Had a bit of a rough week leading up to this chapter's publishing, so hearing from everyone really brightened things up. And so many new folks, too. Gosh, I really hope I can meet your expectations. Especially since this here is... something different. Enjoy!
Chapter 79: Something to Sink Your Teeth Into
~Rem Canyon~
I think it's safe to conclusify that we've been heading in the wrong direction, Magearna said, leading the party along a jagged, narrow path through the canyon. Spikes jutted out from the canyon walls. They resembled curved dragon fangs and threatened to hit the taller group members.
"Agreed. The signals have gotten weaker, not stronger," Sticky said, his visor retracting into his helmet.
"If that's the case, why didn't we turn back sooner, huh?" Seraph growled, lightning crackling around her forearms. "We could've avoided a lot of unnecessary walking, don't you think?"
"What are you looking at me for? I'm not making the calls here," Sticky said, wincing.
"You've got the scanner," Seraph said, before a disapproving look from Luxeira made her sigh. "Sorry. I didn't mean to yell. It's just… if time's of the essence, shouldn't we be moving quicker?"
This segment of the path loops north. The conditions are… cramplicated, I'll admit that. However, I believe this route is the fastest one available, while being safe enough to avoid detectification, Magearna explained.
Blaziken froze mid-step. Not looking where he was going, Swampert walked right into his backside. "Oof! What's the holdup?" he grunted.
"Tell me she didn't just say this route's safer out loud," Blaziken said, rubbing the bridge of his beak.
"Eh? I haven't exactly been paying attention to the conversation," Swampert said with a nervous laugh.
"That was rhetorical, Swampert," Blaziken said, sighting. "Hey, we need to get a move on into more open space. I've got a bad feeling we're going to run into trouble and we can't fight in such close quarters."
As if on cue, Sticky's helmet beeped loudly. He summoned his visor, then flailed his arms about in a panic. "Ah! This is bad! I'm picking up multiple life forces moving in our direction."
"Wow. Way to go and jinx us, Feathers," Seraph said, rolling her eyes. "Yo, Pinhead, how many folks are you picking up?"
Sticky pressed his arms against his helmet. "Um, well, ten… twenty… n-no, I can't keep count of them all," he squeaked, floating up for cover behind one of the tooth-like rocks.
"Shit! We've gotta move!" Seraph hissed, shoving Magearna from behind. Before Magearna could protest, Seraph charged forward, lightning-propelling her down the path. The rest of the group ran after her. Luckily, it wasn't long before they emerged onto a wider path with one side dropping away to showcase a view of the ocean.
Any relief was cut short, however, as blue Dragon Pulses whizzed by. "We're taking fire!" Seraph shouted, turning left and issuing retaliatory blue Thunderbolts.
"I can't attack from this distance," Dusk said, wincing as she hid behind Magearna.
Everyone, get behind me, Magearna said, shooting Ice Beams from both arms. The nearest dragons strafed the ice, but two Vibravas and their Sliggoo passengers fell victim and plummeted to the ground.
More blue, dragon-shaped beams rained down on the group, focused on Magearna. She stood tall, firing Ice Beams skyward in the face of the ineffective blows. More dragons backed off, roaring their fury.
"We've got incomings on the ground," Seraph said. She punched the ground. Several dragons recoiled ahead of her. "I could use some help here, gang."
Comfey flung a green energy ball ahead, which a Garchomp swatted away. A Flamethrower and a purple Dark Pulse raced by her, courtesy of Blaziken and Luxeira. Two Salamences matched the blows with Dragon Pulse beams and flew forward. Rocks jutted out of the ground to knock one off course. Swampert drove the other one off with an icy fist.
"This isn't going to work. There are too many of them!" Comfey said. Purple tiles streamed in from behind her and lined the ground. A pack of Bagons and Shelgons were forced to halt their charges, leaving room for Blaziken, Comfey, Luxeira, and Magearna to strike and blow them back.
Then a fireball struck Sticky and exploded, sending him to the ground. More fireballs rained down around the group, scattering them in different directions. Luxeira dashed in Sticky's direction, diving through the smoke left behind. She skidded to a halt next to him. "Are you okay? That looked like a nasty blow," she said.
"I've been through worse," Sticky said, hovering back into the air. A scorch mark peppered his jumpsuit. "At least this thing's somewhat flame-retardant."
Luxeira's eyes widened. "Duck!" she shouted. Luxeira grabbed Sticky by the tail and dropped him to the ground. Dragonfire grazed her back. Her heart nearly burst out of her chest. Luxeira curled up around Sticky, expecting to take a serious blow. However, the dragonfire subsided. Luxeira looked up. Blaziked had driven the offending Turtonator away with a kick to its sensitive stomach.
Sticky squirmed out from underneath Luxeira. "Th-Thanks for the save, captain," he said. "Though, that was… unlike you."
"If there's one thing these terrestrials have taught me… it's that teamwork is the way to go," Luxeira said, knees popping as she got back to her feet. "And, uh, no need for the whole 'captain' formality. We don't need to keep that ruse up anymore."
"What can I say? I've gotten used to it," Sticky said with an awkward laugh.
"Hey! Save the sappy buddy-buddy stuff for after we've saved our hides!" Seraph shouted. She waywardly hurled a blast of red energy forward, but a Dragon Pulse beam burst through the attack and a second hit her from behind.
Seraph hit the ground with a yowl. Dusk fell down next to her. "Urgh… it's no good. We're completely surrounded," Dusk said, glancing right at the Druddigon pair dropping down from the sky. Even a lowly Trapinch burrowed out of the ground behind her. He leered at Sticky.
"Exactly. You No-Scales cannot stand up to our might. Surrender yourselves… and your ends will be quick and merciless!"
Sticky hovered closer to Luxeira. "Our ends?!" he gasped, only to take a face full of dirt from the Trapinch.
"Don't move, w'aever ya are," he spat.
