Hey there, look what still exists!
So, I'm experimenting a bit, as per recommendation from someone, and instead of this chapter being a longer one than usual, I divided the content between this one and the next chapter.
This one's mostly a fun chapter that features a scene that I planned out a long time ago and held off getting to until now, because I hate myself. Literally, I only tormented myself holding this off, idk why, but I did.
Here's cute fun for this next one, enjoy!
...
[Greninja]
Outside's arena was one that was less familiar with, though appeared to have a more natural feel to it, given the diverse terrain. Chesnaught had trained here a fair number of times, while I had only been by a few. Still, it was oddly nice to be near trees for practice, something that we were both more familiar with. However, today's practice wouldn't involve them as much.
"Archery practice is today," instructed Abomasnow. "Not that many of you are actually that skilled with a bow, but it's a handy skill to have should Weavile ever be unavailable to save your sorry hides."
He nodded to Weavile, though she failed to notice the compliment, her eyes darting around. I glanced at the trees nearby, but didn't see anything unusual there. Looking back to her, she rubbed her eyes, and strained to keep them open.
"Now, I've set up some targets, and you've each got a quiver of arrows." Abomasnow gestured to the bows lined up across targets in the distance. "You've got three fields to practice over, but the key for archery is going at a balanced pacing." He folded his arms and rolled his eyes. "You've got an hour dedicated to this alone. Line yourselves up and unload your arrows. There are three stations to practice, so hop to it. Emperor Empoleon has requested my service, so I'll return when time is up. Weavile can take over for my part, anyway."
He lumbered off as Weavile stepped forward. She brought out her bow and lined an arrow up against it.
"You guys probably already know about this, sort of." She held the bow from her, and pulled on the string. "But, here's a visual on how to properly hold the bow, and draw the string back, as a refresher." Pivoting, she aimed at a target across from her and between some trees. "Relaxing your breathing, aim carefully, and…"
The arrow flew out and sailed over to the target. It struck it, along the rings near the middle, but just a little right from the core. She nodded and turned back.
"Kind of like that, but do better."
She pulled up another arrow and fired again. It struck closer, but still missed the middle of the target.
"Um…see? Improvement. Now, let's get everyone lined up."
"Some of us already know how to use a bow," griped Golduck.
"Good, then you better get perfect shots every time," snapped Weavile. "Now get to it!"
She ambled over to Poliwrath and Politoed first, both who looked like they were ready to fall asleep. Nudging them, the two flailed and scattered their quivers of arrows across the snow. Dragging her claw over her face, Weavile sighed as the brothers scrambled to pick up their arrows.
"Well, this should be laughable." I turned to Carracosta, who had an unsteady grip on his bow. Failing to nock an arrow, he looked up at me and chuckled. "My arms aren't exactly made for this sort of thing. If I could just attach a bowstring to my flippers, then maybe that would do better." He bit at an arrow, trying to keep it in place. "Blasted…thing…"
"Hold on," cut in Alakazam. "Let me help you, Carracosta."
"W-wait, Alakazam!" Machamp fumbled with a bow of his own. "Finish helping me first, please!"
"Ah, quit aching over it and let me," snapped Weavile. "You do this every time. Fours arms and no dexterity."
"Why would mages have to deal with this anyway? We have spells for this," moaned Froslass. She tried to line up her bow, and fired an arrow, which landed just a few feet in front of her. "So silly."
"At least try it out," suggested Weavile. "What happens if you have your magic force zapped out or something?"
"That doesn't even make sense."
"Neither does magic."
"Yes it does!"
"Hmm." Spinning around, I watched as Chesnaught lifted his bow and nocked an arrow. "So, uh…just pull back…" He pulled the drawstring back with the arrow. "And then aim…fire!"
We watched his arrow fly through the air, but it landed in the tree trunk above his target. He sighed and shook his head, but then smiled as I approached.
"At least it fired out, huh?"
"Yeah, you nearly had it."
"Want to show me how it's done?"
"Oh, no, I don't think—"
"Come on, Greninja, don't be shy." I blinked and turned to Weavile, who folded her arms. "Yeah, I know that sounds weird coming from me. But, you've got to give it a shot, so to speak."
"Ah…I don't know if—"
"Trust me, you can do it." She jabbed her arm back. "Even Machamp can use a bow, eventually." Machamp pulled back on his bowstring and it snapped. Weavile spun as I winced, and she groaned. "Alakazam, can you please help your boyfriend with that?" She shook her head and turned back to me. "Go on, don't mind them. Show me what you can do."
Inhaling, I nodded, and took up a bow. Holding it out before me, I slung the quiver over my back and pulled an arrow with my free hand. Lining it up, I narrowed my eyes on the target against the tree in the distance. Exhaling, I fired it.
They were silent for a moment, but Chesnaught started to laugh and clap. Weavile just stared at the arrow on the target's center.
"That…was excellent for your first shot," she congratulated, smiling just a bit.
"Thanks—"
"Greninja, that was amazing!" Chesnaught cheered and bounced a bit closer. "Can you do it again?"
"Um…sure."
"Huh?"
Again, I tugged an arrow from the quiver and lined it up against the bow. I steadied my breathing and focused on the target, lining the shot up. Firing again, the arrow struck through the middle again.
"That was most certainly impressive," commended Alakazam.
"Hey, yeah! Didn't snap like mine did!"
"Keep going, Greninja," cheered Chesnaught, "keep going!"
Smirking now, I lined up another arrow and launched it again. It pierced right through the middle. Again, another arrow lined up, and again, I fired it through the center. Chesnaught applauded as I drew and fired arrow after arrow, landing each shot perfectly. As the quiver lightened to near weightlessness, I sighed and lowered the bow after my final shot.
"Why didn't you ever tell me that you could double as an archer?" Chesnaught laughed and hugged me. "That was so incredible!"
"It…really was," murmured Weavile. "I…I couldn't do that well on my first time."
"No, no, that's what I wanted to explain," I started again. "We had yumi and bows back at my home, when I trained with my clan. Archery wasn't my best right away, but I learned to concentrate on targets and my accuracy with it improved really well."
