Ch.13: One Problem after the Other! Escape the Desert Beast Pirates!
Four days of traveling. The group of treasure hunters were making good progress on their time. While it will take over a week to get to Slab Blade, they were a day away from a town where they can get their needed gear. They didn't have a plan for how to get the key, not to mention the guardian they'll have to defeat. But they weren't worried, especially Wes. This was a usual thing for him.
Throughout their stops, Wes has been learning and practicing new magic to prepare himself. Most magic users stick to one or two forms of fighting, which can be beneficial to a battle. Someone like Gwyn stuck to plant based magic and Flint stuck to using defensive or support based spells. Wes, however, was more of a mixed fighter, using surprise spells and attacks to throw his opponents off guard. It was his preferred style.
He never had time to learn various spells since he focused mainly on treasure hunting. It was his job and his main focus. But, now that they'll be traveling to new and different locations, he needed to practice.
The group had stopped for the night. Slatestone Town, the town they were heading to, was miles away, but in walking distance. They preferred to camp out for the night. It was better than walking another ten or so miles and collapsing on the streets.
Gwyn enjoyed the experience of camping. First night they camped out, she was surprised by how simple, yet amazing it was. Especially getting to see the stars out at night. She never them so clearly in the night sky. They were absolutely stunning. She also liked sleeping in a tent. She didn't have one, so she bunked with Ella. They didn't have a spare sleeping bag, but she brought her own blankets and stuff with her.
They set up some logs around a pit, which blazed with a fire. They grabbed some sticks and cooked some hotdogs over the flame. Gwyn was roasting some berries. Like she said, she ate meat sometimes, but she preferred fruit and vegetables. But, because she never had one before, she took half of one and stuck it on her stick.
Flint propped his stick up and pulled out the map. "Okay, the town is roughly ten miles from our current location. We should head out early."
Gwyn groaned. "Do we have to? I want to sleep in."
He shook his head. "We can't sleep in all the time. We need to cover as much ground as possible. That means getting up early."
She rolled her eyes with a sigh and fell back off her seat, laying on the ground. "I'm never going to get use to these early morning wakeup calls."
Ella snickered lightly. "You'll get used to it. We all have. Your body will eventually adjust."
"No, it won't~!" she groaned loudly, rolling around in the grass.
Wes laughed. "Aww, chin up! If you keep complaining, you won't get any marshmallows."
She bolted up with a glare. "You wouldn't!"
He smirked. "Try me."
She jumped to her feet and stood tall. "I will have my marshmallows, buster! You can't stop the craving of my sweet tooth!" They glared intently at each other before their lips began quivering and they broke out in laughter, falling onto their backs.
Ella shook her head, smiling. "You two are nothing more than a bunch of goofs."
Flint chuckled. "Indeed."
Wes sat up and smiled with his tongue sticking out. "No fun in being boring, bro!"
He glared. "Did you call me boring?"
"No~!"
"You did, didn't you?!"
He snickered and looked away. "I'm not confirming nor denying your claim."
Flint fumed a bit before smirking. "Heh…idiot."
He stuck his tongue out. "Aww, don't be a meanie, big bro. You hurt my wittle feelings."
He shook his head, laughing. He missed have this kind of banter going back and forth between them. It livened up the mood when things got dull. "Hey Wes…your hotdog is on fire."
"Huh?" He turned towards his dinner and saw it was engulfed in flames. "Oh crud!" He pulled it out of the fire and blew on it. It didn't go out easily. He looked around for something to put it out and, without thinking, stuck it in his mouth. His cheeks glowed red from the heat.
Gwyn giggled. "You alright, Wes?"
He pulled the hotdog out and exhaled steam from his mouth, waving his paw at his tongue. "Hot, hot, hot!"
Ella laughed. "Next time, don't leave your food cooking for that long."
He glared shortly at her before looking at his burnt food. He sniffed it before taking a bite. He swallowed and smiled in satisfaction. "Mmm, smoky!" He ate the rest, chewing happily.
They shook their heads and ate their food, too. After that, they began roasting marshmallows. They had graham crackers and chocolate off to the side for s'mores.
Gwyn pulled out a book she brought along with her, which mentioned the various places in Mysto, including Slab Blade Mountain. "So, I've been reading up on Slab Blade Mountain. I don't understand how there could be a key here."
"How come?" Wes asked as he assembled his s'more.
"Well, this book says they've searched the mountain caves for years before it became a touring site. They've mined every possible location they could get to without collapsing the mountain. How could there be a key there if they've never seen it?"
"Well, don't forget, the guy who hid the keys could have put it there after it became a tourist attraction," Flint suggested.
"Still, if guards are constantly scouting the mountains, wouldn't they be able to spot something in the caves?"
Ella rubbed her chin. "She makes a good point, Flint."
Wes raised a brow in thought. "What if it's a magic tunnel?" This got their attention.
"Magic tunnel?" Gwyn asked.
Ella raised her paw to her chin. "How to explain them? Well, you see, they're small dimensions scattered around Mysto that are nearly impossible to find. They have their own civilizations, but they also have different properties that act on a different plane of understanding in our world. They're like the zones in Mysto, the difference being it's not the environment that changes half the time. Mostly the laws we understand here are flipped upside down."
Flint nodded. "My dad once went to one called the Realm of Confusion, which had a backwards understanding on how reality worked. Dimensions like that."
"I see." Gwyn turned toward the Umbreon. "And you think one of the keys might be in there?"
He nodded. "It has to be. Think about it. No one has found the keys yet. Maybe they're being hidden in magic tunnels. It would explain why no one has found them."
Ella narrowed her eyes in thought. "He has a point. We're talking about keys that show the path to a dangerous artifact. They have to be kept somewhere out of reach and potentially dangerous."
"Exactly!" he exclaimed. He smiled brightly. "Just think! This might be our first time going through one! I've always wanted to go to another dimension!"
"There's a problem, though," his older brother brought up. "We have no idea how to access one. That's the issue with finding magic tunnels. No one knows where they are and they need to be opened with a certain spell."
"Ooh…right," he muttered in disappointment.
Gwyn smiled a bit. "Hey, don't let THAT get you down. I'm sure you of all people can find something as simple as that. Finding that spell would be a cinch for you."
He looked up at her and chuckled. "Yeah…you got me there."
"We could probably ask someone in the town tomorrow. They see treasure hunters all the time. They're bound to have heard something in a side conversation."
"You're probably right," Ella agreed. "Though, I'm more or less concerned about it being a magic tunnel. We have no idea what we might find. And there's still the issue with someone guarding the place."
Gwyn waved it off with a scoff. "Oh please, we're awesome! I'm sure we can take this guy on together."
"Yeah, she's right!" Wes raised his paw up high. "Team Ravenfield will never surrender!" They all gave him odd looks. "What?"
"Team Ravenfield?" Flint asked.
"What? We need a team name, don't we?"
Ella crossed his forelegs with a smirk. "But why your name? Why not something classier? Like Team Cipher?"
Gwyn placed her hands on her hips, giving a wry grin. "Hey, Team Belladonna has a nice ring to it!"
"Hey!" Wes shouted. "I'm the one who started this whole treasure hunting team! I get to decide the name!"
Ella chuckled. "Oh, alright. Team Ravenfield, it is." He smiled in satisfaction.
Flint shook his head, internally laughing. Never going to be a dull moment with them around. He looked up and smiled. "Wes is right, though. We're a team now. Meaning we won't let anything stand in our way. We're going to see this journey through and find that idol!"
"Yeah!" they exclaimed together, throwing their fists in the air.
Wes looked up at the sky. "Well, it's getting pretty late. Let's finish up our s'mores and hit the hay."
"Do I still have to wake up early?" Gwyn complained.
"That's it! No more s'more for you!" Wes shot out of his seat and chased her.
Firmly holding her dessert, she ran away from him. "You won't take my gooey, chocolatey confection!"
"Are you going to stop complaining?!"
"Absolutely not!"
"Then no s'more for you!"
Gwyn made a u-turn and ran over to Flint, jumping behind him. "I have a shield!"
"Hey!" Flint shouted, though he laughed too.
Wes lunged and tackled Flint, knocking him and Gwyn down as well. "Hand the s'more over!" She smirked and threw it in her mouth, swallowing it whole. She licked her lips and glared deviously at him. "Ooh, you did it now! No s'more tomorrow!" She laughed, making him laugh as well.