Totem Kommo-o emerged from behind a dozen of his followers, sidestepping Sticky's tiles as he approached the group. His tail and battle axe jingled as he walked. Several dragons thumped their chests with their arms or wings.
"I recognize that emblem. You are with that wretched No-Scales group that keeps trying to desecrate our sacred domain," Totem Kommo-o said, leering at Magearna. "I made it abundantly clear to you meddlers that you are not welcome here. Only dragons may stride the terrain of Rem Canyon!"
"But I'm staring right at a Trapinch and he's no dragon," Luxeira said.
With surprising quickness for one of his size, Totem Kommo-o was by Luxeira's side, the blade of his axe sitting inches in front of her snout. "I do not care for your patronizing tone, puppy-dog," Totem Kommo-o growled.
"Yeh! I'll be a dragon real soon. Is jus' a matter o' time!" the Trapinch in question said, holding his head up proudly.
You are the Totem of his location, yes? Magearna said, turning to Totem Kommo-o. I assure you, that my team here doesn't mean to trespassify on your domain. We are in the midst of a crisis… and we need your assistilance.
Totem Kommo-o narrowed his eyes. "You would wander into our domain and try to brush it off with such a flimsy excuse? I ought to remove your head from your shoulders right this instant!" he said. Totem Kommo-o swung his axe in Magearna's direction, blue energy crackling in his throat. "How dumb do you think I am? Just because my people rebuke your communities, you think that makes you better than us?"
Not at all. In fact… it is you whose help I am seeking, Magearna said. You, who watch over this domain and the dragons within it.
"You attacked my people," Totem Kommo-o said, gesturing to the dragons all around him.
"Only because you nutcases attacked first," Seraph huffed, tugging at her right whisker.
"Maybe you ought to keep quiet? He seems agitated enough already," Dusk whispered, wincing. Seraph looked away from Totem Kommo-o, biting her lower lip.
I am sorry. That was a simple matter of self-defeckence, Magearna said. This is all just misunderstanding. If you'd give us a change to explain ourselves, I'm sure you'd understand exactly what's going on.
"Don't listen to 'em, Totem!" a gray-bearded Tyrantrum shouted.
"Yeah, they're just trying to trick us! They know they're outnumbered! Don't fall for their lies!" the green-eared Noibat perched on Gray-Beard's head said.
"Silence," Totem Kommo-o said, raising his free arm. "I am well aware of the lengths No-Scales will go to in a pitiful attempt at saving their hides. It matters not." He locked eyes with Magearna. "You have trespassed on our grounds. Thus, we must offer up your spirits to Lord Rayquaza so that he may continue to bless our domain."
"Jeez. Talk about fanatical," Seraph said, rolling her eyes. Luxeira shot her a wide-eyed look, silently begging Seraph to keep her trap shut for once.
"Um, hey, Mr. Totem Guy?" Swampert said, lifting a fin and waving. "What exactly does Rayquaza do for you, again? Because we happen to know him and—"
Blaziken barely managed to yank Swampert out of the way of Totem Kommo-o's axe. "Blasphemy!" Totem Kommo-o shouted, his plated scales jingling. "Lord Rayquaza would never give No-Scales like you the time of day." His fists glowed bright red. "I will make you pay for such heretical words!"
"It's true, though. We've been to Sky Tower. We're the ones who got Rayquaza to blow up the meteor that would've destroyed the planet," Swampert said.
The dragons turned to one another, muttering their collective disbelief. "You make such bold claims, No-Scales," Totem Kommo-o said.
"Well, you guys do live in a Mystery Dungeon, so I guess I can't blame you if you haven't heard the story of Team Go-Getters," Blaziken said, turning his scarf to show off his rusty badge. "That's us, by the way."
Totem Kommo-o stepped back, his brow furrowed. "Of course I know the tale. It spoke of the heroics of a Torchic and a Mud—" He cut himself off as his subjects' murmurs intensified. "If you are really the heroes you claim to be… then prove it," Totem Kommo-o said. "Only then will I stave off my tribe."
Blaziken reached into his bag and produced an aged emerald scale. "Behold! A scale shed from the body of the great Rayquaza himself as he blasted off into space to destroy the meteor," he proclaimed, holding the scale high.
"Uh… gross," Seraph said, cringing. Comfey, Dusk, and Luxeira shared her sentiments, each looking away with varying degrees of unease.
"You call that proof? Lord Rayquaza flies everywhere!" an Exeggutor with a white, absurdly long neck said.
"Y… yeah! He probably shed that scale and you just found it somewhere on the ground," a black-tailed Deino squeaked from atop White-Neck's leafy head. "Also… as long as we're not attacking anyone, can somebody help me down? I can't see what's happening and I'm not so good with heights."
"Damn, I was really hoping our good luck charm would pull through," Blaziken whispered, snapping his talons.
"I think we're gonna have to bust out the big guns, buddy," Swampert said.
"Looks like it," Blaziken said, nodding. "Watch my back. If it looks like I'm starting to lose control, pin me down or something."
"All right. You guys still don't believe us? Then feast your eyes on this." He stepped toward Totem Kommo-o and reached his right arm out, showcasing the looplet around it. "See that piece in the center? That's a fragment of the meteor Rayquaza destroyed. He welded these for Swampert and me as thanks for bringing him to his senses."
Totem Kommo-o scrutinized the looplet. "Who's to say some mage didn't find a meteor shard and make this?" he said.
"The meteor shards have Rayquaza's primal energy in them," Blaziken said, stepping back from Totem Kommo-o. "And with it, I can do… this!"
Blaziken raised his arm up. Orange light swallowed him up, forcing the nearest Pokémon to look away, shielding their eyes.
"This light… it can't be!" Totem Kommo-o gasped. Behind him, his dragon flunkies backed away nervously. The orange light subsided, revealing Mega Blaziken in all of his fiery glory. Blaziken balanced on his right leg and kicked at the air, launching a jet of fire skyward in a display of force.
"Mega Evolution! The No-Scale is Mega Evolving!" White-Neck gasped, long neck wobbling to and fro as he shuffled backward.