"Then…why wouldn't you carry one around?" Weavile shook her head. "You can easily outclass me, firing with that kind of consistency. I can't even do that, no matter how many times I've practiced. My shots eventually snag off and just miss the middle."
"Well, maybe, but carrying a bow isn't the most practical option for me," I admitted. "I'd have to know and definitely keep the fight at a distance." I shrugged. "If I'm perfectly stationary, my shots can land just fine. But, I bet you can move around and deal with mobile targets." She nodded and I chuckled. "See, that's a real archer. If the target is moving, or I'm forced to, then my shots won't line up nearly as well at all."
"Ah, I…I see." Her shoulders lowered and she folded her arms. "Still, that's…really nice aiming."
"Yeah, but it's nothing compared to a pro like you." I smiled and pointed to the next target. "I bet you could do just as well against it."
"Sure, yeah." She pulled her bow out and drew back the bow with an arrow of ice. "Ah, wait, target practice." Shattering the frozen arrow, she picked up a quiver of normal ones. "Ok, let me just—"
Weavile's bow snapped as the arrow whizzed out. It landed on the outer layer of the target.
"Uh…that's…hold on."
Drawing out the next arrow, she lined it up again, and exhaled. Firing the shot, it landed closer to the middle, but still nowhere near the center.
"…Give me a second."
Lining up arrow after arrow, I frowned as Weavile's shots flew and landed around the target, but never once hit the target's core. She shuddered and fumbled her bow, as the quiver dropped behind her. Weavile yelped as it thudded and she stumbled backwards.
"Are you ok?" Chesnaught stepped forward and hovered around her, making sure she didn't fall over.
"Fine, I, uh, I just…I must be having an off day."
"It seems more like you're tired," I observed. "Did you…not sleep well?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I was…last night was weird." She shook her head. "That's just my fault though, I should've been in bed at a decent hour."
"Really? You?" Alakazam folded his arms as he stepped forward. "You're not the type to get inadequate rest, whether you're working day or night hours."
"Night is usually when I thrive more, though it's harder to tell out here," detailed Weavile. "A lot of hours seem dark, which is why I like it. But…I don't know, I was a bit restless last night. Got rattled, I guess."
"Wait, wait, you got spooked?" Machamp scratched behind his head. "But…but you're never scared! That's why you got on so easily with Froslass, better than the rest of us, because not even she scared you!"
"Thanks a ton, Machamp."
"Sorry, but there is truth to it!"
"Eh…I guess so." Froslass aimed with her bow and shook her head. "Being friends never helped her fix me with one of these though."
"Froslass, Weavile is going over how she was disturbed last night," chastised Alakazam. "You can quit aiming the bow now."
"Huh? Wait, what? I missed that part." She floated over to us. "What's wrong, dear?"
"N-nothing. I just…" Weavile scratched her arm. "I don't know, I was alone, something made a noise, I scrambled around for a while to find a source…and it was nothing, I couldn't find anything."
"That's…odd." Froslass frowned. "You're a good hunter, and know how to track down almost anything." She giggled. "It's frustrating when I'm trying to hide from everyone, and yet you always find me."
"Actually, now that you…" Weavile blinked and studied Froslass. "Were you playing a prank on me, last night? I heard giggling, and I don't know anyone that laughs like you do."
"Me? No, dear." Froslass swayed in the air a bit. "The last I saw of you was when we were outside with the boys. Delphox, Mienshao, and the brothers."
"Then it wasn't you like I hoped."
"Giggling, you heard?"
"Pretty sure, I think." Weavile yawned. "Maybe I was just out of it."
"Mm…" Froslass lowered herself but shook her head. "Perhaps."
"Come to think of it, you're a bit out of focus yourself," noted Weavile. "You're no archer after practices with me, but you seem…I don't know, dazed?"
"No, I'm just a bit weary myself," admitted Froslass. "Speaking of, I did forget about something else that I needed to take care of. Do you mind, dear?"
"Um, I guess not, but—"
"Good. See you all around."
Before anyone could object, Froslass flew off from practice, back for the palace. Weavile sighed, rubbed her eyes, and shook her head. I exchanged unnerved glances with Chesnaught, Machamp, and Alakazam, as we returned our attention to her.
"…What?"
"Are you sure you'll be ok?"
"Yes, Chesnaught, I'm fine."
"Still—"
"It's really no big deal, Alakazam," insisted Weavile. "Everyone has an off day. You've pulled all-nighters, haven't you?"
"Yes, and they're dreadful," he murmured. "Which is why I want to help you."
"There's not a lot to help." Weavile shrugged. "I need a nap. Quagsire can help me out later with that, but beyond that? My fault for staying up, but I'll live."
My mouth opened to argue again, but I watched Machamp shake his head and closed it. Again, Weavile shook her head, and kept her mouth clamped shut to suppress her latest yawn. Her eyes met mine and she folded her arms.
"Look, if you want, Poliwrath and Politoed seem half asleep too," pointed out Weavile. "And your buddy Delphox didn't seem that great earlier either while he was practicing with Mewtwo."
"Delphox didn't sleep?" Chesnaught was more floored by that than I was. "He's really good at keeping track of his rest though, even when he's busy."
"Clearly, he wasn't last night."
"That's…really weird, that he stayed up, along with so many of you," I pondered aloud. "There wasn't much after the calligraphy show."
"Yeah, I don't know. But—"
"Weavile, are you still helping everyone down here?" Carracosta trudged over to us, failing to grasp his bow well. "Honestly, there must be a friendlier way for me to hold this thing, no?"
"Uh…hang on, I've been looking into fixing this." Weavile tapped a claw against her cheek. "One second, Carracosta."
She took his bow and walked over to the equipment, but watched Golduck knock over a quiver as she neared him. He complained as she snapped at him, while Carracosta just shook his head and chuckled.
"Golduck just loves to test his luck," he determined. He turned to me and nodded. "You'd know that first hand, from what I've heard."
"Yes."
