CHAPTER 2: THE LAGARIAN ARMADA

(This section is from Admiral Rodan's perspective...)

Lagaira, The Sky Continent. Across this world, there are ten continents, each with their own name, elemental identifier and environment to go with it. But of those ten continents, there exists none quite like Lagaria. The Sky Continent is one of the biggest wonders of the world, an entire landmass seemingly appearing from nothing, suspended in the air in the form of small floating islands that's very existence relies on the balance of Ultra Space in that area being exactly what it is. It's a natural phenomenon, a miracle that it even exists at all, yet it's what I call my home. My name is Rodan Marks, I serve under the Lagarian Military Armada as an Admiral and I command the great Shaderow Airship. My duty is to keep this continent safe from any threats that may come in it's way. I am a warrior of peace and justice. I am the law. I am a beacon of hope. I serve to protect Lagaria from threats such as the ongoing assault of Ultra Krakens sent at us, to helping the civilian people of Lagaria and ensure they live safe and happy lives, to even going so far as dealing with…

"Bang!"

? to Rodan: "Admiral Rodan sir! We've got news!"

That voice sounds like Commander Berry. From the sounds of it, we've just found ourselves a job. Elisia Berry is Commander on board the Shaderow Airship and is in charge of training and giving orders to the rest of the crew on board the ship. She's outstanding at her job, but more importantly, she's a dear friend of mine. Though we've only known each other for five years, our relationship now makes it feel like we were raised with each other from childhood. I'm sometimes hard on the poor woman, but she never fails to make me proud. That Alcremie is a fighter, I wonder what news she has for me?

Rodan to ?: "Ah, Commander Elisia Berry. From the way you sound, I assume it's good news?"

Elisia to Rodan: "We've found them, they're heading in the direction of Hangvine Town, Lagaria! Sir! They're coming in from Kalyria, heading straight west!"

Rodan: "Sky Pirates..."

Sky Pirates, the scummiest of all the things out there in Lagaria. The worst of the worst kinds of people. Sky Pirates are groups of disgusting criminals that's sole purpose is to ruin the lives of innocents and to piss us off. From stealing from the homeless, to burning down villages, to starting fights and stealing Armada ships. Sky Pirates do not have boundaries when it comes to exactly what it is they'll do. I despise Sky Pirates, they are one of the very few things in this world I truly hate.

Rodan to Elisia: "Tell your squad to man their positions, prepare for airship travel. We're going to head to Hangvine Town first and try to intercept. Hopefully there will be no need for violence, but knowing what Sky Pirates are like, we can't be so sure."

Elisia to Rodan: "Rodan..."

Rodan to Elisia: "Don't worry Elisia, we'll get them this time. Even if they manage to escape again, I promise you I will defend both you and this ship's crew with my life."

Elisia to Rodan: "... Hm! Yes sir!"

Those bastards, what fools they are, try to hide in another continent to escape the consequences of their actions will they? Well, we'll just see about that one. Those bastards won't know what hit them.

Rodan: "Shaderow! Plot course for Hangvine Town, Lagaria! We're setting out immediately, this second!"

Shaderow (Airship) to Rodan: "WHY DO YOU SOUND SO BOSSY TODAY, RODAN? THIS POOR ROTOM WAS HAVING FUN SITTING HERE DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND WAITING FOR YOU GUYS TO WANT TO GO SOMEWHERE!"

Rodan: "Cut the shit, we don't have time for your attitude right now. Quickly now, to the skies!"

Shaderow (Airship) to Rodan: "OOO, SOMEONE'S A MAROWAK ON A MISSION TODAY AREN'T THEY? OKAY! TO THE SKIES WE GO!..."

I vow now, for the safety of the people of Lagaria and for the justice of what's best for the continent, I will rid this land of all Sky Pirates. Mark my words, for I will not fail…

(This section is from Aidan Fitzpatrick's perspective...)

Rick to Aidan: "So then, fish boy? Tell me about yourself!"

Aidan to Rick: "About myself? That's a bit of an open question, what exactly do you want to know?"

Rick to Aidan: "Well, the captain seems to think you're some sort of super special, otherworldly being. But you just look like a normal Chinchou to me, so what can you do? Do you have any superpowers? What's being a human like? What even is a human?"

Geez, this guy is nuts. He asks more questions than I do sometimes. Though some of the questions that he's asking me are pretty difficult to answer, some of them I'm pretty sure I've already answered. Though I suppose since I'm stuck here in this bucket and unable to move it was nice of him to come down from that mast and come and keep me company, so I shouldn't complain too much.

