The fresh smell of fine bread being made at the windmill was what many in the town would have been smelling at this time. However, instead of a peaceful, frequent scent of fresh baked goods that such a village could prosper with, that smell was pungent with the smell of smoke from fires that consumed the mill. As well as the fresh smell of blood by those who were unfortunate to have been less evasive and hardy of mind to flee when they had the chance.
However, not all was lost, for there was someone who was able to maneuver far enough, dragging with her own offspring away from the destroyed village. The old woman's dark eyes complimented her hair, with a gray cap and what's best known as common folk clothing.
The girl behind her, however, was much shorter in comparison, and carried with her a brass Naginata that was strapped behind her. She had medium-length brown hair with flowers on either side. She also adorned a stitched cloak around her body that concealed her brown robe held tightly in place by a white sash.
The older woman looked back, realizing that little time was left for them. She hastily grabbed the girl and hustled her before her. "Mozu, run! Please, dear! Run!"
The girl – now recognized as Mozu – looked back at her with pleading eyes. "Mother...no! We can still make it! Let's run together!"
It was bad enough that the mother was out of breath from all the running she's been doing. It also didn't help that her age didn't do her any good neither. She dared not look back either at the mess that was the remnants of her village and its people...she could still smell the blood from her point of view. However, that wasn't the reason why she froze. When a daunting shadow reigned over her, she knew it was too late. She saw the horrified look her daughter had, but her expression showed genuine plea to Mozu as she knew what was coming.
"My child...run."
Without another word muttered, she was grabbed by the back of her own neck by the brawny hands of a monstrous Faceless. The beast howled as it pried her off the ground and smashed her into the dirt with all the force it could muster.
"NO! MOTHER~!" Mozu cried out. Her face painted with sheer horror at the sight. She paddled away with what her feet could do. She scrambled along the ground as she found cover in the nearest bushes to hide as she heard the constant thumping of a body, along with incoherent grunts.
Her breathing was hitched as she knew that if she cried now, she would give away herself to the Faceless that were skulking around. The last thing she needed was to end up neglecting the advice her mother gave her. With tears running down her face, she covered her mouth as she silently muffled cries of anguish for her whole world crashing down in an instant.
The Faceless's growls and grunts overtook any aspect of noise in the surrounding woods and village. One moment, it was filled with laughing children and merry folk. Now, those voices were forever silenced.
As Faceless sauntered about, they looked around for anymore prey. Anything that moved, anything that made a voice, it could only register as a threat to its kind's existence. The many creatures snarled lowly as they prowled around, looking for such qualities that would threatened their existence.
"(Help...)"
It was a low whimper, but it wasn't low enough to conceal itself from the Faceless – or Mozu. They turned towards the nearby creek that ran north from the village into the woods. There, close to Mozu as she remained hidden in fear, she saw something on the riverbed that made her heart jolt.
It was a light periwinkle-colored creature, taking a serpentine structure. Its underside was as white as its round nose, small jewel, and tiny fin-like ears on the sides of its head. It had large, innocent eyes like Mozu.
She looked tired, weak even. She whimpered lowly as she was on the side of the river, looking starved of anything satiable for what may have been days. The poor thing looked downright miserable. "(Please...is there any food around here...? Please...?)" the creature whimpered.
Mozu looked on in horror. She kept her head low and remained in the bushes as she heard footsteps drawing near. Three Faceless heard the low whimpers and sauntered over with heavy grunts towards the weakened serpent. All either could do was watch as they were unable to move from their spots out of a composition of fear and lack of strength.
"...no..." Was all Mozu could murmur to herself.
The serpent looked up, humming in wonder what was coming her way. She whimpered low as the surroundings giants raised their shackled fist, ready to lay hands on new prey.
SPLASH!
Faster than the eye could trace, a large eruption of water from the riverbed was preceded by a sudden and harsh thrust of a bright yellow-green horn that stabbed a Faceless in the stomach. The impact was so devastating that an airwave expelled around the area as it was sent flying into the woodland area, smashing down one of the trees.
The serpent and Mozu were both in shock and awe as a blue sea lion with a blade stuck out glared indominable glares at the Faceless. His shell-like armor gave him a warrior's appeal that kept the former completely mesmerized. He stood tall, glaring down his foes with red eyes that pierced through their heartless beings.
"(Who...who are...?)" The serpent was completely speechless before her savior.
"(You okay?)" He asked, maintaining a stern and steady tone.
Flustered, she sheepishly squirmed. "(Uh...y-yeah.)"
Mozu was completely taken back. She heard footsteps from close by as a figure walked along the trail up towards the Faceless. "Keep them there, Samurott." He ordered with a calm and dead serious disposition.
The figure standing before her was a young male, having an average height with a pale skin tone. He had short brown hair with curved bangs. He had green eyes that stared ahead into one's soul. He adorned what looked like silver plated armor on his forearms and legs reminiscent of Samurott, with a sheathed sword in one of the scabbards. He wore black under-armor, with a long, sleeveless, brown coat that hugged his body by the blue sash over his body. He adorned blue jeans with a gold buckle with a gray shirt underneath. He also sported brown gloves at the ends of the gauntlets that were fastened around his arms.
Mozu was left completely stunned, for a lack of better word. She didn't saw a word as she saw the Faceless that the Samurott was facing turned towards him, all snarling with bloodlust.
"M-Mister, look out!" Mozu quipped, cupping her mouth immediately after.
The person didn't respond, instead giving her a look that instantly quieted her. He turned back ahead and watched the Faceless approach him with heavy footsteps. He pulled out a Great Ball, its blue coating reminiscent of a Poke Ball – an object that confused Mozu.
With a simple lob, the trainer tossed it, expelling a very large, eel-like creature with a navy-blue body. Its body was oddly shaped much like an eel, yet it was slumped upright, with its gaping mouth having red lips and sharp prongs for fangs sticking outwards. On either side were two massive arms with claws that looked like they could leave gashes on a person.
Mozu gasped in shock. 'Wha...what was that!?'
The Faceless remained unfazed as they gradually approached them. The trainer remained calm as he was quick to give a precise command.
"Samurott, Rain Dance!"
Samurott raised his head stoically, summoning water vapor to condense into dark storm clouds that gradually expanded and swirled over the area. It gradually began drizzling, with rain only dropping a few times until it started pouring over the vicinity.
The rainfall was quick to drench the area, putting out any fires that were happening in the village nearby. The downpour made all the smoke simmer away and get replaced by steam that spouted all over the village. The Faceless remained unchanged by the weather as they drew closer towards the man and the eel.
"Eelektross, Thunder!"
With a nod, Eelektross raised his head and let out a cry. Instead of his body crackling in lightning, the atmosphere instantly charged around him, concentrating bolts that shot into the stormclouds above. Overhead, thunder boomed as yellow flashes engulfed the skies. Suddenly, an immense bolt rained down onto the three grouped Faceless with erupting force that charred the ground instantly.
The lightning seared brightly to where the serpent and Mozu had to veer away to avoid direct eye contact. They could only hear thunder and lightning that exploded a short distance away. By the time that they were able to see again, they were both dumbfounded when they saw the three Faceless all on the ground, their bodies fried and charred with static searing across their skin.
Mozu gasped in shock. "How did...?" She turned towards the trainer, who focused on the village.
The attack just now brought up the attention of the surrounding Faceless. Mozu gasped before she realized this fact. She hid back in the bushes to watch what was about to happen.
From the village, Faceless hollered as they stomped their way towards the source of the sound. Others filed in from the east and stormed over. Samurott took one flank, while Eelektross took the other. Both glared at their respective parties.
The trainer swiped his arm, giving the command. "Samurott, Megahorn! Eelektross, Flash Cannon!"
Samurott lowered his head, his horn glowing yellowish green once more. He darted head into the frontmost Faceless with a piercing impact that made it recoil. The next second, the force caught up with it, shooting it into nearby Faceless like bowling pins and knocking them all down.
Eelektross' body outlined in a silver tone as energy concentrated in his open mouth. As he faced the oncoming horde, he fired a silver beam of sheer energy that bolted across the ground. He arched his head, moving the beam across to destroy the wave of Faceless on the frontlines. They all grunted in pain before falling over in dead heaps.
The trainer eyed his surroundings carefully, his focus on the few more heading for Samurott. He looked over at Eelektross to find even more drawing closer. He frowned as he made another decision.
He held up the Great Ball towards Eelektross. "Eelktross, return!" A red laser suddenly beamed into the eel's back, withdrawing him back into the capsule. "Now...we sweep them all away at once. Samurott, Surf!"
"(Right!)" Samurott suddenly retreated in front of his trainer. He stood readily before the two flanks heading their way and remained firmly on four legs. He raised his head gradually, letting out a stern but mighty cry as the momentum of the attack shook the ground.
