A Date With Griselle! The Perfect Rescue Team!
"Nng. Okay Griselle. You can do this," Griselle said on a pouty breath. The Espurr-Oshawott hybrid paced back and forth in a room littered with clothes and exploration tools. The only thing in the place it should've been was a large orb on the table in the middle, which shone a sky blue on its reflective surface. "It's just one thing on an extremely long list of stuff I really don't wanna—"
"Hellooooo? Good morning?" a sunny voice made her yelp and jump. The pudgy face of an aged Meowstic appeared inside the orb, though it was holographic. "Hey is this thing working?"
"Y-yes, yes it ah!" Griselle coughed as she scrambled and tripped over everything to kneel in front of the orb. She quickly got to look as normal. "A-ah, Mama, it's me. I'm here, I'm here."
"There's my beautiful little champion. Morning! You all ready for the date of your dreams?" Mama said, and brushed her bright yellow fur.
"You don't have to put it that way. But yeah, I guess," Griselle replied, and looked away.
"Ehehe, you have any idea how many other girls are probably jealous as heck. You're getting to be with Leos. I know, close friend bias and all that, but it's somethin' to gloat about, honey!" Mama joked.
Pretty sure nobody wants to be me. Griselle didn't answer, nor did she look into the orb.
"Everythin' alright? That's why you asked me to call you, right?" Mama asked, finally sounding calm. "You're wearing the dress we picked out?"
Griselle still didn't move, but her eyes diverted to the piles of clothes around the room. All things her mother had gotten her for various festivities. But most of them were still wrapped up, and none of them had been worn.
"C'mon, step back and show me," Mama said in a sing-song tone. With a sigh, Griselle paced back a bit, assuming her whole body was in view through the orb. She was in a frilly white dress that was made to be loose fit for the summer, and had a couple of cute bows in the fur on her head. "Ooh yeah, there it is. You almost look too cute to be a future queen if I do say so myself!"
"Erm, Mama… if you don't mind, could you maybe not… talk like that, please?" Griselle asked, playing with her paws.
"Tone down the flattery?" Mama giggled with a half-lidded smirk.
"Urf," she replied, still playing with her paws.
"I'm just being honest. It's got me real excited! You've come so far. Me and Vincent are so proud of you!" Mama remarked. "I'm so sorry we can't get there sooner, but that's lucky for you, ain't it? You don't got this old kitten kissing you silly right now, because I would be if I was there."
That got Griselle to blush. That was a threat - Mama really would do something like that if she was here. But because she wasn't, that was why she needed to be brave right now. This tired old topic made her feel like she might be sick, but only because she had to do something about it this time.
"Mama—"
"Oh, wait. Did you have a lie down earlier? Your head fur's a little out of place, and the bow on the right's a little flat, too. Er, my right, that is. I dunno what the time is there, but better hurry and take care of it, sweetie! Gotta look your best," Mama cheered.
"Mama!" Griselle cried and leaned on the table. The Meowstic recoiled, and her face twisted in remorse. "S-sorry. I don't mean to scare you or anything, but just… I really wanted to talk to you."
"Well, I'm here, and I'm listenin'," Mama replied, moving back into place. Griselle couldn't help but sigh. She didn't sound like she was ready to listen.
Now that she had the silence, she couldn't even put it into words what she wanted. How would the old Pokémon react? Would they even understand? Would they be willing to understand? She claimed she would, but everyday reality was far different for the two of them.
"I… I don't think I should go through with this," Griselle said, looking away.
"Whaaa?" Mama squealed. "Oh no, oh heck no, did you and Leos have a falling out? Did he say something awful? Oh wait, you're not having an egg, are you?"
"Ah, no! I am not having an egg!" Griselle went bright red.
"Aww darn." Mama turned away.
"Darn? Whaddya mean darn?"
"I thought you were bein' awkward 'cos you scored gold or something. The quiet's got me on the edge of ma paws hun, out with it already!" Mama said with a hearty laugh.
How can you laugh and say something like that to your own daughter? Griselle moaned and slapped her face. "I shouldn't be part of this. I'm not good enough for this. And like, there's a problem with this."
"This? Your dress? He doesn't like white summer?" Mama wondered as Griselle pointed to herself.
"No, forget the clothes! I mean… me," Griselle said with a sigh. There was quiet. "You're lucky 'cos you're still living in the Second Country. Nobody cares about hybrids there. But when I moved here, everything's totally different."
"Well you're a candidate in the Prince's dating game, so it can't really be that big of a problem," Mama commented, paws on her hips.
"What? Ah, Mama I'm being serious. What does that mean?" Griselle cried.
"You've known Leos like what, three years now? All through the war and then all the time here. Now he likes you enough to wanna marry you. Seriously, you're livin' it up there. You're just nervous right now. But just be you and everything'll be fine, trust me! Speaking to an experienced dater here. I should know!" Mama explained.
"Look it's not about that! Well it sorta is, but like… The others don't treat me the same way and stuff. If I marry the prince of all things, serious stuff's gonna happen. I'm not a Pokémon, I—"
"Hold up. We're not going there," Mama warned. She finally adopted the aggressive glare Meowstic were known for. And with the few wrinkles in her possession, that was all the more intimidating. "You're a Pokémon, Griselle."
"I… I know," she sighed. I knew you wouldn't understand.
"You're my daughter. You're not any more or less Pokémon than me, your Father, the prince, or any of the population. And don't go letting anybody ever make you feel that way, okay?" Mama said. "So go smooth out that fur, fluff out that bow, and have a good time. 'Kay?"
"I'll try to," she replied.
"Hey. Look at me, hun. If I could give you a cuddle and a kiss right now, you'd be getting the biggest and the bestest there is. Even if things don't work out, me and Pa are still coming to see ya, too. So you've got lots to look forward to," Mama said.
