A faint glow resonated in the middle of the plains as a light wind stirred. The light grew brighter and larger by the second, until a bright flash caused it to disappear. In place of the light was Corrin and the others that chose to follow him.
"Woah! Phew...that's gonna take some getting used to." Felicia nervously huffed.
"Yeah, I hear ya." Keith chimed in. "Kinda leaves you a little light on the few for a few seconds, eh?"
Corrin looked around, seeing that everything was the way that it was before their transport. "Good. Looks like we're back to where we were, and not a minute sooner I suspect."
Evan scanned the surroundings like his friend. He noticed something vaguely similar about the circumstances. "Freya, did you just get a pattern just now?"
Freya turned to him in confusion. "I'm sorry, what was that, Evan?"
"When we left the Astral Plane before, we ended up in the same spot as before. It happened in the canyons as we were falling...and then we appear back in the same spot just now as we were in yesterday. Is this Lilith's power you think?"
Freya blinked. She hadn't thought about that, at least, not until Evan pointed it out for her.
"W-wait, weren't we just here yesterday?" DK looked around, recognizing the mountains in the distance, as well as the grassy fields they were in. "Why's it look like nothing's happened?"
"Fo', yo guess is as good as mine." Damon sniped.
Corrin looked back at everyone to clarify. "Oh, right, I forgot to mention this to you all. Apparently, the Astral Plane's dimension has a faster time rate than this one. So we may have only been gone for perhaps a couple minutes at the most."
"Woah, really?!" Felicia gasped.
"That's crazy!" DK hiccupped.
Nathan raised a brow along with his chin. "Huh, didn't see that coming." He looked back in the direction they came from. 'Doesn't that mean that we're still being tailed?'
"Well, since we're, uh, here, I...guess we pick up where we started off, right?" DK added, turning towards Corrin. Everyone turned towards him with the same inquiry in mind.
Corrin nodded in confirmation. "Exactly. So as we stand now, heading back the way we came from before won't suffice. They're probably still looking for us after what we did."
Evan sighed, looking down at his heels. "Yeah, that's true. But it's not like picking a random direction isn't to help us get anywhere either. Not unless you know a place where we can start from."
Corrin frowned. In truth, he hadn't thought that far quite yet. Now that Evan brought it up, he really should have thought about the geography a little better than he should have it he were going to start finding a way to convince people to work together, alongside Pokémon included."
"So, lemme get de picture straight here. So, are we trying to find our way back to wherever de hell we come from...or, are we just gonna shoot whomeva looks at us funny? Cuz, if it's de second option, den, we better start loading up on ammo." Damon quipped, holding up his Glock.
"(What he said, yo. Ain't no way I'm gonna hold hands with dose tinman and ninja cosplayers. I just wanna play de game we were playing back home!)" Scraggy huffed, stomping a heel on the ground.
Farfetch'd gave him a raised brow. "(You play video games?)"
"(Yeah?)"
"(Huh...who would've thought. And here I thought my trainer had some tight twists in his knobs.)"
Corrin turned towards Damon to answer his question. "Don't worry, Damon, we'll find a way to get you home. There's no need to point your weapon at anybody here. For now, our best option is to lay low, at least for a little while."
Stepping up, Azura made herself known. "Then, if I may..." Everyone turned towards her, seeing her answer directed towards Corrin. "I might know a certain place where no one will find us. We should head there."
This news surprised Corrin. "Wait, really?"
She nodded with a serious face. "Yes...and once we are there, there is much that needs to be told."
"Um, about what, exactly?" Evan questioned.
Azura turned towards him and shook her head solemnly. "It can't be said here, Evan...not yet at least."
Evan furrowed his brow. Something about what she said didn't sit well with him. He was starting to get suspicious about her. But for now, he had to be reasonable and respect her as an ally. "Um...sure."
Freya looked around, holding her bagpipes closely to her jacket that kept her warm. "Shouldn't we get moving? It feels uncomfortable sitting out in the open like this..."
"She's right. Better to get somewhere than nowhere. Which way?" Nathan inquired, looking at Azura for the answer.
She turned and started towards northward, heading towards the mountainous terrain that lied up ahead. "We'll head northwest. This way."
"Right, we're coming." Corrin followed behind quickly.
"Right behind yo...ou...ugh..." Evan's momentum as he walked immediately turned south when he felt the urge to gag. It took a lot for him to swallow a lump and not feel shaken up. "Oh...oh god..."
"Evan, what's wrong?" Freya asked concerningly.
"I..." He felt his stomach grumble, causing him to clutch. "I'm fine...it's just breakfast that Chef DK made..." He breathed through his nose, sharply inhaling to try and steady himself. "Let's, uh...let's just hurry and get moving..."
"Um...okay?" Freya stayed close as Evan soldiered on. She was actually thankful that she didn't have any of DK's cooking before they left.
The group's voyage was primarily cooperative to say the very least. For the most part, nobody complained – well anybody that wasn't DK of course, but the chef was able to survive the more difficult bumps in the road. Their journey took them into the valleys, where the winds picked up only a little as they started for a higher elevation.
"Lady Azura, are you, uh, sure this is the right direction?" Felicia nervously asked, taking a look at their surroundings.
"Yes, I am most certain." Azura stopped and looked up at the sky. "It's up ahead."
They all stopped in their tracks and turned towards the sky; though Keith was still looking ahead. The sky thundered with dark clouds looming just above their heads. The sight was enough to send a chill down some of their spines...if not the fact that the warm temperature dropped by a few degrees.
"Um...a-are you sure this is the correct path? It, uh...seems to be sending us some, uh, death flags..." DK quipped.
Azura firmly nodded. "Yes. Please, bear with me."
"Okay, sure..." he followed, though he couldn't help but mutter underneath his breath. "She's trying to kill us..."
"(That sucks, huh.)" Farfetch'd mused, waddling right by DK's side.
"Aye, keep it movin', fo'!" Damon snapped from the back. He gripped his Glock tight as he ushered Keith from behind. "Just because you be blind, doesn't mean dat I'm be giving you a handicap pass now, ya hear?"
"I...understand. Though, I'm sure that we went over this. You don't have any reason to be afraid of me. It's not like I can arrest you anyways." Keith reasoned.
"Yeah, I remember. I also remember that I was keepin'z an eye on you. So, you'z be keeping yo'selves in line, cuz, I wanna get to wherever I'm going without having to look over ma shoulder. Okay?"
"I hear you, I hear you. Geez, can't a guy catch a break around here, I wonder..."
As they were walking behind Nathan, the Hoenn resident heard them from behind his back. 'For an International Policeman, he's pretty lazy...' He glared back ahead, picking up his pace to try and get a little ways further from the ruckus of the crowd. He looked up towards the dark skies that just blocked out the setting sun's rays. 'Don't tell me...are we heading back to Nohrian territory?'
He wasn't the only one who felt unsound by this revelation. Evan and Freya looked up in uncertainty as well. Though unlike Nathan, Evan was able to vocalize her worries. "Freya, those dark clouds...you remember those?"
"Yeah...I remember alright." Her ominous tone was all the proof for Evan to tell that she was uneasy. Though then again, it was unsound from the start. With them being led by Azura to an unknown destination to the high ends of a valley, they didn't know what to expect. All they could do for now was trudge onwards and hope that this place Azura mentioned would in fact be considered sanctuary.
Suddenly, Evan's stomach grumbled again, causing him to hold it with one hand. "Gnngh..."
"Evan, are you sure that you're okay?" Freya worriedly asked. "You've been looking a little sick ever since you had Chef DK's stew..."
Evan swallowed another lump, keeping the urge to gag down his throat. He glanced over his shoulder to see if DK was there. Thankfully, he looked around warily to keep himself distracted from feeling uneasy. He leaned in towards Freya to whisper close to her ear. "Don't tell Chef DK this...but I don't think his cooking is agreeing with me."
Freya frowned somberly. She shook her head in pity. "You poor thing. You know, you didn't have to try it."
"If I didn't, then would you have eaten it?"
Freya opened her mouth to rebuff his claim, but given the situation that her empty pallet was, and Evan's current condition, she couldn't lie when the former sounded much more tolerable. "...well, okay. You have me there."
"So, Evan..."
The voice of Corrin got Evan's attention. "Yeah?" He walked closer, getting rather close to his proximity. "What's up?"
"So, if you find Pokémon out in the wild, you battle them like before, don't you?"
"Well I mean yeah, that's the general rule. Especially in a defensive situation, you kinda have to so you don't get hurt. Plus, in some cases, it's also really good way to wear them down so that you can catch them."
Corrin thought back to earlier, before they left the Astral Planes. He recalled him and Azura capturing Riolu and Popplio. He didn't necessarily fight him to win him over, but if being with Evan meant anything, it's that he should take his word and that there were exceptions.
A faint stir of something off to the side caught Evan's attention. "Hm? Hold on."
"What is it?" Freya questioned.
Evan answered her inquiry by simply pointing a few meters away. Everyone stopped and noticed that in the field, looking at them, there was a plant-like figure sticking out of the ground, with a body like a thin root, with smaller roots for toes. It had a yellow, bell-like head and black, beady eyes. On either side, there were two large, green leaves that served as hands for this strange looking plant.
The plant turned her head, looking up at the people that were passing by. "(What are you all looking at?)" she quipped rather sassily.
Corrin's eyes widened as he gasped. "A...Pokémon?"
Azura blinked in curiosity. "It...looks a lot like a plant. How did we almost miss it?"
"It looks like grass..." DK mulled.
"Hold on, let me get it out for you guys." Evan reached into his pocket, pulling out the device that's been helping him and everyone decipher every Pokémon that they were meeting up to this point. The screen showed the plants name as she looked at them annoyingly.
"Bellsprout, the Flower Pokémon. Even though its body is extremely skinny, it is blindingly fast when catching its prey."
"A Bellsprout?" Azura parroted, giving her another scrutinizing look. "I had no idea that Pokémon could look so much like plant life..."
Bellsprout turned to Azura, putting her leaves on her nonexistent hips. "(Excuse me? Well at least I don't like a runaway bride. What's with your hair? You cried so much that your hair turned blue from the tears you shed?)"
"(Oof, ouch. Good one, but ouch.)" Farfetch'd huffed.
"(Yeah, fo. Dat's dirty.)" Scraggy added. Bellsprout turned towards them next. "(I'll tell you what's dirty, those oversized pants you wear that makes you look like a hippy dropout.)" She turned towards Farfetch'd. "(And you, what's with the leek? Trying out for that human sport they call Baseball or what?)"
Farfetch'd clutched his leek tighter than before. "(...wow. Somebody sure woke up on the wrong side of the field today. You know, for the strangest reason...I have a need to stab her with this thing.)"
Corrin glanced over at Evan. "Is this the part where one of us battles it, I presume?"
Evan nodded. "Yeah. It's a Grass and Poison-type. Remember what I said about Pokémon types? So that means..." He reached back and pulled out a Poke Ball. "I should battle with a Pokémon with a type advantage, like this. Go, Butterfree!"
The capsule flew open, revealing Evan's Butterfree. His wings beat frivolously as he kicked his feet up. "(Alright, I'm out! I'm ready to battle, Evan!)"
"Oh, Butterfree? That's a good choice. A Bug and Flying-type is very effective against part Grass-types like Bellsprout." Keith noted.
"Fo', just make dis quick, aitz? Cuz I gots places to be." Damon sniped.
Felicia's eyes widened. "Wait, what's going on? Is Evan really pitting a butterfly against a flower?!"
Setting aside the volume behind him, Evan made sure to keep his eyes fixed ahead. He spread his legs by a few inches and stood before the Bellsprout. He zeroed in on the battle, remembering well of what his Butterfree was capable of against an opponent like this.
'Using Sleep Powder and Poison Powder won't work on a Grass-type, so I'm stuck on offense with Electroweb and Gust.' With the set made in his head, Evan reached out. "Butterfree, Gust!"
Butterfree nodded. "(No problem!)" His wings glowed brightly, before flapping them madly and summoning a strong whirlwind. The powerful wind blast was enough to make Bellsprout cry out, yelping in sheer pain at the effectiveness of the move.
"(Ow!)" She groaned heavily, barely recovering from that blow. "(That...really hurt.)"
"(Sorry about that!)" Butterfree chimed.
Bellsprout turned back towards him, looking more annoyed than before. "(Oh, so now you're sorry?! Well you will be after this!)" The underside of her leaves glowed brightly before two small, green vines shot out and lashed at Butterfree, via Vine Whip.
The Grass-type attack met its mark, but instead of slamming him like it was intended to do, Butterfree brushed it off like a spec of dust. "(Hehe, that tickled a little.)"
Freya's eyes widened. "I get it...so Evan used Butterfree because his Bug and Flying typing also severely weakens Grass-type attacks." She smirked. "Somehow, I'm not surprised anymore."
Bellsprout backpedaled, though she stammered from the severe damage inflicted in the one attack. This was the opportunity Evan needed!
"Okay, guess now's a good time as any." He reached back, picking out an empty Poke Ball and enlarged it. He reeled his arm back and tossed it at the Bellsprout. "Go!"
The Poke Ball lobbed across the atmosphere, getting Bellsprout's attention. She looked up and watched the capsule draw closer. "(What the...?)" The capsule tapped her head and flipped open. Her body transformed into red energy that was sucked into the container before it clamped shut and fell onto the ground.
Felicia hasped, holding a hand to her mouth. "Oh my!"
The ball's button flashed red at a constant, with it shaking once, then twice...until the Poke Ball shattered, expelling the remains of it with red energy that turned into Bellsprout once more.
Evan's right brow twitched. "Damnit..."
Bellsprout shook herself to rid of the shock. "(Jeez, a little warning next time, you beanie-wearing brat!)" She flexed herself as a red aura enveloped her body, raising her Attack and Special Attack stats with Growth. "(You think I'm coming with you, you're gonna have to do a little better!)"
'If I use Electroweb, that'll be too much. Her health is already heavily depleted; even with a super-effective Gust, that was still a lot. All I can do for now is try and wear her down while Butterfree tanks whatever shots she throws.'