Ella placed her paw against her head, chuckling. "Alright, wild ones, time for bed." She stretched her legs out and yawned. "If this Espeon doesn't get her beauty sleep, she becomes grouchy."
Wes got off of Flint and helped him and Gwyn up. "Good call." He walked up to his s'more, which rested on his seat, and kicked it up in the air, into his open mouth. He munched happily and headed to his tent. "Night!"
"Goodnight," Flint yawned, heading for his tent.
"Sweet dreams," Gwyn wished, following Ella into her tent and zipping the flap shut.
It was cloudy morning, with the sun halfway over the horizon. A cool, gentle breeze flew over the land.
The clouds parted as a large, shadowy mass flew through the thick layer of white. It rammed through the clouds and revealed itself to be a pirate ship, flying across the sky. The sides possessed large, feathery wings, three on each side. They flapped slow, but gracefully through the clouds, keeping a gentle pace through the air.
The ship was a typical pirate ship. Ports lined the side of the ship, where the cannons would stick out if needed. The hull of the ship had the statue of a menacing Arbok attached to it, glaring down at anything in its path. Two large masts stood tall, the tallest bearing a black skull with the grin of a Darmanitan.
The pirates of the ship stood on the main deck, clanging their jugs of beer together and taking hefty drinks. They danced to the music of a concertina, played by a Zangoose wearing pirate themed attire.
They had just raided a town of their goods and were having a celebration. They swung from the masts in their drunken states, stomped the floors dancing, and flipped around in crazy fashions. When pirates celebrate, they go all out.
Sitting on the quarter deck was the infamous Captain Arid, running the bag of bits they collected through his hands. His giant glove sat beside him, having no need to wear it at the moment.
He picked a coin up and bit on it, smirking in response. "Aye…a fine haul we've collected."
Jeffery perched himself on his captain's shoulder and smiled prideful. "I told you the town was easy pickings, my glorious captain. And we've collected quite the haul of food as well. We'll be stocked for weeks."
"Yes…" He dropped the coins and stood up. "The crew have redeemed themselves after our last string of failures. This is their reward until our next raid."
"Ah, how generous of you, captain!"
"Are there any other stops on our list, Jeffery?"
The Chatot tapped his chin with thoughtful expression. "Not that I know of, my captain. There are plenty of towns with goods, but none that I'd recommend pillaging."
"I see…" He scratched his chin and walked along the deck. "Well, we'll need to dock soon to refuel the ship. What's the closest town that has fuel?"
He ran the numerous towns through his head, recalling one. "Ah, yes, I believe that would be Slatestone Town. They have fuel for ships like ours."
"Excellent." He pointed to the pirate manning the ship, a Barbaracle, who wore a ragged brown jacket, a white and green striped shirt, a red handkerchief around his neck, and black pants. In fact, almost all the crew wore outfits similar to his. Sort of acted as a uniform to them. "Steer us in the direction of Slatestone Town. We need to refuel."
He saluted. "Aye, captain!" He spun the wheel and turned them left, heading toward the town.
Jeffery fluttered off his captain's shoulder and landed on the table with a satisfied smile. "Perfect. How shall we steal the fuel? Might I suggest threatened them with the cannons? A few crew members have been itching to fire off the cannons."
Arid sat down and crossed his arms. "That won't be necessary. We'll have the kid handle it." He glanced down at the main deck and spotted the kid in question. A Shinx who was dancing to the beat of the concertina. He looked no more than seven years old. He wore an attire similar to the Barbaracle, the only difference being he also wore a plain white shirt and wore a sea green handkerchief around his neck.
The bird sighed and rubbed his face with his wing. "I will not understand why you let that child stay on our ship."
"He has learned well in the years he has been in our crew. Besides, he'll be the less suspicious. Ask yourself, who would you likely suspect as a pirate? Him or the rest of the crew?"
Jeffery stood there with a deadpan expression. The entire crew was full of roughed up brutes wearing grungy clothing. A child would definitely look less or not suspicious. "…very well. We'll give him the bits to pay for the fuel. We were lucky to have gotten plenty of money."
Arid narrowed his eyes. They have been on their fair share of lucky streaks lately. It made him more or less suspicious. Normally after a successful raid, they get ambushed by wizards. Or…a hyperactive treasure hunter he considered his nemesis.
He wondered where Wes Ravenfield was. He hasn't encountered him in the recent days. They somehow always manage to cross paths with each other when they're looking for loot. Now it was like he disappeared. It made the last few raids pretty boring. He didn't enjoy being foiled, but at least he got some excitement out of a fight.
He shouldn't tempt fate with his curiosity. The Umbreon had a tendency to take them by surprise. But, for all he knew, he was in some far off zone raiding another temple of its artifacts and loot. If it gets him out of his hair, then he couldn't complain too much. If it got them fed and rich, he couldn't care less where the Umbreon was.
If only he knew he was practically flying over him…
The group ventured for an hour or two before they came across the town. There were people walking about, carrying on with their daily tasks or just hanging around. The buildings were mostly made of stone, like most homes in the Earth Zone.
They walked toward the town entrance and made their way through the crowds. Gwyn awed at the buildings. "Wow, this place looks vastly different from Marble Stone City."
Flint chuckled. "What did you expect? That every city and town looked that same?"
"Oh, haha, very funny," she replied sarcastically, a smirk stretching across her face.
Wes looked around. "So, where's the shop?"
Flint pulled out his map and checked it out. "Let's see…ah, it's right here. Just around the corner."
Ella smiled. "Cool. Gwyn and I will go get the stuff."
"Why you two?" Wes asked.
She wrapped her foreleg around Gwyn and pulled her close. "Hey, I want to spend some time with my new friend. No harm in that."
Flint chuckled. "Fair point." He pulled out a sack of bits and threw them to Gwyn. "That should be enough to cover everything, along with a list of the things we need. Don't lose it."
Gwyn place it in her bag. "Don't worry, we won't. Come on, Ella!" They raced off to the shop.
The Flareon crossed his forelegs and looked at his brother. "Well, while they're busy, we should probably ask around about the magic tunnels. Hopefully someone here can help us out."
Wes rubbed his chin. "I think I saw a bar when we first entered. There might be some local patrons with some answers."
"Good idea. Let's go." They walked to the bar, hoping to find some answers to their little dilemma.
The ship landed just outside of the town limits and lowered a ladder down. The wings of the ship rolled up and retracted into the sides. Bars extended out to keep the ship steady on ground, as it wasn't built to balance on land.
Arid, with Jeffery on his shoulder, led the Shinx to the edge of the ship. "Alright Ray, repeat to me what you're going to do."
The Shinx saluted. "Yes, captain! I am to head into town and get some fuel for the ship!"
"And?"
"I am not to get distracted or dillydally in my search!"
"Good, lad." He handed him some bits. "Make sure to purchase five barrels. Think you can get them all here by yourself?"
He nodded. "Of course, captain! It'll be easy!"
Jeffery tilted his head and whispered, "How is he going to get five heavy barrels over here on his own?"
Arid ignored him and continued to instruct Ray. "Very good, lad. Don't let me down."
He saluted and slid down the rope ladder. He dusted himself off upon landing and raced to the town with the sack of bits on his side.
The Chatot sighed. "Seriously, I will never understand why you kept that brat on board."
Arid rolled his eyes. "He does more work around here than you." He walked off, leaving the parrot flapping there with an offended expression.
"I beg your pardon! I do my fair share of work around this ship!" He flew after him. "Captain! Are you even listening?!"
Ella was happy to have another girl to talk to. Sure, hanging out with Wes and Flint was fun and all, but it was nice to have some variety to her circle of friends. And Gwyn was happy to listen to such wondrous tales.
"…so after I gave the Bibarel his drink, I managed to trick him into giving me a huge tip." She laughed heartily. "Ooh boy, you don't know how fun my job can be!"
"Isn't that considered stealing?" Gwyn asked, a little concerned about her friend's scamming habit.
She gave an innocent shrug. "Relax, no harm done. It's not like they'll remember overpaying."
The Mew rolled her eyes and smirked. She felt a bit more comfortable being out in the open. Probably because she wasn't getting a ton of stares. Then again, she didn't look much like a Mew unless you really look and people were too busy with their day to pay much attention. She felt a lot more relaxed.
"You have an interesting history, Ella."
