The night was a restful one. By restful, I mean an explosion wouldn't wake me up. I was mentally exhausted as I had been planning my great lie through most of the day. I was also familiarizing myself with the inside while I was thinking so that only further aided in my mental fatigue. Physically I was beyond ready to collapse. How I hadn't was nothing short of a miracle but this body was still only a toddler's body, even if I was magically given the strength of a fairly thin adult male. It didn't have the stamina to push through an entire day without a nap. At least I spent my time wisely. I hoped was less likely to get lost in the building. I almost certainly still would get lost; I know I'm not the best at directions. Honestly, I was pretty bad, sometimes I even get left and right mixed up. However, I hoped I would be able to remember where things were. It shouldn't be too problematic, as the building place wasn't exactly a labyrinth. The town, on the other hand, was a much larger problem, in more ways than one. Dragonite had asked Even to show us around the town, which he reluctantly agreed to.
"It will be hard on my fur, but for the sake of the children, I must!" Even stated. The day was extremely hot. You could see the heat rising from the stone paths. Star didn't seem to mind much, but the rest of us were burning our feet. I knew Star was in a bit of pain, as he would occasionally wince and shift his feet somewhat. The heat was too much for us. Just as the five of us were going to complain, Even reached into his bag. That's when he pulled out several pairs of shoes. They weren't complex or colorful. The brown and grey shoes were quite ugly colored, but they would keep our feet from frying. We walked back into the guild to put the shoes on.
"I made these yesterday in anticipation of a day like this. Go ahead, try them on." He stated. Amazingly, they were a perfect fit. Even put his own pair on, apparently even his paws were burning on the rocks. Though, I suppose as a designer he'd want to make sure his paws stayed in top shape. His shoes were much more stylish, a clean white which accented the brown on his fur very well. It was a similar color to his mane, so it fits in well with everything.
"They fit perfect! Though I don' like the color." Nera stated, grabbing the toes of her shoes and waving them side to side. Even smiled, watching us stare at and inspect our shoes.
"I know, I fully apologize for that. I made these in a rush yesterday. I'll have some better ones soon, don't you worry." Even stated, smiling and bowing slightly. The craftsmanship was staggering. Each stitch was well placed, hidden if possible. In areas where the stitching wasn't possible to hide, it was used to add to the design. It looked beyond outstanding. I'd even say it was a work of art. If these were made in a rush, I could only imagine what he could do given more time.
"Thank you." The four of them said almost in unison, bowing slightly.
"Uh, yeah. Thanks!" I cheered, giving a big smile and jumping slightly. The others glared at me and my apparent disrespectfulness, but Even simply laughed. Apparently, my cheerfulness was exceedingly adorable to everyone. I was a small black fox, smaller than even the relatively small brown fox-cat-bunny named Even, so I hoped I was adorable. I know my human mind found every single one of my new friends extremely cute. On my first night at the orphanage, I had to stop myself from squealing at the absolute cuteness of Nera curled up and snorting in her sleep.
When one of them passed gas soon after I had to leave so I didn't wake them up from my laughter. I don't know which one it was, but I had to leave for several minutes and wander the main room. Marrowak apparently heard the door opening, but I was able to explain how one of them farted and I found it funny, but I didn't want to wake them up. She complimented me on being considerate and rocked me into a relaxed state where I was able to fall asleep. I briefly wondered how Marrowak was doing. All the kids she was looking after had suddenly been adopted,. I hoped she wasn't lonely.
"Okay? Ready?" Even wondered. I shook my head, realizing where I was again. I had gotten lost in thought, I forgot we were supposed to be learning about the city. Even began showing the five of us around the town while Ayrill was figuring out the final piece of the riddle. Exiting the guild, we began traveling to the right. The city wasn't too busy at the time, luckily. After a short while, we stopped in a large main square. This place was slightly busier than the other streets. We had stopped in front of a large green building. Pokémon of various kinds raced from place to place, some of them stopping at this building. Someone pulled out some money and bought a few things before rushing off somewhere, the transaction only lasting a couple of seconds. If only people were so quick and certain about what they wanted back home, it would have made my job several times easier.
"This is the Kecleon Shop. This is a general store; you can buy supplies for exploring here. Don't you worry your adorable little faces about this too much, you'll not be exploring much on your own. Not without supervision, anyway. We'll handle the supplies until you grow old enough to travel on your own. By then it'll be much easier to understand." Even looked at us and nodded when he felt we understood. Heading south from there and passing what looked like a grizzly bear, we walked to a brown building. It was shaped like a monster, for lack of a better word. The structure was based on a creature which was standing on the inside The Pokémon in it had a kangaroo pouch with a small blue creature resting in it. It looked tired in the heat. They had what looked like a brown helmet on, or something similar.
