"There! That's Lake Hurani!" Noytrun shouted, pointing out a body of water resembling a wolf's head. "Land there, and we'll have a look around."
Rocttryn nodded and began his descent. The area itself looked really nice; lots of trees off to the north and west, a plain from which they'd come from Crosat village, and the mountains looming in the east. Recognizing the trees, the Aerodactyl realized they were on the outskirts of the vast Avianre Forest. Just as he was about to say that they'd search the forest, a few stray water jets shot out from the trees, followed quickly by shards of ice. Rocttryn diverted away from the trees in a bid to find a safer landing zone.
They landed on the shoreline of Lake Hurani. Rocttryn jumped as he stepped on something sharp; he flapped his wings and squawked in quickly jumped back a few meters, before scouring the area for what had pricked him. Spotting something glimmering in the grass, he rushed over and picked it up. It was a fragment of a Unity Looplet.
"Aye, he's 'ere. This is pairt o' his looplet... " Rocttryn pocketed the fragment. "A'm gonnae bade 'ere 'n' locate th' rest o' it. Micht be able tae repair it fur him."
"Ah. Well, good luck wit that, Roc. I'm gonna go search the plains and da mountain path. I'm… ashamed ter admit, but… I'm scared o' ice. Meet ya back here?"
"Feart o' ice? how come? "
"I'm not proud o' it," Noytrun answered. "But it's just so cold an' sharp. 'Fraid I might not survive it."
Rocttryn blinked. He looked back at the forest. "Sae ah will search th' forest, then?" He shivered at the prospect. "Soonds lik' a plan. Bit a'm gonnae fin' th' rest o' th' fragments, foremaist."
Noytrun nodded, and left. Rocttryn turned his attention back to the landing site, and combed it extensively. He was able to pick up three more fragments of a Unity Looplet, as well as the lizard's goggles. The goggles weren't in good shape either; the strap had snapped and the left eye cover had shattered. Relieved that the Looplet shards were found but worried about the broken goggles, the Aerodactyl placed them in his bag. While the round capsule and the rest of Suntren's bag were missing, there was at least a possibility that they were still with the Heliolisk.
After thoroughly investigating the landing site, Rocttryn turned his attention to the forest. There were still signs of an ongoing fight. Namely, the swaying of the trees and the beams of ice and water flying in every which direction. He growled. It must be some fight, and he was likely going to be caught in the middle of it.
Knowing that he didn't have any other choice, the dragon went into the forest. At first, he tried to stay on the outskirts. Due to its sparsenss and ease of movement, that would be the safest area to search. He wasn't exactly in the mood to get caught up in battle. He wasn't really a good fighter, he never had been. He'd nearly been killed by a Weavile just a few months ago, when Suntren saved him. The lizard had come surfing -yes, surfing- out the trees, picking up the helpless Aerodactyl before he was washed away like Weavile was.
Occasionally, Rocttryn took to the air to search through the tree branches. He made sure to riffle through the leaves several times. All he found were a few Skwovet; said squirrels quickly fled in terror. Once he was satisfied with each tree, he moved on.
After thoroughly combing the outskirts of the woods and finding no trace of the lizard, Rocttryn sighed. That left him only the deep woods to search before regrouping with Noytrun back at the lake. The trail of ice leading away from the lake and the noises of metal clashing against ice suggested that the battle was yet ongoing. Curiously, though, the water streams had stopped. Hoping to get in and out without getting spotted, the Aerodactyl made his way into the dark woods.
Or at least, he tried to. Before he was able to get very far, the Aerodactyl was blasted out by an Aqua Jet. The Floatzel inside was careful not to slam him into a tree, but it still hurt. Rocttryn groaned as he picked himself off the ground, and tightened his saddle straps. He noted that the Floatzel seemed unusually tall. No wonder he'd blasted him aside with little effort.
"Th' hell?! A'm trying tae gang in thare!"
"Sorry, Aerodactyl, but that's not happening!" the giant Floatzel responded, dispelling the Aqua Jet. "We're in the middle of apprehending a dangerous outlaw, and we'd rather have as few casualties as we can!"
"Bit... Mah pal cuid be in thare! if he's hurt-"
Floatzel shushed him. "I'll ask Rashi to have a look soon as we get a chance, alright? But I can't let you go any further. It's too dangerous."
Rocttryn growled. "If mah pal's in thare, a've gotta fin' him." He flapped his wings angrily. "Ah cannae lea him tae die!"
Floatzel sighed. "If you'll be patient, Aerodactyl, I'm more than happy to aid in your search. But this outlaw situation's gotta be contained, first. Like I said-"
"Yi'll waant as few casualties as ye kin, ah git it."