He pulled out another Poke Ball, this time throwing it with even more gusto. "One more time!" He watched the ball hit Bellsprout's head again, making her wince before she transformed into energy once again. She was drawn inside as the capsule clamped shut once more. They all watched as it fell and shook, this time only once before the capsule burst into shrapnel, with Bellsprout twisting her frame back upright.
"(Boy, you...must really be...stubborn.)" Bellsprout labored. Though, as much as she respected a quality like that, she wasn't going to roll over just yet for persistence's sake. She jumped for Butterfree, her feet roots suddenly growing five times their original length. She latched onto Butterfree, wrapping herself around him, via Wrap. "(Let's see you get away from me this time!)"
Again, the attack didn't do much at all. And it wasn't just because it was an attack with a low base power. Though, it was enough of a deterrent to confine Butterfree in place as Bellsprout tightly squeezed his frame. "(Gnngh, um, Evan...I could use a hand here! Please?)"
Evan's usual sense of patience was beginning to show signs of deterioration. He seemed to be getting more annoyed by the second this dragged on. 'I can just end it right now...but if my last Poke Ball fails...then I'll have no choice but to beat it.'
He reached back once more, getting his third – and last – Poke Ball. "Okay, this is it. My last chance..." He readied to pull back for a good throw on Bellsprout latching onto Butterfree. This time, he aimed to succeed.
"Hold on a moment!"
Just as Evan had the momentum, he froze and turned towards Keith. "What? What is it?!"
Keith smirked. "Sorry if I'm intruding, but I think you might need this. Ditto, if you would." He handed something to his white cane, which transformed into a copy of Evan himself. The Ditto copy grabbed the item and trotted over towards Evan.
Evan was lost as he watched the fake version of him draw near. Even as it stood directly in front of his face, seeing a perfect lookalike of him was giving him disturbed vibes. He didn't know whether to be flattered, or even disturbed that this Ditto could transform into people and creatures alike, not just Pokémon.
"Um...can I help you? O-or me?" His inquiry was answered with Ditto-Evan reaching and taking him by his arm, placing the item in his palm. "What the...?"
When Ditto-Evan pulled away, Evan got a good look at it. It looked just like a Poke Ball, but it had a bright blue shading instead of red. There were also two large, red stripes on the top that were at the 10 and 2 o'clock positions.
He wasn't stupid. He knew just what it was. "A Great Ball?" He slowly turned towards Ditto-Evan as it nodded at him. "Um...t-thanks?" Ditto-Evan responded with a wink – a very unnerving gesture that made Evan even more uncomfortable seeing his clone do that. He shook himself to get his head back towards the battle at hand. "Thanks, Keith! Let's hope this works this time!"
This time, with a harsh pivot, Evan lobbed the Great Ball straight ahead at Butterfree. "Butterfree, heads up!"
Despite his body being constricted, he still had large Compound Eyes. He could see the Great Ball heading his way, intended for Bellsprout. As though it clicked, he turned back towards Bellsprout, who still latched on.
"(What are you looking at, you bug-eyed...bug?" She sniped. All Butterfree did was turn around, having her back against the oncoming Great Ball. "(Wait, what the hell are you-?!)"
This time, the capsule struck ger straight in the back of her head. Her head rung like a bell as she converted into red energy with tints of blue, which was sapped into the Great Ball and clamped shut. Butterfree hovered over the Great Ball as he, Evan, and the others watched as it shook once, then twice...and then a third time...
"Come on...work for me..." Evan muttered.
CLICK!
That click was all the sound that Evan needed to hear. The ball ceased its rattling at long last.
"Yes!" He hissed, showing a genuinely proud smile. He raced over, bending over to hold the Great Ball up. "There we go. Finally caught myself a Bellsprout!"
Butterfree kicked his feet up in glee. "(Alright, we did it!)"
Corrin stepped up, giving his friend a nod of approval. "Congratulations, Evan."
"Thanks Cor..." Before Evan could finish his reply, he suddenly felt nauseated. "...oh crap." His head started getting light as his stomach wasn't able to settle down. He groaned as he clutched his abdomen.
Corrin stepped back, getting an uneasy impression by his friend. "Evan? Are you alright?"
"Uh...s-sorry! I gotta go-!" He rushed away from the scene, heading to a rather large rock that was a short distance from the group. Everyone watched him take off away from them to attend to some business, much to their confusion.
"What's he doing?" DK wondered.
"I don't know. Fo' probably getting anxiety or someth'n." Damon shrugged.
"Oh boy..." Freya had a feeling of what was going on. She approached Evan as she watched him get to his knees behind his cover. She could hear the sounds of intense gagging even from the short distance, enough to make even her cringe.
Evan gagged nonstop as he expelled the foul contents of what was supposed to be breakfast into the green grass beneath him. As soon as enough was out of his system, he sighed and rolled his tongue to get any excess taste out from the back of his throat.
Freya approached him, looking discomforted as she stood a few feet away. "Are you okay...?"
A quick belch was followed by another short gag, but nothing else came up. Evan sighed as he managed to find the strength to stand. "Yeah...I'm good. I think that I'm good now...ugh. You, uh...wouldn't happen to have packed any breath mints inside of that jacket of yours, didn't you?"
"If I had known we'd be sent to another world, I would have bought some before leaving."
Evan eyerolled. "Noted...huh?" He noticed something in the corner of his eye, something that was a few short feet from him on the other side of the rock. "What's this?"
"What is it, Evan?"
"Hold on, I think I've found something." He got up and stepped around his expectorated stomach contents – minding himself not to look at it so he wouldn't get sick again. He leaned over the side of the rock and peered over to see a familiar disc that had was dark brown. He reached down and brought it closer to his face so he could read it better.
"'TM 48: Rock Tomb'." He read the label aloud, raising a brow in inquiry. "Another one of these...it's a different number than the ones you find in Kanto though, huh..."
Freya leaned over, eyeing the TM that Evan had in hand. "You've found a TM?"
Evan stood back up, holding the TM up to show her the contents of it. "Yeah, looks like one that's better suited for your Rolycoly. Here." He passed her the TM. "Did you want to teach it this move now? Better safe than sorry."
Freya couldn't disagree with him. She was around enough to know that any asset they had would be a good one, at least, that was Evan's case. She took the TM and read what it could do. "...it also lowers the target's Speed, huh? That could work."
"Plus, it's more powerful than Smack Down." Evan reasoned.
Freya didn't see any reason to say no. Plus, what Evan said did bring validation upfront. Since she was well aware that the use of TMs on Pokémon wasn't a very long process.
"Hey, are you both okay over there?"
They both heard a familiar cry that came from Corrin. They both turned and Evan took the initiative. "Uh, yeah, we're good!" He frowned as he turned back towards Freya. "Well...guess now's not a good time. Maybe when we're actually in a safer place."
Freya nodded. "Right, good idea." They both returned to the others as Evan recalled his Butterfree, but not before the usual word of thanks. All situated, the group returned to the trail that Azura led.
"So you feel better?" DK asked.
Evan nodded. "Uh, yeah. Sorry about that."
Damon smacked his own lips. "You better be, fo', cuz I don't like ma time wasted waiting for de sick. Aitz?"
"I know, I know." He turned towards Corrin and Azura. "Alright, guess we should move on."
"Right. Then follow me." Azura turned back upfront and continued their venture through the valley. The further they walked on, the darker the sky got from the clouds that blackened their view of tranquil pink skies that sat just behind them.
Lightning clapped with the roar of thunder overhead. Anyone who didn't had a spine flinched at the few bolts that strayed across the skies above.
"Woah!" DK flinched as he stepped back warily. "Oh, god! A-are you absolutely certain this is the right way to that 'safe place' still?"
Azura head the anxiety in his tone, but she chose to press on without looking over her shoulder. "Yes." She walked towards the gorge, with two pillars barely supporting ends to a broken bridge that dangled beneath them. "We're here..."
Everyone stopped and looked around to see what their new surroundings were like. They could see canyons stretching for miles on end across the horizon. It looked like a long, perilous ditch that seemed to have went on forever, with only crags of nearby rock formations being linked by a few support bridges. That linked the Nohrian side of the territory with the Hoshidans.
Evan looked around, looking for anything that might bring any sense of familiarity to him. Seeing the abandoned fortress at the far end of the ridge instantly made him realize where they were. 'This is...'
Corrin walked over towards the edge of the disemboweled bridge, looking down at it with a forlorn face...as though there was something there that was lost. "This is...the Bottomless Canyon where we lost Gunter."
A short silence fell as thunder rolled through the air above.
Freya turned towards Azura. "So are you trying to make us hide here?" She turned towards the abandoned fortress afar. "Because if you want to use that, that might work. Evan and I cleared it out beforehand."
Azura stepped closer towards the edge. "Not exactly, Freya. I plan for us to hide in the canyons."
Her tone was what made Corrin turn towards her. "Wait, are you saying...?!" He looked back down, his eyes widening in growing shock. It didn't take long for the realization to follow amongst the rest of the group there.
"Yes...we will be jumping into the canyon."
They knew where this was coming, but hearing it aloud only confirmed the anxiety they all had a right to. They all stood there, looking at Azura like she had gone mad.
"Wait, WHAT?!" DK shouted, his tone reaching a shrieking pitch. "Did I just hear that right?! Tell me I misheard that, Farfetch'd! I know – I know – she didn't just tell us to jump into this damn canyon, and then die!"
Farfetch'd shook his head. "(Nope...you heard right alright. Still, this girl is a few screws loose even for me to say something for that logic.)"
Felicia backpedaled with sheer horror on her face. "Now, hold on a minute! Lady Azura, d-did you really just say for us to fall?!"
Azura looked back at them like it was obvious. "Yes, I did."
"That...sounds incredibly counterintuitive." Keith paced forward a single step, with his Ditto cane suddenly morphing back into itself. It stood in front of Keith ready to transform in case it needed to transform. "Azura, listen, what are you saying about this?"
"Fo', just leave that to me! I'll takes cares of it!" Damon glared at Azura, pulling out his Glock and aimed directly at her forehead. "Girl, you better say yo prayers, cuz I'm about to make you take back dem words."...
Corrin stepped forward with his hands up. "Damon, hold on-!"
"Fo', you said dat I didn't have a reason to point ma Glock at anybody before. You said dat! And now, I actually haves a reason! She's trying to convince me to fly over de edge, and kill myself! Now why wouldn't I wanna shoot dis insane bitch?!"
"Hey, there's gotta be a reason why!" He slowly turned towards her. "There...is one, right?"
Azura remained calm despite the pressure put on her. "Please, you have to trust me."
DK shot his arm up. "Um, no offense, but I'm taking Damon's side on this one. Sorry. This beautiful, gorgeous body of mine is way too young to leave a mark at the bottom of a cliff." He reasoned with a pat on his chest. "Somebody back us up here!"
"Listen, I know that we're supposed to stay low...put falling to our deaths, I don't think that's the right answer." Freya said disapprovingly.
"It will be fine. You won't die if you jump. That much I can assure you." Azura insured,
DK's brow furrowed further. "...oh, oh well that's reassuring. You know what, I just might jump. I just might. And while I'm jumping, maybe if there's water at the bottom, I can actually breath. Or maybe, it's safe to actually touch fire. Get the picture? It's a picture that makes no sense, damnit!"
"You're not necessarily helping defend your case as much as you are provoking your own insecurities." Keith analyzed.
"Oh come on..." DK whined. "Nathan, say something, would ya?!"
Nathan rubbed his head as he was trying his best to suppress a groan. This was all nothing more than a gigantic pain in the ass for him. He wasn't going to say anything with or against any of what they were saying. Arguing wasn't a strong point.
As the group was in the midst of their dispute, Evan turned towards Azura. "Not that I'm saying theirs flaws in your plan, Azura, but how do you know that we won't die? You make it sound like something will catch us at the bottom."
Azura gave him a supportive smile. "Not exactly, but something like that if it'll ease the discomfort. Please, Evan."
Evan was still on the fence whether to believe her or not. Freya looked just as concerned, if not more so.
"Azura..." Corrin stepped up, giving Azura a serious look into her golden yellow eyes. "...if we jump, you're saying that you will tell us what we need to know?"
"What?! Oh, c'mon! Not you too, Corrin!" DK whined.
Damon turned his Glock on Corrin. "Fo', don't make me shoots you. I've been good with following you up till now cuz I just wanna play ma game when I get back. But if your plan be jumpin', den we haves a prob."
Corrin retained a short span of silence. Everyone for the most part voiced their opinions on the matter at hand. Even though they were against that idea, something...just something, was telling him to trust Azura's pleas. Aside from their lives, what more did they have to lose?
Corrin glanced back at everyone one more time, before turning towards Evan. "Evan...if I told you to jump, would you trust me?"
Evan knew where this was going. He didn't want to look like he didn't distrust Corrin's swaying mindset. He trusted Azura, and he trusted him. To an extent, everyone else he placed his trust in was centered around them. And really, when Evan thought about it, what would they have if they didn't have that?
They would've been dead from the start.
As lightning crackled across the skies above. he inhaled sharply through his nose, then turned towards Azura. "And you're absolute that we won't die?"
Azura nodded. "Yes."
He looked over his shoulder at Freya, giving her a glance before nodding. He looked back at Corrin and Azura with a face of resignation. "Well...okay...if you insist."
"A-Are you sure?!" Felicia gasped.
Evan paid no heed to the maid and turned towards Freya with his hand extended out towards her. "You coming? Just take a deep breath...and close your eyes."
Freya looked doubtful, but she chose to take Evan's word for it. She took his hand and sighed. "Since when did you start becoming a gentleman for an older woman?" she sassed sarcastically.
"Same time I got out of bed this morning." He dryly chimed back. He turned towards Corrin and Azura, and nodded firmly. "Alright...ready?"
"W-wait! Are you serious, milord?!" Felicia nervously asked.
Corrin smiled and nodded firmly. "Yes, I trust Azura." He turned and started towards the edge, with Evan and Freya following behind him.