"This is Kangaskhan Storage. She and her sister run the Café in town as well. Somedays she's here, somedays her sister takes over. They manage large items that don't it in a deposit box, like furniture. Don't worry much about this building, just remember they run the Café as you'll probably head there eventually. They're an absolutely wonderful duo, as caring as can be!" Even cheerfully stated. Directly east from there was a strange pink building. It was round with triangular ears near the top
"This is Jigglypuff's Link Shop. Her singing can mysteriously link moves together. What is linking you ask? Complicated, that's what it is. I don't fully understand how it works, either. Just know it's here for now and don't bother with it until you're older if you ever want or need to use it. Though, she also offers massages. Her hands are a gift from the heavens! When you're older and come back from a grueling journey, she can help you recover even from the longest and roughest of trips." Even gesturing wildly, clearly having had great memories while at the masseuse.
I was a bit surprised that Even let anyone but his partner touch his fur. When I asked if I could feel his fur, he said no. Though, he did offer tips to get the most luscious fur I could, which was appreciated. Bathing tips in general are quite useful since I not only didn't know how to wash all this extremely thick fluff, but I was likely going to get a long bath after today. All of us were. Somehow I was both not looking forward to the experience and still excited to see what it would be like. North from there, a weird purple building stood. The eyes looked like gems, and the body was fairly lanky.
"This is the Sableye Jeweler. Explorers sometimes go here to have accessories enchanted. Don't worry too much, you'll have more use when you're a proper team. Sableye really likes her gems, and I can't blame her. She's married to Cofagrigus. We will meet him very soon." Even stated, shrugging. Further eastward we went to a building shaped like a large golden sarcophagus embroidered with a coppery green headpiece.
"This is the Cofagrigus Treasury. Find gold, get items. He really likes gold and is willing to trade gold bars for items. You won't likely have much to do with him for quite a while. He's sometimes a bit mischievous, and occasionally scary, but he's a good Pokémon, I promise you with all my heart. He's quite doting on his wife, Sableye. She may be the only thing he loves more than gold" Even stated, doing an approximation of putting his hand over his heart. Cofagrigus gave a big, toothy smile at us. The others seemed scared, but I simply smiled back. Once again, eastwardly we traversed. A purple building shaped like a monkey stood out.
"Aipom lockpicks. Sometimes you can find treasure chest when out exploring." Even stated, quieting to let the others be in awe.
"Really! So cool!" Nera shouted. Her paws were clenched, held tight to her chest. I swear her eyes were literally sparkling. All their eyes seemed to sparkle. Everyone was in awe of this revelation. Even Star had a smile on his face. I was smiling as well, but mostly because I found their glee adorable. However, I had something to ask, so I tilted my head.
"There must be a lot of treasure?" I wondered. Even nodded.
"Enough to make a profitable job out of it. Just give Aipom the chest and money and he'll unlock it. He's also unlocked the guild for us when Rhett locked everyone out. Twice." Even stated, smiling. We all giggled.
"Finally, we'll head to the Café. We can stop in there and cool off. I will even let you order a drink. This heat isn't kind to my fur and is even worse on my body underneath. This way, kids. Don't get lost." Even stated. He trotted forward happily a short distance forward. Suddenly the crowd began to get bigger as several Pokémon exited buildings everywhere. Judging by the time, it was lunch break. Doing our best to keep up, we passed by a notably large building. A large sign was out front. I don't know what it said, but the building was several stories tall. I assumed it was an office building of some kind, judging by size and the number of Pokémon exiting it. I was heading off when I noticed the others were not following.
They stared up at the buildings which loomed over them. They clearly hadn't ever seen such a tall building before. I looked back towards Even. I was losing him in the crowd, but I couldn't leave the others, either. As small as this town was comparingly to cities back home, it was busy enough with a few ten feet tall creatures and numerous other smaller ones all rushing around for lunch. I stared at my friends, and back towards Even. Even had disappeared into the crowd. I sighed. I looked towards my friends, who had disappeared as well.
"Uh-oh." I mumbled. I looked around in mild panic before taking a breath. They were kids in a world that seemed to run on cheesy cartoon logic. They'd be fine. They would probably go to some random shop and meet some weird shopkeeper and they'd get some cool stuff like magic powers or something similar.
"Ok, now I need to find them." I mumbled. If a weird magical divine entity gave them superpowers, then I really wanted some, too. I imagine most people would, given the opportunity. Thus, I wandered, trying to find my lost companions. A town such as this one wasn't too difficult to navigate for my adult brain, but I still ended up getting lost. The roads seemed weren't even labeled. I'd have to figure out where I was by memorizing places rather than street names. That wasn't a problem, it's how I normally navigated my hometown. However, that takes time, and I hadn't memorized anything at that moment. I sat down on the side of one of the roads. The number of Pokémon were thinning, but there were still a few of them. How they hadn't noticed the tired toddler sitting on the roadside I don't know. It was incredibly hot out, and I was panting in exhaustion. I was also sweating, so my black fur was hot, wet, and only getting heavier as more sweat built up.
"This is why animals with fur don't sweat. Why is this body able to do this? It makes no sense from a survival standpoint. It's like whoever made it was like 'Oh this is neat, weird and absolutely useless, let's add it in!' It's like a platypus glowing under UV light. Ugh, why. Anyway, I need to think of a new plan. I can walk into any building and act innocent, maybe cry. No one would ignore that, I think. I hope, anyway. I wouldn't ignore it. Where to go, though?" I wordlessly wondered. There were numerous buildings towering over my head. Any of them may have worked, but I continued looking around.