Suddenly, a monstrous tidal wave exploded, like a large tsunami that swamped over the entire area. Samurott was behind and directed the wave forward, causing its tide to rise up and arched down over the Faceless.
Mozu's eyes widened upon realization. She hurriedly reached the nearest tree and got behind it as the tide came crashing down. A vicious torrent of pressurized, heavy amounts of water swamped the entire area. The entire horde of oncoming Faceless were helpless as they were washed away by the wake of the empowered Water-type attack. It engulfed everything and swept it all away in an instant, leaving no traces of the Faceless behind.
The wave reached further into the village. The blood that stained the village was swept clean off the boards and dirt, replacing it all with mud in an instant. Any faceless that were oblivious before were caught off guard and swept away by the attack's massive range.
As soon as all the water was successfully drained, Mozu realized the storm above was finally settling. The rain lightened up, until the skies breached sunlight onto the wet earth below. She peered around to see if any Faceless were in the area...but found none, much to her relief.
"You can come out now...they're all gone."
Mozu's breath hitched. She was completely taken back and gradually leaned her body to expose herself in front of the man and his dominant sea lion. Just looking at them alone was enough to freeze her legs on the spot. She quivered as her clutch on the Brass Naginata was as tight as could be.
She faced the trainer, her heartbeat almost visibly heard as he looked down at her. "Are you alright?"
Mozu sheepishly nodded. "Yes...I am...thank you." A short silence fell as she turned towards Samurott. "Um...are those one of those Pokémon that we've heard about?"
"It is. It's mine." The trainer turned towards him. "This is Samurott. Don't worry, he won't hurt you."
Samurott looked towards Mozu with a solemn nod. "(Greeting, miss. I apologize if my last attack accidentally caught you in its wake. Hope that you are no longer troubled.)"
"Oh...um...okay..."
The trainer turned away, looking to where the stream was coursing. "How's the Dratini?"
"Dratini?" Mozu blinked, before realizing what he meant. "...oh! You mean that's a Pokémon, too?!" She turned towards the riverbank. "Yeah, I think it's alright."
The three traversed over towards the edge of the river, where the Dratini was. Realizing she was no longer in danger, she slouched up and looked at the faces of the heroes that saved her. "(W-what's going on?)" she nervously asked.
Samurott approached her. "(Are you well?)"
"(W-what...?)"
"(Are you injured anywhere?)"
Dratini blinked several time, ultimately clearing her throat to make an answer. "(N-no...I'm just a little hungry is all...I haven't found anything good to eat for a while is all...)"
Samurott nodded in understanding before turning towards his trainer. He walked up past him and presented a Sitrus Berry. "Eat this. It'll help regain your strength."
Seeing the berry made Dratini's eyes widen. Almost immediately, she perked up and swayed her tail eagerly. "(Ooooooh! T-thank you both so much!)" She immediately dove into the berry before her, voraciously munching away at it.
While Dratini was recovering her strength, Mozu turned towards the trainer. "So, um...what brought you all the way out here?"
The trainer turned to focus on her. "Hm? Well, to be honest, I was running short on supplies, and I heard there was a small town close by..." He turned towards the village that wasn't too far away, his frown staling. "Unfortunately, it looks like that won't be happening around here."
Mozu turned back towards her village with a deepening sorrow. She looked like she was about to cry at the remembrance of her beloved mother falling victim just like the rest of the village residence. "Mother..."
"What was that?" The trainer asked, barely catching wind of the notion she made.
Mozu flinched. "Um...n-nothing! Nothing, really..." She downcast her expression towards the ground.
The trainer silently grimaced. He wasn't stupid. He had an ideal feeling of what bothered her. And to some extent, he could relate and empathize with her. However, he knew he wasn't a wizard. He couldn't just turn back time so everything could be fixed upright. That's just not how the real-world works. Even he knew that much about this place. He could just lie and say that everything would be okay...but even from the distance, he knew all too well that it wasn't.
He looked towards Mozu again with a serious disposition. "So, what are you going to do now?"
"I-I'm not sure..." She miffed.
The trainer sighed out his nostrils. "I see. Well, you better rationalize your food and water until then." He turned and started off in the other direction. "Let's go, Samurott."
"(Right.)" Samurott solemnly nodded before following his trainer's footsteps.
Mozu's breath hitched. She watched her savior and the Pokémon gradually gain distance with every step taken. She turned back towards the village that was essentially a tomb now. Every house would have been emptied of life. She knew she couldn't make it far on her own either, not without running into trouble along the way. She knew the trainer was right about one thing: She needed to make a decision, and act fast.
"Wait!"
The trainer stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. "What is it?"
Mozu shuffled her feet as she fidgeted her fingers. She looked left and right, but not directly into his eyes. "It's just...um...do you..." She gulped. "Do you think...that I can come along...possibly...?"
The trainer blinked. Before he could answer, Mizu continued.
"I-I know I can't do much in return! But I'm not useless! I know how to do a few things like cook! A-and I can use a Naginata a little..." She shifted her shoulder blades to move the brass Naginata. "Plus, the way you were able to use your Pokémon was so cool! I was hoping that maybe I could learn from you how to be that strong...if you'll let me."
The trainer raised a brow. He knew of her intentions and didn't fault her, but he was also aware of his own boundaries. "You know...my Pokémon did much of it all, you know that, right? Besides, do you have a Pokémon?"
"Well..." Mozu was about to answer, when she felt rubbing against her leg. She looked down, finding the Dratini from before affectionately rubbing against her side. "Um...hey, there?"
Dratini opened her eyes as she hummed up at Mozu. "(Hi.)"
Mozu nervously turned towards the trainer. "Um...I-I guess so now...?"
He looked at the Dratini, then back at Mozu studiously. He closed his eyes and turned back ahead. "...alright. Guess if we both benefit in the end."
"R-really?!"
"Yes...but you need to keep up, alright? You want to get stronger too, don't you? A Pokémon does so through battle. Stay close and watch me."
Mozu nodded. "Right!" Before she was about to follow, her eyes widened. "Oh, wait, sir! W-what's your name?"
The trainer continued forward, but gave one more glance back at her. "Carter. You can just call me that."
"Carter..." Mozu muttered the name as she and a revitalized Dratini looked at each other before hastily following him. "Okay, we're coming!"
Carter and Samurott faced forward and continued away from the village. Mozu hustled behind, but she couldn't help but look over her shoulder for one last time. Whatever was left of her home, it would be nothing more than a grave. The memories she had of such a place came flooding to the front of her mind, along with her mother's encouragement to run.
A silent tear ran down her cheek as she mourned quietly. 'Goodbye...Mother...everyone...I promise, I'll get stronger for you...I promise.'
With that, they vanished into the forest depths.
"This way! I saw smoke rising a short while ago from around here!" Corrin led everyone through the fields near the east into the village borders. When he and the others finally caught up, all they saw was carnage and broken homes, literally.
"Oh no..." Evan lowly muttered to himself. He looked all around, scanning the area of the destruction that laid before him. Debris laid everywhere, and thin house walls were broken into, something completely destroyed. He wasn't dumb to know that they were too late.
Azura frowned. She didn't look happy in the slightest. "Looks like this happened only recently."
"Really?" Freya took a step forward, only for her shoe to end up coated with mud. She looked down at the bottom of her one shoe and pursed her lips. "Mud...?"
Keith stabbed the ground with his makeshift cane. The underside was notably soft, as much as his ears heard the sloshing. "That's odd...I don't think rain was in the forecast. Was there a rainstorm in this area recently?"
Azura frowned. "No. Rain doesn't come very often out here. It looks like it, though..." She cascaded her attention towards the small houses and open lands that the village had. Even from here, she could plenty of bodies sprawled across the ground...much to her dismay. "How terrible..."
With a steadfast look, Corrin turned towards Riolu, who was beside him. "Riolu! Help me find any survivors!" He turned towards the others. "Evan, there might still be Pokémon in the area, see if you guys can round them all up so we can get them out of here!"
With no time to argue, Evan nodded. "Right, on it!" He pulled out a Poke Ball and tossed it into the air. "Go, Butterfree!"
The capsule shot open, expelling Butterfree into the open air above. "(I'm out!)" he exclaimed.
"Butterfree, look around the surrounding woods, see if you can find any Pokémon around!" Evan shouted.
With a nod, Butterfree understood and flapped his wings. He fluttered into the distance, with everyone fanning out to search for any survivors or Pokémon in the area.
Corin traced through the area with Riolu beside him. With the latter's ability to read surrounding aura, he could tell if people were alive. However, all he got was a dead silence. Nothing. He frowned as he silently mourned in realization.
"Riolu, anything?" Corrin asked.
Riolu looked towards him, shaking his head. "(No...it's too late for them.)"