"W-whoa, hey, take it easy! I can't see anything… and I don't want to fall and go kersplat!" Black-Tail squeaked, clinging to White-Neck's leaves for dear life.
The other dragons all exchanged astonished sentiments. Not only had Blaziken used his Mega Evolution, he appeared to be in full control.
"Whoa. So, that's Mega Evolution, huh? It's quite the sight," Dusk said, whistling.
"Indeed. I remember hearing about this during training, but it doesn't compare to seeing it for yourself," Sticky said, hands pressed against his visor. "His energy levels shot up dramatically! If only your helmet was still intact, Luxeira." He turned to his teammate, only to find her totally transfixed on Blaziken. "Luxeira, are you all right?" Sticky said, waving his arm in front of her face.
"Don't block my view, Sticky," Luxeira said, nudging him aside with her snout.
Sticky floated back, frowning. "I don't get it. It's impressive, yeah, but she's acting like she's witnessing the most thrilling part of a show," he said, sighing.
"Oh, let her be, Pinhead. She's just helping herself to some eye candy, that's all," Seraph said. With a smirk, she added, "I'm proud of her."
"Wait, I don't see any candy around here. Least of all the kind you'd eat with your eyes," Sticky said, tilting his head in confusion. "Is there even candy you can eat with your eyes? Ungh, I think I feel a headache coming on…"
"So, what do you think, Totem?" Blaziken said. "I can give you a demonstration, if you want." He pivoted so his left knee pointed at Totem Kommo-o's chest.
"There's no need," Totem Kommo-o said, loosening his grip on his axe. "It appears Lord Rayquaza has deemed you worthy to wield his sacred technique of Mega Evolution. Though you lack scales, your heart beats as strong as that of any dragon in our domain."
"Then you'll call off your tribe and help us with our situation?" Blaziken said, raising a brow. It all seemed too easy and part of him strongly believed he was walking into a trap.
Totem Kommo-o nodded. "I shall." He paused to glance at his axe, then looked back at Blaziken. "Though, might I ask a question?"
"Shoot," Blaziken said.
"How long can you maintain that form?" Totem Kommo-o asked.
"Well, the meteor shard supplies me with the energy for Mega Evolution. Keeping that energy under control does, y'know, put a lot of stress on my body." He put his raised leg down and stretched out. "It's been a while since I've done this, so it'd be tough to say for sure how long I can keep this up. The last time I Mega Evolved, I think I had enough energy to keep the form active for a couple of hours before needing to recharge," Blaziken said. He tapped the looplet with a claw and, in a flash of light, reverted to his normal form.
"Wait! Can't you only use that power once when you're in a Mystery Dungeon?" Dusk said, shooting Blaziken a worried look.
"In the dungeons where we're from, sure. But since yours aren't chaotic labyrinths, those rules don't apply," Blaziken said. He stuck his arm out so Dusk could see the meteor shard still glowing in his looplet.
"I see," Totem Kommo-o said. He pivoted back to Magearna. "The timing of this commotion is rather awkward, I'm afraid. Why don't you tell me what it is you seek in our domain? Then I will discuss my current predicament."
Comfey and Magearna explained the situation with the Dawn Hourglass. Yet again, the dragons around them muttered in surprise at the revelation.
"I don't believe this," a second, smaller Kommo-o said. His turquoise scales clattered together as he crossed his arms. "Tapu Lele would never be so careless with such an important item!"
"Well, she is a fairy-type. They're all pretty ditzy if you ask me," a Garchomp with a striped dorsal fin huffed.
The pink-winged Altaria standing next to him glared at him. "Mind repeating that one to me, darling?" she growled.
Striped-Fin's face blanched. "Aha… ha… w-well, you're technically only a fairy if you Mega Evolve, my sweet," he said. Pink-Wings still turned away from him with an annoyed huff.
"Peace. All of you… peace!" Totem Kommo-o said, rubbing his temples. The dragons fell silent, with the loudest offenders looking down guiltily. Totem Kommo-o sighed. "I was afraid of this. It had been far too long since one of the Tapus came to reshape our land. Suddenly this jewel appeared and my scouts brought it to me. It resonated with my Totem Crystal. I told myself it was a gift from Lord Rayquaza, but deep down I knew he wouldn't just drop something like that into our domain without giving some sort of sign."
"Um, excuse me? Might I ask a question, round metal thingy?" Turquoise-Scales said, raising an arm.
Go ahead. And it's Magearna, Magearna said.
"You said the Dawn Hourglass broke. Is that why the moon's been so big and bright lately?" Turquoise-Scales asked.
I wouldn't say it's the cause, but they're definitatively related, Magearna said.
"O… okay. Thanks," Turquoise-Scales said, frowning and looking down.
"You there! Buck up!" Totem Kommo-o said, stomping in Turquoise-Scales' direction. He jumped to attention, saluting his leader. "This is not the time for whining or petty sniveling. An act of the cosmos has brought a piece of the Dawn Hourglass into our midst. It is our duty to see to it that the Dawn Hourglass be repaired. Are you all with me?"
The dragons cheered, raising wings and arms in unison. "Excellent!" Totem Kommo-o said. "Come, outsiders. The shard you seek lies at our sacred shrine." He beckoned the expedition crew to follow him along. As they did, the various dragons flanked the group from each side, forming a procession that walked at an orderly pace with Totem Kommo-o at the head. Some of the winged dragons even took position over the group, scanning the tops of the canyon walls for any signs of trouble attempting to breech the dungeon.
Comfey floated up to Magearna, who had her Gear-Com unit sticking out of her stomach. "Are you contacting Team Radiance?" she asked.
Indeed. But it appears I can't get a hold of Espeon, Magearna said as muffle static sounded from the speaker. I'll have to try Gallian's device, then. She pressed a few buttons on the device.
"Magearna? Is that you?" Gallian said.
Correct. I've got an update. We've managed to locate the Scalebound Shard. The Totem is escorvating us there as I speak, Magearna said.