Aidan to Rick: "Uhh, well. That's a lot of questions that I'm not really too sure on how to answer. But no, as far as I'm aware I don't have any superpowers… Or at least I didn't before, so I'm assuming I still don't now."

Rick to Aidan: "What about the human thing? I've never even heard of the word before! What is it?"

Good God, I really am in a completely different world aren't I? How do I even explain what a human is?

Aidan to Rick: "I don't really know how to go into much more detail than what I told your captain about it, but uhh… Think of humans like uhh, like another species."

Rick to Aidan: "Oh! Like a different Pokémon?"

Aidan to Rick: "Well, I suppose you could think of it that way, maybe? Not quite. I don't really know enough about Pokémon to make a fair judgement on that. I was thinking more like a cow. Or like any other animal or… Well, anything."

Rick to Aidan: "What's a cow?"

Aidan to Rick: "You don't even know what a cow is?"

Rick to Aidan: "Hmm… The word rings a bell, but no. I don't have a clue Aidan. You're an odd catch, I'll tell you that!"

Aidan to Rick: "I know I'm a fish, or "Chinchou" as you put it, but I'm starting to appreciate the fishy puns less and less the more of them I hear."

Jesus Christ, this guy doesn't even know what a cow is either? Have I really been teleported to a completely foreign world where nothing I knew before matters anymore? Well isn't that just pure storybook material? I suppose this conversation with this guy is helpful for me to figure out a bit more about the world I've been unwillingly pulled into, even if it's just me picking up things from the responses he gives to my answers to his own questions.

Rick to Aidan: "So, if I've wrapped my head around all this. You're Aidan. You're from a place called Ireland, which isn't even from this world. You're a human, and that's supposed to be something bad?"

Aidan to Rick: "Well, we've been talking about the same thing for about 30 minutes now so I don't really have any more information that you could possibly squeeze out of me, so I guess you now know as much as I can tell you about it. As for the bad part, I'm just as clueless as you on that too."

Rick to Aidan: "Hmm..."

What's he doing now? We talk straight non stop for a full half an hour and all of a sudden he stops the moment he's satisfied and starts looking like someone who's stuck on a question in the middle of an exam. Is that what he looks like when he's processing information? Or is he just reloading his mind so he can ask me more and more questions? Jesus, this guy is probably the strangest person I've ever met.

Rick to Aidan: "Welp, you don't seem that bad to me! I like you already Aidan! I'm sure all that nonsense the captain was going on about you was just paranoia! You're cool!"

Aidan to Rick: "Huh?"

Woah, I certainly wasn't expecting that from the person who bows down to a psychopathic land shark pirate captain with a murderous intent. He, likes me? Well, I guess he did try and stop Archie from killing me a few moments ago, and he did come down from his post just to keep me company. I guess even if he is a nutcase, and he's definitely not very smart, he's not the worst person I've seen today. Huh. I guess for a supposed pirate, he's not too bad. I definitely feel like I'm managing to keep my sanity with his company. The views from off the ship are nice, but I'm still a bit shit scared of all of this and just want to go home, so he really is helping.

Aidan to Rick: "You know, you're not too bad yourself Rick. It's kind of a shame we probably won't see each other again after this."

Rick to Aidan: "Yeah. But hey! Who knows! Maybe we might come and visit you from time to time! That is if the captain feels like it, I'm not sure. But I reckon I could talk him into it at some point!"

Aidan to Rick: "Heh, yeah. Maybe. Hey, would you mind if I ask you a few questions? Nothing personal, just… Well, you know. I'm kinda new to all this and I need some help wrapping my head around some minor details."

Rick to Aidan: "Oh? Sure! Ask away!"

Aidan to Rick: "Right, so uhh… What exactly even is a Pokémon? I've heard of them I just, well… It's a pretty complicated situation for me to explain, so let's just say they don't exist where I'm from either. It's just like humans don't exist in your world, so we're kinda in the same boat here."

There, I think that's the best possible way I could have explained that one. Hopefully he gets it. I don't mind the guy, but with his intelligence level it's kinda like playing a game of fucking spin the bottle to see if he actually understands what I'm asking him or not. Hopefully it's not gonna be too complicated for-...