Gunter looked around on his steed's back, passing by the destruction that were all once abodes of the villagers. He didn't need to be thorough to know there were no survivors. "How deplorable indeed..."
"How could this happen?" Felicia worried.
Gunter frowned. "Who knows? There's no proof to say. It could have been anything..." He narrowed his eyes. He had an idea that it could have been Faceless, but there were no heavy footsteps in the ground. If there were even, they likely were washed away.
Keith walked around continuously, with Ditto helping feel around the area. His Mightyena was out and sniffed around for any scents that may have been fresh. However, all she smelled were fresh bodies and humid air from the passing rain.
Freya walked around at her own pace, scouting for anyone that might have been moving. However, much like the rest, she fell short of any life that responded. "This is just sick." She muttered, brushing a lock behind her head.
As she walked beside a house, she couldn't help but notice something that caught her eye. "Hm? What's that...?" She walked over to where a barrel was still standing. There was nothing inside it, but behind it, barely in sunlight, Freya took notice of something small that looked familiar to a disc. "Another one?"
When she picked it up, she noticed how the disc this time was a plain white disc. The label on the back read 'TM 41: Helping Hand'. Taking a look around, she decided to hide it away inside her coat. She would have to consider it later. For now, she had to resume her part in searching for survivors.
She was interrupted again when Drizzile suddenly appeared beside her, startling her. "Oh, shi-! Drizzile, you scared me..."
"(S-sorry, Freya. It's just...I found something...)" Drizzile muttered, slowly pointing in the direction to the creek.
Freya blinked and turned towards the flowing water that was just within eyesight. She moved away from the village and down towards a small slope that dipped into a creek. The water was clear, so she could see the bedrock clearly. She could clearly see many things...especially something shining beneath the water.
'What's that?' She squinted. She turned towards the object shimmering not too far away in the water. "Drizzile, can you go get it for me?"
With a stiff nod, Drizzile quickly camouflaged out of eyesight. A splash was heard immediately after, which was then preceded by a small break in the water that trailed towards the object. The object was picked up and suddenly splashed back out of the water next to Freya. Drizzile reappeared with her mitten presenting the shiny object to her trainer.
"Thank you." Freya took the piece and inspected it. She could tell just how fine the metal was, and it appeared chipped along the edges. It looked finely materialized on one side, with a hole like where a missing bolt would go.
Azura walked up behind her, Popplio hauling herself right behind her. "Freya? What is it?"
She turned around, holding up the metal to her friend. "Have you seen anything like this before?"
"Let me see it." Azura held out her hand to accept the metal. Freya placed it on the palm and carefully inspected it. She held it up to the sun's light to inspect the surface. "How strange...this metal was in the river, right?"
"Right..."
Azura continued her point. "And yet, metal usually rusts. I wonder..." She noticed how intricate the one hole was, as well as the crisp edging. "Freya...do you believe that we have just discovered a part of this machine that the Doctor said he made?"
Freya's eyes slightly widened at the realization. She had no idea herself. Of course she knew that machines needed metal to operate, but she wasn't sure what kind herself. She looked towards Drizzile, who looked equally as surprised.
Azura smiled humbly at them. "Excellent job, both of you."
"(Aw man, I wanted to get first dibs!)" Popplio whined.
As they continued their search through the abandoned home, Corrin stayed close to his retainers, the three scouting and finding no signs of life after checking the perimeter so many times.
"Lord Corrin, it pains me to say this, but I'm afraid that we may have run into misfortune this time." Gunter humbly bowed. "I'm sorry."
Corrin didn't have any words. All he could do was stare ahead in deep contemplation on how to take this all in. He was well aware that war would always have its drawbacks; others would be killed; others may come out of it unscathed. This was just one of those examples of wrong places at the wrong times. As much as he could attempt to stop that, he knew that somewhere out there, not everyone will be fortunate.
Felicia nervously stepped closer towards. "Um...Milord, what should we do now?"
He remained silent as he thought of what needed to be done. He frowned morbidly. "Felicia...Gunter...I need your guys' help giving them proper graves."
Gunter and Felicia nodded in understanding. Even they knew they didn't deserve to rot in the open like this.
Walking up from close by, Damon and his Scraggy walked up, both munching on small pieces of bread. "Yo, uh, Corrin dude..." He chewed as he talked. "Uh, no go on de peoples. So, what now?"
"Damon, I need you and everyone here to help us..." Corrin saw the food that he was eating. He looked at it, then at Damon, and put two and two together. "Damon...!" Corrin furrowed his brow, glaring disapprovingly at him.
Damon put his hands up, shrugging his shoulder. "Well they're dead anyways! Not like they're gonna use this food now! Plus, I'm hungry, gotta eat somethin' out here, fo'!"
Corrin sighed. As much as he didn't like it, he knew from his own growling stomach that living off Chef DK's 'cuisines' haven't been kind to him.
'I wonder how those guys are doing while we're gone? Time passes by so fast there. Must have been a long time...'
Meanwhile, within the confines of the Astral Plane, the fortress remained undisturbed. Everything ran smoothly for the most part. Despite the lack of commodities, there was a lot of free time on the extremely small group's hands. A lot of free time.
DK stepped out of the mess hall, taking in a big whiff of fresh air that the dimension provided. He sighed out his mouth, his lungs deeply relaxed. "That's what I'm talking about." He sighed. "Man, three whole weeks and I am feeling...refre~shed!" He merrily sang.
"(Well, glad to see that you're enthralled.)" Farfetch'd quacked, rolling his eyes unamused.
DK turned towards his companion. "Come on, Farfetch'd, let's check out those berries today."
DK and Farfetch'd stepped out of the mess hall and wandered towards the fields that sat close to Lillith's shrine. The chef gazed down at the numerous berries that were all freshly planted the other day, and have fully grown to ripened, abundant berries. The trees stood no taller than eight feet, but the branches hung ow and showed a clear number of berries, ranging from Oran Berries, to Pecha Berries, Cheri Berries, Chesto Berries, Rawst Berries, Leppa Berries, Aspear Berries, and finally Sitrus Berries.
Throughout the past three weeks, that was all the chef was helping grow...okay, it was mostly Nathan making sure the fields were maintained, but Chef DK made sure to harvest the berries. That counted for something at least. Of course, Nathan had to come and get him multiple times until the chef got the timing down to a tee after a week and a half. Of course, he was also growing the standard vegetables as well. However, they were all growing at a far slower rate than the berries. The tomato plants were barely at their peak.
DK scanned the fields, amazed at how many berries grew on the six Sitrus Berry trees lined up in a single row. "H'oh boy, looks like a pretty big harvest today...guess I better ger started. Now where's that basket...?" He looked around his feet in search of the basket. "Now where did it go? I could have sworn I had it here a minute ago..."
"(Ahem. Forgot something?)" Farfetch'd nonchalantly held out his leek, with a large woven basket that hung at the end of it. "(You left this inside again.)"
DK turned towards Farfetch'd, his eyes instantly gluing towards the basket. "Huh-oh! There it is! Wondered where that went..." He took the basket off the leek. "Thank you."
"(Whatever.)" Farfetch'd shrugged.
DK moved along and began plucking the berries off their stems, one by one, right after another. Every time a berry was plucked, the snapping of a stem was heard. In no time, the trees were picked clean of their crops, with the fruits of labor being poured into the basket that the chef carried. By the end of the full harvest, the basket had so many berries that the chef had to use both arms to hold the basket off the ground.
"Hoooo...oh man. That was another load down. Better get these inside and sort them with the rest!" As he started walking away from the fields, he was hauling the basket with his arms. It was so heavy that he was genuinely surprised at how many berries in general could weigh him down. "Gnnngh...oh man...so heavy..."
Just as he was about to reach the steps to the mess hall, he didn't catch his surroundings in time and tripped on the first step. "AH SHI-!" He fell forward and thudded on the porch. He hit his side as the basket's contents fell around him. "Oww...oh man! Not again!" he whined in irritation. "GOD! Why me?!"
Farfetch'd waddled behind him, smirking. "(Probably because of hitting a gym you stand around making messes in a kitchen. But hey, you can't understand what I'm saying anyways, so why do I even bother?)"
DK whimpered as he tried getting up. He looked down at the berries littered across the porch and along the small steps. "Uuuuugh! God! Why did there have to be so many~!?"
"The hell's all the whining about over here?" A voice came around the side of the mess hall, revealing Nathan as he was accompanied with Bagon and Wimpod. The three looked to be drenched in sweat, especially Wimpod.
DK turned to look at the newcomer. "Huh? Oh, it's you Nathan. You surprised me for a second."
Nathan turned to give the strewn berries a good look. He looked back at DK, putting two and two together. "Let me guess, it happened again?" He frowned begrudgingly.
