When it came time to leave, Manaphy Jewel had come and woke Flareon Light up in his room. Light didn't have anything to pack, so he just headed up the ramps to the ship's front deck.
Only Slowking Chad and Manaphy Jewel waited for him there. They faced towards the night sea as Light approached them from behind. His eyes were dry, so he rubbed his white left eye and kept his blue right eye open as he walked up to them. The gentle, cool winds blowing out to sea kept him alert.
"Are we all set?" Light asked. When he spoke, they both turned and smiled at him.
"Yup!" Jewel answered.
"They have electric carriages ready for us," Chad said, "and we're heading out in just a minute. You and Ariel will be with me."
"Right."
Light followed Chad and Jewel down the ramp of the ship to the beach. Identical, electric wagons were set up in a long row, facing up towards the dirt road ahead. They each had four, black rubber wheels and sturdy wood boxes to carry any kind of species. There were windows on either side of the box, and one or two light fixtures inside above passengers or luggage.
As they walked, Jewel split off to another carriage. Both of the doors leading in on the back of the wagon were already open.
Sky Forme Shaymin Ariel stood on the edge. Light stopped walking as soon as he came into her view.
It was nighttime, and she was in Sky Forme. It took a moment to click, but it did.
"I know," Ariel sighed, frowning. "You're not the only one with quirks. Surpriiiiise..."
"Oh," Light chirped, "uhm, sorry."
"It's fine. Just don't yell about it to the heavens you fell from, okay?"
"O-okay."
Light processed that a little too slow. Ariel turned away before he realized what she said in full. He glanced back at Chad.
Chad shrugged with a smile on his face, then walked to the edge and hopped in. Light rattled his head and jumped in.
The inside had wood paneling on the walls, ceiling, and floor. Three fluffy, white cushions sat on the floor. Ariel pulled the doors closed behind him as he took a few steps in.
Two of the cushions were to each other on the same wall. Chad took the cushion facing them. Light decided to take the cushion closer to the wall, and Ariel came in and took the cushion on the side of the door.
Ariel's presence felt oppressive. He couldn't feel comfortable sitting next to someone that could punt him like a football. Even if she wasn't double his size, his heart rate would still be going up. Since she loomed over him, it galloped.
"It's a lil cold," Ariel said quietly, "mind if I borrow some of your heat?"
Flareon Light's gray mane and tail puffed up as a wave of heat pulsed in the wagon. His tail alone became larger than both of them as the fur above his head rose like smoke, revealing more of his face.
Chad's shoulders rose, but then settled as he blinked. The carriage started moving forward, causing Light to jolt in Ariel's direction. It didn't help him trying to get control of his body's energy.
"Thanks," Ariel said.
"No teasing, now," Chad said. "Although, you really knocked out the chill. Thanks."
"Yup," Light squeaked.
"So, have you ever interacted with psychic types that much?"
Light's fur began to settle. "Well, the only time I have is when I took a Psybeam to the back of the head.
Chad winced, but continued. "This won't be like that. It's a technique called memory sharing, where we store important memories and can summon them up to let others view them. I mastered the technique before meeting Jessie, and I've kept them close."
"Okay," Light said, "I think I've heard of it before. Some people I knew used to relive memories when they were, uhm, happy..."
Chad sighed to himself.
"What do you mean... Oh," Ariel muttered, "nevermind."
"Ugh," Chad huffed, "let's just begin. Close your eyes. I'll tell you about when I first met my old partner."
It all happened in a distant land on the other side of the world. The people held their heritage so tight, I thought their hands might fall from gripping too hard. The arts, the red roses of the harvest, and violins that were the anthems of generations and generations to come. They were rooted in the land itself.
I arrived as a young Guildmaster, still a bit arrogant, but I at least realized just how much of an outsider I was. I came in pursuit of something I didn't have much passion for. After weeks on the open sea dealing bounty hunts on open water, we were short on funds, and had come here hoping to find some sort of sell for our services.
I got together with everyone on our white cruise ship, the haven of the Wayfarer Guild, and told them the plan. Most of my Guild members were uneasy about coming with all of the exotic culture, but we had been places where we've stuck out horribly before. I knew we could handle it.
The city was built into an enormous, shallow cliff-side with trees and foliage lining the top of it. I researched that the buildings often had some of their walls made from simple rock that had been there since they first settled the island, usually for homes built on the cliffside.
My Guild members took off to work jobs and do small tasks to get us back out there in a month or so. I wasn't as patient, but I didn't let them know. I left on my own.
I walked down the maze of wooden pathways over water until I reached land. The streets were all paved with tan brick and cement, lined up like artwork. It was their harvest season, and red rose petals were floating in the air, and scattered on the streets. The residents' beautiful jewelry and clothing weren't spared from the touch of red.
