Episode 11: Shelly's Trial
I really didn't want to come back here, was all Shelly could think. Repeated over and over, and somehow it was the only thing not driving him crazy. The walk from the village to the Greenhouse Palace felt longer than the trip through the sea, perhaps because of the sun setting, or perhaps because he had only done it twice before now and wasn't used to it.
Now, him and the group were gathered in the throne room. The wait was excruciating. He couldn't formulate how this was going to go or what to say once the group found out the truth about him. The soldiers watched them diligently the whole time.
"So, you gonna tell us what's going on or what?" Ruby finally asked, giving Shelly a prod. Just that tap made him squeak and flinch. "Uh…"
"S-sorry," he replied, playing with his paws.
"Silence, males! Not a word from any of ya," demanded a Sceptile as she prodded Ruby with her lance. Ruby growled at them, but Lucca settled her down.
"I'm not a boy," Ruby grumbled.
"Neither am I. That means they're not talking to me, right?" Esther asked. The Sceptile prodded her with their spear, making her squeak. "Okay okay, I get it."
"Just behave," Crystal grumbled and rolled her eyes. Mimia whined with her.
I can't mess about. I need to do this the way Ruby taught me. I have to convince Gladys this time, Shelly sighed. Just then, the throne room doors opened, and everyone turned around.
"Where is he? Bring him forward!" Queen Gladys ordered the moment she marched through. She went to her throne and knelt in front while the guards made space for Shelly, who nervously waddled forward. The moment she saw him, her eyes widened, and then settled.
"Huh?" Shelly said. Gladys certainly didn't look as he remembered. The Tsareena appeared as refined, tough, and grand as ever, yet the tone of her voice and the way her eyes shook felt different. He felt an aura of relief from her, the same kind one has when they've found something truly important to them they thought they had lost.
And strangely, that was even more fear-inducing than the build-up to this confrontation.
"Shelly… it is truly you. Ah, and you're okay. You're okay, aren't you? Ah, you're not hurt or hungry or thirsty?" Gladys asked, gasping between words. "Ah, I shouldn't overwhelm you. Ye've been away for a long while. I can only imagine what you've been through. You don't need to tell me anything if you don't feel like it."
"Great. They sound just like Shelly," Ruby groaned.
"Whoa… their accents are so strong," Crystal commented.
"What does that mean, though?" Lucca asked.
"Uh," Shelly replied. Gladys stood up and addressed at her soldiers.
"Well then? Don't just stand there you cabbages! Go and issue the orders. The prince is back. Get the chefs cooking, recover the search parties," Gladys commanded. She looked down at Shelly. "You must be starving. We'll make you your favourite apple curry, and then you can rest easy in your room. We left it same as before, so you can do as you want in there."
"But I—" Shelly began.
"Where is he, where is my special little fighter?" a girly voice chimed in. Elise burst into the room and tripped on something, stumbling right up to Shelly's feet before falling over.
"Elise?" he gasped and flinched. The Steenee looked up at him, locked eyes and froze. She had a similar reaction to Gladys, and yet she felt completely different. Relieved eyes that watered, and yet he felt a genuine concern from her. Even the leaf attached to her bracelet had turned bright orange. She slowly got up, and they locked hands.
"It's really you," Elise whispered. He uttered a sound, and then she started smiling. "Shelly… oh my precious Shelly, it's really you. It's really, really you!"
She threw herself into a hug and nuzzled his cheek, trying to contain her tears. He reflexively hugged back, but only to keep his balance. She was saying something, his name continuously, but it was muffled by her tears and wails.
"Elise, please. I do not blame you for your affection, but he's just come home," Gladys complained, dragging her hand down her face.
"But I… he's right here," Elise whispered, pulling back a bit. "I don't care if he smells all seaweedy. You're right here in front of me."
"Give the lad some space!" Gladys raised her voice.
"No!" Elise cried. "Now that you're back, I'm never lettin' go of you. I don't wanna lose you again!"
"Erm… you're kinda… squeezing me tightly. And it hurts," Shelly lied, turning away.
"Oh, oops sorry!" Elise gasped and let go. "Wait a minute, you just said that! That's not a nice thing to say to your wife. Do you have any idea how much I missed you?"
"H-huh? Did I hear that right?" Azu gasped.
"Wife?" Ruby added.
"Whoa… okay, I wasn't expecting that," Esther leaned forward.
Just the mention of the word made Shelly cringe, and he tried to sneak a glance at his friends. Elise wrapped herself around him again however, and this time kissed him on the cheek. "I'm sorry. I can't help myself. I just… I'm just so happy that you're back. I don't care if it's getting late or I… I just… I'm so happy, Shelly. I don't ever wanna leave you again."
"I," Shelly awkwardly returned her affection, but he didn't kiss her. He caught a glimpse of Ruby in the corner of his eye, and then faced Elise properly. "I'm… I'm sorry."
"You better be. We have so much to make up for!" Elise cheered. "This might just be the best day of my life! I've never felt so happy before!"
"Shelly. What the hell is going on?" Ruby asked, and slowly stepped forward. The soldiers thrust their weapons in threat, but she didn't give them so much as a glance. "Who is she?"
Shelly gulped.