"Hmm. Left? Right? Up? Up't the sky then. Yaaay." I stated, intentionally loudly and weirdly. I wearily wobbled forward. If no one noticed a mumbling, lost, exhausted, and delirious child wandering into and through a building, then I don't know this world like I thought. I swung the door open through a conveniently positioned handle. The door had three handles, one for quadrupedal forms closer to the ground, one for bipedal with hands, and one for something tall. I almost wanted to know what creature would use that tall one, but the handle at the top didn't appear to be used all that often. I doubted I would see that type of creature in the shop. A bell at the entrance rang out in a cheerful and fun ring.
The building I entered was a strange shop. I wandered to the counter in the back, passing several tables lined up. They were loaded with objects of various kinds. One table appeared to have severed body parts, some seemingly empty jars, and various herbs and plants. Another table had several rocks, some translucent, others polished. Strange liquids with equally strange labels were placed on a higher shelf out of reach on shelves lining the walls. The building was dark, only lit up by the light from the sun shining through the window in the front.
"Okay, I know I said the others might be getting superpowers, but I'm the one who wandered into a shop of oddities. I guess that means I'm the one getting powers, maybe? I guess I got my cliché's mixed up. I'll need to pay better attention. Anyway, I wonder what's going on." I silently questioned. The place was extremely creepy, but I took a breath and hoped to get someone's attention.
"H-hello?" I questioned. There was no response. I shrugged. I wasn't too surprised. The place was a creepy shop of oddness, so I knew the moment I investigated something some weird old man will come out from the back. Looking around the room, I found the perfect object. I walked over to a strange metal statue, investigating it closely. It looked like a rhino, but on two legs. It clearly had a drill for a horn, or maybe that was the joke? A metal bipedal rhino with an actual drill for a horn? I had a feeling it looked something like that, however. I wasn't sure, all I knew is I had to touch it. This would get that weird person's attention, if I had to guess. Reaching my paw forward, I was inches from touching the statue when I heard a voice cry out.
"Stop! Didn't your parents ever tell you not to touch things that don't belong to you?" It stated. I turned and saw a strange creature. Bipedal, carrying to spoons, and yellow. It had a mustache which bobbed and flowed in a nonexistent breeze.
"Uh? Oh. Sorry. I'm lost." I responded, looking towards the floor.
"I can see that. Look, this is no place for a kid, okay?" He responded. I looked at him with sad eyes. Sweat dripped from my face and jaws. I looked like a complete mess; I was certain. I hoped I looked worse than I felt, because I was giving my best lost puppy face. My lower lip quivered lightly; my eyes watered from the sweat.
"Don't give me that look. I understand you're lost. Turn left and keep walking. You'll pass right by the police station; they'll help you there." He stated, walking back. I closed my eyes and thought for a moment. How do I get this guy to talk?
"This place is cool." I stated. He halted for a moment before continuing towards the back. Didn't work, then.
"What is this place?" I asked. He sighed, stopping at the doorway into the back.
"Just go." He pleaded, not turning around. He walked away. I felt like I blew it, but I also knew I might not have. I just had to figure out something. What was something I could do? I stood there for several seconds and thought.
"If there's an artifact around, then I can mess with it. Let's see if I can get the plot going that way." I thought. I closed my eyes and felt around, doing my best to open my heart to whatever magical power I could. As expected, a strange feeling washed over me. I opened my eyes and began to walk forward, letting my legs move me. Walking to a corner, I was standing in front of a small display of charms, necklaces, bandana's and more. I kept my eyes open and let myself feel what to touch. This was either going to give me superpowers or unleash a demon. There was no in-between in this world. Either way, life was going to be far more interesting. than ever before. Reaching out, I felt my hand touch a bandana of some kind. It was a plain green bandana, no design, no other features. It was cloth, soft like cotton, softer even. It seemed completely normal in every way at first glance. When I touched it, however, a weird feeling coursed through me. I grabbed the bandana, inspecting it closely.
"I told you not to touch anything." A voice rang from behind. I jumped. I should have expected that, but my mind was too preoccupied trying to figure out what I had to do to kickstart the adventure.
"S-sorry, I- uh. I saw a thing. No, I felt a thing. You know what I mean? I just felt it, I don't know. Is this thing magic?" I asked rapidly. The yellow mustache creature sighed, his arms resting at his side. He walked over and took the bandana from me.
"Hey!" I shouted. My shouts were ignored.
"This is an extremely powerful artifact from a world beyond comprehension. A world of magic and magical creatures. The fact it called out to you can't be mere coincidence." He stated. He tied the bandana around my neck. I felt a strange power surge through me.
"This bandana was forged by gods of magic in realms far beyond imagination. Now that magic is a part of you. A strange destiny awaits you, Zorua. Or should I say, human." The mustached creature stated. I jerked my head back.
"How long have you known?" I wondered. He quietly laughed.