"Wait, you actually got the dragons to help you?" Gallian gasped. "Whoa. I've gotta hear about this when we meet up."
"Gallian, what's going on with Team Radiance? We can't seem to get a hold of them," Comfey said.
"Yeah. They headed off to Sunset Shoals with the Totem here a few hours ago," Gallian said. "There's a real nasty storm around that place. Apparently Primarina's using his music to hypnotize people. Zoroark and I got involved in a scuffle of our own and we're patrolling Circadian Coast. It's, uh, a long story. If anything changes, I'll be sure to tell you." He disconnected the call.
Up ahead, Blaziken increased his walking speed to keep pace with Totem Kommo-o. "So, what was this dilemma you wanted to talk to us about?" he said.
"There was another group of No-Scales besides yours," Totem Kommo-o said, tail jingling with each massive stride he made. "Well, just two No-Scales, to be honest. But my eldest son was with them." Totem Kommo-o's gaze fiercened. "He had run off many moons ago. The tribe searched high and low, but never found him. For a time, I wondered if he had passed on to the Tree of Life."
"Oh. Isn't that a good thing, then? Your son's safe," Blaziken said.
"It's not good. He was in the company of the No-Scales. That means he left the dungeon," Totem Kommo-o said. "For these many moons, he's commiserated with them. I fear that they have tainted his being. His heart… his life force… it is not pure anymore. I am sure of it."
Blaziken winced. He should've figured the guy who was ready to sacrifice him not too long ago would say something like that. "Right. I'm not really familiar with your customs," Blaziken said.
"I understand. I'm in a difficult position, that is all," Totem Kommo-o said, shaking his head. "My son spat upon his heritage and his presence in our domain… can't be welcomed. Before I went to confront you all, I was planning to sacrifice him to Lord Rayquaza to remove the taint from our home."
"Err, well, as an outsider, I can't help but say that sounds unnecessarily cruel," Blaziken said, scratching the back of his neck.
"You sound just like my mate," Totem Kommo-o said, sighing. "She blamed me for Jangmo-o's disappearance. Told me that our customs are too harsh… that they drove him away."
Blaziken looked around at the dragons in the procession. "Which one is she?" he asked.
"None of them. Several moons after we gave up the search for Jangmo-o, I found her lying dead within our den," Totem Kommo-o explained. Blaziken stiffened, while Totem Kommo- shut his eyes. "That image… is burned into my mind. She looked so peaceful, like she was slumbering. I haven't the slightest idea what could've happened. It's almost like… like she died of a broken heart." He tightened his grip on his axe. "I thought that, perhaps, this was punishment from Lord Rayquaza for not reigning Jangmo-o in. He always rebuked my teachings, but I was grooming him to take my place."
At this point, Dusk and Seraph had joined the duo. Both of them were silent, too nervous about angering Totem Kommo-o to say anything. Finally, Seraph cleared her throat and said, "Uh, not to be rude or anything, but this is very tough to follow. How do we factor into this, exactly?"
Totem Kommo-o pointed at Blaziken. "I want you to duel my son. You must battle Jangmo-o… and hold absolutely nothing back." He clenched his free hand into a fist. "Exposing him to the sheer force of Mega Evolution will awaken the draconic spirit I know is slumbering within him!"
Before Blaziken could protest, Totem Kommo-o sped up, signaling he refused to hear any debate on the matter.
"Geesh… talk about harsh. I think I see why his kid ran away in the first place," Dusk said.
"What have I gotten myself into? I'm a rescuer, not a family counselor," Blaziken groaned, rubbing his forehead.
Jangmo-o stood on one side of a dusty clearing, legs trembling and scales caked with sweat and grime. Totem Kommo-o stood opposite him, his axe leaning against a rock wall. He tossed a rock in one hand.
"Disgraceful!" he shouted, making Jangmo-o flinch. "We've been at this all day and you can't even muster a puff of smoke? You're not taking this seriously, are you?"
"I… I'm trying!" Jangmo-o squealed, staring at the rocky debris around his feet. "I can't do it, Dad. Please, just let me stop for today! I'm too tired. I can't—"
"We don't use that word around here," Totem Kommo-o said. "A dragon never quits! If his back's against the wall, he fights tooth and claw, with everything he has… and seizes victory from the jaws of defeat! Now… think fast!"
He hurled the rock at Jangmo-o, who dove to the side. "Unacceptable! Don't dodge. You have to blast the rock with your Dragon Breath!"
"B-But, Dad, I'm trying and it's not working," Jangmo-o squealed. "Why can't Mom teach it to me? She's the one who knows Dragon Breath, not you!"
"Your mother is not the Totem, here," Totem Kommo-o said, grabbing another rock from the pile. "I must train you just as my father trained me… and his father trained him. Only then will the Tapus deem you worthy to inherit my power and serve as Lord Rayquaza's herald."
Another rock flew through the air. Jangmo-o opened his mouth, letting out nothing but a weak gasp. The rock bludgeoned his face. He fell to the ground. "O… owie. My schnozzle," he whimpered, rubbing his throbbing snout.
"You've got to put your back into it!" Totem Kommo-o barked, stomping the ground.
"That's enough, dear! He can't take any more!"
A Goodra with sapphire spots on her cheek and her tail waddled in front of Totem Kommo-o, spreading her arms wide. "You've pushed him beyond his limit," Goodra said, a frown on his face.
"His limit? We haven't made any progress whatsoever," Totem Kommo-o said. "He's being lazy. I let you spoil him for far too long. Now, I have to drag his fighting spirit out of him or else the Tapus will never accept him."
He reached for a rock but Goodra swatted his arm away, leaving a slime residue on her mate's scales. "He is done training for today. End of story," she said, her soft green eyes hiding her irritation well.
"We can't just stop. Each day that goes by without any progress will only weaken his spirit further," Totem Kommo-o said, picking his axe up. "How can I expect him to one day take my place when he's so… so… so meek. Look at that belly of his! It's nearly touching the ground. No one will take him seriously like this. And his path to respect begins even before he reaches his final evolution."