"Oh, oh my gosh! Wait, I know what's going on, I think?" Elise gasped. She held Shelly's paw and turned to the others. "These are them, aren't they? The Shining Warriors. You guys have amulets just like my Shelly's!"
Shelly couldn't even look at them, but he could feel Ruby's gaze piercing right through his body. He didn't need to look to know her eyes were wide open, reddened with rage. Her stare pierced his whole body so much it hurt, yet he didn't let go of Elise's hand.
"Aren't you gonna introduce me? This is kinda exciting, too!" Elise laughed. She skipped ahead and bowed. "Greetings, legendary warriors. I'm Princess Elise, the Princess of Van Aken. Wait, that was wrong. I said princess twice!"
"Elise," Shelly slumped as she blushed. Gladys palmed her face again.
"You guys must know Shelly really well! He's my husband, so he's prince of the island, too," Elise introduced.
"Apparently, we don't know him really well," Ruby replied. The others could feel her livid aura now as well. "Shelly, who is she?"
"She's… Princess Elise. She's my… my wife," he admitted, looking at the floor.
In saying that, it felt like time froze. Everything darkened except himself and Ruby, and he dared to look up at her. He had never seen her so angry before, even after seeing her take on the Ribombee. In a twisted kind of way, it was relieving.
It was relieving because there was no escape anymore. He had screwed up, and now he would be everyone's enemy for the rest of this journey. His leaf had never been so blue.
"You... you stupid little bastard! You thought you were being smart, didn't you?" Ruby snapped and lunged at him, but Lucca was quick enough to pull her back. The guards reacted too, while Elise flinched back.
"Wha… d-did I do something? I'm sorry if I—" Elise gasped.
"Ruby, stop it! Get a hold of yourself. We're not having another Girage situation!" Lucca shouted as he held her down.
"But he—" Ruby screamed at him.
"Don't make the same mistakes as me!" Lucca shouted even louder. That silenced her, but not without a livid shiver. Ruby couldn't close her eyes or settle the flames on her back. Shelly stared at the floor, torn apart by every last emotion.
"That is who they are. Villains who wish to burn our society, so we'll burn them down instead. Take them to the cells immediately, and I want the elite watching them. Now!" Gladys ordered.
"Wait me, too?" Esther gasped.
"Your Highness, please hear us out for a moment. We're not here to—" Lucca objected.
"Silence! Not another word. You cannot speak," Gladys stated.
"At least leave the Pikachu, she's not part of—" Azu tried to reason, too.
"I said silence!" Gladys' voice boomed like thunder this time. "I care not. No Pokémon besides we, the grass type women of Van Aken, are ever welcome here. Away with you! If I have to see their faces for another second, I'll twist your tails so hard so help me if you ever have feeling there again!"
That made Shelly look up. His friends were so confused and desperate as they disappeared into the formation of Whimsicott and Sceptile soldiers. They were marched out of sight quicker than he could say anything. He knew what to say, yet not a sound escaped his mouth. He just trembled as he watched them.
"That just leaves me and you, honey bunch," Elise said, swaying playfully. She grabbed Shelly's paw and ran off. "C'mon, let's go already!"
"Elise—" Gladys stuck an arm out helplessly. "What is wrong with that lass?"
"Wait, Elise!" Shelly gasped, but she yanked him hard. He was surprised at how strong her grip and pull was. Not strong enough that he couldn't pull back, but she was almost as strong as he was now. He was sure she never used to be this strong. So he played along and walked beside her, taking the chance to check out the palace.
What's going on? It feels like there are more guards than before, he quickly realised as he passed species he hadn't seen as soldiers. Duos of Lilligant guarded every room, Victreebel and Carnivine hung from the ceiling like Zubat, while Nuzleaf patrolled alongside the usual Vileplume soldiers. Even his bedroom was guarded by a trio of Roserade.
"We kept everything the same for you, but we cleaned up a bit, too," Elise informed, letting him wander into the bedroom first.
Everything really is the same. They even kept the bed, he realised as he slowly examined everything. The sight of that tiny dog bed made him sigh. If I asked, would they give me a new one?
Elise giggled to get his attention and grabbed his paw again. "You're quiet. It's impressive, ain't it? Only the best for my hero."
If only you knew… but no Shelly, I have to focus. There's no time for this, he shook his head and clenched his paws. "Elise."
She hushed him for some reason, and slyly pointed to the door. The Roserade guards were still there. He gave her a funny look, making her giggle again. "Where have you been anyway, mister? We were all really worried about you, ya'know."
"I was," he began, but something told him to wait. He glanced at the door again. The guards were still there, and one was sneaking a glance at him clear as day. They tried to hide their curiosity, so he didn't challenge it. Instead, he went over to sit in his bed and lowered his voice. "Is Kusha still here?"
"She went off the island to try and look for you. Did you see her at all?" Elise replied, putting her hands together. "If you didn't, she probably already knows that you're here. We got Jumpluff spies now, and they're really good."
"Jumpluff spies?" Shelly raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Y'know, the wee flying blue fluffy things. They're so quiet they can fly all over the place and listen to Pokémon without anyone knowing," Elise explained. That made him instinctively look around the corners of the room, but there was nothing there. "They wouldn't be in here, silly. We're prince and princess, the guards are only here to keep an eye on your food."