Rick to Aidan: "What a Pokémon is? Well, I'll admit I never once expected I'd ever be asked a question like that, but I suppose these really are exceptional circumstances so I guess exceptional questions should be expected. A Pokémon is a kind of creature, just like you and me. There are over 800 different species of Pokémon and each one has their own unique set of natural skills and abilities. For example, the captain is a Garchomp. Garchomp's are Ground and Dragon type Pokémon that take pride in their great offensive capabilities and strong, intimidating stature. I am a Scraggy, a Fighting and Dark type Pokémon that is exceptionally resilient to pain, so it's hard to take me down. You are a Chinchou, a Water and Electric type Pokémon that are usually quite peaceful creatures… Though I don't really know much about them besides that."

… Well, I guess it answers my question. I certainly wasn't expecting that in depth of an answer from him, but I'm not complaining now that I've got one. But there's still a few things I don't quite understand.

Aidan to Rick: "Wait, what and what type? What's that supposed to mean? Are they like elemental powers or something?"

Rick to Aidan: "Bingo! Since you're a Water and Electric type, you'll have a natural mastery over those elements and your abilities will likely revolve around those two types!"

Aidan to Rick: "So, I can control Electricity and Water? How do I do that? Unless that's not what it means? Wait, what about Archie? Ground and Dragon? What's that supposed to mean?"

Rick to Aidan: "The Captain is a Ground and Dragon type! Which means he has a natural born mastery over powers revolving around the earth and has the abilities and strengths of a dragon!"

Aidan to Rick: "Wait up, I guess Dragon type is stretching the whole "elemental" idea a bit, but you said you were Fighting and Dark? What the hell does that one mean?"

Rick to Aidan: "Oh, that one? Pfft! No idea!"

Aidan to Rick: "... Right..."

Water and Electric? I guess all that electricity that surrounded me a while ago must have been me using my powers without realising it, and I suppose that the fact I'm waterborne could be argued to be part of my Water type powers too, even if I wouldn't consider that much of a "power" and instead more of an "inconvenience". But… I guess it is slightly cool that I have these abilities. To control the elements of water and electricity, I'll admit, my interests in learning how have definitely spiked. I'd almost say I'm even a bit excited about finding that out.

Archie: "Lagaria! Dead ahead!"

Aidan: "Lagaria? Oh, that place..."

Rick to Aidan: "Welp, looks like this is it! Why not take a look for yourself?"

Aidan to Rick: "Mysel- wOAAH!"

Jesus, I wasn't expecting him to be so strong and pick the bucket up, putting it on his head like I weigh nothing! But… Woah! That view ahead of us! Those islands, they're… Flying in the air! The clouds look like a gateway into this place, it's like we're flying into heaven! Those islands there, they have waterfalls coming off them, and there's a rainbow over that one that reaches all the way to another one! I'd never even dreamt a place like this could even exist! It's like a fantasy land! I guess being on a flying pirate ship is one thing but… Wow!

Archie to Aidan: "Aye, by that look I'm guessin' it be yer first time seein' anythin' like Lagaria, Frog Eyes."

Aidan to Archie: "Huh? Oh, yeah I'm just... Wow. I never knew that there were places out there in this world, or any world, that looked this pretty before."

Archie to Aidan: "Aye, this be Lagaria. It ain't either me or Blubber Head's homeland, but we both come 'ere enough to call it a home. I'll admit, when I first laid me eyes on the place that me reaction were quite similar if not the same to yours. It be the most beautiful place on this planet as far as I be concerned."

Woah, that's a strange change of tone for Archie. I don't think I've heard him sound so sincere and calm before. He's almost like a completely different person than he was an hour ago, I'm not sure whether to be relieved or scared at that. He sounds so… Human. So much more friendly. Almost like a friend. There wasn't even a single curse word in those two sentences. I guess Archie may be scary, but maybe he's not such a bad guy after all? Definitely a bit unhinged, but he's clearly got some sense of morality and humanity after all.

?: "NOW ENTERING LAGARIAN AIR SPACE! DESTINATION IS APPROXIMATELY 14 MINUTES AWAY FROM CURRENT LOCATION!"

Aidan: "Woah, what's that voice that keeps coming from the ship?"

Archie to Aidan: "That voice be the Drakemaw themselves talkin'! I know ye've not been on me ship fer much time, but surely ye noticed the big dragon head stickin' out on the front? That be Drakemaw! They're a livin' thing!"

Aidan to Archie: "The Drakemaw? Living thing? What? What's that mean?"

