Chapter 3

The Mermaid and the Warlock

May was in no hurry to get home, and so she sat there on the rock, contemplating what she would have to say to appease Brendan and what to do in order to ensure that Wally was emotionally stable. She had always done this, though: no matter what the circumstance, she was always the mediator. She hated to see her friends fight and she was always desperate in her attempts to calm both sides. The longer she contemplated, the longer she realized that, by ensuring that both sides were appeased and happy at the end of the day, that she was sacrificing her own personal happiness. She had never felt sad or angry when she had to spend her free time talking with Brendan in order to help him calm down after a losing battle. She had never noticed how worn out she'd felt after secretly following Wally in order to make sure that, whenever he decided to slip out unnoticed from is parent's home (he believed himself to be a ninja, but he was the farthest thing from it), he was safe from harm. The longer she contemplated these things the more she realized how integral she was to the safety of her friends.

If only they knew just how much I did for them, maybe they wouldn't be so quick to desert me.

She sighed and closed her eyes, reclining on the rock and pretending it was more comfortable than it actually was. When she decided that it was time to go home and fix what was wrong, she found herself looking into the blood-red eyes of a rather ferocious-looking sharpedo.

May caught herself before she screamed bloody murder, but couldn't stop herself from shooting upright from her position on the rock. The sharpedo had anticipated her shock and quickly darted out of the way. It floated a few feet away from her, observing her as she began to calm herself down.

What is a sharpedo doing in this end of the reef? I'm the only thing for miles—well, besides mudkip. But this is a terrible spot to go hunting. Maybe it's not that hungry after all.

She titled her head to the side. "What do you want?"

The sharpedo seemed to understand her and promptly swam away.

"Wait, where are you going?" asked May as she returned her mudkip. It didn't turn around however, and she was forced to hastily try and catch up to it. It was no secret that sharpedo were the fastest sea creatures around and this one was particularly interested in showcasing that fact. It swam past rocks and glided across the sea floor with grace. May had never seen a sharpedo with such elegance. It's almost enough to make me like it…

As soon as that thought passed through her mind, the Pokémon looked back at her and flashed its razor sharp teeth before continuing its journey.

…on second thought, maybe not.

Before she knew it, May was in a part of the ocean she'd never seen before. It was dark, almost creepy, and there were barely any Pokémon milling about. When she did notice one, it was usually a skittish krabby who quickly scuttled back into its dark hiding spot.

I'm getting a bad feeling about this place. Maybe I should turn around. It's not like the sharpedo can tell me to stop. Well, maybe its teeth can, but I'm willing to take that risk if it means getting out of this creepy place.

Just as she began to swish her tail in the opposite direction, the sharpedo stopped swimming altogether and looked back at her expectantly. May, in turn, stopped moving and craned her neck to see what the Pokemon wanted. What she saw was something she never expected to lay eyes on in her entire life.

What lay in front of her was the dilapidated shell of a pirate ship. Huge chunks of wood were missing and sea life had begun to make its home on the pieces that remained. The mast was broken at the top, and the tattered remains of a white sail hung limp. A large hole had been made in the right side of the boat and that was exactly where the sharpedo was now heading.

May refused to follow. Of all the places it would lead me to…it had to be this. The Pokémon noticed and quickly approached her. She flinched as it stared her down, intimidating her to the very core of her being. Before she could react, the sharpedo was pushing her back, forcing her closer to the ship.

"Hey!" she protested as she flailed her arms out wildly. "I don't consent to this kind of treatment! Let me go!"

The Pokémon, if it understood her cries for help, did nothing and continued forcing her towards the ship. Its speed was so immense that May didn't have the time to try and swim away. Before she knew it, she was floating around in the belly of the ship, the sharpedo swimming deeper into the boat.

I guess it's too late to turn back now, she thought. Might as well see what's around here.

Before she followed the sharpedo, she took a moment to look at the ship itself. Scattered pieces of trinkets and clothing were strewn all across the seafloor. She picked up what looked to be a fragment of a mirror and caught a glance of herself in its reflection. She tilted her head to the side as she examined her facial features, noting the curl of her hair and the slight spattering of freckles she had doted around her nose. I'll have to make sure Dad doesn't notice that. He'll think I've gone up to the surface.

