The following morning started much like the previous one had for Melody. The Skitty purred softly to herself, feeling perfectly and completely content as she drifted on the edge of wakefulness.
Eventually, the glare of the morning sun reached the Skitty's face. Her eyelids clenched tighter, and she groggily adjusted her head on her pillow. A tiny, nagging voice in her head told her that it was probably about time to get up. But she was just so comfortable right where she was that she couldn't bring herself to move.
Her pillow just felt so cozy and warm against her fur. And the way it rose and fell ever-so-slightly, almost in time with her own breathing, was just so thoroughly relaxing. It almost lulled her back to sleep with its soothing rhythm.
It took several minutes for Melody's still half-asleep brain to notice anything odd. But eventually, the realization finally managed to click. A faint blush spread across Melody's face, and she finally cracked her eyelids open.
Sure enough, she'd fallen asleep while leaning on Flynn's back again. Glancing around, Melody found they were still in the same, cozy little spot they'd watched Fogbound Lake from last night. Apparently they had both dozed off right there at some point.
"Morning, sleepyhead," she heard Flynn quietly say. She lifted her head a bit to meet the Cyndaquil's gaze, and he gave her an amused smile in return.
Melody opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted as she had to stifle a yawn. "M-Morning, Flynn," she eventually responded, her blush intensifying slightly.
The silence that settled over the pair still carried a hint of the same awkwardness from the previous morning, albeit somewhat less pronounced this time. Both of them still weren't quite used to waking up like this... but at the same time, neither of them felt the need to move from that spot just yet, either.
...Honestly, after these last couple days, a part of Melody almost didn't look forward to getting back to Sharpedo Bluff, and their actual separate beds. She really wouldn't mind waking up like this every morning. But it would have probably sounded a little too... forward, if she said that out loud, so she kept that thought to herself.
She leaned her head on Flynn's back once again, a soft purr rumbling in her throat. For now, she decided to savor while she still could.
Flynn shifted slightly in place, glanced at her over his shoulder again, and for a moment Melody thought he was going to tell her to get up already. But instead, he simply asked, "...Does it not make you nervous, putting your head there?"
"Hmm?" She wasn't sure what he meant, at first. She lifted her head to take a look at the Cyndaquil's back again, her gaze immediately drawn to the bright red of his dormant flame vents. "Oh. Right."
"...Could accidentally burn you like this, if I'm not careful. Wouldn't be a fun way to wake up."
"Hm. I guess, yeah," Melody said thoughtfully. The idea had somehow never occurred to her before. She doubted it would be as bad as an actual fire-type attack, but it would definitely still hurt, especially if she wasn't ready for it.
A lopsided grin settled on her face. "But... I trust you." Without a bit of hesitation, she plopped her head right back where it had been. Flynn blinked at her, surprised. But eventually, she felt him relax again.
They both knew they couldn't simply stay there forever, though. So a few minutes later, the two of them finally got up and started to prepare for the long journey back. All throughout breakfast, Melody stared silently out at the still waters of the lake. She wasn't sure if they'd ever get to come back... but if this was the last time they'd get to come here, at least it had been memorable.
After the two of them finished eating, they started looking for Uxie. As they worked their way around the outer edge of the lake, Melody carefully scanned the surroundings. The terrain was noticeably more rugged and uneven out here than where they had spent last night. A wild Volbeat poked its head out from within a crevice, warily eyeing the outsiders for a moment before it hurriedly flitted away.
Melody couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since anyone else had seen this part of the area, other than Uxie and the local wild pokemon. Even the few outsiders who reached Fogbound Lake at all likely never went much farther than the initial lookout where Steam Cave let out. It was an exciting thought, even if Melody still felt a little awkward about the reason they'd returned here.
Eventually, the pair managed to find Uxie. He floated calmly above the ground, his face pointed out towards the center of the lake. Even as Team Sunrise approached, Uxie remained completely motionless, making it hard for the duo to tell if he was aware of their presence at all. He almost seemed to be meditating.
Melody opened her mouth to get his attention, but hesitated. If he really was meditating, or possibly even sleeping, Melody was reluctant to risk disturbing him. Especially given how he'd seemed to feel about their presence here last night. Though, on the other hand, she didn't really want to just stand there behind him and wait for whenever he woke up, either...
"...I can sense you standing back there, you know," Uxie suddenly spoke up, causing both Flynn and Melody to jolt slightly in surprise.
"O-Oh!" the Skitty cried out. "U-Um... S-Sorry?"
"You do not need to apologize. You have not interrupted anything important. And in any case, I expected you two would awaken before much longer." Even though he was speaking to them now, Uxie still hadn't moved at all, his face still pointed out towards the lake. "I take it that your... 'date' went well?"
"Y-Yes," Melody said, feeling her cheeks flush a bit at the question. "Thank you again for letting us see the lake again. We really do appreciate it."
Uxie was silent for a moment, his twin tails shifting just a bit while the rest of him remained as still as a statue. "...I would prefer if you do not make a habit of it," he said eventually. "It feels... disrespectful, seeing this place used for such a... frivolous purpose."