"This world is quite predictable, making it easy to lie in. However, while your deception skills are more than enough to trick the inhabitants here, they aren't good enough to fool me." The creature stated, smiling.
"Wait. This world? You're from another world! Like me, I guess." I responded, tilting my head from side to side. The creature rubbed my head, scratching behind my ears. It felt amazingly good.
"Yes, I am. I've been to many different worlds, many different places that even you, as a human with a creative mind, would struggle to comprehend. If you have ever heard of H.P. Lovecraft, then you can partly imagine some of the things I have seen." Mustache stated. Lost in the bliss of having my ears scratched, I almost failed to hear what he said.
"Who are you? I'm Jay, or Jake, rather. Jay the Zorua and Jacob, the human mind in the body of a Zorua" I responded, mumbling in a blissful trance. It was no wonder dogs and cats liked to be petted, it felt amazing.
"You can call me Arthur. Arthur the Alakazam, currently." Arthur stated. The Alakazam stopped scratching my ears and I shook my head, freed from the blissful fog.
"Like King Arthur?" I wondered. He quietly chuckled. He took a step back and clanged his spoons together, combining them into one. The sounds of the spoons rang loudly and clearly in a beautiful single tone. The spoon began to grow. The head grew straight, gaining a sharp edge and a point. The handle extended, gaining a light brown leather grip. The sword had grown into a silver sword, glowing with a golden magical power. Without any doubt in my mind, it was Excalibur. The Alakazam heaved the sword onto his shoulder. My eyes went wide, and I staggered backwards, stumbling into a table before I sat on the ground. Of all the people I thought I was going to meet King Arthur was not on that list. He smiled once again. The sword let out a white light before splitting into two spoons again.
"Uh. O-Okay? I-I'm not good with formalities, so I'm, uh, I. Well, uh, sorry in advance?" I stated, raising my voice into a question. He heartily laughed and patted my head gently. It felt nice.
"Don't worry about that, I know in your heart you mean well." He responded.
"Really? Magic, I guess." I responded, staring towards the ceiling. He smiled, pointing towards the top of the door. I looked towards where he was pointing, remembering the bell.
"That bell reveals the soul of all who enter. Your childlike soul rang out for me to hear. You understood your world wasn't always nice, but you never forgot how to relax and have a bit of childish fun. You kept some excitement and innocence from your childhood, not due to the harshness, but because the world was harsh. You refused to let how bad things were stop you from smiling and enjoying yourself when you could. Perhaps a bit too much, however. Still, you did your best, and that matters. That's what that bell told me." He stated definitively. He was right, I always was quite silly and weird. I never really cared much about how I looked or smelled. I was a bit too childish in that department, and perhaps in many others. Still, I knew how boring it would be if I didn't try to relax and have fun sometimes. All work and no play make Jake a dull boy, but I certainly could have played a lot less, to be fair.
"I... see. Okay. So, what now?" I wondered. Arthur summoned Excalibur once again, putting the blade onto my shoulder.
"Will you promise to care for this world with all of your heart and soul? To uphold the peace, and do what is right, no matter how difficult?" He asked. I blinked. Was I being knighted? Could he do that, well obviously yes. He was a king, after all.
"Yes." I stated, taking a deep breath.
"I would do anything for the adventure, helping others, saving the world, whatever. As long as I have my friends by my side, I won't ever fail." I stated, looking into his eyes. I tried my best to have a serious expression, but my giddiness was too much, and a big smile breached my lips.
"You truly trust them, don't you?" He stated. He was smiling. I nodded. I jerked slightly as I realized that. I had just met most of these guys, but I trusted them enough to call them friends, to go with them even when I was in a vulnerable position.
"In most worlds, this amount of trust would be a blessing and a flaw. However, it's that trusting nature that will do you well in this world. Never forget that and never lose sight of that. With the mortal privileges bestowed upon me by birthright and conquest. By the powers bestowed from god's grace and the divine powers within this world, I name thee Chosen Protector of the World of Pokémon. " He stated. The sword glowed a silver light before he lifted it up. I was smiling widely. My face was beginning to cramp.
"So, what does this bandana do?" I asked.
"It will give a boost in you and your allies' capabilities for a limited time, but not yet. You will know when it will work. Oh, and make sure you and your friends don't miss the boat." He stated. The door opened, and he gestured towards it.
"Don't let them miss the boat, got it. Wait, will I ever meet you again?" I asked. He smiled, letting out a small laugh. He rubbed my ears gently for a few seconds. It made me happy.
"Perhaps. Even I don't know what fate will bring. It's a mystery. Besides, isn't it more fun when you don't know?" He asked, tilting his head and smiling. I laughed.
"Yeah, but also no. It's weird, but so am I." I responded. We laughed quietly.
"There's comfort in knowing your fate, I agree. You'll do fine as long as you remember what I have told you." He stated. I nodded with a smile. I began to exit. I turned one last time at the interesting things on the table, waving goodbye to Arthur. He waved back, smiling. I turned around and exited the building. The heat again returned after having been absent for the past several minutes. The crowd had dispersed a lot.
