18th Winter Moon, 907—Morning

The winds blew through the intertwining trees of the Forbidden Forest, rustling between the branches with a low moan carrying tone of banshees haunting the winter snow. It was the only sound for Avel to keep his attention to as he hopped through the forest, save for the crunching of snow underneath his shell.

By his guess, Avel had been hopping for a little under an hour, and he knew the distance he crossed was marginal. It was the price for being born a Shellder, or any limbless, slow Pokémon. It was one of the many disadvantages Pokémon like him had to deal with, though most aquatic Pokémon tend to stay in the water. Avel had little reason to return to sea life, even if maneuvering around would be dramatically simpler.

Perhaps it was his own fault for relying so much on his surrogate brother as his primary mode of transportation. Avel didn't have the practice to move great distances. He could navigate a small room just fine, but he never trekked very far on land before, especially without the company of Wyatt. Though, moving through the forest would be easier in any other season. Even a sudden rainstorm would give him the necessary traction to slide the rest of the way back to base. It was unfortunate that Avel had a target on his back that added to the monumental task.

Avel wanted to stop and take a breather, but pressed on despite the protest and aches from his body. Strained muscles paled compared to being hunted and captured by a bounty hunter, especially with very little to defend himself. Avel had the means to attack, but he was a strategist, not a fighter like his brother. Perhaps he and Wyatt could benefit from broadening their moves, though that was a topic for when both were out of danger.

How could Avel forget, too? With the brothers separated, Wyatt was no doubt going into a blind panic over Avel's safety. Though he worried for his brother's health, Avel appreciated how much Wyatt fretted over him. Avel couldn't do much on his own. Shellder just weren't meant to live lives on the surface like all the other land creatures.

It was strange, really. Despite the ten kingdoms dominating Virdis, there was life beyond the land itself. The domain of Kyogre, one could say. The place Avel once called home before being jettisoned onto the beach that fateful day he met Wyatt. It was so long ago, though, that Avel couldn't call the water his home anymore. Even as a Shellder, he considered himself a land dweller. If the aquatic Pokémon heard his admission, he'd be labeled a freak of nature. An aquatic dwelling Pokémon calling themselves a land dweller? What a strange concept, they would say.

The sea had its own history, and depths unknown to land dwellers that would make their heads spin, but Avel found life on the surface livelier than his old life in the sea. He didn't recall much noteworthy, being so young when he was washed ashore, but he had no desire to swim back.

Though, with only his thoughts to pass the arduous journey back to Fort Lucus, Avel recalled Altair's advice regarding the brothers' dependency on each other. As everyone in the village knew, the brothers were virtually inseparable. They did do their own thing in their hut, but they were rarely far apart from each other. Once outside, Avel stuck to Wyatt's lily pad like a watchtower.

Avel went along with Wyatt's antics, and Wyatt relied on Avel to handle the technical parts of the day. One was outgoing and energetic, the other was reserved and calculating. They were the perfect complement to the other's extreme.

Avel remembered some of the comments he got from how he lazed around and let Wyatt do all the work. Ignoring the fact he only had a tongue as a viable appendage, Avel did do his fair share of work when he could. Wyatt just happened to like helping people and was genuinely invested in whatever he put his mind toward. Why ruin a system that works for both of them?

Still, with his current predicament, Avel couldn't deny he needed Wyatt as a guide to the land. The world was a tough place for a single Shellder. How much could Avel do on his own? What could he accomplish as a fish out of the water?

Was it really so bad that Wyatt and Avel just liked working as a team?

Avel stopped, then heaved a deep breath. "Somedays I wonder why I let myself join the Foresters if I need Wyatt to get anything done. And yet, I did it regardless because I believed in something. I'm comfortable being the support to everyone else, but is that all I can do?" He sighed and looked up at the trees. "I never once regretted leaving the water behind, but what else can I do? Are Wyatt and I just holding each other back?"

Avel hovered on the thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I shouldn't be talking like this. I'm wasting time." He steeled himself, then made another mighty leap through the snow. "Ugh. What I wouldn't give for the forest to suddenly flood and whisk me the rest of the way."

Avel readied himself, then leapt forward again. This time, a blob of snow splashed down on his shell and knocked him into the snow face first. Avel shouted and raged inside the pile before pushing himself out with his tongue. He shivered and flicked the snow off his sensitive appendage.

"Forget that. What I wouldn't give to run into a Water Stone. I could roll the rest of the way as a Cloyster."

Avel sighed, then tried to jump again. He stopped as more snow blobs rained down from the trees. Avel nearly brushed them off and kept going, but paused to look at the piles that fell. He noticed something irregular about the way they fell. One fell on his head, then another couple fell in front of him. Almost in a straight line.

"Strange. Either the winds acting up, or something brushed past them from the branches. It couldn't be the bounty hunter, right? He's been evading detection for over a week now. He wouldn't get this sloppy" Avel narrowed his eyes. "Though, the only reason he would single me out is because I'm…" Avel's eyes widened. "Oh crap!"

Something flew from the branches and divebombed Avel. Avel quickly retreated into his shell just before a sword cut down on him. He felt the attacker leap off his shell and land in the snow in front of him. Avel opened his shell and looked up in horror as an injured, weary Accelgor stood above him.

