Team Sunrise tried to keep up as brisk of a pace as they could, Tempo loosely clinging to Melody's back as they hurried through Treasure Town. Several passersby gave the trio odd or concerned looks, but Flynn and Melody did not dare slow down to explain.
Since Chansey hadn't known much about Tempo back when the Manaphy had hatched, Flynn had a feeling that she probably wouldn't be able to help him very much now, either. So the team opted not to stop at her Day Care as they passed through the middle of town, instead pressing onward toward the guild.
Just as they reached the crossroads near the edge of town, Chatot called out to the duo from overhead. "Ah, Team Sunrise! There you are!" He swooped down from the sky, landing smoothly a few steps away from the pair. "I was just about to come looking for you. Walrein is..." Chatot trailed off, his expression hardening as he noticed Tempo's condition. "...What happened?"
The pair recounted the events of that morning for Chatot as they continued to head up towards the guild. Once Team Sunrise finished, Chatot let out a sigh. "Perfect. Because this whole situation needed more complications..." he muttered under his breath. He gave the duo a tired glare. "I distinctly remember you telling me just last night that Manaphy had seemed perfectly healthy?"
"H-He did!" Melody defended. "I-I mean... I guess he coughed a couple times last night, and he was maybe slightly less energetic than usual before bed, but..."
Chatot continued to eye Melody for a few more moments, before shaking his head and sighing again. "...I suppose it would not have likely changed much, regardless. It's not as if it would have made Walrein get here any faster." His glare softened a little. "I was going to inform you that Walrein just arrived down at the beach a little while ago. But it seems we're going to have to deal with this first."
He gestured up towards the guild. "You two go on ahead. Hopefully Chimecho will know how to treat whatever is ailing Manaphy now. In the meantime, I'll head back down and explain what's happening to Walrein."
Flynn and Melody nodded, continuing anxiously up the hill as Chatot took to the air again and flew off towards the beach.
"Mmph..."
Tempo let out a quiet groan from atop Melody's back just as they were about to enter the guild. The couple stopped and gave a worried glance at Tempo. Flynn gently patted the Manaphy's back with a paw. "...It'll be alright," he whispered.
The hatchling shivered a bit, clutching Melody's back a little tighter. Flynn and Melody shared a brief look, nodding solemnly to each other before continuing into the guild.
Just outside one of the guild's empty crew rooms, Melody continued to pace back and forth in front of the door, her tail twitching erratically behind her as she waited for Chimecho to finish examining Tempo. Every now and then, Melody peeked into the room, trying to get some kind of idea how it was going, but she couldn't really tell much. Just that Chimecho did not look nearly as confident right now as Melody had hoped she would.
Flynn, for his part, sat silently on the floor nearby, the fire on his back flickering nervously a bit as he frowned at the wall. Melody envied her partner's composure. It was all she could do at the moment just to try and distract herself from the way her stomach had been tying itself in knots all morning.
Some of the other guild members, and even a few other explorers, had stopped by to offer their solidarity once they'd heard about the situation. Melody appreciated it, though it didn't help make her any less worried.
She'd nearly insisted on staying in the room the whole time. But as much as she wanted to know how Tempo was doing, she knew that pestering Chimecho and getting in her way was the least helpful thing she could do for Tempo right now.
After a while, Flynn slowly got to his feet again. Without a word, he walked up to Melody's side and rested a paw on her back. Melody hugged the Cyndaquil to her side with her tail, drawing a little bit of strength from her partner's stoic presence.
Finally, Chimecho poked her head out of the room. "Team Sunrise? I think I've done about all I can for now. You can come back in."
Melody did not need to be told twice. She and Flynn slowly stepped back into the room, making their way over to Tempo's side. Unfortunately, the Manaphy's condition didn't seem to have improved much. He'd been settled on his back on a plain straw bed, his eyes still tightly closed and a pained grimace on his face. Melody reached out with a paw to the hatchling's forehead. His fever hadn't really gone down much, if at all.
"I gave him a mixture of oran and lum berry juice," Chimecho said. "I'm hoping that should help him start to recover a bit from whatever this ailment is. But... to be honest, I feel a little lost here. I don't really have any experience treating this sort of thing."
"W-Would... would bringing him back to the ocean be enough to help him recover?" Melody asked weakly.
Chimecho continued to hover there silently for a moment, a troubled frown brewing on her face. "...I don't know," she finally said. "I can tell that his condition is caused by living on land like this for too long. But without having treated this before, I honestly couldn't say whether or not reversing that would be enough at this point. I'd ideally want to get a second opinion from an ocean dweller like Walrein before we go any further."
