Clamperl and Spoink

A pale mystical glow filled the shell of the Clamperl. It radiated from the large pearl that was nestled in his soft pink muscles. Gleaming like an infant moon, the pearl was almost perfect. The Clamperl caressed his treasure, adding yet another thin layer to the jewel, then polishing it to a fine satin finish. It had taken a long time to create this treasure, but it was his.

His treasure.

And nobody would take it from him.

Vibrations in the water hit the outside of his white shell. Something was passing by. Something unusual. Was it a danger to his treasure? Cautiously, he lifted his top shell to peer out at the ocean floor.

The water was sharply cold, but the black Spoink hardly noticed. She had a thick layer of fat that kept her warm. By pumping her coiled tail, she was able to move through the water and keep her heart going. It had been a long trip over land to make this risky dive, but she had to do it. She needed a pearl.

Being psychic, Spoinks had powerful minds. However, they were never good at focusing their thoughts, possibly due to their need to keep bouncing. It was hard to focus when one's point of view kept changing. Long ago, a Spoink had discovered that carrying a pearl on its head would allow it to focus enough to use its powers. The best pearls came Clamperls, but the bivalves wouldn't even think of trading. Unless a Spoink got one from a Grumpig, he or she had to dive for the pearl.

She noticed all sorts of things about the ocean floor. There were towers of colorful coral, in peach, pink, purple, red, and yellow. There were shy water Pokemon that swam away as she drew near. There were forests of leafy kelp soaring to the surface. There were Tentacools trying to decide if she'd make a good lunch. There were lots of minerals and salts in the water, giving it a nasty taste.

And there, resting in one of the kelp beds, was a Clamperl. His scalloped shell was covered in nicks and scratches from previous battles. There was a deep chip on the left edge of his top shell from an especially vicious fight. He was about the same size as herself. As he peered out of his shell, a faint pink glow leaked out. He must have a potent pearl to produce that glow.

The Spoink pushed herself towards the Clamperl. The kelp bed really was fantastic; a Chinchou flicked her antennae and observed the approaching Spoink. The underwater electric Pokemon drifted off to hide behind a rock, just in case.

No, pay attention to the Clamperl, the Spoink thought. Once she managed to get that pearl, such distractions would no longer bother her. But to get it away would require persistence.

A Spoink. The Clamperl didn't have the best memory under the sea, but he could remember that Spoinks were trouble. He slammed his shell shut; she would not be getting his treasure.

His treasure. He smoothed it over to get that perfect polished look. What was he building up this pearl for? He didn't know. It was an instinct for his kind to make these pearls and treasure them. They were magic. What was that magic used for? He didn't know that either, but instinct told him that one day he would leave his shell and this pearl had something to do with that. Now he just had to build it up, take care of it, and protect it from anyone who'd want it.

His shell was tilted abruptly, disturbing his pearl's resting place. The Spoink was bouncing on top of him. How dare she! She could have damaged his treasure! The Clamperl opened up quickly and tried to snap at her tail.

She rocketed away from him, then spun around and rocketed back by pushing her coiled tail against a rock. When she was nearly touching his pearl, he clamped his shells together, trapping her body between them. That would teach her not to mess with him and his treasure.

Squealing, she struggled against his hold. He held on, even as her wildly pumping tail sent them careening through the kelp bed. A neighboring Chinchou swam off as fast as she could, to escape the cloud of silt the battle kicked up. The pearl rocked about until the Spoink reached out with a prehensile curl on her head and grabbed it.

'Let me go.'

The thought wasn't his, but the Clamperl obediently followed it, loosening his hold on the struggling Spoink. Unfortunately, she was thrown forward by the force of her tail into his interior. He was then knocked into a rock and stunned.

While the obsessive Clamperl was stunned, the Spoink rushed off to return to the surface. She was badly bruised, even bleeding in one place. Maybe it would have been better to wait on a Grumpig to have an extra pearl instead of fighting the bivalve. All well, what was done was done. She had her pearl.

After escaping the ocean water and finding a safe spot on the beach, she examined her new pearl. It was a pale pretty pink of a good size. And it had that beautiful glow of strong magic. Within its polished surface, she could begin to see images and visions. She couldn't interpret these images quite yet, but in time it could make her very wise.

At the moment, though, she was exhausted. Bouncing slightly in one spot, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

The Clamperl recovered from being stunned. However, it was still hurt from the battle. That stupid Spoink had thrashed about way too much. She could have damaged his treasure.

His treasure? Where was his treasure? Realizing the pearl was gone, the Clamperl began to panic. What did he do now? His precious pearl was gone! He was supposed to take care of it. But if it was gone, he didn't know what to do.

A small jab at one of his muscles distracted him from panicking. At some point during the struggle, a sharp little pebble had gotten into his shell. That was bad. He covered the pebble in the substance he covered his old treasure with. That covered up the sharp point and turned it into a seed pearl.

Seed pearl.

Careful with the tiny object, he caressed it to a smooth polish. It wasn't gleaming and it was far from perfect. But he was to build up his treasure and take care of it. His old pearl left his mind. His new pearl was his treasure. It would take a long time to build up, but it was his.

And nobody would take it from him.

…

Emerald entry: A Clamperl slams its shell closed on prey to prevent escape. The pearl it creates upon evolution is said to be infused with a mysterious energy.

Spoink FR/LG entry: It apparently dies if it stops bouncing about. It carries a pearl from Clamperl on its head.

I like directly connected entries like this. Especially of two quite different Pokemon.