More than anything at the moment, I wanted to make money fast so we could get back to hunting pirates. The people who lived here were bound to know much more than I did, so I'd start by finding a good place to ask questions. Of course, I'd only accept legal and moral ways to make fast money; the heart of the problem.
I happened across a bar that managed to be calm with a hint of rowdy mixed in the music and outside voices. Bottles on the long window sill gleamed onto the brick street, shining like the flowers in the bush on the side of the entrance. A Simipower stood as a bouncer at the single, swinging wood door. He didn't question me on the way in. I looked my age.
Dim light rained down on red rose petals showered on the floor. They managed to get everywhere. The talking blended together into a constant, joyous scream. Playing cards and other games took center stage on different tables, under concerned eyes of all different sorts of species. The room temperature almost made me sweat a minute after my entry. It smelled interesting, to say the least, stuffy and bleak.
I needed pointers. Bartenders had a reputation for being helpful to travelers. They had a lot of information in their areas.
The bartender here appeared to be a younger Servine behind a short counter with shelves of drinks behind him. He glanced up from a thin book he had on the counter at me, and back down with a smile when I approached him. It seems even workers tonight were enjoying themselves.
"Man on a mission?" Servine asked.
I couldn't help but crack a bit of a smile. "For the Guild in town," I answered.
"Oh, the Wayfarers," he said. "Yeah, I get you. Looking for cash to keep it chuggin it along. Honest cash, too. That sounds like what sports are for."
"Arena fan?" I asked.
"Nah, but there's someone in here who knows all about it. That Furret over there who's just a tad tipsy."
I looked in the direction his head tipped towards. The Furret was surrounded by a Glameow and Krokorok at a table with a dull smile on her face. She looked younger than I expected anyone in here to be. She had shining hazel eyes, and her fur had a sharp, fierce look to it. One look, and I can see she wasn't any sort of gentle damsel.
"I dunno much, but she's taken big bads out of here screaming by their ears, all while she's too tipsy to remember what she ate," Servine explained. "She's first-class, a first-class fighter. She can be nice, but don't beat around the bush or she'll beat your ass. She doesn't have a lot of patience."
"Thanks."
"Good luck."
I walked towards the table and put on a polite face to see where that got me first.
When she saw me, she gave a kind of sassy smile with a questioning glare. The other two continued talking until I had come up to the side of the table. I couldn't read her at all, but it seemed as if she could guess half of my life story; already a disadvantage.
"And I thought I've seen a fish out of water before," Furret greeted.
"Was probably my cousin," I said, chuckling. "I'm looking for some tips on the arena."
"Trying to strike it big?"
"Moderately. My work could use a little something."
"And what would that be?"
"The Wayfarer Guild," I answered.
Furret looked at me strangely with her eyebrows lowered and joined together. She waved her hand, and the Krokorok and Glameow wordlessly left the table. I sat on the short seat in response while she just stared at me.
"You know," Furret said, "I haven't done my good deed for the week yet. Guilds are kinda old school and dying, but I could help you help someone else."
"What's your offer?" I asked in a low voice.
"It's harvest time, and there's a kind of traditional team tourney going on in the arena tomorrow night. It's a free for all between a dozen teams of two. Winner gets good winnings, obviously. But you can't do it alone because your Guild doesn't have anyone who's a citizen, which is a requirement for every team."
"So you want to do the tournament with me as a teammate, and take some of the prize?"
"Not money. I want a favor," Furret said. "Just get me off this sticky island after it's all done, and drop me off anywhere."
She had a dead serious look on her face.
"Why do you want to leave?" I asked.
"This place sucks," Furret said. "You in? Think you can handle it?"
"We can make the attempt, at least. That's for certain. My name's Chad Longfellow, Guildmaster of the Wayfarer Guild."
"Jessie Frisk."
"Lovely to meet you, Jessie," I said.
"Eh, bad luck always looks that way at first. Alright, I'll register us."
Furret brought a phone on the table into her paws and brought it a little closer to her face than I would. It was hard to tell she was a bit tipsy, but her eyes swaying back and forth managed to give it away.
"So, how good are you at fighting, Guildmaster?" Jessie asked.
"I know a good pool of moves. I can list-"
"Like anyone cares about that shit... How good are you really?"
I thought about what she meant, and what the bartender said. Low patience.
"Slightly above average," I answered. "I fight a bit too simply. I understand complex combat and counters, but I don't do anything complex myself."
"Meh, that's alright," Jessie said. "We can win with that."
I got a strange tingle from her confidence. It must've had a solid foundation behind it. It got my hopes up. True professionals often acted like this. But, she still looked too young to me for it. She barely seemed old enough to be in this bar.
