Chapter 7: Foggy Winter Travels
The next day, the Guild members set out in three groups. Larry, Flora, Mimen, Senior, and Junior all headed out in one group. Bartleby, Charlie, Charles the Crogunk, Phil the Corphish, and Kip set out in another. And Stacy, Trey, Sally, Chiaka, and Bobby headed out in the last.
"I suppose we're to explore along the way too," Stacy said. "So who's going to be in charge of our group?"
"I'm just a staff member," Chiaka said with a jingle. "So I don't go out into dungeons a lot. I can hold my own, but I'd better not be the leader."
"Well then you're senior to us, Bobby," Stacy then said to the Bidoof.
"Oh, um, golly…" he shook his head. "Sorry, I've been working on my own so much, and when I go in groups, I'm never in charge. So I don't think I'd do well leading us."
"Looks like you're our leader then, Stacy," Trey said.
"Well, okay. Chiaka, Bobby, I want you to know that if Sally claps, she's spotted something and wants us to check it out, so just be aware of that. She does pretty well letting us know what she sees, but if you don't understand her, call for Trey."
Sally gave them a thumbs up, which seemed to be a signal for approval.
"All right," Chiaka agreed, along with Bobby.
"Okay, then let's head off!"
"Into yet another cave," Trey said in a cheerful joke. "There's an awful lot of those around, don'tcha think?"
Bobby smiled. "That is true. Seems like every cave and forest has attracted a Mystery Dungeon."
"This looks like Beach Cave," Chiaka noted. "But more rocky."
"And with more cliffs to drop off of," Stacy noted. They weren't as high as the ones at Drenched Bluff, but seemed more rugged and treacherous.
"This place is known as Craggy Coast," Trey said, having checked the Wonder Map. "If we follow this into the mountains, we should make it to the base camp."
Passing the slick and dangerous coastline, the group made its way into a mountainous region. Craggy Coast remained damp and wet the whole way. There were occasional rock falls; however, Chiaka seemed to notice them before they started. So that no one got hurt, she would ring a warning if someone was near the area.
When they exited the dungeon, they found themselves walking along a mountain path. Trey checked the map again. "If we cross this mountain, we should have an easy road to the camp site from there. Trying to go around this one will end up taking us longer."
"It's pretty late, though," Stacy said. "If we tried to cross the mountain, night would fall."
"Probably by the time we hit the peak," Bobby noted. "And I'm getting hungry."
"Yeah, so am I. Well this spot seems fairly safe. Let's camp here for the night."
The group agreed and set up a campfire. "Thanks for using that Reviver Seed on me," Chiaka said. "I hope I've not been too much of a burden."
"Oh no, you're a good help," Stacy said with a smile. "Avoiding the rocks is something we usually only have split second warning for, not almost a minute."
The Chimecho smiled back. "It's no problem. I signed up as an apprentice like you guys. I wanted to be a great explorer like Bartleby someday. But I turned out to be not that good at it. The Guildmaster was kind enough to hire me as a telepath for rescue calls and incoming teleports. And then I get to come along on this wonderful trip. I'm so happy!" She chimed in emphasis.
"Me too," Bobby said. "I'm trying real hard to be a good explorer, but I was still surprised that I was one of the first to be called up for this. And it's so good of Bartleby to have invited everybody."
"Yeah, so no one was disappointed," Trey agreed. "Not even Kip."
"Are you doing okay, Sally?" Stacy asked.
The human nodded, brushing her white hair away from her face.
"I feel kind of bad sometimes," she went on, "because you can't join in on conversations like the rest of us, since you have to get your words translated."
"She says it's okay," Trey said. "So what have you been thinking of?"
Sally blushed and put her hand to her face. Then she started signing. "I have been wondering a lot about my past, where I came from and why I appeared out of nowhere on the beach. I also wonder about where the other humans live, and what they're like. Or why I'm here as the only human."
"There have been humans in these lands," Chiaka said. "But it was a very long time ago. Even the Pokemon that live hundreds of years haven't seen a human around here before you. People say that humans live in a distant land across the ocean."
"A few of their things show up from time to time in Mystery Dungeons," Trey said. "Like books, and magical devices like Link Boxes or your hearing aids. Maybe there was some accident in a dungeon of the human lands that brought you to Beach Cave."