"My apologies." He turned to Alakazam and Machamp, and tilted his head. "Didn't one of you mention him being an annoying flirt, sometime before Greninja came?"
"Oh, I did." Alakazam picked at his mustache, twisting it a bit. "He's very annoying in that regard, and he's an absolute menace to poor Greninja."
"Wait, how much did he flirt with you before Greninja got here?"
"Ah, not much." Alakazam rolled his eyes. "It's kind of annoying, though, because he would pester me about you in between that, like he knew. And his comment after we finally did get together rubs some salt, but I suppose that's just something to look past nowadays."
"…Greninja, ninjas can pull clean assassinations, right?"
"Machamp, darling, that's treason. And murder."
"Yeah, but he was tormenting you, sweetie!" I jerked my head back at the last part, which seemed a bit emphasized. Alakazam cleared his throat and shook his head at Machamp, who frowned. "No, huh…still, I should wring Golduck's neck."
"Then we'll be throwing you in a cell, Machamp," teased Carracosta. "If anything, I'm impressed that Chesnaught has managed to restrain himself."
"Believe me, it takes a lot of effort."
"Certainly." Carracosta nodded. "If anyone went near my partner the way that Golduck does Greninja, I wouldn't just spout out Machamp's words. I'd be in the cell already."
"Good to know that you're all overprotective boyfriends," joked Alakazam.
"Oh? As the story I was told went," recalled Carracosta, "you were rather annoyed at Machamp over, what was it again?"
"Another male being on his mind," muttered Alakazam.
"Yes, that was it, wasn't it?" Carracosta smirked up at the mage. "And I remember you telling Poliwrath and Politoed off just the other day, pretty sure it was about their lewd comments on Machamp's fine form." Alakazam blushed and turned away. "So, which of you two is the more overprotective again?"
"Ok, fine, we all are," snapped Alakazam. "Though I'd wager that you're the worst offender between everyone here, Carracosta, excluding Emperor Empoleon."
"Me?"
"Of course."
"…Well, I can't quite argue that one."
Carracosta grunted, and shifted his weight around. Alakazam smirked a bit, but I interrupted before he got on a roll.
"So, Mienshao goes on about you being a pessimist," I told the turtle.
"Of course he did."
"But I haven't spent much time with you to determine that."
"Neither have I," chimed in Chesnaught.
"No, huh? Just wait," promised Carracosta. "I'll get worse."
"It's confusing though," I tried again. "After all, you're a strong knight."
"Witnessed that much first hand myself," piled on Chesnaught.
"And that's on land and in the water as well."
"Are you boys going to pepper me with flattery, or do you have a point here?"
"What are you afraid of?"
"Huh?"
"Greninja and I are convinced that you're one of the stronger knights," explained Chesnaught. "But, we don't understand why you're so down on things around here."
"You both know the stories about the Frozen Fields," he reminded. "Doesn't matter that all of us managed to survive as a team when we went. We've lost soldiers out there." He shook his head. "Don't tell me we've recruited another pair of cocksure newcomers looking to get their asses handed to them."
"What? No, that's not what we're trying to get at," Chesnaught protested.
"Good, because you two are strong." Carracosta nodded. "We don't need either of you letting that go to your head."
"Yikes, relax a little, Carracosta," eased Machamp. "Tell them how you really feel, huh?"
"What? I really like them, and they fit in here," rephrased Carracosta. "They just need to be careful, that's all I'm trying to caution them about."
"Yes, you've made that clear with only the best intentions," mocked Alakazam.
"Ok, I could have phrased it better," relented Carracosta. "It's just that—"
"Hey, hey!"
Everyone turned as Delibird rushed from around the fence and charged over to our group. He huffed and panted as he flopped down, spilling some parcels from his tail sack.
"Oh…I really…need to not sprint…with heavy loads."
"Delibird, breathe," instructed Carracosta. He waited as the penguin caught his breath. He opened his beak, but Carracosta put a flipper to it. "Come on, now, give yourself a minute, will you?"
"But—"
"Delibird, the emperor wants you to push yourself hard at training, not killing yourself running around the castle with messages," asserted Carracosta. "Just wait a bit."
"What's up?" Weavile walked back over, and twirled a bow in her arm. I glanced behind her at Golduck, who rubbed his head as he slung a quiver over his back. "Did I miss anything?"
"I think I did," I murmured, and she winked to me.
"Ah, Delibird hustled over here, and wore himself out," detailed Carracosta. "Aside from that, we were just chattering and waiting for you to come back. And naturally, I uttered yet another lovely stream of sentences."
"Yeah, you're good at that."
"Tell me something that I don't know."
"Well, I'm working on setting up your bow for target practice," elucidated Weavile. "If I can twist this strap around it, and then tie it across your flipper, that could work to keep it in place." She glanced down at the bow. "The trouble is keeping it on, which I was thinking to freeze over—"
"Hang on!" Delibird bounced back up, spilling some more packages. He groaned and started to scoop them up.
"Worry about that in a second," soothed Machamp. "What's up, little fellow?"
"Um, there's some big…tortoise at the gate," announced Delibird. "I'm not really sure what for, but—"
"Oh, I'll take care of it!" Carracosta hopped up and rushed over to the fence. "Don't wait up!"
We waited as Carracosta disappeared behind the fence, having raced off faster than I realized he could move. I scratched behind my head, but glanced over as Golduck, Poliwrath, and Politoed hurried over to the rest of us.
"No way." Politoed gasped. "Was that Carracosta running off like that?"
"His partner, without a doubt," determined Golduck. "Delibird, you actually saw his partner."
"This is incredible!" Poliwrath clapped his hands together and rubbed them, sliding closer to Delibird. "Tell us what she looked like! Or he! They? Which was it?"
"I-I don't know," confessed Delibird. "I just spotted the tortoise come over, and I realized we had a visitor, so I ran off to get the general, because I thought he'd be here, but—"
"Aw, Delibird!" Poliwrath clasped his hands over his head. "That's not how lookout works. You're supposed to investigate the visitor yourself first!"
