fins? Like a fish? Am I… Am I a fish? I can't be! No way! People don't just wake up as animals like that! I'm panicking now, I don't know what's going on. I still feel really hot and I can't breathe through my mouth or nose. Wait, no this isn't real. It's not real. I'm still tripping from earlier, I've just not gotten better yet. This isn't my real body, I refuse to believe it… Wait… My right han-, uh, fin… That cut…
(Flashback): "Clang, clang. Smash!"
Aidan (Flashback): "Shit! Fuck! Dammit!"
That's the cut on my hand from when I broke that glass in the kitchen! Meaning this is… This is actually my body! It's just… I've somehow transformed into this? But-...? But how? Wait, my body! It feels so slimy and wet! And I can't reach for my feet! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! Wait, what's that up there? Is that a light?
Aidan: "Gnrgh!"
Shit, how do I swim? I can't control these new limbs, I feel so disproportionate it's almost like I've been mangled. These fins feel like small little fans on my hands, I can hardly propel myself much with them at all! Am I not doing it right? I feel like I've got little legs, but they don't help either. I've managed to get myself off the ground but I can't get any further than that.
"Zzzzzt. Zzzt."
Huh? Those lights again, I can see the bulb things emitting them… But I also feel something when they turn on, like there's some sort of energy or something coursing through my veins. This new form… Are those… Mine? Are they a part of my new body too? Wait, that thin strand of something holding them up, it's the same colour as my fins. They're also moving with me in the water when I move too. Ugh… I feel like I'm having a panic attack. I gotta get out, out out out out! The light up there, that must be the surface of the water! Come on Aidan! Just! Push yourself! Upwards!
"Slosh! Swoosh!"
Just keep swimming… Just keep swimming… Just keep on swimming… I can do it, I just need to push myself… Wait, basic rules of buoyancy say that if something has air in it, it floats. So maybe I just need to take a deep breath and…
Aidan: "Ha-... Ack! Hck!"
Wait, what? I… I can't breathe through my mouth! If that's the case, then how am I breathing right now? Wait no, that's right, most sea creatures have gills. So does that mean I have gills now too? If so, where are they? Are they these things on my side? I think they are. Holy fuck it feels so weird to touch, it's like an air vent stuck to my body. They're so hard and rough, yet the rest of my body feels soft and slimy… Wait, if I'm underwater, and I have gills… I'm an idiot! What would taking a deep breath and floating up do if I'm already underwater and would just be breathing in more water? God dammit Aidan! Assess the situation and think!... Wait, there's another fish over there. This one, it's big and flat, and it's got a weird black and white pattern on it. And it's emitting light around it, just like me, but this one is completely illuminating the area, instead of just around itself. It looks like…
Aidan: "T-Terry?"
That fish over there, it looks just like Terry! Well, it's a bit bigger and the pattern is a bit different, but the shape. Is that a spadefish? Or something else? I'm gonna try and swim closer and get a look.
Aidan: "H-Hey! Wait! I need help!"
?: "Hm? Wer bist du?"
Aidan: "Wait, what?"
I can't believe it actually understood and talked back to me. I guess since I'm a fish now, it makes sense that I can communicate with other fish. Though, It spoke back to me yeah… But did it just talk in… German? Shit, this is no good, I don't know much German.
Aidan: "Hey, English? Do you speak-..."
"Splushshsh."
Wait! No! It's swimming away! Why's it swimming away? Dammit!
Aidan: "Wait! No! Come back! Please!"
Shit, it got away… Now I'm all alone again. Being able to communicate with other fish is cool and all but it's not all that helpful when they speak a language you don't understand nor know how to speak yourself. Ugh… Not only is this situation getting worse but I'm also feeling worse. Everytime I breathe it's like I'm inhaling toxic fumes or something, it's making me sick. Fuck it, just swim up to the light. Maybe I'll be able to see something useful, or just anything that could help me figure out what's going on. The good news is, the more I push myself to swim the better I get at it. I think I'm getting the hang of it, at least the swimming upwards part. Just a little further… Nearly there…
"Splash!"
Aidan: "Ghuuuck! *Cough Cough*"
What? What's this? Is this the surface? God it's so cold. I feel like I went from being in a sauna to being in a freezer within seconds. The chilling blows of the wind feels like razors on my skin. I guess it's because I'm wet, but this hurts a lot more than it should. The current of the water too, it feels a lot more violent than it was down below. I can hardly keep still. My eyes are drying up rapidly, it hurts quite a bit actually and it's making it pretty difficult to keep them open. Is this what a fish feels like when they're taken out of the water? It stings. I think I see some grass over there. Is that land? Should I swim towards it? I guess it's worth checking out, I might be able to find someone who could help me, or at least tell me where I am. But swimming against a current… Is hard…
Aidan: "Nngh! Nngh! Nngh! Ugh..."
Body… Feeling weaker… I think… I'm gonna throw up… Again… Just… A little… Further… Come on…
Aidan: "Nngh… Nngh..."
