Mission Log #3-B
Task: 0709201922
Team(s): Relic, Waffle
Participants: Waffle Brekky, Lemon Gumms, Pearbutter HoS, Creme Cheez Sleezer, Basil Postuh, Mallow Nicholy
Logger: Pearbutter HoS
Penner: Pearbutter HoS
Waffle had come back just before bed. Lemon did not accompany him, and the eevee did not return for the rest of the night.
The shrimp seemed a bit upset, as well. All I could get out of him was that they had a fight. We simply slept after that. I got woken up in the middle of the night by one of our cabin-mates emptying her guts into a bucket, (from the front end, to be clear) but it didn't do too much to interfere with my rest.
He wasn't with us when we woke up in the morning. We didn't see him again until it was time to disembark.
We shared short greetings, but he soon excused himself to walk off. That left Waffle and I to go take care of the settling in stuff, so off we set into the town of Membrane Bay.
The strange widespread rain-storm was a lot thinner out there. The sky was still cloudy, but the sun actually lit up the area.
The air tasted disgustingly salty, as it did at the bottom of Layer-Port. Apparently, some Nettle guy used to live here, that the Guild doesn't like very much. Some police officer or something.
The town itself was constructed in the low-lands, just off the coast. If I had to describe the... unique architectural style, I'd say it was like a grid.
Large, square patches of land dotted the area, all isolated from each other through wide, deep canals of gently flowing water. Like the few in Layer-Port, except greater in number, there were those equipment stations to gear up land-dwellers to go under water.
Unlike Layer-Port, the on-land buildings had artificial streams moving through them.
Both land and sea-dwellers bustled about both worlds with ease. I saw a few fish pokémon traveling outside of the water, geared up in some sort of fancy vest. I'll admit, I almost laughed watching them flop along down the streets, and I feel bad about that.
Well, anyway, it didn't take us long to track down a place to stay during our mission. We were just supposed to patrol at night, so we had all day to hang out before that. Waffle decided to head out to search for Lemon at about 11:00 AM...
Four purple paws gingerly carried their host down the path. Waffle stared incredulously at the tree ahead of him, then back to the town behind. Just to be sure, he sent out one last ping with his mind. A short time later, a familiar eevee's presence bounced back to him, somewhere farther within the woods.
With a shrug, he made his way inside.
The psychic-type paced slowly down the muddy path, ignoring the filth clinging to his otherwise pristine coat. The foliage grew more dense as he proceeded inward, and he soon was veered off the path by the shifting angle of his returning mental pulses.
Waffle found himself ducking, leaping, and weaving through increasingly narrow spaces between branches. The thick canopy above largely stopped anymore rain from coming down, though the ground below remained damp.
It was only fifteen minutes or so before the espeon had discovered who he was looking for.
Waffle looked up to spot his friend hanging upside-down from a branch.
"Yo, Lem'."
"Greetings, Waffsy."
The espeon sat with his back resting against the tree. The two sat in a serene silence for a while, simply enjoying the sounds of nature surrounding them. It was a long moment before Waffle spoke once more.
"It's nice out here."
"Extraordinarily so! Exactly of similar to back home, yes."
"I should've honestly figured you'd be out here. With how much you used to go sit in the woods outside town, and all."
"Of course, of course! I at first only desired to search for your sister, but I soon found myself calmed by the nature."
"Naturally. Hah. Get it?" Waffle's eyes briefly widened, his gem lighting up. He almost instinctively jerked his head to the side, allowing Lemon's tossed acorn to harmlessly bounce off the tree-trunk. "Hey! What was that for?"
The eevee snickered quietly.
"It is of law, Waffle! Bad puns may not go un punished!" He then paused for a moment, mulling over his wording. "W-wait! It was of accidental execution!" Due to his upside-down position, Lemon was subject to an acorn thunking against his head.
"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time." The espeon stood up to stick out his tongue, but cried out as he felt a fluffy body impact him.
The two friends rolled about the scene, playfully swatting and biting at each-other, laughing in glee. Several minutes of playful tumbling passed before they settled down once more. Waffle found himself sprawled out in the grass, Lemon laying across his back.