"Do you remember anything before then?" Bobby asked.
Sally shook her head. She also signed, "Nothing."
"Golly. I would hate to lose my memory."
"True." Stacy looked at the others. "Well it's getting late and we ought to get to sleep so we can start out early tomorrow."
The group agreed to that. After setting up their two tents, the group split up to get some rest.
In the morning, they entered the dungeon that spread across Mount Horn. It was a lovely looking mountain, made of red sandstone that had hints of pink and yellow throughout. Low-lying bushes and vines grew out of cracks in the stone. Every now and then, there were little mountain streams and pools.
But as pretty as it was, it was a tricky dungeon to get through. Most of the ground was too loose or jagged to climb. There were trenchlike paths making up most of the dungeon, turning into long winding circles or deadends. There were few open rooms on Mount Horn. All the backtracking they were forced to do ate up a lot of the day.
Finally in the evening, they came off the other side and into a foggy valley. What they could see looked nice, a pleasant little forest area. But the fog denied them any details of distant objects. They could see an orange glow of a campfire. "That must be the campsite," Stacy said.
"Wow, we managed it and crossed Mount Horn!" Bobby said, sounding tired but excited.
"Yeah, that was some hike," Trey agreed.
When they got closer to camp, Charlie spotted them first. "You're late," he called. "We were worried about you."
"Sorry," Stacy said. "We passed through interesting places, though."
"Well come on by the fire; we're exchanging stories already."
Everyone seemed to have come by way of interesting Mystery Dungeons. Kip came over to his three teammates for the evening. "You know, after two days, I believe I prefer the Guildmaster's happy prattle over Charlie's insufferable know-it-all lectures. But there was certainly never a dull moment."
"Well that's good," Stacy said. "We missed having you along."
The Skitty settled down by them for dinner. "Charles is kind of a weird guy; he takes care of the cleaning when no one else is assigned to it, even though he's a part Poison Croagunk. Phil's a bit airheaded, though. I think every sentence of his has 'hey' in it somewhere. Speaking of that… hey Sally, what's on your mind?"
She looked startled, then shook her head and made a few signs. She was just lost in thought, that was all. However, something about this area struck her as familiar. The forest and lake hidden behind cool thick fog… it seemed like she should know something about this place.
Over dinner, everyone discussed the dungeons they had passed through and what lay ahead in the fog. "Many teams of all levels have come to investigate this area before," Charlie told the group. "But no one had managed to confirm the existence of the lake. Some groups have only heard the water while others say they found nothing at all."
"This icy fog might have something to do with that overall failure," Kip stated. "We're getting damp just sitting here."
"Yeah, you have no idea how hard it was to start this campfire," Larry said.
"I've heard of a legend of this area that explains why no one has ever been able to find the lake," Chiaka said, a bit shy.
"What is it?" Trey asked.
She bowed. "It's said that a legendary Pokemon named Uxie lives at this lake. He has a mysterious power in which, if you look into his eyes, he wipes your memories clean. So people may have found the lake, but then Uxie takes away their memories of it, and everything else with it."
"Now that's spooky," Larry said. "I don't know what I'd do if my memories were suddenly taken away from me."
"Oh, I don't think you'd have to worry about that," Flora teased him. "You're so forgetful all the time that you make me go eek!"
"HEY!"
"Chill out," Charlie said. "Mysterious places like this tend to draw mysterious legends. We don't know if this one is true."
"Because anyone who encounters it forgets about it almost immediately," Mimen noted.
"I still wouldn't worry about it," Charlie said. "Now when it comes to tomorrow, we will all split up to explore the forest. You staff members, Chiaka, Mimen, Charles, Senior, and Junior, you're welcome to go into the forest or stay behind in camp with the Guildmaster and myself as we collect reports about the area. We would appreciate if one of our Psychics stays behind, though."
"I don't mind staying behind," Chiaka said. "It's how I help best."
"Good, thank you."
"My son and I are going to explore the underground area," Senior said. "We know that some lakes are hidden underground."