The closer I get… The weaker the current… But the weaker… I get too… What… What is this…?
"Fwoosh! Crash! Tumble"
Aidan: "Ughgughugh. Oww… *Cough Cough*"
There, I made it... Wait… My vision is caving… My sides… My sides hurt like shit… Wait… Why can't I breathe…?
Aidan: "Grk... Hyak… *Pant*... *Cough*"
Breathing is… So hard… What… What's going on… My sides feel… Feel like they're… Burning… Wait… My sides… Shit…
Aidan: "*Cough*... Back… Back in the water… *Cough Cough*... Back in the… Water..."
"Splash!"
Aidan: "Haaahh… *Deep Breathing*"
I can breathe again. I still feel weezy, but I can breathe. I guess my guess was right, that because I have gills, I must not have lungs. I guess that explains why I just physically can't inhale through my mouth, and also why I couldn't breathe out of the water. So I'm bound to water? Which means I'm also bound to this little lake? Fuck, I don't even know what to make of this. It's all so overwhelming. I didn't ask for any of this, why did this happen to me? How did this happen to me? I feel like I'm dying with every breath of this water I take, it's like I'm breathing in toxins. How did that other fish look so fine with it? Am I just not used to breathing water? Is this what it's supposed to feel like? This sucks, it really sucks. I feel really bad, I need to lay down.
Aidan: "Bwm… Bwwaaah!"
Ugh… I threw up again. My heart feels like it's slowing down and I feel even weaker the longer I'm in the water, but I can't leave because I'll suffocate. Am I… Dying? Why would I be dying? The world feels like it's getting darker, even the lights on my head are dimming down.
Aidan: "Ugh… Uuugh..."
There, I made it. I'm on the floor again, but I feel even worse than I did when I first woke up. What's going on? I'm really scared… I… I just want to go home… Huh? More lights? Surrounding me? I can barely make out what's causing them, my vision is caving in again.
?: "Lampi… Lampi..."
Wait… That voice… Is that… Terry? I don't have the energy to even speak, but it sounded just like that German fish from earlier. Are they back? What do they want? And what does "Lampi" mean? Am I seeing things again? No… Please… Not the lights… Not again… Was this your doing Terry? Did you do this to me? I'm so weak, I feel so numb…
?: "Chinchou… Chinchou..."
Who was that? I can't see, the lights are too bright, but that voice sounded different. Am I surrounded by Terry's? No! Please! Make it stop! Make IT STOOOOOP!
"ZzzzZZZZZZzzzzzt! ZzzzzzZZZzzt"
?: "Das Netz... Lauf..."
?: "Die Lampi?"
?: "Er liegt im sterben, verlass ihn, er wird nicht überleben... Seine elektrizität ist gefährlich, wir sollten uns nicht nähern..."
What are they saying? Are they gonna kill me? Fine… I give up… You win, Terry. What did I ever do to deserve this? I… Hate… I… HATE… FISH… I… HATE!
"Splushshsh."
Huh? They're gone! The light's all gone! Did they just swim away? What for? Ugh… I feel… This is it… I think these are my last few breaths… That's what they were doing, they were gonna leave me to die. Wait… Something's moving below me…
"Crunk! Crack!"
Woah! A lot of sand just got flicked into the air! What's going on? I feel the floor below me tightening, it feels like… Rope? A net? Was I caught in a trap? Ugh! Ow! It's tugging against my skin, but I can't move! I'm too weak to escape. The water above me is getting heavier, I feel like I'm being dragged somewhere. Wait, there's a light coming closer from above, or am I getting closer to it? It's rapidly approaching, the closer I get to the light the more and more I can see. I think I'm stuck in a net of some kind, like a fishing net? Is this the end? Oh, just hurry it up if it is, I don't care anymore. Just kill me… Please…
"Sploosh!"
Ack! That hurt like shit! I've been pulled up above the water by this net. My skin is burning, everything is so bright, and I… I can't breathe anymore. I think from the adrenaline my vision is coming back, but I feel awful. Wait, that reflection in the water down there. That blue thing, with the bright yellow eyes… That's… Me? That's what I look like now? I… I'm so… Weird? What the fuck? Wait… It's just settling in, I'm a fish, caught in a net, having been pulled up to the surface by it… Oh fuck I really am gonna die! Shit! Shit! Shit! I didn't mean it! I don't actually want to die!
?: "We got something!"
Who was that? They spoke English? Wait, the voice was coming from behind me. Urk! I don't have the energy to move, this is bad. I'm gonna have to force myself to... Shuffle… Grk! This rope hurts my skin so much. It's so rough and sharp. Wait… Who's that? My vision's blurry, but it looks like a… A really small guy with a bandanna? With… Big puffy trousers?
?: "A… A Chinchou? What the hell? How did that get here?"
Aidan: "*Cough Cough* Chinchou…? What…?"
?: "It talks? That means it's alive? And it speaks… Nohenan?"
Aidan: "Help… Me… Who… Ugh… Are..."