As May continued to gaze at her reflection, she caught something sparkle in the mirror. It disappeared almost instantaneously, but she quickly turned around to try and see what it was. She glanced down at the ground with calculating eyes and soon discovered something shimmering in the sands just outside the ship. She apprehensively swam towards it and moved away some of the sand that covered it.

From what she could tell, she was now holding a pin with the most brilliant stone she'd ever seen housed within it. Even in the darkest depths of the ocean, it still had a shimmer to it. She twirled it in her fingers, lightly touching the smooth stone and attempting to see its glow from various angles. I wonder who this belonged to…

Before she could ponder the pin's owner any longer, she heard the guttural noise of the sharpedo cry out from within the ship. She hastily stashed the pin in her bag and frantically swam back into the boat. She tried to follow the echoes of the Pokémon's cry and found herself swimming deeper and deeper into the ship. How big can one boat be? She asked herself as she rounded a corner. As she turned to see what lay behind the corner, her breath caught in her throat.

Well, I at least I found the sharpedo.

Next to the shark Pokémon was a merman she'd never laid eyes on before. Possessing blue eyes and a disheveled mop of brown hair, the man reclined in a chair that seemed to be built from the bones of dead animals. The way he carried himself implied that he was expecting May's presence, as he wasn't making any attempts to get up from his spot and force her out. She noticed that a long scar ran down his chest and it made her shiver thinking about what could have given him such a wound. It was only after taking the man in that she realized whose company she presently found herself in.

"You're Archie, the warlock. Aren't you?" May said.

The man smiled wide. "So you've heard of me, eh, little scamp?"

Little scamp? Never heard that one before. "I've heard the fables," she said, crossing her arms.

"Oh?" He leaned in closer to her and added, "And what do they say about me?"

I've gotta watch what I say. I certainly don't want to be on this guy's bad side. She took in a breath before saying, "They say you live in a ship that you destroyed by your own hand and that you use the bones of your victims as your furniture." The warlock looked down at his seat and so did May. She resisted the urge to shiver before continuing, "You lure merpeople who are naïve or foolhardy into making impossible deals with you."

The man leaned back in his chair and said, "Well, let's see if I can dispute any of those claims. This ship was here when I found it; no foul play needed. This chair was made from the bones of already deceased creatures, and they're surely not my victims by any means. I'd like to know who mauled 'em up though," He chuckled to himself and his sharpedo seemed to chuckle with him. "As for the deal thing, it is true; I'll give people what they want, that is, if they're willing to pay the price."

"They also say that your sharpedo eats all those who refuse your offers." May added quickly, sending a glare at the aforementioned Pokemon.

"While I'm not the biggest fan of rejection, I have to admit that never once has sharpedo here eaten a person." He admitted as he patted the Pokémon on the head.

"What?" May said in disbelief.

"No, scamp. She prefers to have her meals handed to her on a silver platter. And the corpses have to be fresh."

May's mouth closed almost instantly and she could feel her face pale.

Archie burst out in laughter, slapping his tail as he hollered. "Yer a funny little lass, scamp. Not like some of my other customers."

"Customers?" May asked.

"Clients, customers, consumers, whatever floats your boat. Or in this case, sinks it." He paused before shaking his head and resuming his playful stance. "Now yer probably wondering why I brought ya here, eh little scamp?"

May said nothing as she stared daggers at the sharpedo. It merely glared back.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Archie concluded. "Well, I have to tell ya a little story first. You like stories, right?"

May nodded her head.

"Good. Once upon a time, not so long ago, I was sitting here, doing what I normally do, when all of a sudden there's a commotion from outside the ship. Sharpedo here goes out to look. And guess what she finds?"

May stared at the warlock as he expectantly waited for her answer.

"C'mon scamp, what do ya think it was?"

She pursed her lips before replying, "An intruder?"

"Bingo! A little merboy was peeking around my ship! The dirty rascal. So I brought the little brat in and was going to have him punished for trespassing—you know what I do to trespassers, right?—but then he starts blubbering on about how much he wants to ask me a favour. Now everyone knows I don't do favours. But the little brat had spunk. So I asked him what he wanted and would you believe what comes out of his mouth next?" He paused once more, but knew May didn't want to give him an answer, so he continued, "He wants me to give him a pair of legs!"

May furrowed her brows in confusion.