Melody's ears drooped a little, but she gave a timid nod. "I-I understand. I promise, w-we won't-"
"However," Uxie interrupted. He let out a quiet sigh, his stoic monotone softening ever-so-slightly as he continued, "...After everything the two of you have done, I suppose you have rightfully earned a measure of trust. And... I suppose that I cannot fault you two for simply wanting to appreciate the beauty of Fogbound Lake."
He paused, staring out at the lake for a moment longer, before he finally turned to face Team Sunrise. "...Provided you continue to show this place the respect it deserves... I will permit you to return here again... on occasion, at least."
It took Melody a moment to respond, Uxie's sudden change of heart catching her off guard. After how he'd seemed to react the previous night, Melody didn't think he'd ever let them return.
"O-Oh, thank you!" she eventually managed after she got over her surprise. She smiled gratefully at Uxie, her tail slowly beginning to sway behind her. "A-And I promise, we would never do anything to disrespect the lake. Right, Flynn?"
The Cyndaquil gave a solemn nod. "...You have our word."
For just a split second, Uxie's lips seemed to curve upward into a faint smile. But it vanished just as quickly, his expression hardening again. "I will make this exception for the two of you. But do not speak of this to anyone else. If other pokemon start arriving here, believing they can do the same, I will be most displeased. Understood?"
Melody gulped. "U-Understood."
Uxie nodded, seeming satisfied with that response. "Now, if your business here is complete for the time being, I can teleport you back down to the forest floor."
Melody thought for a moment, just to be sure there wasn't anything she was forgetting. But she didn't think there was. After exchanging a quick look with Flynn, she nodded to Uxie. "That should be fine, yes."
"Very well." The small gem on Uxie's forehead seemed to sparkle for a moment as he started to concentrate. Melody felt an odd force envelop her body, similar to whenever they would use an escape orb. And then, with a bright flash of light, she felt the ground under her feet seem to vanish for just an instant.
When the light faded, she and Flynn were back in Foggy Forest. The fog had returned, which made it hard to tell which part of the forest they were in at first. But a quick glance back over her shoulder revealed the entrance to Steam Cave, just barely visible amid the rest of the rocky wall.
Melody looked all around, trying to spot where Uxie was. But if he'd teleported with them at all, she couldn't see him through the haze that filled the air. She briefly considered calling out a quick farewell, just in case Uxie was actually in the fog there somewhere, but decided against it.
She turned her gaze back to her partner. The pair exchanged a brief nod, before they trudged deeper into the fog and started the long journey back home.
It took the team another day and a half before they finally made it back to Treasure Town. Not much happened on the journey back, but it was still long and tiring. At least it was barely mid-day when they finally arrived; once they turned in their mission, they would still have several hours to themselves.
They'd kept their client waiting a little bit longer than they might have planned at first, considering it had been three days since they took that request. But the Furret thankfully didn't complain. She was simply relieved to have her precious item back.
"Oh, I can't thank you two enough," Furret said as she looked over the necklace and checked for any damage. When she seemed satisfied it was fully intact, she slipped it on over her head, and smiled gratefully at the duo. She reached for a nearby pouch and started counting out the team's reward money.
Seven thousand poké. It wasn't an earth-shattering amount, but it was certainly more than a lot of missions paid. Granted, the team still had to give half of that to the guild, since the mission had come from the guild's own job board. But even that was still a lot better than the measly ten percent they'd been allowed to keep before they'd graduated.
Though, the guild also didn't provide them free meals and lodging anymore. Anything they needed or wanted, they had to buy for themselves now. So that dug into their extra earnings quite a bit.
After Melody finished stowing their half of the money into the team's treasure bag, the Furret continued, "I really should have known better than to bring this with me to a place like that." She smiled sadly as she raised a paw to feel the chunk of nevermeltice that hung from her neck now. "My mate went to all that trouble to make this for me, and then I almost lose it so soon after."
"So that was your promise symbol?" Melody asked.
The Furret nodded softly. "Made and carved it himself, from what he said. But even for an ice-type, I can't imagine nevermeltice is easy to make."
Off to the side, Flynn slightly tilted his head in curiosity, though neither Melody or the Furret noticed.
With their business concluded, the Furret started on her way back home. After giving Chatot the guild's half of the reward money, Team Sunrise left the guild, neither of them having decided just yet how to spend the rest of the day.
"Say," Melody started, "since we've got a couple thousand more poké on us, now... why don't we see about getting some new beds, like we talked about the other morning?" It wouldn't take up the entire rest of the day, or anything, but it seemed like a good use of an hour or two to her.
Flynn didn't respond at first, a thoughtful look on his face. For a moment, Melody thought he hadn't heard her at all. But eventually, he nodded. "...Yeah, that sounds good."
Melody gave her partner an odd look. "Something on your mind?"
Flynn hesitated, a light blush settling on his face for some reason. "...'s not important."
"That just makes me more curious, you know," Melody responded.
Flynn sighed. "For... future reference," he slowly started, "...how does a 'promise symbol' work?"
Melody blinked. She hadn't expected that to be his question. But... she supposed it was only natural he wouldn't know much about this kind of thing. Given his amnesia, she wasn't even sure how much he remembered of human customs, let alone pokemon customs.
Still, regardless of how natural the question was in hindsight, it didn't change the fact that it felt really awkward to have to explain something like this to him, of all pokemon. Melody's cheeks heated up slightly as she tried to think of what to say.
