Japanese Title: Mystery Of The Moss Bogs! Odd Colored Pocket Monsters!
By: Kat of Pokemon: The Hokubu & Nanka Trek A/N: Be sure and read the Notes at the bottom! Important!
After Eevy had sent the letter she promised to Kayla, the group headed to Routes 60 and 61 and towards the dreaded Moss Bogs…
"Oh gross!" Yuu-Yuu shouted as she got to see the Moss Bogs, "That is absolutely disgusting!"
"Oh man that's nasty!" Mizu shrieked.
"Forget it! No way am I going in that gunk!" Medira stepped away.
"That is the most revolting glop I've ever seen," Eevy stated as she tipped one lip up.
"I rather like it," Sooney nodded and almost drooled, "This is the sole habitat of the Golden Muk. I must see it!"
Eevy made a face that was so odd it was indescribable, "What did you say?" she asked in an odd tone.
"I'm going in! Let's go!" Sooney raised one had above her head in the sign of victory and marched down the hill towards the Bog.
"She's insane. Absolutely insane," Medira shook her head, "There's no way I'm going in that gunky, gloopy, goby mess!"
"This is the only way to Hokubu from here. I'm with you, my friend!" Eevy hopped off the five foot drop and tromped along behind Sooney.
"They've both gone mad!" Yuu-Yuu held the sides of her head, "Utterly mad!"
"Ah! Oh gross man! Get off!" Mizu shook the Grimer from her ankle, "Oh gross! Oh gross! That's too nasty!"
"I think he likes you, Mizu," Eevy laughed from beside Sooney.
"Get it away from me!" Mizu ran off the edge and landed with a plunk in a pile of moss, "Oh man!"
Sooney laughed hysterically at her as she pried herself from the goo, "You should watch your step!"
"Shut up and help me!" Mizu whined as she tried desperately to get up, "It's like gum!"
"I'll help you, Mizu," Yuu-Yuu carefully slid down the bank and grabbed Mizu's wrists, "Ready? One, two, three! Um…Three! Three!"
Eevy held her breath to keep from bursting into laughter, "You two are pathetic. Don't you have any mussel at all?"
"I guess not," Yuu-Yuu strained as she yanked Mizu out, toppling backwards into Medira who had just stepped off the edge.
"Eww, eww, eww, eww! No!" Medira wailed as she toppled over to the ground, "Oh nasty!"
"You girls better get a life," someone said from their side, "If you don't you'll be in a lot of trouble."
"What do you want, Daemeon?" Eevy balled her fists, "Oh wait. Let me guess. You've come home for the weekend?"
"Funny. Actually, no. In all truthfulness, I've been stuck in this junk for two days. I'm knee-high in Muk slime."
"Too bad. You'll just have to stay here then, hmm?"
"No! Come on! Don't leave me here!"
"I've got to agree just this once," Medira pulled her moss covered head from the ground, "Not even he deserves this grody gook."
"I suppose not," Eevy spotted a pattern of rocks and made a break for it.
Each time she stepped on a stone, it would sink. Every time she stepped off, it would again emerge from the Bog beneath it. She was quick about it, knowing that if she stayed on one particular stone too long she'd sink along with it. When she reached Daemeon she found a sturdy stone and grabbed his wrists.
"If I had my choice," she said as she pulled, "I'd of left you here to rot. Be grateful to Medira."
"Yeah, whatever. Just get me out of here."
"I'm trying you stupid little toad!"
She finally pulled him free and toppled backwards. For some odd reason, she didn't hit the bog.
"I'm not letting you fall in! If I need help again, I want you around!" Daemeon pulled her shirt and stood her up, "Keep your balance!"
"I ought to push you back in," Eevy hissed at him, "But I won't. How do we get out of here, huh? You're related to all this goo, you should know."
"Shut up! I don't know anything about the Moss Bogs. I come from Rose Town, just like you. How you know so much about them, I may never know, but I don't know how to get out. If I did I would have been long gone by now."