Archie noticed her confused expression and nodded. "That's what I thought too, scamp. But what would ya know, as soon as I start telling him that'd be a mighty big favour to ask of me, he interrupts me—the little brat—and says that it's not for him, it's for someone else!"

"What?" said May in disbelief.

Archie nodded his head and continued, "So this is when I get real interested. No one, and I mean no one, in all my years as a sorcerer, has anyone asked me for something for someone else. I play it cool and say, 'And who might this lovely pair of legs be intended for then?' And he looks down at the ground, all shy, and says a name that rhymes with 'bay'."

Her eyes widened in shock. "No…no, you don't mean—"

"That's right scamp," smiled Archie. "He meant you."

She could hardly find the words to speak. How does he know who I am? Did Wally tell him about me? Oh, Wally, what have you done? "But what—how do you—why would Wally—"

"That's what I wanted to figure out too, scamp. So I asked him, I said, 'Why would that little lady wants legs? Wouldn't she rather have jewels or money?' And he looks up at me with the fiercest expression I've ever seen on such a wee lad and says, 'She wants to go to the surface to train her Pokémon. And I want to help her fulfill her dream'."

May's head was spinning. The little sickly boy from down the reef had braved the darkest depths of the sea to ask a warlock to give her legs so she could train on land? He doesn't just want me to battle on the water—it has to be actual land.

Archie noticed her expression, and his grin became more sinister. "Would you believe that I sat there, dumbfounded, for a good minute? Well I did, that is until a thought came into my head. I said 'sure, I'll grant your request. But that'll cost you a pretty penny'. And just when I thought I'd sealed the deal, he runs off." Archie took a deep breath. "And that, scamp, is why I've brought you here. You more than anyone should know that no deal of mine goes unfulfilled."

"But I don't want that anymore," May protested. "We were just speculating and I was just saying it out of the blue when we were—"

"It doesn't matter now, scamp," interrupted Archie. "A deal is a deal. That kid wanted you to have a pair of legs and I want my end of the bargain."

She paused for a second before asking the question she was afraid of. "What did you ask for?"

Archie's smile scared her. "I asked for the blue orb."

May's response was blunt. "I don't have it."

The warlock wasn't fazed by her honesty; rather he seemed to drink it in. "Would ya mind telling me what that pretty blue stone on yer neck is then?"

She glanced down and noticed the familiar blue globe hanging from a gold chain. It sparkled slightly. It's not as brilliant as that stone in my bag… She looked down at said sack, but quickly drew her attention back to the orb. I can't let him know that I have the pin. He'd probably ask for that too.

"How do you know that's what it is?" May inquired as she fingered the necklace gingerly. "For all we know, it could be a fake."

"That's not what Wally said," Archie stated. "From what I can remember, when I asked for it, he mumbled something about you having it but then added that he'd never ask for it. Maybe that's why he ran away; he was afraid of confronting you about it." He snickered to himself. "Little brat thought he could go behind your back and make all yer dreams come true without even asking ya first!"

May yearned to confront Wally about his terrible mistake, but knew that he was only doing what he believed to be in her best interests. I guess this is also my fault too. I shouldn't have told him about my wish to have legs…well, it looks like I'm getting what I wished for.

"So let me get this straight," she said. "The deal you proposed to Wally was that you would give me a pair of legs in exchange for this blue orb. But before you could grant his wish, he ran away. Now I'm supposed to take his place in order to ensure that this deal is seen through?"

Archie grinned at her and folded his hand together. "Yer a smart little scamp, aren't ye?"

"But what do you want with this anyway?" she asked.

"That's for me to know and you to ferget about. What's important here is that you get the legs you've always wanted. There's a whole other world worth explorin' up there and you've already spent yer days swimming around down here!" He glanced at May's necklace and extended his arm. "So whaddya say? Are ye ready to see the surface?"

May took a deep breath before unclasping the necklace. She gazed longingly at the jewel, sad to see it go, but not overly torn about parting with it. Holding the orb in her open palm, she locked eyes with Archie. "Like hell I do."

A/N: So I'm going with the orbs that were established in ORAS, just because it's easier to remember. While I still think it's dumb that they changed them, I understand why they did it. At this point, this has got to take the number one spot for the most fun chapters to write. I never used to like Archie that much but he's slowly growing on me. I think Alpha Sapphire had a lot to do with that, what with the whole revamping of the Team Aqua's overall design and demeanor. What do you guys think?