"How should I know? I'm doing that in between running around the castle!" Delibird shook his head. "I can't be all over the place. I don't zap around like Alakazam."
"Teleport," Alakazam corrected.
"Whatever."
"This is an opportunity nonetheless," insisted Golduck. "Am I wrong?"
"…No, I've been interested in learning too," admitted Machamp. "Carracosta never explains just who he always goes to visit."
"Seriously, it's the weirdest mystery we have in the empire," agreed Politoed. "This is the first time I think anyone has ever come up here to make him race off like that."
"Well, if we're all so curious," determined Alakazam, "we should try to sneak over and see what we can learn."
"We can't have everyone go do that," murmured Weavile.
"Then we'll need the quickest and quietest," decided Alakazam. "…Not to put you on the spot, but, Greninja…?"
"Don't worry, I saw this coming miles away," I laughed.
"Are you sure about this, Greninja?" Chesnaught rested his hand on my shoulder. "We don't want Carracosta getting angry at you or anything. And he seems really private about this, so maybe you shouldn't."
"If you don't, someone else will," assured Golduck. "If anything, it's better that Greninja goes, since Carracosta seems to like you two."
"How would you know?"
"He's gushed about you and Chesnaught before," revealed Golduck. "He thinks you two are cute, was excited that you didn't die out in the frozen wastes, blah-blah, good and young soldiers, blah."
"Was that what he was getting at?" Machamp rubbed his chin. "Huh. Lines up with where he was going before."
"All the more reason I might not want to," I murmured. Siding with Chesnaught over Golduck was easy.
"No, it's better if you do, to keep it more private," rationalized Alakazam. "You can tell us a bit about it, but you get to scout and observe the rest. Just a quick peek, nothing more needed."
"He's kept this from us for years," added Weavile. "None of us are likely to give it up."
"Well…ok, I guess I'll try," I caved.
"Just be careful," begged Chesnaught.
"He's our friend. Or—"
"Could be one, I know." Chesnaught smirked. "I have to admit, even I want to know who that is out there."
"Time to find out, then."
Squeezing Chesnaught's hand, I ran from the group and to the fence of the arena. It was a standard ice wall, not easy to scale without the right tools. I glanced at the door, definitely not something that would be quiet if I opened it too quickly.
Sliding it gently, I gripped at the frame, attempting to silence the crunching snow. It's a crude and simple method, but effective enough. Sneaking from the fence, I hurried over toward the front, passing along the outside of the palace.
Peeking from the corner, I looked at the gate before the bridge, doors shut. Checking nearby, I didn't notice anyone else around.
"Nothing much to hide from, then."
Quickly, but quietly, I sped to the door, not letting my feet rest down against the snow. Walking onto the icy path, I slowed my pace and approached the gate. If I could slip under it, and into the water, that might be ideal until surfacing. There wasn't enough space though. And there wasn't much of an opening between here and the…
Sides.
Backing against the gate, I shuffled along it, delicately to not make any sliding squeaks. It was a long way over, but I spotted a crevice between this and the pillar. I summoned two whirlpools of water and swiped at them. Chipping at it a few times with my water blades, it cracked open more and I slipped through.
Pressed against the gate, I glanced ahead, and noted the overhang above me. Shading me, and far enough back against the wall, I could conceal myself. Very carefully, I approached the two turtles ahead on the bridge, positioning myself across from them. Slowly, I slid into the shadows themselves as I listened.
"Just what are you doing here?"
"A certain someone forgot his Shell Bell at home." With that deep of a voice, I decided that the other party was likely male. "We found it for you."
"Oh, I was wondering where I had put that."
"End table floor."
"That must have been when I chased after him." Carracosta heavily sighed. "Well, thank you, but you shouldn't have come here with that."
"You never forget it."
"Yes, but that didn't mean that you needed to be out here with it!"
"A simple thanks would suffice."
"Yes, thank you, for coming out here when I insisted that you didn't!" Carracosta shook his head and buried it in his flippers. "You don't understand how it gets around here."
"Well, I might have a clue, if…"
"…If what?"
"There's someone there with you?"
Impossible. How could he sense me?
"What? No, it's just me."
"Well, they're not right next to you, but…there is definitely someone there."
Carracosta jumped back and stared right in my direction. "Ok, which one of you louts seriously followed me over here?"
Sighing, I stepped from the shadows with my hands raised.
"G-Greninja?!"
"Sorry, Carracosta. I was a little too curious."
"Too…you want to know what you are?!" He scowled at me as he began to bellow. "You've gotten exactly as arrogant as I realized you were becoming, that's what!" I winced as he raged on. "Bet the rest of them convinced you that you could just saunter on up, didn't they? You honestly threw in with them! Did you really think—?"
"Oh, come off it, Carracosta," laughed the larger blue tortoise. "It's just one of them, and it doesn't have to be such a big secret." He strode forward and stuck out his hand. "Name's Blastoise, and it's a pleasure to finally meet one of you."
"Finally meet…?" The question slipped out as I shook his hand.
"This stubborn sea turtle refuses to let me anywhere near the palace on most occasions, and forbids everyone from getting into contact with me," explained…or, griped, Blastoise. "I would think that he'd have learn to play nice with you folks by now. He's so mistrusting."
"Me?! I'm mistrusting?!" Carracosta flapped his arms around. "Excuse you, he's the one that was spying on us!"
"He was curious to know just who you were talking to." Blastoise laughed. "Honestly, I'd do the same, if I could manage it. After all, you're so secretive about us, I wish I could sneak in there to meet the others!"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"If I were like this stealthy fellow, I certainly would!" He grinned at Carracosta. "I doubt that you'd be able to catch me."
"You want to bet on that?!"
"Excuse me," I interrupted. "But I…sorry, I didn't mean—"
"Oh, don't be all up in arms over this," insisted Blastoise. "Carracosta's just making this into a catastrophe when it's just a simple introduction."
"It is most definitely a catastrophe!"
"Stop it, you're going to make him feel horrid." Blastoise rolled his eyes and pivoted to Carracosta. "Isn't this that new frog? You kept telling me how excited you were that you had him and his boyfriend around, right? This is no way to treat a friend."