"Hey! There you are!" A voice called out. I turned towards it and noticed Even running towards me, the others close behind.
"Hi!" I shouted. His fur was soaking wet with sweat. He looked angry and somewhat scared, worried.
"Do you- huah. Ugh, do you. Know. How. Long. I have. Been. Looking!" He shouted, panting between each word. I tilted my head.
"No?" I wondered.
"You- ugh. Don't ever do that again, do you hear me? Ever." He growled, enunciating the syllables of the last 'ever'. He looked angry. I shook my head.
"What, it's not like anything bad happened," I stated. I started out sounding innocent but faded it into something less cutesy. Even growled again.
"Do you even know how dangerous that is? You could have been kidnapped." Even stated. I shook my head.
"I understand, I know to not trust strangers," I said.
"Yeah, then where did you get that from? Even questioned, pointing towards the green bandana. I looked to the floor, chuckling slightly in embarrassment.
"Oh, uh. I stand by what I said. I know to not trust random strangers. Jay on the other hand is a bit naïve. If someone had tried anything dangerous, I was ready to step in and scream. He's always got adult supervision, technically." I said. I rubbed the back of my head, trying to seem embarrassed. Even sighed.
"That's still dangerous. Your body isn't as strong as an adult's. Well, it's certainly stronger than what it should be, but it isn't nearly strong enough for you to travel on your own. Stick with me and your friends next time, okay?" Even questioned. He was an exasperated, perspiring Eevee, something internally I found amusing. I nodded, and he sighed.
"As long as you understand, then okay." Even stated. I turned around for a moment, noting the completely empty space there.
"The shop that never was. Alright, then." I thought, jerking my head to the side in a weird gesture of understanding. I knew to not trust strangers, but I also didn't really care all that much. I think I'll trust the word of King Arthur over some random fox-bunny I just met a few days previously. The six of us made our way back to the guild.
"How's your fur feeling?" I asked Even.
"Sweaty and gross." He replied bluntly. He was clearly not happy still.
"If it's any consolation, I'm sorry about this, and I'm certain Jay is as well." I stated. I honestly did feel bad, it must have been extremely exhausting to run around with his as thick of fur like his.
Even shook his body, shaking sweat everywhere. He didn't even look towards me. However, I got the message, so I remained quiet for the rest of the trip.
My head was dizzy, still a bit groggy from the nap. I stretched my limbs, looking towards the others. They had apparently woken up before I had and were missing. I couldn't have been asleep for more than a few minutes. I wandered out of my room, noting the gathering of the adults, minus Even.
"Hey." I stated. Some of the adults turned their heads towards my general direction but overall they remained speaking.
"So, you think it's there, then?" Dragonite asked, looking towards Azumarill.
"I'm positive." She reaffirmed. Dragonite nodded.
"Then we should head out as soon as possible. Even and Rhett will stay behind. Manny, can you head out and prepare the airship?" Dragonite stated. That got my attention, recalling what Arthur stated.
"R-right away, sir." Manny stated, flying off at astounding speed.
"Hey, where are you going?" I wondered. Dragonite turned towards me, smiling.
"Don't worry, we'll handle it. You go play with the others in the pool, okay?" He stated. He didn't answer my question. I gave a quiet "hmm" and wandered to the pool. The four were sitting near the poolside, failing to look inconspicuous. I think Ray was trying to whistle. I sighed.
"You want to know where they're going, don't you?" I asked. They all turned towards me, looking to the ground.
"Well, we'll have to sneak on, then." I said. The others jerked back, surprised by my sudden statement.
"But that's wrong. We were told not to go." Ray stated. I shook my head.
"I was told to not worry about it. I wasn't told I couldn't or shouldn't go, and I assume it was similar for you." I responded. The others looked at each other, clearly thinking about it.
"But we don't have adult supervision, Jay." Nera said.
"Jay? No, Jake. And I am an adult, technically." I responded, smiling mischievously. The others looked at each other. Soon, both Ray and Star stood up.
"If this goes wrong, I will take the blame, I promise." I stated, holding my paw to my chest. Star had a sinister grin on his face.
"I think I like you, Jake." He stated. I laughed slightly.
Ray nodded, stating "There's so much I want to see, even if I have to be a rebel to do it." The others looked at Ray like he had gone mad. Ray was always the calmest and typically the most respectful, but I guess even he was too curious about this.
"I must admit, I cannot contain my own curiosity." ² stated. Nera rubbed her foot into the ground, sighing.
"I don' wanna be trouble, but I want ta see, too." Nera responded, placing her hands behind the back and looking towards the floor. I smiled.
"Then, let's head off, quickly." I responded. We left the pool, seeing Cole having just exited. I gestured to my friends to slow, and we carefully followed the Treecko up. Down the hall, to the library, and up to the right balcony, from a safe distance we followed. On the balcony, a door I noticed but could never manage to open, was somehow open. Gesturing to my friends, we rushed towards the open door. Two crates along the left wall provided cover as we overheard a conversation.
