Hello, friends! I am back with a surprise for you~
This chapter isn't the greatest in terms of story progression or action, but it does give a little insight as to what the Pokemon world is like. Kind of a long read, but if you could sit through 85 chapters in The Outbreak, you should have no trouble with this. I hope you like this chapter.
Chapter 2: The Stranger at the River
Sage Forest was a very peaceful place. Green trees grew all around, the leafy green canopies filtering sunlight from above. Beautiful flowers could be found growing there, and a peaceful stream gurgled through it. Shrubs popped up from the ground, sprouting berries or colorful flowers.
Sage Forest was a mystery dungeon, but the wild Pokémon that inhabited the area were not looking for a fight, unless you disturbed their nests. The path was also fairly straightforward, and it was rather hard to get lost if you knew your landmarks.
On this sunny day, a young white and gray Starly fluttered down from a branch. It flew to a nearby bush that was covered in ripe pink Pecha Berries. It pecked at a few berries, savoring the sweet juices carefully as it did so.
Suddenly, the peacefulness of the forest was interrupted by someone racing past.
The Starly let out a fierce chirp as it fluttered to a nearby tree. Looking to the south, it noticed the Pokémon was a tan and pink cat—a Skitty. Skitties weren't normally that fast… unless it was in danger.
The Starly just had time to take to the skies before the danger revealed itself.
Two small dogs with bushy tails rushed past, their teeth bared and their eyes fierce. They were Growlithes, and even though they were rather small, their Fire type attacks could be devastating.
They were followed by an Arcanine, which looked like a bigger and more powerful Growlithe. Its stride covered almost a yard, and it was clear that the Arcanine was much faster than the pups in front of it.
The Skitty was far ahead of the three dogs; far enough ahead to take a quick break. Even though Aria the Skitty considered herself fairly strong, she didn't have very good endurance, and she found herself tiring quickly.
Aria leaned up against a tree, looking at the worn leather Explorer Bag on her side. She unfastened it and dug through the sash, eventually finding a small sky blue berry: an Oran Berry. She scarfed it down, paying no attention to the tart taste as it went down her throat.
Before she fastened up her bag, she dug through it, making sure that she was still holding onto the Dawn Stone. It had been hard work taking it from the Growlithes and the Arcanine, but she knew it was worth it.
That Ralts back at the guild needs this more than I ever will, she thought to herself.
The growls and barks of her pursuers grew louder. Her keen sense of smell detected a faint burning scent in the air, indicating that Arcanine wasn't far off. She fastened the bag, knowing her break time was up, and she continued to flee through the forest.
Aria wove around the trees, rolling under logs and leaping over low lying shrubs. The ground began to slope down, and a thin stream of water trickled down with it. She was relieved—she knew she was almost to the river that separated the forest from the guild.
She followed the stream of water down the hill, watching as it slowly dripped down. She stayed hot on her feet—her enemies were not far behind. She could practically feel them breathing down her neck…
She didn't dare look behind her, instead focusing on what was in front of her. The trees were thinning and the stream had collected in a small pond of water, and she knew she was almost to safety. She gritted her teeth and concentrated harder than ever on running…
"Move faster, fools!" Arcanine demanded. "Don't let her get away!"
She could hear the snarls of Arcanine's minions behind her, louder than ever. Her heart beat faster as she felt the air heat up…
Her instincts took over as the Growlithes spat out dual bursts of flame. She rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the jets of fire. The bursts hit a nearby bush and began burning it, but Aria didn't care. She knew she was almost out of the forest; she didn't care if something was burning…
She glanced behind her and found that the Growlithes were right on her tail—literally. One of them lunged forward, teeth bared, and tried to snap at her tail. She whipped it out of the way, tucking it into her backside as she continued running.
Aria gave one last burst of speed, and trampling over a few flowers, she leapt out of the forest and into the sunlit meadow beyond. Looking ahead, she could see the rolling hills sloping down into a valley. A wide river choked with reeds gurgled a few yards downhill, and at the very base of the hill was a small building bearing the likeness of a green dragon: Flygon's Guild.