"Me?! He did a very unfriendly thing!"
"Peer pressure, easily. He's new, isn't he?" Blastoise glanced back to me. "You're one of the three new recruits that he told me about, yes?"
"Uh…yeah."
"There we go." Blastoise shook his head. "Honestly, you blather on about not keeping me from this place forever, but then you're so rude when introducing me to the first other soldier up here."
"This isn't an introduction! It was never meant to be one!"
"No? Well, it is now." Blastoise smirked as he turned back to me. "Besides, look at him! He's all huddled together and trying to shrink away! That's no way to treat someone that you want to get along with."
"But—"
"Nope, none of that." Blastoise cover Carracosta's mouth, to which the shorter turtle muffled in protest. "No, I'm not taking it off, and I'm not taking off."
"Um." Blastoise's short ears twitched, and he turned back to me. "I was…I was wondering how you, um…how you knew that I was there."
"Ah, that? This little panic here wanted me to practice defensive ways to handle adversaries," divulged Blastoise. "So, I've trained on listening carefully in quieter settings." He tapped his ears. "Even an assassin can't get past me."
"Huh…well, I'm a ninja."
"Yes, that's right!" Blastoise smiled and nodded. "Carracosta told me about you, very specific that you weren't a knight. Good to know that I put that into practice, then!"
"That's a…really useful skill."
"Thank you!"
"Greninja, don't you dare flatter him."
"Now you're going to bark orders at him?" Blastoise rolled his eyes. "Carracosta, enough. Are you going to have a temper tantrum this whole time, or can you at least try to act civil?"
"B-but I—"
"Hush." He scowled at Carracosta. "Apologize to this poor ninja."
"He—!" Blastoise roughly cleared his throat, and tapped his foot. "…My apologies, Greninja. I…don't mean to…completely lose my composure and, uh, treat you with such hostility. I'm just…well, we were talking about being overprotective before, right?"
"Were you?" Blastoise smirked. "Did you tell him that you're the king of it?"
"S-someone else made me admit to that, more or less." He rubbed his flipper over his head and sighed. "Honestly, I am a menace with him, Greninja, and I don't mean you such—"
"That's ok," I accepted. "It's my fault, really, and you're right. I shouldn't have been invasive like this."
"You're not at all invasive," insisted Blastoise. "He's too guarded, especially with me."
"So, you're…?"
"His husband."
"O-Oh!"
"Had no idea, right?"
"N-none."
"Of course not." He glared back at Carracosta, who dipped his head into his shell. He shook his head and frowned as he turned back to me. "How could you even imagine it?"
"Honestly, he's just looking out for your best interests, I'm sure."
"Nonsense," contended Blastoise. "…Well, fine, he does do that. But, we should certainly come up with better ways to handle this."
As I nodded, my eyes shifted to the water, and I spotted slight movement. A small blue head poked up and Blastoise laughed. Carracosta's head popped back out, and he beamed as he walked over to me, watching Blastoise reach down at the giggling child.
"And this tiny fellow here," introduced Blastoise as he grabbed the smaller turtle, "is my little Squirtle." He smiled at the tiny turtle that stared at me. "How do we greet new friends, little guy?"
"H…hello."
"Good!" He laughed as Squirtle turned away and hid against him. "Forgive him, he's very shy."
"That's…it's fine. I can, uh, I can relate." I blinked and shook my head. "You…you two have a…son?"
"Ah, don't think we're miracle workers," joked Blastoise, some laughter laced between it. "The boy came from my village from a long time back, when he was just an Egg that was left all by himself."
"No parents?"
Quietly, Carracosta whispered, "We're pretty sure he was orphaned, unpleasantly."
"I'm so sorry."
"It's ok, we'll explain it to him as he gets older," reassured Blastoise. "He already knows that we adopted him; in fact, this little guy hatched back when I first met Carracosta!"
"Right, um…I used to be a guard, before my promotion here," described Carracosta. "Heard about an, um, town's pillaging and…Blastoise here used to be an archeologist of sorts, was investigating its ruins, they sent me over—"
"Your details are so captivating," mocked Blastoise, and Squirtle giggled.
"This isn't meant to be a riveting tale!"
"It's how we met!"
"I know that!"
"He doesn't!" Blastoise frowned. "Make it interesting for poor Greninja!"
"All right, all right!" Carracosta groaned. "As the guard of Norton, I was sent out to investigate a recent attack against the nearby village. So, when I got there, I was investigating, ran into Blastoise, who had come from the other town beyond it, Yukimura, and then we barely got past introductions when Squirtle hatched from his egg, which Blastoise had just found a little before meeting me."
"Wow." I forced a chuckle. "That's one way to pick up a family."
"Right?"
"Not long after, I was promoted, and was assigned to move to the Iceberg Palace, and Blastoise told me he actually lived here, so…we kept in touch."
"That's nice."
"Blastoise actually tried to be a single father at first," recalled Carracosta. "I knew that he wouldn't be able to manage that all on his own, so I decided to split my time as a knight and help them out. Squirtle started thinking I was his father too, so…it kind of became easy to go out of the palace to visit them."
"Squirtle's the only one that kept you, huh?" Blastoise grinned.
"Fine, you big oaf, you kept charming me and keeping me busy around the house with your helplessness."
"What?!" Blastoise bopped Carracosta's shell and growled. "Remember that you're not that tough!"
"Eheh…sorry." Carracosta rubbed behind himself and smirked. "In all honesty, Blastoise's determination to raise the little fellow on his own was what kept me coming back to help, but…well, Squirtle wasn't the only one Blastoise was good at attending."
"Tell him about the time you came over all bruised and battered," suggested Blastoise. "Who cleaned you up again?"
"You did, dear."
"A little louder?"
"You, dear!"
"That's more like it." Blastoise grinned as laughter escaped me.
"Anyway, um…well, it took me a couple of years, but…I liked what we had."
"Stop, you're getting to the embarrassing part!"