"Right, my food," Shelly muttered. Now that he was settled down in a homely space, his stomach felt like it was eating itself. Both from guilt, and that he hadn't eaten since the morning.
"Speaking of which!" Elise's mood switched. "You still smell seaweedy! Go wash, mister seaweed!"
"Seaweedy?" he cocked his head.
"Like fishy seawater or something. What were you doing? It's kinda gross," she giggled. "Would I smell like that if I went on an adventure, too?"
"Elise, I was… I'm waiting for the gua—" he replied.
"Shh, I know. When the food gets here," she whispered with a sneaky smile.
Does she know what's going on? He almost gasped. "I'll er, go and have that wash."
"Yes, please! It's silly of you to come back to me smelling like that!" she cried.
"Will you be awake by the time I come back, though? It is getting dark," he asked.
"Oh don't give me that, laddie! Of course I'll stay awake for you. I don't just flop and wilt the moment the sun sets," she pouted.
He turned away. He was too nervous to side-track with a bath right now. "You sure?"
"Be quick laddie! The more you fath around now the less time we have to make up for lost time!" she cried.
As he made his way to leave, a knock on the door made him flinch. A soft voice spoke from behind. "Your Highnesses? We have the food. Is it okay to come in?"
Shelly glanced back at Elise, who smiled and winked at him. He wasn't sure what that signal was for, but he stepped away. "Yes please. You can come in."
Now this was a pleasant, familiar feeling he needed. A tall tray with large pots full of curry and plates of his favourite food to dip in it. Sliced apples, soft toast, and a few oran berries. The aroma from it all made his stomach rumble, and he couldn't help but drool, too.
"I'm glad to be able to serve this for you again, Prince Shelly. We didn't have the usual amount of apples this time, so we provided substitutes. I hope that's okay," the Bellossom maid informed. Shelly was too busy staring to respond, so Elise giggled and took charge.
"Thank you very much. That'll be all, though. I'll take it back when I'm leaving, so go take a load off!" Elise said with a wave.
"Are you sure? Your Highness, I couldn't ask such a mundane—" Bellossom gasped.
"Oh don't gimme that! You lasses have been workin' your leaves off, I ain't gonna push you when we're all meant to be celebrating. Go take a load off for the evening, and tell the other maids, too," Elise objected. She leaned in close to the Bellossom and started mumbling. "Last thing you can do for me, though. Tell the guards to stop being so nosy. Me and Shelly want some private time."
"Private time?" Bellossom replied.
"You wouldn't understand it," Elise said, half-lidded.
"As you wish, Your Highness. Thank you dearly for your generosity," Bellossom bowed and skipped out. They could see her talk to the guards before the door closed, and could hear their muffled speech for a bit, too. A minute or so later and the Roserade marched off, leaving the duo in silence at long last.
"Finally!" Elise groaned hoarsely and rushed over. Shelly was still drooling at the food. "They finally left us alone. We can- Shelly?"
There was no response. His leaf was pink, his stomach growled, and his eyes were locked to the pot of curry. She slowly picked up a plate, layered some rice on and then poured the curry on top. He followed the plate like a magnet.
"Hee hee hee, you silly foodie. It looks like you missed apple curry more than you missed me! I wonder if all boys are like this?" she giggled as she handed him the plate. "Never change, my precious little honey bunch."
That got him to shake himself back into focus. He still took a few bites, and then made sure to pay attention to her.
"We're finally alone, so we can get down to proper business. And I dunno how long we have, so I wanna take this seriously, too," she stated.
'Elise' and 'serious' don't really go in the same sentence, but I don't have a choice right now. It's now or never, Shelly thought as he swallowed. "What's going on?"
"Kusha told me everything, and I mean everything. She and the Jumpluff kept me up to date on stuff," Elise whispered. Shelly choked and almost spat out his food. "Ah, hey, hey are you okay?"
He had a little fit of gasps coughs, and had to wipe his eyes of tears. "Exactly what?"
"About… well, yeah. How you two snuck out in the middle of the night to go on the Shining Warrior journey, but you couldn't get me. One of your teammates had to kill an evil dragon in a village, and you did one of the trials, and you're still looking for the last hero… and fighting the evil bee at the theatre, too. It all sounds so exciting and cool! You've been gone for a really long while. You're already a hero!" Elise explained.
Every word made Shelly twist his face and slow down eating. If Kusha knows all about that stuff, then she watched me closer than she said she would. I wonder how much she influenced? And why did she feel the need to show up in Girage?
"A few of the guards and stuff are on our side, you know. They don't understand or agree with why Mama wants us trapped here, so they wanna help out the Shining Warriors," Elise continued. She put her hands together and leaned close to his face. "So you're gonna keep your promise, aren't you? We're gonna set your friends free, and then we'll embark on a romantic journey together, and save Heroica as the Shining Warriors!"
I wasn't expecting this. I did promise Elise we would go together, but then I met Crystal. Ruby's still mad at me, too. I don't think it would go very well if she went with us, Shelly pondered the idea without showing it, and only blinked. He stuffed his face with a few more mouthfuls to hide his thoughts. Then again, Azu is travelling with us and she's just fine… well, if you count being mad at Lucca as just fine.