Archie to Aidan: "Drakemaw is a Regidrago, they be a legendary Dragon type Pokémon that I captured meself and fused with me ship! Drakemaw powers the ship and everythin' on it, they be the life and soul of the ship. So I named the thing after 'em! The Drakemaw Airship!"

Rick to Aidan: "Drakemaw is responsible for the ship being able to fly, along with responsible for the operation of all of the ships equipment! Think of them like a set of keys, without them, the ship wouldn't work!"

Archie to Aidan: "Aye, I'll even let ye call them if ye like! Whaddya say, Frog Eyes?"

Aidan to Archie: "Call them? You mean like, talk with them?"

Archie to Aidan: "Aye! Why not? Ye won't be on this ship fer much longer anyway, so I might as well let ye have some fun whilst yer here!"

Call the Drakemaw? I feel like Archie's giving me the wheel or something along those lines with this one. It's like I'm a young child being allowed to use the gear stick in my dad's car again. I'm a little overwhelmed, I'm not sure what to say. Do I just call it's name? I guess so…

Aidan: "Drakemaw?"

Drakemaw (Airship) to Aidan: "AIDAN FITZPATRICK! NICKNAME: FROG EYES! SPECIES: CHINCHOU! WHAT IS IT?"

Woah! It actually responded to me! It sounds so robotic, it's almost hard to believe that that thing is a living creature! Though I'll admit, I wasn't expecting it to throw my details all over the place just like that. I don't remember ever telling it any of that, I wonder how it knew?

Archie to Aidan: "HAR HAR HAR! THE LOOK ON YER FACE! YER LOOKED TERRIFIED! HAR HAR! Aaargh… Oh, that was funny."

Aidan to Archie: "Where'd it pull all that from? I don't remember filling out a personal details form when you fished me up. So what was that?"

Archie to Aidan: "The Drakemaw has a mind of its own. They were probably listenin' in when ye told us all that too! Har har!"

So this Drakemaw thing is alive? As in, it's an actual living being alive? And it has a mind of its own too? Damn. That's some technological advancements made to have allowed a living creature to power an entire airship on its own just like that, or maybe that creature is just so powerful that it can do it without any problems on its own? Archie did say the word "Legendary", so that must mean there's some form of significance with it.

Archie to Rick: "Alright Blubber Head, get back to yer post. I need eyes as we come in towards land. Leave Frog Eye's here with me, I'll keep him company fer now!"

Rick to Archie: "Aye aye, captain!"

"Plonk."

There he goes again. Watching him leave, he's actually shockingly agile. I guess he is a small guy when compared to Archie. I guess since Archie serves as the ship captain, then Rick must serve as everything else. Poor guy, he's quite friendly actually. And Acrhie too, even though he did nearly try and kill me, at least he's just trying to help me out here and get me to safety. Maybe I was wrong about these guys after all. They aren't the worst people in the world, definitely some of the strangest but far from the worst. Oh well, I guess they did a good enough job of introducing me to what was going on so that I can at least try and fend for myself when they drop me off at these "local authorities" they spoke about.

Archie to Aidan: "So then! I suppose this be it soon. I hope yer not too fucked when we drop yer off! Har har!"

Aidan to Archie: "I hope not either, are you sure this is gonna help me get back home?"

Archie to Aidan: "Back home? Fuck if I know, but yer would have a better chance with those idiots than yer would old Archie. I dunnae 'ave a clue how to get ye home meself, Frog Eyes."

Aidan to Archie: "Right, I guess it's better than nothing then..."

I don't know why, but I can't help but feel a bit down. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that some effort is being made towards getting me back home where I belong by anyone. But Archie and Rick are the first people I met that actually spoke to me, I feel I've made a slight connection to them. Especially Rick in particular, he's a nice guy. Oh well, goodbye's have never been my strong point, I guess it's just natural to feel this way in situations like these, even if you've barely known the people for more than an hour. Perhaps I'm just still a bit traumatised from today, maybe that's why it's hitting me as hard as it is. I'll get over it, but the waiting for it to happen is unbearable. I feel like there's some gut feeling inside of me that's telling me I shouldn't let them drop me off.

Rick to Archie: "CAPTAIIIIIN!"

Archie to Rick: "Argh, what now..."

Rick to Archie: "ENEMY SHIP SPOTTED APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTH! THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE PLANNING TO INTERCEPT!"

Archie to Rick: "ENEMY SHIP?! BOY, WHAT KIND OF SHIP?!"

Aidan: "Enemy ship? What's going on?"