"Zzzzt, Zzzzt, Zzzzt, ZzzzZzZZzzt..."
I can't breathe at all, talking is so difficult. How am I gonna get myself out of this one? I can't stop twitching… Wait… Are those… Sparks? Like electricity? Coming from around me? But, how come I'm not in pain? Is this an electrical net? But it just looks like normal rope to me. I'm so confused. At this point, all I want to know is what's going on. Wait, I'm being pulled closer. Is this a boat? It looks like a pirate ship, it's even got huge sails and everything. Why would a pirate ship have a huge fishing crane attached to it? Have I been caught by fishermen? Or pirates? Wait, that strange guy's coming closer.
?: "Come here, you."
Aidan: "I… Help… Help… Aah!"
"Snap! Thud!"
Ouch, I think he just released the net. Slamming my face on that wooden floor hurt. It's even drier here than it was in that net. My gills feel like they're hardening up, it hurts so much… Wait, he's approaching me? With something in his hands?
"Splash!"
?: "There, that should keep you going for a second. So tell me, what the hell is a Chinchou doing in a lake? I'm shocked you're still alive. How'd you get stuck there little guy?"
Did he just throw a bucket of water at me? Why did that feel so… Nice? It felt crisp, not like the water I was in before, but like I could actually breathe in it. Just from that alone, I already feel a little better. But I still can't stop twitching, and this electricity around me is still there too. Breathing is still hard, but I feel a bit better.
Aidan: "Who… Are… *Gasp*... Breathing… Hard… Fuck… Help me..."
?: "Geez, you're in pretty bad shape. My name's Rick! Rick Sharp! I'm a Scraggy! I don't expect you've ever seen a Scraggy before, being a sea creature and all. I guess this is a first for you, huh?"
Aidan: "Scraggy…? What…? Wh-... *Cough*"
Rick: "Oh, and would you mind not doing that with your electricity if you can? I can't pick you up if you're gonna be discharging like that."
Rick? Scraggy? Discharging? So many questions, I'm overwhelmed. So this electricity, it's coming from… Me? I guess that explains why I feel a weird sensation as it comes out. I feel like energy is pulsating through my body. But… How can I control electricity? What kind of fish am I?
Rick: "Are you gonna quit that? Or not?"
?: "ARRRGH! WHAT BE ALL THE RACKET?! I CANNAE THINK STRAIGHT!"
What the fuck was that? Their voice was so loud and rough, almost like a generic pirate voice from one of those movies. Wait… That Rick guy, he's wearing a bandanna. And that voice, it sounded just like a pirate… Are these pirates? Actually?
"Thump, thump, thump, thump."
Ugh, those footsteps are shaking the whole floor. What the hell is happening? Someone's coming, someone big.
Rick to ?: "Captain, look! We found a Chinchou! I don't know how, but we-..."
? to Rick: "Step yer arse aside, Blubber Head!"
Aidan: "*Cough*... Ugh… Ack!"
? to Aidan: "Now what do we have 'ere? Hmm..."
What the fuck is that thing?! He's huge! And now he's kneeling down and looking right in my face! His head looks like a shark's head, he's got a huge jaw, even one of his eyes is missing! He's got sharp fins all over his body, but they aren't like my ones, they're… Well… Shark fins! Who is this guy?
? to Rick: "Aye, it do be a Chinchou. How the fuck did ye catch this one?"
Rick to ?: "I don't know captain! I'm just as shocked as you are!"
Woah! Ow! Ow! He's picking me up! But his skin is so rough and sharp! His hands, they're… They're just claws! But not like claw claws, just singular claws! They look like two hooks! How is he even holding on to me? Ow! I wish he'd let me go! The floor was more comfortable than this. He's giving me a dead stare, I'm terrified. Dammit… The more I tense up, the more electricity that comes out of me… But this guy, he's not even flinching at it? How?
? to Aidan: "Hmm… It's alive. I smell it."
Aidan to ?: "Grk!"
? to Rick: "Heh! The little cunt be terrified, scared shitless. Aye, that makes me smile..."
Rick to ?: "What do we do with it, captain?"
? to Rick: "It do be an odd catch, but a useless one. We cannae eat this!... Well, I could, but it ain't me food o' choice!"
He wants to eat me? His grin, he's looking at me with quite a horrifying smile. I can see his sharp teeth right in front of me. Ugh. I can't breathe, but I can't just sit here and let this happen!
Aidan to ?: "No!... Urk… Please… I need… Help..."
? to Rick: "Aye! Now me interests 'ave risen, it talked! And Nohenan no doubt!"
Rick to ?: "I thought the same, captain! It is an interesting find isn't it?"
? to Aidan: "Yer got some FUCKIN' balls to ask the great Captain Sharkbait fer help, Frog Eyes. Do ye even know who I am?"
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "*Cough*... Captain… Sharkbait...?"
