Just so everyone knows, I won't be putting in characters of your own creation at this point. Later on into the story I might consider it. If you'd like to discuss this matter with me, by all means, send me a message! We'll work something out, all right? I'm not a mean person, and open to suggestion. If you think my story could be better in any way, tell me! I write this for you, ya know. ;D
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon/Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, but I do own the made-up charries such as Treecko, Mudkip, Solay, and Shadow, and I also own Hollow Forest and this plot. :3 I'm rather proud of this plot.~
…~-CHAPTER FIVE: Legend of the Weeping Elder Birch
"Wake UP! It's MORNING!" Loudred bellowed. "Team Sky are ALREADY HERE!" He trekked out, leaving Treecko and Mudkip to stagger to their senses and stumble into the main assembly on the lower floor. Mudkip was yawning and rubbing her eyes, but Treecko could hardly stay still. Solay and Shadow stood off to the side, observing only. Chatot explained the mission and pointed out where Hollow Forest was on their maps. When they were all ready, they were to meet back here, and the Guild would leave. There was a roundabout cheer, and everyone dispersed.
Treecko and Mudkip were behind Sunflora, and in front of Corphish and Team Sky. They climbed the ladder and headed for Treasure Town. However, unlike he expected, Solay and Shadow didn't head for Keckleon Market. First, they stopped at Duskull's bank, and dropped something off. Then they headed for Kangaskan Storage. Shadow reached into the Treasure Bag and brought out a piece of paper. He handed it to Kangaskan, and she disappeared into the back for a moment. She returned with the items Treecko assumed were written on the paper, and put them in the bag. Shadow took two scarves and tied one around his own neck, and the other around Solay's. They were the same: black scarves with a green flame crossed with a red one. In the middle was a large golden 'S' that wound between the two flames. Treecko recognized this. High-rank exploration teams were given special scarves with the team's symbol on them. The cool part was they could be anything. They could be a Defense Scarf, or a Power Band, or maybe nothing at all. It was up to the team to decide. Treecko was impressed. He'd never actually seen one before.
Mudkip nudged him. "Treecko!" she said sharply. "What do we need?"
He started and looked around. "Oh, that's right. He looked into the Treasure bag. "Hmm…we may need another Oran Berry or two, and a few apples. We don't want to get lost with nothing to eat."
"Good point," Mudkip sighed. "Okay, I'll see what the Keckleon brothers have…if they're not all sold out yet." She rolled her eyes and stalked off.
Treecko watched her go, then switched his gaze to Solay. The two were coming this way. Shadow had just apparently said something funny, because her face cracked into a grin and she started laughing. He smiled. It looked like she was back to normal. He was still watching her when she caught sight of him staring and looked at him curiously, then waved her tails in hello. Caught off guard, Treecko quickly looked around for something else to watch. Feeling a flush in his face, he stared at the sky over the shops.
Solay giggled. He jumped as he realized she was right next to him. "No need to be shy," she teased. "We're all on the same team here. Going to the same place, you know."
"Eh heh…yeah…" Treecko rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, I guess so."
Mudkip was back quicker than he'd expected. She had the things he'd suggested.
"The Keckleon brothers didn't have any apples left, but Bidoof and Sunflora both lent me one!" she explained brightly. Noticing the pink in his face and that he wasn't looking at Solay, she got suspicious. She sidled over to the Vulpix with half-lidded eyes and asked in a dangerous voice, "Have you been flirting with Treecko?"
Solay shook her head, making every moment the slightest bit overly dramatic. "No, I haven't done anything," she said with effort to make her voice sound overly honest.
Mudkip turned her gaze to Shadow. "Weeeellll? Has she?"
He raised his hands in front of his and moved them back and forth quickly. "Don't look at me! I'm an innocent bystander!"
"Innocent, my foot," Solay told him shortly. "You may be a bystander, but you aren't innocent."
They all erupted into laughter and headed back the way they came.
"To the Guild!" Mudkip proclaimed.
"To the Guild!" the others echoed, and they took off running and laughing.
…
Reaching the top of the steps, Treecko looked back. Mudkip bounded up next to him, and Solay appeared next. She drew up beside him, but accidently bumped Mudkip from behind.
"Whoops, sorry, Mudkip," she said. Solay opened her mouth to say something else, but cut herself off, swaying on her feet a little. She corrected her stance to compensate and shut her eyes tightly. From behind him, Treecko heard Shadow draw in his breath sharply. Treecko looked between the two, bamboozled.
"Wha—?" he asked, but Shadow slapped his paw over Treecko's mouth.
"Shh," he hissed in the grass-type's ear. "Don't speak. We can't disturb her right now."
Treecko didn't say a word in response, but Shadow still kept his paw over Treecko's mouth.
A few moments later, Solay opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, then caught sight of her friends. Shadow sidled over to her side and muttered in her ear. Whatever he said, she responded with, "We'll talk later."
"Are you okay?" Mudkip asked.
Solay nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry. It's just a dizzy spell. I get those sometimes."
Mudkip still seemed doubtful, but let the matter go. Treecko wasn't convinced, but Solay's reassuring smile washed away most of his doubt. They descended into the Guild's lower floor, and found they were the first ones back. It didn't take long before everyone else was assembled. Chatot explained what they were doing again, and they all made for the exit again.
Treecko was getting excited. A real expedition! I can't wait! He checked his map again, just to make sure. It wasn't all that far. In fact, it was just past Apple Woods at the foot of the mountains. Treecko estimated it would take about a third of the day to make it there if they went carefully. The Guildmaster was speaking, but Treecko wasn't listening. All he could think about was getting there and exploring.
Mudkip heaved a sigh. "Treecko, you weren't listening, were you?"
He started. "Huh, what?"