Melody nodded hesitantly. She could only hope it wouldn't take too long for Chatot to finish explaining the situation to Walrein, and see if he'd be able to offer some kind of advice.
Tempo let out a quiet cough, shifting uncomfortably on his bed. Melody settled a paw on the hatchling's arm. "W-We're here, Tempo," she tried to comfort. "W-We're here. It's... I-It's going to be okay."
After another few minutes of agonizing waiting, Walrein finally arrived, Chatot only a short distance behind. The water-type paused at the doorway and let out a faint groan. "Agh... Sorry for the wait. Climbing all the way up to this guild ain't exactly the easiest task for an old seafarer like me." He managed to shake off his discomfort after a moment, looking over towards Flynn and Melody. "So, you two must be Team Sunrise, aye?"
"T-That's right," Melody hesitantly replied.
"Chatot's filled me in about all that you two have accomplished. Mighty impressive, for such a young pair of explorers." He let out a quiet sigh. "Shame we couldn't have met under happier circumstances." Inching himself a bit farther forward so he could see more of the room, his gaze quickly settled on Tempo. "And that must be the poor little Manaphy tyke."
Chimecho nodded. "Are you familiar with the ailment that Manaphy's suffering from? I've tried my best to treat him, but an ocean-dwelling mon like you would probably know far better how to handle this."
Walrein continued to examine Tempo for a moment, the Manaphy's face still scrunched up in discomfort. "...Aye," Walrein eventually said with a nod. "From what Chatot told me about the situation, I've seen this a few times before. Most ocean 'mons have the good sense not to stay on land for too long, but every now and then you see someone get too caught up in something and end up getting themselves sick like this."
"Would bringing him back to the ocean be enough to cure him?" Chimecho asked.
Walrein shook his head. "Not at this stage, I'm afraid. Poor kid seems a bit too far along for that. About the only thing I know of that could help him now is some Phione Dew."
Melody cocked her head slightly at that. "P-Phione Dew?"
"It's a special substance created by rare pokemon called Phione. It's good for curing most any sort of ailment, including land sickness like this."
Chatot gave Walrein an odd look, seeming unconvinced. "Are you certain that will help us? I have heard about Phione Dew before, but... Phione are known to be nearly as rare as Manaphy are."
Walrein nodded. He glanced around the room for a moment, before asking, "Can I borrow a map?"
On instinct, Melody turned to look for their treasure bag so she could retrieve their wonder map, before realizing that they'd left the bag back at Sharpedo Bluff in their haste to get help for Tempo. Thankfully, Chatot was able to quickly retrieve a map from the Guildmaster's room, spreading it out on the floor in front of Walrein.
"I've never seen a Phione myself," Walrein said as he pored over the map. "But I know others who have, and who've managed to get some dew for their troubles." He pointed a flipper at a patch of ocean a little ways off the north-west corner of the continent. "Supposedly, there's a dungeon out here where a small group of Phione live. Folks have taken to calling the place the 'Miracle Sea'."
Melody frowned a bit as she looked down at the spot Walrein had pointed out. "E-Even with Lapras' help, it'd probably take a couple hours to get over there... a-are you certain there's no other way?"
"Can't say that for certain, I suppose. Maybe yer medic here can find something else that'll work, given some time." Walrein tapped the map again for emphasis. "But I do know that Phione Dew should do the trick, as long as the Phione are still out there like I've heard."
Melody and Flynn exchanged a silent look, before nodding gravely to each other. "W-We'll do it, then. We h-have to try." A sudden thought occurred to her, causing a shudder to run through her. "I just hope Lapras is down there right now. We really don't have time to wait until tomorrow to deal with this..."
"Aye, I saw a Lapras down at the beach when I got there," Walrein said. "He was probably close enough to overhear when Chatot told me what was going on with Manaphy here."
That was a relief at least, Melody supposed. She turned to glance over at Chimecho. "In the meantime... please, do what you can for T-... for Manaphy, until we get back."
"Of course," Chimecho replied with a short nod. "You two be careful, alright?"
Walrein seemed to hesitate for a moment, giving a rueful stare down at the map on the floor. "Hrm... A part of me almost wants to offer to come along. You kids could probably use a more experienced seafarer for a dungeon like this." He let out a sigh. "But I'm getting too old for this. Much as I want to, I'd probably just slow you down."
Melody shook her head softly. "Y-You've already helped just by letting us know about this dungeon."