"Hello, Heroica to Shelly? Ya there, honey bunch?" Elise sung.
"Did Mama ever say why she didn't want me to go and find the Shining Warriors?" he asked.
"Nah. She got super mad in front of the guards when I asked her, too. That's when some of the guards secretly started helpin' me," she replied, hand on her hip. Shelly turned away. "What're you thinkin' about, honey?"
"Do you think I could talk to her?" he asked. She shook her head again.
"She put your friends in the prison without even givin' 'em a chance to say anything. She's definitely not gonna give you a chance, as wonderful as that'd be," she answered.
Shelly finally put a paw to his chin and grumbled. "Do you have a plan to help my friends?"
"Sorta? I'm allowed to walk around, and since you left, I've been practicing super hard at fighting. Remember, I'll be your sword," she bragged. She knelt down to him and blushed a bit. "To be honest, if you didn't come back, I was planning to sneak out to try and find you, too. So I had to grow strong."
"Re-really?" he looked at her, and she nodded. That explains the strength earlier. If she winds up helping everyone, they won't be so mad at her, either.
He looked away again, this time up at the food he hadn't eaten yet. It had cooled by now. I'm not ready to face them yet… but that does let me… okay. That's a plan.
"Shelly… is everything okay?" Elise asked. Just then, her voice was softer than he had ever heard it, and the blue tint on her leaf gave away her worry.
"I'm okay, I was thinking really hard. Sorry," he shook himself and stood up to return to eating. "It's because there's a Bestia Fountain here on this island. We can't just break everyone out and run like I did. We need to get to the trial without everyone attacking us."
"Whoa, for real? That explains why you came back here," she replied, and he nodded. "Okay, I'm all in this. This is super exciting! What've you got?"
"If I go sneaking around, everyone will get suspicious that I'm not relaxing. Even worse if I head to where everyone is. I hate to do this, but I need to count on you," Shelly began, turning away.
"That's right, that makes sense. They might get suspicious if I'm not fretting over you too, so I'll just tell 'em I'm getting you snacks or something," she added.
"If you can find a way to bring everyone to the entrance to the inner garden, I can meet them, and we'll all get out together. I'll handle the rest," Shelly explained.
"Pfft, this is easy, honey. We'll be there before you know it," she bragged.
"We'll go straight for the trial, so you need to make sure you're ready for battle, too," Shelly stated. He took the plate of apples and handed them to her. "My friends haven't gotten to eat much, so give them these too, if you can."
"They must be hungrier than you," she remarked. She stood tall and patted her chest. "Alright! I'll go now. You just get ready to meet us by the inner garden. Don't be late or fall asleep now, wee mister!"
"I should be telling you that. Then sun's nearly set and all," he snickered.
"I'm not gonna fall asleep! Trust me, I've been training that!" she pouted at him.
"I'm counting on you, Elise," he smiled. That made her calm down, and she blushed. With a peppy nod and a smile, she slipped the apples into a pouch and skipped out, leaving him alone. A minute later, he sighed and sat down, staring at his plate of curry.
"I know what you're planning. This isn't a good idea at all, you know," Angel's voice came out of his amulet. "You shouldn't break someone's heart just to fix another's."
I'm sorry, Elise, Shelly sighed again. "You're not going to tell them, are you?"
Angel didn't reply.
Meanwhile…
"Another prison. I can't believe I'm spending two nights of my life in prison," Azu sighed as she slumped against the metal wall. Their prison cell fit the theme of the Greenhouse Palace, besides these plated metal walls. The ceiling was completely clear glass, while their exit was a wall of thorny vines so thickly tangled together it was difficult to see through them.
"You're telling me. I've never spent any night in a prison! There isn't even a bed in here!" Esther cried. "This sucks. I've done nothing wrong. What'd I do to deserve this?"
It stunk of cut grass in here, besides a smoky smell from Ruby's smouldering. She hadn't set anything alight, but she was erupting her back so much she might have been burning her own fur. Everyone left her to her own corner, and also kept away from a lone Pikachu who sat in the opposite corner. Esther was a little curious about said Pikachu, but as no one else said anything, she didn't, either.
"Any idea why they took Lucca and Mimia away from us?" Crystal wondered, still looking around.
"They're boys," Azu sighed.
There was a pause, and Crystal raised an eyebrow. "That means?"
"Didn't you notice? All the soldiers so far have been female. I'm guessing they have laws against male Pokémon," Azu clarified.
"I didn't. That's kind of weird," Crystal muttered, only now noticing the Vileplume guard patrolling the room. They were female as well, just like the two Whimsicott by the exit at the far end of the room.
"Grr, this is all that bastard Shelly's fault. He's gonna get us all killed, and for what? Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Ruby rambled.
"And what's with you? Why have you started kicking off with all that foul language, too?" Crystal cried.
"Because! It's! His! Fault!" Ruby snarled, kicking the wall between each word. "Argh! I'm so stupid, it's always the quiet ones. I shoulda known!"
"What did Shelly do? Besides keep quiet that he's a prince or something," Crystal asked, rubbing her face. "Wait, they're all female, but Shelly's a prince?"