"Great," Sooney interrupted everyone, "He's been here."
"What are you talking about, girl?" Mizu sat up.
"Look," Sooney pointed out a straight path of shining goo, "It's the Golden Muk. You can tell by the color of the tracks. They're fairly recent. With any luck, we may find him."
"Hold up!" Medira stood and spit out some more moss, "I'm not going any farther into this slop! Who knows what's out there!"
"Would you rather stay here and be stuck in this mess until someone comes and pries you out?" Eevy asked as she jumped to Sooney's side.
"Well…No. Wait for me!" Medira took off after them as the two of them walked away.
"Don't forget about us!" Mizu and Yuu-Yuu ran after them.
While attempting to follow them, Daemeon slipped and toppled backwards, planting his entire body in the sludge, "Help! Ms. Evangelina! Help me! I'm stuck again! Evangelina!"
*^~^**^~^*
"Where'd Daemeon go?" Yuu-Yuu looked around, "I haven't heard him shooting his mouth off since we first started walking."
"I don't know," Mizu turned and looked behind them at the now fogging Moss Bogs, "If he's back there he's gone for good."
"We can only hope," Medira said, prying her foot from the moss, "Are there still tracks up there Sooney?"
"Yeah, and they're really recent too. I mean really recent," Sooney watched her footing carefully.
"You know," Eevy said as she jumped from rock to rock, "this place is a blast when it's light out. The rock jumping here's great."
"You're a psycho," Medira shook her head.
"Pidgeo!" a Pidgeotto circled over head and spiraled down through the fog followed by another Pidgeotto of about the same size.
"Pidgeotto?" Yuu-Yuu questioned, "My dad said they steer clear of the Moss Bogs."
"They do," Mizu gulped.
One Pidgeotto flapped in front of Eevy and the other in front of Medira, "Pidgeo, pidgeo toe!"
"That is of no help, my feathered friend," Medira shook her head.
"Hold on. These are Pidgeotto from that bar code thing. See the scanners on their necks?" Eevy pointed out and scanned her Poke'Dex, "Thanks. Be careful and hurry up! This is a no-fly zone!"
Medira quickly scanned hers as well, "If it wasn't a no-fly zone I'd just get on Wind Dance. But no! It's only for mail delivering and wild Pokemon. Yadda, yadda, yadda!"
"What are they, Eevy?" Sooney asked as she saw the letter.
"Just some letters for us is all," Eevy stuffed it in her back pocket.
"We'll have to read them later," Medira regretted that but put hers in her pack.
"Let's go," Sooney marched forward.
"You said those tracks were recent, Sooney. As in how recent?" Mizu asked as she stumbled and quickly regained her balance.
"Just a few minutes," Sooney scared Mizu by saying that, "A half an hour tops."
"Oh," Mizu swallowed, "That's great."
"What's so great about a Muk anyway?" Yuu-Yuu stumbled up but grabbed a dead tree to stay up.
"What's so great about a Muk? What do you mean 'what's so great' about him?" Sooney flipped out, "The Golden Muk is the most magnificent Muk ever! It's colored just like gold! It's the most powerful Muk in Gertan Rin! No one's ever caught it but a few have seen it! I have to catch it or at least get a glimpse of it! It's one of my many dreams of being a Poison- type Mistress! I must see him! I must!"
"Geez, I was only asking," Yuu-Yuu leaned away.
"Look," Eevy pointed to the ground, "Those tracks are still steaming with Muk's sludge. It must have just been here."
"Oh. Lovely, joyous day," Mizu gagged.
"Every day's a joyous day if you're at a Pokemon Center," Yuu-Yuu wisecracked.
"Shut up, Yuu-Yuu. That was really bad," Medira shook her head, "Really bad."