"Victory has become the property of I," Lemon proclaimed.
Waffle gave a nod, smiling.
"Yeah..." The espeon briefly shuffled his paws, staring off into the distance as his giggles came to a stop. He gave a short sigh, ears lowering just a bit.
"What is of matter, Waffle?" Lemon prodded, pressing his muzzle to the espeon's cheek. Waffle accepted the gesture, leaning in closer.
"It's just... I'm sorry about last night."
Lemon blinked in surprise, his ears perking up.
"Whyever so? You have done naught incorrect! If there is one to be sorrying, it should be I, for all I've done. You have helped me shed the ignorance to my error!"
"I... Still shouldn't have snapped at you. It's just... You've always been there for me when I needed it, but I guess I seemed kind of ungrateful back there."
"Nonsense spews from your cute purple maw! You were simply protecting me from myself. That is what friends are to do, no?"
Waffle glanced away, twiddling his paws.
"I just... Never leave us, Lemon. We need you. I need you. I just don't know what I would do if I were alone again."
Waffle felt himself pulled into a tight embrace. It felt as if nothing could harm him as Lemon held him close.
As Lemon glanced down upon his friend, all he could see was that little eevee from oh so long ago.
"All alone. The sister once of presence to protect him, vanished with one accident. Taken by the forest in a cruel twist of fate. To underestimate the great power of belonging to nature is to be abandoning your loved ones to a world alone. I shall forever protect you, my sweet Waffle, as your sister ultimately failed to do. I will not be blindly running into scenes of dangerousness. Just as nature takes, nature gives. The mother of life demands respect. Through respect, I am her ally, and she mine. Your sister is lost to the great woods, but her spirit imbues them. The wills of the lost become the needs of mother nature. I will protect the forest, as the forest protects me. I will protect Waffle, as he protects me. Those lost will live on, we to embody their legacy. Life is unfair, but it is of great beauty. It must be preserved. For, I love nature, and nature loves me." Deep brown eyes met those of indigo, storms of emotion brewing within. A smile crossed Lemon's features. "...And, I love you."
Waffle felt tears brimming in his eyes as the directed thoughts crossed their psychic connection. He squeezed Lemon's paws tightly, returning the feelings with his own telepathy.
"I love you, too."
The two embraced closely, refusing to release one another. The psychic type pressed his face firmly against Lemon's neck. Where once a brimming, fluffy mane stood proud, only short, cream furs met his muzzle. He felt at ease as the leafeon's paw carefully stroked his head.
Mission Log #3-C
Task: 0709201922
Team(s): Relic, Waffle
Participants: Waffle Brekky, Lemon Gumms, Pearbutter HoS, Creme Cheez Sleezer, Basil Postuh, Mallow Nicholy
Logger: Creme Cheez Sleezer
Penner: Creme Cheez Sleezer
I found myself feeling quite nervous as 9:00 PM rolled around. Pearbutter had informed us several hours previous that he had not seen the rest of his team since noon, and had went out looking for them shortly after. I figured they were probably fine, however they had not yet shown up to the rendezvous point. They still had thirty minutes before they were to be considered late, of course.
Well, what do you know? Thirty minutes rolls around, and they still aren't there. Per regulation, one of us was to depart to search for the missing team. Mallow offered to go first. While the least defensively capable of the group, they had an advantage in mobility to escape sticky situations. I was too strong to risk missing our mission, and Basil still maintained locomotive difficulties due to... debauchery, two nights previous. Which, might I add, kept me awake far too long. It was about 2:00 AM when I gave up and went to rest in my son's room down the hall.
I was growing more and more worried with each minute that passed. First one, then five, then fifteen. Before I knew it, midnight struck, and we've heard not hide nor hair of Mallow nor Team Waffle.
I didn't feel I could handle losing another rookie team to these criminals when I was present to do something about it. I was about to suggest to Basil that we go looking for them ourselves, when Mallow finally returned. He did not bare good news.