For a few minutes, she continued to type on her phone and sip from a cup on the table. Her face a had an extra tint of color by the time she finished. She stretched out her whole body, revealing her huge tail from under the table.
"Crap," Jessie huffed, "you got an extra space on that shiny cruise ship?"
"You have nowhere to stay?" I asked.
"Not tonight."
"Pardon the intrusion, but may I ask why?"
Jessie gave a slow nod. "Yeah, uhm... Just got nowhere to go. Usually do jobs for motel money for most nights."
"Are you struggling?"
"I'd be fine if you said no."
"What put you in this position?"
I clearly hit something after my scan of questions. She opened her eyes a bit more, and her body got still and unsettled.
"I'd simply like to know about my company," I explained. "Nothing invasive."
"I don't plan on robbing bounty hunters while being on a tiny island."
"Oh, so you've heard of us?"
"Yeah. Heard of you guys for years. Heard stories."
"Well," I said, "I can arrange for you to stay with the Guild tonight. If we win, we will be taking a trip together after all."
She smiled. "Cool."
Jessie must've been used to being a little buzzed. She walked and acted naturally. She almost led me through the crowds. I only took the front since I knew the way.
When we went back down to the harbor, she reeled back after seeing our shining, newly cleaned cruise ship. She tried to hide her reaction, but I managed to catch it.
Naturally, I walked behind her when we reached the wooden paths over pure black water. She didn't stumble again like she had walking in the streets, but I didn't feel safe until she had gone up the bow of the ship.
The next morning, I woke up as early as usual. I ate a light breakfast, and went out to the deck to watch the tail end of the sunrise over the ocean.
The orange light on the water's surface always helped me keep perspective. Whether I succeeded in making our visit short or not, the world was still spinning. I had gone on missions wild enough to make me wonder if it still did.
Furret Jessie came out on deck not too long after I started to watch the ocean. Her fur somehow stayed as sharp and shiny as it was last night. When she came to me, her face alone told me she had something to say.
"Good morning," I greeted. "Is something the matter?"
"Well, yeah," Jessie said, "I don't think I've been too honest with you."
"How do you mean?"
"We definitely can't win, and the reward is only for first. I just get different when I'm... Out and about."
I sighed and looked back out towards the ocean.
"Well, that's a shame," I said. Silence fell for a short second. "Because I still believe that we'll win."
"It's more complicated than that," she argued. "There are people there that are difficult to battle."
I think I knew what she needed to hear. "Look out over the ocean," I said.
She did. She leaned against the edge, and gazed out to sea.
"You want to go out there, right?" I asked. "You don't enjoy it here."
"I mean, of course," she said.
"Do you want to be an explorer?"
"Exploring's dead. You should know. You're one of the last Guildmasters, aren't you?"
"On the contrary, there are always people in need. There'll always be more work and travel to be done."
Jessie continued to stare at the horizon.
"Are you sad?" I asked.
"What kind of question is that?" Jessie asked.
"I figured it was simple. Everyone has the right to joy."
"There's something in the back of your mind, right?" I asked. "What is it?"
"I just wanna get out and see places," Jessie explained, "you know."
"You want every day to be different?"
Jessie turned her head to me. I flipped over, leaning on the rim with my back instead of my chest.
"That's why I joined the Wayfarers to begin with," I said. "I'm living a dream. I've seen things out there. Done things. I can tell that you want to do the same, and it's important to be positive. We can win."
"You're just saying that," Jessie muttered. "You don't even know what we're fighting."
"Don't need to. We got it, right?"
"Hmph.".
Jessie continued to stare at the horizon. I pushed off of the rim
"Just because something brought out the confidence doesn't mean it isn't always there," I said, "ready to come out."
"O-kay," she said.
"If you go downstairs below deck, there should be breakfast set up now. Help yourself."
She acknowledged it, and I watched her go down after opening the large, wooden double doors leading inside.
After that, I spent some time in my room. I researched about the arena here through books. It stood over the cliff-side the city was built on, standing over it from behind the wall of foliage on top. It seemed very standard in size, and I was impressed to learn they held the Olympic battles there a generation or so ago.
I didn't want to wear myself out, but I reviewed my current battle experience and made myself sharp. One way or the other, I stayed in my small room among my bookshelves for most of the day, only going out to get food to get more lasting power.
At three or so in the afternoon, I decided to come out and see what was going on. I went to the central hub of social activity on the ship, a large, circular room just below deck lit by a chandelier. I didn't see anyone on the way, but when I came out of the rampway leading up and into the room, I saw Furret Jessie talking with a good sized group of my Guild members in between a few tables.