DK sighed. "Don't remind me." He blinked as he realized something. "Say, why're you covered in sweat? You looked like you ran across half of Kalos from an angry Ursaring."
"No, I was running laps around the fortress perimeter again." He nonchalantly noted.
"What, seriously? You're running laps in a place like this?"
Nathan looked down at his feet, nonchalantly kicking a Chesto Berry over. "Not like there's anything better to do. Besides, if I don't do something...I get a headache and irritated. I like to keep busy. And physical work is my best regulator."
"I see...but isn't like running three times a day still a lot? And plus you spend like an hour in the bathhouse before bed, what up with that!?"
Nathan gave the chef a cold, uncaring glare. "Like I said, I need to stay busy. You're busy making meals, and the serial doctor has been doing nothing but tinker with makeshift sticks and wood to build something."
"Like what?"
"Beats me. But it looked like he was testing water for samples of something as well. I tried talking to him about it, but he was so engrossed that I spooked him. I've been keeping an eye on him like the others wanted, but it's getting so annoying that I've been running a lot."
Wimpod perked up. "(And us too...phew!)"
Bagon turned towards his companion. "(You okay?)"
"(Yeah, I just wasn't used to running consistently like that. I always break into sprints with little breaks to recharge. This really did a number on my stamina, you know.)"
Bagon raised a brow. "(If you don't like working out with us, it's not like Nathan is forcing you.)"
Wimpod's eyes widened. "(I-I never said that! I'm just not a long-distance runner is all...but I'm feeling stronger now thanks to you guys! I feel like I can run a hundred laps at this rate!)"
Bagon nodded. "(I hear ya. You might as well given how long the others are gonna be gone for.)" He stretched his arms up. "(Not that it's any of our business! I'm actually enjoying this solitude!)"
"Anyways, Chef DK, gonna need a few Sitrus Berries again. Bagon and Wimpod need something to snack on." Nathan insisted.
DK looked down at the mess of berries around him, dismissively waving Nathan off with a sigh. "Yeah, yeah. Sure thing. Take what ya need. Not like we're gonna be running out anytime soon. Starting to run out of room in the pantry though. Say, you think Lilith can make a food bank or something to keep this all?"
Nathan shrugged. "Not sure. Never bothered." He kneeled to the ground and picked up five Sitrus Berries that were strewn closely to his feet. "Anyways, thanks. I'll replant and water the fields after our bath. C'mon guys..."
Bagon and Wimpod turned and followed behind their trainer as he walked away. DK looked down at the mess of berries, begrudgingly staring daggers at it. 'Wouldn't have killed him to at least help clean this shit up. Whatever.'
He went on to pluck the berries off the ground himself. One by one, once they were all fastened into the basket, he carefully dragged it up the porch and into the mess hall. He went to the pantry that sat on the far end of the kitchen that was large enough to mistake for a walk-in closet. At his feet were several large bags with labels that contained their respective berries. He took the liberty of placing all the berries into the bags that had hundreds of their own kind inside.
DK stood up, sighing aloud. "Geez, think we have enough?" he eyerolled. "Oh well, let's just hope those guys bring back something different to plant." He looked out the window and saw how the sky's radiant sun was fading in the distance. "Oh...well the time sure flew by. It's already late. Well, anyways, guess it's time to cook!"
As Nathan was walking away, he took a bite out of a Sitrus Berry. It was really firm, but it had a strong citrus flavoring inside that made his gums pucker some. He didn't mind it really. It was really one of the only few things he was able to eat that was available. Sure there was Chef DK's cooking, but as far as variety went, the many things he made didn't settle well with him at all.
One day, he walked into the mess hall expecting just a simple berry breakfast. However, to his surprise – and annoyance – the chef decided to mix the diced Chesto Berries with salt and pepper with any preparations. Not even frying it from the start to soften it or add any other spices. Another instance was another mismatched cuisine that the chef called "Oran Berry stew". The broth was nothing but freshly squeezed Oran Berry , with uncooked beans and canned corn thrown in. The boiling made the Oran Berry pasting lose much of its flavor to begin with. Another instance was when the chef made a sandwich, with meshed Pecha Berry inside. Out of the dozens of things the chef tried making, that perhaps the only reasonable thing that Nathan stomached aside from eating simple berries raw.
As he stomached his way towards the bathhouse to rinse the sweat off his body, he noticed Poopenschmir at a wooden table, looking to be fiddling with large sticks, rope, rocks, and a large blanket. Instead of walking closer, he chose to yell out at him.
"Hey, Doc!"
In his rummaging, Poopenschmir perked at his truncated title and looked around nervously. He whipped around realizing that it was Nathan. "O-oh! It's just you...hello!" he meekly waved. "I don't mean to be a burden, but, eh...do you know anything about making tents perhaps?"
Nathan raised a brow. "No...that what you're making?"
Poopenschmir looked at the pieces of rope tied around sturdy sticks to make them into long poles. Said poles were barely held in place by the stones that surrounded the corners. "Oh, you mean this?" He hummed. "Yes...o-or something like that. But the point is, I shall need a space to help me with my studies and research! Now, if I can just get...gnnngh..." He moved a blanket over the front to create a makeshift curtain. He tried getting it to stay in one corner, but as he was moving it along the side, it was starting to bend the wood until the branch snapped. It toppled to the ground, with the blanket following suite. "Oh shit! Oh, uuuuh..." He nervously looked back at Nathan. "I wouldn't suppose that you know?"
Nathan eyerolled and continued walking away. "Sorry, got nothing for you there."
Poopenschmir slumped his shoulders, sighing. "It is alright~, I'll figure it out...somehow...hopefully sooner than later..." He groaned. "Oh...what I wouldn't give to have a laboratory back right about now..."
Rotom snickered mischievously.
"Oh, really smart guy? Well, how's about you make your own home! Then we shall be seeing who is laughing! Haha!" He laughed bitterly and hardily.
Nathan proceeded into the bathhouse, with Bagon and Wimpod proceeding inside.
It didn't take much longer before the sun had fully gone down, casting the fortress in a field of darkness. A calm dusk overtook the distance as the three men left behind were tending to their devices, as they have been for the past three weeks.
DK was simmering a large pot of brown broth, made from beef and canned diced carrots, with a splash of milk to thicken it up. The contents inside the stew appeared to be some form of pasta, with while Cheri Berries with the stems on them still.
With a sniff of the steam, DK smiled. "Ah~, Chef DK, how do you do it? Once again, it smells like another masterpiece in the making. My spicy Cheri Berry pasta stew is just about done~! Now, just gotta let it simmer for a bit..." He turned the stove's settings down to their lowest, allowing the bubbling of the contents to drastically reduce. "Now to just wait and let it all come together."
As he walked back into the pantry, Farfetch'd looked down into the pan himself. He stared into the contents and sniffed the air that came off it. It smelled just as bad as it looked. '(Another masterpiece alright...a masterpiece for the human toilet. Those poor guys.)'
"Now, hmm...what should I make for a side special?" DK looked at the pantry's canned foods that were still stocked thank to Lilith's powers. "Let's see here...well, this'll do." He reached ahead and pulled out a can of peaches. "There's nothing like canned peaches to make a meal that much sweeter. How where's that can opener?" He looked around, but realized that it wasn't in the drawers around the stove. "No...ugh, did I leave it in the sink again?"
Poopenschmir was still outside, finally after so many hours of failing and breaking so many sticks, did he manage to make a small area along the northern end of the castle's grounds. Said grounds weren't fully blocked off, but Poopenschmir compensated that by using sheets as layers to conceal the space for his studies.
"Aha! I have done it!" He jumped and shook his wrists freely. "Now, the roof!"
Meanwhile, in the bathhouse, Wimpod was swimming in the water, relaxing merrily along with Bagon; the latter taking a running start before sailing across the air in an attempt to fly. It worked but for only a few seconds as he fell into the soothing waters.
The noise was all but another distraction that Nathan let go over his head as he sat in the water soundly.
Lilith was sound asleep as well inside her temple, biding her energy she needed to use Dragon Veins. She wasn't bothered for the most part, which she was thankful for. However, her crystal ball suddenly glowed, instantly awakening her.
Her eyes were wide with shock. "Someone's here...!"
Outside the fortress' walls, all was quiet as numerous bright shadows flared closely towards the ground. Silhouettes of figures close in swift fashion.
DK walked over towards the skin, scanning the two sides that was empty on one side, while the other was filled with suds and bubbles. "Okay, now where is it...?" He scanned the mostly diffused suds and reached his hand inside. He felt around in the water until he gripped something familiar to him and pulled it out. "Aha! Gotcha!" DK pulled it out, revealing the can opener mainly shut. "Alright, let's get you cleaned up. Don't want my peaches to taste like dish soap now, do I? Even I have limits, you know."