"You wanted me to tell the story!" He smirked as Blastoise blushed and cuddled Squirtle in close, as the tiny turtle laughed again. "Well, uh, it wasn't all just, um, us watching over Squirtle, or him treating my wounds…we dated. A lot." He scoffed. "Sitters made off with a fair share of Poké, that's certain." Carracosta blushed as well, rubbing his flipper against his arm. "Anyway, mincing the details, we fell very much in love, I proposed one night, and we were married not long after." His face was scorched red as he glanced back up at me. "Um…that's, uh, that's the story, with details for maybe another day."
"…Even without them, that's a really cute story," I quietly gushed.
"N-no, don't—"
"See?! And details make it even better, Carracosta!"
"You're embarrassed though! A lot of embarrassing stories make up the rest of it!"
"So? He's nice and polite," defended Blastoise. "Plus he's, what else, dear?"
"Gay…"
"Gay, how did it go…?"
"Gay like us."
"Good."
"Come on, they're not the only ones that I work with, and even still, that doesn't automatically mean we're friends—"
"He liked the story, and you like his relationship with his boyfriend," reiterated Blastoise. "I think it's perfectly fine that we can call them our friends."
"You…never talked to us about that, actually," I prodded at Carracosta.
"He never would," explained Blastoise. "He's told me all about the different knights in the palace, who he likes, different events you went through and practices, but he'd never, ever tell any of you about that." Blastoise shook his head. "He's too guarded."
"Am not!" Blastoise lowered his eyes at Carracosta. "Um…ok, I am, but…I am."
Carracosta hung his head in defeat, and Squirtle gently patted it. Blastoise smiled to me, as I brushed my arm behind my head.
A thud from behind me got me to jump forward and I spun backward. Blastoise tilted his head as Carracosta stomped forward. He narrowed his eyes as he turned back to me.
"Just how many—?"
"It was only supposed to be me, honest!"
Huffing, Carracosta stormed at the door, and forced it open. Chesnaught fell forward and through it.
"Oh for the love of, are you serious?!" Carracosta smacked the door. "You too?!"
Bending down, I helped Chesnaught to his feet, as he blushed and scratched behind his head. Blastoise and Squirtle laughed, and the tortoise stepped forward.
"And who's this handsome fellow? With a shell all his own, no less."
"Um…h-hi," Chesnaught awkwardly waved. "I'm, um, Chesnaught. Another knight."
"Well hello! I thought you were the boyfriend. I'm Bla—"
"Hold on," interrupted Carracosta and pushed past Chesnaught. "THE REST OF YOU BACK UP OR I'LL GUT YOU MYSELF, YOU HEAR?! NOT ANOTHER ONE OF YOU STEPS OUTSIDE THE PALACE WALLS!"
Slamming the gate shut, Carracosta sighed and shook his head as he trudged back over. Blastoise rolled his eyes.
"Really? It's not that big of a deal."
"Blastoise, you promised," groaned Carracosta. "You told me you'd keep yourself and Squirtle back home, safe, away from whatever mess—"
"That's right, and I've done that," intervened Blastoise. "But we can't stay hidden from your life forever. Just because that seems to work for the Emperor and his family—"
"Please don't compare yourselves to them." Carracosta shook his head. "I can't even imagine the sheer panic that goes through that penguin on a daily basis."
"Obviously not enough," contended Blastoise. "Otherwise, he would have come up with a better plan than sending the Empress and their son away—"
"It was for their safety." Carracosta shook his head. "Sometimes, we knights are not enough to defend our charges."
"Casting them off from their homeland only proves how little faith the emperor has in any of you," argued Blastoise. "Caution is one thing, but that kind of extreme—"
"What would you do in his place?" Carracosta folded his arms. "Don't even begin to pretend that you wouldn't want Squirtle and I somewhere safe."
Blastoise opened his mouth to argue, but closed it after hesitating. He brought Squirtle closer to him and patted his son's head.
"See? Not so easy."
"Um." I turned to Chesnaught, as he scratched his arm. "I'm sorry, but I've only listened for some of this—"
"Ah, forgive us!" Blastoise smiled again. "My name is Blastoise, and I'm Carracosta's hidden husband. This is his secret son, Squirtle."
"Husband? Son?" Chesnaught blinked. "You…when did…what?"
"They met explored a razed town, where they discovered an egg that hatched into Squirtle," I summarized. "Blastoise lives here, and Carracosta came here when he was promoted from town guard to royal knight. They were married after that."
"Oh." Chesnaught glanced to the turtles, as the couple nodded their heads. "Ok then, that explains it better. And that's pretty cute, Carracosta." He grinned as Carracosta blushed once more. "You have a really nice family, from what I can tell."
"Yes, but I prefer you to keep that between us," insisted Carracosta, as Blastoise rolled his eyes. "The less that's known of them, the better."
"They live in the city," pointed out Chesnaught. "How secretive can that be?"
"Easily kept so long as they don't understand my connection to him," elucidated Carracosta. "Strip the armor, move quietly through the town—"
"Never hold hands in public, don't talk with each other as affectionately as we'd like," listed Blastoise, as Carracosta faltered. "Holding eye contact for too long is practically forbidden. I'm not allowed to wear the beautiful wedding bracelet he gave me, and he never wears his. Our son is regarded as mine, as if I had the child with someone else. Leaving the house must be regarded as a necessity."
"Ok, ok, it's extreme!" Carracosta pivoted away from Blastoise and faced us. "Perhaps you two wouldn't quite understand, being soldiers in a relationship, but Blastoise isn't exactly the best fighter around—"
"Do you want to test that theory?!"
"No dear."
"Then?"
"B-Blastoise's skill isn't the biggest issue," managed Carracosta. "But his life, and Squirtle's, are better without anyone knowing that I'm part of their lives." He frowned. "Imagine if an enemy ever learned that Emperor Empoleon wasn't the only one with a family."
"What enemies?" Chesnaught shook his head. "That's not something we've faced in the time that we've been here."
"Fortunately not, but that won't last." Carracosta shook his head. "You two haven't been around quite as long, but we have our fair share of nuisances to deal with, time and again. Haven't you had minor troubles plague the Grass Fields Kingdom?"
