Been a while, but here's the chapter. This seemed to take longer to write, but that's probably because I wrote this in a ton of short intervals over the past week or so. Nonetheless, it's finally here.
I'm hoping to get back on a regular schedule, but that's iffy. I still plan to finish this by the end of summer, but with another story and my parents pressuring me to do nonstop scholarships, it's tough to get this done. But I will work hard at it, I can guarantee you guys that.
And I would like to thank everyone for putting up with my absence for so long. Especially the reviewers, I can't thank you guys enough for sticking with me thus far with this story. You guys are the reason I am determined to finish this story. Thanks a bunch!
Chapter 11: Encounters
"So Cerb...I mean Styx...he used to be with you when you were human?"
I had spent the better part of the last half hour recounting my dream in detail to Phloe. It was obvious she was as shocked as I was. She rubbed the top of her head, trying desperately to make sense of it all.
"I still can't believe it. All this time, he hated you for the past. For a misunderstanding, too! A storm that bad that separated you two...This is just a lot to take in."
"You're telling me. I'm still having trouble believing it myself." Phloe stood up and walked to the door.
"Let's just go and eat. But is there anything else that you could tell me?" I was confused with Phloe's request.
"Why? It's not like there was much else that was important than what I remembered."
"I'm curious. I want to help you out, Tide, but I'm also interested about your past. Did you have any other pokemon with you?"
"What? No! I just had Styx with me, that was it. Come on Phloe, lay of the subject for a bit." The Treecko stared innocently at me.
"I'm just asking."
"You're prying."
"No I'm not."
I decided that it wasn't worth getting into a petty argument like this, so I just sighed and got up. However, Phloe was persistent.
"Come on, Tide. Tell me, can't you see I'm interested?"
"And I would prefer to forget things past."
"And never apologize to Styx for your past?" I froze halfway out the door. Phloe had a point. I should make amends with Styx. He had been hurt by my wrongdoing, even when it was next to impossible for me to save him in the first place. So why shouldn't I go to him...
"Earth to Tide? You in there?" Phloe was next to my now, waving a hand in front of my face. I blinked and shook my head to clear out the thoughts.
"Alright Phloe, I'll apologize to Styx. Let's go get some breakfast, and I will speak with him in the dining hall."
I never did apologize to Styx at breakfast. Phloe and I entered the dining hall, which was chaotic as usual, and made our way to the usual spot with Team Sting. I ate little and got up to find Team Hades. Scanning across the room, I managed to spot Styx sitting with his teammates. He had been speaking to Omen about something before he caught me staring at him.
In that moment, I regretted even beginning to try. His eyes narrowed and pierced me liked daggers, and a vicious sneer formed on his face. I remained standing, refusing to make any further move to Team Hades. Phloe had noticed my pause and started to question me.
"Tide? Are you okay?"
Hatred seemed to radiate off of Styx from the other side of the room. Omen and Demi seemed to pay no mind to his sudden change of disposition, and instead continued to their own business. I feared for my life in that time, feared that Styx would enact revenge for all those years ago and tear me apart.
Mustering what control I could, I turned away from Styx's death glare, and began to slowly remove my presence from the room. Quicker and quicker I moved until I was practically running to get out. The image of Styx, no Cerb, the Houndour, alone and wet at the base of the cliff, was burned into my head. The pain of leaving him alone ate at me, and the guilt of never finding him made it worse. I knew his rage was justified, and if he were to ever kill me, it would feel justified. Now if only I could fix this issue.
"Hey Tide, what was that back there?" Phloe's voice once again interrupted my thoughts and returned me to reality. I was by the ladder to the upper levels and Phloe was nearby, looking worriedly at me.
"You just froze up back there without even doing anything. What happened?" I sighed, the guilt of my memories leaving me distressed.
"The thought of what happened back then, with Styx and I...it just hurts. And to see his hatred to this extent...he is right. I'm evil and he has every right to kill me." Phloe's eyes softened and she shook her head.