"U-Um... Well, b-basically, when two pokemon decide to... become m-mates..." She felt her blush intensify a bit at that word. "...t-they're supposed to exchange gifts as a token of their commitment. Every type has a few traditional options, like pearls or heart scales for water-types, or precious gems for rock or psychic-types..."
"...Or nevermeltice, for ice-types?" Flynn guessed.
"Y-Yeah," Melody said with a nod. "T-Though, some pokemon will choose something more personalized, r-rather than just whatever matches their own type. The idea is to give something that... represents you, in some way. So by accepting the item, t-they're, y-you know... a-accepting you, I-I guess."
Flynn nodded in understanding. "...Does it have to be an accessory, like that necklace?"
Melody shook her head. "Not necessarily. Sometimes the item's too big for that, or it's just not feasible for the species of pokemon involved. But... there i-is something kinda romantic about... being able to bring a reminder of your m-mate with you, wherever you go," she admitted. "A-At least, I think so."
Then again, considering what had happened to that Furret's necklace, maybe wearing something like that everywhere you went wasn't the most practical idea for a pair of explorers.
A brief silence passed between the two of them. Melody could tell from the look on Flynn's face he was still curious about something, but it didn't seem like he was actually going to ask.
"I-If, um... if you were w-wondering..." Melody offered timidly. "I think f-fire types usually give things like... l-like bits of obsidian, o-or small fire stones or heat rocks. T-Things like that. J-Just, you know..."
"...Like I said, future reference," Flynn finished for her. A faint pink tint was visible on his face as he pointedly averted his gaze.
Despite how awkward this was, a part of Melody couldn't help but feel... oddly comforted by Flynn's interest in the topic.
Really, it was probably way too soon for them to start seriously thinking about that kind of step, Melody thought. But... at the same time, she'd be lying if she said she hadn't caught herself thinking about their future every now and then. And considering Flynn's own circumstances as a former-human, the fact that he seemed willing to even contemplate the idea at all was genuinely reassuring.
...Still, Melody was very ready for this conversation to be over for now. She awkwardly cleared her throat as she tried to remember what they'd been discussing before. "A-Anyway, um... s-so, about getting some better beds, then?"
"...Right." Flynn nodded stiffly. He seemed almost as glad for the change of topic as she was.
Melody glanced out in the direction of Treasure Town's market. "T-The Kecleon brothers' shop won't really be much help, since they mostly just sell supplies for explorers. But there should be some furniture shops out there too."
Flynn nodded again, more confident this time. He fell into step right beside Melody as they started on their way.
After a bit of searching around various shops, Team Sunrise managed to find what they were looking for. They ended up buying a pair of fairly simple, plain white cushions. Melody wouldn't have minded something with a little more color, admittedly. But the beds were soft and comfortable, which she supposed was more important.
They also picked out a fireproofed blanket, while they were there. Winter was still a long ways off at this point, but it didn't hurt to be prepared. Melody also couldn't help but giggle a bit when Flynn pointed out that, judging by the blanket's blueish-green color and pattern, it seemed to literally be 'just a rawst scarf, but bigger'.
Even after getting those items delivered back to their base, however, it was still only the middle of the afternoon. They still had a good couple of hours left before evening would fall.
The pair both had their own ideas for how to spend that time, however. Flynn wanted to head to Marowak's Dojo to get a little bit more training in, while Melody had hoped to take a look around Treasure Town's library and pick out a book or two.
After a bit of discussion, they ultimately decided to split up for the time being. They shared a brief nuzzle, agreeing to meet back up at Sharpedo Bluff again later that evening, and then headed off in their own seperate directions.
It didn't take long for Melody to find her way to her destination. As soon as she stepped through the library's door, the smell of old books immediately sent a wave of nostalgia through her, and she couldn't help but smile. She hadn't spent very much time in this specific library before, but it still managed to feel so familiar and comforting all the same.
After shaking off her reverie, Melody began to slowly wander down the aisles, idly scanning the titles of books as she went. She had a general destination in mind, but without knowing this particular library's layout, she wasn't really sure where to find it. She wasn't in much of a hurry, though.
This was so much bigger than the library in her old village. The bookshelves here almost seemed to go on forever at points, forming long corridors that almost reminded the Skitty of a mystery dungeon. She couldn't help but giggle a bit at that thought.
Unfortunately, the bookshelves being so tall was more than a little inconvenient for a short quadruped like her. She could barely even see the books on the highest shelves, let alone reach them. She was glad she wasn't here looking for any one specific book, or else she would definitely need help to retrieve it. As it was, she was content to simply browse for now and see what she could find.
There was a decently wide variety of books available, covering all kinds of different subjects. But at the same time, it wasn't hard to see that the selection here had been influenced heavily by all of the explorers who lived around Treasure Town.
Several books about myths and legends, including one or two that Melody herself recognized from back home, were bunched together towards the edge of the History section. She spotted a book or two which detailed the study of how mystery dungeons work amidst a shelf filled with other science focused texts. There was even a small shelf that sat prominently on its own, which carried books written by or about previous famous explorers.