"We've…faced bandits before, yes," I recalled. Chesnaught's shoulders dropped, and he relented. "They would be a lot more dangerous if they knew of connections."
"And would either of you so easily forget Queen Nidoqueen?"
"Never," murmured Chesnaught.
"There it is, then." Carracosta placed his flippers against his hips and turned back to Blastoise. "They understand my reasoning after all."
"Yes, just remind them that fear triumphs over love," chided Blastoise. "Excellent way to get your point across."
"It's about being smart, just as the emperor wants us to be," defended Carracosta.
"At any rate, we're bickering like this rather than letting me properly speak with our friends."
"Us?"
"Of course you!" Blastoise grinned as I chuckled at Chesnaught. "After all…oh, yes, Carracosta never talks to you two. Well, contrary to his poor social skills—"
"Hey, I socialize!"
"Contrary to his willingness to participate in social engagements, then," snidely corrected Blastoise, as Carracosta folded his arms. Calmer, he continued, "He actually has told me that you're quite a formidable knight in particular, Chesnaught."
"Really?" He smiled to Carracosta, who blushed again and turned his attention to the water.
"Yes, about how astonishing it is for a Grass knight to not only survive out here, but even flourish," furthered Blastoise. "You've demonstrated promise during practices with the other knights, even at disadvantages."
"W-well, I try."
"Don't be humble," I teased. "He's complimenting you."
"Y-yeah, I know." Chesnaught nervously smiled to Blastoise. "Thank you."
"Actually, I'm just repeating what Carracosta told me," reminded Blastoise. "Isn't that right, you stubborn rock head?"
"Y-yes."
"Then how do you respond to gratitude, dear?"
"Y-you're welcome, Chesnaught."
"Honestly, I might as well be raising two children some days."
"What?!"
"Oh, please. You know your manners are absolutely horrendous," scolded Blastoise.
"They—not horrendous," tried Carracosta.
"Most definitely."
"But—"
"Please, there's no arguing it, and you know that."
Once again, Carracosta dropped his head in defeat, to which Squirtle turned and patted him once again. I wanted to ask if their son's reaction was a common occurrence, but held back for fear of insulting Carracosta.
"At any rate, it's certainly impressive that you do manage up here," returned Blastoise. "And I'm sure you'll credit your partner here to helping out with that, am I right?"
"Huh?"
"W-well yeah, he does." My face burned up at Chesnaught's confession.
"Blastoise, not in front of Squirtle!"
"He doesn't understand yet, dear."
"Still!"
"Wait, h-how'd you mean it?"
"Just that you two warm each other's hearts," soothed Blastoise. "It's sweet, that's all."
"Th-thank you," we managed.
"Look at them, they're both bright red!" Carracosta poked his husband. "You should apologize for that. No need to embarrass new friends."
"Oh, now it's ok that I meet them."
"What's done is done."
"And the rest?"
"Not happening."
"Figures." He pinched Carracosta's arm, as the prototurtle yelped. "Hmm, any way to get you to reconsider?"
"N-no!"
"Fine." Blastoise released him and Carracosta rubbed his arm. "Oh, stop. It wasn't that bad."
"Yes it was!"
"You're a knight."
"And you're not gentle!"
"Aw," taunted Blastoise, "do you need a kiss to make it better?"
"Absolutely!"
"Don't act so depraved…especially since it's on you."
"Come on," whined Carracosta, "they're going to think we don't love each other!"
"We're married."
"That doesn't mean we love each other!"
"Oh, for…fine." Blastoise kissed Carracosta's arm, and then his cheek. "Better, or do you need more?"
"More, of course!"
"You're more spoiled than Squirtle." Blastoise tickled his son and kissed the top of his head. "And you're very spoiled yourself!" His son spun and reached out to Carracosta. "What, you want Daddy for a bit?"
"Oh, give him here!"
Blastoise reached forward with Squirtle, who hopped from his arms and laughed as he ran away from Carracosta.
"Wha—hey! Get back here!"
Squirtle laughed again as Carracosta chased him down the bridge, and the two bounced around, locked into a chasing game. Carracosta couldn't help but laugh as Squirtle zipped around him. Blastoise laughed along with them, while Chesnaught and I exchanged amused expressions.
"He's giving me a real run for it," shouted Carracosta.
"Good, you need the exercise," called Blastoise.
"Very funny."
Their son bounded around again, and waited as Carracosta swung his arms to grab him before darting off again. Carracosta spun in circles after him, as they hurried down the length of the bridge.
"Since I'm only going to be meeting you two today," whispered Blastoise, "could you two, perhaps maybe, do me a favor?"
"If we can," I offered. "We'll do whatever is within our power."
"That's all I can ask for," agreed Blastoise. He then exhaled heavily and slouched, frowning as he watched Carracosta beam and happily lift a cheering Squirtle. "Can you two keep an eye on him, in the future? Carracosta comes from a species that's near extinction, and it's rare to find anyone like him outside of these parts." Blastoise shivered, clearly not from the cold. "He works hard and worries about Squirtle and I frequently enough himself, but…I've heard the stories that come from this place, about the knights that went missing in the Frozen Fields."
"He survived that," reasoned Chesnaught. "In fact, he did better than us."
"We may have brought Mewtwo back, but we were lost and nearly died out there ourselves," I clarified.
"True, but those aren't the only horror stories I've heard." Blastoise shook his head. "There's gossip rushing around the city, about potential threats coming for the palace any day now. So many keep spreading the word that war will be upon us."
We followed Blastoise's gaze, returned to Carracosta chasing Squirtle around, diving into the water and out to catch the speedy young turtle.