"For a little fellow, you flew out pretty far." Katsu aimed his sword at Avel's face. "But this is the end of the line for you. So, let's make this easy for the both of us. My lady is waiting for me."

"Wyatt, put that thing down," Wyatt's Grubbin friend said as the Lombre cradled to injured Shellder in his arms.

Wyatt frowned at his friend. "Guys, he's hurt. We can't just leave him here." Wyatt looked down at the Shellder, brushing his hand across the shell. "Poor guy looks real beat up. Must've had a rough day."

Wyatt's other friend, a Pansear, said, "Best to leave him alone. Only thing I can think of that would do this was those rotten Corphish. We're already fooling around on their territory here. I don't want to get caught interfering with their business."

Wyatt huffed, then stood up. "Don't be mean, you two. This little guy needs out help. He might be really far away from home."

Pansear sighed. "You've always been softhearted, Wyatt. It's none of your business. None of our business, really."

Wyatt shook his head. "I refuse to leave a friend in need."

"You don't even know him!" Grubbin exclaimed.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to leave him here alone. He needs help, and I'm going to give it to him." Wyatt gently placed the Shellder onto his lily pad, then marched past his friends. "If you'll excuse me, I'm heading home."

Pansear crossed his arms. "Do you even know how to treat injuries?"

"No, but I'll figure it out! I'm sure my parents know, too."

Pansear rolled his eyes. "Yeah, assuming they aren't downing their fifth bottle of whiskey."

Wyatt stopped and glared back at the fire monkey. "I know my parents aren't exactly…morally sound in their judgments, but they mean well. And they also wouldn't let someone die on the streets."

"And what are you going to do after you patch him up?" Grubbin asked. "You don't even know if he has a home or not. You're just sticking your nose into someone else's business and putting a burden on yourself. You don't exactly have money."

"I'll figure it out," Wyatt insisted. He reached over his head and patted the unconscious Shellder. "That's what friends do. They look out for each other, even if they're just strangers."

Pansear groaned and pulled down on his eyelids. "Man, you're so sappy—"

"OI! What the hell are ye brats doin' out here?!"

The trio froze and whipped their heads down the beach, spotting a five-man gang of Corphish scuttling toward them. The leading Corphish had a nasty scar over his left eye and held a dagger in his pincer.

Pansear and Grubbin clung to each other and screamed, "The Pincer Gang!"

The head Corphish snarled at the kids and yelled, "No one trespasses on me territory! This is the sole territory of the Pincer Gang, and none of ye are allowed to set foot on here!"

Pansear, with Grubbin in his arms, slowly backed away. "Ch-Chill, dude. W-We can talk this out—"

"No talk! Boys, scrub out the filth!" The five Corphish opened their pincers and fired Bubble Beam at the kids.

Pansear jumped and dodged the exploding bubbles, then darted past Wyatt, nearly knocking him over. "Sorry Wyatt, you're on your own!" he yelled as he fled the beach.

"W-Wait, what?!" Wyatt clenched his teeth and looked over his shoulder as the Corphish approached him. Being the loveable and non-conflict-seeking Lombre he was, Wyatt offered an awkward laugh and smile to the cantankerous crustaceans. "Heh. I don't suppose we can talk this out peacefully? I just came here to admire the ocean and the sand. And, might I say, you do a lovely job maintaining the beach's natural beauty—"

"Seize him, boys!" the Corphish leader yelled.

"Well, look at the time! Bye!" Wyatt turned on his heel and darted off the beach.

The Corphish gang pursued the fleeing Lombre. Despite their shorter legs, they were remarkably faster than Wyatt expected. Though, it didn't help that they were firing a slew of attacks at him, from the Icy Winds and Mud Shots to the Bubble Beams and Water Guns.

"Crap, crap, crap!" Wyatt tried zigzagging through the copious attacks, but there were far too many to evade at once. Go left, get washed in water attacks. Swing right, get slowed up by wind and mud. It took all his concentration to dodge the ones coming at him dead center.

A Mud Shot veered around Wyatt and landed in his path. Wyatt's foot caught the small puddle and slipped out from under him. He yelped and flailed his arms as he darted into a stumble run to get his balance back. The Shellder bounced around on his lily pad until he sprang off.

"AH!" Wyatt dove for the Shellder and caught him inches from hitting the ground. Wyatt tucked himself into a roll after hitting the ground, then sprang back onto his feet. "That was close—AH!" A Water Gun nailed him in the back. It didn't hurt, but it did startle him.

"Uh…what the—"

Wyatt gasped and looked down into his arms as a pair of eyes fluttered open from within the blue shell. They blinked wearily at the Lombre as they adjusted to the light. As the Shellder collected his bearings, he winced as his newfound injuries caught up to him.

"What…happened?" the Shellder mumbled.

"Long story!" Wyatt exclaimed as he hopped over a fence leading into a gravelly stretch of land. "Can't talk right now!"

The Shellder squinted in confusion for a moment, then peered around Wyatt's arms. The Corphish jumped the fence and continued their chase after the duo. The Shellder ducked back into his shell as a Mud Shot whizzed past the duo.

"Those guys?" Shellder peeked out of his shell again, then glared. "Those guys. They're the ones that pummeled me when I came ashore."