"Okay, seal the doors." I heard. The door behind us slammed shut with a magical force, startling us. Luckily the sound of the door silenced the gasp. There was no going back.
"How are things looking?" Dragonite wondered. A voice could be heard, but no words were distinct enough to hear. Dragonite seemed pleased, however.
"Alright, good." He stated. I turned towards the others. I had an idea.
"Trust me?" I asked. The others looked at each other, then back at me. They nodded, even Star.
"Stick near me." I responded. Taking a deep breath, I concentrated on making a large enough illusion to render us invisible. A strange translucent bubble surrounded us, and I knew it had worked. We began to walk out. The others held their breath, but none of the adults noticed us. The airship was a large golden-yellow metal gondola that had eight large purple hot air balloons with eyes and a yellow X on their faces on top, and two propellers in the back. We wandered into the open door, carefully squeezing past Azumarill and Cole.
Dragonite walked in, nodding before stating "We're good to go." The entire vessel jerked as the propellers in the back began to stir to life. The five of us would have let out a little gasp if we hadn't already been holding our breath. The vessel lurched and swung before it began to float. Slowly at first, but quickly our height and speed gained. Everyone sat down on the benches lining the walls. Some stared towards the floor, others out the window. Ayrill was looking out the window.
"We're traveling a bit slower than normal." She stated. That got me worried for a moment. Was our combined weight really that noticeable? Squared wasn't even touching the ground! Or did he still affect it, anyway? I had no idea if he was using electromagnetic waves to push off the ground or if he had some weird anti-gravity mechanism in him. I really needed to ask him sometime.
"I'll make sure Dragonite eats a light meal next time." Dilen stated, not looking towards the others. Everyone lightly chuckled at this, even Dragonite. I mentally let out a sigh. The trip was mostly in silence after that. An hour had passed before we felt the craft slightly shake, slowing down. I couldn't get a good look out of the windows, but I could tell we were slowly heading down by the feeling in my stomach. A few minutes passed and we landed, the doors sliding open as the group slowly exited. We exited swiftly behind Argonil, who was the last to leave.
"Okay, remember the plan. We need to find the four pieces of power. Manny, go contact the local guild and see what they've learned in the meantime." Dragonite commanded. Manny nodded, flying eastward and disappearing behind some trees.
"Four pieces of power? Must be about the stone tablet. 'Where the land meets the sea' or something, it said, didn't it? I suppose a beach qualifies." I thought.
"We'll investigate the dungeon when they get back. Until then none of us will go in, alright?" Dragonite asked. The others gave a few nods and statements of affirmation. I looked towards my friends, gesturing them towards the cave. They looked at me like I was insane. I looked towards the cave, and back at them, with as serious of an expression as I could manage at the time. They looked at each other, and back at me. I had begun to walk away. Their eyes went wide as they raced to catch up. The entrance to the cave was dark and wet. It certainly was a cave by the beach. With little hesitation, the four of us walked into the cave. A strange feeling washed over me as I realized the four of us were standing inside of a large, empty room. My illusion had dropped as well. The cave was damp. The rocky blue walls towered above us as water pooled at our feet. The uneven ground caused small pools of water around. Near the walls the water was much deeper than that. If I were taller, the water would barely be a small puddle, but as it was it went up to my ankle. Star looked down lifting one foot out of the water. He was clearly uncomfortable with the water.
"This is a mystery dungeon!" Ray shouted. I heard Dragonite mention a dungeon, but what this was I wasn't sure, so I asked.
"It's a dangerous place where Pokémon are wild and attack others. They're incredibly dangerous places but are also full of treasure and secrets. Their layout also always changes, whatever that means." Ray explained.
"So, you're saying we should stick together, then?" I questioned. Ray nodded.
"Can you lead the way, since you know more about this?" I asked. Ray shook his head. He was clearly on edge, waiting for something to attack us.
"Okay, then I guess I'll-" I was interrupted before I could finish.
"Hey, who said you could be leader?" Star questioned.
"Technically I'm the oldest, and I'm the second smartest one here. Squared is clearly to nervous to lead, and Nera, well, she'd try, at least. I don't think she'd do good under these circumstances." I responded.
"What about me, then?" Star grumbled. I sighed.
"You're a bit rough. Right now, we need someone calm and careful to guide us. You're a bit too much." I said.
"Am not!" He growled. I shrugged.
"Arguing will get us nowhere." I responded, beginning to walk away. Star growled, throwing a punch towards me. I stepped out of the way, easily avoiding the weak punch.
"Argh! I'll show you I can lead!" Star growled, running off down a dark corridor.
"Wait! Stop! Agh, Idiot!" I shouted.
"Nera, Squared, Ray, quickly!" I shouted. We ran down the wet, dark halls, not seeing anything dangerous yet. We rushed into a large, open room. A strange set of stairs were in the middle of the room. I looked towards Ray, who shrugged. Walking down the stairs, a mild bit of vertigo washed over us as we found ourselves in another room. A mild sense of vertigo washed over me, but only due to the sudden, harsh change which had just happened in front of me.