"Yeah, I know," she boasted, chuckling to herself.
They came up to the store and stepped inside. Various Pokémon roamed the aisles in search of specific equipment. There was multiple varieties of gear, made for the specific climates and environments in Mysto. Winter clothing for the Ice Zone, heat protection cream for the Sand Zone, and many other items.
They grabbed a cart and perused the items in the Earth section, looking for some climbing gear. Gwyn pulled out the list Flint gave them. "Okay, we need lanterns, rope, picks…" She tilted her head, unfamiliar with the next item. "Sound goggles?"
"Oh, those are useful if our lanterns break."
"What are sound goggles?"
Ella went over to a shelf and took a pair off, with the words 'SAMPLE' over the lens. "Here, put these on."
She didn't object and placed them over her eyes. Immediately, she noticed she couldn't see anything. Her vision was completely obscured. "Ella, I can't-" she tried to explain, but squeaked in surprised when she saw waves traverse around the store, showing the outlines and details of everything in her general vicinity. "Whoa! What is this?!"
Ella laughed and pulled them off of her. "They're sound goggles. These things can sense the vibrations of sound and turn it into a visual image through the lens. These things are great for walking around in a cave. Plus, seeing the sound waves look pretty cool."
"Oh, I see." She grabbed a pair that were still in a box and placed them into their cart. "Okay, you get the rope and I'll get the lanterns and picks."
"Right." She walked down the aisle.
Gwyn pushed the cart through the Earth section. She came across grabbed two lanterns for Flint and Ella. Wes didn't need one since his species naturally emit light and Gwyn had seeds that grew into illuminative plants. Once done, she went for the picks next.
She grabbed four and placed them in the cart. "Alright, what else do we need?"
Her ears perked up, hearing a grunt over the aisle. She went to the end of it and peeked over. There was a Shinx pushing some barrels down. They were in a stand that said 'Ship Fuel'. He had five lined up in a row.
He dusted his paws off. "There we go." He got on the last one in the row and walked backwards, moving the barrels forward.
"What the heck…" Gwyn muttered.
Ray brought the barrels up to the counter and stepped off, looking up at the Granbull running it. "Hello, ma'am. I would like to purchase these five barrels of fuel," he requested politely.
The Granbull narrowed her eyes down at the kid, then looked at the barrels. "Kid, why do you need ship fuel?"
"It's for…my papa!" he quickly fibbed. "He needs it for a ship he's making and he needs it now."
The clerk crossed her arms and snorted. "Listen brat, we don't sell dangerous items to minors. Your 'papa' should be the one purchasing these things."
"He can't! He broke his leg making his ship!" he fibbed again.
"I'm not selling you ship fuel. How do I know this isn't some prank you're setting up?"
Ray glared at the clerk, getting visibly frustrated with her attitude. "Look lady, I need this fuel now. So quit the chitchat and let me purchase these."
She leaned down and flared her nostrils at him. He wasn't fazed by her intimidating stature. "Big talk coming from a small fry. Allow me to repeat myself. I. Can't. Sell. To. Minors."
Ray clenched his teeth. "Small fry…?" He reached through the left side of his jacket. "Take that back…"
"Make me, twerp."
Gwyn looked around nervously. She felt like a fight was going to break out. Without thinking, she ran over and smiled widely. "Hey there, little guy! No need to get feisty with the nice, scary looking lady!"
The Shinx blinked and turned around. "Huh?"
Granbull glared. "Hey, who are you?"
The Mew laughed awkwardly. "Oh, I'm his caretaker! The little guy wanted to purchase his papa's fuel all by himself!" She patted his head. "Isn't that right, Charlie?"
"Ray," he corrected, still confused by what's going on.
"Ray!" she corrected herself nervously, trying to keep her spurious smile up. "I'm so sorry for the trouble."
Granbull snorted and looked her over. "Wait…are you a Mew?"
"Uh…yes?" Ray's eyes widened and he looked back at her. A green Mew?!
"Why is a Mew like you a caretaker? More importantly, why is there a Mew here in the first place?"
"Um…" She scratched her chin. This was a poorly thought out plan.
The Shinx finally caught on to what she was doing and said, "She's a family friend…of a second cousin twice removed of mine…from the Fire Zone!"
The clerk raised a brow. "Wha-"
"Can we just have our dang fuel already?!" they shouted.
She flinched, then groaned. "Ugh…fine." She tallied up the cost of the fuel. "250 bits."
Ray reached into his bag and placed the required money on the table. Once they were counted up, she handed the young Shinx a receipt. He smirked. "Thank you very much," he smugly acknowledged to the clerk, rolling off with the barrels.
Gwyn chuckled nervously, inching away from the Granbull's angry glare. "Isn't he precious? BYE!" She dashed after the Shinx. Granbull huffed and went to handle the next customer.
Ray was at the door when Gwyn caught up with him. He rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, uh…thanks for…that."
Gwyn waved it off. "Oh, no trouble. Your dad needed the fuel and I didn't want to see anyone get hurt."
He smirked to himself. Yeah…could have gotten hurt. His devious thoughts were then replaced with confusion. "So, wait…you're a Mew?" He walked around her, inspecting her. "Why are you green?"
"I want to say genetics played a part in that department," she honestly answered.
"So weird…" he muttered. With all the traveling he has done since his time on the ship, he rarely sees Legendary Pokémon in the mortal world. He spotted a Ho-oh once, but that was really far away. This is the first time he has ever spoken to a Legendary. He held his paw up with uncertainty. "My name is Ray."
She smiled and shook it. "Gwyn. Nice to meet you."
He smiled a bit. "You too, Gwyn. Sorry, but I need to get going. My dad needs this fuel immediately for his ship, so I need to get going."
"Oh, no trouble. I wouldn't want to keep you held up." He nodded and prepared to push the barrels out when he heard a voice he hasn't heard in several months.
"Yo, Gwyn! Where are you? Why did you leave the cart behind?" Ella walked out from around a corner, pushing the cart with her head.
The Mew waved her over, not aware of Ray's panicked expression. "Over here, Ella!"
Ella Cipher is here?! Why?! He gulped. Hang on, if she's all the way out here, doesn't that mean…I got to tell the captain!
The Espeon pushed the cart over and looked at her friend with a visible pout. "Seriously? What are you doing, buying sweets?"
She chuckled a bit. "Sorry, I was just helping this Shinx out."
Ella looked over her, then deadpanned. "What Shinx?"
She turned her head around and saw Ray and the barrels of fuel were gone. "Huh, that's weird. He must have went home to his dad."
Ella sighed. "Whatever. Just don't leave the cart behind again. Someone tried stealing our stuff."
She giggled nervously. "Heh, sorry."
"So, who was the Shinx you were helping out?"
"Oh, just some little kid named Ray. He said his father was making a ship and he needed fuel for it. The clerk was less than pleased with ringing up a child, so I decided to help out."
"Wait, wait, wait, time out," the Espeon stopped, raising her paw. "Did you say his name was Ray? He is a Shinx named Ray?"
"Yep."
She lowered her eyelids suspiciously. "What was he wearing?"
Gwyn wasn't sure why that mattered. "Uh…some grungy clothes. Kind of dusty looking."
"And he wanted…ship fuel?" She nodded, making Ella face-palm, running her paw down her face. Either this was an unbelievable coincidence or they were going to be in danger later. "Gwyn…I think you were talking to a member of the Desert Beasts."
"The Desert-who now?"
"You were talking…to a member of a deadly pirate gang."
Ray pushed the barrels out of town in a hurry. Crud, crud, crud! Why, of all places, were they here? Captain Arid wasn't kidding when he said they were magnets for those treasure hunters. They always somehow manage to find each other. But why were they here? There wasn't any treasure or temple near here. Or was there? He needed to tell Arid at once.
He came to a halt upon reaching the ship and banged his paw against it. "Captain! Captain! We got a problem!"
Arid looked over the side with a glare. "What is it, Ray? Did you get the fuel?"
"Yes, but I found something you may want to hear about! Reel me up!"
He looked at a Primeape with a left peg leg and a Sneasel with a prosthetic right claw, which looked like a Sneasel claw, but was clearly made of some form of metal. They both wore the signature Desert Beast attire. "Well, what are you scallywags waiting for? Hoist him up!"
They saluted. "Yes, Captain Arid!" They ran to the edge and lowered the net. Ray pushed the barrels into it and jumped in. They gripped the rope tightly and pulled, hoisting the child and fuel up.