(Flashback): This guy here on the cover must be the main character, says his name is "Captain Sharkbait". Pretty shitty name for a pirate if I'm honest, "Sharkbait". Judging by the way he looks it'd make more sense if he was called something like "Captain Grit-Beard'' or something… I dunno, I've never been amazing at coming up with names myself, but even that is a scarier sounding name than "Sharkbait".
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "You're…? You're…?"
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Aye… Did I stutter?"
Holy shit. Am I? No, I can't be. This doesn't make any sense! Wait… Small manlet creature with a bandanna, big scary looking captain called "Sharkbait", pirate ship… I'm in that book! But… Wasn't there a third? A sea monster?... Ow!
"Poke. Poke."
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Yer pissin' me off with all that starin' boy. Ye got twenty seconds to explain who ye are and where ye came from before I cast ye back to sea!"
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "I… *Cough*... Don't… Know… Ack!... Can't… Breathe..."
Rick to Captain Sharkbait: "I don't think we're gonna get much information out of him, captain... At least not like that."
Captain Sharkbait to Rick: "I CANNAE REMEMBER ASKIN' FER YER INPUT, BLUBBER HEAD! NOW I'D KEEP YER FUCKIN' MOUTH SHUT BEFORE I TOSS YE TO SEA WITH HIM!"
Rick: "*Gulp*"
Good god, he's scary. I take back anything I ever said before about Sharkbait being a dumb name. This guy is anything but dumb, he's terrifying! Oh shit, it's just one bad thing after another. It'll be a miracle if I get out of his hands in one piece, he looks dead set on eating me, if not just leaving me to die. Gyaa! Ow! His grip hurts like shit!
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Tick, tock, tick, tock. I hope yer ears work 'cause that be the sound o' me patience runnin' out, Frog Eyes!"
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "*Cough*... Can't… Breathe… Water… Then… I promise… I'll talk..."
Oh god, I hope that works. He's giving me a really strange look now. His scary grin is gone as well. Fuck me I've never been more shit scared in my life. Just please, please put me down...
Captain Sharkbait to Rick: "Aye, I thought I 'ad a funny accent, but then this prick came along an' stole the show! Well, if it's water he wants, open the fishin' hatch so I can toss him in."
Rick to Captain Sharkbait: "But captain, the fishing hatch has freshwater in it for the Lumineons. It's not suitable for a Chinchou, he needs seawater, or he'd die!"
Captain Sharkbait to Rick: "He seemed to be doin' a mighty fine job o' bein' alive fer this long, what's a few minutes more?"
Rick to Captain Sharkbait: "Captain, I really don't think we should-..."
Captain Sharkbait to Rick: "Yer bein' quite protective of a very convenient Nohenan speakin' Chinchou who happened to be swimmin' around a lake in Kalyria instead o' bein' at the bottom o' the sea where it belongs. Aye, don't ye have the slightest bit o' suspicion that this JUST MIGHT not be a coincidence?"
Ugh… I don't care anymore, just please hurry up! I feel like I'm gonna pass out! My gills are burning and I can't breathe! Ugh… I'm… Losing it…
Captain Sharkbait to Rick: "... Aye, but yer right. Killin' the fucker now would only mean we 'ave one less spy to worry about. Makin' him bleed and talk before killin' him however… We might just learn a thing or two. Fine, BRING THE BASTARD A BUCKET!"
Rick to Captain Sharkbait: "Aye aye, captain!"
There he goes, though I can't really see straight anymore… I feel really light headed… But about what was said, I'm a seawater fish? There's a difference? And this lake is freshwater? But wouldn't freshwater be better, since it's fresh and not salty? And if I stay in the wrong kind of water for too long, I'd die? Was that what was happening to me back in the water? So I was dying?... Wait… I feel like I'm flying… What…?
"Splash!"
Rick to Captain Sharkbait: "Aaaaaand it's a hole in one! Nice throw captain!"
Captain Sharkbait to Rick: "Aye, I think we were too late, the poor bastard looks knocked clean out. Har har! Look at him swirlin' round in there! The fuckwit forgot how to swim! Lookin' at him swirlin' round in there is makin' me laugh! Har har!"
"Splash!"
Aidan: "Phaaaaaaaaah! Hahh… Hahh… Hahh..."
Woah! This water feels so clean to breathe! It feels… Natural! Like my body has accepted it! I can breathe! I CAN BREATHE! Oh, thank god. I don't feel like I'm about to die either, I'm still a bit weak, but I finally feel like I'm getting better. Is this seawater? I guess it must be, but why would a pirate ship have buckets of seawater laying round? Oh well, I don't care. This sucks, and it's pretty cramped in here, but I can breathe, and I'm not dying, so I can't complain.
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Aye, look who decided to pop his fuck ugly mug from the water."
Rick to Aidan: "You look a lot healthier now! That's good!"
Aidan to Rick: "Hah… You have no idea just how relieved I feel right now."
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Well, yer relief be short lived! START TALKIN'!"
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "T-Talking? W-What about? Did I do something wrong?"