Mission Log #3-D
Task: 0709201922
Team(s): Relic, Waffle
Participants: Waffle Brekky, Lemon Gumms, Pearbutter HoS, Creme Cheez Sleezer, Basil Postuh, Mallow Nicholy
Logger: Pearbutter HoS
Penner: Pearbutter HoS
I cut my way through the thick underbrush, angrily trudging through the woods. I'd scoured Mebrane Bay for hours in search of my friends, to no avail. With no where else to really check, I decided to head into the forest. I ran into Team Sunrise on my way out of town, who insisted that it was too dark and dangerous to travel alone.
I wasn't really scared, at least not yet, but you can never be too safe, I guess.
Gouda, being an audino, was able to hear super well, so she was actually pretty helpful in locating my friends. Cindy, while still not quite over her sea-sickness, was able to muster up enough stomach to provide us a flame for light.
It was miserable trekking through that wet, cold, muddy, overgrown mess of a forest. It took only twelve minutes for my arm to start burning from the constant slicing through solid wood. Those twelve minutes, as it turned out, wouldn't even be half of the time I'd be doing it for.
I don't know how long it took, but it was definitely over an hour before Gouda picked up on some signs of life. Distinct from the neurotic scrabble of local ferals, she heard someone up in the trees. They were following us. For how long at that point, we hadn't known; according to Gouda, it was so faint that it could have been following us for a long time before she noticed it. One thing was for certain; whatever it was, it was deliberate.
Our voices came in hushed whispers as we talked.
"Do you think that's them?" Cindy murmured. Her tails flicked nervously, as she occasionally gave a worried look behind us.
"They'd probably have come and said hi if they were our friends." Gouda scratched the back of her head, occasionally perking her ears toward a rustling somewhere above.
"So, are they our enemies?" I grit my teeth in pain as I sliced through another branch, clearing the path forward.
"Eep! I h-hope not!" Cindy began to quiver violently, her flame flickering and wavering just a bit. It had been doing that for a while, by that point. It was likely exhausting to keep it sustained for that long. Gouda was the only one of us by that point who was in fighting condition, but by her admission, she was hardly much of a fighter.
"I... Hear someone else!" Gouda exclaimed in a hushed tone. She pointed up toward a silhouetted figure slowly floating down.
Our already tensed bodies seemed to ready themselves further. My muscles sagged in relief as Mallow lowered down into view.
We ran up to the whimsicott, pleased to see them again.
"Oh, Mallow!" Cindy cheered. "We're so happy to see you!"
I spoke next.
"Do you know where my team is?"
Gouda bowed her head, clasping her hands together.
"We're so sorry we couldn't find them ourselves!"
Mallow gave us a short nod, smiling.
"Hey, relax. I just talked to Lemon and Waffle a few minutes ago. They're lost, like, a ten minute walk over that way." They pointed off in another direction with a stubby arm. "I offered to lead them back out, but they didn't want to leave the forest until you three were reunited, Pear."
I nodded in return, pleased to hear of my friends' safety.
"Ah, that's a relief."
Mallow gave a short hum, glancing up.
"Say, why haven't your friends up there came down to say hello yet?"
The three of us immediately tensed back up, glancing up to the trees.
"They're not with us!" Gouda exclaimed. "They've been following us for a while, now!"
Apparently, our uninvited guests took this as their cue to come down for a visit. It happened in an instant. The colossal foot of a krokorok dropped down onto Cindy from above. Her shriek was brief, cut off by an audible crunch. It was at the same time that what I can only describe as a spear of ice shot through my shoulder, puncturing almost straight through. It was the worst pain I'd felt up to that point, and I nearly collapsed.
With the last dredges of my strength, I summoned a razor-leaf into my hand. A glaceon leapt down from the trees, fangs bared, seeking refuge within Gouda's flesh. I flicked my wrist with all my might, allowing my blades to wiz through the air.
They hit their mark, cutting into the glaceon's side. They gave a shriek of pain, momentarily distracted as they barreled into Gouda. The audino went down, but she remained unbitten. I continued to fling my makeshift weapons toward the ice-type, peppering them relentlessly. They hopped up to begin dodging my attacks.
