More new characters and a bit more plot! Isn't this exciting?
Earlier today, Smatt delivered the letters you sent to the various characters, and here are the replies I got…
From TriMapleNut:
"To Alphonse,
Do you have any current love interests and is there any possibility that you might 'like' like a certain blue serpent friend of yours?"
Alphonse: Ha, you wish. I can't even hug her without stinging her. Get back to me when I meet a girl who's part Poison-type.
Smatt's waiting for more letters, so send them in by the truckload. His big beak can hold quite a few, you know.
FrozenArcher: I am a total idiot – I cannot believe I didn't catch that. I can't believe I even WROTE that! Anyway, thanks so much for pointing that out, and it's fixed now.
-.-.-.-.-.
Deep in the Bughaven Forest, there was a town. And it was in this town where the Insect Faction thrived. Predominantly made up of Bug-types, it was a thriving society, enjoying direct relations with the Flame Faction, Water Faction, and Desert Faction. It was also ruled over by a benevolent queen, a Venomoth named Luna, who was loved by all of her many-legged subjects.
Arthropod Town was made up of stone, surprisingly, but there was an immense amount of plant life growing amongst the rocks. Weeds and vines choked the pavement and strangled the buildings, and gardens were plentiful in both number and size. Life was carefree here, where everyone was friendly and helpful, and where one could simply pluck an Apple from a tree and leave a few P in its place.
There was no fighting. There was absolute peace.
Until today.
At the most popular bar in Arthropod Town, the Apple Seed, a young Venonat slumped over her cup of Oran Berry juice. In front of her sat a concerned-looking Yanmega and Eevee, two of the three members of the famed Team Exo. To any foreigner, they would look almost ordinary, although the Eevee might have drawn a couple of stares (for two reasons).
The Venonat was none other than Princess Lavender, the recently-deceased Queen Luna's only daughter. The only thing was, because of the lack of royal garments that usually adorned her, only the two Pokemon in front of her knew her true identity – she was currently going by the name of Lola in order to "hide from those bad Bug-types". Everyone else in the bar thought she was simply a plain-looking, cute little child who resembled their beloved princess greatly. Someone on the opposite end of the bar took a glance at her and joked that "Lola" was Princess Lavender's long-lost sister.
The Yanmega was Cheli, short for Chelicerae. He had three working limbs, and one wooden prosthetic in place of his front right leg. This Ogre Darner Pokemon was revered as a member of Team Exo, a Platinum-ranked rescue team that served the mysterious King of the Guardians. Him and his two teammates were a popular sight in the Apple Seed, enjoying Berry juice and sharing tales of their many adventures to the citizens that happened to be there. Cheli himself was a pretty jolly Bug-type, although he did wizen up in a serious situation.
Finally, the Eevee was Tara. A pure Normal-type in a town full of insects was an unusual sight, and that was one of the reasons the locals kept staring at her. The other reason was that, even by Bug-type standards, she was extremely pretty. Right now, though, her face was contorted with a combination of pity and worry as she observed the distraught princess. She was on Team Exo due to a past show of bravery that had deeply moved Team Exo's leader – an intimidating fellow named Goliath.
But right now, the two Exos did their best to calm Lavender down as she wept a stream of tears from her big, round, red eyes. Tara switched her chair to the one beside the poor Venonat and gently stroked her purple fur. "There, there, dear," she soothed. "Everything will be just fine. You're with friends now."
Cheli nodded and adjusted his grip on his perch – indeed, the chairs were equipped with perches for Bug-and-Flying-types instead of backs. "There's no need to worry," he piled on. "Whatever it was that happened to you, you can tell us about it. We won't tell another soul if necessary."
Lavender hiccupped and took a sip of her juice. "Really?" she asked tentatively. Tara nodded and continued running a paw through her fur. "Of course," the Eevee said earnestly. "I for one believe it's better if you talk about what's bothering you instead of cooping it up inside of you."
Her comrade took a swig of his apple cider and gulped loudly. The Yanmega then asked quietly, "It has something to do with your mother's death, doesn't it?" Tara shot him a warning look, and he replied with an apologetic one. But Lavender was nodding in response to his question. "Yes it does," she replied faintly, sniffling a little.