"It's not fair to ask you to keep your eyes out for him, as you have to look after one another already, on top of the other knights," admitted Blastoise. "But…I still can't help but ask." With an unsteady edge to his voice, he continued, "Those two are all I have left in my life. While I would do whatever it takes to keep Squirtle safe, I know that I can't ensure that for Carracosta, especially so long as he's a knight. I've had so many nightmares about a day that some other knight would come to our home, with a grim expression on their face, to tell me the worst…or that I'm somehow out there with him, and he moves in front of Squirtle and I to take a lethal blow…" He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "Sorry, this is foolish. Please forgive me, I don't mean to—"
"We'll keep him safe." I lurched up and twisted around to Chesnaught. He didn't even look at me, but instead fixated on Blastoise. "We'll do whatever we can to guarantee his safety. It's not the best promise—"
"It's enough." Blastoise shook Chesnaught's hands. "Thank you." He then shook mine. "Both of you…thank you. I've been meaning to ask just one knight to keep an extra eye on him, but, well, you're the first two he allowed me to meet."
"You can count on us," promised Chesnaught. "Right, Greninja?"
"Sure, yeah."
"Thank you both again." Blastoise chuckled. "You'd never know it, but I actually do care about that stubborn fool."
"Gotcha again, squirt!"
"Yay, Daddy!"
Carracosta hoisted Squirtle into the air again, and carried him back over to us. They laughed as he hugged his son tightly, and kissed the top of his head. Slowly, he handed him back over to Blastoise.
"Daddy's going to get back to work, ok? He's got a whole palace to defend still." Frowning a bit, Squirtle nodded, as Blastoise hugged him close. "You be good for Papa, ok?"
"He always is." Blastoise smiled as Squirtle hugged him. "We'll see you, then."
"I'll be home sometime soon," promised Carracosta. "Just…when the emperor allows me, of course."
"Yes, yes, we'll be waiting."
Blastoise turned to walk away, but Carracosta slipped past him and kissed his lips. They pressed together for a bit, but Squirtle squirmed and they parted. Carracosta's flippers rested on Blastoise's face for a moment, but then dropped, and the tortoise ambled away from the palace. Squirtle peeked over his shoulder and waved to his father, who waved back to him until his family was out of his sight. He shuddered as he turned back to us.
"So, uh…that's, um, that's my family."
"They're great," praised Chesnaught. "I'm sure they're proud of you."
"Y-yes, they are." Carracosta chuckled and lightly blushed again. "A-anyway, not to be annoying, but please keep—"
"It stays between us."
"Right, good." He sighed and sadly gazed at the water again. "Thank you, both. This was…oddly liberating."
Stepping forward, Carracosta rested his flippers on each of our shoulders and nodded. We clasped his arms for a moment, and he smirked, but then lowered them and opened the gate. He trudged through it, and we slowly followed, closing the gates behind us.
"Just what the hell took you lot so long?!" My head jerked up at Abomasnow, waiting for us inside of the palace.
"That's my fault, sire," defended Carracosta. "I distracted these two from training."
"What for?!"
"Them, sir."
"Them? …Is this what the emperor allows—?"
"Yes, sir."
"Very well." Abomasnow shook his head. "But, you'll need to gather the equipment with Weavile then, before moving on to free training."
"Of course, sir."
"Good." He nodded, and then glared at Chesnaught and I. "You two, go find some sparring partners to battle. The others will be filing through here soon enough, so grab someone to spar with!"
"Yes, sir."
Nodding again, Abomasnow and Carracosta shuffled away from us. My shoulders dropped and I turned to Chesnaught, who watched the two disappear.
"Nice husband, right?"
"Yeah."
"He'll be counting on us, now."
Straightening up, Chesnaught turned to me, and I folded my arms. We frowned to one another.
"There's nothing wrong with that."
"You mean besides that we barely know him."
"By now, we know more than most."
"Chesnaught, we can't promise Carracosta's husband that safety," I started. "It's hard enough to help one another out, let alone the other knights, but to ensure that we'll keep Carracosta alive is just, well, promising false hope."
"You don't have to worry about it much, Greninja." His tone had sturdiness, and stubbornness, to it that I wasn't familiar with. "Just keep yourself focused on the usual. But I'm not going to allow harm to Carracosta." He turned and softened, smiling to me. "You're priority, without a doubt. But I…I need to keep Carracosta protected too."
"Well…if his husband's words mean that much to you," I determined, "then I can't let you do it alone. If war really does start between these nations, we'll just have to run ourselves ragged keeping everyone alive."
"Yeah." Chesnaught nodded. "Together, we'll do it." He smiled to me. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
We turned as the doors opened again.
...
Ahaha…hahahaha…oh, it's only going downhill from here.
So, meet Blastoise! Surprise, Carracosta is yet another gay, yawn, you're bored, I know. Honestly, I did consider making a change to the relationship, and you'll probably think that I should have. Oh well, I waited a long time to get to this pairing, so, I made them gay like I planned on. They're the first officially married gay pairing, and furthermore, the first married parents to appear, and even furthermore, the first gay family to debut. Because SeaturtleShipping is my new latest jam, and yes, that is the name of the pair.
I've been meaning to add in a developed relationship between a knight/soldier and a citizen, and while Chesnaught had a nice one with Lilligant for the first story, this one holds more water. Pun intended. It's something that I find fun and cute, and I just wanted this, ok? And they have a small son Squirtle, and they're happy, and this makes me happy, and if you don't like them, fine, but I love them. It's my first gay family that I made, and I'm proud of them. Also, the banter between Carracosta and Blastoise is lovely, and both of their relationships with Squirtle is precious, and I'm gushing over my own characters, yes, stop judging me for this.
What's that? You're more interested in Weavile's archery issues? She's just tired. What about Greninja's skills with it? He's good at rest, but he's not as combatively capable as Weavile…usually is. And that part about Blastoise being concerned about Carracosta's life? Haha, husbands worry for each other all of the time. There's nothing to see for any of those. No need to worry.
Anyway, feedback is what helps motivate me to go forward, so if you can, send me some on here or elsewhere! Comments, criticisms, and questions are all welcomed. This story is almost at 100 reviews as of writing, so I'd love to see it go over that. Not that it stands out over…well, we all know how huge the Pokemon archive is. But hey, 100 reviews is stellar, so that'd be great!
The next chapter will continue immediately off of where this one ended, so no more time skips or anything. As always, thank you for reading!