"Speaking of, I should get going. Knowing Leos, he'll get there early or something," Griselle said dismissively.
"Oh yeah, he's kinda like that, ain't he? Don't rush getting ready! And remember: just be yourself, have fun, okay? Trust me, you've got this," Mama said.
"Y-yeah. Thanks, Mama. I'm er, gonna go now," she said.
She quickly leaned over and tapped the orb with a paw, which broke the call. The contents of the orb promptly fizzed out and then returned to what looked like a menu in the shape of a constellation, but each of the stars were individual Pokémon. She always liked the look of the Connection Orb, but it wasn't doing anything for her right now.
She stayed in that leaned forward pose for a while, and then eventually sighed. She felt even sicker than before, though this time it was more tired frustration. The same old advice that didn't reflect reality, leaving her with the same old problems that had long since gone overboard. But she was right about liking Leos and stuff, so maybe it was worth humouring her this time.
She'd forgotten about how messy the place was, and stumbled over a few bottles of Spinda branded juice mixes and boxed lunches. All empty, so she made a note to throw them out this evening. Right now, she needed her mirror. She kicked rubbish aside so that she could see herself in full, where her chest sank into her stomach.
In the mirror was a mess of a creature that looked like they were trying too hard to hide their faults. Griselle's whiskers and wild Espurr fur had been smoothed and styled so that they looked exaggerated and cool. Although it gave her fur a nice, shiny look, it only made her pudgy cheeks stand out, as well as her out of place Oshawott nose and large eyes.
Her body didn't fit the dress either, which had been made for an ordinary Espurr – so her round form stretched the material a bit, while her belly hung over the waistline enough to be noticeable. Pinching her belly only made it look worse. So much for humouring Mama. If she went through with this, she'd be embarrassing not just herself, but Leos, too.
She could cry right now, but shook those tears away. She promptly replaced the dress with her usual attire, a short-sleeved orange jacket with a red rim. Light enough to be no trouble during an adventure, yet thick enough to lessen damage and the cold, not that she needed the latter perk in Halcandra. A fancy lance was her weapon of choice, while an oversized scalchop was her shield, both of which she could strap to her back.
Showing up like this would be an embarrassment, too. In fact, showing up to date Leos in itself would be an embarrassment. So now the plan was the avoid him for the day and save him that mess. She had gone through the effort to get up early, so it felt like a waste to sit indoors and wallow all day. If the good-hearted Oshawott came looking for her, home is probably the first place he'd look, too. And a good day out with a long walk would be good for her. That usually felt good. Usually.
A short run through her usual necessities and she was out the door, where her heart jumped. She nearly stepped in a big brown mess, but it wasn't what she thought, thankfully. Just excess Mud-Slap thrown all over the front and walls of the hut. A lot of other messy Pokémon moves had been thrown about the front garden too, which was littered with weeds. As always, she shook her head and chose to ignore it.
She was on the far end of Halcandra opposite the castle side, so it was a little walk to reach the town centre. The moment she got there, the fear settled in, big-time. She kept her head down, but could feel a hundred eyes on her instantly. A group of Zigzagoon sprinting about went dead silent and skidded away from her as she drew close, young as they were. Market stands went quiet too, some of which even made a move to hide some of their goods behind their arms or tables.
And I'm supposed to wait here? she groaned in her head. A sharp pain made her yelp as she was suddenly pulled back by her tail. She'd forgotten she had an Oshawott's tail, the other part of her that stood out wrong. She could hardly turn to see what had bitten her, so she twisted with force to throw off her attacker, sending a Poochyena skidding across the floor. "What the?"
"Ow, what was that for?" the little Pokémon cried.
It's just a kid? She gasped in her head. She had almost reached for her lance.
"Get away from it!" the mother shouted. The father was nearby too, and nearly knocked her over as he passed so he could growl at her. Two Mightyena, and a small pack of Poochyena. Her tail throbbed a bit from the bite, but she didn't want to fight over this.
Still, they growled even louder as she got closer. She half expected another one to bite her as she passed, but thankfully the most she got was one of kids blowing raspberries. And dirty looks, of course. Lots and lots of dirty looks from onlookers, who obviously expected a scene to come out of this.
She already wasn't going to wait for Leos, but this sealed the deal. With the town festivities, it felt like every Pokémon was on extra alert today. Getting roped into an unfair scenario felt like a guarantee if she hung around, so she made her way to the Pelipper Post Office instead. It was near enough empty, and the request board was overfilled.
Just gotta pick one and get outta here, she told herself as she scanned the different tasks. A lot of the notes stuck to the board overlapped each other, but one of them had a bright red sticker to tell of its urgency. And it was on top of all the others too, implying it was new.
"Wait, Chalk Path is nearby," she muttered as she skimmed it. It warned of a potential flood, and required a Pokémon with high physical strength that would be okay in an underwater scenario. "Hey, I fit that description well."
"Oh, that one just came in today. It's important, so don't pick it just because of the reward," the Pelipper behind the counter said as she handed it over. A few pecks on his connection orb and she would be ready to go, but he stopped to glare at her. "You sure you can even do this one?"
"I've handled way worse." She shrugged.
"Just because Eris carried you through the war, doesn't mean you can do anything, you know," he replied. She stared back at him. "These are serious missions, that require… healthy Pokémon, and their powers."
"I have what fits the job description," she said, trying not to sound too aggressive. There was another pause.
"I'll let the team know you're coming, but because this is classed as a rescue, note that you yourself can't be rescued if things go sour," he said, and resumed pecking the orb. "That's done. You're all registered. It's no trouble if you have to come back."
"Thanks," she said, but she couldn't shake the feeling his politeness wasn't intended. As if he was only saying that because it was his job, and not because he believed her. She had to play along and be kind back.