And when Melody eventually came back around to the Fiction section, the trend continued there. Most genres had a reasonable selection to pick from... but nothing compared to the absolute goldmine of adventure titles on display. Another wave of nostalgia washed over Melody as her eyes skimmed across the shelves, spotting several familiar titles that she'd read over and over again when she was little.
It had been far too long now since she'd last read most of these old favorites. She really wouldn't mind going through some of them again. She could see if the stories still held up as well as she remembered... and potentially see what Flynn thought about them, as well. They would all be brand new to him, after all, and she'd like to think he'd like at least a few of them.
The tricky part was just going to be deciding which of the books to take first. There were just so many to pick from. 'The Millenium Door'? 'Lylat Wars'? Hm... probably not either of those for now. 'Lunala's Mask'? No, not that one either. She remembered it being fairly dark... and besides, after everything she and Flynn had been through, she wasn't sure she wanted to read anything that had any time travel in it.
While Melody was busy deliberating, a young, boyish voice cut through the library's peaceful silence, nearly making the Skitty jump. "Hurry up, big brother!"
"Shh!" another voice hushed. "Azurill, you know better than to be so loud in a library like this. There are pokemon who are trying to read."
Melody glanced around for the source of the voices. Sure enough, it seemed Marill and Azurill were here too. The younger of the two siblings bounced along on his tail, occasionally shooting glances back over his shoulder at his older brother. "Sorry, Marill," Azurill said in a much softer tone. "It's just-"
Azurill trailed off as he finally noticed Melody standing there. The boy's face lit up with recognition, and he eagerly called out to her, already seeming to forget the notion of keeping his voice down again. "Hey! It's-" he started, before he caught himself. To Azurill's credit, he did look genuinely sheepish as his older brother fixed him with a somewhat stern look.
Once the brothers had closed the distance a bit more, Azurill spoke up again, much more quietly this time. "Hi, Melody. It's nice to see you again."
Melody smiled warmly at the duo. "It's nice to see you both again too. What brings you two out here today? Running errands for your Mom again?"
Marill shook his head. "Nope, not this time. We just came here to pick out books for ourselves."
Azurill eagerly bounced over to the shelf Melody had been looking at. "Ooh, you like these kinds of books too, Melody?"
The Skitty nodded. "Yeah. I read a bunch of these books as a kid." She couldn't help the excited wagging of her tail as she quickly skimmed the shelf again. "All the stories of adventure and exploration really appealed to me. It's part of what led me to want to be an explorer myself."
"Yeah!" Azurill quietly cheered in agreement. "I'm the same way. I wanna be a cool explorer like you and Flynn when I grow up!"
Marill settled a paw on the Azurill's head, giving his younger brother an affectionate noogie and bringing his excited bouncing to a halt. "Azurill, I'm pretty sure I've heard you list at least a dozen other things you want to do when you grow up."
Azurill pouted slightly, an embarrassed blush coloring his face as he squirmed under his older brother's paw. "Those are different. I'm super duper serious about this one!" From the amused smile on Marill's face, he clearly wasn't convinced.
Melody couldn't help but let out a giggle. "Well, it's not like you have to decide what you want to do with your life right now, Azurill. You've still got plenty of time to make up your mind."
Azurill smiled up at the Skitty for a moment, before going back to looking through the various books on display. He bounced as high as he could on his tail so he could peek at the higher shelves.
After a moment, Marill seemed to notice something. He glanced around at the nearby aisles, his head tilting slightly in confusion. "Hey, where's Flynn?" he asked Melody. "Did he not come with you? Usually you two are inseparable."
"He wanted to get some training in at the dojo," Melody replied. "We agreed to meet back up at our base, once we're both done."
"Ah, I see." Marill still looked oddly curious about something, though. He seemed to deliberate with himself for a few moments over whether or not to ask, before ultimately speaking up again. "Not to pry, or anything, but is it true that you and Flynn are... together, now?"
Melody blushed a little at the question. Sure enough, it seemed that word had gotten around pretty quickly after they'd told Sunflora about it. Still, she nodded firmly. "Y-Yeah, we are."
Marill smiled warmly. "Well, congrats, in that case. You two make a good pair."
"Yeah!" Azurill chimed in. "It's like..." He trailed off as he let out a loud yawn, interrupting his own train of thought.
Marill gave his brother an odd look, seeming just a little concerned. "Are you getting tired already? You slept in oddly late the last couple mornings, as it is... You're sure nothing's wrong, Azurill?"
Azurill nodded. "I'm fine. It's just I had some weird dreams lately, is all."
"Weird dreams?" Melody asked. "What were they about?"
"I don't really remember much," Azurill admitted. "But... it just felt like somebody was watching me somehow..." Azurill stared blankly at the wall, a distant look on his face, before hastily adding, "N-Not that I was scared, or anything!"
Without any words, Marill walked over and pulled his brother into a tight hug. Azurill struggled about in embarrassment, but Marill refused to let go. "I still think we should see someone about this," Marill said. "What if that Drowzee somehow got loose, and he's been skulking around at night and eating your dreams? Or what if-"
"I-I said I'm okay!" Azurill whined, no longer keeping his voice down. He finally managed to wiggle free from his older brother's grasp, landing on the floor with a soft yelp. He glared up at Marill, a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance on his face. "It's just some bad dreams is all. I'm a big kid now, I can-"
"Silence!"