The group kept walking and came to a fence, or what used to be a fence anyway. It had been snapped, or rather ripped apart. Each of the mangled ends was covered in Muk sludge, steaming hot and poisonous. Eevy and Sooney heard Mizu whimpered at the sight of that.
"What happened here?" Medira looked at the steaming, rotting fence.
"Looks like Muk didn't have exact change and busted his way through the toll plaza," Yuu-Yuu said as she turned up her lip, "It stinks."
"Wait!" Eevy stopped Sooney from crossing the fence, "Once we cross that gate, the first part of our Gertan Rin journey will be over!"
"What do you mean, Eevy?" Sooney asked, looking at her funny.
"That gate," she pointed to the fence and with every word shook her hand at it, "leads to Hokubu. The land of sharp cities and jagged towns. Over here on the side, we're in Nanka. The land of beautiful blossoms and sweet scents. Once we cross that border, we're in a totally different territory."
"She's right. Once we go over that fence, we'll be on totally new grounds with new trainers, new cities, and new routes. If we cross, we'll be in for one heck of a ride because the Gladiola River is under that Moss," Mizu said wearily.
"Should we?" Yuu-Yuu looked to Eevy for an answer.
"My dream. My dream is to be the Mistress of the Rainbow League. To do that, I have to get the twelve badges of Gertan Rin. Six of which come from Hokubu," Eevy surprised everyone with the seriousness in her tone as her head shot up, "We're going! I'm not stopping now! I will reach my destiny that was foretold to me by Raikou! I will beat the Elite and I will be among the best as the Grand Champion. Look out Rainbow League, we're on our way!"
"You've got it! Watch out Hokubu, we're coming!" Mizu lost all fear.
"We'll do it! We'll tear through the whole League together!" Yuu-Yuu walked up.
"As a team. We'll get through Taylor, and then all the opponents facing you!" Medira was raring to go now.
"All together, as a group. We'll get through this supposed great Hokubu as a team!" Sooney forgot the Muk for the moment.
"We'll beat them, because we're the best. The five representing trainers showing the best of the best of Nanka in the land of Hokubu. Let's do it!" Eevy marched over the fence.
The other four followed her, so full of themselves that they didn't notice how much more marshy the ground had gotten. The disappearance of the ground all together finally aroused their attention to the fact that they had just stopped on top of the moss that was merely floating on the surface of the Gladiola River. The camera men stood stunned as the group fell into the river in front of them.
"Oh gross," Medira moaned as the quintet fell into the mucky, gooey water and was swept down stream.
Muffled watery cries flew around as the group was sucked into the water. Eevy was thankful she had buried her letter deep in her pocket and hoped it would still be legible after this. She kept her hands covering her mouth as she was pulled faster and faster with the growing current. Sooney wished she hadn't dragged everyone on this stupid expedition in the first place. Yuu-Yuu flailed for her Seaking's Poke'Ball but couldn't get to it. Mizu was trying her best to ignore the pain of her arm which she believed to be broken. Medira pulled her knees to her chin with her pack in her lap, trying insanely to keep it with her even though everyone else was just letting theirs fly around. Eevy caught sight of an underwater tunnel to her left and flailed like crazy to reach it. She was lucky enough to get to it with enough pressure to pull herself over. She grabbed Sooney who grabbed Yuu-Yuu who caught Mizu who just barely snatched Medira. They were all losing air fast as Eevy pulled Sooney closer and grabbed each of her friends accordingly. Now that they were safe from the current, Eevy pulled off her pack and grabbed her mouth piece, putting it in her mouth and heaving a huge breath before handing it to Mizu and pulling out a spare. She motioned she was heading down the tunnel and to exchange that between the group for air. She slopped her bag down and swam for her life down the tunnel. She paddled faster than she had even at the race to FlyCatcher Isle, trying not to think about her friends sitting back there with nowhere to go. She caught a quick glimpse of light before the tunnel was flooded with the mud she was kicking and pushing up. She kept going in hopes of finding an end sooner or later. She finally broke the surface in a small tavern about half the size of the ice cave. Off of it was a tunnel covered in goo. Steaming golden goo. She breathed real air for a moment before turning and going back through the tunnel. She stopped at her friends' sides and motioned for one last huge breath and to follow. The others did reluctantly and left the air piece with Mizu since she looked hurt. They all filed down the tunnel with Medira last, pulling both her pack and Eevy's too. They hit the surface in the cave and coughed loudly, echoing around wildly.