He reached for the handle, turning on the faucet water to the other sink. He began rinsing the can opener with a nonchalant expression.
As he was doing so, Farfetch'd looked out towards the window to see the twinkling stars. However, his Keen Eye picked up something else, Something more...pressing. He saw what looked like wisps that were in the distance, dispersing in small packs across the courtyard. With a cautious look, he tapped DK's shoulder with his leek.
"Not now, Farfetch'd. I'm cooking." DK warned.
Farfetch'd poked him more urgently than before. "(Dude, you gotta see this!)"
DK waved him away. "Just give me a minute, alright? I'm trying to clean this damn can opener!"
Farfetch'd furrowed his brow. His patience tested, he smacked DK in the shoulder with enough force to almost completely topple him. "Oww! What the hell, Farfetch'd?! What could you possibly want now?!"
"(Look!)" Farfetch'd angrily pointed his leek towards the window.
"Let me see..." DK groaned as he turned to the window to see what was there. When he looked out, all he saw was the open courtyard that was silent as a grave. "Uuuuugh! What, Farfetch'd? There's nothing out there! You probably must have seen Nathan going on another run or something, Geez..."
Disclosed to enough distractions already, DK pulled the curtains over the closed glass and went back to rinsing the can opener. "Phew! Okay then...now, where was I?"
Farfetch'd looked baffled, but he was no fool, unlike what DK was. He knew very well what he saw. He morbidly shook his head and glared at his trainer. "(Ugh! Seriously! I know what I...forget it.)" He turned towards the mess hall's doorway, bracing his leek. '(They're coming, I just know it...)'
Poopenschmir overlooked the roof-like top to his small space. The top was nothing but a very large, thin, wooden board. Thankfully it was light, so the doctor was able to lift it without much difficulty.
"Phew...okay." He sighed in relief. "Now, it is finished! Behold! The start of my new workspace! Yes! Haha!" He wiped his forehead of profuse sweat. "Okay...okay, I think that I have earned myself something to eat. Very well, I shall take a two-minute eating break, and then I shall start with water samples, and if this water in this realm is filtered!"
Little did he know, shadowy silhouettes closed in on the makeshift space that was his lab. One of the silhouettes moved around the curtain, shifting the drapes like it was by a passing breeze.
"Yes? Hello?" Poopenschmir turned around, but saw nothing. Taking it as a possible break in the lining, he moved closer to inspect the corner. He squinted and checked its sturdiness. "Hnnngh...now I could have sworn that I heard something move...I-I just know it. I am not Hoothoot! I am not Hoothoot for thinking that. I am not..." He turned around, his face painted with growing shock. "Hoot...hoot...?"
Standing before him, a Vallite soldier that glared him down. He had an iron club held overhead as he was ready to smite the unprepared professor.
"...HOOT! HOOT! HOOT! AAAAHHHHH!"
The Vallite swung his iron club down, but Poopenschmir was bale to evade it by cowering towards his right. He scrambled towards the drapes for a quick escape, but he found his path blocked by another Vallite appearing, also having a club overhead. He screamed and ducked to avoid a horizontal swung that smashed a support pole clean in two.
With little time, Poopenschmir scrambled past the Vallite and hurriedly jumped away into a roll as the rest of the makeshift space started coming down. The wooden board overhead slid onto one of the Vallite's head, enough force being used to where the thin yet strong slope's impact hit him in the back and befell him. The rest of the polls and drapes came down around the other Vallite. Both were trapped underneath the rubble as Poopenschmir got to his feet with an unsteady weave in his feet.
"O-oh my goodness! HOOT! HOOT!" He snapped. An arrow suddenly shot past him, taking him by surprise as it impaled the ground close by. He looked over, seeing a Vallite reemerge from his shroud as he reloaded his Yumi.
"GAH! Get away you barbarians! Shoo! Go away!" The professor insisted. He looked around, but realized he had no weapons on himself. "Uh...uh...oh! Right!"
As the Yumi was loaded with another arrow, Poopenschmir pulled out a Poke Ball.
"Quick, Rotom! Use Thunder Shock!"
The Poke Ball flew open, revealing Rotom once more. With a cackle, Rotom's body was engulfed in electricity before a speeding bolt shot into the archer. The electricity erupted through his body and caused him to cringe, making the Yumi misfire and shoot another arrow just at Poopenschmir's feet.
When the electricity finally stopped, the archer grunted in pain as crackling electrical static filled his body. He grunted as his muscles stiffened.
"Quick! To the mess hall!" Poopenschmir took off, fluttering his arms like he was making an attempt to fly. "HOOT! HOOT! HOOT! HOOT!"
The drapes shuffled behind the paralyzed archer, revealing the two Vallite soldiers with their iron clubs in hand. All three glared daggers at the fleeing doctor and gradually faded back into the night. Their wisps dragged along the ground as they followed him towards the mess hall.
From inside the bathhouse, the sounds of Poopenschmir's warning hoots were able to penetrate through the walls. Nathan furrowed his brow as he got out of the soaking bath, a towel draped around his waist. "The hell's that noise? That doc act up on something he ate?"
He moved towards the doorway, but once he peeked his head out, he noticed faded wisps snaking across the ground. 'Oh shit!' He hurriedly went back behind the wall to conceal himself. He remained behind the corner, his heart rate speeding up drastically.
'Those wisps...are those really those soldiers from that place? How did they get here?!' He balled his fists, his veins pulsing out of his body. 'Of all the times to lie down...this is what happens when you drop your guard!'
The three wisps noticed the lights on in the bathhouse, their curiosity turning into immediate demand. They all suddenly shifted closer, causing Nathan to grow alarmed and retreat into the men's bathing chamber.
"Bagon! Wimpod! Get ready!"
"(Huh? Why?)" Wimpod quipped.
Bagon saw the anxious look on Nathan's face and immediately fastened himself. "(Something's wrong, isn't it?)" He asked, jumping out of the water. "(What's happening?)"
Nathan immediately slammed the door shut and shuffled towards the bathwater. He hopped in with a splash and turned towards the floor. "Get in, now!"
Bagon didn't have time to ask questions. He knew that very well. He ran on over and jumped back in. When the door was suddenly slammed on harshly, Nathan and Bagon took in deep breaths and plunged themselves underneath. Wimpod nervously followed.
BOOM!
An ethereal visage of a large rat sprung onto the door, knocking it down. The visage faded into the surroundings as the wisps dragged themselves into the bath's confines. The room a was humid and very steamy, making their camouflages profuse in sweat.
The three reappeared, revealing themselves to be Vallites. A ninja, a samurai, and finally what looked like a spiritualist of sorts. The three scanned the domain, but found nothing in sight as they gradually spread throughout the room.
"(O-oh my god! What's going on?! It's those invisible people again!)" Wimpod panicked. Luckily, Nathan stamped a hand atop his face to keep him from making any noise that could get to the surface.
With his eyes open, Nathan was feeling so much pain. His irises were running red from the heat he was being exposed too while under the water. Even though the water had a soothing and cleansing effect, that didn't mean the human biology could handle direct heat too well.
Though his eyes stung like hell, Nathan dared not flinch. He looked underneath as he watched the three figures fan out around the perimeter. With his and Bagon's breath on the line, he turned towards Wimpod to mouth a command.
'Struggle Bug!'
His lips made the movements for the command that Wimpod heard. Though nervous, he complied and faced the surface.
"(Okay then...take this!)"
Suddenly, the bathwater erupted in dozens of splashes. Dozens of multiple green-yellow comets similar to fireflies shot everywhere, striking the samurai, ninja, and the diviner altogether. All three were buffered as they fell onto their backs with pained thuds. A blue aura surrounded their bodies that signaled their Special Attack also depleting.
The ninja got sat up first, but another loud splash revealed Nathan emerging from the water. He grabbed the Vallite's ankle and pulled him as hard as he could into the bathwater. Immediately, he got his arm around the ninja's neck and strangulated him in the hold before raising his other arm up high and elbowed him in the head, bringing both back down under.
The samurai and diviner got back to their feet and faced the water. They could see the struggle was that Nathan was clearly winning. His elbow and fist landing blows as they were underwater. Before the samurai was about to leap in, he was blasted by an intense jet of pressurized water. So strong in fact that the blow sent him through the wall, tearing it clean open and burying him beneath the rubble.
Jumping out of the water, Bagon glared at them. "(Alright, who's next?)" He turned towards the Diviner, seeing him fade into the surroundings.
Wimpod surfaced, looking around anxiously. "(Uh, w-what now?)"
"(Anything!)" Bagon shouted. His eyes kept glued on any changes in the surroundings. With the steam, it was hard to make out the wisp that the faded Vallite would normally make. He remained completely calm as he scoped around to anticipate what would happen.
Suddenly, an incantation appeared behind him, summoning a large ethereal rat creature. Wimpod was quick enough to catch on. "(Behind you!)"