"Y-Yeah, they're kind of territorial!" Wyatt yelled. An Icy Wind hit his feet and froze them over with a sheet of ice. "YOW!" Wyatt nearly stumbled over himself. His feet suddenly felt numb and prickly with the little ice particles digging into his soles. "Not sure how long I can keep this up, though!"

Shellder narrowed his eyes at his savior, then looked back around his arms. His eyes flickered around the gravel-filled ground, then locked onto their persistent pursuers. Shellder shifted himself around in Wyatt's arms before turning himself right up and tapping his chin with his shell.

"You."

"Huh?" Wyatt looked down at the Shellder. "Me?"

"Put me on your head and follow my lead."

"Uh…" Wyatt yelped as a Hydro Pump shot past them and dug a trench through the ground. "Okay!" Wyatt plopped the Shellder back onto his lily pad.

Shellder spun himself around and glared at the pursuing Corphish. "What moves do you know?"

"Water Gun, I guess!"

"Good enough. Shoot the ground in front of you as hard as you can."

"Why—"

"Just do it!" Shellder snapped.

Wyatt yelped, then spat a Water Gun down as he ran. Water spewed from his mouth at high pressure with Wyatt's cheeks bloating up to max size to contain the water building inside. Water splashed over the gravel road and soaked a large path behind the two.

Shellder narrowed his gaze as the Corphish continued to pursue them, firing and missing their attacks. Most notable, their Water-Type attacks. With the combined use of Wyatt's Water Gun and the attacking crustaceans, the Corphish gang found themselves on a soaked pathway.

"Stop the Water Gun, now!" Shellder ordered.

Wyatt spat the last of the water out and blurted an exhausted sigh.

"Ice Beam!" Shellder formed a weak ball of icy blue in front of his shell, then fired into the ground. Though weak on its own, the soaked ground froze over instantly once the Ice Beam connected. A wave of ice surged across the soaked pathway.

The Corphish saw the wave coming at them and scrambled to stop themselves. They couldn't escape in time before the soaked ground froze over underneath them, freezing their legs to the ground. The water particles that splashed onto their bodies from the running caused the ice to travel further up until their lower halves were completely frozen over.

"What the—" The Corphish leader and his lackies punched the ice fruitlessly. The leader raised his pincers and yelled, "You stupid brats! Get us out of here right now!"

Wyatt slowed down once he saw the Corphish were immobilized, then stopped to catch his breath. He panted heavily, winded and tired, then plopped down onto his back. The Shellder fell out of the lily pad and clattered across the ground.

"Hey! Watch it!" Shellder yelled.

Wyatt took a few deep breaths to rest his beating heart, then belted out a hearty laugh that started the bivalve. He laughed so hard that he was clutching his stomach and rocking himself side-to-side, tears running from his eyes.

"Oh man, that was so cool!" Wyatt exclaimed. He sat up and grinned down at the Shellder. "We sure showed them, right?"

Shellder blinked twice, then looked away shyly. "Err, yes. I guess we did."

Wyatt closed his eyes and laughed. "That was pretty smart thinking back there."

"Oh, that? That was nothing. Just…trying to get us to safety, that's all." Shellder extended his tongue and awkwardly licked (or maybe scratched) his shell. "Thanks for…helping me out and all."

"No problem! Anything to help a friend in need!"

"If you say so." Shellder sighed, then retracted his tongue. "Still really sore, though."

Wyatt frowned. "Right, that. What happened to you?"

"I…kind of had an accident with some currents. And some…unsavory company while I was coasting on through the water. Ended up washing ashore here and got into a scuffle with those guys while I was delirious."

"Oh. I'm so sorry. You must be very far from home."

Shellder narrowed his eyes and looked down. "I'm…not so sure about that."

Wyatt tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"I…don't have any family. Any that I know of, at least. I've mostly been on my own, for as long as I can remember."

Wyatt gasped. "Really?!"

The Shellder nodded. "Not even a name to myself. Just the water and me."

Wyatt frowned with a whimper. "I'm so sorry! That must be so sad!"

Shellder shook his head. "It's fine. I'm used to it." He sighed, then looked back in the distance, spotting the struggling Corphish still trying to get free. "I'm not in much condition to go back into the water. Staying around here doesn't seem safe, either."

"Yeah…" Wyatt looked away for a moment, a sad look fixed on his face. However, it washed away completely when an idea came to life. He gasped, then scooped the Shellder into his hands with a big grin. "That's it!"

Shellder's eyes widened. "What's it?"

"Since you've got no place to do, why not stay with me?"

Shellder's eyes softened in response, almost teary as the offer sank in. "Stay…with you?"

Wyatt beamed brightly. "Why not? It's the least I can do for saving us from those jerks. Plus, I can't turn down a friend in need, especially one with no place to go."

"F…Friend?"

Avel shuffled back through the snow, quaking inside his shell as Katsu loomed over him, sword in hand and dripping with the applied Acid Spray. Corrosive poison dripped onto the snow and melted through hardened patches, sizzling all the way to the ground underneath. Avel could see the toxic mist radiating off the blade's edge.