Jangmo-o lifted a foreleg and looked at his portly stomach. His tail drooped. Goodra saw this and jabbed a gooey finger into Totem Kommo-o's chest. "Did it occur to you that maybe he got his belly from me?" she growled, pointing at her round stomach. "Last I checked… my curves were one of the things you admired most about me!"
Snickers rose up around the two of them. Totem Kommo-o looked over his shoulder, where a cluster of Salamences and Dragonites were huddled together, giggling at their conversation. "And just what do you think you're laughing at?" he shouted, raising his axe. "If you're looking to gossip about my love life, I'm sure my mate and I would be happy to drop by your dens and let you in on every sordid detail!"
His eyes narrowed. "You can bet we wouldn't leave a single spot dry." He brushed a hand against Goodra's waist and flicked her slime in the onlookers' direction. The dragons scattered, some tucking their tails between their legs.
"Ugh, see? That right there is your problem. You don't have a single compassionate bone in your body anymore," Goodra said, putting her hands on her hips. "You've forgotten how to be supportive… and with your own son, no less." She leaned in, frowning. "You can't keep putting him down when he doesn't meet your absurdly-high standards. He needs encouragement."
"I am treating him the exact same way every male in my family has been treated for generations. It's not my fault your soft nature reflected so strongly in him," Totem Kommo-o said. "Besides, you knew what you were getting yourself into when you agreed to forge a soulmate bond."
"Yes… because you used to have a heart," Goodra said. "You said you would rule over the tribe with a steady, measured hand. But ever since you took the Totem Crystal, you've been the splitting image of your father."
Totem Kommo-o tightened his grip on his axe. He bowed his head. "My old man made me realize what's most important. And now, it's time I did the same for our eldest son."
Goodra turned and walked away from him. She reached Jangmo-o and knelt down beside him. "It's okay, Jangmo-o," she said, running her hand across his back.
"No, it's not. Dad hates me. He's going to keep making me do this stupid training, but I don't want to," Jangmo-o whimpered. "I'm not like him, Mom. I… I don't like our customs. I don't want to be angry and grumpy all the time. I want to have fun!"
"There's nothing wrong with that." Goodra picked Jangmo-o up and cradled him in her arms. He sank into her slimy chest. "Let's go get you cleaned up. I'll see if I can try talking to him after he's had some time to calm down," she said.
"Th-thanks, Mom," Jangmo-o said, sniffling.
She took Jangmo-o to a watering hole to bathe him off, then they walked through the canyon until they reached the shrine at the very end. They circled around it and came to an opening in the rock wall. It led to a tunnel that branched out in different directions. Jangmo-o walked down one path until he reached a room with two small beds. His younger brother, smaller and thinner than him, lay curled up on the larger of the two beds.
Sighing, Jangmo-o walked onto the smaller bed and curled up into a tiny ball. Within minutes, he slipped into a dreamless sleep that lasted until a sudden, loud thump woke him up. He stuck his head up, but couldn't see anything in the darkness.
"Hey, li'l bro. You hear that?" he whispered, but got no response. As usual, his brother slept heavy enough to be mistaken for a Snorlax. Jangmo-o got up and crept forward, using his tail to guide him through the tunnel. A sigh echoed down from the other part of the cave, making Jangmo-o freeze.
"Th… there. Satisfied?"
It was his mother and it sounded like she was talking to his dad.
"Yes, I'd say so," Totem Kommo-o said, his voice still loud despite a vain attempt at whispering.
"Then you'll let me see to our eldest's training going forward?" Goodra asked.
Jangmo-o's heart fluttered. His mom was following through. She really was getting Totem Kommo-o off his back. Jangmo-o had no idea what she had done to convince him, but he wasn't about to question his good fortune.
"Dear? We had an agreement, didn't we?" Goodra said.
"We did," Totem Kommo-o said.
"And I'm giving you want you wanted. So, I get to take over his training, correct?" Goodra said.
"You do," Totem Kommo-o said.
Jangmo-o had to bite his tongue to stop himself from cheering.
"… but not tomorrow," Totem Kommo-o continued.
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you giving him a break?" Goodra said.
"No," Totem Kommo-o said.
"Excuse me?" Goodra hissed in a whisper.
"One day," Totem Kommo-o said. "One day is all I need to make sure our son has a proper sense of discipline. Then, I don't care how you go about training him. He'll be ready."
Jangmo-o's chest tightened. One day? From the sounds of it, his dad had a plan in mind. And Jangmo-o wanted no part of it. He remembered what Totem Kommo-o had said that afternoon. His father had made him realize what was most important. Jangmo-o couldn't even imagine what that meant. Nevertheless, he had no intention of going through with it. He didn't want to yell at his fellow dragons or spend his days perpetually grumpy. Jangmo-o wanted to enjoy his life. What was so wrong with that?
'Dad won't stop until he turns me into his perfect replacement,' Jangmo-o thought. His mother couldn't convince Totem Kommo-o to stop, even though she had to do something it sounded like she didn't want to do. Jangmo-o's legs trembled.
If he couldn't live his life the way he wanted to, then there was no place in Rem Canyon for him.
He flinched. Jangmo-o knew what that entailed. No wild Pokémon had ever left Rem Canyon. Sure, the dragons with wings could soar above the Mystery Dungeon or out toward the ocean. But they only did that to hunt prey down for the tribe. He wasn't a flier. Leaving meant he could never return.
Thoughts of Goodra filled his mind. He loved his mother and he didn't want to leave her. However, he couldn't stay and find out what his father had planned. As much as he wanted to tell Goodra what was happening, he couldn't. She was with his father. And if this was going to work, he needed to go now.
Jangmo-o crept back toward his room, trying to steel his nerves. Every step brought up a new worry about the world outside his home. What kinds of Pokémon were there? Could he find food and shelter? How was he supposed to fend for himself when he could barely muster up the strength to use the simplest attacks?