She began to charge down the hill, her speed increasing as she approached the river. She began silently chanting to herself, reminding herself that the guild was only a little ways away… she could throw her attackers off at the river; although her assailants were fierce, they were Fire types and were easily weakened by water.
Aria glanced behind her and saw that the criminals were trailing far behind; after the Growlithe had failed to bite her tail, it had stumbled and fallen back. The Arcanine kicked it back onto its feet, and with a harsh "You idiot! Keep moving!" they resumed their chase. But Aria was still very far ahead.
She finally reached the bottom of the hill and slowed her pace to a gentle jog. The thieves were far enough behind that she didn't need to run as fast. She approached the bank of the peacefully gurgling river and sat down.
Whew… that was fun, she thought as she settled down next to a pile of reeds. But all in a day's work. I wonder what my reward will be when I return to the guild…
She could still hear the snarls of the dogs, but she wasn't concerned—with the river on her side, she could beat any old Fire type. However, just to be cautious, she kept one eye on the top of the hill.
Aria took several deep breaths, looking at the crystal clear water that was rushing down the riverbed. She found it relaxing to look at the flowing river; it helped keep her mind off distractions and problems. She would often come down here just to look at the water, just to take a break from the bustle of the guild…
I wonder where this river leads… Maybe there's treasure at the end, she thought wistfully.
Suddenly, she snapped out of her daydreams. There was something in the river… something alive!
Partially hidden in the reeds was an aqua blue Pokémon with a massive jaw. Its arms and legs were rather stubby, and its tail was rather small. It had a tan belly and a few red spikes on its head and tail. It wasn't moving, but it was breathing, so it was perhaps unconscious.
Aria recognized it at once: a Totodile.
Panic began to fill her body. She had never seen a Totodile around these parts, and she had lived here for several years. Who was the Totodile? How had it ended up unconscious in the water? Had it been injured?
She turned around, her heart hammering, and found that the Growlithes and Arcanine were thundering down the hill at a breakneck speed. She couldn't leave the Totodile to the mercy of the criminals… she couldn't let them see it at all.
Who knows what they'll do when they find an unconscious Totodile? They're low enough to steal from a young Ralts… I'd hate to imagine what they'd do to this little guy, especially considering that he's unconscious…
Aria made a split second decision: as soon as she chased off the thieves, she'd go back to the guild and get Guildmaster Flygon. Surely she'd know what to do about the Totodile…
She turned around just in time to see the dogs reach the bottom of the hill. The Growlithes snarled, inching closer to Aria, while Arcanine lingered behind them, smirking.
"So. You managed to get past us and steal back the Dawn Stone. I must say, you are very lucky… and very foolish," Arcanine growled.
The Growlithes pawed at Aria, growling and preparing to pounce. Aria knew she had to fight back—and she knew just what to do.
Her lip quivered and she backed up, trying to look scared. Of course, she wasn't scared at all—it was all part of her plan. She'd make herself look like a weakling before her attackers, and when they were about to attack…
"Aw, what's the matter?" one of the Growlithes said leeringly.
"Is little Skitty-witty nothing more than a scaredy-cat?" the other taunted.
"D-don't call me that!" Aria said, her voice catching as she tried to avoid laughing. "I… I can beat you guys! I can!"
"What are you going to do? Make us explode from cuteness?" the first Growlithe teased.
"Shut up and attack them!" Arcanine demanded suddenly.
The two Growlithes reared back their heads, inhaling and preparing to launch another Fire type attack. She bent her knees and prepared to jump up…
Just as they expelled dual blasts of fire, she leapt to the side. Although her tail was slightly singed, she avoided most of the attack. She snuck around to the Growlithes, a smile on her face as she prepared to attack.
When the smoke cleared, she smirked. The Growlithes just had time to register her leaping at them before the Skitty was at their throats.
"Scaredy-cats have mean tempers, and you just set mine off," she said with a leering grin.
The Growlithes struggled to throw her off, wailing and kicking their legs. They did eventually manage to kick Aria off them, but when they were free, they turned around and retreated instead of attacking. They raced off, whimpering like sad puppies.
It was just her and the Arcanine now.
Arcanine growled, pawing the ground. Anger burned in his eyes, but Aria wasn't scared. After taking out his accomplices, surely Arcanine would be an easy defeat.