"From what I've seen, you sure seem the opposite of evil. You helped save me and Team Fulmine back when we had the mission to capture the Hit 'Em Brothers. In fact, you saved my life before you even knew who I was." I turned away out of embarrassment.
"It was common courtesy. You had protected me against Styx in the first place."
"But you finished the battle before you even knew how to fight, and got me to a nurse. A lot of others would have turned away and left me for dead, or just left after they made sure I was in good hands. You didn't. You stayed to make sure I was alright the entire time. You became my friend and partner on this team. There's nothing evil about you."
I was burning with embarrassment at this point. Yes, I had done so much to help Phloe out, and in one case Team Fulmine. But that didn't right the wrongs I have made.
"In any case," I said, "That does not make up for the past. I left Styx behind."
"But you even said that the woman had prevented you from returning during the storm. There really was nothing you could have done."
"But I should I done something!" I barked. "There had to have been something. Disobey the woman and go into the storm, never have trusted Styx to climb the cliff in the rain by himself, something!"
I put my face into my hands in an act of exasperation. I really had no clue what was right and what was wrong. I felt the villain, but what Phloe had told me said otherwise. Just where was reason?
"Tide, you need to get a grip on yourself," Phloe's kind demeanor had disappeared in an instant. "You are one of the most good-hearted pokémon I have met and are far from being bad. The only bad comes from when you question your good like this. Just pull yourself together. And if you won't, I will do it for you. Regardless, you need to keep moving. I don't care what you do, but we need to get a mission for the day. I'm going up to the mission board, so meet me up there when you come to terms."
Phloe's words struck me; she was right that I needed to check myself. I was overreacting, and there was nothing that I had truly done wrong. The Treecko scampered up the ladder, leaving me to come to terms with myself. I knew that she was right, and I needed to take care of things. I would apologize to Styx. Not at the moment, but I would soon.
When I pulled myself to the next floor, I could not see Phloe anywhere. There were a few pokémon chatting and walking around, but my partner was no where to be seen.
"Uh...Phloe? Are you around here?" I called aloud to her. I began to walk around the room as I waited until she came by, but after a minute I realized that such was not going to happen.
"Tide!" I heard a hushed call to me, and someone dropped from the ceiling behind me. "Don't let him see me."
I turned my head as far as I could to see Phloe crouched behind me, she just barely peeking over my shoulder at the Outlaw Board. She glanced at me before continuing to stare at a figure that floated near the board.
"Don't let him notice me, Tide. I have a bad feeling about him." I gave Phloe a look and glanced at the being which she was staring at. It was a small, frail pokémon that was colored a mustard yellow and grey. Most interesting of all was that it had its back covered by a small, black cape. I could not quite tell what it was until it rotated to face Phloe and I. My partner shied away behind me, and the pokémon, a Shedinja, slowly approached us.
"Can I...help you?" He spoke in a monotone that had the slightest hint of contempt. I was about to respond until Phloe walked out from behind me and looked the bug pokémon in the eyes.
"Have we met before?" She asked as bluntly as possible, causing me to even flinch at the tone of voice. The Shedinja narrowed his eyes at her, and a low hum could be heard from him.
"...No."
Phloe did not seem satisfied with that answer, but she did not have another chance to speak with him. He turned around and hovered up the ladder, his dark cape softly fluttering behind him.
"What was that about?" I asked Phloe. She turned to face me, her eyes shining in hatred.
"Nothing. Nothing important."
"Because being afraid and then staring someone down with deathly intent is nothing." I mumbled as Phloe made her way to the Job Board. I followed her, dissatisfied with her answer but unwilling to press further on the matter. At the board we began to look for a mission until a certain parrot's squawks interrupted us from above.
"Team Impact! Good morning to you both!" cried out Chatot from his perch on the board. We both gave half-hearted "good-mornings" in reply to the bird pokémon.
"Hm?" he cocked his head to the side. "Is there a problem this morning?"