Bagon whipped around and saw the ethereal beast pounce at him. With little time to react, he was struck head-on, sending him sliding across the ground beside Wimpod. He grunted at the slight sting his body took, but shook his head to rid of the pain.
The stealthy diviner kept his distance, readying another spell to strike them.
Wimpod looked between Bagon and the invisible enemy. He knew he couldn't just sit around doing nothing. He had to act fast, and promptly at that. He mustn't be useless! His scared expression turned serious – if only for a moment. He inhaled deeply as his antennae started rattling.
"(SCREECH!)"
He screamed at the top of his little lungs, unleashing harsh soundwave that fanned throughout the men's bathhouse area. The antennae shuddered madly as the soundwaves were dense and equal in force.
The soundwaves caused the invisible Vallite to cover his ears. He pained greatly as he lost his focus to perform the spell and chose to preserve his hearing. As he did, a dense blue aura surrounded his body to show his Defense harshly depleting.
"(GO NOWWWWW~!)" Wimpod shrieked.
Bagon got the message and faced the incapacitated Vallite. He lowered his head and shot into his face with a Headbutt. The intense blow was enough to make a loud bone snapping sound as the rock-hard head and the combined Defense reduction made the Vallite double over into a corner bath, falling into the water with a loud splash.
"(We...we did it!)" Wimpod quipped.
The sounds of splashing was heard from the large bath. Bagon and Wimpod turned and saw Nathan using nothing but his reflexes and survival instincts to hurriedly drag and piledrive the ninja under the bathwater. He didn't let up, even for a second. It was only when Nathan finally shoved the ninja back to the bath's edge did the ninja stop moving.
With his heart still in full throttle, Nathan noticed a kunai that felt in the bathwater right beside him. He steeled himself and violently sprung out and onto the ninja, stabbing the kunai right into his back where the heart would have been located.
The body cringed beneath him for a brief moment before it went limp.
With an angered, annoyed, pissed grunt that described Nathan's mood at the moment, he fastened his hold onto the kunai and pried it out of the body. He crawled onto the floor towards the nearest towel, draping it around his body.
"Okay...now I'm pissed off."
Poopenschmir cried out as he was running towards the mess hall for his life, flapping his arms and hooting in the process. Rotom zipped behind him as they made an attempt to escape towards the mess hall, but not before coming proximity of Lilith's shrine.
As soon as he reached the tree the shrine sat next to, he took a moment to catch his breath. He rested his hand against the ark so as to support. "Ho...ho'kay...hoo...it's been a good while since I had to run like that. Are, uh...are they still behind me?"
An arrow shot from behind, narrowly missing his face and large glasses by an inch. It impaled the bark, spooking him once again to make him step away and pivot around. He saw the archer far behind the two men with the iron clubs drawing near.
"P-please! Don't hurt me! I bruised very easily now..." Poopenschmir winced, before turning towards Rotom. "R-Rotom, quick! Use Astonish!"
Rotom cackled with a mischievous smirk. It bolted into the Vallite men in zigzag fashion. One man raised an iron club and brought it down, but the small plasmatic body it had shifted its course to where it missed. Rotom bolted directly in the man's face and projected a point-blank illusion of itself with glowing red eyes. It went through the man, making him grunt and step away in surprise.
However, the other man with an iron club grunted and swung his club, landing a direct hit on Rotom. It cried out in pain as it beamed away to recover. The archer on the other hand slowly prepared another arrow with its Yumi aiming at the professor.
"Wait, no! No!"
Poopenschmir saw his life flash before his eyes when he heard the sound of a click. He scrunched his eyes shut and braced for what would be a killer blow to the head. However, a blast of streaming blue and violet flames expelled from behind him, disintegrated the arrow and continuing into the archer. The paralyzed archer had nowhere to go when the breath attack met his body, making him grunt in pain as embers licked his skin.
Poopenschmir shakily recovered from his flinching, realizing he wasn't dead yet. "Huh?"
"Are you alright, good doctor?" Floating a short distance away, Lilith sat on her crystal ball, looking steadily at the enemies afoot as Poopenschmir took the opportunity to adjust his glasses.
"Er, y-yes, thank you very much, little dragon. I...I do owe you a sense of gratitude, but, I'm a little pressed right now!"
Loud neighs were heard from afar. Poopenschmir and Lilith turned around and saw even more Vallite soldiers coming in from the south. They saw two men with iron Naginata, along with two more personnel in Vallite uniform on what looked like flying horses, much to Poopenschmir's surprise.
However, behind them, there was a notable samurai Vallite, with an icy glare with a katana. But not just any katana. It wasn't iron, but instead a harder element – steel.
Poopenschmir adjust his glasses again. "Good god, where have we gone to have flying horses with wings?!"
Rotom cackled.
"Good doctor! Please! Go find Nathan and Chef DK! We must defend this castle at all costs!" Lilith declared.
Though nervous, the doctor nodded in understanding. "Y-yes! I can do that! Uh..." Poopenschmir turned towards the two men with iron clubs. "Rotom, quick! Confuse Ray!"
Rotom cackled evilly before manifesting a daunting ray of bright ourple energy. The orbs of energy combined into one, becoming a far more potent mass of radiance that aimed specifically towards the man on the left. The ray made his eyes turned red as he seemed befuddled. He looked around, unable to recognize anything or anything. He grunted as he whacked the man beside him with the iron club, immediately knocking him down.
"Yes! Take that! Now, them! Do it now!" Poopenschmir directed at the sky knights that drew closer.
"(Okey-dokey!)" Rotom zipped past him, projecting itself in front of him. "(This is so exciting!)" Once against, three bright purple orbs circled around him until they converged to a single point. The orb expelled a disturbing flash that engulfed the lancer atop the also equally dysfunctional horse.
The horse neighed loudly as it flailed about in midair, in the broad open. The person riding it swung the naginata around aimlessly as its animal ran loose. The results were the horse flying down past the swordsmen for the Vallite to slash, making them grunt and pull away.
Without any sense of alarm, Lilith's eyes brightened before she opened her mouth, expelling an expanding torrent of astra; dragon fire that struck the confused horse and rider. Both were engulfed in flames and shot straight down towards the ground with painful thuds.
"Hurry!" Lilith pleaded.
"Yes! I will go now! Rotom!" Poopenschmir scuffled away towards the mess hall, with his plasmatic companion beaming right beside him.
As he went off, the samurai with the steel katana continued glaring at him before vanishing back into a cloaked wisp. He, as well as the one Vallite ruffian not confused and one of the soldiers vanished and followed him.
Lilith glared down the enemies around her, her tail wagging. "For Lord Corrin's sake, as well as the Astral Planes, I shall guard it with my life!"
The ruckus was barely heard from within the mess hall, but it was loud enough to get DK to step away from his newest cuisine and turn towards the mess hall doors. "What's all the noise outside?" he groaned. "Is Nathan and Poopenschmir having some kind of battle or something?"
He opened the doors and popped his head outside. That's when he was instantly shived back in when Poopenschmir fell inside.
"Ooooohhh..."
"Wait, what?!" DK looked down, visibly worried. "Doctor Poopenschmir? Why such a rush?"
Gasping for air like a fish from all the running, he grunted and scrambled to his feet. "Q-quickly...close it..."
"What...?"
"CLOSE THE DOOR NOW!"
DK was as shocked as he was startled when he looked up. A shadowy wisp darted up the steps and faded into view as the huge brute with the iron club. "OHMYGO~D!" Hurriedly, DK slammed the doors shut, immediately locking them with the click-in locks on them. Large, harsh banging sounds came from the other side that pulsed clean through the wood.
"OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD! WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON~?!" DK panicked. "Please For the love of god! Why was there a maniac right there! I thought we were safe here?!"
Poopenschmir panted as he was able to take a breather from running. "Oooh, I-I don't feel so good..."
"Doctor! Where the hell with that big bastard come from?!"
"I-I don't know! I was just as surprised as you!"
The mess hall's doors thudded louder from the banging of the club. The chef and doctor turned towards it then to each other.
"Quick! What do we do?!"
"Uhhh...oh! Barricade! Barricade the door!"
"Right, good idea!" DK immediately reached for the nearest large table and pulled it in front of the doorway. He pushed in one side, whereas Poopenschmir pushed in another. They hurriedly reached for more stools and chairs hanging around and pressed them against the table, making a stable foundation to keep the door from budging as the thudding of the fist and club continued.
DK and Poopenschmir took a moment to catch their breath, their breathing erratic from broken whimpers and panic.
"Oh my god~! Oh my god, oh my god, oooooh my god~!" DK grimaced. "Please don't die, DK! Please! You're far too young and beautiful to go out this way-y-y-y-y~!"