Tara handed the Venonat a napkin, and she blew her nose on it. "Start at the beginning," Cheli encouraged. "Tell us what happened. How did your mother die? Maybe we'll be able to do something about it."
Lavender sniffled again and took another sip of her juice. "Well, OK," she said. "It started last night…"
-.-.-.-.-.
Six Hours Ago
Lavender woke up with a bad feeling. It was almost like unease, and she figured that it was what had awoken her. The little Venonat wondered what it was that was causing the feeling, and decided to find out.
She sat up in her bed and tried to remain completely still. Lavender glanced around her room and listened for anything out of the ordinary. All she heard was the sound of the wind rustling the curtains that obscured her view of the window.
Hmm, maybe whatever it is that's giving me this feeling is outside, Lavender thought, and hopped out of her bed. She scuttled over to the window and brushed past the curtains, emerging on the balcony outside. The Venonat took a deep breath of the crisp night air as she looked out at the magnificent view. It seemed almost as if she could see the entire forest from this height.
But she quickly got her mind back on the task at hand. Lavender looked down, seeing only the empty castle pathways and outdoor gardens that she always did. The only movement was that of the occasional Surskit guard sliding around on their regular patrols. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
Or was there? Lavender's eyes, naturally adapted for seeing at night, picked out a Surskit guard moving in the opposite direction. That was odd – the guards never strayed from their nightly routine, which she had almost memorized from her years in the castle. What was this guard doing?
Lavender wanted to find out. Due to the silence, all she could hear was her soft footsteps as she scuttled silently out of her room and down the hall. She knew she wasn't allowed to be up at this hour, so she'd have to be careful not to be caught.
She knew the castle like the back of her hand, so it wasn't long before she located the stray guard. The Surskit was fast, and seemed to be moving with some destination in mind. But Lavender was fast as well, and easily kept up with him as he scurried down the various pathways. She made sure that she stayed hidden, jumping behind rose bushes, decorated vases, and various other palace ornaments whenever she was able.
The Surskit guard finally skidded into the castle gardens – although it could have been considered more of a small forest. Lavender always loved coming here, but she was used to seeing it during the day. The perpetual darkness shrouding the flowers and trees made it look kind of unnerving to her.
The Venonat came out of her thoughts just in time. The guard was glancing around at the vicinity, and she would have been spotted for sure if she hadn't dove behind a bush at the last minute. Her long antennae blended in perfectly with the strange, stringy flowers.
Taking one last look around, the Surskit rapidly dashed deeper into the garden. Diving out from her hiding place, Lavender followed him until they had both reached the center of the great garden. Upon seeing what was waiting, she let out a small, quiet squeak of shock and dove into another flower bush. This time, it was her eyes that peeked out from the leaves, disguised as Tamato Berries.
There were a total of what Lavender estimated to be nine or ten Surskit guards, and at the head of them all was a Masquerain. The Bug-and-Poison-type indeed knew the Masquerain, recognizing her as Rosaline, the leader of all the Surskit guards. But why had she gathered only a few of her Surskit, and why had she gathered them here of all places, in the dead of night?
Rosaline was speaking quietly to the guards, and they would occasionally nod as if in understanding. Lavender strained to hear, but she couldn't catch even a word. I'll have to get closer, she realized, and shuddered nervously, making the bush rustle. She hastily stilled herself, only to find that none of the gathered Bug-types had heard. Breathing a sigh of relief, she stealthily slipped to a bush nearer to the group.
Lavender kept creeping closer, freezing the instant she thought she had been caught. But she wasn't detected at all as she slid to the next shrub, and then to the one beside that. Eventually, she had come close enough to hear what Rosaline was saying.
Unfortunately, she seemed to be wrapping up her speech. "…and zis kingdom will belong to ze Abyssal Raiders by dawn," she finished. "Go now, and make sure zere is not a royal alive when ze sun rises." In unison, the squad of Surskit saluted and scattered. Rosaline drifted off after a moment at a more leisurely pace.