"Right." The Floatzel proudly smiled, pumping his fist. "Stay right here, and I'll be back as soon as that Weavile's in cuffs!"
Rocttryn froze. Did Floatzel just say Weavile? "Quick favour, if ah kin?"
"Course!" Floatzel replied. "Long as it's simple. I gotta get back to the fight, you know."
"Does th' Weavile hae... A cracked crest?" Rocttryn asked.
"As a matter of fact, he does. Why?"
The Aerodactyl grinned. "Gie him a proper beating. He's th' yin that gave me this scar."
Floatzel pumped his fist again, and smiled. "Will do. You just sit tight!"
The giant Floatzel enveloped himself in water again, jetting back into the forest depths. Rocttryn watched him go, before sneaking after him. Due to being quite an experienced hunter, the Aerodactyl easily followed the Floatzel to the battlefield. Sure enough, the broken-crested Weavile was fighting not only Floatzel, but also a Mawile and an Absol, and seemed to be struggling against the group of three.
Absol leapt back, skillfully avoiding one of the quick swipes as Mawile came in from behind to smash the Pokemon with her ebony hammer. Weavile was caught completely off-guard. The force of the impact sent him crashing into a tree. Rocttryn stared in awe, quietly, as the fearsome cat was taken down.
As Weavile pulled his head out of the tree trunk, The Floatzel pulled up with an Aqua Jet. As they made eye contact, he winked and slammed a pair of water blades into his foe. They exploded, sending Weavile flying back again. He screamed in fear as he hurtled away, right into another swing of Mawile's hammer. The strike knocked him upwards. Weavile started shooting shards of ice in an attempt to correct himself. Unfortunately, such an act was for naught. Without hesitation, Absol leapt out of a nearby tree branch, latching her claws into it and slamming Weavile to the ground.
"And done!" Absol announced. "Little more than we bargained for but…"
"Still no problem for us," Floatzel finished, smiling proudly while pumping his fist again.
Mawile nodded. "Seems we had a visitor, too," she remarked, leaning on her hammer. Rocttryn looked at it more closely now that it was still. It was silver with gold swirls decorating the sides. The top was flat, so it rested neatly on the ground. One end was large and blunt, while the other was more sloped and pointed. That end also had some more markings on it, though they were much more intricate and hard to make out. "I thought you told him to stay back, Robin."
The Floatzel turned to her, surprised. "I did. Why?"
Her maw gestured towards the bushes Rocttryn was hiding in. "Guess he didn't listen to you."
The weasel sighed. "I had a feelin'." The giant Floatzel came and searched through the area. Rocttryn attempted to back up, but his cover was already blown. Jetfin grabbed him and dragged him out. Gently, at least, but it was still humiliating.
Absol was in the process of arresting the broken-crested Weavile. Said Weavile met Rocttryn's gaze, and the Aerodactyl flinched back, scared that Weavile would somehow escape. Absol pushed Weavile's head against the ground as he attempted to. The outlaw attempted to call the feline's bluff, but Absol pushed out further, threatening to pop his head off. Weavile shrunk back in submission.
"So… I think you've got some explaining to do, Aerodactyl." Floatzel crossed his arms. "I made you a promise that I'd help in your task after Weavile was taken care of, all you had to do was stay back. Out of danger."
"Ah... Weel, ye see…" He started stuttering out. "Ah wis kinda... Mibbie... Curious?"
"Curious?" the weasel repeated. He shook his head. "Seriously, why'd you follow me?"
"Ah…" Rocttyrn tried to avoid his gaze. "As ah said afair, this is th' Weavile that scarred me…"
"...So you sought revenge?"
The Aerodactyl continued to avoid his gaze. Jetfin sighed, taking it as a sign.
"No one ever felt any better seeking vengeance, kid," he spoke quietly.
"Aye." Rocttryn apologized. "Ah suppose ah wanted tae be th' yin tae tak' him doon." He paused for a bit. "Ah suppose ye wilnae be helping me anymair?"
He held up a hand. "Never said that, now, did I? 'Course I'll help. It's just the right thing to do."
The dragon breathed a small sigh of relief. "Ta. We're searching fur a lizard, Heliolisk." He held out his wing. "Mah name's Rocttryn, Though you'd be better aff cawin me Edin."
Floatzel nodded, taking his wing. "Robin, of Team Tsunami." He shook Rocttyrn, and then let go. "But to you, that's Jetfin." He winked, before turning to his Mawile friend. "Rashi, would you mind helping out?"
"I'm way ahead of you, Robin." She put her hammer on her back. "And no, there's no lifesigns of a Heliolisk in the forest."