"T-this is very bad indeed..." Poopenschmir shakily adjusted his overexaggerated glasses once more.
"Calm down, DK! Just calm down! Okay, okay, deep breaths DK. Deep breaths..." DK took sharp breaths through his nose and out his mouths. He did it once more, and repeated. Until after six breaths, he finally looked stable. "Okay, stay calm...uh...a-are they gone? I don't hear anything..."
Poopenschmir crept towards the windows, crouching towards the bottom of the windowsill so nobody can see him. He looked up...only to see a samurai's dark visage peer right back at him.
"A-Are they gone...?" Dk nervously asked.
"Uh...well..."
CRASH!
The glass to the large-scale window shattered when the iron club went through it. Glass spilled all over the floor next to the two men before the samurai, and two warriors planted their feet on the ground.
"OH MY GO~D! AAAAAAHHH~! RUN!" DK screamed.
"AAAAAHHHH!" The frightened duo scrambled to their feet as fast as possible and made a break for the kitchen area of the mess hall. The Vallites all faded from view and followed them with haste to kill them. They made way to the stove that still had the simmered food DK made. Out of instinct, he knew what to do.
He gripped the handles of the pot, taking it off the heat coils. "You guys hungry?! Here! Have a load of this!"
He lobbed the entire pot through the air, lobbing its way towards the wisps heading into view. The pot splashed down on one of the silhouettes, dowsing him in very hot – and smelly – soup. The contents also spilled along the ground, creating a large wet floor that the other two men walked over and ended up slipping. They fell face-first, the impact exposing them as the contents of the soup were also eaten.
"EAT AND CHOKE ON IT, YOU BASTARDS!" DK screamed before beelining with Poopenschmir into the pantry. With haste, the two immediately slammed the door shut and pinned themselves against the frame.
It didn't take too long for them to be met with thumps and harsh banging from the opposite side. They tried desperately to keep their foes from getting closer. It was taking everything in Poopenschmir and his non-athletic body from letting them get through and pry open the door.
"Oh my god! OH MY GOD~! I don't wanna die! I'm gonna die~!" DK whined. "Come on! Stay strong! You're a man! You can't just sit and hide forever! You have to fight back! Yeah! I can't be bested by these...these...weirdos! Yeah! We have to fight back!"
"With what?!" Poopenschmir snapped.
DK looked around, scouting for anything useful. With the pantry light thankfully on, he could see the various canned goods and extra utensil hanging around. A lot of boxed materials, as well as the huge bags of the hundreds of berries grown in the past three weeks.
His attention inevitable drew towards his left. "...there!" He reached for the long kitchen knife and frying pan that he preserved. "I knew these souvenirs would come in handy! Okay, now to teach them a lesson!"
He handed the pan to Poopenschmir, while he kept the knife. Both gripped their makeshift weapons and eased themselves against the door.
"Okay. Okay! You guys want a piece of us?! Well, come and get some!" DK gingery reached for the door. "Now, let's just...calmly...talk all this out like normal people, so-!" The door was finally forced through with the iron club Vallite trying to squeeze his upper body in. "OH MY GOD~!"
Instinct took over and the two batted and stabbed. Poopenschmir hit the guy in the face with the frying pan's steel bottom, whereas DK stabbed at the hand that was trying to pull him out. The metal clanking against his head and the pain from the searing stab wound directly in his hand caused the Vallite to fall back. The duo slammed the door shut again to regroup.
"Phew! That was too close!" DK sighed. "You thank that got the message through?"
"I-I would reckon so..." Poopenschmir fidgeted, nervously chuckling. "This is a good pan."
"I know, right? That thing's sturdy as hell. Makes for a great shield, too. Heh."
"Yes-!"
Their moment was interrupted when a steel katana pierced clean through the wood between them.
"AAAHHHHH!" The two cowered away in fear towards the far end of the pantry. They turned around and quivered with their utensils in hand as they watched the katana withdraw, and the three Vallites stood there with their weapons in hand.
"Sweet baby Arceus, get me through this..." DK muttered.
The three men poised their weapons at them, but then suddenly, the steel katana was replaced by a plastic cup. The Vallite looked confused until he heard a clang from behind. He and the others turned around when a glowing beak pecked the samurai's forehead, making him recoil.
"(Well, that weapon's way too heavy for me.)" Rotom maniacally giggled.
Farfetch'd flapped his wings as he flew beside it, his leek held by his webbed feet. "(You're telling me.)"
"Farfetch'd! Oh man, you're a lifesaver!" DK chimed. "Thank you so much, little buddy!"
"(You can thank me by helping me out here!)" Farfetch'd dropped to the ground and held his leek like a sword. The samurai glared daggers as he and his associates rushed for them instead.
"Farfetch'd, quick! Use your Sand Attack!" DK commanded.
Farfetch'd narrowed his eyes and swung his leek against the ground. A wave of sand kicked up and blew into all the Vallites' faces, making them squint and recoil.
"Hurry! Let's go!" DK rushed out of the pantry, along with Poopenschmir. The two rushed out with loud cries as the professor used the frying pan to knock the samurai and the warrior with the Naginata away to give them space. They bypassed them and pivoted to face them with their weapons.
"Haha! Now the tables have turned! Let's see how you guys handle being cornered!" DK boasted.
The Vallites sneered angrily before they suddenly vanished again.
"Wait...where'd they go?!" DK worried.
Farfetch'd looked down at the ground, his Keen Eye Ability seeing the outlines of their movements very clearly. He readied his leek as he went to meet them head-on. "(Fury Cutter!)"
"Wait, Farfetch'd! What the hell!?" DK snapped.
With his leek glowing bright green, Farfetch'd meet an invisible Naginata and club at the same time. The first parry easily pushed him back. However, Farfetch'd dove back in with a second swing, this one much stronger. They parried over and over, until he was able to overwhelm them by the third swing, blocking them off completely.
DK was taken back, but he didn't back down. "Uh...that works, I guess." He turned towards the professor. "Quick! Let's get out of here!" He turned towards the door, but realized that it was blocked off by the tables and chairs alike. "GAAAAH! I FORGOT! WHY?!"
Rotom snickered maniacally. "(Looks like trouble for everyone. Huh?)" It turned and noticed the refrigerator that sat close by. It zoomed over, smirking maliciously. "(Well now...what do we have here?)"
As Farfetch'd was parrying the enemies, he glanced over. "(This is no time for a snack!)"
"(No...)" It impishly snickered. "(But I have an idea.)"
Before anyone could ask what Rotom was doing, it suddenly zipped into the fridge. Its body immersed into the surface and covered the entire friedge's perimeter in a plasmatic outline of its body. The outline gradually faded to a bright purple, with the coloration turning bright orange like Rotom's body. Its face appeared atop the fridge as it levitated off the ground.
"(Surprise~!)"
"Wait-WHAT?! Did that thing just take over my fridge?! When the hell could it even do that?!" DK panicked. "Oh my god...WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON NOW?!"
Poopenschmir fidgeted in place, equally as nervous about the situation. "Er, yes, heh...y-you see, Rotom has a...very nasty habit of doing that sometimes."
DK turned towards him, dumbfounded. "Wait, what?! It can control fridges?!"
Rotom cackled as it levitated closer towards the Vallites. It smirked as it took position behind Farfetch'd, who was batting them back relentlessly. "(You might wanna move~, less you'd be frozen duck!)"
Farfetch'd heeded the warning and pulled back from the front. As soon as he was gone, the three men faced the foreign entity before them with caution before its doors opened, expelling a harsh Blizzard that blasted absolute zero winds with large clumps of tightly packed snow. The samurai was able to evade, but the man with the iron club and iron naginata were engulfed, freezing them in place of the harsh temperatures and force of the attack provided.
"Yes! Ha! Take that!" Poopenschmir cheered. "Now use Trick!"
"(Roger that, Mr. Crazy!)" Rotom meekly chuckled. Its eyes glowed bright blue all of a sudden, and then reached for something inside of itself. Its purple plasmatic arm reached in and out with a container of milk...expired milk, that is. The milk and the iron club the Vallite had swapped places, with the Vallite holding the flask of milk, whereas the iron club was in Rotom's hand, which he passed onto the doctor.
"TAKE THIS YOU BASTARDS! WAAAAAAHHH~!" DK and Poopenschmir ran up with all the gusto they could muster towards the two severely weakened Vallites. DK charged at the soldier with the Naginata and gathered momentum to stab him clean through the exposed chest area, impaling the skin and insides. He pulled the knife back and pulled away to watch the Vallite fade away from view. However, a solid thud was heard just as he was gone.
"I...I did it! Oh my god, I actually did it?!" DK quipped in realization.
"HAAAAAIYA~!" Poopenschmir took the frying pan and smacked the broad Vallite as harshly as possible. It made him stagger back in pain, but not enough to keep him down.