A single path from the south was our only exit, but first I walked over to an Oran berry on the far side of the wall. I'd heard about their amazing healing properties. If we needed healing, we'd have one. At our current strengths, this would likely be a full heal for us as well. Walking south, we passed a strange tile in the ground with a green arrow. I looked at Ray, who could only shrug once again. Squared gave it a thorough look.
"I believe it's called a 'wonder tile'. If your stats are changed you can fix it. If you have had your defense lowered, this can reset it. However, raised stats also return to normal as well." Squared stated. I nodded. I wasn't sure what 'stats' were, but it seemed like something to remember.
Through the corridor, a strange seed shaped like a flame lied next to where we had exited. Picking it up, I handed it to Ray. He shook head, clearly unsure as to what this was.
"It seems to be a blast seed. Dungeon items are not my area of expertise. If eaten or thrown, it creates an explosion, damaging the target. If eaten it can be guided from the mouth, exploding outward and injuring a target in front of you." Squared stated.
"Thanks." I stated. Squared bobbed up and down, happily. To the east, it was another corridor which we took. At the end of the corridor was a large, mostly empty room. Aside from a single set of stairs, a single seed laid in the corner. Picking it up, it looked familiar. I turned to my allies for information.
"It's a sleep seed. It puts things to sleep." Ray stated. I handed it to squared, who used a bit of psychic power to keep it nearby. Down the stairs, another Oran berry waited. I handed it to Nera. Two full heals was better than one, I knew. The left seemed to end in a dead end, but the right was another pathway. Down the path, we entered another room where we saw a familiar face.
"Star!" I shouted. His head turned towards me but refocused on the small blue sea slug with yellow trimmed finlike structures on its back. The slug dug into the ground slightly, launching a glob of mud. The mud traveled quickly, hitting Star directly in the face. He wiped the mud away as best as he could, but clearly couldn't see well enough.
"No!" I shouted. We ran towards him, and the slug launched another chunk of mud. Star staggered backwards. Star glowed a strange blue and lifted a nearby rock, chucking it towards the slug. However, it sailed over his foe's head. He could take one more hit like that, I could tell, however at the rate he was getting hurt we wouldn't reach him in time. Another slap of mud and Star fell backwards.
"Star, turn to me! Trust me!" I shouted. I had a weird idea, but no clue as to if I could do it. Star weakly turned his head to me. Taking a quick breath, I held it in, aimed, and threw the berry I had. The berry somehow whistled through the air, turning several times. Time felt like it froze as the four of us ran forward. Against all odds, my aim was true, and the berry surged into Star's throat. He swallowed it, coughing as he did. The small blue creature smacked him with another bit of mud, however the berry had done its job. He was able to endure the mud, though his entire body was coated in mud. We had caught up to the slug. It was twice as tall as we were. I inhaled once, holding my breath for a second.
Nera charged forward, smacking its slimy mass with a paw. It didn't seem to harm it much, however. Star glowed blue, throwing a rock, missing entirely. Ray launched a series of quick jabs before hopping backwards, out of range. It winced at this. Squared launched forward, tackling the blue slug. It winced once again. It turned towards me, hitting me with a ball of mud. The mud hurt far worse than expected. It was like a professional baseball pitcher just chucked a ball of mud at my face! However, the worst part wasn't the pain, but the dirt and grime in my eyes.
I could barely see! I wildly swiped towards where it was; my eyes half shut. Through a bit of good luck I felt my paw connect. However, I couldn't tell how much I managed to harm it. Judging by the squish, it was either a lot or not much at all. A series of thuds and screams ensued, and I felt more mud hit me. I was almost completely blinded. Listening closely, I took a swipe at where I thought the creature was. Using every ounce of my might, I swung, feeling my hand smack into a slimy form before it vanished from my touch. I heard the others cheer. The slug had fallen.
I breathed a few times, relaxing now that the mostly ordinary sea slug had finally been defeated. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I jumped. My friends were pushing me somewhere. I let them guide me and felt myself step on something. My vison cleared instantly. I looked towards the floor, seeing I had stepped on the strange thing Squared had called a "Wonder Tile." The name was no longer strange to me, this thing was wonderful.
"So, Star. What have we learned today?" I asked. He grumbled, turning away. I forced him to look towards me.
"Star! Don't run off again, okay? You could have- Urgh. Don't. Okay? Please." I asked.
"You're not the boss of me." He stated. I curled my paw into the closest approximation of a fist. I slapped him hard, knocking him to the ground.
"You are going to get yourself hurt, or worse! You will listen to me because you failed to lead yourself! Without us you wouldn't have survived the encounter with that Pokémon. We work together as a team from now on. You, me, Nera, Squared, Ray. All of us together as one unit. Okay?" I asked. Star felt his cheek and looked towards me.
"Together we're unbeatable," I said, holding my paw out. He closed his eyes for a moment before he grabbed it. Pulling him up, I looked towards the others. They all nodded. Heading north, we found a mostly empty room with another Blast Seed, given to Star. Exiting the room once again, we headed to the south exit. A corridor turned to the east, exiting to a large room with yet another Blast Seed and the stairs. Grabbing that, we made our way down once more. We found ourselves in yet another large room with a single Wonder Tile. To the north was a corridor, which we took. A strange gold item gleamed right next to the stairs.