Felicia quivered in place, shuffling her elbows and forearms together. She sighed heavily. "...well, if he's going, guess I have no choice..." She whimpered, before picking up her skirt and following them towards the ledge.
"Yo, you really just..." Damon was at a loss for words. "You know what, screw it. Y'all can go ahead and die. Just follow another hoe's footsteps. Nice knowing you!"
The thunder howled high over their heads as they drew closer towards the ledge. Azura went first and gave them all one last look over her shoulder. She looked deathly serious. Literally. Evan, Freya, Corrin, and Felicia looked on expectantly as they waited for the drop to happen.
Taking in a final moment, Azura finally tipped over the edge and fell into the Bottomless Canyon. The four raced towards the edge and peered down with anxious looks as they watched her frame gradually get smaller by the second. Corrin took a deep breath and leaped over the edge into the darkness as well.
"W-wait for me~!" Felicia was about to jump, but she accidentally slipped and fell over instead of leap like Corrin did. "Woooooooaaaahh~!"
Evan and Freya held the other's hand tight. The two looked at each other, then back down. "On three." Evan instructed. "One...two...three!" Together, both he and Freya took off from the ground, jumping into the dark trenches below.
"Oh god...those poor, poor bastards..." DK shook his head despondently. "Well, at least some of us haven't completely lost it, right guys?" He waited for a respond, but only got eerie silence. "Guys...?"
Nathan groaned heavily, deciding to shrug it off. "Screw it!" Rather than show hesitation, he glared at the chasm and rushed for it. Without slowing down even once, he barreled over the edge like a torpedo and began his descent towards darkness.
"Nathan too?!" DK quipped. "Oh my god...WHY IS EVERYONE SO SUICIDAL TODAY?!"
Damon groaned in angst. "Gnnngh...fo, you shut up already! Cuz if you don't I'm gonna have ole' Scrags over here headbutt you so hard that you'll just fall in yoself!"
"(Yeah, just shut the fuck up and drop already, would ya?!)" Scraggy exasperated, crossing his arms with a huff.
"O-Okay..." DK whimpered. He whined as he raised his head to look at the dark, thundering sky. "I can't believe I'm about to do this." He muttered. He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply through his nose. "GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD! AAAAAHHHHH~!" He took only a small leap, but it was enough to make him fall into the dark trench that was below him. Farfetch'd used his webbed feet to hold his leek as he glided down to follow his trainer.
"Fo', y'all be crazy as hell..." Damon shook his head, his tone trailing to disbelief.
To this, Keith stepped up next. "Well, as the old saying goes: 'If your friends jump off a bridge, would you?'. Well, I at least know my answer. Ditto, if you would?"
"(You got it!)" Ditto shifted right beside him, transforming its cellular structure to become a Pidgeot. It humbly positioned itself so that Keith could get onto his back.
Keith looked back at Damon. "You know, it would be a lot easier if you just got behind me. You said you didn't want to look over your shoulder all the time, right?"
As much as Damon detested the very thought of having to latch onto a policeman, he wasn't going to deny that this way, at least they wouldn't end up dying. This ultimatum was finally enough to make him groan with displeasure.
"Ugh...fine, fo'. C'mon, Scrags." He trudged towards Ditto-Pidgeot, with Scraggy acquiescing to allow himself to be gripped by the makeshift avian's talons.
"You'll have to hold on so you don't fall off." Keith persuaded.
"Ew, I ain't touching no other dude, let alone the bacon!"
"Your call, do you really wanna risk dropping on your own accord?"
Damon smacked his own lips and groaned off to the side. He rolled his eyes as he prolonged his groan all the way to the other side of his neck and finished with a huff. He silently gripped Keith by his waist, much to his chagrin.
"Alright. Let's follow, Ditto!"
Ditto-Pidgeot let out a cry as its wings spread. It ascended off the ground and quickly took flight above the gorge where everyone else was fading within. It straightened its wings as it began a rapid descent into the darkness.
Everyone fell swiftly into the darkness below. As Corrin fell, he found his twisting and turning body steadying as he spread his limbs, like he was gliding without a membrane. He noticed Azura looking back at him, locking eyes solemnly with him before diving further into the darkness below.
He looked towards his side, seeing Evan locking eye with him as he used one hand to hold onto Freya, and the other to hold his beanie in place. Blue and red eyes were fixed for several moments before they focused on the darkness that soon swallowed them all...
The first thing that Evan felt...was pain. A lot of pain. He felt his back and his head throbbing like a rampaging Rhyperior used Hammer Arm. Either it was the rush from the impact, or maybe he fell unconscious from falling too fast, he didn't know.
"Mmmmphf..." He muffled a stiff moan as he blew into what felt like grass. He tried to get up, but something felt incredibly heavy on his back that he was unprepared for. "Mmmm...oh, my back..." He blinked his head open, his blurry vision getting nothing but long, black locks that shield him from the world. "Hair...? Don't tell me..."
Another moan was heard, followed by a gasp. "Wha...what happened?" Freya propped herself up, but found her support shifting underneath. She gasped in horror again. "Evan?! Are you hurt?!"
Evan weakly raised his right arm. "Yeah...but I think I'm still alive...are we?"
Freya sighed before she finally lifted her thick, curvaceous frame off the poor trainer. "Here, let me help you up." She grabbed Evan's hand and helped in supporting him as he wobbled back up. "Sorry about landing on you."
"Don't mention it." He groaned. Though, in his mind, he knew that if his friends were in his place, they'd be enticed with the prospect of a sexy woman landing on top of them; Joseph more so than Patricl. But he knew this wasn't the time to indulge himself in such merriment. He tilted his head to crack the bones on his neck, releasing some of the stiffness inside them. "Your bagpipes doing okay?"
"Um~..." She lifted the bagpipes that were still hanging underneath her left arm. She checked the pipes and the bag to see if any damage was done to it. Thankfully though, nothing of the sorts seemed visible. "Yeah, looks good to me..."
"Okay...good." He stopped and looked around, getting a view of their new surroundings. "Wh-?! What the...?"
The two found themselves in what could have been a fantasy. A dream. They saw a blue sky that had parted clouds flowing along in the high altitude. As they looked around, they saw islands floating in the sky over the lush green landscape with dirt trails leading to places unknown. A light mist covered the background that made it hard for them to see miles ahead of them. But they were aware enough to notice they were surrounded by leveled ruins.
"Where are...we...?" Freya found herself speechless as she took notice of a massive formation of land – much like a mountain – almost at a complete 90 Degrees angle, with flowing water and formations on the end. It looked like somebody just tore the land off the surface of its plating and planted it upright.
"Evan...?"
"Yeah...?"
"Is this what goes inside of your head, or are we having the same dream?"
The sounds of groaning and stirring grabbed their attention. They turned around, seeing everyone else who followed behind was starting to regain consciousness.
"That...was a long fall." Corrin muttered. "Is all of this...really the bottom of the canyons?"
"Oh god...my head...it hurts so much..." DK groaned.
"(That was me, sorry man.)" Farfetch'd quacked, leaping off his head onto the grass. He waddled around and looked at the flowing water of a nearby island facing vertically in the sky. "(Wow...there's something you don't see every day.)"
DK soon regained full conscience, along with everyone else. They all froze and looked around to find themselves in a completely different setting – alive.
"W-where are we now...?" DK quipped.
Keith frowned as Ditto morphed back into a white cane for him. "The air feels...very different somehow. Are we still alive?"
Nathan raised a brow as he gazed at his new surroundings. He looked mildly impressed with all the topical changes. "Not bad...even if this passes for an afterlife."
"Where de hell are we now? Man, I thought fo sure that we would've died." Damon admitted, scoping the landscape. "But, uh...yeah, man. I kinda dig it. A little greener than what I like, but oh well."
Felicia put a hand over her chest and sighed heavily. "Oh, thank goodness. It looks like everyone actually made it in one piece..."
Azura smiled in satisfaction. "I told you that you all would be fine."
Nathan turned to her with a scowl. "You didn't think to warn us that we would have ended up some other alternate world or something?"
"I'm sorry, but like I said, I had to wait until we were here." She frowned. She turned towards Felicia. "Are you well, Felicia?"
The maid shakily got up, but nodded with a nervous smile. "Y-yes...I'm fine...though, my stomach is a little upset is all. I'll be okay..."
"Ugh...make that two." DK raised his hand as he swayed about. "Oh man, that fall was a bit too...excuse me!" He broke away from everyone to make a break for a nearby broken wall. Everyone watched from afar as the chef breached for the wall and leaned over it to take liberties of emptying his stomach.
"Well now...seems everyone is falling sick today..." Keith half-grinned at the pun. He frowned as he turned back to where the others were. "Now then, Azura, what's going on here? What exactly is this place that you've brought us to?"
"Yeah, this place looks like it's seen better days..." Corrin trailed off as he scoped his surroundings. He saw large peaks that were made up of stone in the distance, stripped bare of any resources. The ruins that surrounded them only added to the lore the place had to offer.
Azura frowned and looked towards everyone. As soon as DK came crawling back, she knew now would be the best time as any to finally tell them all what was going on.
"This...is what's known as the kingdom of Valla" she started. "Valla is the one responsible for the war that is happening between Hoshido and Nohr."
Corrin was taken back by the news. Not at the fact that there was a third kingdom, but how its role played into now. "Responsible? How?"
Azura fell silent once more. She looked left and right, as if she was searching for any enemies. "...let's go. Follow me. All of you. I fear that if we stay for too long, we'll be spotted." Before they had the chance to open their mouths, she already started in a direction.
"Hold on, who're you talking about now? Who'll spot us?" Corrin questioned, but all he got was an eerie silence. He turned towards Evan and Freya, all three having a similar feeling that preceded with following.
"Well...here we go again." Keith shrugged. His Ditto cane helped guide his way as he followed behind. Damon, his Scraggy, DK, Farfetch'd, and finally Nathan followed.
As they were leaving the open terrain, Nathan slowed down to glare over his back. For some reason, he felt like they were being watched...and he knew better than to distrust his instincts. He picked up the pace, but still glanced back every now and again to make sure that no one visible would be following.
As they left the scene for the caverns, figures faded from dark embers that shifted across the ground following their trail.
Azura's guidance carried them far away from the outside world. The land of ruins they were once in was quickly replaced by darkness when she guided them all into an enclosed area within the valleys. What became of the blue skies had turned to sheer black, with shadows barely concealing them from any view that the new world may have upon them.
The blue-haired maiden soon came to a stop, with everyone finally having a short breather to catch their breath.
"Man...my legs are killing me from all this running..." DK complained between breaths.
"Yeah, I'm getting so much mileage on ma kicks here, man." Damon added, wiggling his shoes. "But, uh, are we good now?"
Azura stopped to look around one more time. As soon as the coast was clear, she nodded. "...yes, we should be safe now."
"That's what you said the last half dozen times now..." DK muttered. He sighed and facepalmed himself. "Whatever, whatever. Just get on with it. This is Valla, and it's responsible for what again?"
"As I was saying, Valla was responsible for both Hoshido and Nohr engaging in war. This is all because of its king that took the throne. It was taken by none other...than King Anankos."
"Anankos..." Evan muttered quietly beneath his breath. He didn't want to interrupt Azura as she continued unfolding the matter for them.
"Before his arrival, Valla was once a land bound by peace. Prosperity shined down upon us until Anankos committed regicide, and took the throne for himself. Our once bountiful lands were destroyed, filled with nothing but graveyards and desolate wastelands..."
"Oh, this shit got dark really quick..." DK said beneath his breath.
Corrin approached with a look of shock on his face. "He destroyed an entire kingdom?! But...why?"
Azura closed her eyes and breathed out her nose. "It's what he does...and he's far from satisfied. He wishes to lay waste not just to Valla, but the entire world. He'll move onto Nohr, then Hoshido, and so on. Even now, he's the hidden influence that drives Nohr and Hoshido. The very reason behind King Garon's invasion is because of Anankos' manipulation upon him."
"It can't be..." Disbelief mounted on top of Corrin. He knew by now that King Garon was not his father. If anything, he was far from a father-figure at all. The way he would throw his weight around and threatening to kill his children should they dare fail him made everyone around him feel unsettled at times. He was used to it by this point, but now that he had a new perspective on matters, he felt uncomfortable just thinking about it. Being manipulated by this King Anankos to fight against a neighboring kingdom? Was he even aware of his own actions? A part of him actually felt sorry for the decrepit old king, but another part of him was telling him that this was what he wanted to do from the beginning.
"So that's it...that's the whole reason behind this war." Keith put a hand to his chin. "I can get behind that logic, but that doesn't explain about our predicament. Are you saying that this king used his power on our world? Is that why we were brought here?"
Freya gasped. "If that's true, what will become of our world?"
Azura sighed calmly. "Honestly, that part of my knowledge still eludes me. But somehow, he must have found a way to bring Pokémon over from your world to add to the chaos that he's trying to create. I'm sorry, truly I am. But I fear that if he somehow has found that way, then it's likely that your world is next."
"You serious...?" Evan felt his heart drop at the very idea. An alien tyrant invading and destroying his beloved world where his other friends and family were, it made him even more obligated to stop this monster.
"Not if I can helps it." Damon cocked his Glock with a glare. "Where dis King Anookoosis be at? Dis be over in a sec once I shott him in de face."
"I'm afraid that eludes me as well." She reasoned.
Corrin's expression fell towards the ground. As soon as all the information processed through his mind, he knew what had to be done, and fast. He turned his attention back towards Azura. "Then...if what you said is true, then we can fix everything by defeating Anankos! Perhaps if we explain to everyone, we can all come together to-!"
Azura shook her head. "Corrin...I'm sorry, but that won't work."
"What...?"
"You mustn't talk about Valla beyond its borders. If you mutter even a word of it, it'll trigger a curse that will end with your life dissolving, along with your body."
Nathan squinted a skeptical brow. "You serious?"
"W-wait, back up, just a minute!" DK snapped. "So you're saying...that we'll get killed by a curse if we mention even a word about this to anybody?!"