Jeffery flew over and landed on Arid's shoulder. "What's the commotion?" His eyes widened. "Oh my, he actually got the fuel…"
Ray rolled his eyes. "Nice to see you too, Jeff." He jumped out of the net. The two pirates grabbed the barrels and carried them down to the back of the ship.
Arid patted the Shinx's head. "A fine job you pulled off, kid. You'll be eating well tonight."
He smiled cheekily. "Thanks, captain." He gasped, remembering why he was in a rush. "But there's no time for that! We got a situation!" He pointed to the town frantically. "I saw Ella Cipher at the store! With a green Mew!"
Arid raised a brow in curiosity, but Jeffery was less than amused. "A green Mew? Riiight, and I'm a purple, sparkly Lugia…"
He growled at the Chatot and flailed his forelegs. "I'm not lying! I saw a green Mew at the store with Ella Cipher!"
"What were they doing?" the captain asked, rubbed his chin.
Jeffery squawked loudly in frustration. "My captain, you can't be serious! You actually believe him?! A green Mew?! Really now?! I haven't heard such pitiful, puerile poppycock since that time in-HMPH!" A Darmanitan hand wrapped around his beak and clenched it shut. He flapped his wings wildly as he tried to speak.
"Proceed," Arid ordered.
Ray nodded. "Before I ran off, I saw Ella Cipher pushing a cart full of mountain equipment."
The Chatot pulled his beak free and squawked. "Mountain equipment? Why would they need something like that?"
Arid narrowed his eyes. "If they were looking for something…"
"They?" He said it as if there was more than two Pokémon involved.
"Ms. Cipher wouldn't be this far out on her own unless she had another companion with her, not just this supposed Mew." He narrowed his eyes and headed to the captain's quarters. "Ravenfield is in that town. He's looking for something." He walked up to his sand gauntlet and stuck his hand in. It locked around his arm. He lifted it up and clenched his fist. "And I intend to force it out of him." He exited his quarters, a quake forming with every other step.
Jeffery flew after him. "So you assume they're looking for something? Like treasure?"
"There would be no other reason for Ravenfield to be out this far unless it was for something valuable. Meaning if we get the drop on him, we can squeeze the information out of him."
The Chatot smirked. "Excellent idea, my captain!" He rubbed his wings together. "If they truly are looking for treasure, we'll beat them to the location first thanks to our sky travel advantage!"
Arid walked up to the edge and whistled, gathering the attention of his crew. "Men! Change of plans!" He pointed to the town. "See that town over there? In there lies our sworn adversary, Wes Ravenfield." They growled and pulled out their swords, raising them high. "Raze that town to the ground and flush him out. If he's after treasure, we'll torture the information out of him!"
"YEEEEAH!" they cheered.
He snapped his fingers. "Tear it down." They charged and jumped off, landing on their feet. They rushed towards the town, screaming. Arid raised his glove. Sand flowed under his feet and lifted him up, carrying him to the town.
Once the girls finished their shopping, they hid behind a building to discuss the disturbing news that was brought upon them. Ella was clearly the most frustrated, but she couldn't blame her naïve friend for the misstep. Ray would have seen her either way. Plus, she didn't confront the Desert Beast Pirates beforehand, so she definitely couldn't have known.
She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "This is a nightmare…"
"I didn't know he was a pirate! He looked so sweet and innocent," she argued, trying to defend herself.
"That kid is anything but sweet and innocent. He was raised by those uncouth pirates for a good chunk of his life." She groaned. "And now there's a good chance the whole town will be swarmed with pirates…"
"Why would they know you and the guys?"
Ella sighed. "We may have met them a few…hundred times back when Flint and I were still traveling with Wes. He stole a ton of their loot and damaged their ship on multiple occasions. Every time Arid sees, hears, or even smells him, he'll be on his tail."
"Yikes…talk about obsessive," she commented.
"You don't know the half of it…" she muttered in annoyance, rubbing her face. "He and Wes have been at each other's throats for a long time. Now it has turned into some form of game to see who gets the drop on who."
The Mew shrugged. "Well, if Wes normally wins, I don't see the trouble with this…"
"But there are two problems. One, pirates will be invading the town to find Wes. And two…if they find Wes, they'll know about the idol's existence."
Gwyn paled. That key detailed seemed to have slipped her mind. "We need to find the boys and get out of here!" she shouted, preparing to rush out of the alley.
Ella stomped on her tail and stopped her in her tracks. "Hold up!" She perked her ears up and listened for any unusual noises. She could hear from a far distance the sound of a war cry being shouted in unison. She could only describe it as a bunch of screaming barbarians with a taste for blood. It was only getting louder and louder, indicating they were coming. "They're already here."
It happened in an instant. The townsfolk gasped as a swarm of angry pirates flooded the streets of their town, pushing them out of the way in madness. They jumped through the windows of buildings and sliced through anywhere that could act as a hiding spot, in search of a particular Umbreon with a smug, deceivingly harmless grin.
A Golem wearing the signature Desert Beast uniform rolled up into a ball and crashed through a jewelry store. No sense in causing a ruckus of this magnitude without doing a little pilfering on the side. Some of his allies swarmed in and helped clean the place out.
People were running around in a frenzy, trying to escape the tenacious pirates. The Simisear pirate grabbed a fleeing Poliwhirl and placed a blunderbuss up to his skull. "Tell us where the Umbreon is, townie."
He shivered profusely, dropping to his knees in panic. "I don't know who you're talking about!"
"Oh, but I think ye do, buster!" He pushed the gun harder against his skull. "Now talk or we're going to see what color your brain is."
Ella and Gwyn watched the mayhem from behind a building. The Mew had her hands up to her mouth in horror. "How can anyone be so heartless?!"
The Espeon patted her back. "I wouldn't worry about it too much." The Desert Beasts weren't the kindest pirates in the world (heck, almost all pirates were cruel and careless), but they didn't kill like wild savages. The worse they've done was set a town on fire and let fate decide for them. Some of the crew, like that Simisear, were just crazy. "Our main goal is to find Wes and Flint."
Gwyn clenched her fists. "I can't let that filthy pirate kill him!" She reached into her bag and pulled out her whip.
Meanwhile, the Simisear kept pressuring the Poliwhirl with questions. "Still not going to talk, are ye?!"
"P-P-Please…I have a wife and kids!" he pleaded his heart out.
A smirk grew across his face. "I'll make sure to reunite you all in the afterlife!" He slowly pulled back on the trigger.
The ground under him chipped and cracked. He looked down in confusion, then gasped as a thorny whip exploded out of the ground and slashed his arm, dropping the blunderbuss in pain. It wrapped around his wrist and proceeded to drag him underground forcibly. The Poliwhirl inched away from the hole in fear and made a mad dash for safety.
The Simisear found himself flying out of the ground and into the alleyway. More specifically, into the path of an angry Mew's fist which promptly nailed him square in the face.
"Take that!" she shouted. Ella face-palmed.
Oh Arceus, help us.
The pirates ran over to see their fallen comrade and the ones who inflicted the pain. "The kid wasn't kidding! There really is a green Mew!"
Golem narrowed his eyes and growled. "And Ella Cipher." They held their swords aloft and walked towards them, forcing the girls to step back.
Ella smirked uneasily. "Gentlemen…how long has it been? Six months or so? Boy, time sure flies by, doesn't it?" She poured psychic energy into her feet. "I would love to stay and catch up with all of you, but our flight is here." She bit down on the back of Gwyn's sweater and jumped in the air, soaring of the gang of ruffians who proceeded to give chase to them.
"WHOA! Easy Ella!" Gwyn shouted.
"We need to find the boys, now! Use that weird magic aura sense thing and find them!"
"Okay, okay!" Her eyes skimmed across the town for the two specific magic auras. It was kind of hard to do when she was flying through the air with an Espeon holding her by the collar.
The pirates pulled out their blunderbusses and fired at them. Ella swerved through the air, trying to stay out of their reach. She wasn't used to flying with her Psychic, especially with another body to hold up. She did her best to divert the gunshots, forcing them to fly off in random directions.
Gwyn flailed her arms at the tactical maneuvers she was pulled off. "AH! Take it easy, Ella!"
"I'm trying!"
The Sneasel pirate got onto their level through the rooftops and raced alongside them. She smirked and aimed her claw hook at them. It fired off her hand and grazed Ella in the back, staggering her in her flight.