The krokork had attempted to grip onto Mallow, but the whimsicott's unique abilities allowed it to squeeze through any tight space. It repeatedly sprang out of the krokorok's grasp. It soon gave up its grasping, opting to deliver a firm punch to their face.
The lightweight pokémon was sent hurdling into the air. The reptile then turned his attention back to me. I saw, then felt, a large scaly foot on a collision-course with my face. I felt myself knocked backwards, dazed.
The glaceon approached next. I saw no emotion in their eyes as they approached, readying an ice-fang attack. My the attention of my attackers was soon taken off from me, however, as a shout came from behind them.
"P-Pear! No!"
Waffle and Lemon, who had evolved at some point by the way, came running into the scene quickly.
I saw a brief flash of recognition pass through the glaceon's eyes. They turned to face me, then to my approaching rescue.
Waffle stopped as well, eyes widening. He stared at the glaceon, taking a step back. Something clicked in his mind, then Lemon, then mine.
"N-No!" Waffle shouted. "Y-y-you! You're alive!"
The glaceon's blood seemed to somehow run colder than it already presumably did.
"Waffle...?"
I felt my heart stop in that moment. I could not believe it. I wouldn't believe it. Lemon echoed my sentiments.
"N-nonsense!" The leafeon shouted. "Shersy is dead! She would have come back to us!"
The ice-type seemed to step back in hesitation.
"I... It's..."
Lemon growled audibly. I could see his leaves sharpening into blades as he advanced forward.
"Y-you're alive! You have been of continued living for all of these years, yet you left us! You abandoned us! And now, you do this?!"
I could see Waffle sit down in the corner of my vision. The krokorok had backed off, as well, and I... Well, you know.
Razor-sharp icicles formed along Sherbert's limbs as she growled.
"I had to, Lemon! It was fo' the greata' good!"
"What 'greater good' is worth the abandoning of your family? Hah! I speak in rhetoric, yes! There is nothing worth that, you absolute disgrace!"
Lemon charged forward, flicking his head to the size. Sherbert lifted a paw, its ice-razors shielding her from the oncoming leaf-blade. She quickly rounded to kick the leafeon in the face, forcing him back.
The glaceon leapt through the air, sharp-edged ice coating her tail as she sought to bring it down. The leafeon's lethal head-leaf rose to meet the strike, harmlessly parring it. He swung the leaf toward Sherbert's exposed throat, which she dodged with a swift step. Lemon's paw shot forward to slash at her foreleg with another blade, eliciting a cry along with a splattering of blood.
"The greata' good, Lemon!" Sherbert charged forward, leg raised to stab her target's eye. It was blocked with his head-blade, then countered with his tail. "I did what I had ta'! The guilds are bad news, and I couldn't let my attachments distract me from taking it down!"
A few more blades clashed, sliced, and stabbed as the two remained locked in combat.
"You abandoned your brother!" shouted Lemon. He began to attack with increasing ferocity. "You abandoned your friends! You abandoned your family! And, now, you come and are of parotting this 'greater good' nonsense! We thought you were dead! We were missing of you for years, and it was all a lie, yes! I hate you!"
Hot tears streamed down Sherbert's face, freezing along her coat. She felt the chill of loss settle into her heart.
"I had to! Agent N showed me th'way! Have you not seen what the guild does?! They squander the poor! They force them to work behind their doors, or else face poverty! They create criminals outta good pokémon, then lock them up for money! They rip apart families!"
Lemon felt his rage boil to an overflow.
"They rip apart families. They rip apart families?!" The leafeon skid back, stamping his paw. He raised it, gesturing to Sherbert, then to Waffle. "Tell me, dearest Shersy, who is the one doing the ripping of families here?!"
"I had to! It was a sacrifice! What's one more family torn apart, when I could save so many more?!" She stamped forward, snarling. "It's the fault of blind, ignorant fools like you that those in power can get away with atrocity! It's the fault of poor, stupid, servile pokémon like you that we had to steal to survive growing up!"