"Good thinking. As for you apprentices, the forest around here has become a Mystery Dungeon, so explore it carefully. Take notes, either mentally or physically, and report back often. Your mission is twofold. First, we must find the lake. Second, there might be some way to lift this fog. It is always hanging over this region, so it seems magical. And if it's a magic fog, there might be a method to clear it away. I'm sure that if we all work together, we can solve the mystery of Fogbound Lake!"
Everyone cheered for this speech from Charlie.
"Everybody!" the Guildmaster called, "Make sure to keep warm tonight! It's gonna snow! Fun fun!"
A few apprentices, including Trey, groaned.
In the morning, there was an inch of snow on the ground. The groups had been reshuffled. Some, like Senior and Junior, went off in pairs. Others went to seach on their own. As Kip had to stay behind with the Guildmaster, the other three members of Team Marmalade went together.
As they went deeper in the forest, the fog got deeper. The trees, mostly evergreens, were difficult to truly identify. The snow made it even worse, blending everything into a white blur. At one point, Stacy stopped. "Oh hey, look at this."
"What've you got?" Trey asked.
"It's a pretty red rock." She picked it up. "Wow, it feels warm."
The Treecko touched it. "Yeah. That's weird." He looked at the hole in the snow pack. "Maybe it kept the snow from forming over it."
"I think I'll take this. My brothers would be fascinated by it."
Back at camp, Bartleby came up to Kip. "Hey, want to go out and explore?"
He looked up from where he was lying down. "Aren't we supposed to watch over camp?"
"Yeah, but that's no fun. Come, let's find the source of this fog. Charlie won't be able to tell."
Kip smiled, got up, stretched, then nodded. "All right. Let's go."
Later, the fog got so deep that Sally knelt down. She signed something to Trey. "She says that she can't see us in this fog," Trey told Stacy.
"It's hard to see anything," Stacy replied. "I hear water, though."
Sally nodded, then offered to carry the other two so that she didn't step on them by accident. They spent a good fifteen minutes following the sound of water doing this. Then Sally stepped in a shallow pool of water. She stopped and put them down, remaining kneeling.
"This fog is horrible," Stacy said. "No wonder nobody can find this lake. But listen to all those waterfalls! There must be a cliff or something nearby. I wonder where."
"I think I see something ahead," Trey said.
In the thickest part of foggy forest, marsh, or something, Stacy, Trey, and Sally found a large statue of red stone. It seems like it had fallen over in the moist ground. It depicted a large bulky Pokemon with a fierce continence and long claws.
"Wow, I've never seen a Pokemon like this before," Stacy said, looking up at the statue's eyes.
"I've only seen it in pictures and books," Trey said. "This is the legendary Pokemon Groudon. He is said to be the shaper of the land, the master of Ground Pokemon."
"Like Junior and Senior? But what makes him legendary? I've heard of some amazing Pokemon."
"Legendary Pokemon are beyond amazing," Trey said in a hushed tone, enough that Sally had to lean in closer. "They are immortal, having been around since the beginning of the world. They have powers of such magnitude that the strongest of mortal Pokemon don't stand a chance against them in battle. At least, that's what the stories say."
Stacy put her paw oto her chin. "Huh. I've heard of them, but wasn't as interested as I was in tales of famous explorers."
Sally clapped her hands, pointing them to the side of the statue. There was an engraving there.
"Oh, that's footprint runes," Trey said. "Let me see… 'Reignite the life that burned within Groudon. Then the sky shall blaze with the sun's heat. The path to treasure shall be revealed.' What's that mean?"
"You're the smart one," Stacy pointed out.
"Well yes, but…"
"It at least confirms that there's some treasure here," Stacy said. "I'm not sure how to bring a statue to life, though."
"Sky shall blaze…" Trey murmured. "There was something about Groudon that connected him to the sun too. I don't quite remember."
Stacy considered it. "It's a statue so it probably wasn't alive… hey wait, Sally! I don't like how it hurts you, but do you think you might see something if you touch it?"
She shrugged and signed something. "She says maybe. I have noticed that sometimes she tries to trigger the visions, but they don't happen."
Still, Sally placed her hands on Groudon's arm. Her eyes unfocused, then she grimaced as she tried not to react so much to the pain. Recovering faster than before, she then showed them both what she had seen. Or rather, heard, as no images came through.
It was a friendly voice, but one they didn't recognize. "So you put the Drought Stone in the slot where Groudon's heart would be… and that clears the fog!"