"Not at all," I replied, trying to cover the issues our team had encountered this morning. "We're just tired. Not much happened, we are both still trying wake up."
Chatot nodded in agreement to the response. He swooped from his perch and landed on my head.
"Well, the Guildmaster and I have received news of a special mission near Mt. Horn to help a small village clean up a meteorite problem. We just got the message from them since the roads and communications are finally opening up completely for the first time since that meteor storm a while back. Nonetheless, we wanted to know if your team wanted to undertake this. It would be relatively simple, and should only take a matter of four or five days including travel."
"I'm okay with it," Phloe said before I could even ask. "It would be a nice change of pace from some of the other missions we have done so far." Having answered my question, I nodded to Chatot.
"Sure, it looks like we'll take it."
"That's excellent!" Chatot cheered. "Now, you should be able to find Mt. Horn without much trouble and...oh, before I forget. RAIGA! Get out here!"
In that instant, I was not sure whether I should be happy or disappointed to know that the hyper Elekid was joining us on the mission. He dropped from the entrance of the guild on his head, earning himself a face full of dirt.
"Raiga, reporting for duty." he said, barely managed to lift his face out of the ground to speak.
"Get up, Raiga, we have no time to fool around," Chatot scolded the Elekid. "You're assigned a mission with Team Impact since your teammate has taken leave."
"Nero's gone?" I asked incredulously. The Shinx was usually around, I could not imagine why he'd be gone now. "Where did he go?" Chatot flew back to his perch on top of the board. Putting a wing to his beak in thought, he went over the details in his head to be certain.
"I believe he had said something about visiting family in Amp Plains..."
"Note to self: never go on long trips from the Guild, even back home, without Raiga backing me up."
Nero was currently locked in battle with a small Pichu girl who was doing her best to defeat the clearly stronger Shinx. She rushed him with an Iron Tail attack that he easily side-stepped, causing her to trip over herself and crash into the ground. As she tried to pick herself up after the miss, Nero's fur began to crackle with the electricity he had been storing for a time. Just at the Pichu stood back up, she saw Nero running, too late for her to dodge, with a Spark attack.
"Wait! Just hold on a minute, Shinx! I think that we can-" Nero rammed into her with enough electricity to knock her out for the time being. He shook off the hit and looked at her unconscious body.
"You attacked first." he said simply, and he continued on his way to see his father.
"So are we all ready to get going?" I asked Phloe and Raiga. I had my team's treasure bag, and Raiga would have had his if he hadn't lost it. How someone loses a thing like that is beyond me. We were outside the main entrance of the guild, each of us prepared to go.
"I'm ready, you're ready, we're all ready! Let's go!" Raiga left Phloe and I little time to respond to his outburst before he was already running down the steps to get the journey started. We sighed and followed his lead, quickly chasing after the speedy Elekid before we could lose sight of him.
"Why does he act like this?" Phloe asked me as we ran to catch up. I shrugged at the question.
"I don't know, I think the electricity fried his brain. That would be the most likely explanation."
"Mount Horn! I see Mount Horn!" Raiga's shouts were annoying me to the point that I flinched each time he spoke. Perhaps worse was that we were standing in front of Mount Horn before he even began yelling.
"Raiga. Raiga please...stop talking," I pleaded with the Elekid. He wouldn't listen to me, too caught up in his own little world. The worst part was that in the day and a half it took to get here, Raiga was almost nonstop talk. Zero-tolerance of it came only minutes into the journey.
"If you don't stop I will resort to desperate measures." My warning went unheeded by him. I sighed and gave Phloe an "I tried" look. Turning back to the yammering Elekid, I opened my mouth and felt chilling energy form in my gaping maw. Seconds later I fired a small Ice Beam at Raiga's face, instantly freezing it over and stopping him in his tracks. Phloe did not seem pleased with my actions.
"Was that really necessary?" I grabbed Raiga by his feet and started to drag him to the cave entrance of the Mount Horn mystery dungeon.