"AH!" She kept airborne and glared. "Oh, you did not just do that?!" she shouted in a muffle.
The claw flew back to Sneasel and reattached to her stump of an arm. "Surrender the location of Ravenfield and we'll let you go!"
"Hmm, tempting," she considered. "Let me think about it-oh yeah, no. Gwyn? Show her what you can do."
She cracked her knuckles. "With pleasure." Ella flung her into the Sneasel. The pirate rolled away from her kick and fired her claw at her. Gwyn brought her whip out and slapped it out of the way before rushing her. Sneasel ducked under two slashes and kicked her in the stomach. She raised her real claws and slashed down at her.
The whip wrapped around them and stopped them from making their mark. Gwyn continued with a rising kick to the jaw, followed by a sweep kick. Sneasel flipped back to her feet and threw a punch, to which the Mew blocked. She growled, then smirked suddenly.
The half-Legendary was confused until she heard a sharp gust of wind behind her. She ducked in time as the prosthetic claw had finally come back to its owner. Once it reattached, she backflipped, striking Gwyn in the jaw. She stumbled back then dodged a swipe that came close to clawing her eyes outs. The Mew stepped back from the attacks, all while reaching for a seed in her bag.
Ella landed on the ground, taking as much time as possible to get her bearings in order. She could feel the pirates closing in on her. With a sharp turn of her head, she psychically blasted wind into their faces, knocking them off the ground. The Barbaracle, who avoided the attack, activated his Razor Shell and dashed at her.
Ella rolled out of the way of his attacks and uplifts rock from the ground, firing myriad stones at his face. The pirate slashed at the rocks with expert precision, smirking. "Really, Cipher? You can do better than that, can't you?"
The female Eeveelution chuckled irritably. "Oh buddy…you need to learn to keep your trap shut." Her eyes erupted in light. The ground underneath the Barbaracle bulged up before exploding into a geyser of sharp rocks. Thanks to his hard body, he endured the shards that chipped away at him.
He glared and forced his way out of the geyser. She sidestepped from his Razor Shells. She could feel the breeze from their swift movements, showing his expertise with the move. All she could really do was blast psychic energy at him and she can only do that for so long before exhausting herself. Plus, they had weapons.
He slashed again, but Ella rolled under the attacked and snatched his sword. She threw the scabbard to the side and held the weapon in her teeth. She smirked. "Let's dance, you uncouth ruffian."
He smirked and brandished his Razor Shells against each other. "With pleasure."
Wes groaned and slammed his head against the counter. All he wanted to do was come in and get a simple question answered. It would have been quick and simple. But no, almost no one in this joint had a clue as to how to enter a magic tunnel…except the sleazy bartender.
The Seviper wearing the bowtie and sleeveless vest around his body poured some drinks and passed them to a few patrons. Wes glared up at him in annoyance. He knew about the magic tunnels, but he withheld the information on purpose like a genuine hustler. He refused to give the valuable information unless he gave him all their money. The thought itself almost made the Umbreon shake in rage. Buying things, helping a friend out…those were the only reasons he ever gave money to someone. Not to someone he didn't know who may or may not have the info they needed.
The snake smirked. "Ssso…do we have a deal?"
"No way. I'm not giving you money. How do I know you even know how to find a magic tunnel?" He gestured around the bar. "You work in this rundown dump with these shady travelers." They looked up from their meals and conversations to glare at him. "No offense, shady travelers." They rolled their eyes and went back to their activities.
The bartender leaned down and hissed lightly. "Look who'sss talking, bussster. You're pretty shady looking yourssself."
"Is this because I'm an Umbreon?!" he shouted angrily. "Oh, do I have some words for you, mister!"
Flint, sitting away from the mess, slammed his head on the table. Why did his brother have to start fights with everyone who antagonizes him? It was both embarrassing and, in some cases, life risking.
He sighed and moved his red checker piece over four black pieces, beating the Ludicolo in front of him. "I win." His eyes widened before he flipped the table over in rage and stormed off. Flint shook his head and went to pick up the pieces.
His ears perked up suddenly. He could hear shouting outside, along with terrified screaming. Curious and concerned, he wandered over to the saloon doors and poked his head out. He paled upon seeing the familiar sight of the Desert Beast pirates wreaking havoc on the streets.
"Oh no…" He tried to slink back into the bar when a loud, raspy voice caught his attention.
"It's Flint Ravenfield!" a Nidorino pirate shouted. His fellow crewmates turned and raised their weapons with a roar. Flint, with sweat dripping down his face, raced back into the bar.
The bartender and Wes were still arguing with each other. "At least I can open a jaw without using my teeth!" Wes shouted.
"I can conssstrict around your neck and sssuffocate you!"
"I'd like to see you try!"
The Umbreon's older brother ran up to him and tapped his shoulder. "Wes, pirates!"
He waved him off, apparently not paying attention. "Not now, Flint!"
"Seriously, we need to run! Desert Beast pirates!"
"I'll be with you in a minute, Flint! I'm busy teaching this guy some manners!" Did he seriously not hear him?!
Seviper hissed. "I'm not giving you the info on the magic tunnelsss until you pay up!"
"You're giving me that information for free, whether you like it or not!" he retaliated.
"Oh? And why isss that?!"
Wes smirked as the saloon doors flew off their hinges. The Desert Beast pirates stepped in and aimed their blunderbusses at the patrons. "Everyone on the ground, now!" They did as asked and hit the deck.
Nidorino smiled upon seeing the selection of drinks. "Ooh! Let's steal that stuff!"
Golem slapped his over the head and stepped forward, aiming his blunderbuss at Wes' head. "Reveal to us the information you are withholding! What is it that you're searching for?!"
Flint's eyes widened. Do they know about the idol?!
The Umbreon glanced at them through his peripherals before setting his eyes on the bartender. "Here's how things are going to work. You give me the information I desire and I'll make sure you still have a job after today…or your life."
The snake hissed angrily. "Are you threatening me?!"
He leaned back, paws behind his head. "I'm not the one threatening your life. I'm just giving you some friendly advice before these guys start shooting the place up."
Seviper looked pass Wes, looking into the eyes of the vicious pirates that had him at gunpoint. He gulped in fear of his life. He knew of the Desert Beasts and their tyranny across Mysto. He didn't want to be on that list of people. He couldn't lose his job, either. This was the only one he had.
He bowed his head. "You need to utter a magic phrase to open the magic tunnels: Gate of Foribus. If you say it in close proximity to a magical opening, the tunnel will be revealed." He nervously looked at the pirates, who still had their aim on them. "Now please! Get rid of them!"
Wes tipped his hat. "See that wasn't too hard, was it?" He leaned back, facing the pirates upside down. "I bet you can't shoot me!" The bartender shrieked. He was in their line of fire too!
They growled and pulled their triggers. Flint ducked for cover as they flew pass him. Wes jumped over the counter and pushed Seviper down. The energy bolts shattered some bottles, spilling contents on the ground.
The snake flailed in panic. "This is what you call help?!"
Wes handed him some bits, much to his confusion. "I'll like to purchase two drinks, thank you very much!" He jumped up and grabbed two bottles. "Flint, fire!" He threw the bottles.
Catching on almost instantly, the Flareon spat tiny balls of flame with a reduced Flamethrower. They engulfed the alcohol soaked bottles in flames and smashed against Nidorino and a Snover pirate.
Nidorino screamed and ran around to find some water to extinguish them. Snover, who was taking the worst of the flames, ran outside in blistering pain. "FIRE!" He flailed around on the streets. "STOP, DROP, AND ROLL!" He rolled around on the ground to try and smother the flames.
The other pirates groaned before firing at the counter. Wes pushed the bartender out of harm's way and pulled a wok out from below. He jumped over the counter and batted the energy shots back to them. Their eyes widened before they dodged out of the way.
Wes laughed. "HA! Fifteen-Love!"
Golem snarled and pulled out a Freeze Charm. "Trying serving this back!" He fired a stream of ice from it.
Wes held the wok up and immediately fell it growing colder. "BRR! Cold metal!" He rolled out of the way and flung the wok into his face, knocking him out. He ran over to Flint and helped him up. "We need to find the girls and get moving!"