Or did he have genuine concern for her? It was a known fact that she couldn't use Pokémon attacks or abilities very well, if at all. But she was so used to the way strangers treated her that her default assumption was negative. Leos and his group were some of the only Pokémon in the world that made her feel like she belonged, but lately, even they felt like they were putting up with her.
It had to be that. The only reason Leos was considered close to her was because she spent so much time around him. She wasn't marriage material, girlfriend material, or even friend material. She was initially appointed as Leos' personal guard due to her extraordinary physical strength, and protected him through the war three years ago. That was all she was good for, but royal duties allowed her to stick around.
Now that war was a thing of the past, days like these were normal. In fact, today was particularly kind in how she was able to just keep her head down as she walked back and forth through town. Good for them, the Pokémon didn't want to cause a scene during the town parties. But it also meant she had little reason to interact with Leos and the other royals, so their continued putting up with her felt like dutiful pity.
Her long walk took her out of town and onto the country road. Today was windy and chilly, so those normally green fields appeared to be as colourless as the mountains in the distance. A road had been marked in between the fields, while coach stops were designated every now and then along it. The plan was to use a coach to get to the Chalk Path and back in a day, but there appeared to be other Pokémon waiting at the coach stop.
She looked up at them and stopped. Only a couple of Nuzleaf and a Typhlosion. With their dark looks as she neared, she didn't dare stand near them, even though there were empty seats. Maybe it's better something does happen to me on this mission.
All she wanted was to feel like she had a place here. She loved colourful things and parties, taking long walks and enjoying the scenery. Exploring and seeing the world, and helping those in need in the process. It was the life she originally fought in the war for.
So to bring down the mood of everyone just for being present, what could she even do? Yes, asking Mama wouldn't have changed anything. Relying on Leos' authority would only anger the public and turn them against him, too. What can you possibly do to live when simply existing brings everyone so much distress?
Some ten or twenty minutes later, the coach arrived, evident by a large cloud of dust approaching. Two Mudsdale pulled a wooden caravan fast, and came to a steady halt by the coach stop perfectly. She let the other Pokémon on first, praying that the Lucario controlling the Mudsdale by the reins wouldn't say anything to her. He did seem to give her a look, but she paid him promptly, which stopped his words before they came.
"Griselle!" a voice screamed from the distance. She almost thought she was mistaken until her name was repeated with desperately stretched syllables, and poked her head out of the carriage.
"What the—" she gasped. Despite the sheer impossibility, Leos was sprinting towards her, arms flailing about as he continuously called out to her. "Leos?"
Her heart raced. What was he doing here? How did he catch up to her? Why was he sprinting like a feral Mankey hyper on Energy Seeds? He couldn't even stop for her, and stumbled right into the wall of the coach stop, where he flattened against it.
"A-ah, Leos! Are you okay?" she gasped. He was dozy and weak, and fell backwards with dizzy eyes. She caught him on instinct, but was flustered and confused. His body dripped sweat and looked more strained than she'd seen him in a long time. He breathed heavily through his mouth.
"U-uh… er…?" she made noises, and then noticed the coach was still waiting for her. "Erm, you can go on without me. I'll take care of this."
There was clear hesitation on the Lucario's face as they pondered their options. After a minute or so, they chose to move onwards, and the Mudsdale took off in a burst of dust. Silence fell, besides the wind and Leos' weakened breath.
This wasn't new to her, but it had been such a long time since she'd seen him like this that the right thing to do didn't click right away. Leos had always been sickly and unfit, but with a fair rest, he'd be able. So she sat back and held him steady in her arms, but then he grabbed her chest.
"L-Leos?" she said quietly.
"G-Griselle," he said amongst hoarse breaths.
"Please take your time. You shouldn't push yourself; you know running like that is bad for you," she said. His grip on her fur tightened.
"What. The heck. Is this?" he shouted.
"Leos?" she gasped. He managed to get up and off her, but he stumbled and nearly fell on the spot. She caught his paw to help him up, where he took yet another minute or two to recover. Thanks to this sprint, his obvious attempt at a refined appearance had been ruined. His bangs and ponytail had fur stringing out everywhere, while all the sweat had left his face flushed. "Seriously, take it easy!"
"It's… okay. I'm okay now, I mean it," he huffed. One more moment, he held his chest and tried to breathe through his nose. "Okay. I'm okay."
"Good. You scared the heck out of me. Don't pop outta nowhere like that!" she cried.
"Me? What're you even doing here? I thought we had a plan?" he shouted.
Griselle shuddered, hard. She didn't know what to say as that sickly feeling from this morning came right back. Her heart was in her stomach, and she might throw up. He was so frustrated, and with her. This was it. Proof he'd had enough of her rubbish. He'd push her away the same way he kicked out Prem, and she could finally be free of the fighting.
"We were supposed to have a date, I thought that was something you always wanted? Instead I sit in the town square like a lemon, worried something's happened to you. Then I find out you're here, about to stand me up on a coach ride to gods knows where? What is wrong with you?" Leos ranted.
"I didn't think… I just… you—" she stuttered, playing with her paws. What the heck do I tell him?
"Actually… wait. You've got your weapons," he realised, and his face became concerned. "What happened? Were you pursuing somebody?"
"I… wasn't chasing anybody," she turned away.
"Then… what gives? How comes you're here?" he asked, finally calming down. She kept playing with her paws. "Griselle, is everything alright? This really isn't like you."
Do I be honest? No, come up with a lie, that's the fair thing to do, she cried to herself, and grabbed her head.
"Did an emergency come up? You could have called for us, if there was," he said. She moaned a little. "Or did I do something to upset you?"
"You? What could you do to upset anybody?" she cried, and slapped her paws over her mouth. Crap. Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, he's gonna read into that!
"Well… I'm just a Pokémon. There's lots I could do to upset others. Just look at all the enemies I still have." He turned away for a moment. "Not that that's important. Now I'm just worried."
Yes, this is good. We can keep talking about him. She slowly brought her arms to her side. "Worried about what?"