He dismissed those worries, believing anything was better than training under his dad. Jangmo-o returned to his room, where his brother still lay fast asleep. Jangmo walked to the back of the room and rolled a dim orb out from behind a rock. He lay down on it to prevent any light from shining on his brother.
Jangmo-o glanced at the orb. He had found it several moons ago, when his father had dragged him out on a patrol. Jangmo-o wasn't sure what to make of the orb. But it was shiny and he liked shiny. So, he held onto it. Every time he touched it, the orb left him with a faint sense that it could somehow, inexplicably lead him to the outside world. And that was exactly what he needed.
After a minute of lying on the orb, an idea came to mind. Without thinking much on it, Jangmo-o picked the orb up in his mouth and shattered it with his jaws.
His younger brother jolted upright. "H-Huh? Hey, bro, why are you glowing like that?" he gasped.
Jangmo-o didn't look in his brother's direction. Instead, his whole world erupted with bright light as an unseen force grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and yanked him upward. Though Jangmo-o hollered loudly, gale-force winds drowned out his cries. Then, as soon as it started, the violent lurching stopped.
He fell to his belly, his entire world spinning. Jangmo-o tried to get to his feet, but toppled over and wretched the contents of his dinner onto the ground in front of him. He lay there, trying to blink the dizziness away. Jangmo-o needed to move. Someone could've seen something. A flier could be on their way.
Jangmo-o got up, but couldn't keep his footing. He swayed from side to side and then fell into the puddle of vomit. "Augh! Are you kidding me?" he shouted, only to cup his forelegs over his mouth. Fighting off the disgust bubbling in his stomach, he rolled to his feet. There was a large cloud of fog in front of him. Under the moon's glow, it appeared purple.
Without a moment's hesitation, Jangmo-o charged into the fog.
Jangmo-o sat at the base of the Totem shrine, staring at the ground. Between his teammates and his brother, he couldn't bring himself to look up. If only he had spoken up and said something. Then they wouldn't be in this situation
"I can't believe you," Sneasel growled. "All this time… you've had this cushy life with an important family?" He shook his head. "I never should've stuck my neck out for you."
"S… Sneasel," Jangmo-o whispered. "I'm sorry. I just—"
"Prisoners don't get to speak," Hakamo-o said, stomping a foot down in front of a squealing Jangmo-o. "You were doing such a good job staying quiet. Don't ruin it."
"Fliers are coming in. The Totem must be back!" Black-Fins said, pointing his claws ahead. Jangmo-o curled up into a ball. He was hoping he'd have more time to think things over. Instead, he spent it all mulling over the memories of his last day in his home. Now, he had no idea what to say to Totem Kommo-o. All he could do was sit there as the loud, forceful footsteps grew closer.
"What the— Dusk? What the hell are you doing here?" Lycanroc barked, getting to his feet. Black-Fins knocked him back onto his rear, hissing a warning.
"Midnight. I see my warnings proved useless, after all," Dusk said in the most stoic voice she could muster. "Look where your temper's gotten you."
Lycanroc's eyes bugged out, but a scathing look from Hakamo-o made him hold his tongue. "So, Father, what are we going to do with all these No-Scales?" Hakamo-o said, rubbing his hands together.
"Nothing. The Tapus have deemed these No-Scales worthy of entering our domain," Totem Kommo-o said. He then gestured at Team Go-Getters. "See, the leaders of this group are blessed with the gift of Mega Evolution. Now then…" He turned and pointed his axe at Jangmo-o. "On your feet, boy."
Jangmo-o's heart pounded. Totem Kommo-o wasn't wasting any time. This was it, then. He had to say something. "N… nngh," Jangmo-o squeaked.
"Get up, boy. I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself," Totem Kommo-o said.
"Huh?" Jangmo-o said, meeting his dad's fierce gaze. He wasn't about to kill him?
"The time you've spent outside our land has made you even softer than before. It is hearsay. I cannot let such a worthless dragon dwell among us," Totem Kommo-o said. Behind him, the members of the expedition team exchanged nervous looks. "However, we are in the presence of expert Mega Evolvers. You will face Blaziken in battle. Neither of you will hold anything back." He lifted his axe back up. "I believe the purity of Mega Evolution will wash away your rotten cowardice and unleash your dragon spirit!"
Jangmo-o stiffened. He had to say something. Anything to save his hide.
Totem Kommo-o leered at his son. "I do not have time to stand around watching you snivel," he said. "Either battle Blaziken or I will end you and your worthless friends."
Lycanroc and Sneasel whirled on Jangmo-o, enraged looks in their eyes. Jangmo-o winced. He couldn't fight Blaziken. It wouldn't even be a contest. Jangmo-o figured Blaziken only needed one attack to snap him in half like a scaly toothpick.
"You get up there and fight, doofus. It's your fault we're in this situation. I'm not dying because your dad's a freaking weirdo," Sneasel hissed in a whisper.
Jangmo-o squeezed his eyes shut. Sneasel was wrong. This wasn't his fault. Lycanroc dragged him into the Mystery Dungeon. He wasn't even apologetic about it. This was no different from all the other times he had gotten blamed. In fact, now that he thought about it, he hadn't really experienced anything fun since he left his home. Jangmo-o only got to enjoy the few meals he was able to steal with Sneasel.
'My teammates… don't really care about me,' Jangmo-o realized. It made too much sense. Lycanroc only kept him around because he was scared Jangmo-o would run to the cops and snitch about their prison break.
"So, you still refuse to show even an ounce of courage?" Totem Kommo-o said, shaking his head.
"Don't be surprised, Father. Running away seems to be the only thing he's good at," Hakamo-o scoffed, as Black-Fins chuckled behind him.
Something inside Jangmo-o snapped. He got to his feet, earning an eyebrow raise from Totem Kommo-o. "Oh? Changed your mind, have you?" he said.
"No!" Jangmo-o shouted, stomping a tiny foreleg on the ground. "I refuse."