That is, until Rotom opened its refrigerator doors and shot the iron club's thick end like a bullet straight into the Vallite's face. The harsh impact instantly dented in the facial armor, bones and all; effectively putting out of commission for good.
"Yes! Yes! How do you like getting clubbed on!? Ha!" Poopenschmir exclaimed excitedly.
The two pulled away and regrouped towards the main hall of the mess hall. They hustled away as Farfetch'd glided through the open space where the serving bar was. Meanwhile, Rotom sat itself back in place and zipped out of the fridge, returning it back to its original state.
"Oh my god! Oh my god, oh my god! We actually did it! We killed those bastards!" DK cheered, his tone having a high pitch from adrenaline. "Haha! Told ya we'd get the last laugh! HAHA!"
"Yes! We most certainly did...o-oh wait...weren't there, uh...three?" Poopenschmir asked.
DK blinked. "Wait, three?" The realization dawned upon him like he had seen a ghost. He looked at the blood staining the metal of his knife and understood their predicament. "Wait..." He sounded more concerned than ever. "S-So then...where'd he go...?"
Farfetch'd glanced around the dark mess hall, his Keen Eye Ability working once more. He scoped out a wisp escaping from the kitchen with a steel katana and closed in on them. He jutted his leek ahead. "(There!)"
DK and Poopenschmir picked up on the warning, but as they turned around when the silhouette lunged at them, a blast of dragonfire seared across the mess hall, blasting the samurai when he didn't see it coming. He slammed into the wall and fell over, his cloaking faded to expose himself once more.
"W-what was that?!" DK shakily turned towards the front. "Lilith, that you?!"
Jumping in from the window, Bagon planted on two feet. "(Nope! I'm a guy, dudes!)"
Leaping in from the window, Nathan planted his feet on the ground and charged for the downed samurai. He sprung ahead past the startled chef and professor with the kunai he still kept from the ninja and clutched it tight. Without a moment's hesitation, he drove the kunai down onto the samurai.
STAB!
With a harsh stab to the back of the head, Nathan plunged the kunai as deep as he could and pulled back. He grunted as he drew blood from the samurai that laid on the ground, robbed of his life while already stunned. They all watched as the man faded from view once more. This time, for good.
"N-Nathan...!" DK quipped, his voice quivering from shock at the surprise attack.
Nathan sighed begrudgingly, tuning away with the blood-stained kunai. "You both in one piece?"
"Y-yeah. We're okay..." DK quipped, still visibly in shock. "God, what the hell is going on?! And what took you?!"
"I had troubles of my own, you know. I was ambushed just like the rest of you." Nathan frowned grimly. "Had to get my clothes on and bolt here. Wimpod is out scouting the perimeter looking for any intruders."
"O-okay...wait, what about the others outside!? What about Lilith!?"
"Relax already! She's just fine!" He snapped back. "She was just fine when I came out to race towards you guys. Looked like she was in struggle at first...but those bodies I saw drop said otherwise. That little dragon is a lot tougher than she looks."
Farfetch'd cocked a brow. "(Huh, where have I heard that one before?)"
"So...so then we're all alive?!" DK sounded more hopeful than he was a second ago. It could have been the most hopeful he's ever been since coming here.
"Yeah...somehow." Nathan glanced around, seeing how everything was a mess around the mess hall. His attention went out towards the shattered window. "Better brace yourselves...might be a long night if it's gonna be like this..."
DK quietly cried in fear, while Poopenschmir fidgeted uncomfortably in place. As far as they knew, this night was going to be a long night.
Several hours finally went by in the Astral Plane. After what felt like an eternity to the current residence there, the night had finally dawned to daybreak. The sun gradually came up on the fortress that was still standing.
As Lilith as sound asleep in the shadows of her small-scale temple, the glow of her crystal ball she clung to radiated a warmth that awoken her from her slumber. She moaned ever so slightly as her eyes fluttered open. "Mmmmm...hm?"
'Lilith, are you there?' A telepathic voice echoed from the crystal ball, the light flickering with the voice's syllables. 'We're ready to be brought back for now! Can you warp us?'
Recognizing the voice, Lilith perked up. "Sure thing!" She floated her way outside, out of her temple and into the open. She found her way into the open, where the orb glowed brighter than before.
In a flash, a radiant blue light glowed in front of her. The light expanded into a hemisphere that burst open, revealing Corrin's group upon their return. Their feet plant on the ground in front of the little dragon as the light faded from her orb.
"Welcome back, Lord Corrin!" Lilith greeted merrily as possible.
Corrin gave her an appreciative smile. "Yes, same to you Lilith. Sorry again for being away for a while."
"I trust that your endeavors bared fruit this time around."
The smile Corrin had turned to a frown. "...no, not this time sadly. We've recently came across a village that was...empty. We had to stay there and clean up for a while...and the surrounding Pokémon pretty much fled, too."
"I understand. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, Lilith. We'll get through it. Right now we just need to rest and..." He couldn't help but trail off as he an everyone slowly gazed around at the courtyard. His eyes gradually widened when he saw debris laying in some parts, and weapons that were strewn across the ground with no owner attached to them. But looking out farther, they could see a corner of the courtyard in shambles, and the mess hall looking like...well, a mess.
What happened even that they missed out on?
"My goodness...what went on here?" Azura worried. "Did they have a Pokémon Battle and things get out control?"
Evan furrowed his brow as he scanned his surroundings. He gasped when he recognized a familiar face right by the mess hall porch. "Is that...?"
Everyone drew closer towards the mess hall and saw the damages up close they could clearly see the broken window, shattered glass, and even the severely damaged door. On the porch, half asleep and resting his cheek against his hand was none other than a half-asleep Nathan. He shot them a tired glance, but that was all. Otherwise, he looked extremely annoyed.
"Nathan! Are you okay?! What happened here?!" Corrin asked.
Rather than give him a straightforward answer, Nathan pointed his thumb past him towards the window. The others followed his direction and got through the window. The sounds of glass shattering beneath their feet collectively crackled like fireworks. Thankfully they all had boots on, otherwise their feet would have hurt.
The inside of the mess hall was...well, a mess. Tables were piled up to the door, blood stained the ground, and the unpleasant smell of burnt food and rotten berries came from the kitchen.
"Wha...what is all this?!" Felicia worried.
Small whimpers came from the kitchen that got Corrin on guard. He and everyone approached the corner and saw a distraught Chef DK and Poopenschmir cowering with their backs supporting each other. They had their frying pan and kitchen knives as weapons, and their shaken dispositions and wary gazes made it evident they got no sleep.
"Uh...Chef DK...? Doctor Poopenschmir? You guys good?" Evan grimaced. He already had an idea of what the answer was, but he tried to be soft about it.
The two shakily turned towards the present group. Poopenschmir's shoulders slumped as a wave of relief washed over him. He collapsed to his side and groaned as he laid unresponsive. DK shakily kept the knife in his hand as his lips quivered.
"You guys...please...please don't leave us alone ever again..."
Before Corrin could ask why, DK fell to his side from relief.
"C-Chef DK?! Hey! What happened?!" Corrin yelled. "Guys?!"
Outside, Nathan had a half-hearted look as he glanced over towards the fields. He grunted angrily. "Right...gotta plant those damn berries..."
It was a long night. A very, long night for them.
Party Data
Chef DK
-Farfetch'd (Male)
Lv: 19
Item: Leek
Nature: Hardy
Ability: Keen Eye
Moves: Fury Cutter, Cut, Sand Attack, Peck
Nathan
-Bagon (Male)
Lv: 29
Item: Dragon Fang
Nature: Calm
Ability: Rock Head
Moves: Headbutt, Hydro Pump, Crunch, Dragon Breath
-Wimpod (Male)
Lv: 26
Item: None
Nature: Bashful
Ability: Wimp Out
Moves: Struggle Bug, Sand Arrack, Defense Curl, Screech
Doctor Peter Poopenschmir
-Rotom
Lv: 19
Item: None
Nature: Impish
Ability: Levitate
Moves: Trick, Thunder Shock, Astonish, Confuse Ray
Managed to get this one up before March rolled in, thankfully! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and are pleased that it didn't take me like another two to three months to write this. I've been trying to stay consistent since January going back and forth between The Contender's Ascent and this fanfic. So far, it's going alright!
Now for the Gen 9 updates we're now aware of, let me make this clear in advance. Yes, I will include them, as well as instill updates to any TMs/TRs they may devise for said generation. I will try and overlap the various TMs if there are any notable ones that were changed between the two generations. But, I won't do so until the game is officially released. So until then, the movesets will stay updated as per Gen 8.
The party data specifies for Chef DK and the others in the Astral Plane this chapter, since they were their own separate party from Corrin's current party.
Hope you all liked this chapter! XD