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "DON'T YER BE PLAYIN' GAMES WITH ME, FROG EYES! IF YE CAN'T WOO ME WITH YER CHARISMA THEN I'LL BE THE LAST POKÉMON YER EVER SEE!"
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "W-Wait, P-Pokémon? W-What's going on?"
Rick to Aidan (Whispers): "The captain would like to know your name and where you came from, along with who sent you. Additional information that may help your cause would be giving the captain your full address, the names of everyone you know, your criminal history, your social security number and the location of your nearest bank branch, so the captain can give it a visit later."
Aidan to Rick: "W-What? H-Hang on, I'm confused!"
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "START FUCKIN' TALKIN'!"
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "Wh-..."
Rick to Aidan (Whispers): "If it helps, I'd start with your name, and work down on the list from there."
Am I being interrogated? I mean, yes I'm clearly being interrogated, but why? Was I doing something wrong? I get that they're pirates, but I'm just a small fish out of water, what harm could I possibly do? That captain's acting awfully aggressive about it, then again, I don't think there's been a moment so far where he didn't look angry, but holy shit! He's unhinged!
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "TICK, TOCK, TICK, TOCK! YE HEAR THAT?! IT'S ME PATIENCE CLOCK AGAIN, AND IT'S ABOUT TO FUCKIN' EXPLODE IF YER DON'T START TALKIN' RIGHT NOW!"
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "Okay! Okay! My name's Aidan Fitzpatrick, I'm 15 years old, I'm from Cork, Ireland. I can't remember the rest of what you wanted but I don't know what's going on and I'm scared..."
Captain Sharkbait: "..."
Holy shit, this guy is scary! I'm covering my eyes in fear, how can he not see I'm terrified of him? Unless he can, and he just enjoys it? What's his problem! What kind of sick fuck acts like this to someone in distress?
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Cork? Ireland? Ney! I been all over this world countless times, and I never once heard o' a place called "Cork Island". So I'll give ye another shot, who are ye really?"
Rick to Captain Sharkbait: "Maybe it's a regional name? Perhaps it's within the Lagarian island range? Or maybe it-..."
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Who are ye really? Don't pull me leg, yer still edible to me."
I'm getting pissed off, this guy thinks he owns the place!... Well, it's his ship and all, but he thinks he can just walk all over me because of that? What an arsehole!
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "Who am I? What about who are you? You think it's okay to treat me like this just because I happened to be in a bad place at a bad time? What kind of sick fuck are you? Who do you think you are?"
Rick to Aidan: "Uhh… Aidan, was it? I wouldn't talk to the captain in that way if I were-..."
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "I'm so FUCKING STRESSED OUT at what's going on right now! I started having these hallucinations at home and all of a sudden I passed out and I woke up as a fish. To make matters worse, I find out that I'm nowhere even remotely close to home, I don't know how I got here, but apparently the only safe spot around here for me to be in is this fucking bucket of yours and I'm bound to it unless I fancy dying a slow and painful death in the lake water or suffocating because I can't breathe on land anymore! The LAST FUCKING THING I NEED RIGHT NOW is to be dealing with some WANKER like you! Give me a fucking break!"
Rick: "..."
Captain Sharkbait: "..."
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "Just… Just FUCK OFF! Alright? *Sniffle* I'm having a bad day..."
Oh no Aidan, please don't cry, please don't cry in front of this thing. Hold it back, please. The last thing I want is for this twat to make fun of me about it. Or even worse, have it used as fuel for him to get even angrier. I just want this day to end, I hated every second of it.
"Clap… Clap… Clap..."
Wait, what's that noise? Is he? Is he slow clapping? The bastard is slow clapping? Are you fucking serious? Oh, if only I could control this electricity zapping out of me right now and aim it right at his scaly fucking face!
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Aye, I've been knocked off me seat, Frog Eyes. That was a show an' a half. Ye nearly scared me. Heh!"
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "What do you want from me?"
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "I think I 'eard enough fer now. Don't worry, I believe ye… But I do got some questions, just little ones."
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "What..."
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Well… What do ye mean yer "woke up as a fish"? Aye, that part of yer story's quite an attention grabber y'see, most normal Pokémon don't just wake up as different Pokémon. Tell me more about that."
This guy, I swear. He's such a wild card, one moment he's throwing a full on rage fit and the next moment he's like a therapy coach? I guess I don't have much of a reason not to tell him. It's not like he can do anything with that information anyway.
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "I was at home, minding my own business and enjoying my life, when all of a sudden these weird rifts started appearing around me and I felt dizzy, like all my insides were moving around, and I passed out on the floor. The next thing I know, I wake up at the bottom of a lake feeling like I'm five seconds from dying and my body's completely different."
Rick to Aidan: "Rifts? Completely different body?"