Katsu wasn't looking too good, though. He walked with a haggard posture, hunched over and out of breath. One arm tucked around his chest, cradling the aching sensation surging through his body. The efforts of Ursula's battle showed cracks in the invincible bounty hunter's resolve, bringing him down to that of mere mortals like Avel. Though, from where Avel stood, there was a disparity in skill even with Katsu's clear handicap.

Even so, Avel maintained his resolve despite the disadvantage. With a firm glare, he restrained his quivering shell and raised his tongue who preparation. "You don't scare me, bounty hunter."

Katsu sighed, blowing a puff of cold mist through his scarf. "Brave soul you got there, but it's a pointless façade. You're better off coming quietly. A bountiful reward waits for my lady for your and those two dimwits' heads."

Avel glared. "Not much incentive for me to behave."

"I never said it was a fair deal."

"And I never said I'd give you the chance. HA!" Avel slapped his tongue across the snow and blinded Katsu.

"Gah!" Katsu staggered back and brushed the snow from his face.

Avel took his opportunity to escape. Ignoring the aching in his body, he hopped through the snow like a skipping stone on water. His muscles flared in pain with the rapid flexing of his shell, but he pushed the pain down and focused on hopping for his life.

Sadly, snow wasn't the best tool for distraction in this circumstance. Katsu cleaned his face off and chased Avel down. Despite Katsu's injuries, he was the faster of the two, striking across Avel's shell with his sword and knocking him into a tree.

Avel's shell protected him from the impact, but he felt a burning sensation from the point of impact. The Acid Spray coating leaked onto his shell and sizzled at his natural defense, wearing down the durability.

"Don't make this difficult, Shellder," Katsu said as he formed his acidic Water Shuriken. "I just need to bring you in alive, even if I have to rip your pearl body out of that shell." He threw the shuriken at Avel.

Avel sprang with his shell and dodged the shuriken. Droplets of acid sprayed after exploding against the tree, but Avel rolled away just as the droplets rained down on the snow. He used his tongue for an extra push and launched himself away from the area.

"Get back here." Katsu threw more acidic shuriken, curving them around the trees.

The shuriken flew in at Avel's blind spot and exploded against the underside of his shell. Water clung to Avel's shell, causing snow to cling around him as he tumbled across the ground. Avel was practically a snowball by the time he rolled into a tree.

Avel forced his shell open and tried to shake the snow off. His limited movements became even more limited with the snow stiffening his shell's only joint. He couldn't open his shell as naturally or quickly as he was familiar with.

He stopped when Katsu started to walk up to his downed state. With options limited, Avel sucked in a breath, then unleashed a high pitch screech at Katsu. "Supersonic!"

Katsu gasped and covered his ears as the invisible wave hit him. Even through his closed ears, he felt the disorienting sound piercing through his skull, discombobulating his balance and, if allowed to persist, his motor function. He could feel himself wobbling and losing clarity in his vision.

"Grr! Water Shuriken!" Katsu took one hand off his ear for a second and threw a Water Shuriken directly into Avel's face. It didn't hurt Avel, but broke his concentration for a second and weakened the Supersonic. Katsu jumped out of its path, then lunged at Avel. "Leech Life!"

A blade of red energy materialized into Katsu's hand. He dashed past Avel and delivered a critical slash across his shell, sending the Shellder flying through the air.

"AAHH!" Avel closed his shell before ricocheting off a tree.

"I'm not done yet." Katsu jumped into the air and slashed Avel again. Katsu followed Avel's flight path and intercepted him with another Leech Life slash.

Avel kept his shell closed tight and endured each impact pounding away at his defensive exterior. He felt each hit sapping away bits of his energy, draining his stamina in increments. With each hit, he felt Katsu hitting harder and faster as his own injuries were being mended. Any chance Avel had at defending himself would be shot if he allowed Katsu to continue healing himself.

After getting slapped through the air again, Avel peeked out of his shell and tracked where Katsu would pop up next. His eyes flickered to the speeding blur rising up from below, the red energy blade flying toward his face.

"Protect!" Avel closed his shell and projected a small forcefield around himself.

Katsu slammed the Leech Life against the barrier, trying to overpower it with brute force, but it repelled his blade and shattered it from his hand. Avel emerged from his barrier and shot his tongue at Katsu's outstretched arm.

"Lick!" Avel coiled his tongue around Katsu's arm, then torqued his whole body to fling Katsu into the ground.

Katsu, however, clutched Avel's tongue with a domineering vice grip. Avel yelped and uncoiled his tongue. Katsu pulled the Shellder in and punched him square in the face. Avel spat blood after bouncing off Katsu's fist.

"What a barbaric display," Katsu criticized himself. "Forced to fight like this. Still—" He grabbed Avel by the shell and divebombed toward the ground. "The difference in skill is obvious!"

Katsu slammed Avel face first into the ground, rattling the poor Shellder with blood particles flying from his coughs. Katsu lifted Avel, formed another Leech Life blade, and struck Avel into another tree. Energy flowed from the blade and through Katsu's body. He could feel the aches in his ribcage dulling.

Avel rolled himself out of the snow and panted heavily, trembling as his body ached all over. His vision was blurred. He saw three or four Accelgor in front of him, and he couldn't quite tell which was which. The horrible metallic taste in his mouth didn't help either.