Azura nodded. "Yes, it happened before...to my own mother...to Arete, the former queen of Valla."
"Former queen?" Keith's tone cracked with a slight flux of shock. "I see...then that explains why you weren't able to..."
Azura turned towards him with a nod. "Yes, I'm glad that you were finally able to understand my reasoning."
"So you're actually...?" Felicia trailed off for Azura to finish.
"Yes. In truth, I'm really a Vallite princess. The former king that Anankos murdered...was my own father."
"And you were forced to flee?"
"Yes...but I wasn't able to tell anyone about this. Not a word. That is...until now. Because of this curse, I couldn't speak of it...not one word." She turned specifically towards Corrin. "I'm sorry, Corrin. Now that you and everyone else here have chosen this path, you'll know exactly what I've been feeling for all these years. Even if you want to stop this war, you mustn't tell them of Valla, or Anankos. If you do...you'll risk death before ever changing such fate. I hope you're ready for this..."
Corrin's expression fell. Evan didn't have to ask how he felt about the situation. It was written all over his face. Though it did pain him, he knew that it was best to heed Azura's warning. And he was equally aware that Corrin knew this, too.
"...alright, I understand, Azura. We'll be ready."
"I'm not!" DK complained. "I didn't sign up to get a death flag just from talking about this place!"
"It's better that way. Let them stew amongst themselves in ignorant bliss. That's how I see it." Nathan stated with an indifferent tone. "If your plan is to really get them all together, then you better persuade them another way, unless you wanna die. That's all I have to say about the problem."
Corrin gave him an affirmative nod. "I will, Nathan. Thank you."
A rock dropped in the shadows, making an echo that reached everyone's ears.
"What was that?!" Azura gasped.
"Ssssh!" Keith held up his index finger, hushing everyone. A short silence fell as everyone took in the silence around them, though much of their anxiety shot up.
It was feint, but the grim shadows that everyone were close had very subtle movements. The familiar sounds of footsteps in the firm ground echoed through the valley darkness.
"...sounds like trouble." Evan grunted. He subconsciously reached back and pulled out a Poke Ball. 'Wish we knew we'd be running into trouble here. Could have healed up my Bellsprout in case.'
"Looks like they're coming from this way." Corrin turned towards the vague entrance on his left. It was but a narrow passage, a perfectly confined space to restrict any of their free movement.
With what little light they had, they needed an ideal cover. The corners that they had to work with would serve as a vantage point, but Evan also figured the enemy could use that to shoot any arrows. And he wasn't armed still, so that was a problem by itself.
'If they're just coming from one direction...then it makes sense to put up our strongest arms up.' With a quick rationalization in his head, Evan turned towards Corrin. "You take the lead. Damon can handle covering our midsection and long range in case things look hairy. They'll definitely have weapons, so that leaves us to use long-range moves to distract them so the short-rangers can go in."
Keith smirked at the quick-thinking ingenuity. "We can work with that." He pulled out a Poke Ball that looked radically different in comparison to the standard Poke Ball. Unlike the Great Ball that he offered to Evan, the one that Keith officially owned was a glossy black, with red and tallow stripes with white edging in between them.
Freya blinked in surprise. 'A Luxury Ball? Just how many of those does he have?'
Keith lobbed it into the air. Forming on the ground, his Zorua appeared with a shake of her fur.
"(Hmph, where are we this time?)" Zorua exasperated, turning her head objectively to check her surroundings. "(Sheesh, look at all these people...do we really have to work with them?)" She turned towards her trainer with a squinted glare. "(Keith, why'd you drag me out here of all times?)"
"(Yeesh, and here I thought dat Bellsprout before had a mouth. These girl 'mons outta get backhanded by somebody, and quick.)" Scraggy scoffed.
Keith looked down at Zorua with a smile. "Sorry, Zorua. But you're the best one for the job. You blend well and make great illusions. Please, we can really use your help.)"
Zorua scratched behind her ear with a paw and groaned angrily. "(Uuughh...fine! Like I have anything better to do anyways.)" She glowed bright purple, morphing her body to become something else. Everyone watched as she suddenly transformed, taking the appearance of a Mightyena.
Felicia gasped again. "Woah! Did that cute little fox just transform like your, uh...?"
"My Ditto? It's a little trick that's her Ability. Though, once she takes damage from enemies, she returns to being herself." Keith explained. "Alright, you know what to do."
"(Ugh, fine! The sooner this is over, the sooner I don't have to look that ugly mutt!)" She turned and raced off on all fours, her paws barely making a sound as she mowed over the dirt below.
Hearing her run off, Keith turned towards his colleagues. "That should break the ice. Now then, shall we engage?"
DK nervously held up his frying pan and large kitchen knife. Nathan spread his heels and got out a Poke Ball. Evan and Freya held onto their Poke Balls firmly as they got to the front lines. Damon and Scraggy got to the middle of the entourage like Evan advised and cocked his Glock.
It was time to brace for battle.
The group crept into the narrow valley, holding their formation tightly. As they walked in, they were all being careful to watch where they stepped. The shadows were so dark in the valleys that it was almost impossible to see what lied ahead.
'If only one of us knew Flash...but that would give away our positions, too.' Evan shook his head. No time in worrying about assets that they didn't have access to at the moment. Right now, they had to worry about getting out in one piece.
Corrin kept walking until he came to a stop. He noticed a faint, dark wisp drifting across the ground heading their way. It was so faded that it was almost impossible to tell it was actually there.
"Oh god, what is that?!" DK panicked.
Evan's eyes widened as he bent his knees. 'Those shadows...they look just like the ones we saw in Hoshido!' The epiphany led to him recalling that incident. It was a close call until Damon showed up at the time. But he knew that he had to pay very close attention
The shadow approached Corrin, who readied his Yato. However, just as the shadow closed in to attack with what looked like an iron bow, it was suddenly hit on the side, causing it to reveal a re robed, shady man that fell on his side.
Reappearing out of nowhere, Zorua-Mightyena landed on her paws from her sly Feint Attack. "(Hmph, thought you could hide from a Dark-type in the dark? It's like asking a fish to swim. Laughable.)"
"Thank you." Corrin nodded in thanks before he went through, delivering two cross slashes into the man as he was standing back up. With a hefty gag, he let out a gag before falling over. "That takes care of one!"
"Works for me!" DK eagerly chimed. He homed in on the wall that they were close by. "So, are there anymore – oh god!" He quickly turned the corner, only to pivot and hide away as an iron bow continued its path into the ground.
Corrin gasped as he looked startled. He looked towards his right, noticing there being a very small fortress. From what he could tell, it wasn't very big, probably not even half the size the one from the Bottomless Canyon. Yet through an opening in its walls, he could see there being some shadow that faded back into the surroundings.
"An archer?" He gasped. He also noticed another shadow that gradually moved around the small stronghold. It looked like the shadow had an iron axe that faded into view.
"First thing's first! Corrin, you can handle the one heading our way! We'll handle the long-range!" Evan declared. He held up his Poke Ball and tossed it skywards. "Go, Squirtle!"
The Poke Ball popped open, summoning the tiny turtle that stretched his legs. He looked up at Evan with a readily expression. "(Alright, I'm ready, Evan!)"
Evan glanced behind him. "Freya! Sobble!"
Freya nodded in understanding. "I understand." She pulled out a Poke Ball of her own and tossed it skywards. "Sobble, come out!"
The capsule unlocked and sent out energy that beamed downwards. Sobble manifested from the energy with a slight hitch in her breath. "(W-what's going on? Where are we?)" She looked around, looking unsound by the surroundings they were in. "(W-why's it so dark...?)" She flinched in fear. "(Oh Arceus, is it really night?!)" Her shivering only intensified even more than before. She looked like she was about to cry of anxiety.
"It'll be okay, Sobble." Freya assured. "But right now, I need you. Please be a big girl for me?"
Sobble swallowed a lump. She was nervous as hell, but if it was for Freya, she would at the very least try. "(O-okay...I'll try my best!)"
Evan quickly maneuvered around the corner, up next to DK. He looked down at the chef's Farfetch'd hatching yet another idea. "Can you cover for Squirtle?"
"Wait, what? W-what are you talking about, Evan?" DK nervously asked.
"I have an idea, just go with me on this."
"O-okay, you're the expert here..." DK's head slowly cranked towards his Farfetch'd. "Uh, Farfetch'd, use your Sand Attack, please?"
Farfetch'd rolled his eyes, but chose to be compliant. "(Well shoot, never thought I'd get a chance to be productive. Whatever.)" He picked up his leek and swung it into the ground, kicking up a wave of sand and dirt that clouded towards the stronghold's window.
"Like that?" DK looked towards Evan for approval, to which the younger trainer nodded.
"Perfect." He turned towards Corrin. "You should be good now."
The young warrior nodded. "Got it, thanks Evan."
Azura stepped up, taking in a soft hum. "Please, allow me." She let out a soft hum, which soothed the atmosphere around her. The notes she sung were meant fir Corrin as a sudden rush of energy surged through his body.
"I'll help, too!" Felicia held up her iron daggers as she raced alongside Corrin. Together, the warrior and maid combo met the shadow with the iron axe. The axe man attacked first, but Felicia stepped in front and blocked with her daggers, barely deflecting the shot. Corrin raced in, applying two crisp slashes across the shadow's body. However, the man didn't fall.
'That didn't do it?!' Corrin gnashed his teeth. Their armor must have been thicker than usual if they could handle Yato to that extent. But he looked graciously wounded. 'That case...'
As the shadow faded back into the surroundings, Corrin kept track of the wisp that lingered on the ground. He pulled out something from behind...a Poke Ball.
Felicia's eyes widened. "Milord! That's-!"
"Yes, Felicia. It'll be fine, don't worry." With a smile full of confidence, Corrin looked at the Poke Ball before tossing it skywards. "I need you! Riolu!"
The Poke Ball went flying above and popped open in midair. The energy went flying out and manifested Riolu in midair. The humanoid canine let out a grunt as he landed on a knee in front of his new trainer. "(...I'm ready. Let's do this!)" He pumped his fists, ready to fight on the word.
The shadow loomed in the one spot, seemingly recuperating after that last assault. It gradually drew closer until it was well within Riolu's range.
'Time to put those basics that Evan taught me to test...' Steeling himself, Corrin reached out and initiated the first call. "Riolu, Feint!"
Riolu's eyes widened. The priority attack was launched in the form of a blurred fist that met the soldier's face. While it wasn't a lot of damage, the severity of gashes he had before were enough to put him down in front of Riolu. The canine landed in front of him and looked back over his shoulder.
"(How was that?)"
Corrin smiled in approval. "Great job. Thank you, my friend."
Meanwhile, the dust was barely clearing out in front of the stronghold's window. The archer on his steed barely had a view of what happening outside. Once it subsided, he saw that his ally had fallen. It wasn't until he reloaded another iron bow that he noticed a blue hemisphere of water heading his way. It struck both him and the steed, causing an explosion of blue water that staggered the two of them.
The horse let out a wild neigh as the rider was all dazed. Though he managed to have a strong enough mentality to stay on his steed, he was far too disoriented for some reason.
From the light drizzle that plagued the window, an invisible Sobble crept up and saw the staggering horse and archer. She swallowed a nervous lump and closed her eyes. '(I hope this works...)' She opened her mouth, manifesting a hemisphere of water that was fired from afar. Her close-range Water Pulse fired into the steed and rider's side, creating a bright blue explosion that caused them both to fall over. In the rider's case, he fell over with his disoriented head slamming into the ground, instantly blacking him out.
Sobble blinked in surprise. "(That...that actually worked! Heh!)" She smiled happily, her invisibility fading as the water from Squirtle's initial Water Pulse dried out. She turned towards him and smiled happily. "(We did it!)"
Squirtle stepped ahead and gave a thumbs up. "(Sure did!)"
"Looks like there's another trail just up ahead. Everyone, hold together!" Corrin charged around the fortress towards a corner that was close by. Everyone remained close to one another, following his head as they got deeper into the valley at night.
"Look, up ahead." Azura pointed her bronze lance ahead, gesturing towards another enclosed fortress. Upon meeting eyes with the two men with an iron axe and bow braced themselves. The one man inside the fortress held an iron katana as all three faded into their surroundings.
"Quick! Follow their shadows!" Corrin encouraged.
Nathan pulled back his Poke Ball and slung it ahead. "Go, Wimpod!"
The Poke Ball fumbled through the air, until it expelled energy and let out Nathan's Wimpod. The aquatic insectoid blinked and shuddered in instinctive fear. "(W-what is it? What's wrong?)" he nervously asked.
"Straight ahead of you! Sand Attack!" Nathan ordered.
Wimpod blinked in curiosity. He looked ahead, but didn't see anything in particular. "(Uh...o-okay!)" He kicked up his tiny claws beneath him, hurling sand into the one wisp ahead of him. The shadow had a blue aura surround it as the dust revealed the man with the iron katana leaping from his post to attack the intruders. "(Yikes!)"
The man approached Wimpod to attack, but Wimpod scurried away, instead hitting the ground. Not even half a second later, Zorua-Mightyena reappeared and smacked him with another Feint Attack, sending him into flying into the man with the iron axe.
Zorua-Mightyena scoffed. "(Ha! Too easy!)" She looked towards Wimpod, who flinched at her appearance. "(What are you looking at?)"
"(Uh, n-nothing!)" He hiccupped, retreating away. "(Nathan, are we done?! Can I go back inside now?!)"
"Stay calm, Wimpod. Just keep supporting, alright? Just leave the actual hitting to me and the others. That's all." Nathan instructed.
Wimpod blinked. "(Oh...uh, I guess that works.)" He steeled himself for battle. "(Okay! Yeah, just leave it to me!)"
The two men were trying to get up, but as they were able to stir back to their feet, a wild cry followed by a frying pan to the head caused the man with the katana to slam back down. DK breathed heavily as he quickly pulled away. "Haha! How do you like that?! Not so scary now, are you?!"