"You must think you're so clever, lulling my underlings into a false sense of security before attacking them. A smart move—I don't know why I didn't notice it earlier…" Arcanine growled softly as he circled around Aria.
"Oh, whatever. Let's just stop talking and fight," Aria said simply.
Arcanine didn't even respond to that. He lunged forward at a blinding speed, so fast that Aria couldn't dodge. He scratched the Skitty in the chest, and she sprawled to the ground, clutching her abdomen and gasping in pain.
Arcanine towered over her, looking all too confident. Aria eyed the reeds where the unconscious Totodile was half hidden—and was it just her, or did she see some of the reeds shift?
"Your lucky streak is over, Skitty…" Arcanine growled as he leered at the young Pokémon.
"No it's not!" Aria replied cheerfully.
Before Arcanine could react, Aria rolled under his legs and got to her feet on the other side. She charged forward before her foe could turn around, and she leapt onto Arcanine with all her might: a full power Tackle attack. Aria grabbed onto the tan fur on the back of Arcanine's head and held on tight.
Arcanine roared and stomped around, desperately trying to get Aria off his back, but she held strong. The tan fur was actually quite cozy and warm, and Aria began to think about how wonderful it would be to have a blanket made out of Arcanine fuzz.
Maybe I'll do that when I defeat this sucker… she thought with a smile.
Aria bit into Arcanine's back, making him roar with pain. She finally let go as Arcanine stormed off, howling in defeat. Aria grinned, her sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight.
"That's what you get for messing with me!" she cried as Arcanine raced up the hill and out of sight.
Aria sat down, her heart racing from the battle. She had always had a slight fear of doglike Pokémon; they were usually very loud and rough. She always got a kick out of defeating them in mystery dungeons, and now she was feeling particularly proud.
Her euphoria over winning lasted only a few moments: she remembered the unconscious Totodile drifting in the river… was he doing okay?
She leapt off her feet and peeked around the reeds. Sure enough, the Totodile was still there, unconscious but still breathing. Aria let out a sigh of relief; even though she knew Water type Pokémon could breathe underwater, she had still worried that the Totodile had drowned.
She looked down the hill at the guild, remembering what her plan was. Surely Guildmaster Flygon could help with the unconscious Pokémon… Even though this Totodile was a complete stranger, she couldn't bear the thought of leaving a Pokémon unconscious at the edge of a mystery dungeon.
She jumped into the water, which was pleasantly cool and provided welcome relief from the scorching midday sun ahead. She walked down to the unconscious Pokémon and finally got a good look at it.
There seemed to be nothing strange about the Totodile, aside from the fact that it was unconscious. The chilly water was washing over its body, keeping it cool from the bright sun's rays. She placed her head over his heart, and she was relieved to find it was still beating strong and steady.
Aria glanced around, her ears perking up and her tail twitching nervously. She scanned the area for other Pokémon; after her encounter with Arcanine, she couldn't help but be a bit cautious. Much to her relief, she found there was nobody but herself and the Totodile.
She glanced around one more time, making absolute certain that no one was watching. Her ears perked up and she listened for any unusual sounds—maybe someone was hiding in the reeds—but the only sound she could hear was the gurgle of the cool water.
Just to be sure that no one would find it, she decided to hide the Totodile completely in the reeds. The reeds grew thick around here, and unless someone was looking really closely, they wouldn't see the Totodile amongst them.
Moving its body was a surprisingly difficult task. It was relatively heavy, and the current of the water worked against her. But she worked hard, invigorated by the cool water and the worry of someone discovering the unconscious Pokémon. After a few minutes of straining to push its body, she managed to roll him over and push him into the reeds.
She stepped back, satisfied with her efforts. She quickly arranged some of the reeds so they would completely cover the Totodile, and when she was certain no one would see it, she leapt out of the water and blazed down to Flygon's Guild.
XxX
Flygon's Guild didn't look like much—it just looked like a raggedy old tent flanked by two stone towers, but it was well known throughout the region for being a wonderful exploration guild.
Many a famous explorer had started their career at the guild, and Aria was proud to be a part of it. She loved exploring, and her dream was to become a member of a world-famous exploration team.