The young Venonat couldn't believe what she had just heard. Who are the Abyssal Raiders? she asked herself. Are Rosaline and the guards going to let them take over the Bughaven Kingdom? And what did she mean by 'not a royal alive'?
Then the horrid truth wound its way into her head. The Surskit were going to kill her family! Then the Kingdom would need a new ruler, and that would be when these Abyssal Raiders would swoop down and take it!
Lavender quickly glanced at the sky – the part above the horizon seemed to be lightening a bit. Dawn was coming soon. The Venonat thought fast and came up with a plan. If she went into town now and found a rescue team, they could handle the Surskit and save the Bughaven Kingdom!
Not hesitating even a moment, the little princess dashed off as quickly as she dared, hoping that her family would be safe by the time she got back.
-.-.-.-.-.
Present
Lavender looked out the window and sniffled at the sight of the morning sun peeking over the castle – her home – in the distance. Tara looked appalled and Cheli looked very grim at the conclusion of her story.
They all knew it was too late to do anything now, Lavender most of all. By the time she had ran into Arthropod Town, the sun was already rising and the locals were starting to go about their day.
"I think that Masquerain's working for the Abyssal Raiders," Cheli said, slamming a leg down on the table and rattling their cups. "I've never liked her – I like her even less now. And she's going to be filling in for Queen Luna, too!"
The Venonat jumped so badly, she was lifted completely off of her chair. "What?!" she asked, eyes wide and frightened. The Yanmega wordlessly pulled out a slip of paper from his treasure bag and held it in front of her. It was an announcement poster that detailed how Rosaline would be temporarily filling in for the queen until a new ruler could be determined.
Tara shook herself out of her shock and tried to calm Lavender down by stroking her fur again. "It's alright, dear," she said soothingly. "Things will get better. We'll think of something." But Lavender simply stared in shock at the poster until Cheli put it away. Her fluffy body was shaking in fear.
Suddenly, a loud voice pierced the otherwise peaceful atmosphere of the Apple Seed. All of the Pokemon looked up from their conversations and drinks in surprise. "Leave it to TEAM EXO!" the voice boomed. "The GUARDIANS will have something to SAY about this!"
Lavender's ears were ringing, and she clamped her tiny hands over them in an effort to get them to stop. "Wh-who was that?" she asked, a bit more freaked out than she was before. "G-Goliath," Tara stammered, indignant. "You're listening in on our conversations again!"
The unknown voice came from a different part of the tavern, and it belted out its next statement so hard that it echoed several times. "We're a TEAM! It's not LISTENING IN when we're SUPPOSED to WORK TOGETHER, especially when we're WORKING on such DREADFUL NEWS!"
Cheli slammed his leg on the table again. "Goliath!" he scolded. "Stop scaring the prin – ahem, the little girl here!"
The voice calmed down a tiny bit, and Tara flinched when it next came from right beside her. "You're right, you're right," it said apologetically. "SORRY, Lav – ahem, 'Lola'. I HAVE to speak up, or else NO ONE will HEAR me!"
No longer frightened, Lavender was instead befuddled. "Where are you?" she asked, looking around the room. "Are you a Ghost-type, and floating around here invisibly?"
There was a loud, booming laugh. "HA! I think NOT! Team Exo only accepts BUG-TYPES – well, until TARA came along, that is." The voice became flustered as it added, "My APOLOGIES, Tara."
Said Eevee rolled her eyes. "Can you at least come on out so L – 'Lola' can see you?" she asked exasperatedly, and Lavender regained her initial fear. What if he's some really scary Bug-type? she worried, starting to shake a little. Like a Pinsir or a Scolipede?
And just then, Goliath himself fluttered down in front of her and rested on the table, and Lavender's already big eyes grew wide.
Goliath – the Pokemon with the big, scary voice – was absolutely miniscule.
The tiny Bug-and-Flying type was only half an inch tall, if that. He had a small, tube-like mouth and (relatively) large wings. His body was spherical, and right next to the saltshaker, his size was almost – okay, definitely – laughable.