The Vallite with the iron axe snarled as he glared at DK. The chef anxiously pulled away, gradually reeling away as fear arose in him. The Vallite raised his axe to finish the chef, but the next instant, a gun went off, followed by blood gushing from his head that splattered the ground.
Not too far behind, Damon held his Glock as the tip smoked. "Fo', quit standin' round like dat! You wanna get shot, too?!"
"R-right, my bad!" DK quipped. He looked down at the Vallite that laid dead a few feet away from him. He shook his head before pressing onwards. "Geez."
The Vallite with the iron bow took aim for Felicia, who held up her iron dagger. He fired at her, but Corrin stepped in and blocked it with his Yato. "Thank you, milord!"
Corrin nodded with a grin. "Just returning the favor."
"Freya, trap him!" Evan shouted.
The dark-haired woman nodded and hugged her bagpipes closer to her body. "Sobble, use Whirlpool!"
Sobble shuddered before she condensed vapor over her head. With a high-pitched cry, she manifested a surprisingly large cyclone of water that flung into the Vallite. The water enclosed around him, trapping him in the torrent.
"Squirtle, use Tail Whip!" Evan followed up. Squirtle made quick work in turning around, exposing his shaking tail to depreciate the man's defenses. "Go, Corrin!"
The warrior nodded in understanding. "Right! Riolu, use Metal Claw!"
"(Understood!)" Riolu dashed across the ground, swiping his paws as metallic energy shaped into claws. He lunged into the raging whirlpool, letting out a battle cry as he slashed diagonally across the Vallite's chest. The rake was equally as painful as a steel knife cutting into his body as he fell over. The man fell over, with his frame fading into the shadows once more.
"Excellent work. Nicely done, Riolu." Corrin praised.
Riolu raised his head and clutched his paws. "(Right! I'll keep pushing forward!)" As he was getting pumped and focused for what's to come, an empowering red aura enveloped his body. He could feel his Attack and Special Attack increase all of a sudden.
"Riolu? What's wrong?" Corrin looked on, unsure if what was going on.
"It looks like Riolu just learned a new move." Evan relayed.
Corrin glanced over at him. "A new move?"
"Yeah. Sometimes, Pokémon level up during or after winning battles. And when they do, they can sometimes learn new attacks. Though it may also mean that they'll forget one in place of it." He looked at Riolu empowering himself. "It looks like he just learned Work Up, so his Attack and Special Attack are increased."
"I see...Work Up." Corrin looked on as his Riolu's aura faded. There was so much about Pokémon that he had yet to understood, but he wasn't surprised in a bad way. Seeing Riolu get stronger made him clutch his Yato tighter. "Right, then let's press forward!"
"We'll take the lead on this one. It looks like another path opens up that way." Nathan turned his body towards the northern end of the fortress. Everyone looked towards said direction and knew what he was talking about.
"Wait, what about you? Are you sure?" Azura inquired.
Nathan looked forward, glaring at the valley that lied west; straightforward in his case. He pulled out another Poke Ball as he braced himself. "Yeah...I don't like the possibility of an ambush from two sides. Better safe than sorry."
Keith stepped forward. "In that case, we'll support you."
Nathan looked back at him, looking indifferent towards his decision. He wanted to say something about how he was blind, but he'd rather not tear open any of those kinds of wounds, Besides, from what he observed, his Ditto practically covered his bases for him. It'd be foolish not to consider him as a versatile ally.
"...alright. We'll catch up if we don't find anything." With that promise, Nathan darted off with nimble grace of a cat. Wimpod scurried with him. Zorua-Mightyena trotted behind to act as a guide for Keith.
Azura turned towards the others. "It will be fine. Let us move forward. I fear more of our enemies will be showing up soon."
"Right!" Corrin started up the northern, narrow valley, with everyone steeling themselves as they followed behind.
They all took their path northward, getting by a couple hundred meters until they saw the next small fortress. From it, four Vallite men sprung out, each one having an iron shuriken, Yumi, Naginata, and sword. Upon drawing the swords, everyone braced themselves. The man with the iron shuriken leaped forward first, firing two shimmering stars at Azura. But thanks to an intervention by Corrin's Yato and Riolu's Metal Claw, they were able to deflect the shuriken for her.
"Thank you both." She praised. "Now then...I believe that it is my turn to call upon a valid ally." She reached back and pulled out a Poke Ball of her own. She paused for a brief moment, but once she had found her resolve, she tossed it overhead. "Now then, come out!"
The Poke Ball spun in the air, expelling energy that turned into her Popplio. She cried merrily as she flipped overhead, landing on her tailfin and puffed out her chest.
"(Alright! Time to put of a show! I could hardly wait!)" Popplio barked.
"Please, my friend, lend me your strength to prevail." Azura pleaded to Popplio. She reached her left arm out as a gesture of attack towards the Vallite assassin. "Please, use your Water Gun!"
"(Sure thing!)" Popplio reared her head back before lurching forward. Her cheeks swelled with a large mass of water that she let out in a steady stream into the Vallite man. The impact with his torso barely buffered him, but it was prolonged enough to allow Evan and Freya to call attacks of their own.
"Squirtle, Bite!"
"Sobble, Water Gun!"
With Sobble being just a little faster than Squirtle, she expectorated a steady stream of water from her mouth as well. The double Water Gun effort was plentiful enough to rebuff the Vallite completely. With him unable to advance due to the volume of water, Squirtle was able to close the gap by running underneath the streams into the man's gut. He leaped in and opened his mouth, crunching down with energy fangs that caused a searing pain and made him topple over.
The Vallite with the Naginata drew onto the creatures that stood in his way. He disappeared into the shadows, leaving only a burning wisp on the ground that drew alarmingly close onto Squirtle first.
"Sobble, quick! Whirlpool!" Freya commanded.
"(Eep! Okay!)" Sobble hurriedly brought her tiny arms up overhead, summoning strength to make another sizeable whirlpool of water. She let out a cry as she launched the whirlpool from her head towards the shifting wisp. Sure enough, the wisp was struck by the swirling cyclone of water, keeping it in place and allowing Squirtle time to back up.
"(Thanks for the save.)" He thanked her.
Sobble timidly nodded at the gesture of gratitude. "(Y-yeah, no problem.)"
BANG!
The sound of another gunshot ran across the vicinity. The Vallite with the iron sword fell over in a heartbeat, leaving the one with the Yumi to continue in his ally's place. However, he didn't get very far when another bullet went through his head, putting him down for good.
DK held his Glock out, looking mildly disinterested, if not unamused. "Yeah, fo', get it! You want more?" He got silence as his answer. "Yeah, dats what I thought. Now Scraggy, deal with dat one!"
"(Pffft! Child's play! Sit tight, aitz? Dis'll be quick!)" Scraggy tucked in his head, lunching himself at the trapped Vallite with a Headbutt straight into his face. The impact did more than what it was intended to do as the sounds of cartilage snapping could be heard as Scraggy pulled away. The Vallite fell over in a daze over the critical hit, knocking his head on the ground.
Scraggy rolled his neck as he wriggled his skin pants up his lower half. "(Like dat! Get some, loser!)"
"Thanks, Damon!" Evan shouted from nearby.
Damon shrugged. "Yeah, no probs. Just stop horsing around! You've done dat enough already on de way here, fo'!"
The only appropriate answer Evan knew he could give to him was a nod of understanding. "Yeah, I got it. We better get moving, Squirtle."
"(Right-!)" Suddenly, Squirtle stopped in his tracks when a strong light began overtaking his body.
"(S-Squirtle?!)" Sobble gasped in horror. However, she noticed that same light began overtaking her form as well. She looked down at her arms to realize they were shining brightly. "(Wha...?)"
"Sobble?!" Freya's heart skipped a beat out of the sheer astonishment she felt. She watched as her own Sobble and Evan's Squirtle were swallowed in this familiar light right before everyone's eyes.
"Squirtle, you're..." Evan looked just as surprised, if not more so. Even though the glow was bright, it wasn't terribly blinding that he couldn't see the changes going on. He noticed how his Squirtle was starting to grow larger in the light, and his tail began growing more fluffy-like.
DK nearly went slackjawed. "Oh my god, what's happening?!"
"I-I'm not sure!" Felicia gasped.
"Uh, beats me?" Damon shrugged.
Azura blinked. She recognized this light before. "That light...it's the same as when we saw Evan's Metapod change back then..."
Corrin and everyone went silent as they witnessed the light fading from the two growing bodies. In a quick expulsion of light, the twinkles faded around the newly evolved Pokémon that took Squirtle and Sobble's places.
In Squirtle's case, he became taller than his previous form, with his skin color changing from a bright blue into a periwinkle blue. His pupils and sclera had gotten notably smaller, showing a lot more white in his eyes. His fingers and toes were replaced with actual claws that made him a little more threatening than before. And his shell had gotten slightly darker in tone, becoming borderline brown as a result. His large blue tail, however ended up becoming a wavy, curled, light blue tail. On the sides of his head, grew light blue appendages that looked like wings, but in reality were really his visible ears.
"(Wartortle!)" He proudly exclaimed, clutching his fists tight.
For Sobble's new form, it was equally as radical, if not more so. Not only was her body slightly larger and thicker, but her skin tone had turned from baby blue to being a deep blue-green shade. The broad fin on her head became a hairpiece that was dark blue, with a bright purple strap; all of which went over her right eye. Her pupils lost their innocent blue shading, becoming small dark eyes. Her eyelids, gloves, and feet became bright green. Atop her white, dewdrop-shaped abdomen was a slick dark blue stripe, which matched the stains on the sides of her face. Her tail was also much less curved, but still rolled up a little.
"(I'm...Drizzile now.)" She spoke in a slightly deeper voice.
Felicia's eyes were so wide they could have fallen out of their sockets. "Wh-what?! They've both changed just now! What's going on?!"
"Squirtle and Sobble...they both evolved." Evan realized. He pulled out his PokeDex to analyze their new transformations.
"Wartortle, the Turtle Pokémon. It cleverly controls its furry ears and tail to maintain its balance while swimming."
"Drizzile, the Water Lizard Pokémon. A clever combatant, this Pokémon battles using water balloons created with moisture secreted from its palms."
"Wartortle and Drizzile..." Corrin repeated. He was visibly stunned to say the very least, He knew the concept of evolution in terms of Pokémon, but never really processed it until now. But even so, he was left without any words to say about the matter.
Wartortle looked down at his new body, admiring his new features. "(Woah, I got a new tail!)" he chuckled. "(Hehe, and ears...though, why do they look like wings? Guess that's cool.)"
Drizzile looked down at her palm, forcibly condensing moisture into a water balloon like the encyclopedia said she could do. She squeezed it very softly in her grip and popped it, making water gush down her hand and arm "(Huh...what a weird new power. At least if we have a water balloon fight, I know I won't run out of ammo...)".
"My Sobble evolved..." Freya proceeded forward, stopping right in front of Drizzile. She gave her a supportive smile and a clap. "Congratulations, Drizzile!"
Drizzile sheepishly turned away, rubbing the back of her head. "(Heh, i-it was nothing...)"
"A pleasure to see." Azura's praise was shorthanded when she frowned. "But I'm afraid that we must be on guard still."
"Y-yeah, guess she's right." DK murmured. "So...so which way do we go now?"
Corrin looked around, but since he couldn't see well, he had to rely on his Riolu for aid. "Riolu!"
"(I understand.)" He jumped in front of everyone and stood perfectly still. His aura feelers defied gravity and floated on the sides of his ears as he sensed his surroundings. It didn't take long before he stopped emanating his aura and turned towards east. "(There! Enemies from that direction! Much negative presence!)"
"That direction, is it?" Corrin braced himself as he and everyone readied to proceed ahead. "Alright, then here we go!"
Nathan remained silent and alert as he traversed westward through the valleys. It was so dark that it was almost impossible to tell where an enemy could be lurking until they were within his line of sight. As soon as he was close to the edge of the narrow passage, he spotted two small forts that housed a single Vallite, each one undoubtedly armed.
'They positioned their forts right in front of the passage. Of course so they could ambush! Figures there would be some lurking around the corner!'
The two forts burst with the single soldiers making a beeline for Nathan. One had an iron Naginata, and the other possessed a Yumi. They faded into their surroundings and greedily went to attack him.
"(What do we do?!)" Wimpod nervously quipped.
Nathan paid very close attention towards the one with the Yumi. He noticed that it was positioned a short distance away while the other wisp continued its path forward. He wasn't going down without a fight.
"Wimpod, Screech!"
Wimpod shuddered, but he steeled himself and took in a deep breath. He raised his head as he expelled bright shockwaves from his body, along with a piercing cry that directed towards the oncoming Naginata Vallite. The earsplitting wake of the cry caused him to stagger to a stop as a blue aura indicated his defenses dropping considerably.
'Now!' Nathan paid attention to when he heard the sounds of a click. His reflexes and extensively trained body made him bend and barrel roll off to the side. He pulled out another Poke Ball and threw it. "Bagon, use Dragon Breath!"
The Poke Ball opened, expelling Bagon. "(Alright then, here we go!)" He inhaled sharply through his nose as loops of energy rings gathered around his body. He fired streaming dragonfire from his maw into the farthest wisp, causing it to erupt in indigo flames and fall over.
With Wimpod's screeching keeping the Naginata warrior pacified, Nathan got into a runner's position and sprung ahead without any wasted movements. Without any hesitation, he kneed the exposed Vallite's face, causing him to stammer. He grunted angrily and swung his weapon around. Nathan predicted and read the movement and grabbed the wrist before it could breach impact. Even with the Vallite's larger size, Nathan was surprisingly strong, reeling the wrist and Naginata over his head and planting his heel on his neck. The harsh impact was enough to completely stamp the guy down, literally.
Wimpod ceased his screeching, but he wasn't calm like Bagon was. He was visibly shaken with how aggressive Nathan got. "(W-woah...he really let that guy have it...)" He turned towards Bagon. "(Um, y-you said that he's a nice guy, right...?)"
"(Don't worry, he is.)" Bagon assured. "(He's just cut differently, that's all.)"