Aidan to Rick and Captain Sharkbait: "Yeah… I don't know how it happened, or why, but I don't know where I am, nor what I am, and I definitely don't have a clue what to do about it. One moment I'm a perfectly normal human being and the next, I'm a fish, or a "Pokémon" as you seem to put it, whatever that is. And now, I'm stuck here on this fucking boat dealing with Captain Shitbag and his trusty companion, Prick Sharp! So yeah, I've had a pretty bad day. Top that..."
His face, the captains, his dirty little grin's just faded into a face of shock, or fear? What's he so scared of? He seemed to be enjoying himself at my misery earlier, what's gotten into him?
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Correct me if I be wrong, but did I 'ear ye say ye were… Human?"
Rick to Captain Sharkbait: "Wait, what's a human?"
He looks like he's getting angrier, was it something I said? But hold that thought, did Rick just say "What's a human?" What? Oh! Ow! I'm being grabbed!
"Splash!"
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "I dunno what catastrophe yer bringin' with ye this time, but I don't want nothin' to do with it. I'm not sure which of us is the unluckiest fer meetin' who, but yer need to die. Here and now."
"Thud!"
Aidan: "Ow!"
Wait what? He just dropped me on the floor and now he's gonna kill me? No! Please! What did I do? His fins on his arms, they look like they have blades attached to them, like sword blades! Oh no… I've got to do something!
Captain Sharkbait to Rick: "Aye, looks like sushi's on the menu tonight!"
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "No! No! Please!"
Rick to Captain Sharkbait: "..."
Aidan to Rick: "Hey! Please! Do something! *Cough* Please!"
He's just giving me a dead stare! Oh fuck, I'm dead! This is actually it now! There's no hope! My life's flashing before my eyes!
Rick to Captain Sharkbait: "Captain..."
Captain Sharkbait to Rick: "Don't ye try and talk me outta this! You've no idea the dangers that a human brings with 'em! He needs to die! Right here! Right now!"
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "Please! Don't! I'm just a boy! I… *Cough*... I don't know what I did! Please don't kill… *Cough*... Me!"
Rick to Captain Sharkbait: "Captain, he's just a boy, he's right."
Captain Sharkbait to Rick: "BOY OR NOT, HE BE A HUMAN! HUMANS DON'T BELONG IN THIS WORLD, SO I BE DOIN' EVERYONE A FAVOUR BY REMOVIN' HIM FROM IT!"
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "PLEASE! PLEASE! NO! I can be of use to you! I promise! I… I know electronics! And I do a bit of engineering! If your ship has any electronics on it, I can maintain them! *Cough*... I don't wanna die!"
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Grrr..."
He paused. Does he really want to kill me? Or is he just saying that to scare me into submission? Surely if he was dead set on killing me he would have done it already instead of having me beg for my life, right? What's he really thinking? If this is just a scare tactic to get me to do what he wants, he's a lot smarter than he looks… As disgusting as that is.
"Slash! Bang!"
Aidan: "Owp!"
He… He slammed his claw into the ground beside me? Does that mean… He's sparring me? Oh! Oh! Oh! Fuck! Please be the case! Please don't turn around on this and eat me!
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Yer really be such a crybaby, you little pussy. Yer makin' it hard fer me to kill you. As much o' a bad sign your existence is on this world, I cannae bring meself to kill ye when yer actin' like that. It's not right..."
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "*Cough Cough*... Ugh… I'm sorry! I don't want to cause you trouble! I just wanna go home..."
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Aye, I know that… I know more about ye that yer think, ye aren't the first human to be brought to this world, but yer existence is a really fuckin' bad sign. Yer cannae stay here, I refuse to have yer on me ship for longer than I 'ave to."
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "Wait, why is it a bad sign?"
Rick to Captain Sharkbait: "Yeah captain, what's going on?"
Captain Sharkbait: "..."
He's just staring into the sky now, what's his problem? He's such an odd character, one minute he's a ticking time bomb, the next minute he's threatening me with my life and another minute later he's acting serious and being calm? He's definitely unstable. I'm not sure I really want to be around him much.
Captain Sharkbait to Rick and Aidan: "Humans are creatures from another world than this one, they don't exist in this world… At least, not in a physical form, they don't. Aye, there been tales and legends o' humans bein' the response from the gods to calamities happenin' or about to happen in our world. Even though this ain't the first time shit like this 'as happened, just like the last time it did, it's a bad fuckin' sign fer everyone involved. Aye, yer very existence is a bad omen fer what's to come, it's why I were gonna kill ye."
A bad omen? My day's already bad enough, what do you mean it's only gonna be worse from here on out? And, a response from the gods? What gods? Wait, so let me just wrap my head around this whole situation. I'm a Pokémon and my species name is Chinchou, I've been brought to this world against my will by some group of deities who think I'm capable of stopping some sort of disaster that's either ongoing at this present moment or about to happen? And all of this just thrown on me without any real warning whatsoever? Huh? I'm being picked up?
Rick to Aidan: "Looks like you really have got a lot on your plate, don't ya?"
Aidan to Rick: "... Huh?"