Jessie led the whole conversation, smiling nonstop and talking in between laughs. As I approached, she got quiet enough for the group to notice me. I don't think I showed my disappointment on my face.
"Jessie," I greeted, "I was wondering if we could head out early to the arena."
"The arena?" a Nidorina asked.
"We're going to try and win the harvest team battle for some money," Jessie explained. "And yes, leaving early would be best."
"I'll let you lead the way," I suggested.
As Jessie went up the ramp to the double doors leading outside with myself in tow, I looked back down over my shoulder towards the Nidorina and a Manectric . Their faces were always easy for me to read.
"Care to join us?" I asked.
"Oh, we're fine," Nidorina said. "We don't want to put pressure on by watching. We'll be here when you guys get back."
"Good luck, Guildmaster," Manectric said.
"Thanks," I said.
After leaving the ship, we were back on the streets again. It was a lot less crowded, so I could actually do well keeping up with Jessie this time around. She didn't seem to be in a talking mood, so I let her be.
Eventually, we reached the paths built into the cliff-side. The sheer wall to my right and long fall to my left took up my mental stamina I would use for conversation. I leaned against the cliff-side as we walked to be safe.
Jessie didn't seem bothered by it at all. She even rolled her eyes at my hesitation to keep walking. I'm used to being a tourist, but this seemed a bit overkill to me. I wonder how many actually fell.
The sun moved in a way that started to cast a shadow over us on the cliff path as we reached the end. An abrupt wall of grass greeted us on top.
I looked over my shoulder at the city and the gold-tinted ocean. I don't think Jessie would have stopped and stared out for a short moment if I hadn't first.
"You're not going to miss it that much?" I asked. "It seems like a nice home from up here."
"No," Jessie said. "It's not."
Even so, Jessie still took in the view. A longing I didn't understand seeped through her eyes. She turned around and I followed.
A large, straight brick pathway led to the arena. All the trees in the way made it hard to scale the size of, but the arena's metal walls grew to overshadow them. The grass faded into dull brown soil around it.
A large, metal panel closed off the large interior. As we passed under it to enter, I saw a thinner path leading into the circular dome towards the audience stands. I still didn't know where competitors went, but Jessie kept walking in and onto the field. I didn't see any other place to go, so I followed her.
When we got to the green field of grass, she turned around in place looking at the expanse.
"Never been?" I asked.
"No," Jessie answered, "I think we just wait somewhere."
I looked around to see if there was anyone else. The audience stands high above the ovular walls of the arena were all empty. When I checked across the field, I managed to see a Tranquill and Unfezant speaking to each other in the distance. Since they were far, I decided to reach out with telepathy.
"Excuse me," I greeted, "do you two happen to know where competitors might wait until it's time?"
Tranquill and Unfezant looked around until they both made eye contact with me.
"In the audience stands close to the entrance until we bring you all to the field," Unfezant answered. "If you could direct other competitors to you, we'd appreciate it."
"I will. Thank you."
I let Jessie finish taking in the sight before I said anything to her.
"In the stands by the entrance," I said.
"Okay."
She didn't question how I figured it out. Odd, but alright.
I led her back to the entrance and to the stands. I sat a pace away to give her breathing room to daydream. She took the opportunity to the next level, falling asleep curled up in a tight ball.
One way or the other, I didn't plan to leave Jessie here if she wanted to leave. I'd offer her to come either way. I could feel it in my bones. She was a natural born leader.
The image of the sleeping Furret faded away from Flareon Light's mind. He must've opened his eyes too soon. His vision and the fading image meddled together and made him dizzy. Hewas back in the small space of the wagon sitting on the cushion.
Slowking Chad looked back at him and Sky Shaymin Ariel with a tired look on his face.
"Sorry," Chad said, "my stamina isn't what it was back then."
Light felt extra warm. Ariel held onto his gray tail, hugging it against her chest. He glanced, and Chad stared at her with him.
"Sorry," Ariel said, "I was just really cold."
Light half-smiled to himself, dipping his head down to conceal it. "That's fine…" he mumbled.
Chad smiled. Light glared back at his silent gloating.
"So," Light said, "uhm, you'll continue another time? It didn't quite look like the place in the picture."
"Of course," Chad said, "and that place wasn't where the one-hundred to one battle happened. But there are things you need to see in order to understand what happened. You wouldn't probably believe it all, otherwise. But we should all get some sleep for when we arrive."
"Can I keep this?" Ariel asked. "I'm sorry. It's just cold, and, you know. Grass type."
Light nodded. He lay down with his face buried in the cushion as she covered herself with the end of his fur. He rotated his arms one last time, trying to feel a difference.
If his arms were really made of glass, he couldn't tell. He needed answers soon.