"Then you've sealed your fate," Totem Kommo-o said, hefting up his axe. Just when it looked like Blaziken and Swampert were going to intervene, Jangmo-o sprinted forward. He bashed his father's leg with a glowing tail. The blow wasn't enough to do more than rattle Totem Kommo-o's scales. Jangmo-o kept running, avoiding Totem Kommo-o's axe. He lunged for his father's tail and bit down.
Totem Kommo-o didn't so much as flinch. He thrust his hips to his right, flinging Jangmo-o into the treasure pile next to the shrine. "And just what did you expect to prove with such a foolish gesture?" Totem Kommo-o said, stomping toward him. "You think you can earn my respect by blindly charging me down? How naïve!"
A gemstone flew out of the treasure pile. Totem Kommo-o swatted it aside with his free arm, only to double over in pain. With a furious roar, he dropped his axe and cupped a hand over his groin.
"Father!" Hakamo-o shouted. He turned toward the treasure pile, only to backpedal with a holler to avoid blue-purple dragonfire. Hakamo-o landed awkwardly on his tail. "Oof! H-Hey, what gives?" he growled, rubbing his rear.
Totem Kommo-o pulled his hand off his groin and noticed the scorch marks along his thigh. "This is… Dragon Breath," he said.
"Are you freaking kidding me? This whole time, you knew Dragon Breath, but you never thought to use it in battle?" Lycanroc said, red eyes flashing.
"No. When we met, Jangmo-o told me he couldn't use Dragon Breath to save his hide," Sneasel whispered.
Jangmo-o limped out of the treasure pile, right eye swollen and forehead scale cracked. "I'm done… listening to you. To all of you!" Jangmo-o shouted, spitting a mouthful of blood from his cracked lip onto the ground.
Totem Kommo-o stood up. "What are you playing at, boy?" he growled.
"I'm playing at the fact that… that you're a terrible leader! And an even worse dad!" Jangmo-o shouted, snorting tufts of dragonfire.
"You take that back, punk," Hakamo-o hissed, launching dragonfire of his own. Jangmo-o canceled it out, nearly stumbling to the ground in the process. Hakamo-o clenched his fists.
"I won't! Because I'm telling the truth." Jangmo-o turned back to Totem Kommo-o. "Day in and day out… it was eat, train, pray to Rayquaza, sleep, and repeat. I did everything you told me to, but it still wasn't good enough. You never left me any time for myself." He looked out at the various assembled dragons. "Nobody here ever gets time for themselves!"
He limped toward his father. "Can anyone… in this tribe… really say that they're happy?" he said. "I know I wasn't. That's why I left. Our stupid customs… were driving me bonkers!"
"I see that your time away from our home has corrupted you far more than I thought possible," Totem Kommo said, picking up his axe. He glared at Sneasel and Lycanroc.
"No, it has nothing to do with those two," Jangmo-o said. To his father's surprise, he turned and blasted a purple fireball at his teammates. The dragons surrounding them scattered. Sneasel barely snuffed it out with ice shards in time to save his hide.
"Hey! What gives? Quit being such a doofus," Sneasel growled, brandishing his claws.
"You're not the boss of me," Jangmo-o said. "All this time… I thought you were supposed to be my friends. But I was just a meat shield for you two, wasn't I? Neither of you gave a lick about me!" He teared up. "I thought… you could show me what it'd be like to have fun, Sneasel. But you were lying. Being a thug isn't fun. Getting my butt kicked isn't fun. And being thrown in jail isn't fun!"
Sneasel rolled his eyes. "It's your fault for being such a weak— yow!"
Sneasel's red feather caught on fire. He dropped to the ground, trying to snuff it out. Jangmo-o blew purple smoke out of his face. "I'm done with you," Jangmo-o said, limping toward the statue of Rayquaza. "And I'm certainly not going back to living in this crummy place."
Two glowing fists nearly connected with an unsuspecting Jangmo-o. Blaziken and Swampert appeared next to him, turning aside Hakamo-o and Totem Kommo-o, respectively. Totem Kommo-o glared at Swampert. "You dare to intervene in this?" he growled.
"I want to hear what the little guy has to say. And I think you need to hear it, too," Swampert said.
"I just want to be happy, Dad. Why can't you accept that?" Jangmo-o said.
Totem Kommo-o's nostrils flared. "Because Rayquaza—"
"Ultimately doesn't care what we do every minute of every day," Jangmo-o said. "Hey, listen up!" he shouted at the onlooking dragons. "Can any of you honestly say you're happy? Do you really enjoy living here and doing the same exact thing every single day?"
None of the dragons answered him. Many exchanged blank looks.
"But… but what else would we do?" Pink-Wings said.
"That's just it! You don't know… because you've never had the chance to figure out what you enjoy about life," Jangmo-o said, looking Pink-Wings and her mate in the eye. "There's a whole continent out there beyond this place. We've always talked down about civilized 'mons and how weak-willed they are… but that's not true." He looked down. "I finally understand… we've had it backwards. We're the ones who are weak."
Swampert coated his fists in ice, daring an angry Totem Kommo-o to attack his son. Totem Kommo-o stepped back, right eye twitching. "We… are not… weak," he growled.
"Yes, we are," Jangmo-o said. "Maybe you've got strong attacks, Dad, but you lack something civilized 'mons like these No-Scales have."
"Don't tell me he's gonna say friendship. It's friendship, isn't it?" Seraph said, rubbing the center of her brow.
"They know how to work together… and treat each other as equals!" Jangmo-o said, turning to glare at Lycanroc and Sneasel. "All you've ever done is bark orders at us. At least Mom made me feel like I actually mattered. Where is she, anyway?" He scanned the crowd, only to see a bunch of despondent looks. "H… hey? What's with the sudden attitude shift?" Jangmo-o said.
"Mom died after you left," Hakamo-o growled. "It's your fault. You ran away!"