Rick to Aidan: "Even the captain looks scared of you! That's definitely something! You are something else, you know that? It's a shame, we would have made pretty good pals. Well I guess it's back in the bucket for now, little fishy."
"Splash!"
Ugh… Well at least I can breathe again. But wait, what does he mean by "would have"? What's gonna happen to me?
Aidan to Rick: "Wait, what? What's that supposed to mean? I thought you weren't gonna kill m-..."
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Aye, we aren't. At least not fer now. But yer cannae stay here, yer be a danger to us, so we're gonna drop ye off at the local authorities. I'll have ye be their problem."
Rick to Captain Sharkbait: "Should we be off then captain?"
Captain Sharkbait to Rick: "Aye, the sooner the better! Prepare for travel!"
Rick to Captain Sharkbait: "Aye aye captain! Making my way to post now!"
That's it? They're gonna take me to the local authorities and just dump me there like I'm some lost child? But I don't even know a thing about this world, what the hell am I supposed to do from there on out? I suppose it's probably safer being with some kind of Pokémon police force than it is being with these clowns, but I just have so many questions and I feel like these guys have the answers.
Aidan to Captain Sharkbait: "W-Wait, Mr Sharkbait sir!"
Captain Sharkbait to Aidan: "Oh fer cryin' out loud… If yer not gonna call me "Captain" then yer might as well just call me Archie instead. That be me real name. I think I'd prefer anythin' over fuckin' "Mr Sharkbait" if I be honest..."
Aidan to Archie: "Sorry, Archie then. I just have a question."
Archie to Aidan: "All yer've had in the past ten minutes are fuckin' questions, but go on then. What be it?"
Aidan to Archie: "Why are you so keen on getting rid of me? Surely if I'm an answer from the "gods" or whatever in regards to a calamity or disaster that's either currently ongoing or already happening, surely I'd be useful to you right? Would that not mean I'm the key to stopping it."
He's not even turning to face me as I'm talking! He's just going back to that ridiculous boat steering wheel of his with all those buttons on it! Is he ignoring me? Why? What an arsehole!
Aidan to Archie: "Archie?"
Archie to Aidan: "I thought I already made it clear that I want nothin' to do with you. That's why I be handin' ye in. I dunnae care if yer be some sort of "prophecy" or whatever bullshit that's bein' thrown around about it, I want nothin' to do with any of it! I got me own goals to focus on, me own struggles to worry about. Ye can fuck right off if ye think I'm gettin' me or me crew involved, so whatever's goin' on in this world ain't my problem and I'd quite like to keep it that way. Now tell me this, why do ye sound so keen yerself on stayin' with us when I nearly killed ye? Yer not a dumb fish, I can see that, but a sane person would surely be glad to be rid of someone who threatened 'em with their lives. Unless yer wantin' to die?"
Aidan to Archie: "Well put yourself in my shoes would you? I don't have the slightest fucking clue where I am or what I am or how I got here or what's even going on, the first person I am able to even speak to is you and that other guy, and I'm really scared actually, so of course I'm gonna want to stick around even if you just tried to kill me. Because if I'm honest, as it stands right now, even if you did kill me, as unpleasant as it would be for me, I don't really think I have anything to lose anymore if you did. Given everything you just said about what's going on with all this "answer from the gods" bullshit, then unless this is some really fucked up lucid dream or something and I'm gonna wake up in my bed back home being completely fine, then I really don't think going home is that easy of an option for me. Even if someone could get me home, how do I turn back to normal? I don't know if you picked this up from how I'm acting or not but humans are NOT fish, which is a big part of the reason why I'm freaking out a lot about this. I have to force myself to breathe you know, gills are not natural to me, it still feels weird to feel water moving in and out of my sides like that, it's gross."
Archie to Aidan: "Gch… Yer a whiny little shit ain't ye? Would there be anythin' else that ye would like to complain about, or are ye quite done?"
I'm really not sure I see the point in talking to this guy if I'm honest. He asks me a question, I give him an answer and then he just decides to disregard the answer and say mean things about me. Even if I'm the one asking questions it's difficult to really get answers from him, or at least real answers. I think the only thing he's actually done that's useful to me so far is answer the question of "What's going on?" By telling me about this whole calamity nonsense. Even then, I'm not sure it's safe to believe anything he says right away given how unhinged he seems, he might me loopy for all I know.
Rick to Archie: "Winds are blowing at a steady pace south Captain! It's not too optimal, but we can probably reach Lagaria within 45 or so minutes with these conditions."
Archie to Rick: "Aye, good. We be ready to get on the fuck outta 'ere then!"
Aidan to Archie: "Wait a second, 45 minutes? But I can see both ends of this lake from here, what do you mean we aren't gonna reach either side until 45 minutes later? Is this boat just that slow or something?"
Archie to Aidan: "Slow? Nay, the legendary Drakemaw be one of the faster ships o' its kind! That wooden exterior really helps make it lightweight, so it be very agile compared to the daft shit yer be seein' those clowns at the Armada goin' about in!"