"Well, you. You really haven't been yourself lately, and this now has happened," he said.
Oh. Smooth moves, Griselle.
"We've been training at the dojo pretty hard lately, so I was kind of looking forward to a chance to relax with you," he admitted.
"You? Seriously? You're a workaholic, so that's unlike you." She turned away.
"Hey, we've all got to take a break sometime, and this seemed like as good an excuse as ever. I thought that's what you wanted, too," he replied, and, scratched his head.
Ugh, please stop trying to talk about me.
"We're here now, too. Not the most ideal place, but we can still… er, you know… ugh, what's the term? Hang out, right?" he proposed.
He looked as sure as he sounded, which only made her chest heavier. But this time, it felt different. It was just the two of them, so it would be okay, right? To just admit everything, even if it was the kind of topic that would ruin their day.
She couldn't stand it right now. Her head started to rush and sounds started to muffle even though things were quiet. He kept talking, too. Saying more innocent things in a desperate attempt to be considerate. He was cute like that. A genius on the surface, yet totally dumb at reading the room. But his stubbornness was sincere, especially when another Pokémon's wellbeing was involved. In a sense, he was a lot like herself, only smart enough to be a prince.
To hell with it. As far as she was concerned, she'd already spoilt their day. Couldn't possibly damage it further.
"I can't take it anymore," she said, interrupting him.
"Huh?"
"Leos, don't you think this is just totally nuts?" she said. She gasped lightly. She sounded like she might cry, which was hardly her intention. He cocked his head cutely, genuinely confused. "This whole mess, y'know? Me and you… having to date and stuff…"
Leos froze, but a smile slowly stretched across his face. "Hee hee hee, ha ha ha ha ha!"
"Leos?" she whispered. He laughed so much that he doubled over a bit, face going red and tears appearing in his eyes. She watched in silence until he righted himself.
"Sorry, s-sorry. Seriously, sorry. I just, oh my gods! I thought I was going crazy over here. It's about time somebody mentioned that this whole thing is ludicrous!" he remarked. "Prem shows up out of nowhere with a species spoken of in legend, and they're both giving ominous warnings, Mother and Father bring up a Cosmog of all things, and here I am, having to go all merry and date my friends like the world has no worries? It's nuts, no matter what way you look at it!"
Griselle looked away at the floor. "… That's not what I meant."
"Huh?" he replied.
"I… urf, I don't even know what to say. I hate this, Leos," she sighed. There was a very long pause.
"Hey, where were you headed?" he asked. She looked up at him. "You were about to get on a coach somewhere with your weapons. It's clearly important. So let's forget the whole date thing and take care of that."
Is it really okay to just go on like that? Does he really want to just drop the topic so suddenly? She nibbled a paw as she pondered. He seemed to have completely calmed down now, and watched her patiently with a hand on his hip. She nodded and revealed the rescue request. "It's for Chalk Path. Apparently there's a flood there caused by a rock slide. I'm pretty good underwater, so I thought I could help."
"So it was an emergency. A flood there would reach the town eventually, depending on how bad it is," he said, and turned to the mountains. "Er, might as well walk."
He seemed to wait for her. "Sure. Okay."
They set off in silence again. She tried not to look at him, but she couldn't stop playing with her paws. He and Mama were right, all of a sudden. She was exactly where she wanted to be right now. Marching on a mission alongside the Pokémon that meant the most to her, all so they could have a little adventure and help Pokémon in need.
This silence was normal. It was so normal that their habits came out in total comfort. Leos walked fast, she happily kept up, and they each scouted their respective left or right for feral Pokémon. The instant an attacker showed up, they'd have each other's backs and fight for their lives. It was the coolest, most comfortable feeling in the world. The only thing stopping her was the ominous foreboding that they were ignoring the importance of Leos' marriage.
That's why it hurts so much. I want this, but it's for the best. I have to… I have to tell him. She worked herself up. She took a deep breath in and out. "Leos."
"Everything okay?" he said without stopping, putting a hand on a hip.
"I'm… sorry. We s-shouldn't do this," she began, and shook her head. "The date, I mean. And the whole marriage stuff. We shouldn't do this, like, at all."
"Griselle," he muttered. She didn't want him to look so surprised.
"Oh don't look like that! You said it yourself. I'm a hybrid. If we got married, there'd be way too many problems!" she cried.
"I wasn't thinking straight at the time. If we do get together, we'll work through it," he promised.
"It's not like that. We can't just expect other Pokémon to suddenly be okay. That will never happen. I don't belong here," she explained. "And even if… and even if everything magically worked out, I'm still me. I'm good for nothing!"
"Good for nothing? You're not good for nothing. Look at you, you're about to take on this mission," he said.
"Oh c'mon Leos, grow up already! Fighting, using my weird super strength, that's all I'm good for. I'm not pretty, I'm fat, I'm stupid, I'm slow, I can't cook, I can't clean, I just- I'm the worst Pokémon you could ever be with," she shuddered. Those tears in her tone came right back, and his response was to slow down and stare in surprise. She didn't stop for him, though. "The only reason I'm still around is 'cos I was your guard. But that's not happening anymore. The war's over! Now there's no reason to fight, I'm just, useless. I'm useless and nobody wants me around."
"That's… not true," he said, and jogged to catch up.
"Pokémon throw mud and graffiti on my walls. I walk through town and everybody stares with dirty looks or runs away on sight. They're not afraid to treat me like the freak I am!" she explained. "I don't belong here; I can't do what they do. I just… it makes me wish I wasn't even born."
"Griselle… I… I had no idea you felt this way," he said. She took in a breath, and then there was another wave of silence. They kept walking, though. "Is this because of Kristen?"
"What?" she raised her voice. This is NOT a time for you to be selfish. Do you really not get it?
"I know Kristen makes a lot of passive aggressive comments. But we usually just brush them off, so I thought we were okay ignoring it," he said.