"Th-this is your leader?" Lavender sputtered, her mandibles tweaking upwards in a smile. Goliath became flustered at the amused tone of her voice and protested, "HEY! I'm actually quite BIG for a MIDJET! And I'm faster than ANY Pokemon ALIVE! I'd win a RACE against a carriage pulled by LATIOS!"
Not convinced, Lavender giggled at the small insect's big talk. The Midjet huffed and slowly rose off of the table, fluttering his wings with a barely audible buzz. Just then, a cup of cider appeared clutched in his little legs – the same one that the Heracross bartender had just been handing out to a now-bewildered Sewaddle.
"SEE?" Goliath smirked to the astonished Lavender. "I can FLY at the SPEED of LIGHT!" In less than a millisecond, the cup was back in the Heracross' hand.
Lavender nodded numbly. "OK, I believe you," she said sheepishly. "But what are we going to do about Rosaline? Or the Kingdom? O-or my M-Mum?" She started to cry again at the memory of her dear mother.
Goliath buzzed over onto her hand and patted it. The Venonat barely felt it, but it made her smile nonetheless. "There, there," the Midjet said, toning down the volume a bit. "None of THAT, now. We're going to take you to see the GUARDIANS. They'll fix up this MESS, no doubt about it."
The little princess sniffled and blew her nose on a napkin. "Goliath…" she began timidly, "who are the Abyssal Raiders?" She was still thinking about what Rosaline had said last night.
"It's no SURPRISE you haven't HEARD of them," Goliath mused. "They're a ruthless gang of CRIMINALS from the western OCEAN. The stories I've heard…" His tiny body shuddered in disgust.
"Speaking of hearing," Tara said snidely, "we're not going to be doing much of that if you keep up your yelling." Her leader ignored that and gestured to the door of the Apple Seed. "Come on, LITTLE one. We're heading to VULCANA CITY," he said, and Lavender hopped off of her chair and followed him out the door. Tara and Cheli exchanged glances, then went outside as well.
The weather was nice today, and a nice breeze rustled the leaves of the thousands and thousands of vines, trees, bushes, flowers, and shrubs that grew all over. Lavender couldn't help but admire the beauty of Arthropod Town, so much less sophisticated than the castle and yet so enjoyable.
"The city GATES are THIS way," Goliath yelled over his shoulder, zipping a ways down the street to the left and then zipping back to wait for his much slower comrades.
But when they rounded the bend in the road, they bumped right into a trio of Surskit guards. Lavender squeaked and hid behind Cheli. Goliath swore inaudibly, deciding not to use his loud voice this time.
No words were exchanged as one of the guards signaled for the other two to surround them. Three more almost instantly appeared from behind, but one dashed off toward the castle, supposedly for reinforcements. At top speed, the Surskit would get there in no time.
"I don't THINK SO!" roared Goliath to the remaining five guards, back to his big voice. "TAKE DOWN!"
Before Lavender could even blink – or indeed before the incoming breeze could even ruffle a single hair on her body – the five guards were on the ground groaning, and it was as if Goliath had never even moved. "LET'S GO!" he yelled, directing them down the path and toward the gates.
The young Venonat huffed and puffed as she skittered down the path after Team Exo. All of a sudden, she heard what sounded like a dozen Surskit on their tail, and she gulped. How in Arceus' name will we get out of this one? she asked herself, and decided that she didn't want to know.
-.-.-.-.-.
Everyone introduced in this chapter belongs to me. You can check out Goliath the 'giant' Midjet on my Deviantart account.
Why so many Eevee? Well, I'm planning on having them all evolve – which, by the way, will probably be the only evolutions in this entire fanfic. I think the other Pokemon are perfect the way they are, right?
As in the last chapter, Smatt the Pelipper is still hanging around. You can write a letter to any of this story's characters and ask them a question, and Smatt will deliver it!
Smatt: "Give me them letters! I've got a job to do, you know!"
Goliath: "REVIEW please! AND STOP YOUR LAUGHING!"
Chapter Question #15: I mentioned briefly in the last chapter that I might do a fanfic starring my Pokemon OC, Volan, and his team. Should I?