But to be a part of a team, she needed a partner, which was something that she sadly lacked.
As she rushed towards the entrance of the guild, she began to run through what she was going to say to Guildmaster Flygon. Although the Guildmaster was very kind, she did not like it when her apprentices barged in without reason.
"Hey. Sorry to barge in on you like this, but there's a strange Totodile lying unconscious in the river. That's all."
The words sounded dumb even in her head.
"Halt! Who goes there?"
Aria looked up, not realizing she was now standing in front of the tent. She found that she was about to run into the iron bars in front of the entrance to the tent—as an extra precaution, Flygon had installed bars in front of the entrance to prevent intruders from entering.
Of course, the bars could be raised and lowered to allow entry for apprentices, but before they could even think about entering, they had to answer to security.
Stationed on top of the towers were two apprentices of the guild. A Plusle stood on the right tower while a Minun stood on the left. The two young apprentices were very peppy and enjoyed their jobs as security guards. Only they could raise and lower the iron bars.
Plusle peeked over the edge of her tower, her ears twitching up as she saw Aria. Her red cheeks sparked with electricity and her black eyes shone with happiness—she was a very good friend of the Skitty that was standing in front of the guild.
"Oh, hello, Aria!" Plusle said brightly. She turned around and called to her brother Minun: "It's Aria! She's back from exploring!"
"Hey, guys. Listen, I'm kinda in a hurry, so can you just raise the gate and let me in? I really need to speak to the Guildmaster," Aria said, pacing nervously in place.
"We're on it!" Minun piped.
The two Pokémon disappeared over the tower. Aria could hear the grunts of the two struggling to crank the barred walls up. She could hear the sound of chains being pulled and pulleys working, and a low rumbling in the ground indicated that the portcullis was being raised.
The iron bars retracted into the roof of the guild, leaving the entrance wide open. The interior of the tent was revealed: it was little more than a network of poles and a few woven tapestries, but the main feature was a hole in the middle of the room and the ladder that led into the bowels of the guild.
Aria didn't waste any time looking around the tent; she scrambled down the ladder as fast as she could.
The guild was a truly amazing place. It was an underground network of tunnels and rooms, and the two floors were separated by holes and ladders. There were individual rooms for each of the apprentices and several other rooms, including a mess hall, a main room, the Guildmaster's chamber, and even a few shops. The entire network was lit up by torches.
On the first underground story, two corkboards were tacked on the walls. A few Pokémon milled about, talking quietly and running errands.
The lowest story was home to the apprentices, the mess hall, and the Guildmaster's chamber. Aria, who was only interested in the Guildmaster's chamber, ran down the second ladder without hesitation.
When she reached the base of the second ladder, she scrambled to the Guildmaster's chamber, which was a separate room sitting right next to the ladders. She desperately banged on the wooden door, screaming "I—need—to—see—the—Guildmaster!"
The door swung open. Aria expected to see the Guildmaster behind the door, but instead, a large, bipedal crocodile with sharp teeth and black spikes opened it. It was Krokorok, Flygon's assistant.
Aria flinched. Krokorok was her least favorite member of the guild. He was incredibly strict and would not hesitate to take away dinner or other privileges for minor offenses. Aria had even heard rumors that he bitten a fellow apprentice once—but surely that was just a rumor… right?
"What do you want, Aria? You know the Guildmaster doesn't like it when annoyances like you bug 'er…" Krokorok said in his usual scratchy voice.
"Please, sir. This is urgent. I really need to see her—" Aria stammered. She could feel herself trembling under Krokorok's fierce black eyes, but she forced herself to stay strong.
"If you can tell the Guildmaster, you can tell me. What is it?" Krokorok asked softly. He bent down low to Aria, breathing his putrid breath in her face. He frowned, and she could see two yellow teeth sticking out of his mouth—a grim reminder that he would use them on her if she didn't obey.
"Just please… I-it's really urgent, and I need—" Aria squeaked, her sentence coming to a halt. Krokorok's stare intensified, and she felt like his stare would vaporize her if she didn't answer immediately.
Aria was tempted to scamper off and say "Oh, just forget it", but just then, the door squeaked open again.