"What a ride," Sooney flopped over on her back.
"I certainly hope it wasn't one way," Medira hacked up water.
"Where are we, Eevy?" Yuu-Yuu looked around.
"Why do you always ask me?" Eevy shook her head.
"You guys," Mizu stood up, "Can I get some help putting my arm back in the socket?"
"Are you sure that's all that's wrong?" Eevy stood up beside her.
"Yeah. It happens a lot. Just put your hand on my elbow and push."
"Oh yeck!" Eevy let go, "That was gross! I felt the bones pop together!"
"Yes, and thank you," Mizu laughed a little, "See?" she swung her arm, "Good as new."
"Yeah, whatever," Eevy shook her head and spotted Sooney examining the tunnel, "Anything interesting?"
"Yes. This is from the Golden Muk. I'm sure of it. It glows gold in just the right light. Eevy, I'm closer than ever before," Sooney looked to her friend, "Without your help I would never have gotten this close. Please," she took Eevy's hands, "help me find it. It would mean the world to me."
"Sooney, there's something up with you. Did you get into that Muk gunk?" Medira shook her head.
"No. The Golden Muk is said to bring luck to all who see it. It could help me be a Poison- type Mistress and Eevy to win the League. You to be a Gym Leader and the others to their dreams too."
"You're too superstitious, Sooney," Medira continued shaking her head, "There's no such thing as good or bad luck."
"Then why do you say good luck to Eevy every time she starts a match?"
"Um…well…force of habit. I got it from my mother. She was just as bad as you," Medira turned away.
"I'll help you, Sooney," Eevy agreed, "And when, not if, I become Champion, I'm going to dub you a Poison Mistress."
"You'd do that for me?"
"Sure. If you bring me luck, absolutely. Now, down this tunnel," Eevy pointed and started walking.
*^~^**^~^*
"Are you sure there's nothing wrong with you, Sooney?" Medira kept asking that as they continued down the tunnel.
"Yes I'm sure," Sooney laughed, "I'm just super psyched about being a Poison Mistress."
"Why did I go and promise her that?" Eevy asked Yuu-Yuu.
"Because you're an idiot and were acting on a spur of the moment basis," Yuu-Yuu nodded.
"Shut up."
"How much farther is the end?" Mizu asked, "The tunnel's getting smaller."
"It is not," Eevy commented, "It's the same size it was ten minutes ago and ten minutes before that when you asked."
"I hope you're right because I'm claustrophobic."
"Oh brother," Medira groaned and shook her head.
"Shh," Sooney stopped and smelled the air, "You smell that?"
Eevy breathed in, "No, Sooney, I don't."
"Neither do I," Yuu-Yuu shook her head.
"Not me," Mizu added.
"I don't," Medira kept trying to catch a sniff.
"What is it, Sooney?" Eevy looked at her friend as she continued smelling the air.
"It's the Golden Muk. I know that scent from all the goo we came in contact with. It's really faint though which means it's either been in a battle that wore down its poison smell or there's a really strong wind blowing from somewhere."
"I, for one, am hoping for the latter of the two," Mizu whined, "That would mean an exit."
"Come on. We've got to be close since the tracks are so new."
They ran down the tunnel, dodging piles of gold goo falling from the ceiling and oozing from the walls. Eevy jumped a huge puddle while Medira slid to avoid a slop flying from the ceiling.