"Poké." Ray stated, picking it up.
"Allow me." Squared stated. The money levitated and stuck to the side of Squared's face like a magnet. It looked utterly ridiculous. Star was laughing, and I was doing my best to not laugh, but a small chuckle managed to escape anyway. Down the stairs, the area opened to a strange place. The blue walls expanded outward, opening to the sea. I was looking around when I heard a familiar voice call out in my head.
"Chosen protectors of the planet. Step forward." It called. The five of us looked around, searching for the source. A golden ball of light appeared from the ocean. A smile crept on my face. So it was time, then. The adventure begins here. I looked towards it before I turned towards my allies, still smiling
"Well, you heard it." I said, walking forward. The others jumped, surprised at my boldness.
Without turning around, I said "You can trust it, I promise." I waited. I heard some footsteps. Star had stepped to my side, then Ray on the other. Nera was next to Ray, and finally Squared floated forward next to Star. The five of us walked towards the golden form.
"Chosen protectors, each of you have a specialty buried within. The light split into four spherical lights of various colors.
"Squared, you have an intelligence unlike any other. You shall be given the power to utilize that intelligence even more than you can currently. Do you accept this power?" It asked. Squared buzzed, looking towards me. I smiled and nodded.
"I-if he says it's safe, then yes." The green light flew into him.
"Nera. You are an energetic and upbeat individual. With this, you will be able to utilize this energy with far more efficiency to travel far faster than any other. Do you accept?" He asked.
"Uh, okay?" She wondered. The pink light flew into her, causing her to jump a little.
"Ray. Your toughness is well known. A young child who broke an arm, yet you never let out one complaint, nor shed any tears. This toughness will be enhanced. Do you accept?" He asked. Ray nodded. A yellow light flew towards him. He closed his eyes and held his breath for an impact that never came. He reached towards his chest, feeling where it went into him.
"Star. Already a powerful Pokémon, with this you will be stronger still, combined with the abilities of the rest you will be unstoppable. Do you accept?" Arthur asked.
"Of course." He stated, folding his arms. A red light flew into him. He closed his eyes but didn't react otherwise. The main sphere split again. The two gold spheres floated before one of them turned blue.
"Jay, or is it Jake currently? You have a long path ahead of you, full of adventure and hardships. It won't always be easy, but I know you can pull through. Will you, to the best of your ability, guide this group with the grace and charm of a leader?"
"I can and I will," I stated, nodding. I opened my mouth to say more but closed it. I had somehow managed to say something that sounded halfway cool; I didn't want to ruin the moment.
"Then accept my power." He stated. The ball of blue light flew into me, and suddenly I felt confident and charismatic. I felt like I knew exactly what I needed to say and do. It felt strange but good. I liked it.
"You each have a power. Intelligence, Speed, Toughness, Strength, and Charm. Your bandana can and will empower you and your allies with a partial amount of each power for a limited time, but not to the same extent as the rest. Utilize it when this power is needed. Work together as a group, compliment your strengths and cover each other's weaknesses. Together, you are stronger than anything and anyone." He stated. The voice faded. A wave of exhaustion washed over me. I looked to my friends, who all seemed to feel the same. I turned towards the cave, noticing several forms standing there. I tried to call out to them but was far too tired. I collapsed, seeing several forms rush towards us before my eyes shut.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
So this was fun to write. In case anyone's wondering, the main heroes are basically toddler-sized to even the smaller adults. Squared is the shortest, at 4 inches/roughly 10cm. Nera was next at 5 inches/about 12.5 cm, and Jay/Jake is only a tiny fraction taller at 13, about a quarter of an inch taller. Star's a little over half an inch taller than Nera, or around 14 centimeters, and Ray is a giant compared to them at 13 inches/33 cm. If you wanted a rundown of the "boss" fight again the Shellos, here you go:
Nera used a basic attack, dealing 0
Star attacked with Rock Throw, but missed
Ray hit a quick attack for 1
Squared hit a tackle for 1 thanks to the Same Type Attack Bonus.
Shellos used Mudslap, hitting Jay and reducing his accuracy.
Jay used a basic attack, hitting for 2 damage.
Nera used a Pound, hitting for 1.
Star missed his attack
Ray hit again for 1, as did Squared.
Shellos weakened Jay further with mud.
Through a careful, but mostly lucky strike, jay hit and finished off the slug with a 3-damage strike.
Yes, it only had 10 HP. I think they may even have less HP in the actual game, though. Any battle's a boss fight when you're a group of toddlers. Effectively, Ray is level 2, Nera and Squared at 1, Star at 3 (he always tussled with the other kids, so has more experience), and Jay got a serious experience boost since his human form was a fully grown adult and went straight to level 10.
Anyway, I hope this has brought some insight about the scale of the characters and their effective base strength. I hope you all enjoy, leave a review, and have a fun time with all the goofiness and weirdness.