"It's everyone, Leos! It's not just about you!" she shrieked and leaned toward him. "Why doesn't anyone get it? What it's like trying to live knowing you don't belong here?"
Now he went completely silent.
"Imagine trying to live in your own house, and every few days some Mudkip decide to draw curses in mud all over your walls. Or you walk through the street and some Mawile decide to knock you down and steal your shopping. You try to buy something simple like an oran berry, and the Kecleon decides to get rude as shit just because you look different?" she ranted. "And instead of anybody lifting a paw to help, they just point and laugh like you deserve it. I can't even go to the doctor and have them take me seriously. They'd be happy if I dropped dead from disease!"
He still didn't say a word, but he was there. He was there beside her and his face was straight.
"It's scary. It's so damn scary, Leos. I just want to live like the rest of you, but every day is a needless fight just to get along. Ever since I tried to settle here, it's been like this. I can't live like this. If all that abuse went on to you and the others just because you married me… I'm just better off not here at all."
Another lengthy silence. She was shaking, sniffled, and wiped her eyes. All the time they walked, too. She didn't want to look at him, assuming the way he looked would only upset her more. But he stayed silent.
She kept walking, and the longer the silence went on, the more she was tempted to bolt. Just bolt into the fields and disappear for the rest of her life. Leos always had something to say in moments like these. The perfect, mature, insightful comeback that made him worthy of being king of this world. But this time, he didn't say anything.
She almost flinched when she finally felt his paw next to hers. He very carefully, very subtly slipped his grip into hers, and when she felt that, she allowed him to. She held his hand tightly, and then finally let the tears fall. "I'm sorry."
Another round of silence, and then his own dry response came. "It's okay."
…
Another coach didn't show up, so they wound up walking all the way to the mountain. They didn't say a word to each other, either. As if reading their situation, the feral Pokémon totally ignored them, too. They were able to hold hands and march the whole way in pleasant silence.
Chalk Path: a rocky road that was as literal as the name implied. Griselle couldn't help but feel cold here, surrounded by hills and crags of white rock. This place went high enough that it offered a wonderful view of Halcandra and Castle Eris. Otherwise, it was a simple area to pass through that separated the fields of Halcandra with the nasty terrain of Eris' wilds.
"It… it really is flooded," Griselle finally whispered. Their walk was disrupted by deep water in the main path. The road normally descended into a smooth valley with a few trees and mossy walls on either side. Now, there was now a river of oddly coloured, murky water. Chilly wind sent ripples across the water every now and then, while every step felt like walking on damp spikes.
"I don't know why I didn't guess. It doesn't look like it's safe to swim in." Leos cocked his head. Griselle started to scout around, quickly finding a thin path to the left. "But it's just the chalk combining with the moss and soil from the trees. It should be safe to check out."
"Over here!" Griselle called out and waved. "It's a long way around, but it goes somewhere."
They had to hug up to the wall and edge across, but there weren't any signs of it crumbling, thankfully. Knowing her weight, it had to be very sturdy to be able to hold them both. There was a good view of the valley below where she could see straight through the water despite its colours.
"Could one rock slide really do all this? How're the feral Pokémon coping?" she asked as they returned to a wider path. They had to climb up and down on all fours, but at least there was progress to be made. It was relatively downhill from here, but challenging due to all the jagged hills.
"I've never seen anything like it, but sure. We actually source the water for the hot springs from here, so the water's probably erupting somewhere if the usual path is blocked," Leos explained. "Hey… Griselle, are you alright? We don't have to rush this."
"We're here, right? We should focus. No use bringing the Pokémon we're meant to rescue into this," she said. His frown didn't change, so she managed a small smile. "Hey, I mean it, I'm fine. When I'm on a mission, I just get all focused. We'll talk about other stuff later."
"You don't have to push yourself," he assured, scratching his head. She giggled.
"Not like you to be distracted. Look, there are Pokémon down there!" She pointed ahead. The path continued alongside the flooded main path, where it led to a footing just big enough for a group to stand on. Three Pokémon were there already. Before she could run off, he grabbed her.
"Because this is serious this time. If you want to take it easy and rest, I'll do all the work," he proposed.
"And let you tire yourself out from all the action again? You nearly fainted on me today, troublemaker," she replied, a half-lidded smirk on her face.
He sighed and let go. "When all of this is over, I'm making sure things change."
Strangely, that statement only seemed to make her chest heavy. She wanted to focus though, so she chose not to answer. Right now, they needed to meet those Pokémon. So she hopped and skidded down the path carefully, one foot in front of the other.
The other Pokémon turned and gathered at their arrival. She recognised the species of all three: a short Morgrem, an imposing Raboot, and a handsome Ninetales. That last one was of the type who lived in the snowy mountains, and so had a snowy white fur coat and flowy tails as opposed to curled ones.
"Um, hi there. You guys are the ones who sent the rescue request, right?" Griselle said with a wave of a paw.
"Wait, are you not- goodness! When I put in the call for that, I was not expecting the prince and his royal guard to be the ones who would respond. During a royal festival as well?" Morgrem said. Their voice was low but indescribably feminine, which took Griselle by surprise. She thought best not to make an assumption yet, and pondered a response.
"U-um, yeah. Things just sorta happened. But it's an emergency, right?" Griselle replied, and scratched her back.
"It'd be remiss of me to ignore urgent calls just because of my rank," Leos added, walking closer. "Although you're aware of who I am already, it's a formality to introduce myself. I am Leos, crown prince of Etheria."
The trio exchanged glances, and then the Raboot spoke up, an unmistakable smirk hidden by his fur. "You're exactly the kind of Pokémon he said you'd be. Unbelievable."
"Wabisuke," Morgrem said, and pinched him.
"Ah, wait- you couldn't be!" Leos gasped, and then pointed and leaned back. "You're team Shooting Star!"