"How could a Muk get this big? This tunnel is huge and not only is it on the floor but it's on the ceiling and walls too! There's no way it got that big!" Yuu-Yuu called as they ran.
"If it did, we'll be in such trouble," Mizu shook her head while running.
They finally reached the end, coming across something they never expected to see. Not a Golden Muk. Sooney was happier than ever, but everyone else looked as if to be sick.
"Everywhere," Eevy looked around blankly, "They're everywhere."
"What people have seen," Yuu-Yuu brushed the hair from her face, "wasn't a Golden Muk."
"But dozens of Golden Grimer piled together," Medira finished for her.
"They're like ants," Mizu commented, "That's how they spread their goo everywhere. They split up with some on the ceiling, some on each wall and some on the floor. I've never seen so many alternate color Pokemon in one spot before."
"Medira, give me my bag," Eevy reached back and grabbed her pack from Medira's hands, "Eusine will love me for this," she said as she pulled out her camera.
"No Eevy!" Sooney grabbed her wrist, "Please don't! You'll endanger them just like Eusine would have if he had taken that picture of Suicune! Don't do it!"
"Sooney, no one will ever come here," Eevy looked at her, "Besides, you wanted to catch it, so catch one or two or two dozen or however many you want."
"Don't you dare!" Sooney cracked Eevy across the face, "Don't you do it!"
"Sooney!" Mizu turned to her, "What are you doing? Why'd you hit her like that?"
"To knock some sense into me," Eevy blinked and put her camera away, "And she did a good job of it too. These Grimer may be gross but their gorgeous in their own special way. This many look disgusting, but do you realize just how cool this is? All these Grimer together. Breeding Golden Grimer after Golden Grimer. It'd be stupid to endanger this. I'm sorry Sooney."
"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have hit you. Friends?" she held out her hand.
"Friends," Eevy smirked and shook her hand, "Now how do we get out of here?"
"Grimer grime," something said from behind them.
"Oh gross. It's that Grimer that was on me before. What'd you want now?" Mizu snapped, "Oh woah! It's golden!"
"It is?" Sooney shoved over to it, "Cool. It is golden."
"My skin!" Medira suddenly freaked, "It's all weird colored!"
"It's gold," Eevy looked at her own arm and clothes, "We're covered in gold."
"There must be a special pigment released from the Moss on the river. When something goes in it gets colored gold. It comes off if you rub it. Since these Grimer live here in the water, they stay gold. If they were ever to leave, they'd go back to being that purple color. If you look back there, the sludge on the walls is turning purple while the dye wears off," Sooney looked at the Grimer, "That's really cool. Go ahead Eevy. Take that picture. Pro. Palm deserves to know about this. So does Pro. Pine."
"Snap away!" Mizu said as Eevy again took her camera.
"Smile for the camera!" Eevy took a picture of each and every Grimer, almost using up her film, "I've got one picture left. What should we use it for?"
"I've got an idea," Mizu looked at the Grimer to her feet, "Get your buddies over here and I'll give you a treat."
"Grimer grime," the Grimer squished over and attracted the attention of the others.
"What now?" Eevy asked as the Grimer piled around them.
"Here," Mizu took the camera and sat it on a rock, pressing the timer and running back, "Quick! Strike a pose!"
Eevy jumped into position with her feet set apart and her fists at her hips. She got an arm strung through each of her elbows, having Medira and Mizu hold her arms. Medira's other arm was over Sooney's shoulders and Mizu's was over Yuu-Yuu's. Eevy's smile grew as the camera flashed, capturing the five girls and a whole mess of golden Grimer. Eevy picked up her camera as the Grimer began leading them out to a tunnel none of them had noticed. The Grimer stopped at the sight of the light and took off down the tunnel, calling out their good byes as they ran. Eevy requested to be first out and pushed to the front, poking her head out and looking around.