"What's with that look?" Ruby cried.
"I dunno. I think there's something kind of magical about that. Who would've thought he was a prince? He's got that special orb, he can cook, he's the only boy here… This is all kind of out of an old fairy tale, isn't it?" Crystal said happily, putting her flippers together.
"Oh really? Now you're gettin' googly-eyed and into him? Na-uh, not on my watch. That bastard can rot in hell!" Ruby spat.
"I'm not 'into him' or any of that. Ugh. I just think it's cool," Crystal assured.
"That's what being into someone sounds like, just so you know," Esther commented and scratched her ear.
"Geez. What did he do to you? I thought you two were getting along," Azu wondered.
Ruby pondered it for a moment, and then faced everyone. "I might as well tell you all. No point in keepin' it secret anymore. His deal's off!"
"So you two were hanging out. It's difficult to get him to talk, but he's a bright kid," Azu admitted with a smile.
"Shelly has a crush on Crystal. Like, a big one," Ruby began.
Crystal immediately gasped and leaned back. "M-me?"
"Thinks you're cute, strong, likes how you're kind and all that. Y'know, the usual dreamy dribble. But I noticed he was kinda getting' creepy staring at you and stuff, so I stepped in. Turns out he's a total introvert and has no idea how to talk to girls!" Ruby raised her voice.
"I'm surprised you know what 'introvert' means, but I don't like where this is going," Crystal sighed and palmed her face.
"I wasn't gonna give him the time of day, don't worry. No way a weakling like him stands a chance with you. But we struck a deal. I would help him talk to you and stuff, while he becomes a training partner and teaches me moves," Ruby explained. "I thought it was all crap at first, but then he taught me Fire Spin, and I realised he's the real deal."
"So when that Steenee came out as his wife earlier, you realised he might've been playing you," Azu muttered.
"Exactly! Who does this guy think he is? Like he can have two wives? As if that makes him some kinda champion?" Ruby started raising her voice. "It makes me so damn angry!"
Every word made Crystal shiver more and more. She soon stood up, marched over to Ruby, and then slapped the Cyndaquil so hard she was silenced.
"What the heck is wrong with you?" Crystal screamed.
"M-me?" Ruby whispered. She was in complete shock.
"Why would you do something like that? I don't need you dictating my life. You're not my mother!" Crystal shouted.
"But… I just…" Ruby staggered. Was I wrong? How was I wrong?
"You idiot. I can't believe you did something like that. I'm not looking for a partner right now or anything but like… the idea we could've been talking or anything. Shelly could've been talking more. What exactly did you tell him?" Crystal cried, sounding desperate.
Ruby gulped. "I di-didn't completely stop him from talking to you or anything. I just said he wasn't to hit on you until he starts to act like a real man. And you know, real men aren't shy or weak, or run away from fights, or cook or—"
"Good gods, stop, just… stop. Okay, I've heard enough, I get the picture," Azu cut in, cringing hard. "Er… I'm surprised. I… you two grew up under the same Kangaskhan, right? How did you get that mindset and not Crystal?"
Ruby didn't answer. She just glared at the group seriously.
"You know what? Yeah, it's better you don't answer. Just… oh man, where do I even start with this?" Azu sighed.
"Would you like to have been spoken to that way?" Crystal asked.
"Huh?" Ruby replied.
"How about you're not allowed to date Lucca until you become a real girl," Crystal began. "And real girls don't go around fighting everything, or looking for revenge. And they don't eat a lot, either—"
"Alright, alright, I get it," Ruby spat and turned away. Her face turned red, too.
"No you don't. You never do! You just do whatever the heck you want and assume everyone will be okay with it. You do it all the time! You never think about anybody but yourself," Crystal ranted. "Just think about it. I'm not allowed to talk to this guy because you don't like the fact that he's shy? What the heck kind of logic is that?"
"I was trying to look after you. You don't know anything about the dangers of the outside world. You dunno what kind of creep he could've been!" Ruby argued.
"For someone with stronger eyesight than other Cyndaquil, you certainly did struggle to read between the lines," Azu stated, rubbing her back. "Shelly didn't exactly look proud to admit that the Steenee was his wife. And you said he taught you Fire Spin?"
"I was wondering where you picked up that move," Crystal added, one flipper on her hip.
"Sounds to me like Shelly was pretty genuine in his response to you. What exactly did you teach him?" Azu asked.
"We just trained, really. Weren't many chances for us to go deeper. So he was researching fire moves, and I was teaching him how to be tougher in battle," Ruby explained. "I did also tell him to go all in when he wants something, though. Y'know, like to speak up and do what you gotta do, no matter what anyone says. Just like I do."
"Credit where credit's due, too. You two make a good team. The way you used you Fire Burp back in Girage, I thought you'd never try because you hated it," Azu admitted.
"I do hate it, but it's the strongest fire move I've got right now. If it gets us outta an emergency, then I've gotta do it," Ruby replied.
"Wow, it's literally called Fire Burp? I was wondering what that was," Esther commented, scratching the back of her head.
"It isn't! It's a not a move or anything. Gah, just don't get used to it," Ruby blushed. "What's with the sudden praise after ripping into me, anyway? What's your point?"