Nathan breathed out his mouth and sighed. He noticed something peculiar about the one that he just knocked out. He bent down and saw that there was an intricate key that looked like it was meant to unlock something. 'Better safe than sorry. If they're hiding anything, it's best to uncover it before they get the chance to use it.' Without a beat of hesitation, he took the key.
He stepped closer towards the opening that the valley had to offer. He looked around, but noticed that aside from the two forts the size of large bedrooms, he didn't see much of anything. He looked inside through their exposed windows to see if there were anything related to the key.
'It would have been easier for them if they had just stayed in these. They look pretty fortified. Bunch of dumbasses.'
Bagon remained on guard, but stood close by. As to where Wimpod was looking around, his Bug-type senses picking up something shiny not too far. "(Oh, what's that?)" He scurried towards the side of the fortress on his tiny feet. As one would expect, he was faster than what Bagon could track.
"(Huh? You find something?)" Bagon hurried over to where Wimpod stopped at. Right behind a rock, he saw something that intrigued him. "(Wait...what?)"
Sitting there, out of nowhere, there was a medium-sized treasure chest. It looked to be a treasure chest with a lock in front of it. It looked fairly sturdy, but otherwise it left Wimpod and Bagon stunned.
"(Woah, what do you think that is?)" Wimpod awed.
"(I don't know. I think that it's one of those human things that's supposed to keep something important.)"
"(Really? Like what?)"
Bagon shook his head. "(Beats me. But if it's out here of all places, it's gotta be something accessible for the humans that are attacking us, right?)"
"(Yeah...guess that makes sense.)" Wimpod lowered his head, pondering of what it could be. "(Let's see, hmmm...!)" He gasped. "(Oh, I might know!)"
"(Do tell.)"
"(Trash.)"
Bagon raised a brow. "(Trash?)"
"(Yeah, you know, like the kind that humans get rid of? Like the kinds that they throw out and let wash up on some beach some place. I tell ya, where I came from, whenever something like a tin can washed up on the shores, it was a first come-first serve! I tell ya, I can tell you about how many of us fought over a wrapper that still had a chunk of candy left inside...even though it was in the ocean. Hehe, guess that's why it tasted like salted caramel...)"
Bagin couldn't believe what he was hearing. "(H-how are you alive, first of all?)"
Wimpod blinked. "(What do you mean? I don't just eat trash.)"
"(But isn't that...?)" Bagon was about to question Wimpod further, but seeing how completely unfazed he was with the voluntary diet choices he could have had, he just chose to shake it off. "(...nevermind. Look, even if it was trash, ask yourself, 'Why would it be in a treasure chest of all places?'."
"(Well, maybe they don't have trash cans out here, so they use boxes instead? Humans will use anything to get by, right? I know I would. No sense in being picky.)"
For the umpteenth time, Bagon was left dumbfounded. He didn't even know how to argue that, let alone what to say. Hypothetically, there was the chance that it was trash. And if by some miracle that it was, why would it be out in the open behind a fortress of all places?
Footsteps drew closer, causing the two to whip around to find Nathan present. "What you guys find?" He looked at the treasure chest with a raised brow. "A treasure chest? Out here?" He furrowed his brow. This definitely felt off. "Both of you stand back, just in case."
Bagon and Wimpod complied and pulled away by his insistence. He looked closely and noticed that the chest had a lock with a key on it. He took out the key that he had stashed in his pocket and pieced the two in his mind.
'Guess there's really only one way to find out...' He reached the key out and placed it in front of the lock. He inserted it and heard a loud click. Once he turned it, the chest flung open so fast that he flinched and stepped back. He crept forward, as did Bagon and Wimpod; all three looked in with estranged looks in their eyes. "What the...?"
Nathan reached in, pulling out what looked like a medium-sized staff. It had two golden wings that sat on top of two silver wings, both sets encompassing a multicolored gem that sat in the middle. The staff had a bronze bar to hold it up. When Nathan held it, it was surprisingly light. On the back of the staff, there was an inscription that read what it was.
"'Rescue'." He parroted. "'Maximum uses: 2'."
He looked down into the treasure chest to find another TM inside, this one being a blue one that he picked up, He looked at the label that read 'TM 55: Brine'. Though this was relatable to him, it was more convenient than anything.
"What's all this here? Did they plan to use this?" he questioned.
Bagon turned towards Wimpod. "(Sorry Wimpod, guess it isn't trash. I don't mean to be rude, but I kinda figured as much.)"
"(Aw man.)" Wimpod whined. Bagon leaned over and comforted the sulking insect with a tiny pat on his back.
"What did you find?" Keith caught up, having Ditto as his cane and Zorua-Mightyena by his sound. "You took care of those two fast, you know that?"
Nathan glanced over his shoulder, recognizing the induvial as his ally. "Just found an odd staff, and a TM that's for Brine."
"A TM?" Keith put a hand to his chin. "This is the first I've heard of that. But why here of all places?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. Anyways, we better keep moving. Looks like there's a path leading north from here..." He gradually trailed off as he looked behind Keith. He furrowed his brow in defense.
"(What are they looking at?)" Zorua-Mightyena exasperated. She turned around, her fake ears standing straight up. "(Oh shit-!)"
"Get down!" Nathan grabbed Keith and pulled him down moments before an arrow fired into the rock behind them. They both got up with a quick fixation dead ahead at where the shot came from. Another Vallite was shrouded like a wisp that gradually faded back into view. He was revealed to have an iron Yumi, which was reloading to strike.
"Well now, looks like there's more trouble." Keith chimed.
"Yeah, that's putting it mildly." Nathan grunted. "Bagon, Hydro Pump!"
"Now, use Extrasensory!"
Bagon opened his maw and created water, alongside Zorua-Mightyena, whose eyes glimmered bright pink and expelled a kinetic funnel. The jet of water and psychic energy raced through the vicinity into the enemies that were coming their way.
"Get down!" Corrin covered Azura as an iron Yumi launched another arrow in their direction. He deflected it with his Yato. "Now, go!"
"Right!" Felicia held up iron daggers and threw them with deadly precision. They struck the Vallite, causing him to stagger backwards.
"Now, Wartortle, use Tackle!" Evan shouted.
With the Vallite distracted, he was taken by surprise when a medium-sized turtle rammed him straight in his head. The impact was strong enough to send him face-first into the wall, and then dropping to the ground. As he depreciated, something fell from his pocket – a chest key, which glided across the floor towards Evan's feet.
"A...key?" He reached down and picked it up. He inspected the key to see what it was. Or rather, if it was in proper condition. "What's it for?"
"I'm not sure..." Freya looked around for anything that might be of use. Her brown eyes darted onto something she thought was a correct presumption. "Evan, look over there!"
Evan turned around, looking at a treasure chest that sat off to the corner. "A chest?" He looked left and right, scouting to see if anyone was around. Once he saw that the coast was clear, he closed in and kneeled before the chest. "Why they keep a chest out here of all places?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
Evan didn't focus on the circumstances. What mattered was right now. If the enemy had a key, that had to mean that it was important in some way. He gradually inserted the chest key into the lock and turned it. As soon as the lid flung open, Evan was met with a surprising sight.
"What is this...?" He trailed off as he reached in and pulled out what looked like a blade. It wasn't as long as the Yato, but it was well built. It also had a stitched guard with zigzagged leather fibers and yellow bands to help maintain a firm grip. Its scabbard was a dark brown and looked like it could he latched onto something.
"A blade? What's something like that doing in there?" Freya asked.
"It's just like you said...your guess is as good as mine." Evan looked at the hilt and saw that it had a little engraving on it, written in woven cursive. With what little light he had, he squinted and read it aloud. "'Killing Edge'." He looked at the sharp blade and stared at it. Something about it seemed so sleek. But at the same time...fairly light, and easy to grip. If wielding a bronze katana at one point served as anything, it's that he had to prepare himself for anything.
'Guess I'll keep this on my person. Better safe than sorry.' He sheathed the Killing Edge back into its scabbard and tied the strings around the base to his belt to keep it secured. As soon as the last knot was made, he turned back towards the box to see if anything else was inside. To his shock, there was something else.
He reached in and pulled out another TM. This time, it was a bright red-orange color, with the label reading 'TM 43: Brick Break'.
"Another TM?" Freya blinked.
"Why are all these TMs around here?" Evan muttered. Though, he didn't have much time to question it, because the others were proceeding towards him. He stashed the TM back with the other two he kept on his person and turned towards Corrin and the others.
"You find anything?" Corrin asked.
Evan paused momentarily to consider what he should encode. Right now wasn't the most appropriate time to talk about the aspect of TMs. Instead, he diverted the sentiments towards his side where the Killing Edge was sheathed. "I found this. No sense in having it lie around, I suppose."
Corrin looked at the sheath with mild surprise. "Another weapon?"
"But why do they keep it in these damn treasure chests, huh? That's what makes no sense to me here." DK pointed out. "I mean, wouldn't it just be easier to just buy a safe? Or maybe keep it on your person?"
"You do have a point, DK. Though, in fairness, rare materials like these are usually kept nearby for instances of emergencies." Azura explained.
DK rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, guess that makes sense..."
Corrin proceeded ahead, with everyone else maintaining their formation. Once they were on their way, Riolu's aura sensors tingled. "(Up ahead, another one!)"
"Looks like we have more trouble coming." Corrin grunted.
"Then let's slow it down." Evan pulled out a Poke Ball. He took a step back and threw it into the air. "Alright Butterfree, go!"
The Poke Ball flew open, revealing Evan's Butterfree once more. "(I'll do the best that I can again!)" he declared.
Up ahead, there were three Vallite soldiers surroundings an unoccupied fort, with another treasure chest by its side. The Vallites saw the intruders head their way and took the initiative to attack. The Vallite with the iron shuriken readied himself as he saw a very large butterfly head his way.
"Butterfree, Electroweb!"
Butterfree let out a loud chirp before he spat out a ball of electrified threading at the closest Vallite. The threads expanded, turning into an oversized net that caught clamped down onto the man. He remained fastened to the ground as the remaining two Vallites disappeared and charged around him.
"Popplio, please, use your Disarming Voice." Azura implored.
"(Okay!)" Popplio flopped onto her tailfin and cleared her throat before letting out a loud, high-itched chime. The blue hearts traversed throughout the vicinity directly ahead, engulfing the two wisps and the snared Vallite. The soundwaves left all three in a stammering daze long enough for Riolu to race forward, with Drizzile and Wartortle not too far behind with spheres of water manifesting.
"Metal Claw!" Corrin cried out.
"Water Pulse!" Evan and Freya cried out.
Wartortle and Drizzile's attacks shot remarkably fast, projecting their hemispheres into the two exposed Vallites on either sides. The impacts were strong enough to send them into the ground, with an opening between the splashes for Riolu to lunge through with arms crossed with metallic energy claws. The claws raked in an X-shape as he passed the Vallite that was snared beneath Butterfree's webbing. The result was the guy falling over with a gg and vanishing into the shadows like the others.
"(Hm, thank you for the assistance, my friends.)" Riolu looked back, giving them all a nod.
"(No trouble at all...though really it feels like I hardly did much.)" Butterfree nervously chuckled.
Drizzile looked away, unable to look him in the eyes. "(Yeah...no trouble at all...)"
"(Hehe, that was sure fun! Hope we get some more fun!)" Popplio chirped happily, though when she took a breath out, she was startled when she saw the air freeze up with sparkles. She quickly covered her mouth in surprise. "(Whoopsies! Looks like I just learned a new move!)"
Azura looked surprised at what she just saw. "I don't remember her doing that before..."
"That was Icy Wind." Evan stated.
"Icy Wind...I see." Azura smiled. "Thank you."
"Oh, look." Corrin saw there being a key that sat on the ground. He picked it up and went over towards the chest that sat a few meters from them. He went over and inserted the key into the lock and turned it. Instead of a sword and TM like Evan got, Corrin found himself with three brown sacs with dark ropes restricting the pouches from being open.
"What are dose supposed to be, fo'?" Damon quipped.
"Those pouches...they contain a special medicine inside for injuries." Azura explained. "They're what's known as Vulnerary. They're fairly common once you know the right places to go to."
"Oh...so no money." Damon smacked his lips and sighed heavily. "Man, talk about a letdown! I thought dat...dese treasure chests had like actual money!"
"Well apparently not." DK murmured. "Though it is a little misleading, I'll give you that."
Corrin decided to take the sacs with him. He turned around and started pass the fort. He continued walking until Riolu felt something off. His aura powers picked up again as he shot a glare towards the side.
"(Corrin!)"
"Huh-?!" Before Corrin realized it, a broader Vallite with full body armor and shield appeared at the last second. His iron lance was ready to strike him when his guard was completely down. He slashed at him with the mighty weapon, but Riolu jumped in front, his body coated in a reflective rainbow coating as he was trying to hold on.
"Riolu!" Corrin cried out.
Riolu grunted, but he wasn't budging from his spot. He let out a battle cry as his Counter caused the Vallite to feel the shock spread through his body at double its value. He grunted as he stammered away in both pain and shock.
Due to the accumulated damage Riolu ascertained, he started waning towards the side. He barely caught himself and glared ahead. "(I'm...I'm just fine! Go, now!)"
Corrin was dumbfounded, but also mildly angry. This was the second time in two days now that he was caught off guard, and somebody else paid the price for it. His heart skipped a beat as he felt an insurmountable rush of adrenaline course through his entire body. He could feel himself getting lighter by the second as veins were throbbing beneath his armor.
As if by pure instinct, Corrin's body rushed past Riolu into the Vallite. His red eyes dilated as he bared his surprisingly sharp teeth. The staggered Vallite didn't have any momentum on his side when Corrin's head sprouted dark antlers, and his arms swirled with energy into black claws with dark bands on them. He unleashed a mighty draconic cry as he twisted his arms and snapped them down like a pair of fangs. They unleashed a small hemisphere of energy that blasted into the man, completely shattering the armor and causing him to fade back into the darkness.
"Woahwoahwoah! What de hell is all dis about, fo'?!" Damon quipped.