"Best pay attention, boys!" They jumped away from each other as a female Togetic jumped from the air and slashed the ground between them with a pair of battle claws. She slashed at them, forcing them both back. She grabbed Wes by the collar and slammed him against the wall. "Where is this treasure you seek? Reveal its location for our glorious captain!"
Wes smirked. "Aww, but we barely know each other. At least buy me a drink first." He coughed as she shoved him harder against the wall.
"Don't toy with me, Umbreon! Where is it?!"
"Geez, lady, cool it!" he wheezed.
She dug through his bag in search of something. "There must be a map or something…"
"Flame Charge!" She barely had time to react as Flint rammed his flaming body against the pirate, sending her into the drinks and plopping on the ground. He adjusted his hat and huffed. "Drinks are on the house." His eyes widened, then he face-palmed. "Did I really just say that?"
Wes sat up and snickered. "Thanks, bro!"
"Don't thank me yet!" He pushed him down as bullets flew over their heads. They made a dash for the door. "Wes, give us some cover!"
He nodded and activated his Star Amulet. "Aquos Mist!" He exhaled the thick mist into bar, blinding them.
They ran outside and looked around vigilantly. "Alright, do you see the girls?"
Wes peered around the town before spotting a green magic aura battling against a regular aura. "I see Gwyn's magic aura! Ella may be close by, too!"
"Let's hurry before those pirates get a second wind!" They prepared to run when a wall of sand rose out of the ground. Sand arms stretched out after them. The brothers jumped around the attacks, using the arms to jump over the wall. Soon their plan fell short when the spot they landed in was actually a sand trap. Their feet sunk into the sand, sticking them in place.
"The Ravenfield Brothers…" They looked up and glared at Captain Arid, floating above them on a cloud of sand. "It has been quite some time since we last confronted each other, Flint Ravenfield. Your brother has been causing me quite the trouble."
Flint smirked. "Oh good, he's still upstaging you." He then got serious and frowned. "Release us at once, Arid."
He rubbed his fingers together. "Oh, I'll release you as soon as you tell me what you are all searching for. Must be something important if you are all traveling together. And with a green Mew of all things. Truly astonishing."
Flint glared. "How did you know we were searching for something?"
"Ray spotted Ms. Cipher as he went to collect fuel for our ship. I came to the logical conclusion you all were here looking for something. There's no other reason you would be this far out, Ravenfield."
Wes smirked. "Sharp as usual, captain. I'll give you that much. But I'm not giving up such valuable information. This is gonna be my big break. I'm not sharing nor letting you steal the limelight from me."
Arid narrowed his eyes. "So be it." He tightened his fist and began sinking the brothers. "If you won't give up the location, I'll just have to interrogate the lassies next."
Flint glared. "There's no way I'm letting that happen!" He fired Flamethrower at him.
Arid stuck his hand out and blocked the flames effortlessly. "Really? Surely you can do better than that."
Wes infused magic into a Shadow Ball and fired. Arid blocked it, catching it in his golden gauntlet. He growled. "Flint, cover your ears."
Flint deadpanned. "Wes…my paws are buried."
"Just droop them shut!" He nodded and slapped his ear down, covering them against his head.
Wes took a deep breath and concentrated a mass of magic in front of his open mouth. They swirled into a purple orb. Bolts of electricity ran off and cracked the ground a bit from the pressure.
Arid narrowed his eyes at the spell before gasping. "The Mystic Beam…" With a growl, he summoned a wave of sand from the ground and splashed it down on top of them. Flint shielded his eyes shut while Wes kept concentrating on the spell.
The sand did its thing and buried them. Arid landed on the sand and slammed his hand down. "Now perish!" Seismic waves spread across the sand, with the intent on crushing them to death. But his plan was futile as purple light seeped out of the cracks, with the surface under him glowing purple. He glared. "That son of a-"
A large mystical beam encompassed his being and blasted him into the sky. His fur singed as he flew higher and higher into the air. The range on this attack was monstrous, not to mention the overwhelming power that he was forced to endure.
The sand that originally buried the Eeveelutions was forced off by the shockwave the Mystic Beam produced. The spell eventually ended and Wes collapsed in the sand, panting heavily from the brief absence of air. Without Arid controlling it, it lost its grip on their legs. "Oh man…I couldn't breathe for a moment…"
Flint caught his breath as well and helped him up. "You alright?"
"As usual, yes," he assured with a smile.
Flint smiled. "Good. Now let's…RUN!"
"Run?" His eyes widened as a shadow casted over them. They jumped out of the way as a fist of sand slammed against the ground.
Arid flew down, panting. The furs of his body were burnt and his clothes were more torn up than usual. "Excellent attack, Wes Ravenfield. Snuffing you out proved to be too difficult." He clenched his fist, forming shards of sand from the ground which revolved around him like a barrier. "Perhaps a good ol' fight will get you to talk."
The Umbreon smirked and got into a fighting stance. "Now you're speaking my language." He whispered to Flint, "Find the girls and get ready to run." He nodded and went to look for them. Arid fired sand shards at him, but a Shadow Ball flew in to take the damage. He glared at the Umbreon as Flint escaped. "Your fight is with me, Arid." He crouched down as his magic aura burst to life, blazing ferociously. "Bring it on!"
Whip and claw collided against each other at quick speeds, successfully blocking their opponent's attacks.
Gwyn ducked under a slash and wrapped her whip around Sneasel's ankle. She gasped as she was flung into the air and smashed through the roof, crashing through two floors. The Mew jumped down and threw explosive berries.
Sneasel flipped away from the blast radius and fired her claw, punching Gwyn in the stomach. The claw returned and she leaped at the Mew, throwing a flurry of kicks at her. She landed and grabbed her arm, flipping her over her shoulder.
Gwyn's eyes opened and she caught herself from hitting the ground. She planted a seed on the pirate's back, then kicked her away. "Accelerated Growth!"
The seed sprouted open and wrapped vines around her. She didn't see any issue with this as she could easily freeze and shatter them, until she noticed a peculiar detail about their design. They were coursing with electricity!
"Oh, fu-" She screamed as the electricity consumed her.
The Mew threw some seeds and used her Accelerated Growth spell to form giant vine hands. She threw her hand down, with them following suit. They smashed down on the Sneasel in rapid succession.
An angry gleam of a glare peered from the dust cloud formed by the violent assault. A wide slash cut through the hand just before it impacted, giving the Sneasel time to escape. She jumped far up in the air and released a blustering Icy Wind down on the Mew.
Gwyn shielded herself as the cold bombarded down on her. Frost formed around her body, greatly reducing her ability to move. She growled and, with some difficulty, slammed her hand down. A large plant seeped out of the ground. A Venus flytrap with a fiery design.
She snapped her fingers. "Inferno of the Dragon!"
The plant inhaled deeply, then exhaled a massive stream of flames, mixed in with red, orange, pink, yellow, and crimson.
Sneasel jumped out of the way, feeling the intensity of the heat lick her wounds. She skidded to a halt and fired her claw at the plant, slashing its 'cheek'. The flytrap roared angrily and fired again, which she dodged.
The buildup of heat in the collapsed building helped melt the ice on Gwyn. She shook herself dry and glared at the pirate, twirling her whip. "No escape this time!" She threw her whip, wrapping it around her ankle. She brought her down to earth with a hard slam.
The prosthetic claw came flying back, but Gwyn whipped it out of the air, lodging it into the earth.
Sneasel pushed herself up and wiped some blood off her cheek. "You got spunk, Mew. I'm impressed."
Gwyn twirled her whip. "The name's Gwyn."
She smirked. "Well Gwyneth, the name's Indigo. A pleasure to meet and defeat you!" She lunged forward, claws forward.
Gwyn's whip instinctively wrapped around the Sneasel's wrist and halted her to a dead stop. She sweep kicked the Mew, knocking her off balance. She raised her right arm and slammed her in the gut, followed up by a kick. Gwyn's whip blocked the kick and slashed Indigo's cheek before wrapping around her, securing her arms in place.
She growled and struggled to get out. "Let me go!"
Gwyn coughed and rubbed her throat as she stood up. "As much as I want to continue this fight, I need to check on my friend." She pulled out a vial and smashed it on the ground, releasing a green vapor. She retracted her whip and ran off.
Indigo glared and prepared to chase her. "Get back here, you…you…you…" She suddenly felt lightheaded, losing her balance as well. She teetered back and forth, a droopy smile stretching across her face. "Oooh…look at all the Mareep…" She fell onto her back and went into a deep sleep.