Static.
"That's right. Good work, partner."
The three looked at each other. "That was just a voice this time," Stacy said. "But, the Drought Stone?"
"What about that rock you picked up earlier?" Trey said. "It was odd that it would just be lying around, but it's red like this statue."
"You're right. I wanted it for my brothers… I can always find another rock. Okay, here it goes." Sally pulled out the warm red stone she had found and looked over the front. In between Groudon's arms, there was a slot that the stone seemed a perfect fit for. She placed it inside.
The stone glowed brilliant red, like a puddle of bright lava. Groudon's eyes lit up in the same manner. All of a sudden, it grew a lot warmer, with incredibly intense sunlight. It was the sort of light one expected in a summer's desert, not a winter's forest. The snow falling through the fog turned into rain, which swept the fog away. It revealed a beautiful meadow in the middle of the area.
Some distance away, Kip winced as the foggy snowy weather turned to rain. "Ah rock smash," he grumbled. "Now all the snow's gonna melt and make the ground muddy."
"Wow!" Bartleby called. "Look at that!"
"At what?" Kip looked around, but the Wigglytuff seemed to be pointing to a tree. "Um, that's a big tree."
"It's a Perfect Apple Tree!" Wigglytuff declared, rushing over and leaping into the branches. The bright ruby red apples bounced as he came towards them. "I didn't knew they grew here!" he called down, before happily taking one and munching on it.
Once Perfect Apple came loose and fell off. Kip caught it before it hit the ground. Curious, he took a bite out of it. There were plenty of other apples in the tree to satisfy the Guildmaster. "This is pretty good," he said. It was a nice mix of sweetness, tartness, and crispness. Still, Kip didn't see how it was that much different, or preferable, to the more common Apples that grew everywhere.
"They're the best!" Bartleby called cheerfully.
He looked around, wondering if wild Pokemon would be riled up by them being there. However, the thing he saw was much more curious. "Hey Bartleby… check that out!"
Back by the Groudon statue, the trio from Marmalade were in awe of the sight before them. There were waterfalls spilling all around, despite there being no cliffs. At least, no cliffs on the ground right next to them. Farther in, there was a column of stone, with spread out amazingly into a shape like an urn. The urn stone island went higher and higher into the sky, until it came out on a flat area high above the rest of the landscape.
At the narrow part of the strange island, there was a rock tunnel that appeared to lead up into the middle of the urn island. The entrance had a feel of wild magic, of a Mystery Dungeon. That was the path up to the top. Vents puff out giant plumes of steam. The bright pools nearby bubbled with heat, colored in such ways that should not have existed naturally.
"Wow," Trey said. "No wonder nobody could find Fogbound Lake. The lake is way up in the sky!"
"This tunnel should lead up to the lake," Stacy said. "I'm sure the others can find this island now that the fog is gone; it's kind of unmistakable. Let's go on ahead."
With agreement from the other two, they went up into the tunnel. Sally noted that the two Pokemon were eager to explore a new and strange place. As for herself, she still felt like it was all much too familiar. Did it have something to do with Uxie, if the legendary Pokemon lived here?
The dungeon inside was hot, humid, and sticky. Even the dark rocks seemed to sweat. The three took it easy. Stacy was worried about her human teammate. As a Squirtle, she could handle the humidity, and Trey would be okay so long as it didn't get much hotter. But Sally's armored skin was made of steel. But the occasional time she touched Sally or the human touched her, her skin didn't seem that hot. Maybe it had some protection against the heat.
They finally got out of the steamy tunnels and into open clear air. It was a large opening of gray granite. Past the opening, there was a staircase that led up to what presumably was the lakebed. "Phew, we're out of that sauna," Trey said, wiping his forehead. "And look how high up we are! It doesn't seem like we climbed that far."
"But we must have. The lake must be just ahead. Let's go… Sally? What is it? I've noticed you've gotten distracted the past couple of days."
She knelt down and made a few signs. "She has a strange feeling that she's been here before," Trey said. "Hey, you know what Chiaka was talking about last night? About how it's rumored that a powerful Pokemon named Uxie lives here?"
"Oh yeah, the one that erases memories." She looked up at Sally. "I wonder if maybe you encountered him, and that's why you don't remember anything."