"I'm trying to figure out what Shelly might do now. He knew all about this when he took on your training, and he must've known we'd get put in prison when we got here. The way he told us not to try and fight this one out, it tells me he's been plotting this confrontation the whole time," Azu explained.
"Well duh! He played us like a bunch of idiots!" Ruby cried.
"But he has a crush on Crystal, real enough to go through with your training. If he wanted to keep this place a secret, he'd have hidden us or tried to avoid going to this island," Azu began to mumble. "I'm hoping he has a way out of here, or this Shining Warrior journey's toast."
"You're saying to put faith in him," Crystal stated.
"Oh no, you're all toast," the Vileplume guard announced, getting their attention. She pointed up, and the group looked. "You see that glass cover? That's the same glass as you get on a magnifying glass. And what happens when you put a magnifying glass straight in the sunlight, hmm?"
Crystal tensed up. "It intensifies the light enough to burn things."
"Exactly. And lemme tell you, this: Van Aken's one of the hottest places in the world, close to the equator of our planet. In the morning, this prison will be like sitting in a flame," Vileplume explained. "You lasses are dead in the morning."
The group exchanged glances, and Azu tensed up. "If Shelly's got a plan, he'd better hurry."
"He darn well better!" Esther squealed, shaking her arms. "I kept quiet 'cos I thought it was saucy relationship stuff, but this is way more than that. We've gotta get a way outta here and like, now!"
The group was quiet, which only seemed to make her more nervous. "Erm, hello? Aren't you guys the Shining Warriors? You guys can do somethin' magical, right?"
"Did I just hear that right?" The Shining Warriors?" the Pikachu in the back finally got up. She walked over curiously, and then brightened up. "I should've noticed earlier. You've got amulets."
"Er, these are just an erm, family thing," Ruby replied.
This Pikachu was a little taller than Esther, and a slight bit more tanned, too. She wore a sea-themed pair of goggles and a scarf loosely around her neck, while a pair of watery bracelets adorned her arms. She brushed aside her scarf to reveal an amulet the same as Crystal and Ruby's, meeting their surprised gawks with a cocky smirk.
"The last Shining Warrior!" Crystal and Ruby gasped.
"After the Angel told me everything, I went ahead and hoped you guys would catchup to me. I didn't count on this, though," Pikachu snickered. "Er, I'm Brine. As in, my name's Brine. Nice to meet you."
"This isn't exactly a nice meeting. Sheesh, way to be an embarrassing first impression," Ruby groaned.
"You deserve it, after your rubbish," Crystal turned to her.
"I'm sorry, okay?" Ruby groaned.
"You're not. I know you're not!" Crystal raised her voice.
"Girls, please do not start arguing again. Listen. We need to focus on getting out of here. Don't worry, I'm not letting Ruby off the hook. But we can talk about this later," Azu intervened.
"Oh no, you guys can sort it now, if you want," Brine snickered. She began to mumble. "I already have a way out of here. We just need to wait a while, for the sun to set fully."
"You can't fill us in?" Azu muttered back.
"Think about it. They're grass types. This whole palace is a Greenhouse. They're at their weakest when it's dark," Brine explained.
The group looked up nosily, and Azu put a hand on her hip. "They have Pokémon for night watch, though. Vileplume thrive at night."
"They'll still be weaker," Brine said, flopping back into the corner. She tucked her arms behind her head. "We're not going to be fed or anything, so I'd relax how we can."
"The chill attitude doesn't fill me with confidence," Esther groaned. "I dunno about you, but I'm famished. How am I meant to relax on an empty stomach?"
"I really do apologise for this. As soon as we can leave you somewhere safe, we'll stop dragging you around with us. I promise," Azu sighed.
"You darn well better!" Esther cried. She stomped over to Brine and plonked herself down. "This stinks. This is worse than the ride across the desert."
There was a pause, and Azu kept playing with her hands. "Erm, that said, if you can cross the desert then we might need your help with that."
"Oh of course!" Esther cried.
"Your Highness?" Vileplume gasped, getting everyone's attention. Ruby was first to rush to the vines, and then growled when she realised it was Elise rather than Shelly. "You mustn't be here. You know how Her Highness Queen Gladys gets when you snoop around like this."
"I came to see the lasses. You know I'm super interested in this stuff," Elise replied cheerfully.
"Please, you really mustn't," A Whimsicott objected.
"If Mama's gonna keep me locked up like a Budew, then she's gonna have to come up with better ways to keep me entertained," Elise argued, ignoring the guards' nervousness. She went right up to the vines, peppy and smiling. It almost felt like she was mocking them with how nosy and carefree she was, swaying side to side.
"Wait, huh?" Azu whispered.
"They're all so different. You're so round and squishy! I guess kinda like Shelly," Elise laughed.
"Your Highness, please. You've had your fun now, yes?" Vileplume groaned.
"I'll have my fun when I say I've had my fun," Elise froze and clenched her fists.
"If Her Highness finds you down here, there will be trouble," Vileplume warned.
"And there'll be even more trouble for you if you tell her I was down here, won't there?" Elise put her hands on her hips and leaned toward them. "Stop being such a rotten onion. Geez, I haven't been here for more than a minute and you're on my case like! Can't you royal turds just grow a character and do something cool for a change?"