Back with Ella, the Espeon evaded a flurry of slashes from the Barbaracle pirate that was persistently chasing her. She blocked his attacks with the stolen sword. However, her experience with using such a weapon was a bit rusty, so she wasn't sure how long she can keep up with swordplay.
She jumped back and landed on a barrel. "That all you got, Jones?"
The pirate smirked and flexed his claws. "Lass, you haven't seen me at my best yet."
"Then by all means…" She bowed mockingly. "Show me what you got. No holding out."
He cracked his neck and extended the Razor Shell from his claws. He rushed her and slashed down the middle of the barrel. Ella rolled out of the way at the last minute and blasted him into the air with a psychic blast. He kept his balance in the air and spun down like a saw. His impact with the ground uplifted rock and stone, flipping the Espeon into the air. With her unable to dodge, Jones swiftly slashed her and sent her skipped across the ground.
Ella rolled before extending her feet out and skidding to a standing break. She shook her head and gave a deadpan glare. "Okay…let's try that again." She raised her head and threw the sword like a boomerang.
Jones caught it effortlessly. "That all you-" He was immediately cut off as a flying kick smashed against his face. Ella psychically grabbed his arm and flipped him over her shoulder. He glared and grabbed her tail, flipping her along with him. He slammed his foot against her face and sent her through the roof of a store.
The Barbaracle pirate panted and pushed himself up. "The lass put up a hell of a fight." He rubbed his arm and limped off. He needed to see if Captain Arid needed assistance. He knows how strong Ravenfield can get. He didn't undermine his captain's abilities, but it was best to be sure.
A roof tile came flying in and smashed in the back of his head. He rubbed it and looked behind him. His eyes widened as hundreds of roof tiles floated in a mass of psychic energy, with Ella standing on the remainder of the roof with a deadpan expression.
"Okay…now you've done it." The tiles swirled around her like a tornado before firing at him in machinegun fashion. Jones readied his Razor Shell and slashed through the tiles speedily. Some tiles flew pass his flurry of attacks and nicked his jacket and pants.
This lass is quite bothersome. He jumped out of the way of the attacks and used Shell Smash. His body glowed red before the light shattered like a shell. A red aura surrounded him. "Fury Cutter!" His claws glowed red and extended out, then he rushed Ella with his increased speed.
She narrowed her eyes and jumped over his attack. She got on his back and blasted Shadow Ball at his head. He stumbled forward and swiped back, striking her in the side. It stung from the effectiveness and power increase. She crashed into a building and slid to the ground, groaning.
"That hurt…" she muttered.
Jones walked up to her and raised his claws. "It has been fun, Ms. Cipher."
She looked around for a weapon before a barrel. She psychically grabbed it and slammed it against his face. He momentarily staggered and held his face in pain. Ella picked herself up and brought over Jones' sword. She grabbed it in her teeth and leaped forward, slashing across his chest.
"AGH!" He staggered back and slipped on a loose board, landing on his back. He groaned in aching pain before slipping into unconsciousness.
Ella limped forward and stabbed the pirate's sword into the ground, right next to his face. "Good fight, you idiot hooligan." She stepped out of the building and sat down to catch her breath. "Okay, I'll just take a minute and…" She looked up to see more pirates had entered the scene. "Oh you have got to be kidding me?!"
They laughed and charged at her when, out of nowhere, a massive Flamethrower engulfed them from the right, blackening them to a crisp. They blinked in surprise before falling onto their backs.
"Ella!" She sighed in relief to hear the comforting sound of Flint's voice. He ran up to her side and checked on her wounds. "Are you okay?" he asked as he picked her up.
"Oh, you know…this and that…a bruised rib, probably, but nothing to worry about…" She chuckled soon after.
The Flareon groaned. "Well, your sense of humor is the same, so that's something." He wrapped her foreleg around him and helped her move. "Come on, we need to find Gwyn."
"No need!" They looked up as the Mew jumped down from the rooftops and landed gracefully in their presence. "I'm right here!" She gasped upon seeing Ella. "Holy Arceus! Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine, don't fret. Did you take care of that Sneasel?"
She waved it off. "You kidding? That was easy." She held up Ella's bag, which they left behind in the alleyway during the scuffle. "We got the equipment."
He smiled. "Good. Wes and I have the secret to entering a magic tunnel. Now we just need to…" His eyes widened. "Crap! Wes is still fighting Arid!"
Wes flew in the air, then was slapped down by a giant hand of sand. He landed on his feet and dashed at Arid, headbutting him in the face, then pulling off an uppercut with his rear foot. The captain glared and punched him in the side with his gloved hand. The treasure hunter skidded to a halt and fired a volley of magic infused Shadow Balls.
A wall of sand blocked the attacks, then fired bullets of sand at him. The Umbreon rolled away, firing Shadow Balls as well. Arid raised his hand and sent out a sand clone to take him on. The sand Arid flew at the treasure hunter and slashed where he was standing. He jumped over the attack and kicked the clone across the face.
"Infernius!" The white fireball was fired at blank point range, trapping them both in a burst of light. The treasure hunter jumped over the clone. "TerraSlash!" Rock unearthed from the ground and fired through the desert captain's shield.
Arid's glove withstood the impacting force of the rocks. He jumped over the wall and raised a tsunami of sand. He sent it flying down, with the clone trying to restrain the slippery Umbreon.
Wes smirked and, with some struggling, touched the Amulet of Umbra. He turned into a shadow and flew out of his grasp. He and the clone were buried under the massive pile of sand, but Wes slithered out to the top and retook his regular form.
Arid snorted. "Alright…let's switch things up." He formed shards of sand that floated above him. However, that wasn't the end of his set up. He then fired Overheat right at them, superheating them into glass shards. Particles of sand surrounded them to keep them floating. He flicked his hand and sent the shards flying.
The Umbreon rolled away from as many shards as he could, with a few slashing his cheek and tail. He flinched upon kicking some sand up, which stung his tail wound. He clenched his teeth, trying to fight the searing pain. He shook his head and glared as the Desert Beast captain created even more glass to fire.
Wes got into a fighting stance and observed the shards. Arid had less control over where they flew. All he needed to do was determine their positioning and the likely angles that they would be thrown at.
Arid flicked his finger and fired them once more. Being much more prepared, Wes raced through them, dodging and predicting their paths. He twisted his body in the air as two came flying at him, one below and one above. One looked like it was going to hit him, but he touched the ground quick enough to push himself away from it.
Once the shards ammunition was exhausted, Wes jumped into the air and came down on the captain's head with a spinning blade kick. Arid growled and grabbed him by the ankle, tossing him up, then slamming him into the ground. Wes muffled his annoyance in the sand before pushing himself into the air and firing a blank point Shadow Ball upside down.
"Lumios Storm!" He jumped again and curled up into a spinning ball, then erupted in light that showered a bombardment of light arrows. Arid crossed his arms over his head as the arrows pierced through his body. While they didn't cause any physical damage, he felt a searing pain overtake him.
He stepped back and supported himself, trying to catch his breath. Ravenfield has been improving greatly…he is truly a worthy adversary.
Wes stumbled back, eyes spinning dizzily. "Wooo…never do that again…"
The captain sweatdropped. A worthy…childish adversary. He grunted and picked himself up. "It would seem we are at an impasse, Ravenfield. We are both ready to collapse from exhaustion at any second."
The treasure hunter smirked weakly. "What? Getting winded…already, Arid? I can keep this up all day…"
Arid smirked. "I'm sure you can…" He could hear a series of footsteps running towards them. His best guess was that it was Wes' friends.
Wes chuckled. "Looks like I win, Arid…"
"Perhaps…" He raised his fist. "But I shall return, Ravenfield. Whatever treasure you're searching for, be sure to know that I will be the one to retrieve it first." The glove glowed. Sand swirled around his body and carried him off.
Flint, Ella, and Gwyn stopped as a sand started flying around the town, retrieving Arid's crew, wounded or not. Waves of sand washed over the town before leaving the perimeter, back to their ship.
They didn't bother following him as they turned their attention to their exhausted friend. "Wes, are you alright?"
He took a moment to steady himself before nodding. "Yeah, all good. Is the town alright?"
Gwyn looked at the state of the place. While it was banged up, it was far from the damage inflicted on Marble Stone City. It shouldn't take more than a week or two to get the damages fixed up. "Yeah, they should be fine."