It was an undeniable truth. The fight was one-sided in Katsu's favor, and Avel barely had the battle experience to hold his own against a veteran fighter. He was banking on the injuries sustained by Ursula to turn the tides of battle in his favor, but Avel overestimated his own abilities.

Katsu pulled his sword out and approached Avel. He walked with confidence and a renewed posture as his previous injuries faded away. Though the damage to his ribs remained, they were mended enough to no longer serve as a detriment.

"I may have to incapacitate you," Katsu said. He spun his sword, then aimed the blade down at Avel. "Willful targets like you are so bothersome." He plunged the sword down on Avel.

Avel barely managed to come to his senses before projecting Protect around himself. Katsu's sword pressed into the green barrier, but wasn't repelled like the Leech Life. Katsu braced his arm and pushed the blade against the barrier, shooting sparks off the surface. A crackling, distorted noise echoed off the barrier, similar in sound to striking a gong.

"Protect can only last so long before it needs to recharge," Katsu pointed out. "How long can you sustain it? One minute? Five minutes? Ten? I can wait. I've been patient for this long. What's another half hour?"

Avel blocked out Katsu's taunting and focused solely on sustaining the barrier. He clenched his eyes shut and pushed away all stray thoughts. All he could do was keep fighting and hope he wasted enough time for help to arrive.

It was a fleeting chance, but Avel knew sometimes you had to take chances on the most unlikely of circumstances. That's how he came to be the Shellder he is today, after all.

"Avel! Avel!"

Wyatt ran through the forest like a caffeinated Ninjask, searching high and low from the trees in search of his lost brother. He left no stone, leaf, or patch of snow unturned. His efforts only wasted time, but his mind was stuck on autopilot. Wyatt may have been a general pleasant and upbeat fellow on the daily, but the safety of his brother brought out a volatile side to him.

Wyatt knew he had a problem, though would anyone blame him? Avel was a capable Shellder who could take care of himself, but it couldn't be helped for Wyatt. The brothers have been together for ten years, and they've rarely been separated from each other in the worst of times. They had to work hard to get to where they are, and they counted on the other's strengths for support.

Wyatt wasn't stupid by any means. He just wasn't book smart, and often had a million other things on his mind. Avel was the collected half of their dynamic duo. Whenever a problem arose, Avel had the solution. Wyatt had the skill and reflexes to make Avel's ideas come to reality.

Though, that was just Wyatt denying the fact he feared for the worst. This wasn't the first time they've been separated, as much as Wyatt didn't want to admit it. The last was the scariest moment in Wyatt's life. Hard to believe that horrifying time was over a year ago.

Wyatt stopped on a tree branch and shook his head. "No. Don't think about that. You'll find Avel. He'll be safe until you find him." He held his cheeks and tried to calm himself down. "Just…Just relax. I can't keep doing this all day."

Wyatt didn't want to sit still and waste time, but flying around with no direction was worse. He relied on Avel to handle the complicated stuff, but it seemed Wyatt had to be the rational one for the time being.

Wyatt got his breathing under control, then closed his eyes. "Think. How am I going to narrow down Avel's location with all the snow around here?" He rubbed his temples vigorously, racking his brain for clues. "Think, think, think."

Something clicked in Wyatt's mind. Something Ursula told him and Avel before the lockdown started.

"The thing about Altair is that he's ungodly patient and passively absorbs information whenever he stares off into space."

"Though, even with it limited to what he sees, Altair learned to filter out what he sees as dangerous or not to expend the least amount of energy as possible."

Wyatt narrowed his eyes. It seemed like the kind of thing better suited for Avel, but they were both always thinking of what was best suited for the other. Avel said Altair's style of doing things wasn't for them. However, more accurately, it wasn't suited to Wyatt. Someone so incapable of being patient and contemplative that it would drive him insane.

Avel learned to sense killer intent faster than Wyatt could. Avel just didn't have the combat prowess for it. Patience and observing was Avel's thing.

Wyatt sighed, then sat down. He relaxed the tingling in his muscles, the impulses in his mind, and his inner voice telling him to stop fooling around and look for Avel. He blocked them all out, then let his mind drift on everything but the forest.

He listened to the wind. The sound of snow falling to the ground. The white noise of the snow-covered forest. Wyatt listened to the music of the Forbidden Forest, hearing its harmonic cry echo through the trees. He listened for the discord in the trees, a sound that didn't belong.

Five minutes of sitting on a branch, and Wyatt could feel his impatience boiling up to his chest. He twitched in place, wanting to abandon the fruitless test, but it was his only shot of pinpointing Avel sooner. He had to abandon his frustration for just a moment and listen to the forest.

Altair makes this look so easy, Wyatt groaned. Anything, please. I'm not asking for the holy word of Arceus to smack me in the face. I just want something to tell me where Avel is. Where's my brother?

Wyatt scrunched his face and listened harder to everything, diving deeper into the myriad of sounds around him. He couldn't feel any change beyond focusing on slightly obscure sounds. Thoughts of panic and frustration continued to dig back into his concentration. Too much emotion stirred through him.

To combat the stray thoughts, Wyatt thought only of Avel and finding him. He put his mind solely into finding Avel, to protect his brother. To protect the brother he never dreamed of having, but never thought of parting from ever. Wyatt and Avel would do anything for each other, no matter the odds. If it meant giving himself a splitting migraine for the next month, Wyatt will push his mind to the limit to locate Avel.