"Uh… whoa," Ruby commented as Elise began to rant. The guards didn't even get a chance to respond once, they just raised their arms in submission. "At least his wife's not a total dunce. Makes me wonder where he gets his rubbish from."
Crystal slapped her again, to which Azu palmed her face.
"She's got a point, though. Steenee's got quite a mouth on her," Esther giggled.
"So do you, apparently," Brine rolled her eyes.
"Now, will you do me a favour?" Elise asked. "Turn around for me, please."
"E-er, is this a game, your Highness? Please, I must get back to patrolling," Vileplume complained as she obeyed anyway.
"Don't worry, it'll be quick. Stay asleep for me," Elise instructed, drawing a sword. It looked as though she hit the Vileplume on the back with it, and they promptly flattened onto the ground. "And then, you let me borrow the keys."
"Princess!" The Whimsicott began before they were silenced, too. The group heard a slash, followed by Pokémon falling to the floor.
"Wait, did you just—" Azu gasped.
She and the group stepped away in alarm as Elise dug through Vileplume's armour, only to return with a odd gardening tool. Elise jammed the tool in between the vines locking them in and pulled the handles apart, which pulled the vines apart, too. Soon there was a gap wide enough for everyone to get through, so Elise stood aside and bowed to the group.
"You're… setting us free?" Ruby asked sceptically.
"Shelly's proposal. Plus, Mama may have problems, but I couldn't sit by and let the Shining Warriors die. You're meant to save the world, aren't you?" Elise answered. She started bouncing and clapping. "This is so exciting! Let's go and rescue the boys next!"
"You're a bit earlier than I expected. Aren't there going to be more guards?" Brine wondered.
"I already took care of it!" Elise nodded. "C'mon! Follow me."
What's going on? She's so cheerful, Ruby realised. She was last to follow.
"Oh wait, before we go on… so I don't fall asleep," Elise said as she cast an orb above her. The orb floated and released a sunny light directly over her, and it followed her perfectly. The dark colours of the night had already taken over most of the sky, so the orb's effect stood out. How it maintained a clear sparkle and didn't blind everyone, Ruby was amazed.
"A Sunny Orb?" Azu commented. She was bent over the guards, confirming they were only knocked out.
"Yeah. It does my Leaf Guard so I stay awake," Elise explained. She skipped ahead without a care in the world.
"That's a clever use of your ability," Ruby muttered.
"I don't get it… won't the light just draw everyone's attention to us? Why do you need it?" Esther asked.
"Grass type Pokémon are just like plants, right? They grow and stay healthy with light and water. I guess when it gets dark, most grass Pokémon go to sleep 'cos they don't get any energy," Ruby explained. "Leaf Guard is an ability that stops Pokémon from getting poisoned and stuff if it's super sunny. So if Elise has a Sunny Orb, she won't fall asleep."
Everyone stared at Ruby, jaw-dropped. "What? What'd I say now?"
"It's not that it's just… wow. That's exactly right, isn't it?" Crystal turned to Azu, who nodded. "How did you know that?"
"Oh so I'm not allowed to be smart anymore, huh? It's battle stuff, this is basic to me!" Ruby complained.
"I like you all already. You know about me, and I'm not even from your island! If only the Pokémon here felt the same," Elise said, and skipped ahead. Ruby was drawn to her carefree movements.
On closer inspection, Elise's current clothing was as well thought-out as that Sunny Orb. The Steenee wore a loose dress with a ruffled skirt short enough that it wasn't flowy around her waist – not that it could, with hips like hers. The bow on her back was ruffled too, hiding only a shield shaped like a scalchop. No matter where she looked, Ruby couldn't figure out where that sword had come from.
What's going on? I know she said she sorted it out, but there really aren't any guards around? Ruby realised, slowing down to look around. With the walls and ceiling being clear glass, the palace resembled a deep woodland she expected to have to fight to get through. However, even in the other rooms and hallways she could see in the distance, there were only sleeping Pokémon.
Could this girl be the real deal? It's gotta be some elaborate trap. There's no way an entire palace of Pokémon is just gone, Ruby thought. She slowed down and tensed up. "Girls."
"Ruby?" Crystal turned around and sighed. "What now? Can't you just—"
"Doesn't this seem super fishy? Like it's too easy. There's no way there aren't any guards around," Ruby warned.
"Why complain? The easier this is, the better," Esther remarked.
"Me and Shelly's retainer sorted it out for us. She's a big, round lass called Kusha," Elise answered.
"Kusha? Is Kusha a Wigglytuff?" Crystal leaned back.
"Uh huh! How'd you know? She's really big and strong. Stopping the guards is no problem for her," Elise giggled. "C'mon! It's this way. Down here."
"I did say he'd have a plan," Azu said with a smirk.
But then where is Shelly? Azu said to read between the lines but… I don't get it. How can a boy like Shelly have Pokémon like Elise and Kusha and be so… weak and pathetic? Ruby watched them all descend a straight staircase that led into a different section of the palace, just like the one they had come out of.
"Shh. Leave this next part to me," Elise instructed just as they reached the far end. The moment she pulled the curtains aside however, a round of arrows came through, and the group just about flinched out of the way.