Rick to Archie: "IT'S THE… T-THE..."

Archie to Rick: "Arrgh… Don't even tell me..."

Rick to Archie: "ARMADAAAAA!"

The what? Armada? Wait, what's that over… Holy shit! That ship is huge! It's way bigger than the Drakemaw is, way bigger! It's just over there hiding in the clouds, but you can see it poking out. It looks like a giant metallic warship, what the fuck is one of those doing here? It's not after us is it? Archie suddenly looks pissed, he looks like he's about to snap that steering wheel he's holding into pieces.

Aidan to Archie: "Archie! What is that thing?"

Archie to Aidan: "That… That be Rodan's ship…"

Aidan to Archie: "Rodan? Who's Rodan?"

Shaderow (Radio System: Rodan): "CAPTAIN SHARKBAIT, LEADER OF THE DRAKEMAW AIRSHIP SKY PIRATE CREW! DO YOU ENJOY RUNNING AWAY FROM YOUR FATE? OR DO YOU PERHAPS TAKE SOLACE IN THE SWEET EMBRACES OF LONELINESS FROM HAVING TO HIDE YOUR DISGUSTING FACE FROM THIS WORLD?"

Who is that? Why are they after Archie? Wait, there's someone standing right on the edge of the ship, but they're too far away to make out who it is. Oh shit, this looks bad.

Archie to Rick: "GET ME THAT FUCKIN' RADIO RIGHT NOW, BLUBBER HEAD!"

Rick to Archie: "Aye aye! On it captain! HYA!"

Woah, he's just chucked something down from all the way up there! Though what's more surprising is that Archie actually managed to catch the small little thing despite not having hands. It looks like a speaker of sorts, I guess he did ask for Rick to toss him a radio, so I guess that must be the radio. Good fuck things have certainly heated up suddenly, I'm starting to feel a tad concerned.

Drakemaw (Radio System: Archie): "GET LOST RODAN, TAKE YER FLYIN' LOG OF METAL SHIT WITH YE! I AIN'T GOT TIME FER THIS SHIT!"

Shaderow (Radio System: Rodan): "I HAVE PLENTY OF TIME YOU LITTLE GANG OF THUGS! ALL I ASK IS YOU SURRENDER, HERE AND NOW! MAYBE WE COULD AVOID POINTLESS VIOLENCE ARCHIE IF YOU'D JUST TURN YOURSELF IN! WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY BE IN SUCH A HURRY FOR ANYWAY?"

Archie: "Arrghhhhhh..."

Holy shit, he's getting real fucking angry now! There's this weird blue aura or something developing round him! Jesus fucking Christ on a bicycle this guy needs to take a chill pill, maybe two at this rate!

Rick to Archie: "Captain! What should we do?"

Archie to Rick: "How many o' 'em are there? Just Rodan?"

Rick to Archie: "They're covered up within the cloud barrier, I can't make it out. The only ship I see is the Shaderow!"

Archie: "Argh shit! ALRIGHT LADS, FASTEN' YER SEATBELTS! WE BE TAKIN' EVASIVE MANEUVERS!"

Aidan to Archie: "Evasive maneuvers? Wait, what's going on? Are we in danger?"

Archie to Aidan: "That ship be a Lagarian Armada vessel, they be military bastards. That one in particular belongs to Rodan. That fuckin' Marowak has the biggest hate boner I ever seen fer me. I wouldn't be so surprised if he came alone, but ye never know. Don't ye worry about it, Frog Eyes! Good ol' Archie'll keep ye safe!"

Marowak? Hate boner? Shaderow? That's some way to put it. Jesus, if he's as bad as Archie says he is, then it sounds like we're all in some deep trouble here. Shit. I hope this isn't as bad as it looks. That giant war Airship looks like it can take down ten Drakemaw's at once with ease. I guess I have no choice but to put my trust in Archie and Rick here, I'm pretty helpless myself. I just hope we get out of this one without any damages or explosions, or dead fish.

(This section is from Admiral Rodan's perspective...)

Those bastard Sky Pirates, predictable as always. I've got them right where I want them. There's no escape this time, Archie Darcona. It's been years, but I've finally-...

Elisia to Rodan: "Admiral?"

Rodan to Elisia: "What is it, Commander Berry?"

Elisia to Rodan: "Our eyes have picked up a new life form on board the Drakemaw, someone we don't recognise. For all we know, this could be a hostage situation. It's probably best if we don't open fire immediately if that is the case."