"Who's the one comitting atrocity here, Sherbert?" Lemon felt a tear drop from his eye. He gestured to the crushed form of Cindy, the bloodied form of Pear, and then the unconscious form of Gouda. "Look at them. Be taking a good, long look at what you have done today. I do the looking at you, and I am seeing a stranger. When did you change? How could you do this to us when we loved you so much?"
The glaceon dug her claws into the ground, growling.
"C'mon, Broccoli. We're juicing." The glaceon let her icy blades fall to the ground, turning to skulk away. The krokorok gave one glance over the group, before turning to follow.
Waffle stared at his sister's retreating form. Old wounds re-opened, torn to shreds and doused in battery acid. He wanted to call out, to run after her, to say anything, but he could not. He felt like that useless little wimp again, rooted in place, unable to act.
The espeon looked to Lemon, who did not return the gaze. He then turned his eyes toward Pear.
For once, there was no judgement in the chespin's eyes. He could only find comprehension, understanding, and a hollow despair.
Waffle sighed, standing up shakily.
"C-come on, L-L-Lemon. We've g-g-got to g-get the injured... b-back to town..."
The two set to work gathering up Team Sunrise. Pear refused to be carried, insisting he could walk on his own.
They set off walking through the woods aimlessly, in the opposite direction they had came. Team Relic found them soon after, escorting them back to the town.
I felt weaker than I ever had, in that moment. If chespin had a pre-evolution, I'd be the pre-evolution of said pre-evolution. Team Relic could clearly tell we weren't in a talking mood, so opted not to push it, only asking about the injuries. Mallow led us easily back to town, floating high in the air.
Mission status: Failed. We came out weaker than we were before. We had found out the identity of two of the kidnappers, but that was a hollow victory. In an ironic twist, it was an identity we would have never wanted to know.
Waffle and Lemon, despite being physically fine, sustained mental trauma. I felt the same, in addition to my minor wounds.
Team Sunrise... Well, Gouda was fine, but... Cindy will need months of physical therapy to learn to walk again at best, and at worst will never be able to again.
Basil and Mallow kept their cool, but Creme was devastated. That poor fox couldn't stop crying. Upon our return to HQ, Salami has stayed by her side in the time since. She blames herself for what happened to us. Poor Cindy... The two of us have become friends recently. I come to see her every day in the guild's medical-wing. It's good to have someone to talk to that doesn't remind me of... recent developments.
Sherbert's words stick with me, though. Could the guild really be that bad? Sure, I grew up poor, but I don't see how that's their fault as she claims. I can't help but consider it, though. If she was willing to resort for murder for this cause, surely it's not entirely without merit? Maybe it's what little remains of my childhood crush speaking, but she's smart. I don't think she'd do this if she didn't think it was doing any good.
I also never thought she'd still be alive, or try to kill me. I've had a lot of wrong thoughts, so who's to say I'm not wrong again? I don't know what to believe, anymore.
I find myself thinking back to the mission we took a couple weeks ago to East-Scallion. Those bandits really didn't seem like the bad type at all. They just looked, I guess, desperate?
Or, maybe that's just memory biased toward new perspective?
Fuck, man. I probably shouldn't be writing this on an official mission report. Alas, I've learned something today. I've been wrong a lot. I've been lied to. And, those lies cut deeper than any wound. Maybe it's better to be honest.
I came to the guild looking to steal. I see now my error. It didn't hit me until the events of last mission just how real your actions are. Just how much they can affect those around you. This poor vulpix may never walk again due solely to the judgment of a stronger individual. Lives can be ruined through selfish pursuit. I can see that, now. My petty theft has never threatened to cripple someone, but I doubt not that pokémon have gone hungry for nights on my account.
I feel resolved. I feel a need to right the wrongs of the world. To right my wrongs. I'm going to repent. This conclusion, this decision, has given me to that which has eluded me my whole life. I could always take money, as I've always taken everything. But, my evolution required me to give.