"Team… Shooting Star?" Griselle cocked her head.
"They're Prem's team, Griselle!" he said, and she gasped. "I mean it makes sense you all would be nearby, but working during the town festival, too? I thought you and Prem would be enjoying a holiday or something."
"Prem made us promise to leave him alone when visiting you. And parties in the capital are not quite our thing. I know, not expected of a Morgrem, least of all a woman," Morgrem said. She slowly shook her head and then bowed. "Allow me to return the formality. I am called Fajah. The quiet Raboot is Wabisuke, and our fighter there is Friedrich."
"Yo." Wabisuke raised a paw.
"Hey. Quite a meeting, here," Ninetales waved.
He's stealing the show, here. Maybe I can take it easy, after all. Griselle put her paws together.
"I must say though, fortune smiles upon us with this predicament. You are the perfect Pokémon for resolving this, Lady Griselle," Fajah said a hand on her hip.
So much for taking it easy, she blinked back into focus. "Who, me?"
"We have heard much about you and your incredible feats. Your physical strength should make this an easy task, no?" Fajah said.
She wasn't sure how to respond, and scratched her back again. "I didn't think Prem would talk about me."
"Oh yes. More than he talked about Leos, in fact." Fajah smiled. "Prem is powerful, but he holds his friends very dearly. I can't recall a single day where he did not miss you all."
"You might want to keep this conversation a secret, now," Friedrich rolled his eyes.
"A-ah, right. Yes. Please do not tell him I even mentioned this. But the point is, I have heard many a story of your incredible prowess, Lady Griselle. I cannot help but ask. Can you truly lift an Aggron with a single paw?" Fajah asked.
Now her heart was racing. Yes it was true, lifting an Aggron was something she could do with little effort, but how would she go about that right now? It wasn't a power to be proud of. Normal Pokémon made that very clear to her. But these were Prem's friends, who seemed like they would accept her. If anything, they seemed excited to see her. How in the world was she supposed to respond?
"It's a trade-off for not really being able to use Pokémon attacks," she responded. If I remind them I'm weird, they won't have a punchline to go off of.
"So I have heard. Still, it would allow you to achieve feats that earned you the title of hero. Forgive me if I seem aloof, but I am truly honoured to be in your presence right now," Fajah admitted, and bowed. The Morgrem was blushing a little.
Griselle snickered nervously. "You're fine you're fine. I actually prefer it without all the formal stuff anyway, so."
"You don't seem all that fangirly, either," Leos added.
"Still, get it together. We've got a job to do," Friedrich said, and she nodded.
"Right. Yes. It is right here, in fact." Fajah turned to the water beside them. The downhill path was blocked by a tower of enormous boulders, creating a dam. "If we can remove these, the water level should drop. Then we can search for the problem with the water veins."
"Oh, that's it? That seems easy," Griselle said. She stopped after a single step, though. This didn't look right at all.
"I see you've noticed it, too," Leos turned to her, and she nodded.
"But why?" She folded her arms.
"Is something wrong?" Friedrich asked.
"Look at all the rocks. You put that it was a rock slide and I can see why, but this doesn't look natural at all," Griselle explained. The boulders were stacked on top of each other so neatly that there wasn't a single pinhole between them. Not a drop could leak through.
"I was thinking that. But I can't piece together why somebody would do that," Wabisuke said. "All the feral Pokémon have fled the area, too."
"Well y'know what? I can still get rid of them," Griselle said.
"You've got this," Leos said.
"Huh? Aren't you coming with?"
"Of course. But it's still your show."
Is it really? She asked herself. Well, that wasn't important. This needed to be done, so she got to it.
She stood at the edge, performed a few hasty stretches and took deep breaths, and then linked a paw with Leos. Together, they dove down in sync.
She was confident in the water, but there were still a few things that tripped her up whenever she had to dive. First was the illusion of being underwater in the first place – the flooded valley turned out to be far deeper than it looked, and she could never tell looking from above the surface. Secondly was that she couldn't breathe underwater, despite being a water type hybrid.
As far as she knew, she had all the functions necessary for life underwater. She could talk just fine, swam much faster than she could run, and even had the strength to swing her weapon at full force. Oxygen probably got stored in her chest to make her good at holding her breath or something. She didn't care about the science of it. Even her eyesight was unaffected by any irritation. Still being able to drown despite all this just sucked.
The deeper they went, the more unusual this whole situation looked. The boulder dam turned out to be more of a pyramid shape, but that only made it easier to figure out what to do. Griselle stopped a little above the valley floor and rubbed her paws together.
"Alright. You might wanna get clear." She rubbed her paws and poked her tongue out. This was going to be fun.
"Be careful," Leos warned worriedly as he obeyed.
She waited until he was a few paces away before planting her paws on the boulder in the middle. She slowly drew back, and then shouted as she threw a punch straight at the centre of the boulder, tearing through it like paper and reducing it to dust. The whole area began to shake and the sound of crumbling took over, followed by an expectedly strong current towards the rock pyramid.
"Leos!" Griselle called as she turned tail. He was already reaching out for her, making it easy to link paws and make for the surface. Behind them, the boulders began to fall out of position, and a rock slide started.
She was surprised at how powerful the current was, as it slowed them down so much that it looked as though they might not even make it back to the ledge. The surface descended just as quickly, so they settled on a ledge and hugged the wall to wait out the draining water. It sounded like the plug of a giant bathtub had been pulled, but with the constant crumble of boulders as they smashed against everything, it made her heart race. And then it seemed like the worst of it was yet to come.
"Wait, what's that?" she pointed to the valley floor. Amongst the falling boulders and cloudy water, a pair of red glows appeared. Leos took one look, and then a shiver ran through him.
"Climb up! Quickly!" he ordered, but immediately tripped. Without thinking about it, Griselle hoisted him onto her back and then stormed up the side of the cliff in no time at all, meeting the surprised looks of Fajah and the others.