"Whoa!" Esther gasped exaggeratedly.
"Your Highness, we'll protect you!" a pair of Decidueye announced, bows at the ready.
"Oh great. They saw us coming," Elise groaned. She did a quick spin to draw her sword from inside of her dress, and somehow tied her shield to her arm at the same time.
"Your Highness?" one of the Decidueye replied, and lowered her bow.
"Yeah uh, I don't need saving or anything. If you lasses could step aside an' like, forget you saw us, that'd be great," Elise requested.
"No can do, Your Highness. If you're on their side, this is an act of treason!" the Decidueye stated, and raised her bow again.
"So much for politics. Doesn't being princess mean anything?" Brine commented.
"I'll make this quick!" Ruby growled and flared her back.
"Ruby, wait! Leave this to us," Azu stood in her way. "If you use your fire here, you risk setting the entire island on fire. Let's avoid doing anything drastic."
"But they took our weapons. How else we supposed to fight?" Ruby objected.
"With me," Brine answered, stepping forward. "I don't have my weapon, but I don't need it cast some moves."
"Paws in the air. Your Highness, please step away!" Decidueye ordered. The duo quickly drew their arrows, forcing the group to pause. Brine slowly raised her paws, while the others surrendered right away.
"Wait, girls, you don't have to—" Elise cried.
"Just step aside, princess!" Decidueye shouted. Elise reluctantly obeyed, even dropping her sword.
"The order was to freeze. Don't mock us!" the other Decidueye snapped, drawing her arrow back further. It wasn't clear what aggravated her, but Brine was twinkling her fingers.
A moment later, the same Decidueye was distracted. The floor below her was wet. The moment she turned her head away, Brine flicked her whole hand, and a torrent of water erupted from below the grass type. They let out a gurgled scream as they went splat on the ceiling, squashed flat against it.
"What was that?" the first Decidueye gasped. She moved to attack, but Brine was already in the motion to unleash her magic again. With a spin into the raise of her other hand, another torrent of water shot the Decidueye up to the ceiling. Both grass types fell to the floor, knocked out.
"Wow… cool. You guys really do have magic powers," Esther remarked.
"No seriously, what the heck was that?" Ruby cried. "How did you do that?"
"It's a long story. We're better off going before they wake up, or any more guards come," Brine replied.
"But that's—" Ruby whispered.
"Psst Ruby, look at Azu," Crystal whispered too, pointing at her. The aqua bunny had the biggest smile she had ever seen, and it was only growing bigger. Her eyes were glistening brighter than a star, too.
"Uhh," Ruby leaned away.
"You're Undine, aren't you?" Azu asked.
Brine stopped in her tracks and twisted to face her. "You've heard the term before?"
Azu slapped her hands over her mouth, but even that failed to stifle the shrill squeal she made. "You're real. You're real, you're real, you're real! I read so much and I was super excited when I learnt about Ruby but this one's for sure. You're a Pikachu! With water powers! You really just did that!"
"I'm half-Undine, to be specific. The in-between nobody actually wants," Brine clarified.
"You're exactly what I want, actually. I'm in interested in both – how half-Undine came to be, and where the Undine are, if they still exist," Azu stated.
"Is this going to go into scientist talk?" Elise interrupted. "If so, can we save it until the morning? Shelly's waiting for us."
"Oh he is, is he?" Ruby opened her eyes.
"But we rescue the males, first. Down here!" Elise giggled as she skipped away.
"Don't worry. I don't plan to treat you like a lab-Rattata or something, but I do hope you'll indulge the many questions I have. I might be able to help you," Azu said quietly. Brine turned away sadly, and tightened her scarf.
"I wouldn't start counting your marbles yet. I'd be gone already if the Shining Warriors weren't here," Brine replied. Azu was surprised. "If I trusted everyone who said that kind of thing to me, who knows where I'd be. Nowhere nice, that's for sure."
"Oh," Azu slowed down. Brine didn't slow for her at all.
"Just down these stairs," Elise quietened down. A loud crash echoed from below, and just as she turned to the group in confusion, a Vileplume came flying through the door and into the stairs. "Eeek!"
"Whoa!" Crystal squeaked as well.
Ruby was first to move after a moment, and poked the Vileplume. There was no response. "They're out for the count."
Another crash got their attention, so the group exchanged glances and rushed inside, only to gasp. Lucca and Mimia were out of their prison cell, and had clearly dealt with the knocked out grass types scattered around the room. However, Kusha was there too, and everyone had their weapons.
"It's you, Miss Kusha!" Crystal said.
"Did you break them out? We weren't supposed to make too much noise," Elise whined.
"It's good that you're here. Plans changed," Kusha said hurriedly. She pushed past the group, signalling to lead the way.
"Wait huh? What's going on, Kusha?" Elise cried.
"Shelly's gone off on his own." Kusha alerted. "He said he wants to do one of the Shining Warrior trials on his own."
"What the- wait a minute, why would he?" Ruby gasped. "That's just dumb, we know how tough they are! How could he possibly think he could do one on his own?"
"I don't know. He made sure I couldn't follow him, but I'm worried. He said it was something about proving he was a man," Kusha sighed.
Ruby turned cold, and fell limp.