The stray thoughts receded as Wyatt reinforced his goal. He cupped his hands around his ears and listened to the sound of the forest. Ease spread across his face, sinking into concentration. Wyatt fell into a strange trance of hazy, yet also clarity. He couldn't quite explain it, like he was just a consciousness observing the natural state of the forest.

He stared. He waited. Stared and waited.

…

…

…

…

…zzt.

Wyatt snapped out of his trance and turned to his left. "What the?"

Wyatt heard something, though it was so quiet that it could've easily been mistake for the wind. He was almost convinced it was the wind, but something about the sound didn't quite match up with everything else he was hearing. It sounded unnatural, almost like…

The candlewick burned to life inside Wyatt with a gasp. "I know that sound! Avel's Protect!" Wyatt kicked off the tree and flew in the direction of the sound. "Hang on, little bro! I'm coming!"

"I don't know, Wyatt," the Shellder said as they walked up to a stone house. He nestled into Wyatt's lily pad and looked up at the house timidly. "I don't want to intrude or anything. I'm sure I can find somewhere to settle down until I find my fins again."

"Eh?"

"Err, I suppose the expression you land dwellers use is 'get back on your feet'."

Wyatt folded his arms behind his head and grinned. "It's cool, pal. My parents will totally let you stay with us. They wouldn't let a lost child fend for themselves on the streets. Plus, if I'm cool with you, they'll be, too."

"I mean no disrespect, Wyatt, but…" Shellder looked up at Wyatt's home with a judgmental glare. "This doesn't look like the most stable of communities."

Wyatt waved it off. "Oh, we're just a little tight on money. No big deal." He skipped up to the door and let himself in. "Mom, Dad! I'm back! And I brought company!"

Shellder's eyes widened from a loud fumbling sound coming further inside the home. By his guess, somewhere in the living room area. Shellder nearly asked Wyatt if they should leave, but held off when he noticed the Lombre's annoyed expression.

"Not again. Mom, Dad!" Wyatt walked to the living room, as Shellder predicted, and poked his head inside with a disappointed frown. "Seriously? It's barely past the afternoon."

Shellder looked upon the room and saw a female Azumarill and male Ludicolo sitting around a short-legged table. The Ludicolo was sprawled out on the floor, clutching a bottle of ale. The Azumarill was hunched over on the table with a spilt bottle under her arms, pooling ale onto the table and into her dress' sleeves. They were red-faced and hiccupping occasionally.

"Eh? Waz dat?" Ludicolo rolled himself into a sitting position and blinked the blurriness out of his eyes. "Eh? Oh. Hey, Wyatt. Did you need something?"

Wyatt crossed his arms. "Where'd you two get the ale?"

Azumarill sat up and rubbed her face. "Oh honey, it's been a long day. Your father and I just needed a little something to tide ourselves over."

"Do we even have money for dinner?" Wyatt asked.

Ludicolo waved it off. "We have plenty of leftovers stored away. You can have that instead."

Wyatt sighed and shook his head, trying to hide his frustration from them. Shellder shuffled up to the front of Wyatt's lily pad and whispered, "Should I be concerned by this?"

Wyatt smiled wearily at his new friend. "They mean well, and they do try to provide for the house. Though, managing our market stall can be pretty stressful, so they've…developed an unfortunate spending habit. Mostly on whatever cheap ale they can find."

"So, in other words, you're poor."

"…You don't mince words, friend."

"Eh?" Azumarill refocused her eyes and squinted at Wyatt. "Honey, who's that on your head?"

Wyatt grinned and picked Shellder off his head. "Mom, Dad. I made a new friend today. This is…well, he doesn't actually have a name, but this is my new Shellder friend. He came from the ocean."

"Aaahhh~! The ocean~!" Ludicolo hummed, swaying side-to-side with a blissful smile. "Tropical paradise~."

Shellder narrowed his eyes. "Riiiiight."

Azumarill pinched between her eyes and sighed. "Honey, that's great and all, but your father and I just need a moment to ourselves. Help yourself to the leftovers. We might end up skipping dinner again."

Wyatt set Shellder down before nervously folding his arms behind his waist. "Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you both. I might be asking for a lot here, but it's super important."

"Ah, sure, little buddy~," Ludicolo hummed. "You can tell your papa anything~."

Wyatt grinned. "Great! Can Shellder stay with us?"

In that brief moment after asking, Wyatt and Shellder saw clarity return to the parents' eyes, boring holes into the two kids with baffled, wide-eyed reactions. "Say what?!"

"That sobered them up quick," Shellder mumbled.

Azumarill stood up and slapped her cheeks a couple times before asking, "I'm sorry, Wyatt, but…what? Why?"

Wyatt explained, "The thing is, this Shellder got washed ashore this morning, now he has no place to go. I was wondering if he can stay with us. He did help me when we were attacked by the Pincer Gang."

"Wait, you went down to the beach?" Ludicolo gasped.

Wyatt sucked his lips in, awkwardly looking away. "Ignore that last part."