A what? A hostage situation? You're kidding me! The one time we have them cornered and hopelessly trapped they have a hostage on board to try and scare us away! This is outrageous! Argh, keep your cool Rodan. Think. There has to be a way around this, you can't give up this chance so easily.

Rodan to Elisia: "This certainly makes things more complicated, do you have a telescope on hand? Let me see."

Elisia to Rodan: "Oh, sure. Do you need your cloak adjusted sir?"

Rodan to Elisia: "No, I'll be fine. But thank you for the offer..."

"Click!"

Let's see… There's Archie, and that Scraggy of his he drags around is with him too. The Regidrago is attached, but where's the hostage? Oh, hang on. What in the name of Lagaria is that? Is that a Chinchou in a bucket? Why would Archie have that on him? What could he possibly want with a Chinchou, if not to murder it later? Hmm, now that I think about it, this is more concerning than I initially thought.

"Click!"

Rodan to Elisia: "I see, looks like we'll have to try and put a man on the ship to get that Chinchou off it."

Elisia to Rodan: "Admiral, you aren't seriously thinking about Seth are you?"

Rodan to Elisia: "No, not for this job. I know that Scizor well enough to know he wouldn't bring the Chinchou back alive. We need a more delicate finger. I shall go by myself."

Elisia to Rodan: "Are you sure? On your own?"

Rodan to Elisia: "Yes, certain. Take command of the Shaderow in my absence, I trust you know what to do."

Elisia to Rodan: "... Be careful, Rodan… Please..."

Rodan to Elisia: "You have no need to worry about me, Elisia. I've handled that Garchomp before, I can certainly do it again..."

You've really pushed me too far this time Archie. Holding a hostage on board your ship like that? How dare you. I swear by the name of the Armada, I will place your head on a pike for all you've done. Your reign of terror across Lagaria ends here!

(This section is from Aidan Fitzpatrick's perspective...)

Jesus fucking Christ what is going on? That Rick fella is running around like a lunatic as if he's doing about twenty things at once! Archie's just standing there, glowing dark blue like some sort of anime character! Wah! The whole ship is shaking! It's getting darker too, what's going on?

Rick to Archie: "Captain! They're moving in above us! It looks like they're trying to board!"

Archie: "ARRGH! NOT IF I 'AVE ANYTHIN' TO SAY ABOUT IT! DRAKEMAW! FULL SPEED AHEAD!"

Drakemaw (Airship): "PRIORITISING POWER FLOW TO PROPULSION SYSTEMS NOW! INITIATING OPERATION: "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE" AS PLANNED!"

"Bwooof!"

Aidan: "Wuaah!"

Oof! Shit! I've been knocked out of the bucket again. Good god this thing has some acceleration, that felt like we went from 0 to 60 almost instantly. We aren't really pulling a runner aren't we? Well, if I'm honest, that's exactly what I'd do in this situation too. Gigantic warship comes at me and I'd be pegging it then and there too. But what the fuck do these guys want Archie for so badly? Who are these people? And who the fuck is Rodan? Oh Jesus, this day just keeps on getting worse and worse by the second. Just as I thought I had myself a moment of peace, this shit happens. When will it end?

Rick to Archie: "Weapons are loaded captain! Ready to open fire on your command!"

Archie to Rick: "NAY BLUBBER HEAD! NO POINT! FROM THIS POSITION THEY'D FUCK US UP BEFORE WE GOT THE CHANCE TO EVEN TURN AROUND!"

Rick to Archie: "Aye aye captain! I'll stand watch then!"

Aidan to Archie: "What's going on? Why are they after us?"

Archie to Aidan: "I AIN'T GOT TIME TO EXPLAIN RIGHT NOW, JUST SHUT YER FUCKIN' MOUTH FER FIVE SECONDS WHILST I GET US OUTTA HERE!"

Even he's worked up and stressed about it. Shit, this must be bad if he's acting like this about it. I've only known this guy for just over an hour and I think I've seen him go through every single possible human emotion in that time alone. Ack. My gills are hurting again. Fuck. I'd better try and crawl back in that bucket, even if half of the water has spilled out all over the floor… Looking behind me is just so ominous. All I see is that giant warship hovering over us, blocking the way we came. It feels like death itself is chasing us, look at all the guns on the front of that thing! Is running away really such a good idea? Are we fucked? Is this really the end? I've nearly died so many times today alone that this just feels normal at this point, how the fuck am I gonna get out of this one, huh?