All three pokemon jumped as a telepathic voice suddenly shouted within their minds. They glanced around frantically in confusion for a moment before spotting a very annoyed looking Kirlia standing nearby. A thick pair of reading glasses adorned her face as she glared down at the trio. "If you three do not quiet down right now, I am going to have to ask you to leave. You are disturbing the other patrons."
"Sorry, ma'am," Marill started to whisper, his head bowed in apology. "We-"
"I said silence!" the Kirlia repeated, even more annoyed. "And do not call me ma'am!"
None of the trio dared to speak up again after that. Azurill was the first to go back to looking through the shelves, and after a moment Marill and Melody silently did the same. The Kirlia gave a cold nod of satisfaction, before slowly walking away.
Once the Kirlia was gone, Melody cast a glance over at the two brothers. Marill gave her an apologetic look, while Azurill pointedly kept his gaze fixed on the books.
After a long moment, Melody finally turned her focus back to the bookshelves again as well. She eventually managed to decide on a book, picking it up in her mouth and starting to make her way back to the front desk. But their conversation still continued to linger in the back of her mind for a while.
Meanwhile, Marowak Dojo bustled with the sounds of training. Several pokemon, most of them members of various exploration teams, were scattered throughout the large room as they practiced their moves.
Dozens of targets of varying sizes hung from the walls. Some were made of metal, others of stone or wood. Their different materials made them better suited to withstanding different types of attacks, though most of them still looked like they'd endured a lot of abuse. Substitute dolls were also available, provided by Marowak himself and a few other pokemon who worked at the dojo.
Off in a secluded corner of the room, a series of loud metallic clangs rang out as a quintet of small glittering stars struck one of the targets. A couple feet away, a lone Cyndaquil stood, focusing intently on the target.
As soon as the attack connected, Flynn immediately started to prepare another Swift. One by one, another set of stars began to pop into existence around him. The stars only orbited around the Cyndaquil for a moment or two before they abruptly fired off, converging together on the target with another series of clangs.
Several more volleys of Swift followed like this. After the first few, Flynn turned completely around so that his back was facing the target, before closing his eyes and letting the move's homing do the work. All throughout the process, the stars continued to find their mark, but the battered metal target still stood firm.
Eventually, Flynn started to tire. The stars visibly wobbled a bit in their orbit around him, and they seemed almost lethargic as they curved towards the metal target behind him. Each new Swift took longer and longer for Flynn to prepare, and the number of stars in each volley was beginning to drop.
Finally, after one last trio of stars weakly found their target, Flynn slumped slightly in place. That was enough for the moment.
As he started to catch his breath, he turned back around to face the target again, appraising his work. The battered metal target was still standing firm, but Flynn was pretty sure one or two of those dents were new. He nodded slightly to himself, satisfied.
He'd been training here for... probably about a half-hour now, though much of that had been spent resting like this in between rounds. He still wasn't nearly as proficient with Swift as he was with his other moves yet, but he was definitely getting better with it. It was a start.
Though, if he really wanted to start improving the technique more, these stationary targets weren't exactly the best training partners, especially for a move like this. A proper sparring match with a moving opponent would be a much better test of how well he had improved.
Flynn turned his attention back to the rest of the dojo. With several other pokemon training here at the moment, it wouldn't be hard to find someone willing to spar. Preferably someone he was already acquainted with. He would rather not have to awkwardly strike up a conversation with a random stranger here, if he could avoid it.
Thankfully, Flynn did spot one of the other apprentices from the guild after a moment. Corphish stood next to one of the Substitute dolls on the other side of the room. Though, oddly enough, Corphish didn't seem to be practicing an attack on the Substitute. Instead, he was... Flynn wasn't quite sure what to call it. 'Dancing' was the first word that came to mind, but it really seemed more like energetic flailing if he was honest.
Curiosity peaked, Flynn made his way over for a closer look.
Corphish's movements looked just as strange from up close as they had from afar. But upon closer inspection, this did seem to be a move after all. Faint, ghostly swords flickered in the air above Corphish's head, clashing with each other. A soft red glow started to emanate from Corphish's claws as he continued to dance.
Flynn stood there silently observing for a few seconds, his head cocked slightly in curiosity. Eventually, though, Corphish noticed him. The water-type flinched in surprise, the phantom swords abruptly fading out as his focus shattered.
"H-Hey hey, don't sneak up on me like that!" Corphish said after getting over his surprise. "You should know better than to do that when somebody's training. Probably could'a made me cut myself with that Swords Dance by accident or something, hey hey."
Flynn wasn't an expert, but he was fairly sure that's not how that move worked. Still, it was only fair to apologize after ruining Corphish's concentration like that. "...Sorry."
Corphish mumbled out an acceptance, a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment still lightly coloring his face. "Sheesh. And here I was hopin' that nobody else here was watching that. I probably looked like an idiot just now."
(...A little bit, yeah,) Flynn thought bluntly. But he refrained from saying that out loud.
Corphish raised one of his claws to his own face. The red glow remained, though it had already dimmed somewhat. Corphish perked up slightly, and gave a small but satisfied nod. "Hey hey, at least I'm finally getting the effect to stick right, though. That's progress at least."