"Yes. It was perfectly necessary, and perfectly right for me to do it. Now let's go, I can only imagine how long this will last until Raiga somehow figures out a way to break free of the ice."
BF 1
"Okay, so where was the exit to this village?" Phloe pulled out a note Chatot gave us containing the information on our mission.
"There's an opening in the dungeon on the second floor. So we don't have to stay in the mountain for too long." She put the note back into the treasure bag while I stopped to take a break from dragging Raiga. I sat next to the his frozen head and Phloe joined me.
"Need a break?"she asked me.
"Just for a moment," I took a deep breath and looked at Raiga. His face had the same goofy grin plastered on as always. Phloe took a look at him and laughed.
"While I am not in support of you freezing him, I have to admit that the results are funny." An amusing thought crossed my mind and I burst into a fit of giggles.
"It would be hilarious if that expression was permanently on him after this," I mused. "I don't think that he would mind it either."
"Eventually he'd snap." Phloe told me. I grinned and stood back up, stretched and grabbed one of Raiga's feet.
"The only bad part of freezing him is that I now have to drag him. But it's worth it."
The three of us went on our way through the dungeon in search of the stairway. It was only through the first corridor that we came upon a pair of Shroomish, neither of which appeared happy to see us. One of them charged at me with a Headbutt attack and I dropped Raiga to dodge it.
The other one took advantage of my unpreparedness and came at me with another Headbutt. The attack connected and I was sent sprawling across the ground. Pushing myself up off the ground I saw Phloe smack the other Shroomish with a Pound attack. The little mushroom pokémon flew across the cave and impacted the rocky ground with a thud. It got up and waddled back to her, blasting several seed pods from the pore on the top of its head. Phloe moved agilely out of the way of the Leech Seed attack and sprang forward with her own Quick Attack at the Shroomish, knocking it further back and out of the way of the battle.
In this time I had gotten back up and used a Tackle on the annoying pokémon. It toppled over itself but still managed to stay on its feet. The Shroomish didn't even know what hit it before I had followed up with an Ice Beam to finish the job. Locked in a block of ice, the pokémon was utterly defeated.
"You alright, Phloe?" I asked my partner. She nodded and checked to make sure Raiga was okay. Sure enough, the Elekid was in the same spot as I had left him and thankfully, still frozen.
"Let's get out of here then." I said as I picked up Raiga for what would hopefully be the last time and walked on through the dungeon. It was our luck that the next room contained the stairs and nothing more. Phloe ran ahead and made her way through. I pulled up the rear and dragged Raiga along, bumping his head along the way and leaving several cracks in the ice. Peace was not going to last much longer at this rate.
BF 2
The next floor was the same brown and gray landscape as the last, unsurprisingly. What was surprising was that what could only be assumed as our exit was in the same room.
"Do you really think that's it?" Phloe asked me when I fully arrived at the top with Raiga. I looked halfheartedly around the mountain interior for any signs of another exit. Besides the typical halls to other parts of the mystery dungeon, there was nothing more. Then again, I wasn't trying. If there was an opening out of this place, I was willing to go. I would have much rather saved energy from fighting to just taking care of the job.
"I don't really care if that's the correct exit or not, I'm going," I said. "And before you reason with me, I'm set on my decision. If this isn't it, oh well. How hard could it be to find a village outside of the mountain?"
"You have no idea how hard it might be. Why take the chance?"
"Why not?"
"You'll be exhausted before the true assignment begins."
"...Touché. Nonetheless, I'm going." I said finally, hefting up Raiga and making a dash towards the exit. Phloe groaned at my stubbornness and followed me, realizing full well that I would not be swayed from my decision. Thus, the three of us left Mount Horn and came upon an unbelievable sight...
Not bad for the first time back, eh? Well, we got a few interesting things thrown in here, but now we're moving along in the story. Expect some exciting stuff next time, and from that point on the story will be going on some serious action and whatnot. Can't reveal what, but just expect some more visits to our old pal Deoxys quite soon!