Rocttryn watched the short exchange, confused. Noticing his stare, Rashi chuckled. "I'm a Crystal Mage. One of the forms, called Detection, allows me to search for lifesigns in a given area." She held out her hand. "Rashi, of Team Tsunami. You can call me Mjollin, though. Unfortunately, I won't be joining you today."
Rocttryn shook it. As Mjollin gave him a firm nod, she stepped back. "You might have better luck searching the lake."
"Thanks, Rashi." Jetfin stretched. "I'll be right behind you, soon as the Heliolisk is located."
The Mawile thanked him. She left with Absol shortly after, leaving the forested area behind them. Rocttryn watched their silhouettes disappear. He breathed a sigh of relief. That Weavile wouldn't hurt another soul, and he took comfort in the fact. Jetfin placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Ought to be heading back to Lake Hurani, pal."
"Richt. Let's heid oot."
With a giant Floatzel at his side, Rocttryn retraced his steps. He'd thoroughly searched the woods and surrounding area, so he needed only wait for Noytrun after arrival. And so, with fading vigor, he hastened his pace. Jetfin kept up with him, always staying right at his side. The Floatzel made sure the way back wasn't quiet, asking what exactly Heliolisk looked like and how they'd come to be separated. Rocttryn answered every question to the best of his ability. He did explain as well that he likely still had a rescuer's bag, since they'd never actually handed it back due to the windstorm Rocttryn got caught up in. As Jetfin ran out of questions, they left the dark trees behind them. Rocttryn stared forward, right at the lake. Once Noytrun returned, this would be the last area searched. He pulled out his Mobile Scarf, and, with some difficulty, tied it around the end of his tail.
"Best we rest a while. Mah ither pal, Noytrun, gaed tae search th' ridge," he explained.
"And it'd be rude to go under without him, is what you're saying?"
The Aerodactyl nodded.
Jetfin grinned. "We'll wait, then. How long can it be?"
"Cannae be awfy much langer," Rocttryn guessed. "He's a Feraligatr, sae keep yer een oot."
"Aye, Rocky. You keep yours out too."
Jetfin laid on his back and put his arms behind his head. Taking the cue, Rocttryn flattened out a small circle in the grass. He tucked in his wings and sat down. Surely Noytrun wouldn't keep them waiting too long...
Dink! Dink! Dink!
The metal capsule clanged against the infirmary wall. A Heliolisk in a bed would catch it, and then toss it back at the wall. He was bored. After having been rescued from the lunatic Ludicolo by a group of Jellicent, he'd been spending all his time healing in the underwater room. It had been specially set up for him, with a water-tight bubble keeping the water out and the air in. From what he'd been told, an Armaldo had removed several shards of glass from his right eye. Normally, he'd consider it a stroke of luck to not be blinded by those shards. But that would be a lie. Healer Starmie, who currently watched him as he recovered his strength, had used Water Magic to repair any damage done to his eyes.
He caught the capsule again, and threw it back at the wall. He expected it to bounce off harmlessly again…
Click!
Without warning, a red light shot out of the capsule as it popped open. The light quickly took the shape of a rounded duck. As the light disappeared back into the capsule, its red and blue coloration became apparent. The capsule fell on the ground with a dink. Heliolisk stared in a little bit of shock, but mostly in awe. What had he just seen?
The duck stared ahead blankly. "All systems functioning at normal parameters. Commencing area scan."
A small plate-looking object on a metal rod rose out of its head. A green light was emitted from that object as it rotated. Suntren dove behind his bed. The light passed overhead twice, then faded. He dared to peek his eyes at the duck.
"Area scan complete. Extrapolating missing data…"
The silence was broken by a series of loud beeps and high-pitched noises, causing the lizard to cover his ears in pain. Those too, faded away after a short while.
"Primitive medical facility. Structural analysis indicates it is most likely to be underwater."
It floated over to its discarded capsule. "My Ball is currently dysfunctional. I will repair it at a later time." The capsule was surrounded by a blue grid, and disappeared. "Virtual Storage space: 90% full. Expunge to be scheduled once at a proper facility."
Suntren blinked. He didn't understand half of what this… creature(?) just said. Virtual? Dysfunctional? What were all those lights, and where did Rocttyrn's relic go? And what did it mean by primitive? He'd received the best care in his life here. Although he did admit it seemed quite familiar to the lab.
The lizard shuddered. He hated remembering his past, before he was rescued by Team Cynderleaf. All the tests and pricks… Some 'enhancement initiative'. He was lucky enough to escape before he died. As far as he knew, he was the only survivor.