"I suppose," Walrein replied. After a moment, he turned his gaze toward the door. "I'll head back down to the beach for now, then. See if I can explain this whole situation to that Lapras fellow, and let him know you're coming. In the meantime, you two should probably start getting your supplies in order. Again, I haven't been to the Miracle Sea myself, but from the stories I've heard, it's not easy."
Both Melody and Flynn gave a grim nod. "S-Sounds like a plan," Melody said. She took a few slow steps towards the exit, anxious to just get going and do whatever she could, before she suddenly stopped in place. Tiptoeing back over to Tempo's bedside again, she quickly leaned in to nuzzle the hatchling's forehead one last time. "...We'll be right back," she whispered. "I p-promise. Just... j-just hang in there a bit longer, Tempo."
Regathering their focus and composure as best they could, Team Sunrise quickly made their way back to Sharpedo Bluff to grab their treasure bag. From there, they hurried to pack the bag full of as many items as they could carry, drawing off their experiences in the Surrounded Sea to decide what exactly to bring.
After a bit of discussion, they also decided that Flynn should probably use the Sunny Day TM now. Even if Melody had originally meant for it to be a gift for later, it would likely be very useful now, if they were going to be exploring another water-type dungeon.
By the time they'd finished getting ready and had made it down to the beach, Walrein had already finished explaining everything to Lapras. The duo quickly climbed up on Lapras' back, bid farewell to Walrein for the time being, and set off.
As expected, it took a couple of hours for Lapras to cross the ocean and reach the Miracle Sea. A tense silence hung over the group for almost the entire journey, as none of them felt all too much like talking at the time.
When Team Sunrise finally arrived, they were met with a relatively similar island to the one they'd found in the center of the Surrounded Sea. This one was slightly less barren, with a couple of palm trees managing to grow near the edges of the island, but the cave leading into the mystery dungeon was still the most prominent spot on the island by far.
Since this island was far sandier than the previous one, though, this dungeon didn't take on the appearance of a regular stony cavern. Instead, the dungeon's shimmering entrance was set within a large mound of sand. It almost gave off the impression of walking into an oversized sandcastle, albeit a rather simplistic one.
And that aesthetic continued into the dungeon itself. The floor and walls were all sculpted out of soft, sparkling beach sand, which somehow continued to hold its shape despite the shallow layer of water that covered the floor. There were even occasional 'windows' set into the walls, giving a thoroughly surreal view of the ocean laying beyond the dungeon's shimmering distortion. It definitely made for one of the stranger dungeons that Flynn had witnessed, overall... but he had to admit, it was certainly prettier than the seaweed coated walls of the Surrounded Sea's dungeon, at least.
Unfortunately, the actual terrain and hazards had not changed much from that dungeon. From the narrow paths through the shallows, to the hordes of water-type pokemon lurking in the deeper water, it was almost like going through the Surrounded Sea all over again. Except with far more at stake than merely looking for treasure, this time.
Flynn raised a paw to adjust the passho band around his neck as he continued to trudge through the water. The scarf was definitely helping a bit, as was the fact that the water here was warmer than it had been in the Surrounded Sea. But the environment still sent a little bit of a shudder up the Cyndaquil's spine all the same.
He would have to tough it out, though. For Tempo's sake, they needed to reach the bottom of this place as fast as possible.
Flynn glanced up ahead at his partner, concern in his eyes. Melody had been barely holding together all morning, and the conditions of this dungeon weren't helping matters any. Not that Flynn could blame her for being tense, considering the situation. But they needed to stay focused. This dungeon wasn't looking any easier than the Surrounded Sea had been, and one wrong step...
A faint click sounded from under Melody's paw. Before either of the pair could react, a strong gale of wind suddenly whipped up from underneath the Skitty. Flynn tried to hastily reach out for her, but he ended up with a face full of water as the gust trap kicked up a large splash from the floor.
"W-Whoa!" Melody whirled about in the trap's hold for a moment, before she was abruptly tossed away into a deeper pool nearby.
By the time Flynn had managed to wipe the water out of his eyes, Melody had already started to swim back out. The Skitty grimaced as she climbed back onto the shallows, her fur now sopping wet. She attempted to shake herself off without sending too much water Flynn's way, but there was only so much she could do at the moment to get dry. She let out a deep sigh, casting a glare at the broken remnants of the gust trap before continuing along the path again without a word.
