Chapter 3: Explorers
Note: This chapter is one of those "to be continued" deals. I plan to use the PMD: Explorers characters as seen in the series and games. There're some new characters, who are mainly of the 5th generation.
Disclaimer: I don't claim possession over characters originating from the franchises of Square Enix, Disney, Game Freak, and The Pokémon Company, Chun Soft, or Nintendo. They belong to their rightful owners. Few characters are original.
Destati...
Again came the sound of waves crashing upon a shore. This was all he heard. He knew he was conscious, but he refused to open his eyes. He simply wanted to believe that he had been washed up on the shore of... the place he was going... He remembered nearly nothing. He did not know much. But he knew one thing: it was obvious his very physique must have been in disarray, for his muscles ached viciously. Worse was the feeling in his bones. It felt as though they were only half existent, perhaps less. It was nearly indescribable, but he felt as though his body was more horizontal than vertical. Clearly he had been laying down, but the fact that his arms and legs were facing the same direction at the joints was beyond odd. In addition to all of this, he felt quite warm and cozy, though he realized he was laying on the sand.
And then he was wet.
A rather large wave had reached his position on the sand. The cold wake-up call forced the boy to open his eyes. He coughed and spit out a bit of seawater, and with that, pain overtook him once again. It was gradually loosening its grip on him, though still surely there, whatever it was. Why was he in pain? Why was he on a beach? For a few moments, a slight glimmer of memory had only just evaded him earlier as to where he was going before being here on this beach. Now, it had become null and void. Now, he remembered absolutely nothing, and it was a scary thing to experience... So he remained still in hope that he would at least recall something soon... It was perhaps nighttime before he was here, was it not?
...This beach looked fairly petite... In some awkward way, it didn't feel natural...
…
On a rather shaggy looking pile of hay was a small creature of blue and black. Its body was canine-like; a black masque design over its eyes and white oval shapes on its blue arms. Its legs were black, while the rest of its body was blue, save a small bit of fur on its upper chest. Obviously, this creature called a Pokémon—Riolu to be specific—was asleep. Another nearby was not...
Today felt... different...
Dismissing this, the lively snake Pokémon smiled relaxingly and overlooked the sea within the maw of a large shark-shaped cliff, supposedly carved into the cliff side by an earlier civilization. According to his partner, it resembled a certain Pokémon he knew about, though not personally. It was a place he called his home: Sharpedo Bluff. He himself was a sleek, green Pokémon with a cream white color to the front of his slender body. Two three-pronged leaves were attached to his snake-like tail. At the tip of this tail was a larger leaf of the same sort. His hands were quite tiny; almost like the leaves on his tail. His pearly white legs and heeled feet weren't exactly equally tiny, but small nonetheless. A goldenrod colored V-shape appeared as a collar, and a lone spike curved out of the back of his head, swaying from the casual path of features that lead to mysterious maroon eyes and an elegant, pointed nose. He was a Servine, but this was not his name...
The Servine turned to face his sleeping partner with a smirk. It was amusing to see Riolu in slumber like this. Usually, this partner of his was the one to fall asleep the latest and awaken the earliest. It vexed him, but Riolu managed it. He was not about to let his partner hear the end of this. That is, when he woke up. Truth be told, the Servine was slightly worried for Riolu. It was clearly unlike him to be sleeping this long. The days prior, Riolu had occasionally awakened in the middle of the night for reasons unknown, yet he was always able to wake up before the other. The two of them concluded it had heavily to do with all the training in the guild. Ah, the days when he was just a Snivy at Wigglytuff's Guild: hard work with the other apprentices, memorable journeys, saving the world... He was truly fond of his time on this world as a Pokémon. This was his home, and he could not imagine leaving it.
Or, quite honestly, saving it once more. The good news was that he never had to again . He could live here in peace with Riolu and go on countless explorations! ...Again, whenever his partner decided to wake up.
For now, the Servine was at ease hearing little else but the crashing of the waves against the rock beneath. It has always been a pleasant sound to rest his eyes to... Come to think of it, the tides sounded slightly off this day. After nearly a year of living at Sharpedo Bluff, the grass-type's senses were highly attuned to the environment. Peculiarity was present. The tides were off. Was the moon perhaps full...? Curiosity proved to be an itch that the Servine wished to tend to as soon as possible. Approaching the stone steps carved into the ground which led up to the surface through a tiny cave, he glanced back at his partner, who was laying flat on his back with a paw over his chest. He detested the though of leaving Riolu behind, but this could have been important if not observed! Then again, he gathered the townsfolk have noticed by now. Despite that, he started toward the surface.