"What did you do?" Friedrich gasped.
"Griselle," Leos gasped as she put him down. His face had gone bright red, to which she raised an eyebrow. Was he embarrassed about being carried?
"I think something's coming!" she dismissed him.
And right on cue, a violent woosh forced everyone to shield their faces as a huge Pokémon rose from below the cliff. It swam a loop in the air before settling near their height, where it shook with frustration. It was spherical, light blue, and sported an enormous moustache across its front. Griselle instantly recognised the red glows from earlier as this Pokémon's eyes, which although no longer glowed, had an eerie staleness amongst the Pokémon's transparent colours. A crown sat atop its bulbous form, while wide, short tentacles wiggled below to keep it afloat.
"Ousch, ousch, the pain of my old wound!" the Pokémon cried. Its voice had a constant gurgle as if it was speaking underwater, even though they were on solid ground. "How dare you. Uncouth youth! Can't yous think ssstraight before caushing rocks to rain in the water?"
"What is a Jellicent doing here?" Fajah gasped. Her team were all posed and ready to fight.
"Me? I am Sir Jean Coumarine Welmond Jour Jellicent XXV, chairmon of the Jellicent Family, a subsidiary of the Ghost Gang!" he shouted, still gurgling. "You've really done it. Bouldering those drops – tsk, dropping those boulders on me during my slumber!"
"Okay I'm not the only one, am I?" Griselle slumped forward. "Can we please come up with a shorter name? I'm not saying that every single time."
"Oooog! Despicably, how rude. You will address me by my rank, or face an eternity in the depths of the ocean!" Jellicent roared.
"The Ghost Gang again?" Leos said, a hand by his chin.
"Again?" Griselle said. The others glanced at him.
"They took over the Halcandra hot spring yesterday, too. Now this guy's no doubt caused the flood here by the hot spring's source," he explained, tapping a foot.
"Wait really? What's their plan?" Griselle wondered.
"While that's concerning and all, this guy is mad. Can we focus?" Wabisuke stated.
"Barnacles! We'll she you with this attitude when ten thousand metres below the sea, you are!" Jellicent threatened. He rose up above them and then began to shout, and a large, shadowy blob began to form in front of him.
"Space yourselves out. There is not much room here!" Fajah commanded and glanced at her team, who were way ahead of her. They each took corners of the ledge, leaving Leos and Griselle with space in the middle. But even then, there was so little room that they would bash into one other if they had to dive to dodge any attacks.
Griselle wouldn't need to dodge, though. That wasn't how she battled. She planted her feet, held her lance stiff across her front., and braced as a Shadow ball was fired towards her. She thrust her weapon just as the Shadow Ball was about to hit, but the blast turned out to be far stronger than she anticipated. Dark colours and muffled noise shrouded her as harsh burns took over her form. It only lasted a moment, but it brought her to growl and shiver.
"Griselle!" Leos cried. "We can't let her take lots of those. What's the plan?"
"The usual!" Friedrich replied, and howled into the air. Grey clouds gathered above the valley, which promptly began to hail. When he stopped howling, his eyes glowed bright blue, and he stretched his feet and tails apart. His whole body glowed with a rainbow aura, which he released into the sky. An aurora flowed between the group and Jellicent.
"Don't expect me to get close," Wabisuke said. He scratched his foot on a stone to ignite it into a small fireball, and then booted it straight at Jellicent. it crumbled harmlessly against the blobby water type. "Tsk. It's high level."
He's floating over the valley. I won't reach him, Griselle growled as she carefully stepped back and forth to guard Leos. Can't stick around forever either, the hail'll do a number on us. This means… do I dare try?
Fajah was next to attack, and she had a clear strategy. A quick prayer casted a Substitute doll in front of her, matching her size and features. Once behind that, she drew an arm back, and her nails grew with dark, shadowy energy. The moment Jellicent got close, he'd be torn in two by that Shadow Claw.
But that was if he even intended to get close. Jellicent watched them all closely as he slowly floated above the cliff, and then gurgled aggressively. Shadow Ball formed in front of him again, and Griselle's heart started to race.
Please work! She begged as she welled up water within her. She charged Hydro Pump quicker than she expected herself to, causing her to shoot a little off-target. She hit him before he fired his attack, too. Both Jellicent and the Shadow Ball vanished behind a powerful jet of water. The sheer force of her attack sent her skidding across the floor though, and she crashed into a wall.
"Griselle, what're you doing?" Leos cried as he came to her aid. She fell on one paw but managed to look up. "Jellicent absorb water. Hydro Pump will only make him stronger!"
"What?" she gasped and looked up at Jellicent. Just as she was told, he seemed to have absorbed all the water from her attack, and now had a head twice as big as before. "N-no… I didn't mean to!"
"Look alive, here comes a big one!" Friedrich shouted.
"Yous! Yous cheeky barnacles! Take this!" gurgled Jellicent. With a squeeze of his inflated head and a violent shake of his body, his crown popped off as a powerful geyser erupted from his head. The water arched over to the group, where it split into countless droplets, each big enough to feel like a weight crashing down on them.
Griselle braced for the worst. The rain of Water Spout fizzled a little as it passed through the Aurora Veil, but it still felt like a shower of stones smacking her back as she crouched to resist it. She thought it'd never end, to a point that she didn't even notice when it did. He back felt sore enough that a bath later wouldn't fix this.
Jellicent had returned back to his normal size, while Leos and the group were similar to her. Groaning and struggling to their feet. Fajah's Substitute was gone, and Leos was breathing through his mouth. They were still able to glare at Jellicent though.
He's a ghost, so I can't hit him. Now I learn he absorbs water, too? Griselle started to shiver. What the heck am I supposed to do? I'm useless here. I'm actually useless here!