Lowering his claw, Corphish turned his focus back to Flynn again. "Anyhow, I've been wondering where you and Melody have been. Nobody's seen you around town or the guild the last few days, hey hey. Did you take on a mission somewhere far off, or something?"
Flynn nodded. "Foggy Forest."
"Ah, that explains it. I figured that's all it was," Corphish said. "Well, you didn't really miss much around here the last couple days, hey hey. Stuff's been pretty much the same as usual around the town and the guild. Only thing kinda interesting that happened was..."
A flash of realization passed over Corphish. "Oh, hey hey, I almost forgot! That Lapras was looking for you yesterday. Said he'd found a mystery dungeon out in the ocean that he thought you and Melody might be interested in. Apparently it was surrounded by ice and completely inaccessible until just recently, hey hey."
Flynn's eyes widened a little. The prospect of a mystery dungeon in the ocean gave him some pause, admittedly, but it was definitely interesting regardless. He made a mental note to ask Lapras about the finer details later. "Thanks for the message."
"No problem, hey hey. If you're gonna check it out, though, you might wanna be quick about it. Sunflora sounded eager to give the place a look too, and she's probably not the only one."
A brief silence followed, as Corphish turned his focus back to the Substitute doll once again. He raised a claw into the air for a moment before slamming it back down again in a powerful Crabhammer. The Substitute tumbled away at high speed, only to instantly dissipate into energy as it crashed into the wall.
Still, Corphish didn't seem very happy with the result. He stared down at his claw, the Swords Dance's red glow having fully faded away by now. "Tch. Still a long way to go." He cast a glare at Flynn. "You know, it was honestly kinda frustrating, seeing you and Melody pass the graduation exam like it was nothing."
Flynn felt a shiver run down his back as he thought back to that battle. "Not how I'd describe it..."
"You know what I mean! I've trained at the guild for over a year, hey hey, and I've never even gotten the chance to try the exam. And even if I did, I know I'd just get steamrolled."
"...You could form a team with someone?" Flynn offered.
"Easy for you to say," Corphish grumbled, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Most of us aren't lucky enough to just wake up one day and meet our perfect freaking teammate. And then fall in love with them too, because why not, hey hey."
"...You heard, then?"
"From Sunflora, yeah." Corphish let out a sigh. "I mean, good for you guys, hey hey. I figured it was gonna happen eventually. Thought it'd take a lot longer for one of you to actually make a move, though. I just wish I hadn't made that bet with Loudred. I owe him five hundred poké now."
Flynn blinked. "You... made a bet on that?" he asked incredulously.
"Hey hey, in my defense, it started as idle conversation," Corphish said. "It was Loudred's idea to wager on it."
That... didn't make it that much better, Flynn thought.
"Anyway," Corphish started, wisely steering the conversation back to the previous topic. "Forming a team with somebody would help, but who am I supposed to team up with, hey hey? Sunflora and Loudred are strong, but honestly, they're more likely to form a team with each other. They'd probably even stand a decent chance of actually passing the exam, if they did. They work together pretty well, when they're not busy bickering like an old mated couple."
Flynn had to stifle a chuckle at that.
"Chimecho doesn't really fight much, and the same goes for Diglett and Dugtrio. Croagunk is just plain creepy, and he spends most of his time with his swap cauldron anyhow. And Bidoof..." Corphish paused, looking thoughtful. "...I guess Bidoof wouldn't be a bad teammate. He's come a long way since he joined, hey hey. But I can't say we work together all that well. And teaming up together just because neither of us have any other options doesn't really feel great, you know?"
Flynn shrugged. "Don't know what else to suggest." Knowing what the exam entailed, Flynn struggled to imagine anyone being able to pass on their own. That might even be part of the point, knowing the Guildmaster.
Corphish sighed. "Just have to keep training for the time being, I suppose. I'll figure something out eventually."
He turned towards the empty spot where the Substitute had been, staring at the floor for a moment before glancing back at Flynn again. "...Hey hey, you up for a quick match, while we're both here? I've been itching for a rematch with Melody ever since the graduation exam, hey hey, but I'd settle for sparring with you."
Flynn gave a firm nod. He'd gotten a bit sidetracked by their conversation, but that was what he'd originally wanted to ask Corphish anyway.
Towards the north end of the training room, there were three separate doorways leading to other rooms in the dojo. One of the doors simply led to a supply room, which stored healing items as well as a few back-up targets. The second led to a maze, which had rearrangeable wooden walls in order to emulate a mystery dungeon. It was fairly rudimentary, but for rookie teams that were just starting out, it made for decent practice.
The third door, which was the one Flynn and Corphish were headed for, led to the sparring room. It was a little bit smaller than the training room, and almost all of that space was devoted to the arena in the center. A layer of sand coated the floor to help cushion impacts and avoid serious injury, but otherwise the arena was about as basic as you could get. No obstacles to climb on or hide behind, just a space for two opponents to test their skills against each other.
Flynn and Corphish made their way to the center of the arena, taking positions a couple feet apart. Corphish took an aggressive stance, snapping his pincers in Flynn's direction. "Hey hey, I'm not gonna go easy on you just cause you're a fire-type."