(This section is from Admiral Rodan's perspective...)

Rodan: "Those crafty little bastards..."

I can't believe that Garchomp has the balls to even attempt to run from me when I'm in such an advantageous position such as this. Grargh! I'm not letting you get away just like that, not here. You want to play this game Archie? Then so be it.

"Click! Kzzt!"

Rodan to ? (Radio): "This is Bone Watcher, report immediately!"

? (Radio) to Rodan: "This is Space Cat, reporting in! What do you need, Admiral?"

That would be Randal on the line. I was hoping for Elisia, but that Meowstic will have to do for now. I trust he's competent enough to do what I'm about to ask him to...

Rodan to Randal (Radio): "Ready the front cannons, open fire. Aim for the Drakemaw's engines."

Randal (Radio) to Rodan: "Open fire? But Admiral, what about the hostages? Commander Berry said it was a hostage situa-..."

Rodan to Randal (Radio): "Open fire, that is an order."

"Kzzt! Click"

I'm sorry about this one, little Chinchou. Hopefully this doesn't kill you and drops you down to the ocean below where you can live a happy life, but as for now, I have no choice…

(This section is from Aidan Fitzpatrick's perspective...)

Rick to Archie: "CapTAAAAAAIIIIN!"

Archie to Rick: "ARRGH! WHAT IN THE FUCK ARE YE SHOUTIN' LIKE THAT FER!?"

Rick to Archie: "THEIR FRONT CANNONS ARE TAKING AIM! THEY'RE ABOUT TO OPEN FIRE!"

Aidan: "Open fire?"

Archie to Rick: "ARGH SHIT! HOLD ON!"

"Bwrooof!"

Woah! Holy fuck! The ship just drifted vertically upwards! The force from the maneuver alone is enough to keep me stuck onto the ship, but we're completely vertical and flying straight upwards! I know Archie mentioned this ship was pretty nimble before but I never imagined anything quite like this! It's like I'm sat on top of a fucking fighter jet! What are we doing?

"BANG BANG BANG!"

Holy fuck he wasn't kidding! They really are opening fire on us! Jesus Christ I feel like I'm in some sort of pirate dogfight or something! One of those bullets just flew right below us! If Archie hadn't have pulled that crazy stunt, with the speed and size of that thing coming at us, it would have tore the fucking ship in half!

Archie: "DRAKEMAW! CHANGE O' PLANS! WE'RE GOIN' DOWN FIGHTIN'!"

Drakemaw (Airship): "PREPARING AIRSHIP COMBAT! WEAPONS SYSTEMS ONLINE!"

Woah! The ship's changing shape! There's guns coming out from the sides of it, big guns! Wuuaaagh! The whole ship just tilted around again, we're back to being horizontal. Ugh… I feel motion sick… Wait, did Archie just say "Going down fighting"? He's not seriously thinking about taking that thing on in this tiny thing right? Surely he's not that insane? That thing looks like it could put military warships back in my world to shame, and we're just a tiny little boat with a dragon on the front of it!

Archie: "DRAKEMAW! I ain't playin' any games with these arseholes, I said I don't 'ave time fer this shit, I FUCKIN' MEAN IT! FIRE THE MAW CANNON!"

Rick: "The Maw Cannon?!"

Aidan: "The Maw Cannon? What's that?"

Drakemaw (Airship): "MAW CANNON PREPARING TO FIRE! CHARGING NOW!"

The Maw Cannon? What the fuck is the Maw Cannon? Why does it sound like it's being hyped up to be this super powerful thing that's really dangerous. Oh shit…

"Kz kzzzzzzzzz..."

Woah! What's that sound? It sounds like a gust of wind blowing right at the front of the ship! Wait, what's happening? I see these big blue waves of energy all spiraling around that dragon at the front. It's not doing what I think it is, right? It looks like it's charging something, something huge. Is that the Maw Cannon?

Archie: "FIREEEE!"

Drakemaw (Airship): "MAW CANNON READY! AIM! FIRE!"

"BKYYEEEEEEAH!"

Holy fucking shit that is loud! It sounds like someone scraping two pieces of rusty metal against each other! Ack! I can barely hear myself think! But woah, it's bright too! It's like a big blue beam of light was just shot out of the front of the ship, heading directly towards that other one. I'll admit, that's a fucking weapon and a half that is. I'd be terrified if a gigantic screeching beam of energy was shot out at me, I never knew such a tiny little airship could fire such a ridiculous looking projectile out of it.