"I-I don't know! But it's freaky as hell!" DK snapped.
Evan's eyes were wide with shock of his own. He couldn't believe what he saw. 'Wait a minute...I saw that before, I know I have!' His pupils shrank at a realization dawning. 'That was back on the bridge!'
He remembered. It all came back to him. The instant when Hans attempted to take their lives like he did Gunter. It was ruthless, and when Gunter and his steed fell to the ends of the earth, that was when Corrin snapped.
Azura showed no visible shock, but that didn't mean she was any less surprised by the development. "Corrin, you..."
Riolu looked back as he saw his trainer's features return to normal. Corrin raced up to him, kneeling to check on his wounds. "Are you okay, Riolu?"
Riolu blinked, but was responsive, nonetheless. "(Yeah, I'll manage...it's side the downside of having a move that makes you have to wait for damage to be inflicted upon you is all.)"
"Stay still. I'll heal you!" Felicia raced over and kneeled before Riolu. Her arms projected green energy that faded into his body, restoring a mildly sizeable amount of his health.
Riolu nodded sincerely. "(Thank you. I am in your care.)"
Corrin stepped back, looking down at his arms. He turned them over to see if there were any lingering veins still, but nothing was present. 'This power...it was just like when I saw Gunter...' He was taken back by the realization. How could he have not seen it before? Was he really that blinded by anger back then? Though he had a little better clarity than before, it was still something that took him by sheer surprise. 'This power...it's like I can control it better than before. Is it because of my Dragonstone?'
"Corrin, are you good, man?" Evan questioned.
Corrin paused, trying to process it all. He looked over to Evan with a slightly calmer expression than before. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Thanks for your concerns, Evan. We should hurry."
Evan nodded. He knew they had to keep going. Everyone followed behind as Corrin and Riolu took the initiative once more.
Riolu checked their surroundings once more using his aura sensory. He could tell the walls were narrow once more as they were heading north. He could certainly sense more bodies nearby as well.
However, there was a particular aura that caused him to stop in his tracks.
Corrin stopped right behind him. "Huh? Riolu, what is it? You sense something?"
Riolu was silent. He furrowed his brow as he tried to discern the aura that was ahead of them. "(This aura...it's somehow...different.)" He thought at first it could have been Keith and Nathan, but it was just one particular energy body ahead of him. It could have been one or the other, but he was left uncertain.
Very slowly, he proceeded north towards the shadows. Corrin tried following him despite not getting a response. "Riolu? What's wrong?"
They walked forward through the narrow corridor to where there was far broader space to move around. As soon as they were able to get a little fixture on lighting, Riolu came to a stop and pointed ahead.
"(Corrin! Up there!)"
"What is it, Riolu?" Corrin looked ahead at what got his attention...only for everything in his system to shut down momentarily.
Evan and Freya stepped forward as they entered from Corrin's sides. Much like their friend, they were also taken back by the sight. To Evan, he looked just as surprised, if not more so. 'Wait a minute, isn't that...?'
Damon stepped up, cocking a brow. "Man, who de hell dat?"
Corrin's eyes locked onto a figure that was riding on an armored steed. The steed itself was familiar to him, but that wasn't where his focus was. It was directed towards the rider, who was an older man with greying hair and adorned black armor. The instant he turned to look at Corrin, the latter felt like dropping to his knees. Yet somehow he was able to stay standing.
"I-it can't be...do my eyes deceive me...?"
"Corrin, isn't he your...?" Evan was equally as taken back. Both of them fell silent as the latter turned towards the former to see how he would react. As expected, he was dumbfounded.
The familiar man's frown quickly turned around to a smile of good greetings. "Lord Corrin!"
Corrin gasped. There was no mistaking it. "Gunter! You're...!"
The retainer smirked. "Yes, milord, it's me, in the flesh. I thought that I was a goner when I fell into the canyons, but I wound up losing consciousness. When I awoke, I found myself here."
He was dumfounded to say the least. He didn't know what to say, let alone feel about the situation. Was he happy? Was he shocked? Hell, he might as well feel both! He didn't know anymore. All that mattered at the moment was that in some mysterious act of mercy after so long, a miracle was cast upon him.
Sensing the emotions of Corrin, Riolu looked back at him. "(Corrin...)"
Felicia ventures past the small crowd, her eyes widening in shock at the scene before her. "I-is that really Gunter?!"
Gunter chuckled at the maid. "Yes, Miss Felicia, it most certainly is me. No need to fret. I am no ghost, I can assure you that. These strong arms and legs are undoubtedly sturdy for certain. Haha."
Finally, after a long moment of silence, Corrin was finally able to break free of his emotional stasis. He gave Gunter an earnest smile that could put any other to shame. "It's good to see you again, Gunter. I'm so glad that we found you."
Gunter gave him a solemn nod. "And I you, milord." He looked towards his backside at something. "It is alright, they are not enemies. They are our allies."
"What's he talking to...?" DK's inquiry was quickly answered when something small and green shifted behind Gunter on the armored steed. "Oh..."
Evan gasped. "Is that a...?"
Clinging to Gunter's back was a small green Pokémon, with a single horn that stood straight up atop his head. He had black diamond-shaped holes in his body, with a tail that opened outwards like the end of a pinecone. He had small red eyes and a small mouth. But at the same time, his hands were tiny, with thick kegs with a single pointed toe on each foot. His belly had a small red plate covering it.
The small Pokémon looked over, recognizing the humans as Gunter's allies. "(Hello there. You are this man's friends, right?)"
"(A Pokémon? Down here of all places?)" Wartortle gasped.
"(What is it?)" Butterfree wondered.
The creature nodded with a solemn nod. "(A pleasure. Call me Larvitar.)"
"I found this little one as I was finding my way around, milord. I believe that it has an uncanny resemblance to those creatures that we've seen before." Gunter explained.
"That has to be...a Pokémon, too!" Corrin realized. "Evan, which one is it?"
"Hang on a second." Evan reached back, pulling out his PokeDex to analyze Larvitar.
"Larvitar, the Rock Skin Pokémon. It feeds on soil. After it has eaten a large mountain, it will fall asleep so it can grow."
'A Larvitar? Those Pokémon are really hard to come by, especially since their evolve forms are so strong...'
Gunter turned his attention towards Evan. "Ah, so we meet again, I see." He noticed Wartortle, Butterfree, and the other Pokémon around him. Not just them, but a number of unfamiliar faces. "And I see that you are also not alone. Milord, as much as I would love to ask what is going on, I believe that we have trouble."
Corrin nodded in understanding. "Right, I'll explain later, I promise. Right now, we need to get to a safe place."
Gunter nodded. "Understood. You can rely on me and..." He looked back at Larvitar. "...I believe that mechanism described you as...Larvitar, yes?"
Larvitar nodded. "(Yes, of course, I'll help since you've taken care of me this whole time.)"
"Glad to have you on board." Corrin smiled
They all heard footsteps heading their way. Immediately, Gunter ushered his steed and turned towards the path that took them west. "Milord...trouble is here."
Corrin frowned heavily. He and everyone got on their guard as they glared at the valley. They saw figures drawing closer – actually visible for once – and readied to call for an attack. But just before they would instigate the assault, the figures were just a little faster.
A shadow sprung forward and bared claws and fangs at them. However, upon seeing them, it immediately lost interest. "(Oh...it's just you lot.)"
Freya gasped. "Wait, isn't that...?"
The Zorua-Mightyena from before faded, finally letting down her guard for once. The creature glowed and shrank in size until it became Zorua once more. Following close behind was Bagon, then Wimpod, and then finally Keith and Nathan. The latter human not only had the Resue Staff behind him, but he also had another staff that swirled up to a green orb on its top. He also carried what looked like a steel sword that was strapped to his side, and finally, holding another blade strapped to him. The blade itself was far larger than the Killing Edge that Evan had, but also had a curbed edge like a cleaver.
"You know, Nathan, you don't have to carry those all by yourself." Keith insisted, only for Nathan to dismiss him.
"It's fine. Don't trouble yourself. Besides, you need a hand to hold onto your Ditto, right?"
Keith sighed. "Well...not exactly. But I do appreciate your sentiments. You must be plenty strong to carry all that."
Nathan eyerolled. "Like I said, it's not a big deal."
Zorua groaned and turned away. "(You can relax, it's just this bunch!)" she called out to Keith.
"Hm? What's that, girl?" He lifted his head, hearing footsteps draw closer. "Oh, it must be you guys. So we were all able to meet up again, it seems."
Evan blinked. "Keith? And Nathan?"
"Oh...for a second there, I thought they abandoned us." DK sighed in relief. "Phew. Talk about a weight off your chest."
Nathan and Keith approached the group, with Corrin meeting them in the middle. "It's good to see you're both unharmed." He looked over at Nathan. "And Nathan, seems like you've found a lot of weapons."
Nathan sighed out his nose. "Yeah. At first I thought it was odd that they would have so many of these lying around. But it didn't make sense keeping them where enemies could get ahold of them. Better to defend yourselves somehow."
"Oh, wow...thank you so much, man." DK quipped. He was actually surprised that Nathan procured weapons specifically for them.
Nathan turned to look over at Gunter. The older grand knight returned the gesture. "Ah, are you one of milord's allies? A pleasure."
Nathan nodded with his scowl. "Yeah, same here I guess."
Popplio clapped her flippers together in glee. "(Hehe, yay! Looks like a lot of us are getting along! It's a bigger party than it was yesterday!)"
Azura smiled at her Popplio's playfulness, but didn't digress from the matter. "If that's the case, then did you perhaps venture into...?"
At this notion, Keith cleared his throat. "Yes, we did. It looks like Nathan's hunches were spot-on about possible ambushes. Fortunately, we were able to smoke them out...and acquire some gear for the road at that." He smirked. "I must say, you have a good sense of judgment there. Color me impressed."
"Whatever." Nathan directed the conversation back at everyone else. "If you guys came from that direction, that means that you too care of the ones on that route, is that right?"
Corrin gave an affirmative nod. "Right."
"In that case, that leaves one route left." Gunter grabbed his steed's reigns and pulled him around. The horse turned and faced the valley going east. "Let us proceed with caution."
"In that case. Let's try and make this easy for ourselves." Evan advised loudly. Everyone looked at him while he adverted his directory towards Freya. "Freya, do you remember what we did back on the bridge?"
"You mean when we ambushed and trapped that whole fortress? Yeah, why?"
"Because we're going to do a little innovation..."
In the valley that lied ahead of them, the space was much more open than any of the other spots in the area. There were two forts, with three men on the outside, and one inside in the farthest fort east. Compared to the other men, he had a differently shaped body, with a very broad yet stout neck with a smooth head. One could say it almost didn't even look human. He adorned thick armor, as well as honing a steel axe, which was far more effective than iron or bronze. The beastly man didn't even so as murmur as he did growl. His throat visibly vibrated to such an extent, too.
The four Vallites were in position, their bodies cloaked to make sure that they would get the upper hand as soon as anyone would pave entrance to the edge of their territory. The ruckus undoubtedly brought up alarms. The moment they would see an enemy, it would be curtains.
One of the shrouded Vallites with an iron club inched closer towards the corridor to await for the enemy to attack. As he did, out of nowhere, the area began plaguing with thick black smoke with purple sparkles mixed in with it. Every second, the smoke got thicker as it brewed in from the valley.
The Vallites in the area, including the one in the fort, looked on in curiosity. The iron club Vallite showed some wonder...until he inhaled only a small bit of the smoke. Instantly, he gagged and exposed himself as toxic bubbles billowed up from his body.
This didn't go unnoticed by the other Vallites in the area. The other two Vallites outside of forts scuttled away, but the smoke spread and engulfed them next. Toxic bubbles expelled from their bodies as they found it hard to see inside the smoke.
From the edge of the valley corridor, Freya's Rolycoly was expelling his Smokescreen at an abundant level. Along with that, Butterfree was flapping his wings, scattering his Poison Powder through the thick smoke. Everyone stayed behind them as they watched the two go to work.
"Man, dat'd be dirty, fo'." Damon sniped.
"Maybe, but better safe than sorry." Keith imposed. "Still, mixing Smokescreen and Poison Powder...not only will it help conceal us and blind our enemy, but also wears them down considerably. It'll be easier to take them out this way."
Freya eyerolled with a smirk. "Now you know what I've been working with my whole time here." She cheekily patted Evan's cheek, much to his chagrin.
"I'll take that as a compliment." He groaned. He turned towards Azura. "Azura, you're up."
"Right." Azura took liberties in walking closer towards Rolycoly and Butterfree as they were still working. Popplio plopped beside her as she extended her arm out. "Popplio, I need your strength! Use Icy Wind!"
Popplio barked and clapped her flippers. She reared her head back and lurched forward, firing her icy-cold breath into the poisonous smoke cloud. The cold air pushed the toxic cloud a ways further into the valley, as well as chilling the air around the Vallites. The icy air buffered them to where they felt themselves slow down considerably.
Butterfree and Rolycoly eventually let up, allowing the deluge of toxic smoke to finally evaporate.
"NOW!" Corrin charged in first, with Gunter and Larvitar riding the armored horse. Said horse neighed loudly before stampeding alongside the young knight. They went for the iron club Vallite, where Corrin and Gunter swung their blades together and cut the slowed, poisoned man down.
"Interesting." Keith chimed. "Ditto, if you could?"
His white cane shuddered before transforming back into Ditto. "(You can bet your butt! Let's get this show on the road! Transform!)" Once again, Ditto's cellular structure caused it to take up a different shape, becoming an exact lookalike of Felicia.
The maid hitched her breath as she shrank away. "W-woah! It..it turned into me?!"
"Sorry, but I hope that you don't mind." Keith grinned.
In truth, Felicia was anything but sound in her mind right now. She was taken back by how this creature could take up her own shape and clothes, without so much as a hitch in proportions. It was like looking in a mirror...one that could actually kill.
"...right! Then let's do this!" She encouraged. Ditto-Felicia nodded with a delighted smile. They turned back towards the valley and proceeded behind Corrina and Gunter.