"...Didn't expect you to," Flynn replied. The flames on his back burned brightly as he stared defiantly at Corphish.
One of the pokemon working at the dojo started loudly counting down from the sidelines of the room. "Three... Two... One..." A tension filled the air, like a spring waiting to be released.
"...Fight!"
As soon as that word rang out, Flynn quickly leapt to the side, just in time to evade a lunge from Corphish. The Cyndaquil spat out a Smokescreen to blind his opponent as he tried to build more distance.
Only a second or two later, Corphish stumbled out of the smoke cloud. He coughed and hacked for a moment, only to get pelted with stars as he tried to quickly catch his breath. The water-type let out a pained grunt as he glared at Flynn from across the battlefield.
The Swift hadn't done as much as Flynn had hoped. Either Corphish's carapace was too tough, or the attack was still too weak. Either way, it would take quite a while to chip Corphish down like this. But Flynn was significantly faster than his opponent, and had much more reliable ranged attacks at his disposal. If he could keep a healthy distance like this, he could hopefully win the battle of attrition.
But Corphish had other ideas. Rather than attempt a Bubblebeam, or a Water Pulse, or whatever other ranged moves he may have had, he simply started to dance. Even as another volley of stars slammed against him, Corphish kept up his movements. The phantom swords formed above his head once again, metallic clangs ringing out across the arena as they repeatedly clashed against each other.
Once the angry red glow around his claws reached its full intensity, Corphish finally stopped. He glared daggers at Flynn from across the battlefield for a moment, and then began scuttling towards him as fast as his legs allow.
From there, the match quickly started to turn into a game of cat and mouse. Flynn was still outrunning his opponent for now, and he continued to chip away at Corphish's endurance bit by bit. But, judging by the thick plumes of sand that kicked up from the floor with each missed Crabhammer, Corphish was hitting hard. If even one of those actually managed to hit Flynn, the match would likely be over.
"Oi!" Corphish called out, panting slightly with exertion. He plowed through yet another Swift, but only let out a small grunt in response. "Quit running and fight me like a mon, hey hey!"
Flynn shot him an unamused look as he glanced back over his shoulder briefly. He didn't slow his pace, continuing to run even as his legs started to scream in protest.
On the bright side, this was forcing him to get better with Swift, he supposed. He couldn't afford to just stand still, focusing his mind and energy on nothing but getting the move to work. But from what he could tell, most of the stars still seemed to be finding their mark.
Flynn could tell Corphish was getting worn down. It shouldn't take too many more attacks to finish this, he hoped. But Flynn himself was running out of energy too, and he wasn't sure he had any more Swifts left in him at this point. Perhaps he could switch to Flamethrower, he supposed. Could maybe even leave a burn on his opponent that way, if he was lucky. But he'd have to actually stop and aim that, and-
One of Flynn's feet found a large dip in the sand, one of the many craters left behind by Corphish's attempted Crabhammers. It was just enough to cause the Cyndaquil to stumble, leaving him prone on the ground for just a moment. Before he could get back to his feet, one of Corphish's pincers slammed down hard on Flynn's left side, and he cried out in pain.
Flynn couldn't muster the energy to stand, after that. He was dimly surprised he hadn't blacked out on the spot, truthfully. Maybe some of Corphish's Swords Dance had worn off by now.
A tiny, stubborn voice in his head still wanted to keep going. He didn't want to just concede yet. His back faintly flared up in defiance, and he tried to push himself up with a shaky paw.
"Hey hey," Corphish called out, a warning in his tone. "No offense, but I don't think you've got another round in you right now."
Flynn sighed, the flames on his back fizzling out in defeat. As much as he hated to admit it, Corphish was probably right. He let himself collapse back into the sand. "...I yield."
Even after eating an oran berry from the dojo's storeroom, it took several minutes of resting up before Flynn was feeling well enough to comfortably stand again. The spot where the Crabhammer had hit was especially tender still, though thankfully it didn't seem to have left a bruise. Or if it had, his short blue fur hid it well enough.
In hindsight, perhaps Flynn should have expected the match to end that way. Even setting aside the type-matchup, Corphish was an experienced explorer in his own right. He'd been training at the guild for longer than Team Sunrise had, and what he lacked in finesse he seemed to make up for in raw strength.
Still, none of that made the loss any less frustrating. Flynn's pride was probably more wounded than he himself was, at the moment. At least Corphish had taken the win with a reasonable amount of grace.
By the time Flynn finally left the dojo, the sun already hung surprisingly low in the sky. It seemed he'd spent longer at the dojo than he'd realized.
The Cyndaquil's stomach let out a low grumble. The one oran berry he'd eaten may have helped him recover a bit, but it wasn't exactly much of a meal. He briefly thought about picking up something for himself and Melody on the way back to Sharpedo Bluff... before abruptly remembering that Melody was the one that had their treasure bag, at the moment. Oh well. He supposed they could figure something out after he got back to their base.
The streets of Treasure Town were just as busy as usual for this time of day. Several pokemon waved at Flynn as he walked steadily along. He silently waved back, wanting to be polite.