Aidan to Archie: "Wait, what? If this boat is fast, then how come it's gonna take 45 minutes to reach over there?"
Archie to Aidan: "Because we ain't goin' over there, ye fuckin' moron. We be heading to Lagaria, The Sky Continent. And we be droppin' yer off at a place called Hangvine Town."
Hangvine Town? Lagaira? The Sky Continent? What's all that supposed to mean? Are those locations? I mean, they have to be right? They sound like locations. But, we're clearly in a lake, how is a boat like this one gonna get out of a lake? Unless we're walking it after we reach the shore.
Rick to Archie: "Setting course for Hangvine Town, Lagaria!"
Archie to Rick and Aidan: "Aye, that be good! Strap yerselves in, Frog Eyes, this be a bumpy ride."
Aidan to Archie: "Wait, how is a boat gonna get out of this lake?"
Archie to Aidan: "Is that a serious question, Frog Eyes? WE BE FLYIN' OUT! THIS VESSEL IS AN AIRSHIP!"
Aidan to Archie: "It's a what?"
Archie: "DRAKEMAW! WE'RE GOIN' SKYBORNE! PREPARE TO FLY!"
?: "PREPARING FLIGHT CAPABILITIES! PROPULSION SYSTEMS ONLINE! GOING SKYBORNE!"
"Clunk! Thrash"
Aidan: "W-Woah! Who said that? The fuck is going on?"
The entire ship is shaking! As if everything is moving around from the inside! Wait, the masts are turning into propellers! And I hear the sound of engines running from behind me! What is going on? There's no way this shoddy little boat is actually an airship, right? That's crazy! But, what does Skyborne mean? Is that even a word? Ugh, the ship is shaking so much I can barely stay in this bucket.
Aidan to Archie: "Archie? What does Skyborne mean? What's happening?"
Archie to Aidan: "The ship be undergoin' a transformation into the Drakemaw Airship! We're about to fly, Frog Eyes! As fer skyborne, it be an old Nohenan phrase, it means bein' lifted into the sky and to fly."
Aidan to Archie: "So, basically it means airborne, but a silly way of saying it."
Archie to Aidan: "Nay, skyborne."
Aidan to Archie: "No, it's literally just airborne, you're saying it wrong."
Archie to Aidan: "Skyborne."
Aidan to Archie: "Airborne."
Archie to Aidan: "SKYBORNE!"
Aidan to Archie: "Airborne..."
Archie to Aidan: "SKYBORNE!"
Aidan to Archie: "Skyborne."
Archie to Aidan: "NO, AIRBORN-... AH FUCK OFF! GET US OUTTA HERE!"
?: "ALTITUDE INCREASING, PREPARING LIFT OFF NOW!"
"Crash! Splash! Flutter! *Engine powering noises*"
W-Woah! He's right! This thing is an airship! We're actually lifting off the water! This is crazy, I wasn't expecting this! Oup! I fell out of my bucket, but… Wow! The view as we're rising in the air is… Amazing! I can see for miles! It's… Breathtaking. Is this what adventure and excitement feels like? I know I'm just being taken on a short trip, but this is awesome actually. A flying pirate ship, definitely not something you see every day. We're gaining height quite quickly, how high are we going?
?: "PROPULSION SYSTEMS READY! DESTINATION: HANGVINE TOWN!"
Rick to Archie: "Weather looks clear, just a bit cloudy captain! Possibly a bit windier than I initially expected, we might be in for some turbulence!"
Archie to Aidan: "ARRRGH! FASTEN YER SEATBELTS, FROG EYES! WE BE IN FER A ROUGH FLIGHT!"
"BOOM!"
Woah! What was that noise? Was that the sound of the engines at the back? It sounded like an explosion went off the moment we started moving forwards! Is the ship really that powerful? I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before, this is amazing! So these guys aren't just your everyday fishermen, who are they? Flying pirates? Geez, what a day. So apparently I'm a human, turned into a Pokémon to save some sort of calamity that no one even knows about yet, the Pokémon in question I get turned into specifically is called a Chinchou, which is a fish creature that can't breathe out of saltwater, and not only that, but if it wasn't for the fact I got fished up by two really dodgy looking individuals, I would have died before I even lived to fulfil whatever destiny these so called "gods" brought me here for. That just makes no fucking sense at all! Even if I was the answer to all this, why would I have been turned into a Chinchou and not something more capable of actually doing anything, like uhh… Uhh… Gee I don't really know many Pokémon, I never really played the games myself growing up. But my point still stands, why would these "gods" put me in a situation like this one where I nearly died before I could even be of use to them. Is Archie sure that it's actually me that the gods sent here to solve this calamity? What if I'm just being mistaken for the human that's supposed to fill that role? Oh well, I don't care if I'm honest. I'm just gonna try and work on a way to get back home once I'm dropped off at these "authorities" Archie keeps mentioning, hopefully they might even be able to help me with my situation as well. The less time I have to spend with this loose cannon dragon thing the better…
END OF CHAPTER 1