"Excellent…" He staggered forward and groaned. "Ugh…I have sand in my mouth…"
Flint sighed. "We may have to stay overnight so you and Ella can recover."
The Umbreon didn't bother arguing. With the state he was in, he didn't want to do much walking right now. "Sounds good…" Flint and Gwyn helped Wes and Ella walk. First they had to get their injuries checked out, then hopefully find an inn to stay at…assuming it wasn't damage in the fight.
Gwyn whispered to Flint, "Do you think the Darmanitan pirate knows about the idol?"
He shook his head. "He only knows we're searching for something. Let's try keeping it that way for as long as we can. His crew will take a while to recover. That should give these two time to get some rest and we can resume traveling in the morning."
She nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
Wes and Ella's injuries, according to the physician they had examine them, weren't severe and would only require some medicine and some rest. They were good to go for traveling in the morning, too, much to their relief. They were also fortunate to find an inn. It was on the farther side of town, so it was out of danger. Plus, they managed to get a free stay as repayment for driving the pirates out. They wanted to refuse the offer, but the sweet comforting thought of laying in an actual bed won them over.
Once morning came, they bid goodbye to the innkeeper before setting off back on the road.
Gwyn sighed. "Man, yesterday was chaos." She glanced at her friends with a brow raised high. "Is this a normal encounter for you guys?"
Wes laughed. "Oh yeah! Life as a treasure hunter always poses dangers like that!" His eyes narrowed a bit as he reached into his bag with an uncertain look.
Flint tilted his head. "Something wrong, bro?"
"Just making sure Leigh didn't steal the map," he replied, referring to the Togetic that jumped the two in the bar. He pulled it out and opened it. He let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Arceus, they didn't get it."
He smiled. "That's good."
Ella sighed, rubbing her sore back with her tail. "Not that it would be hard to get it back. The whole crew is incapacitated." She chuckled. "Who knows? We could have stolen some treasure off of them, Wes."
He smiled at the thought, then shook his head, trying to push out his greedy thoughts. "No, no…as much as I want to get my paws on any treasure they have, Slab Blade Mountain is our top priority. We can't get sidetracked any longer."
She shrugged. "Your loss."
He smirked and pushed her a bit. "Shut up."
She shoved him back, smirking as well. "You first."
Flint chuckled. "Can you two ease up on the roughhousing? The doctor said you need a few days to fully recover."
Wes saluted jokingly. "Aye, sir."
As they walked along the dirt path, a certain Chatot was observing them from the sky. He smirked. "Slab Blade Mountain, they say?" He made a u-turn and flew back to the ship.
The ship sat airborne in the sky, out of view of any townsfolk wanting to get revenge. The injured crew laid in the forecastle, also known as the crew's quarters. They were easing up on their wounds and were given a direct order from Arid to get some needed rest until they've recovered. The disadvantage of living the life of a pirate was limited access to medicine and medical supplies. Fortunately, their last raid gave them plenty of medical supplies.
Jones rubbed his aching neck. He had his shirt and jacket off, showing the bandages wrapped diagonally across his chest. "Ugh…I feel horrible…"
Leigh rolled her eyes. She had bandages in various spots due to slamming into glass bottles. Even after taking a bath, she still smelled like alcohol. "Quit your whining, Jones. You didn't spend an hour having glass pulled out of your skin."
He glared at her shortly before looking at Indigo, who was still passed out. Her prosthetic claw hung from the post of the bed. "Is she still out?"
"Oh yeah. She was hit with a strong sleeping potion. The kid said he was getting something to help her wake up."
Right after she said that, Ray kicked the door open and walked up to Indigo's bedside. He held a bowl filled with crushed plants and spices. He had a clothespin on his nose as the bowl was directly under it. The faint smell lightly permeated the quarters. The crew gagged at the horrid smell.
"What the heck is that?!" Simisear choked.
"A special brew that should wake her up," he answered.
He walked up to her bedside and set it down. He took a spoon and scooped a large glop of it up before lightly spreading it under her nose. Once done, he stepped back to wait for the brew to take effect.
Almost instantly, her face twitched, then cringed at the horrid smell. It was removing the effects of the potion slowly. "Ugh…wha…" Her eyes widened as her senses finally kicked in. She bolted up and covered her nose. "UGH! That's rancid!" She blinked and looked around confused. "Wait, how did I get back on the ship?"
"You were knocked out with a sleeping potion," Ray answered, handing her a washcloth. "You were out for almost an entire day."
Indigo vigorously wiped the goop on her face. "That Mew is going to pay…"
Leigh chuckled with narrowed eyes. "Aww, is the big, bad Sneasel upset that she loss?"
Indigo crossed her arms and smirked, taking notice of her multiple cuts. "And what exactly happened to you, master assassin?"
"…shut up."
Ray rolled his eyes, then his ears perked up as the quarters opened. Arid walked in, stripped of his sand gauntlet. The Shinx saluted. "Greetings, Captain Arid. What brings you here?"
The captain had a few bandages around him, but nothing serious compared to his injured crew. "Give me a report on their injuries."
"Well sir, over half the crew are unharmed. The rest have suffered minor injuries. They should be up and running again very soon."
He nodded. "Very good."
Leigh bowed her head. "We're sorry we failed you, captain. It won't happen again."
"It better not," he warned. "Ravenfield and his team are more than likely gone by now. We won't be able to track their movements until we run into them again." He clenched his fist. "That treasure shall be mine."
"And we'll help you get it, sir!" Jones assured, saluting to his captain. "Once we've recovered, we'll work double time to get that treasure!"
Indigo attached her claw and saluted as well. "The Desert Beast Pirates shall become the most feared pirate crew in the world!"
He nodded. "You all have fine spirits. Don't lose them."
"Yes, captain!" they shouted.
He exited the quarters, followed by Ray. "So, how are we going to track Ravenfield and his team, captain?"
"We'll have to get Jeffery to pick up on any nearby sources of treasure." He narrowed his eyes. Speaking of the Chatot, he hasn't seen him flying over his shoulder all day. "Where did that chatty Chatot fly off to now?"
"Oh captain~!" The two looked up and saw him slowly descend from the sky. He landed in front of the two, snickering. "Greetings, sir. Sorry for my abrupt absence."
Arid crossed his arms, raising a brow. "Where were you, Jeffery?"
The Chatot's delightful grin turned into a devious smirk. "Hehe…oh, do I have some news for you." The pirate captain leaned forward curiously. "I know where the treasure hunters are heading. They're making their way to Slab Blade Mountain."
Ray's eyes widened. "Slab Blade Mountain?! I didn't know that place had treasure!"
"Me either…" the Darmanitan muttered. The mines of that mountain were picked dry. What else could be there? "Are you sure?"
"Have I ever steered you wrong, my captain?" he asked with a smug grin.
Arid narrowed his eyes. If Wes was looking for something there, that meant something. Whatever it was, it shall belong to him. "Very well. Ray, get one of the uninjured crewman to drive the ship."
He saluted. "Aye, captain!" He raced off.
Jeffery perched himself on Arid's shoulder, rubbing his wings together. "This'll be excellent, captain. What do you suppose we'll find? The mother of all jewels? A hoard of gold? An unearthly treasure worth more than all the treasure in the world?"
As he rambled on, Arid merely glared over the edge of the ship. Something about this treasure left a curious taste in his mouth. There was something special about it. Something that made Flint and Ella resume their travels with the hyperactive Umbreon.
He didn't know what it was, but the racing beat of his heart told him this was an adventure he'll look forward to.
Hey everyone. I thought I do something fun with this chapter. There's more of Arid's crew left to establish, so why not have you all submit your own OC for his crew? I thought it would be a great idea.
If you're interested, submit a bio, either by review or message, of their name, species, age, history before joining the Desert Beasts (optional), personality, preferred weapon, any extra features (such as prosthetic limb, an accessory, etc.), likes and dislikes (optional), stuff like that. You can add another bit about them, you're not limited to these options. Though, there are a few rules.
-No Legendary or Half-Legendary Pokémon.
-I will allow magic users. Just don't go overboard with it.
-This is more of a request, but try and use different types of Pokémon than just the starters or popular Pokémon like Lucario or Pikachu. I want a little variety. If you want to, that's fine. It's just a little request of mine.
Other than that, have fun. And thanks for reading.