After several minutes of walking, the dirt road under his feet grew rougher and visibly less worn as he passed the western edge of town. Another couple minutes after that, the path abruptly came to a stop altogether, grass and shrubs covering the flat ground on top of Sharpedo Bluff. But Flynn kept going.
Just behind one particular bush, a simple wooden door had been set into the ground. Flynn nudged it open with his snout, and let it quietly fall closed behind him as he trotted down the stairs.
As silent as it seemed to be inside their base, he wondered for a brief moment if he'd actually gotten back before his partner after all. But as he reached the bottom of the steps, he spotted Melody curled up on her new bed. She was facing away from him at the moment, staring intently down at something that Flynn couldn't quite make out from here.
Once he got a bit closer, he could see a book sitting open on the floor in front of the Skitty. Her face hovered close over the pages as she continued to read, still completely oblivious to Flynn standing right beside her. He stole a glance down at the current page and started to read.
The Treecko raised the telescope up to his eye. It took him a moment to figure out how to adjust the zoom, but once he figured it out, he let out a short gasp. You could already see most of Outset Island from up on this lookout platform, but the level of detail he could see from so far away with this was genuinely a bit surprising.
He heard Aryll giggle behind him. "See, brother? I told you-
That was all that Flynn managed to read before Melody went to turn the page, and she finally noticed him standing there. She jolted in place, surprise flashing over her face for just an instant as she let out a startled yelp.
Flynn smiled apologetically at his partner as he settled down on the floor next to her. "Sorry."
After a moment to calm her nerves, Melody let out a shaky breath and shook her head softly. "I-It's fine. Just didn't hear you get back." She started to nuzzle against his side, but stopped as the Cyndaquil winced slightly in pain.
"N-Not that side," Flynn hissed. He moved around to sit by the Skitty's other side and forced a smile. "...Just a little sore, is all."
Melody didn't seem very reassured by that. "I was going to ask how your training went. I... take it you ended up sparring with somebody?"
Flynn nodded hesitantly. "Ran into Corphish, while I was there."
"That... seems like a lopsided matchup," Melody said, her tone concerned. "Who challenged who?"
"...Was my idea," Flynn admitted.
Melody shook her head. "Somehow I expected that," she muttered just loud enough for Flynn to hear. She gave him a smile that was equal parts exasperated and amused. "How did that go?"
Flynn grimaced. "...I kept it close, at least. Lost in the end, though."
Melody softly settled her tail on his back. "That's still nothing to scoff at, you know. A fire-type, almost winning against an equally experienced water-type, without any items or tricks to even the scales."
"...I suppose," he sighed. "Was good practice, at least, so I suppose I can't complain." Flynn leaned in to nuzzle the Skitty's side, which she eagerly returned.
After they eventually broke the nuzzle, Flynn turned his gaze down to the still open book on the floor. "Seems like your errand went well too," he said, a lightly teasing smile on his face. "Seemed pretty into this, when I got back. Must be good."
Melody blushed. "Y-Yeah. It's called 'The Waker of the Winds'. One of the many, many books I read when I was younger that made me want to be an explorer when I grew up."
"So you've read it before?"
"Yeah. I was feeling nostalgic, so I wanted to read through one of my old favorites again." Melody smiled wistfully down at the book. "I stayed up past my bedtime so many nights as a kid, just curled up under a blanket with a luminous orb and a book like this."
Flynn tilted his head a bit, putting on an exaggeratedly thoughtful expression. "...So that's why you wanted that blanket now."
"N-No!" Melody stammered, her blush intensifying. "I-I mean... it's not the only reason. And you agreed it was a good..."
She trailed off as Flynn started chuckling to himself. She pretended to pout after a moment, and playfully swatted him with her tail, but she couldn't help but let out a giggle of her own.
There was a brief but comfortable silence after that. Eventually, Melody spoke up again, her voice tinged with nervous hopefulness. "Y-You know, um... I-I was thinking, i-if you're interested in it too, maybe we could read through it together?"
"...That sounds nice," Flynn said warmly. "Seemed interesting enough, from what I could see."
His stomach chimed in with a rumble, and he added, "...Should probably eat first, though."
Melody giggled. "Y-Yeah, I haven't eaten yet either." Her gaze drifted over to their stock of supplies, and then to the den's entrance. "Does Spinda's Cafe sound good to you? Or did you want to just stay here?"
"Spinda's is fine," Flynn replied. He glanced out at the setting sun. Even if it got dark out while they were out, he could simply light the way back himself.
Melody nodded. She quickly nudged the book closed before grabbing the team's treasure bag again.
As the duo left their base and started to walk back towards town, Flynn suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Corphish said something interesting, earlier."
"Oh?"
"Apparently, Lapras found a new dungeon the other day..."
A/N: Apologies for the long wait. Again. This chapter ended up larger than I expected it to, and multiple parts gave me much more trouble than they really should have. The chapter still feels far from perfect, honestly, but I think it's about as good as I can reasonably make it. As always, any comments and feedback are appreciated.
I do have a decent start written for Chapter 11 already, so hopefully the next update won't take as long this time. Hopefully. I will try my best, at least.
Also, like with the last chapter, quick thanks to Jusmove for looking over the early version of this chapter and giving some feedback on it. Helped out quite a bit with polishing this chapter up and making it presentable.