Azumarill sighed and shook her head. "Honey, while I'm proud you were able to help this boy, there's…just no way we can afford feeding an extra mouth. And we can't just take it whatever stranger you find on the street—"

"Beach," Wyatt corrected.

"Whatever. No, he can't stay with us."

Wyatt frowned. "But Mom, he needs our help. He has nowhere else to go." He held Shellder up, who gave the mother shimmering, puppy-dog eyes.

Azumarill returned it with a deadpan glare. "Wyatt, we barely have any money for ourselves."

Wyatt pulled Shellder away and glared back. "That's because you two have an addiction problem."

"I do NOT~!" Ludicolo yelled, cradling his ale against his chest.

Azumarill sighed. "Regardless, it'd be a detriment to all of us if we tried to take care of him. We can barely make enough scrounging loose bits off the streets, much less running our stall."

Wyatt frowned, then hung his head. Shellder looked between the distraught Lombre and his shameful, drunken parents. The little bivalve wracked his brain for solutions, the best solution a six-year-old Shellder could come up with.

Something clicked in his mind. Shellder looked up to the parents and asked, "What if I help you all make money?"

Azumarill and Ludicolo lifted their heads and stared perplexingly at the bivalve. "What?"

Shellder nodded. "The issue's money, right? I don't know much about the surface world's economy, but I know a thing or two about bartering. I could help make some extra money, enough to keep us all fed and for you two to get your drinks."

Ludicolo rubbed his chin. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea."

Azumarill frowned. "I don't know. It's bad enough we make Wyatt scrounge around for extra coins. I don't want to drag another kid into doing it."

Shellder shook his head. "We can figure something out. We could do services for the town and make some quick money. You two can focus on your stall, and Wyatt and I can handle doubling that with other jobs."

Wyatt gasped, then beamed brightly. "That's a great idea!"

Azumarill scratched her head as she thought it over for a moment. Ludicolo awkwardly held his bottle as he waited for his wife's response. Wyatt and Shellder trembled in anticipation.

After a minute of silence, Azumarill relented with a sigh and threw her hands up. "Fine. If you two can make some extra money for the house, the kid can stay."

Wyatt and Shellder gasped, then hugged each other joyously. "Yes! Haha!" They danced and spun around the living room. "This is going to be so cool!"

Ludicolo chuckled to himself as the boys skipped around the room. "What the heck happened this morning? I thought they just met."

Azumarill sighed. "That's our son for you. Makes friends easily." She glanced at her husband sadly. "We need to do better for ourselves. We can't keep living like this."

Ludicolo reached over and patted her hand. "We'll try. It'll be hard, but we can do better." He smiled at the boys as they laughed and danced around the room. "Maybe this'll do us all some good."

Azumarill watched the boys for a moment, then smiled sadly. "They do look happy together. A pair of brothers, they look like."

Sweat dripped from Avel's face as he slowly reached his limit holding up the Protect. Katsu's sword continued pressing against the barrier with cracks forming on the outside. Avel flinched with each growing crack weighing on his mental fortitude seconds away from shattering. He theorized his shell could withstand the sword once it pierced through, but the previous Acid Spray had severely weakened the overall durability. In other words, Avel was ticking away at a timer.

Katsu twisted and drilled his sword harder against the barrier as more cracks spread over the surface. "I'm impressed you've held out for this long. You've been more of a challenge than my other two captives. Sadly, this is where our dance ends."

Avel peered up with one eye and growled. "Do not patronize me, bounty hunter. You haven't seen me at my worst."

"I haven't seen your best either, and I'm still disappointed by the display." Katsu pressed down harder. Larger cracks chipped through the barrier. "The key to any victory is to exploit the enemy's weakness and capitalize on it for everything it's worth. Systematic destruction from the shadows, annihilating everything that stands before my goal. My presence here has caused confusion and trouble for you Foresters. That alone shows I've done my job."

"You're full of hot air," Avel growled.

"Am I? I'm no fool to tangle with your leader or his elite, but I know I have the advantage in stealth. Why else would they take so long to flush me out? You've adopted stealth into your lifestyle, but I was born into it. That is the difference between the Foresters and me. That is the difference between them and the rest of Virdis. A melting pot of ideas fused together to take the best of all worlds. I believe the expression in your tongue is…jack-of-all-trades."

Avel winced as a sliver of the sword pierced through the barrier, digging itself through.

"What is it that you're trying to accomplish with this silly farce? You're all just children lashing out at people who've wronged you. What difference are the Foresters making out here? Stealing and robbing the rich? Helping the poor and innocent? All you're doing is causing chaos and ire in your communities. You have no purpose or direction. You're just children throwing tantrums."

Avel glared. "And what are you? A maverick of peace?"

"My only purpose is to serve and protect my lady." Katsu glared. "And to help her find her place in this broken land. I serve my lady because, one day, I know she'll be able to become something brilliant to this region."

Something brilliant, huh? Avel narrowed his eyes. No different to Melissa.

"What will change if I cut out one Forester from the rest? One or one hundred will amount to nothing by the end." Katsu's sword dug through the barrier until the blade was halfway through, hanging inches above Avel's head. "What are the Foresters going to accomplish? What difference shall you make to the world?"