He shook his head, trying to bury the thoughts back again. No point in harming himself over an event that was long past him. And besides, it's not like the people behind the program were still around. He shuddered. The worst of them was the Gallade, Lucifer. He had been the one to kill his parents and complete the kidnapping itself. Then there was the Reuniclus, Hermeus. He'd dealt with the enhancements themselves. Finally, there was the Meowstic, Lilith. She was the kindest, but that wasn't saying very much. She took care of watching over the tests they had put him through. He'd heard they'd been arrested. Something about abuse of Magic?
Suntren shook himself again. The only important thing right now was that thing, right there. His reminiscing could wait. He slowly got out from his hiding spot, opening his frill. He had no idea if it was dangerous or not, so best to be prepared.
He was quickly engulfed in a green light. The light lasted a few moments before fading.
"Subject analysis: Heliolisk, Normal-Electric Type. 1.2 meters tall. The Generator Pokemon. One Heliolisk basking in the sun with an outspread frill would be enough to power an entire city."
The lizard backed away slowly, moving his tail into position to defend himself. The smooth thing stared blankly at him. Intimidated, Suntren screamed. His tail instinctively launched to his side, the hole facing the smooth creature.
"Subject appears to be frightened," it stated monotonously. It then turned around and began to float away. "Curious. No human presence detected."
Suntren froze. He recognized that word -it was common knowledge given the events of the Devastation- but he had no idea how to break the news to this… thing. The lizard sighed, relaxing his body and closing his frill. Maybe he'd find a way eventually if they stuck together.
"Hey… Hang on a quick moment."
The creature turned around. "How may I be of assistance?"
Suntren sighed. "I think you'll have a hard time navigating this land by yourself. I might not know what just happened, between the capsule, the lights, and whatever you were just saying, but I do know it seems that you won't be familiar with the terrain."
It continued to stare blankly. "Am I not in Kanto anymore?"
"I don't know what that is, so I'll say no?" Suntren shrugged. "You're on Grasanio, in Crissan Province. At least… I think."
It beeped in a way that could be considered frustrated. "You do not even know where you are?"
"In my defense, I'm still recovering from falling off my partner's back several kilometers in the air! We were headed south; that's why I think we're in Crissan Province!" he chirped, somewhat angrily.
It beeped again. "How are you still alive!?"
"Got lucky, I guess," Suntren shrugged. "Now, will you let me help you navigate the land?"
"Negative. I am a state-of-the-art Pokemon. My battle functions have been tested. I am perfectly capable of defending myself." The creature turned around again. Suntren hissed.
"If you will excuse me, I shall be on my way."
The lizard paused. An idea seemed to form in his head. Even if he didn't understand much of anything it just said, it seemed to be into research and facts. So… he decided to make his case more scientific.
"You uh… are really into your research, huh?"
The thing nodded mechanically. "My original purpose was to extend my creator's research to the stars above."
Suntren rolled his eyes. "Well, as it turns out, I recently started researching the ruins left behind by the Devastation. Your… erm… capsule? Was found in one, in the Avianre Forest."
"You are a researcher too?"
"Explorer, more accurately. Was heading south to the Jubilife Ruins when we got in a windstorm."
"Jubilife Ruins?" the creature asked.
Suntren shrugged. "Don't know how it got its name."
The thing was silent for several minutes. "Curious that it would share its name with a large city in Sinnoh."
The lizard shrugged again, more exasperatedly this time. "I wasn't the one who named it."
The duck stared at him. "Please explain this 'Devastation' you spoke of."
"'Course," Suntren held out his hand. "I'm Suntren, though you should call me Solas for now."
It blinked. "Why?"
"It's polite," he attempted to explain. "We're not what I would call close friends nor are we on a team together…"
"Understood," the duck answered. "I am Porygon2."
"That's it?" Suntren questioned. "No name, no identifier, just that?"
"Affirmative."
He shook his head. "We'll have to work on that later. Anyways… about the Devastation…"
"Continue."
Suntren looked around for his crutch and the helmet he'd been given for when he was ready to leave. "The short version is… Something happened in the Space-Time Continuum that resulted in all these ruins appearing suddenly on the planet. As I've said, Jubilife Ruins was among the first discovered. One of few that didn't wipe out a town," he elaborated a bit. "So I guess Grasanio got lucky."
Porygon2 beeped several times. "And you said you are researching the aftermath?"
The lizard nodded. "Or, more specifically, the interesting Relics found within them, like your capsule."
"Poké Ball," it stated.
"Huh?"
"My Poké Ball," Porygon2 repeated. "That is what it is called."
Suntren blinked. "Oh. Why is it called that?"