She shrugged, but looked lost again.
"Then the thing to do is go up and see if we can find Uxie," Trey said. "We can ask him."
"Hold it," a distant and deep voice called.
"Huh?" They looked around. Stacy called, "Who is it?"
The ground shivered. Then, something jumped down into the opening, creating a tremendous tremble in the ground, as if there were an earthquake. Standing in front of them was Groudon. Not a statue, not an image, but the real legendary Pokemon Groudon towering over the two Pokemon and even the human. Trey glanced back, but a rock had fallen across the entrance to the steam caves. The openings led to falls too far to survive, and none of them could fly. They were trapped.
"I am the guardian of the lake," Groudon said. "No one is to trespass here. Those who dare to do so," he stomped a foot down, causing another tremendous tremor, "will be punished severely."
"We, we didn't know about that," Stacy said. "We were just exploring the area, and…"
"Prepare yourselves!" Then he came closer to them.
It was a tough fight, but Stacy and Trey managed to harm the Ground master with Mega Drain and Water Gun. When Groudon struck, it was hard. Even Sally looked to be wearing down after a few punches from the large beast. But against all odds and expectations, they won.
However, Groudon simply vanished in an explosion of light. "What happened?" Trey asked. "Where'd Groudon go?"
"That was not Groudon," a different male voice said. It wasn't quite as deep and earthy; it sounded almost like the librarian Alakazam's voice, old and knowledgeable.
"Who are you?" Stacy asked.
"I am the Guardian of the lake, as I said. I am Uxie." A small Pokemon then appeared before them, with a body smaller than that of Stacy and Trey. "That Groudon was an illusion of mine, at a fraction of the power of the real thing."
But that was a really tough fight, Stacy thought. Trey must have been right about the power of legendary Pokemon. "We're an explorer team, Team Marmalade.. at least, most of us. We just came to explore and see what was here."
"Is that so?" Uxie asked.
"YOOM-TAH!" A voice came from the tunnel as the rock blocking it was bashed into a million pieces. Bartleby and Kip showed up. "We have made it almost to the top!" And the Guildmaster had somehow managed the climb through Steam Cave with a Perfect Apple on his head. Condensation beaded off the fruit's red skin.
"Frickin' gravelrocks," Kip grumbled. "Am I glad to be out of that cave oven."
"Um, and that would be our other member and the Guildmaster, Bartleby," Stacy added. "Guys, this is, um, Uxie."
"Oo, really?" Bartleby cheered. "How wonderful to meet you!"
"And you're just exploring?" Uxie asked.
"Yup, yup!" the Guildmaster said. "Here to see the many wonders of the world, solve its mysteries, and find some treasures. Oo, and the forest below is sooo pretty when the fog clears up. I even found a Perfect Apple Tree!"
"But um," Stacy added, "we don't mind leaving without any treasure, so long as we find out what's here."
The pixie Pokemon flicked his two tails, then gazed over them with his closed eyes. "Well, I sense no hostility from any of you. I'll trust you for the time being. Come with me; I'll escort you up to Fogbound Lake." He floated up the stairs.
"No hostility, huh," Trey said cheekily, nudging Kip.
"That cave was hid-e-ous," the Skitty moaned. "I'm so exhausted of that humidity that I can't bear to think of going back down in. I just want a nap."
After going up the stairs, they came upon an amazing sight. Under a deep starry sky, a large glittering lake lay on top of the urn rock island. Native Illumise and Volbeats flew around, adding their own blinking lights to the natural light show. And far off in the middle of the lake, there was a dome of glowing blue-green light.
The group came onto a rocky outlook that stood a bit over the lake's surface. Even Kip, who had seen a great many fantasic things and jeered at them, was caught up in the glorious spectacle. After a few quiet moments, Trey couldn't help but ask, "How does so much water get all the way up here?"
"There's a geothermal spring below this place," Uxie replied. "Every day, the geyser shoots up multiple times, bringing the waters up to this height. It then spills back over and, while some of it does escape, most of it drains back below, where the cycle begins again. It would be beginning soon if we wait a moment."