Her surroundings turned dark and all sounds muffled. I'm useless here… I'm actually useless here… I can't be a wife, I can't live on my own, and now I can't even fight to protect Leos. Everything I do here is useless!
She was stood on nothing in a void of pure black, and all she could see were Leos' weakened figure and Jellicent looming over them. If another attack hit Leos while he was down, he would be out for sure. And it would be her fault. For dragging him into this. For not playing along with the dating game, and instead hating herself like this.
There has to be something, anything. I can't touch him; we can't reach him because he's above the cliff. Think Griselle, think! All those months of training, what did Iola teach you?
At that moment, she flashed back to reality. She slyly surveyed her surroundings. Team Shooting Star were ready to go, but at a loss, too. Right now, this isn't about me. All I have to do is figure out a way to play the opponent to their strengths. Ninetales can do- that's it!
"Fajah, Taunt him!" Griselle glanced back. "Friedrich, get ready to use Freeze-Dry. Leos, get behind me!"
"Griselle?" Leos said. She held her breath, but gave him the most determined look she could muster. If this didn't work, then they'd have to flee for sure. Thankfully, he nodded. "Let's give her plan a go."
"For real? But what can you do?" Friedrich asked.
"A fight is a fight. The one place where each of us can do what no one else can do," Griselle replied, and stood guard over Leos.
Fajah smiled and stood beside them. "You see that, Jellicent? Your Water Spout's lacking."
"What're you briny bilge ratsh scheming now?" Jellicent grumbled.
"Nothing. Just disappointed in how weak a high-ranking Ghost Gang member really is," Fajah snickered, curling a nail to taunt him. That nail was a little longer than normal with an aura of black energy around it. It worked, as Jellicent began to gurgle and grumble curse after curse at them.
"Cocky little rodents! You with away!" he shouted as he charged another Shadow Ball.
Griselle tensed up and planted her feet. This time however, she held her lance to her side like a baseball bat. Here goes nothing!
"Look out!" Leos shouted.
But Griselle stood firm and focused. She twisted back as the Shadow Ball came at her, and with a cry, threw her whole body into the swing of her lance. The handle struck the ball, whacking right back where it came from. Jellicent let out a shriek, which was cut off as his own attack smashed into him. His body sizzled with ghostly energy, and he fell.
"Friedrich, now!" Griselle shouted.
The Ninetales sprinted past her and leapt up high above the cliff, ice energy leaking from his mouth. When he was directly above Jellicent, he blew a powerful breeze of white wind down, which promptly froze the cursing water type. Jellicent's body was encased in a solid block of ice, which fell straight to the bottom of the valley and shattered in a loud crash.
Griselle and the others carefully grinded down the cliff to find Jellicent shrivelled and flat on the ground, but he sprung to life when they arrived. "Wait, stop I say! Mershy, I shurrender!"
"Already had enough?" Friedrich said mockingly.
"Don't be cocky, filthy rodent!" Jellicent screamed.
"I'm not a rodent, by the way," Friedrich sighed.
"You only won becaushe of my old wound. That rock slide, ooh you youth have to cheat fair to standing – have to cheat to stand a fair chance!" Jellicent rambled. "Had this been a fashioned duel of old, my Water Shpout would have perished you all!"
"You can tell us more about it back at the station. You could have hurt a lot of Pokémon, so you are an outlaw in this," Fajah stated.
"Tsch! Never in a hundred years. The Ghost Gang always laughs the last. For messing with us, you can count your days to regret it!" Jellicent replied. He raised a tentacle, and a small glow appeared by the tip.
"Wait!" Leos cried, rushing forward. "Don't run, I just want to know something!"
Jellicent hesitated.
"What's this about? Why were you sleeping at the bottom of the water in a place like this? This region has to be the worst for your species," Leos asked. "Why flood the valley in the first place?"
Another pause, but Jellicent brought his tentacle down. "Now is the best time to expand our turf and execute our master plan. For this was a paid job."
Leos' glare became intense. "Somebody paid you to do this?"
"An incredible treasure, more than a puny youth like you could ever imagine. Opposing us means all the worst for you. A minor shetback for us, but an eternal target for you," Jellicent threatened, and raised a tentacle again. "And one last thing."
Griselle's chest became heavy, but she didn't budge.
"You were too late. We already got the treasure we came for," he announced. A cylinder of gold light surrounded him, the familiar kind that appears when a rescue team badge is used. The group shifted in surprise, but he was gone in a flash.
"They have badge stuff?" Griselle gasped.
"… Yes. The Ghost Gang are the most troublesome criminals in the world. I did not expect to come across them in an objective such as this," Fajah sighed. "You said you had an encounter yesterday, yes? There is no doubt that some mighty plan is in motion."
A long moment of silence ensued. Griselle didn't know what to think. Halcandra wasn't that close to being flooded, was it? But they no doubt had just averted something more serious than she expected to deal with. Despite the deep thoughts and anxiety in the air, the feelings she had the most right now were happiness and excitement.
This was exactly the kind of thing she lived for, in exactly the right scene, too. To fight alongside Leos in situations like this, she couldn't ask for more. So despite the seriousness of the undermining situation, she felt happier than she'd felt in a long while.
"Are you okay?" Leos asked, breaking her from her thoughts for a moment. "That was awesome work. You're putting me to shame out here."
"What a way to put it. That supposed to be a compliment?" Griselle said with a little snicker.
"It is, isn't it?" Leos was surprised.
"Leos," she began, but put a paw over her mouth to stop herself. Is it weird to have my heart all aflutter right now? If we could live like this, I'd be so happy with you.
He didn't seem bothered by her little hint, and resumed talking with Prem's team. She watched him while her mind wandered, but for some reason, the negatives didn't seem so important right now. If they married and embarked on a quest to stop the ghost gang, that'd be alright, right?
They may not have had a proper date, but today made her happy, and that was a success in her eyes.