"We're on the side of Route 79," she said down to them, "Literally right next to Javelin's entrance gate. You guys. We're past the Moss Bogs!"
"All thanks to those Grimer too. Who'd of thought?" Mizu commented as she followed everyone out of the tunnel and onto Route 79.
"Javelin Town," Eevy nodded, "Home of Professor Paulina Pine. We're finally in Hokubu," Eevy hardly noticed that cloak/cape feeling as she was getting used to it by now, "Let's go."
The group marched into the city, all smiling at their accomplishment. Medira stopped at an odd feeling on her arms, but passed it by as being the wind and continued walking. After the group reached the Pokemon Center, Eevy and Medira remembered their letters and pulled them out. Eevy's was kind of wet, but a lot drier than she would have expected. Medira's was a little drier than Eevy's. Both sat down to read, Eevy getting her Dragon Mail open first to find an Eon Mail inside…
~~~
Dearest Evangelina,
No more pink mail! Just kidding. Send what you like. I hope you made it through the Moss Bogs without trouble. I've heard they can be dangerous. I really hope you're all right. I'm glad you figured out the bar codes so soon. I knew you would. I trust you're having fun in Hokubu since I'm sure you won't read this until you're threw the Bogs. The first Gym is in Blade Town with a trainer named Konohana. Good luck with her. You should drop in on Pro. Pine before you do anything with the Gyms. That thing you said…You did mean it? I was hoping so. I'll keep it as quiet as you'd like. Just to let you know, you're the only thing on my mind any more and I miss you a horrid mess already. I've even been distracted from my usual training to think of you. Just thought you may like to know. I'll see you again soon.
Love, Not Afraid To Say It Anymore!,
Dragon
~~~
"He can be a real cavalier sometimes. I like him," Eevy said to no one in particular, "A lot."
Medira shook her head at the Rapidash envelope, "He's hooked," she said seeing the paper was Rapidash Mail as well…
~~~
Lovely Medira,
Sappy opening, I know, but I'm no good at openings…Or closings…Or anything in between. I'll bet you won't read this till you're in Javelin Town, so Happy Hokubu Days, I suppose. You'd better be careful, because I don't want to hear about five lady trainers getting into any kind of trouble. Sapphire's all pouty now, whining about Flamedance. Silly thing is right. You guys should take a break sometime. Walking all that time must get to you. That stuff you said when I was leaving…I'll keep it as quiet as you want me to. I get what you meant perfectly. I didn't want to tell you, but I'm glued to you. Silly obsession, I suppose, for most people, but not for me. For me it's like you're my only oxygen. Hey, I said something romantic for a change. Amazing. I'd love to see you again, but I don't know when. I've got to go now. Tell everyone hello for me.
Love, That Is SO True,
JP
~~~
"He's close to being cavalier," Medira laughed, "but he's trying too hard to get my attention. Shall we right them back?"
"Sure," Eevy walked over to the table and they again began grabbing at paper and envelopes.
*^~^**^~^*
In The Next Chronicle:
Pokemon Professor Pack
Notes
OK. This is complicated, so listen-er-read good. This chapter Golden Grime Time marks the end of the Nanka section of the fic. OK? Have we established a connection thus far? Good. OK. Now, the next chapter, chapter 32-Pokemon Professor Pack, WILL NOT be posted under The Angel Adventures-The Nanka Files!! Instead you'll want to read under The Angel Adventures-The Hokubu Records!! That will hold chapter 32, though it'll be marked as chapter 1...Hehe...You can find it either by searching for "hokubu" for the title, or search for "proeeveebreeder" as the author. Either way, you'll find it starting next week when I post the new chapter. Until then!
*^~^*Pro_V*^~^*
http://GertanRin.cjb.net/http://KawaiiRoketto.cjb.net/
http://SparkleSqueak.cjb.net/
http://www.rainflower.net/
Comments would be most appreciated! Please send them to:
proeeveebreeder@pokemonarena.net