True to his word, the middle of the lake began to tremble, then burst into a twenty foot fountain of water. It shot through the dome of light, so the glow moved up through the incoming water, giving the geyser a rainbow-hued shine. "Now that's a real treasure that you can only take with your memory," Bartleby said.
"Yes, but I can't allow visitors to remember this place," Uxie stated. He pointed out towards the middle of the lake. "That glow there… that comes from a Time Gear."
"A Time Gear?" Stacy asked.
"The Time Gears are artifacts made of wild magic," Trey explained. "I don't really understand what exactly they do, but they are said to conduct time. When one is taken from a place where it is hidden, all time grinds to a halt. Everything comes to a standstill."
"That is so," Uxie said. "And I've been asked to keep watch over this Time Gear. Therefore, I put it in the lake most precious to me."
"Do the Time Gears have anything to do with the current instability of time?" Stacy asked. "Because it's been wintery over this trip while I'm certain that it was summery a month ago."
He was quiet for a moment. "I'm afraid to admit it, but I'm not certain why time has been fraying. Things have been… quiet. I've noticed that the glow has brightened as the Time Gear works harder to keep things running properly. It's got me worried, but nothing has shown up as a source of true concern. So I'm not sure what to do except continue to make sure that this Gear is safe."
"If that's the case, then we won't tell anybody about this place," Bartleby said.
"You won't?" Uxie asked in a neutral tone.
"Yes, we promise," Stacy said. "Right, everyone?" Although she asked of the group, she looked at Kip.
Trey, Sally, and Bartleby all agreed. Kip swished his tail. "Well why would I want to share such a beautiful treasure, even if only in memory? I can't keep any physical treasures."
He considered them again, then nodded. "I feel that I can trust you with that. All right. Besides, you're explorers. You would be best for coming up with something that will keep other explorers from poking their noses around here. And if I did erase your memories, you would come back to figure out why."
"Oh and…" Stacy blushed, "Sorry about asking so many questions, but…"
"It's fine," Uxie said with a small smile. "Questions are good."
"Well, I was wondering if Sally here has ever come to your lake. She doesn't remember anything beyond a certain point, so have you met her before?"
"This human?" He shook his head. "No. It has been an extraordinarily long time since any humans have come to this lake. It's such a pity. Humans were always finding such intriguing knowledge."
"But you cause amnesia," Trey pointed out.
"I only take the memories of this lake away," Uxie told them. "Although that is one of my powers… memories are precious things, and I would much rather not destroy them. But my duty to the Time Gear is more important. No, I feel that her memories were caused by a completely different power. I can't identify what exactly, but those memories seemed to be wrecked rather than erased. It would take a miracle to restore them."
Sally gave a sign of acceptance but she was still quite distracted. As if she knew the place, but couldn't place it. She watched the glow of the Time Gear mostly. It made her feel some kind of anticipation, anxiety, and grave importance. However, she couldn't remember why it was of such grave importance.
When they got back to the campsite, Charlie met with them. "Where have you all been? Especially you, Bartle? We've been waiting on you to return."
"I went exploring with Kip!" Bartleby said. "It was fun. He makes funny comments."
Kip twitched his tail. "Uh-huh. I don't know if you're an idiot or a genius now."
Bartleby laughed. "See?"
"So where were you?" Charlie asked.
"Eek, the fog and the cold is returning," Flora said, shivering. "I hope it doesn't snow tonight."
"We saw a GREAT big rock sitting on top of a few tiny columns!" Larry said. "But we came back because it suddenly turned to night."
"We went up onto that rock," Stacy said, wondering what she should say next.
"And that was a torturous waste of time," Kip said, seeming completely disgruntled. "Ugh, I never want to go back in there again."
"There wasn't anything up there," Bartleby said.
"Nothing?" Charlie asked, surprised. "But there was water coming off the big urn rock."
"Just a big lake," he said. "No treasure, no statues, no nothing." He looked quite disappointed. "But we had fun on the way, right?"
"Kind of," Trey said, while Kip blew a raspberry.
"And, I found a Perfect Apple Tree here in the forest! So the best treasure is that!"
Charlie put his wing over his eyes. "Well I suppose the trip is as important as the goal, no matter how disappointing. All well, we have to head back to Treasure Town tomorrow then."
In the morning, the meadow was completely fogged up again. And coated in three inches of snow.