Flynn frowned a bit as he made to follow her. After glancing around for a moment for any other dangers, he took a deep breath and started to channel some of his fire-type energy. A small, glowing orb of light slowly formed between his front paws, growing brighter and larger as the flames on his back intensified. Once the ball had gotten large enough, Flynn tossed it upward. The orb settled near the dungeon's ceiling, spreading light and warmth across the entire floor like an artificial sun.
Melody turned back towards Flynn, her face perking up ever so slightly as she basked in the Sunny Day's warmth for a moment. "...Thanks, Flynn."
"Was no trouble," he quietly replied. "Surprisingly simple to use, at least with that TM's help. So thank you again for that."
Melody nodded. "I hadn't expected it to come in handy so soon, when I'd bought it. But I guess it worked out for the best that you happened to find it early."
"Should make this place a little less difficult, hopefully," Flynn said. "And... we could both probably use the morale boost, considering."
"That's certainly true," Melody sighed.
"...I know I've said it a couple times already today, but... it's going to work out," Flynn whispered, not quite as confidently as he'd wanted.
"R-Right. Right." Despite Melody's words, she looked anything but convinced. "J-Just have to focus on getting through this dungeon for now, is all. Once we get the Phione dew, everything will... e-everything will be fine..."
Flynn frowned again. For a long moment, silence reigned over the pair, Flynn contemplating what to say as they slowly continued along the dungeon's pathways.
When he did finally speak up again, his voice came out low and somber. "...I suppose... neither of us really wants to focus too much on what happens once Tempo gets better, huh?"
That finally got Melody to stop. The Skitty lowered her head, her ears drooping. "...I-I mean, w-we both knew it was c-coming, from the moment we agreed to look after him. And... A-And I kept trying to tell myself that I was r-ready. But... t-to be honest, I'm not. I-I'm not ready to have to say g-goodbye to the little guy."
"...Neither am I," Flynn admitted. "But... it has to be done."
Melody sighed. "I-I know... Just..." She shook her head, before taking a deep breath and putting on a strong face. "W-We'll talk about this later, o-okay? After we're sure Tempo's g-going to be alright."
"...Okay," Flynn nodded. He supposed she was right that this probably wasn't the time or place for this.
As Flynn fell back into step behind Melody, the pair started heading forward again, continuing to hurry through the dungeon's floors as quickly as they could manage.
All things considered, the Miracle Sea didn't take nearly as long to get through as the previous dungeon had, since they weren't bothering to search for anything except the stairs to the next floor this time. But it still took longer than Team Sunrise would have liked.
As minutes turned into an hour, the mess of floors all started to flow together in the pair's minds, and the anxious pit in Melody's stomach continued to get worse and worse.
They didn't have time for this! Tempo was counting on them. Every moment they wasted down here was another moment that Tempo was still sick. Another moment that he was stuck back in the guild, scared and alone and possibly getting worse. And if Chimecho couldn't find a way to help him in the meantime, then... then...
A wild Wartortle leapt out from the deep water, landing right on the narrow path Team Sunrise was headed down. It glared at the pair of intruders, starting to ready some kind of water move... only for Melody to slam into it with all of her strength, launching it right back where it had come from with perhaps a little more force than had been strictly necessary. It sent up a massive splash as it hit the water, most of which thankfully happened to miss Team Sunrise.
Melody panted with exertion for a moment as she continued to stare at where the Wartortle had flown. She could feel Flynn's concerned gaze on her without even needing to turn back and look. She took a deep breath, in and out, trying to blink away the moisture in her eyes. Once she had managed to reclaim some semblance of calm, she turned back and nodded to Flynn. He eyed her silently for a long moment, before eventually returning the nod.
The pair continued along the path, delving deeper into the dungeon. Finally, after another couple floors, the surroundings started to look subtly different. The walls took on a slightly darker color, and the water began to get ever so slightly deeper. With any luck, they had to be getting close.
Oddly, while the wild pokemon were still just as strong down here, they seemed a bit less common than they had been on earlier floors. And the wild pokemon that did appear seemed... agitated. Almost frightened, for some reason. Melody really hoped that wasn't a bad sign.
Only a few more floors later, Team Sunrise reached the stable zone at the dungeon's end. They emerged in a long corridor, able to see a large open chamber just up ahead.
A deep, rumbling voice could be heard shouting from off in the distance, though Melody couldn't quite make out what it was actually saying from here. She turned to look at Flynn. The pair nodded solemnly to each other, before pressing onward, bracing themselves for whatever lay ahead.