Guildmaster Flygon appeared right behind Krokorok, her eyes bright and her wings flapping to keep her afloat. A red bandana was tied around her neck, and for whatever reason, Aria found herself focusing on the individual creases of the handkerchief.
"Krokorok! Don't intimidate young Aria here! If she says she needs me, she probably needs me!" Flygon said, waving a disciplining finger at the crocodile.
Krokorok stood up, still keeping an eye on Aria. Aria relaxed a bit, but she was still worried—was the Totodile still okay?
"But Guildmaster… I thought you didn't want anyone interrupting… This is private business, you know…" Krokorok said, his voice holding a tinge of concern Aria had never heard before.
"It is, but we can discuss it later. If Aria has something important she wants to say, by all means, she can share it with me!" Flygon said.
She gestured for her assistant to move out of the way, and as Krokorok grudgingly stepped aside, Aria couldn't mistake the stink eye he was still giving her.
"I'm truly sorry for worrying you, my dear. What was it you wanted to say to me?" Flygon said, her tone turning bright at once.
Aria took a deep breath, trying to calm her jumpy nerves. Relax, she told herself. Just tell her what's wrong… it's just like I rehearsed…
"Okay. So I'm exploring in Sage Forest, right? And I eventually complete my day's task, so I decide I want to come home," she began. She tried to keep her voice steady, but her heart was beating incredibly fast… The shock of finding a strange Totodile was still fresh in her mind.
"Congratulations on completing another day's task, Aria," Flygon said, nodding and smiling.
"Thank you, but we'll have time for celebration later. On my way back, I passed by the river, and I found something… strange in it…" she continued.
Flygon didn't interrupt. Her eyes widened, clearly indicating the Skitty to continue.
"It was a Pokémon. A Totodile, to be exact. It was lying in the water, unconscious but still breathing. And I'm kinda worried about it…" she completed.
Flygon was silent for a moment, digesting the short story that Aria had told her. She glanced from Aria to Krokorok to the guild, then back to her chamber, which was flickering with firelight. She finally snapped out of her thoughts and nodded, turning back to Krokorok.
"Krokorok. Watch the guild. I'll be back before sundown," she said shortly.
"Ma'am… With all due respect, are you really going to go out there and rescue a Pokémon which we have no knowledge of? It could be dangerous—a spy sent from—" Krokorok began.
Flygon's glare intensified. Krokorok tried to maintain a calm pose, but Aria could see his jaw tighten. She stepped back, her lip quivering, not wanting to be anywhere near them if fighting broke out.
"Unless you want to be left in a river unconscious, you will not question my orders. Remain here and supervise the guild. Make sure nothing happens. If they ask where I went, tell them that I'll be back soon. Surely not even you can mess this up… right?" Flygon said.
Krokorok looked like he wanted to argue her orders, but his jaw remained shut. He let loose a sigh and turned around, examining the apprentices and Pokémon that were roaming about. "Very well, Guildmaster. I will obey your orders." He sounded none too thrilled about it.
"Good." Flygon turned to Aria, who was relieved that the situation had been resolved peacefully. "So you said this Totodile was unconscious in the nearby river?" she asked the youth.
"Yes! He looked okay—no cuts or bruises—he was in perfect shape… aside from the fact that he was unconscious, that is…" Aria explained.
Flygon approached the ladder, looking back at her apprentice. She looked scared but determined to help, and though her tail twitched nervously, she knew she could count on Aria the Skitty.
"Well, what are you waiting for? If you went through all the trouble to get me, surely you're gonna help me out!" Flygon said playfully.
"Oh—of course! Certainly!" Aria said, scrambling to the base of the ladder.
Flygon fluttered up the ladder, beckoning her apprentice to follow. Aria climbed up the rungs of the ladder, her heart hammering in apprehension and excitement.
Maybe he's the one…
XxX
Another day, another chapter. Whoo!
I'm sure you all know who that mysterious Totodile is (I'll give you a hint: it's Jay) and I'm sure you can all tell that Aria will become his partner. I know, Totodile and Skitty is a bit weird, but hey, I like cats. Nya nya~
Also, Ace... This story takes place after The Outbreak but before Dark Wars, if you were wondering. Maybe about a year or so after the climax.
Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Don't forget to review!