He and his partner's humble abode neighbored the famous yet equally humble Treasure Town. A simple path organized in a straight line through a variety of tribal tents and basic structures was its configuration. Some of these tents were larger than others. Just as well, some were more elaborate than others in terms of decorations. Most of the smaller tents remote to the path were homes, while those edging onto the path were simple business run by no more than three capable Pokémon. While it was a leisurely town, there was always work to be done, and everyone performed their part to keep their home in top-notch.
Even still, the subtle sense of unease remained in the Pokémon's heart...
He passed through the town as if this inner adversity was nothing more than concern for his partner—a bit of it actually was—sleeping in later than usual. He hoped to keep it invisible from the friendly townsfolk, who remained as upbeat as usual. This Servine was greeted with smiles and waves; the occasional "Good morning, Jovany!". He gave all who gestured to him a warm smile in return, hoping he was the only one who knew about this unease and was prepared to investigate it. If it was dangerous, he detested the thought of harm being brought to any civilian on the town. Plus, it was essentially his job, save exploration. Save others. It was a very large focus of Team Crimsongleam.
It had been too long since the day Jovany met Riolu on the beach nearby. And perhaps it was instinct, or that disorder in the tides, but Jovany felt the desire to investigate that same beach prior to anything else. He continued west until coming to an intersection in the path. The crossroads led to the outer lands, a small Pokémon-shaped tent atop one of the higher cliffs in the region, or downhill south to a very familiar site. The beach: the true birthplace of Team Crimsongleam.
To the Servine's unwanted surprise, the beach he and his partner and the many inhabitants of Treasure Town knew was no more. The level of the water rose drastically. In wide-eyed disbelief, Jovany watched as the waves crashed upon trees, which had grown on the very same path to the beach. That path had practically become the shore. So the water level has risen, thought the inquisitive Jovany. But why...? Who is this Pokémon here? The young Pokémon had noticed another before him the moment he arrived here, but was more concerned with the risen waters. He shouldn't have been. It didn't suit his personality and position as an explorer, especially since this other small Pokémon looked to be unconscious. It wasn't everyday Jovany rescued someone outside a mystery dungeon.
"Hey, what happened? Are you alright?" The Servine called out, approaching fairly slowly. He knew the other had blacked out, but his call was at least an attempt to awaken this Pokémon. And it worked... almost.
He watched as the other began to struggle to make any movement. Jovany guessed it was at least trying to turn over. It appeared to be sheer coincidence, as another call went unheard. A third call, however, came from elsewhere. The gruff sounding, tribal voice belonged to an apprentice of the guild Jovany used to work vigorously at. This apprentice was quite new, not only to the guild, but to the land.
"Ah, is Jovany! You rise early today..." The blue Pokémon approached the other as he spoke. He resembled an otter who stood on two legs at all times. At his darker blue hips were to decently large seashells. At the back of his head were two soft spikes that rose, taking the place of hair. Unlike most Pokémon of his species—a Dewott—he possessed complex black markings in his fur which started as simple crescent shapes on his cheeks, then evolved into more circular and spiral shapes down his arms. As soon as his eyes caught sight of the water, he froze, more than slightly surprised. "Is true. Ocean rise to greater level."
"Futachi," Jovany started, now facing the new guild apprentice. He frowned for a moment at the other Pokémon's statement. He was up early? It felt as though he was up at his usual time... "You've come to check the tide also? I'm not sure what the issue is, but it looks like it brought this poor fellow along with it." The Servine turned to his side, allowing the Dewott named Futachi to see the unconscious Pokémon.
"Hm... Is an Eevee, no? Is out cold. Futachi will bring Eevee back to guild" Futachi suggested while Jovany appeared to be lost in though as he stared at the more unfortunate Pokémon... He was bothered by this perhaps more than the risen tides... "Jovany?" Futachi managed to clear the Servine's head, for a moment anyway. Jovany shook his head and all troubling thoughts out. It was not like him to mull over such things, and when he did, it generally spelled some sort of havoc to come.
"Sorry, I guess I'm still waking up." Jovany fibbed. There was definitely something about this Eevee that perplexed him, aside from his being a normal-type Pokémon and ending up in the ocean in the first place. With a raised brow, Futachi crouched to this small fox-like Pokémon's level and lifted it in his arms. "The little thing is kind of cute... I hope it'll be okay." He smiled softly, Futachi's response heard as a quiet grunt.
"Come, we report to Chatot." The Dewott spoke as he began his return to the guild. Jovany hesitated for but a moment. He was beyond intrigued. Maybe for today, exploration would not be his and his partner's focus. He wished to awaken Riolu not just because this case would excite him. He was quickly discovering that it was a pet peeve to do anything adventurous while the other half of Team Crimsongleam was still asleep... Jovany quickly made after Futachi.
...In their absence came a shadow: a Heartless of the kind faced in Sora's Dive. Eerie glowing eyes watched the two Pokémon make their way back to Treasure Town. Upon sinking into the ground as a liquid shadow, it gave chase.