She shook her head, exasperated. "Of course. But I can't really blame you, I guess. Wigglytuff said that once we got there, they'd be setting up a base. You could explore when you arrived if you wanted, but when night fell we'd all have to meet back there to sleep. Get it?"
"Got it," he replied, determined.
"Good." Shadow flicked him on the nose. "It doesn't do any good to not pay attention." He grinned. "Now, what do you say we race to the start of the forest? I'll bet you fifty Poké that we can get there first."
"Sorry, but we're too young to gamble," Mudkip said in a matter-of-fact voice. Shadow's face fell, and the little mud fish Pokémon grinned. "Kidding! You're on!" She and Treecko took off, laughing. Shadow blinked stupidly a few times, then shouted after them, "NO FAIR, HEAD START!" He and Solay took off running too, and the rest of the Guild got swept up in the run. Soon, everyone was racing and shouting gleefully towards Hollow Forest.
…
Everyone was exhausted as they reached the entrance to the forest. They'd raced all the way there, and Treecko and Mudkip had ended up winning with Wigglytuff in a close second. Solay and Shadow came in third, and Chatot, Dugtrio, and Diglett tied for fourth. Corphish and Bidoof had been fighting for fifth, and Sunflora and Chimeco came in sixth with Loudred close behind them. Croagunk hadn't found the motivation to try very hard, and he wound up in eight. They all had fun, however, and no one was a sore loser.
"Hah, you beat us," Shadow panted. "You win, fair and square. I don't have anything on me right now, so I'll pay up when we get back to Treasure Town."
Treecko thought this was fair. Shadow didn't strike him as someone who breaks his word. He nodded, bent double over, gasping for breath.
After a break, everyone helped set up the tents. Corphish got stuck under one of them, and Shadow had to fish him out. But soon enough, they were up. Everyone gathered around Wigglytuff and Chatot.
"Okay, now we're going to split up into teams," the musical bird told them. "Sunflora, Loudred, and Dugtrio will be in the first group. Diglett, Chimeco, and Croagunk will be in the second. Bidoof will be traveling with the Guildmaster and I." (Wigglytuff sulked, complaining that this "was just like last time.") Chatot continued: "Treecko and Mudkip will be with Team Sky by recommendation."
Shadow winked at them. Mudkip grinned, waving back.
Chatot fluttered his wings. "Okay, crew, shove off!"
"HOORAY!" came the cheer, and the teams dispersed.
Solay jerked her head towards Hollow Forest, smiling encouragingly at Team Treekip. "We'll go slow. The forest isn't particularly deep, and there's a lot of great scenery," Solay said.
"Cool," Treecko replied. "Let's go!" He was ecstatic. It had always been his dream to go exploring with Team Sky. It was a dream he shared with a lot of young explorers, but to think he was one of the very few who actually got to meet them! Treecko was almost overwhelmed, but he kept his cool. It would be stupid to lose it now.
Treecko led the way, followed closely by Mudkip. Shadow was behind her, and Solay was just behind him, usually walking on his left side unless there was a narrow space they had to go through. As they approached a fork in the path, Solay had them stop.
"Look," she said, nodding to the tree in the middle.
It was an old birch tree split down the middle. At the top, the two sides hung down over each path. The dappled sunlight moved around the tree when the wind blew, giving it an almost mystic quality. It was a beautiful tree.
"Wow," Mudkip breathed. "Super ultra mega cool."
"There's a legend about this tree," Shadow said. "Long ago, it stood proud and tall, only second in height to the mighty oak at the end of the forest. When the forest was young, this tree flourished. But then a fire ravaged the area, and lightning forked from the sky. The ground shook, and the sky split."
"When the destruction was over," Solay picked up, "this tree, nicknamed the Weeping Elder Birch, was the only one left standing. It was a lonely existence, and the tree, which had been split by a bolt of lightning, bent its branches and began to cry over the loss of its comrades."
"Celebi, the guardian of the forest, heard this cry." Shadow was telling the tale again. "She flew across the bonds of time and space and found the now old Birch tree. When asked if it wanted to be saved as well, the Birch replied with, 'I am old now, Celebi. Please, leave me to guard this place until my last breath. Take my voice, and use it to heal this place. Take my voice, and use it to create a new watch tree, deep in the forest.' And so Celebi did as the Weeping Elder Birch asked, and that was how the Mighty Oak arose, and the Hollow Forest was healed."
Treecko was nodding slowly. "That's a sad story," he said softly.
"Mm, but not all stories have happy endings," Solay replied. "This one is semi-sweet. But, it is what it is." She padded over to the birch and bowed her head, closing her eyes for a moment. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. A minute later, she raised her head and stepped back. Shadow bowed before the tree too, and did the same. Unsure of what to do, Treecko and Mudkip exchanged a glance. Solay saw their confusing, and her face softened.
"You don't have to bow to the tree," she said. "But it's the respectful thing to do. We are, after all, standing on its roots."
Treecko swallowed, feeling nervous. He didn't want to look like a fool, but he didn't want to be disrespectful. Well, it's only Solay and Shadow and Mudkip…they won't make fun of me. He approached the tree too. He looked up into its still white branches. A soft breeze blew, and they creaked as the moved a little. Treecko's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. In the breeze, he could have sworn he heard an ancient voice whisper "Remember…" He shook his head. No, that's stupid… Not sure of what to say, he dumbly said, "Um…thanks for letting us pass through here, Weeping Elder Birch."
"Yeah, thanks," Mudkip added in a small voice.
They backed away and rejoined Solay and Shadow. Casting a glance back at the tree, Treecko took the lead again. Something moved in the corner of his eye, but it was just the wind moving the branch again.
It looked like the tree was waving.
…~-
Kinda creepy, huh? O.o Anyway, working on the next chapter. Thanks to all of you for being paitent!