Avel couldn't say, perhaps because he didn't have an answer himself. It was hard to deny most of the Foresters had some issue with the way the upper class is held on society's pedestal, but words and protest would never reach the walls built around their egos. Action seemed like the only language they reviled enough to actually listen to.

Avel hated hearing Katsu's smug tone, so he couldn't help letting a little emotion through his response.

"Who said your lady was the only one trying to make a change?"

Katsu glared curiously. "Pardon?"

"Maybe some of us do want the world to get better, but we're all directionless as you say." Avel glared smugly. "But perhaps one of us, despite how airheaded and klutzy they can be, has their eyes set forward on a better future, even if they have to cleave through Virdis' barriers."

Katsu' eyes glimmered with intrigue. He drove the blade further down until it was pressed against Avel's shell. By now, Avel couldn't hold up the Protect any longer and watched it crumble into particles.

"Your arrogant leader, I presume?" Katsu guessed.

Avel laughed dryly. "Well, a leader in the making."

"Then let's crush their spirit, shall we—"

"AVEL!"

Katsu dodged on reflex as a foot came flying at his blind spot. He jumped back and slid across the snow as a Lombre stomped down on his previous position. Katsu huffed and straightened himself up. "A distraction."

"Avel!" Wyatt scooped Avel off the snow and hugged him against his chest, tears running down his face. "Oh, thank goodness! I thought I'd never find you! I was so worried you'd be hurt, then I find you fighting this guy, and I-I-I—" Wyatt sobbed and cradled his brother tightly. "I'm so sorry, little bro!"

Avel narrowed his eyes softly. "Wyatt…" He extended his tongue and patted Wyatt's cheek. "Have a little more faith in me."

Wyatt sniffled, then looked down at his brother with a whimpering smile. "I'm so happy I found you. I'll never let you go again."

Avel closed his eyes and chuckled. "Let's not go overboard with that, my brother." He sighed, then gently nudged himself against Wyatt. "I figured you'd come looking for me."

"Even through the worst," Wyatt said softly. He placed Avel on his lily pad, then grinned. "Felt so empty without you up there."

"I've never been so envious of legs in my entire life," Avel joked.

Wyatt laughed for a bit, but paused when his eyes wandered over to Katsu. One look over the Accelgor, and Wyatt could tell he missed a lot. He glared with a nervous twinge as he pulled out his steel rod. "He's looking healthier."

"He got me good a few times with that Leech Life," Avel explained. "He's been pummeling me around until you showed up during our stalemate."

Wyatt gripped his steel rod and wielded it like a club. "But if you were able to hold off this long against him—"

"He's still weak, yes," Avel confirmed. "But I doubt we have the option to escape."

Katsu glared back at the brothers. "You two are serious." Katsu channeled his Leech Life through his sword, then aimed it at them. "All you've done is double my reward."

Wyatt grinned. "Want a bet, Buggy?"

"We're not afraid of you," Avel added. "We're stronger together."

"We're smarter as a pair," Wyatt said.

"We're the dynamic duo of the Foresters: The Good Brothers! Here to take you down!"

Katsu huffed underneath his scarf. If his face could show it, he would be smirking. "The Foresters truly are filled with odd characters. Alright." He gripped his hilt with both hands and amped up the power of his Leech Life. "[Let us proceed, Good Brothers.]"

Wyatt channeled Thunder Punch's energy through his rod, lighting it up with electricity. Avel nestled himself into Wyatt's lily pad, tongue deployed and ready for combat.

Though not their first real battle, this one felt like the start of their legacy among the Forester mythos.

Time to prove what the brothers could do as one entity.

"Seems I've arrived a little too late."

High above in the trees, Shingo hung upside-down from the branches observing the tense standoff between the brothers and the bounty hunter. He sensed that a fight will break out any moment now, one where the brothers would be at a severe disadvantage. Shingo could sense the skill in the bounty hunter, and it was not to be taken lightly.

"I must resolve this conflict swiftly." Shingo balled his fist, then projected a blade of pure white energy from his hand. He bent his knees and prepared to dive on the party.

"Ah. Shingo. If you don't mind…" Shingo looked up and found Altair perched on his same branch, staring wide-eyed at the ground. "Can you hold off on your rescue for a few minutes?"

Shingo narrowed his eyes, then pulled himself onto the branch, too. "Why?" he asked after dispelling his Cut blade. "And weren't you injured earlier?"

"Still am." Altair lifted his uniform and showed the bandages wrapped around his body. "But I wouldn't allow myself to miss this. I wanted to…observe my students in action."

"Your students?" Shingo looked down at Wyatt and Avel as they sized up their opponent. He glared and asked, "You finally found students who stayed for your lessons?"

Altair didn't answer. Whether because he was focused on the fight or lost in his own little world, Shingo couldn't say. However, there was a unique twinkle in the Cramorant's often vacant stare. A spark of pride Shingo rarely, if ever, got to see from the Forester's top watchguard. It had been a while for Shingo to see this determined focus from Altair.

Shingo sighed, then sat down beside Altair. "I shall honor your request, my friend. The second the tides of battle turn against them, however, I will end this battle myself. Sound fair?"

Altair gave a faint nod in return.

Shingo nodded back, tugging lightly on his mask. "I must admit, I'm curious how you've raised your first real students. Knowing you, they have vast heaps of potential waiting to be nurtured."