Porygon2 seemed to exude a happy demeanor. As he settled into explaining some of the intricacies about catching Pokemon, Suntren then exchanged information about the world Porygon2 found itself in. The mechanical duck seemed to be ecstatic to share its knowledge with another scientific mind, while Suntren was more excited about learning about the Poke Ball and how it worked. Parts of it did make him shiver a bit, but when he expressed his hesitations Porygon2 said that was completely natural for a wild Pokemon.
Porygon2 was particularly interested in learning about Pokemon Science following the catch-up on Suntren's world. While it learned a lot about the communicative technologies, he noted that the lizard refrained from mentioning anything else. As much as the duck tried to press, Suntren always dodged the question. Fortunately for him, the topic soon turned to Porygon2's Poke Ball, as he called it.
"So… Porygon2." Suntren started rummaging in his bag. "I think I can help you out a bit. All I need… would be your companionship."
Porygon2 nodded. "And what could you provide for me, Solas?"
"Returning to the surface without a guide is highly inadvisable," Jellicent refused. "And you are still recovering from your injuries, Heliolisk. What if you were to become lost? There would be no one to help you this time."
Suntren glanced at the outer reef. It certainly seemed a maze to navigate, and he'd need to get out before swimming up. He was careful to notice all the fish swimming in and out of the holes. "What about any of them?"
Jellicent laughed. "You would rely on a feral to bring you back to my facility? I have my doubts."
The lizard sighed, and clutched his crutch tighter. How was he supposed to get anywhere like this? Thanks to Porygon2's guidance, he'd been able to repair what it called its Poke Ball. It had made more sense for Suntren to sneak him out, they decided. Yet here he was stopped by the first obstacle.
"Luckily for you, Araquanid is set to return in a couple hours. I'm sure he would gladly give you a ride in his bubble."
A couple hours!? By then, Rocttryn could be who knows where! Suntren shook his head. "I don't have that kind of time right now."
Jellicent sighed. "I understand, but without a guide and a way to keep you breathing, I can't let you out. It's simply too dangerous."
The lizard admitted defeat. Trudging away slowly, he made his way to a bench. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't get out on his own, he couldn't wait for a guide to become available… He was trapped, plain and simple. He pulled out the ball, and gazed at it. Completely by accident, he'd solved the mystery of what it was. That was the good news, and he'd managed to befriend the Pokemon inside it.
He wondered how his partner was doing. Surely they'd built up enough of a relationship that the dragon wouldn't abandon him, right? Maybe he found someone else, and decided to leave him behind. He tried to push away the depressive thoughts. Rocttryn had a unique attachment to the Ball. He wouldn't leave that behind for anything. But then… Why was he taking so long? According to Starmie, he'd already spent a full day recovering from the treatment. What if he had up and left?
Suntren didn't notice the time pass by. Before he even knew it, Araquanid was standing in front of him. "You the one looking for a ride?"
The lizard nodded eagerly. "I really need to get going."
"Get in, then." The spider leaned in. Not wanting to waste a moment, Suntren hastily penetrated the bubble. Araquanid quickly picked up the lizard's bag as well, before turning towards the door. "Got a few rules to follow."
"Let's hear 'em, then." Suntren twiddled his hands.
"First. No part of your body leaves the bubble. It's distracting and leaves you vulnerable. Second: Don't try to direct me. I know exactly where to go, and the safest path to that location."
Suntren nodded. Reasonable so far, after all.
"Third: Under no circumstances may you touch my face."
"Understood."
"Then we have an agreement. You may choose to stop your ride at any point. This will count as the end of my services, and payment will be handled then."
"Alright." Suntren floated aimlessly in the bubble. He was expecting to jerk suddenly as Araquanid began to move, but was pleasantly surprised when there was no such occurrence.
Seeing as he now had a lot of time to kill, the lizard decided to watch the reefs. He noted several small Goldeen swimming in and out of holes in the coral, while Finneon watched from afar.
Lanturn played with their Chinchou young in the coral field. While the sight brought a smile to Suntren's face, he felt a little lonely. He'd spent his childhood playing with the village Pokemon, and now he'd left them all behind. A few tears rolled down his cheeks. He noticed, and quickly wiped them away. He steeled himself. Even if Rocttryn had opted for the easy way, he would at least have Porygon2 around.
He glanced back at his duck certainly was weird. Suntren didn't understand a lot of what he said, but felt compelled to help anyway. Perhaps that was the Rescuer part of him talking. At least that part of him wouldn't change. He relaxed himself, and leaned back. He did need his rest, after all. Suntren trilled happily as the movements of his ride lulled him to sleep.