The second Vallite grunted as he was trying to get ahold of himself. He saw the two maids drawing closer and readied his weapon, but as he faded, toxic bubbles billowed up and made him cringe. The real Felicia used this opportunity to fire iron daggers in rapid succession. Four daggers struck the Vallite clean into his chest, but he barely fell. In fact, he looked up, bitterly scorning as he faded into the surroundings.
"Where did he go...?" Felicia looked at the grassy ground, paying attention to the shallow wisp that dragged itself towards her. Just when she caught on, Ditto-Felicia suddenly slipped through, crossing its iron dagger copies to block the iron katana.
The real Felicia pulled away, looking stunned as her clone successfully saved her. "Thanks! Now...to rid of this stain!"
Ditto-Felicia nodded and jumped away. The Vallite reappeared for a brief moment as the poison sprouted from his body again. The two maids brought their arms back and fired daggers that punctured and pierced the enemy clean through his armor. They both watched as he fell over with a powerful thud.
"Yes! We did it!" Felicia cheered.
Ditto-Felicia dutifully bowed. It noticed something that the Vallite had dropped upon his collapse and reached down for it. It examined the bag in genuine curiosity for a few seconds, before turning to the real Felicia to present her with it.
"Oh, this? Why thank you." Felicia accepted the sac, recognizing it as a Vulnerary. "Oh! One for me! Yay!"
A poisoned Vallite shakily raised his Yumi to aim for her, but his sickly state, in conjunction with his hazy vision, made him miss as the projectile shot behind the real Felicia into the rocky wall on the other end of the valley. He was left completely exposed from behind when Drizzile reappeared from her camouflage.
"(Water Pulse!)"
She brought her palms together and sent out a hemisphere of water into the Vallite's back. It created a blue explosion that instantly grounded him and forced him to fade back into the surroundings.
"Milord, your friends are mist certainly reliable, aren't they?" Gunter smirked. "That young man's plan is going accordingly."
Corrin smiled. He wasn't the only one who thought so. "Yeah, they're really dependable..." He glared ahead at the last fortress, seeing the last Vallite – the misshaped one – sneer at them with a steel axe ready. "Let's go!"
"(Yeah!)" Riolu shouted.
Due to being inside the fort on the far end of the valley gully, the toxic smoke didn't make it very far, leaving the Vallite fully equipped. He disappeared and whisked across the ground, darting right for Corrin.
"Milord!" Gunter moved in with his steed, managing to stop the axe from meeting his master.
"Thanks!" Corrin grinned.
"It's not your time to die yet. Now then, my little friend, did you want a turn?" He turned towards Larvitar, who glared at the Vallite's wisp.
"(With pleasure!)" Larvitar jumped off the horseback and planted his feet a safe distance from the scene. His glary vision intensified as his face expelled a sinister illusion, via Scary Face. A blue aura enveloped the Vallite's camouflaged frame as he backpedaled.
"Riolu, let's finish this!" Corrin declared. "Metal Claw!"
Riolu cried out as he raced across the ground into the enemy Vallite that tried to veer away, but was sadly too slow to maneuver. He could track him easily by his negative energy. Right behind him, Corrin gripped his Yato and followed through with a slash. Riolu's metallic energy claws raked alongside the golden blade, cutting deep wounds that made the Vallite lose his steel axe. He was sent flying off his feet into the grass, slamming brutally on the back of his head.
Riolu and Corrin stood tall as they sheathed their respective slasher weapons. With the Vallite defeated, the coast was finally clear for everyone to finally reconvene around the fort.
"Looks like that's the last of them." DK sighed. "Thank god, I thought I was gonna die there for a sec."
"(You and I hardly did anything useful. The others did the heavy lifting.)" Farfetch'd blatantly pointed out.
Scraggy shrugged. "(Well, works for me! But, uh, when do we get paid? Cuz, doing dis for charitziz really isn't our style.)"
Farfetch'd looked at him with a raised brow. "(Well I'll tell you right now, you're in for a big disappointment.)" He shook his head. "(First you want to play video games, now you talk about getting paid? God, you and that human are way too alike, you know that?)"
"It looks as though we're finally free to move about, thankfully." Gunter grinned. He looked down at Larvitar. "Excellent work, my young friend."
"(Thanks! Though I didn't want to get anywhere near that axe. Glad I did my part!)" Larvitar chimed.
Corrin looked down at his Riolu with a nod of approval. "Thank you, Riolu." He turned towards his allies. "So, is everyone in one piece?"
"Yeah..." Everyone replied back; some enthusiastic like Felicia, others more lethargic like DK.
"That's good." Corrin took in a deep breath and sighed outwards before turning towards Evan. "Evan, thanks for that plan. It made dealing with that Vallite a lot easier without backup."
"Yeah, no problem..." He looked around, realizing that the situation's tension had simmered down considerably.
Now that the air was finally clear for the moment, everyone could finally relax. Corrin turned to Gunter with a proud smile. The young man and his retainer looked pleased to see each other again.
"Gunter...it's so good to see that you are sound once again." Corrin started.
"Of course, as I'm glad to see you as well, Lord Corrin. I honestly thought that I would never see you again. And it seems that you've grown even stronger since our separation..."
"Gunter..."
Gunter turned towards Evan next. "I remember you, young man. It's nice to finally see you again. And I'm glad that Lord Corrin has made a reliable ally out of out."
Evan bobbed his head. "Thanks. Name's Evan."
"Evan...then you may call me Gunter. I'm pleased to have gotten acquainted. Now then..." He turned towards Corrin with a serious frown. "Milord, if I may ask, what are you all doing down here?"
Corrin was about to answer, but he was beaten to the punch by Azura. "That would be me."
"And who are you?"
"My name is Azura. If I said that I was the princess kidnapped from Nohr as a child...would you believe me?"
Gunter paused for a moment to let it sink in. His eyes quickly widened when he realized what she was referring to. "Ah, of course! Yes, I remember, when you were so little!" He bowed his head in apology. "I apologize for not protecting you from the Hoshidans. That responsibility was on me."
Azura smiled. "It is alright. No need to apologize...right now, that is important. Rather, I am curious myself. How were you able to survive down here?" she questioned. "You certainly are a fortunate knight to have escaped death. And also..." She looked down at Larvitar. "This little one, too."
Popplio jumped forwards towards Larvitar. "(Hi there! My name's Popplio! I can blow water bubbles, you wanna see?!)"
Larvitar blinked, but stepped back due to her getting too close. "(Uh...thank you, but I think I'm good.)"
"(Aw~! C'mon, just one bubble?)"
"(Uh, p-please just get out of my space first...)"
Riolu came forward, pulling Popplio away by her frilly collar. "(C'mon, over here with you.)" He yanked her away, much to her own shock. He stepped forward and bowed in respects. "(I apologize for her. She's rather scattered when it comes to cues. It's a pleasure to meet you. And I thank you for that assist earlier.)"
Larvitar felt his uneasiness shed a little. He smiled at Riolu and returned a nod of gratitude. "(Yeah, it was no trouble. I was glad I could be of assistance when I was needed.)"
As they mingled, Gunter continued his conversation with Azura. "You seem to know plenty about this place. May I ask you, where exactly are we?"
DK facepalmed himself. "Here we go again..."
"We are in Valla, an invisible kingdom that is tied to our world through the Bottomless Canyon. It's ruled by Anankos, the current king of Valla. He's laid waste to this realm, and will spread to the entire world."
"Oh! Wait, don't forget! You can't really say anything about Valla or anything about it. Because if you do, a curse will kill you!" Felicia added.
Gunter's breath hitched. "Wait...is that true?! Can such a thing be possible?"
Corrin lowered his head, thinking about Azura's mother. "I'm afraid so...and I'm not willing to take my chances with this discretion." His eyes widened. "Oh! That's right..." He stepped forward and straightened his back. "Gunter, I have finally decided to not side with neither Hoshido nor Nohr. I have decided to try and find a way to bring our kingdoms together under this cause...will you stand by me?"
Gunter smiled back, as if the answer was obvious. "Of course, Lord Corrin! I would fight by your side to the ends of tomorrow. If you wish to take this path, then I shall follow you without having to look back."
Corrin nodded in gratitude. "Thank you."
Gunter scoffed. "Honestly...this all feels unreal to me. I can't believe that I actually survived such a fall...and wound up in this place. It almost seems impossible."
Corrin jolted in place. Something in his mind clicked. "Oh! That's right! There was something about what Hans said before. He said...that what he did was by fa...I mean, King Garon's orders."
At the new notion, Gunter grimaced. "I see...I should have known." He sighed. "It pains me to admit this...but King Garon despises me."
"Despise? Why's that?"
"After I was honored for my valor in battle, I was granted an audience with the king. He offered me dragon's blood; and accepting such a feat would mean absolute loyalty to the king and him alone."
"Dragon's blood?" Evan murmured. He stopped to think about it. From what he heard about the royal families and their dragon blood, it made sense. But to a plain person's perspective, it was unnerving to say the least.
"Accepting it would have meant being the highest retainer, the mightiest of positions beneath His Majesty. However, in doing so would mean abandoning all else. That included my homeland, my wife, and my own child. And so...I turned him down. But still...to this day...I can never forget it...the rage he felt when I pleaded for him to understand..."
Riolu's aura feelers went up. He turned to Gunter as his own frustration were growing. They were so intense that they were causing him to backpedal to Corrin's side.
"I'm sorry...I had no idea..." Corrin muttered.
From the corner of the crowd, Damon raised a hand. "Uh, excuse me. I knows that you'd be having a moment here and all dat, but~...I'm be thirsty."
"Yeah, me too. I'm a little parched after all this walking and fighting." Keith added. "This might be a bad time, but I think we should reconsider advancing any further for the time being."
Azura nodded in agreement. "Yes, suppose you're right. We should take this to-!"
From up ahead, they heard bushes rustling. Everyone stopped in their tracks when they saw something stir in the bushes up ahead.
"What's that?!" Corrin immediately got on guard. Riolu put up his paws to defend.
The bushes rustled harder than before, causing Wartortle and Drizzile to get in front with Butterfree and Rolycoly.
"Who's that now?" Evan worried.
"Yo, whoever out dere, get yo ass out! We ain't going through dis again! No more hide-and-seek, okay?!" Damon shouted, getting his Glock out to shoot in case it was called for.
The bushes finally rustled until someone finally crawled out. Unlike the past Vallites, this one was deliberately visible. He had a white laboratory coat on, with a white moustache and large swirly glasses; features that nobody had seen before.
Felicia backpedaled. "Wah! Who...who is this guy?!"
The man's world, white hair shuddered as he crawled out of the shrubs, finally getting to his feet. As he reached up to present himself, Evan's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
'No way...'
Party Data:
Evan
-Wartortle (Male)
Lv: 17
Item: None
Nature: Mild
Ability: Torrent
Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Pulse, Bite
-Butterfree (Male)
Lv: 15
Item: None
Nature: Modest
Ability: Compound Eyes
Moves: Poison Powder, Gust, Electroweb, Sleep Powder
-Growlithe (Male)
Lv: 13
Item: None
Nature: Bashful
Ability: Intimidate
Moves: Ember, Flame Wheel, Howl, Bite
-Bellsprout (Female)
Lv 13
Item: None
Nature: Sassy
Ability: Chlorophyll
Moves: Vine Whip, Growth, Wrap, Sleep Powder
Freya
-Drizzile (Female)
Lv: 17
Item: None
Nature: Timid
Ability: Torrent
Moves: Water Pulse, Whirlpool, Water Gun, Bind
-Rolycoly (Male)
Lv: 13
Item: None
Nature: Quiet
Ability: Steam Engine
Moves: Tackle, Smokescreen, Rapid Spin, Smack Down
-Snom (Female)
Lv: 13
Item: Snowball
Nature: Bold
Ability: Shield Dust
Moves: Powder Snow, Struggle Bug
Nathan
-Bagon (Male)
Lv: 27
Item: Dragon Fang
Nature: Calm
Ability: Rock Head
Moves: Headbutt, Hydro Pump, Crunch, Dragon Breath
-Wimpod (Male)
Lv: 22
Item: None
Nature: Bashful
Ability: Wimp Out
Moves: Struggle Bug, Sand Arrack, Defense Curl, Screech
Keith
-Ditto
Lv: 22
Item: Quick Powder
Nature: Quirky
Ability: Limber
Moves: Transform
-Zorua (Female)
Lv: 20
Item: Wise Glasses
Nature: Sassy
Ability: Illusion
Moves: Fake Tears, Extrasensory, Feint Attack, Pursuit
-Mightyena (Female)
Lv: 20
Item: Black Glasses
Nature: Rash
Ability: Quick Feet
Moves: Snarl, Fire Fang, Ice Fang, Thunder Fang
Damon
-Scraggy (Male)
Lv: 16
Item: None
Nature: Naughty
Ability: Moxie
Moves: Headbutt, Sand Attack, Low Kick, Payback
Chef DK
-Farfetch'd (Male)
Lv: 16
Item: Leek
Nature: Hardy
Ability: Keen Eye
Moves: Fury Cutter, Cut, Sand Attack, Peck
Corrin
-Riolu (Male)
Lv: 18
Item: None
Nature: Serious
Ability: Steadfast
Moves: Work Up, Feint, Metal Claw, Counter
Azura
-Popplio (Female)
Lv: 16
Item: None
Nature: Naïve
Ability: Liquid Voice
Moves: Icy Wind, Disarming Voice, Aqua Jet, Baby-Doll Eyes
Gunter
-Larvitar (Male)
Lv: 17
Item: None
Nature: Careful
Ability: Guts
Moves: Payback, Bite, Scary Face, Rock Slide
Hope that you guys didn't have to wait too long for this chapter! Sorry that this turned out to be stupefyingly long (unless you follow me regularly, then you know this length is nothing). I wanted to fit this whole fight into one chapter, as well as include Gunter and his new ally in Larvitar. Also, decided to leave off on a cliffhanger, as well as the reintroduction to someone who will be instrumental!