Rick to Archie: "We got a hit captain!"

Archie to Rick: "AYE, I BETTER FUCKIN' HOPE WE DID! RIGHT THEN! HOLD ON TIGHT, I'M TURNIN' US AROUND!"

Rick to Archie: "Aye aye!"

He's turning us around? So that giant laser beam coming out of the ship was just a warning shot? Wo-oah!

"Bwooof!"

We flipped around again! I swear every time that happens it keeps catching me off guard, it's so sudden. We're moving quite fast, it looks like Archie fired off that giant shot as a means to escape or something. I don't blame him, even with a weapon like that under our belt, that warship looked like it could fire back the equivalent of twenty of those things right at us in retaliation. I guess running away really was the smartest move. Phew… Holy fucking shit, the realisation of what just happened is sinking in, what the fuck was that about? Why were they after Archie? Even if they were after Archie, why the fuck were they armed to the teeth as they were? That felt like they were throwing the big guns at us right there and then, even worse than that is they actually opened fire on us before we did, suggesting that they wanted Archie dead or something. I wonder what their deal really is, I suppose I should ask before I get dropped off at this Hangvine Town place. Might as well find out before I don't get the chance to ask again, those guys could be dangerous…

(This section is from Admiral Rodan's perspective...)

"BkkeeeeeeeEEEEEWWK! BOOM!"

Shaderow (Airship): "OWIE! WE'RE HIT! DAMAGE TO THE LOWER ENGINE! THAT HURT!"

"Kzzt!"

Randal (Radio) to Rodan: "Space Cat, reporting in! We've been hit! The damage isn't too bad, but it struck one of the engines. It might take me a few days to fix it, we should probably-..."

Rodan to Randal (Radio): "Get Commander Berry up here, now."

Randal (Radio) to Rodan: "... Right. Right away sir..."

"Kzzt!"

That villainous scum. That maniacal swine. That bastard Darcona. He's a fool is what he is. He pulls out his biggest weapon against us and uses it as an escape tactic. What a coward, shameful. I suppose the fact that he pulled the Maw Cannon up against the Shaderow on his first counterattack shows he knows who he's dealing with. But even though he's managed to escape my grasp this time, his time is running short.

"Creak..."

Elisia to Rodan: "You wanted to speak with me Rodan?"

Rodan to Elisia: "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. I want you to get us in contact with the Fleet Admiral and tell him that Sky Pirates have opened fire on an Armada ship. Inform him also that they are heading towards Hangvine Town as we speak."

Elisia to Rodan: "Can do… But… I just have one question, if that's okay."

I already know what she's going to ask...

Rodan to Elisia: "... Out with it."

Elisia to Rodan: "There was a potential hostage on board that ship, the Chinchou. For all we knew, they could have been a civilian. Why did you open fire? That was dangerous!"

Rodan to Elisia: "..."

I knew she would bring that up, I was a bit uncouth. As far as we were concerned, that Chinchou could have been a civilian… But it was the prime opportunity to get exactly what I've been after for all these years. I could not let it escape me. I just couldn't, but I can't tell her that. Dammit! Damn it all!

Rodan to Elisia: "Never mind about it Elisia, we have more important matters to worry about. Such as our damaged engine, or the fact that those Sky Pirates got on the loose again. Just do as I asked, contact the Fleet Admiral and warn him. We don't have time to lose."

Elisia to Rodan: "But Rodan! That was dangerou-..."

Rodan to Elisia: "That's an order! Commander Berry. Go, do what you need to do."

Elisia to Rodan: "... Alright… I'm on it, Admiral..."

"Clunk."

Rodan: "*Sigh*..."

I shouldn't have given her that tone of voice, she didn't deserve that. But we really do not have the time to argue about anything right now. If we can't get to those Sky Pirates in time, someone else must do it in our place... The sun's rays are getting intense, I shouldn't be out here on the deck for longer than I need to, I'd rather not subject myself to a potentially fatal situation if I can avoid it. Perhaps I should head inside to assist in the repairs needed for the ship after that blast hit us, the sooner we're able to get going the better. You may have gotten away this time Archie, but next time we meet, I will not hesitate to do everything within my power to make sure that ridiculous ship of yours sinks into the ocean with you and your entire crew on board. Mark my words, your time is limited, Archie Darcona. I, Admiral Rodan Marks, will be your end…

END OF CHAPTER 2