Jangmo-o froze. "No," he whispered. "That… that can't be true." He looked around, but it seemed that even the team from the guild already knew. None of them would meet his gaze. "No… no!" he shouted, stomping a foreleg on the ground. "This isn't… I didn't… it's not my fault!"
He craned his head skyward and roared. It wasn't one of his usual squeaks or squeals. Nor was it particularly deep. But it was a loud, full-blown roar. Something primal stirred in his gut. The longer Jangmo-o roared, the more it bubbled to the surface. It was hot. Really hot. There was a fire in his belly that was spilling out and spreading across his scales.
The heat grew warmer and warmer. His upper body lifted off the ground. Jangmo-o's roar strengthened. Hard, thick scales sprouted up on his forelegs. No, they weren't forelegs anymore. They were arms ending with long, razor-sharp claws. The new scales spilled across his torso and down his legs. An invisible force grabbed his tail and forehead scale and stretched them out.
"Are you kidding me?" Lycanroc gasped, shielding his eyes from the blinding flash of white light. It faded, revealing Jangmo-o's evolution. He stood a head taller than his younger brother, with a longer neck, a more-pointed snout, and blue scales at the end of his tail.
"Seriously? This is just great… now everyone's gonna think we're the same," his brother said, clenching a fist.
"Nah. We can call you Short-Claws … cause your bro's are way longer," Black-Fins said, chuckling.
"You take that back!" the newly-dubbed Short-Claws fumed, stomping about in a tantrum.
Fresh off his evolution, Hakamo-o looked down at his hands and flexed his claws. "This is... this has to be a dream or something," he whispered. The sight didn't make him happy. His mother was still dead. And he had run away without saying goodbye to her. Hakamo-o put a hand to his chest. Tears ran down his cheeks.
"Perhaps now you'll see reason," Totem Kommo-o said.
"No," Hakamo-o whispered. He opened his eyes and glared at Totem Kommo-o. "This is all on you. You were too hard on me… on her… on everyone!" Hakamo-o leaped up and grabbed the Scalebound Shard from its spot in the Rayquaza statue's mouth. An intense warmth surged through his system. Hissing, he tossed it to Magearna, who caught it in inside a gray bag.
"I know what I have to do… and what Mom would want me to do." Hakamo-o looked at Magearna. "You guys… you need to take that somewhere, don't you?"
Correct. We're bringing it to Circadian Coast so we can complete the Dawn Hourglass, Magearna explained.
"Then I'm coming with you," Hakamo-o said, stomping toward Magearna. The dragons gasped.
"What? After all this, you're just going to walk out on us… again?" Short-Claws said.
Hakamo-o shook his head. "I'm leaving because I want to help. It's like I said earlier, these guys know how to cooperate and treat each other as equals. I think that's the key to finding happiness in my life," he said. Hakamo-o glanced at the various dragons near him. "Any of you are welcome to come with and help… or you can stay here. It's up to you."
"Err, I don't think we need a small dragon army to make a delivery," Sticky said, rubbing his hands together nervously.
Actually, I think an escort could be useful, Magearna said. If something does happen, backup would be greatly appreciatated.
Pink-Wings and Striped-Fin stepped forward. "Count us in! If the continent's in trouble, then we can't sit around," Pink-Wings said.
One by one, other dragons stepped forward. Totem Kommo-o looked around in surprise. Hakamo-o stared his father down. "Well, Dad, I guess this is good-bye… for real," he said.
"We can't just… leave this Mystery Dungeon," Totem Kommo-o said.
"You can. You just don't want to. But, unlike you, I'm not going to force anyone to do something they don't want to do." Hakamo-o said, smirking.
Totem Kommo-o tightened his grip on his axe. After a moment of silence, he raised it up high. "Very well! After careful consideration, I, too, shall break with the traditions of our ancestors and provide protection for these No-Scales," he bellowed.
Beeps sounded from Magearna's chest. The Gear-Com emerged from its compartment, quieting the cheering dragons.
"Magearna, can you hear me? It's Espeon."
Ah, excellsiative timing, Espeon. We've gotten a hold of the Scalebound Shard and we're starting the trek back to Circadian Coast. We should be there in a few hours, Magearna said.
"Great. We managed to get the Seaside Shard. Primarina had it and… well, I think this is a story best saved for when we see you in person," Espeon said, chuckling.
Seraph raised an eyebrow at this while her teammates shrugged. "Weirdness seems to be par for the course for Team Radiance," Sticky said, chuckling.
Agreed, Magearna said. Fair warning, we're bringing back some extra muscle with us. We managed to recruit some of the dragons in Rem Canyon to help us.
"Ah… okay. I'm not really sure how they can help, but I'll pass that along to my teammates. See you in a few hours," Espeon said.
The Gear-Com retracted into Magearna's chest. Now then, shall we get going?
The assembled dragons all saluted their approval, then formed up a circle around the expedition team. Hakamo-o joined the team in the middle of the circle, looking down at his claws and musing about what a ridiculous day this had turned into.
End of Episode 13
Bit of an odd ending to the episode, I know. But this was the most logical breaking point to avoid having this episode end up being, like, 12-14 chapters long. I hope you found it to your liking, even if it wasn't as crazy as the past few chapters. With that said... we have reached the final four episodes, folks! Well, final four numbered episodes, anyway. There are still two special episodes, but I'm going to do my best to keep SE4 on the short side and SE5 is... well, we'll get to that. So, look forward to what's to come. I know I am!
SuperOmegaGuest: dodged them successfully! Things will now resume their normal level of crazy. Well, until we hit the end of the fic.
Anon Omega: I'm going to lose you to Kingdom Hearts III, aren't I? Don't worry, I managed to squeeze a reference into a later chapter.
WatermelonShark: Thanks! And, uh, that "You Say Run" business is what we call a happy accident.
Another guest: Shane was using the Dawn Shards the same way Primarina was in order to sway the crowd to his side. Glad you caught the Sailor Moon reference, too. Espy's practically a magical girl, so it had to be done.
Next time: there's a fog that needs clearing... and it's in Shane's head!