Soon enough, the team reached the end of the corridor. A massive Gyarados towered high over everything else in the chamber, a vicious grin on his face as he glared down at a frightened group of what Melody assumed were Phione.
"To think that the rumors about this place would be right, after all..." the Gyarados boomed, letting out a malicious laugh. "I'm gonna be rich! Pokemon will pay a fortune for a miracle cure like this!"
He leaned his head in towards the crowd of Phione, brandishing his fangs a bit as they all continued to tremble in the corner of the room. "You all just make sure to make me lots of that dew, alright?" he said, his tail whipping around to gesture at a small mountain of mostly-empty glass bottles sitting nearby. "Long as you do that, there won't be any problems between us. Understood?"
Melody glared daggers at the massive water-type, her ears and tail standing on end as a bit of pale-gray electricity started to run through her fur. By her side, Flynn had taken on a similar posture, the fire on his back blazing brightly as he prepared to fight.
"S-Stop threatening them this instant!" Melody yelled out.
The Gyarados' head whipped around at the sudden voice. "What!?" He looked around for who had spoken, almost not noticing Team Sunrise due to the sheer difference in height. When he did finally spot them, he let out a derisive snort. "Pfft. Are you two what passes for an exploration team, nowadays? I was almost worried for a moment." He turned away from the pair again, pointedly ignoring them. "Unless you're here to buy some Phione dew, I suggest you kids just head on home, before you-"
A Normalized Thunderbolt zipped just past the Gyarados' head, blasting a tiny chunk out of the sandy wall and causing the Phione to yelp in fear. The Gyarados slowly turned back to face Team Sunrise again, a wide-eyed stare on his face. His cocky grin had vanished.
"C-Consider that your warning," Melody said. She tried her hardest to maintain her cool amid the roiling mix of emotions in her chest, but she wasn't quite certain how well she was pulling it off. "L-Leave these Phione alone, and go back to wherever it is you came from. Otherwise... you're going to have to fight us."
A long, tense moment passed as the Gyarados continued to silently stare at the team, trying to gauge whether or not they were bluffing about their strength. He didn't end up hesitating for long, though. The behemoth's tail suddenly started to glow blue, before it slammed harshly onto the ground and kicked up a massive wave. Team Sunrise barely had enough time to dive out of the way, just before the Surf crashed down where they'd been moments prior.
"D-Dang it..." Melody muttered as she got to her feet again. A part of her had dared to hope that the Thunderbolt would get him to turn tail and flee, assuming he didn't know how her ability actually worked. But it looked like they weren't quite so lucky.
Then again... perhaps the Gyarados was the unlucky one. He had chosen a very, very bad day to try and cross Team Sunrise.
The Gyarados swiftly slithered through the air, barreling right towards Melody at high speed. His gaze was fully focused on her, clearly ignoring Flynn for now to focus on what he perceived as the bigger threat.
Just before he could reach her, though, a massive torrent of flames abruptly engulfed his head, causing him to stop short and let out a sharp grunt of pain. By the time the Flamethrower died down, the Gyarados' scales had been visibly charred a bit.
A low growl rumbled in the outlaw's throat. He shifted his focus down towards Flynn. The Cyndaquil silently glared back, the flames on his back almost appearing like an erupting volcano for how intense they had gotten.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Melody charged up another Thunderbolt and let it fly. The blast struck the side of the behemoth's head, knocking him out of the air and stunning him for a second.
The Gyarados flew into a rage after that, thrashing about and launching water every which way. He did manage to land a couple of lucky hits on the explorers, here and there. But they simply endured, and continued to hit back far harder. Even Flynn was holding his own fairly well, the super-effective hits barely slowing him down thanks to the scarf around his neck.
Eventually, the Gyarados seemed to have had enough. His gaze darted to the Phione, and then back to the explorers, before he shook his head, silently deciding that the dew just wasn't worth this. He slipped past Team Sunrise and fled down the corridor, his movements strained as he slithered away.
Melody kept a wary eye on the outlaw, another Thunderbolt at the ready just in case he tried something else. Only when he finally vanished into the dungeon again did she finally let down her guard. She sighed heavily, the adrenaline slowly starting to wear off.
All in all, the fight hadn't really taken all that long. But it was still time and effort that she would have rather put towards making sure Tempo would be alright.
After taking a deep breath, Melody turned her focus back to the Phione. The crowd of water-types were still huddled together in the corner of the room. They seemed to have calmed down slightly now that the Gyarados had fled, though they still appeared more than a little unsure about Team Sunrise's intentions as well, eyeing Melody warily as she approached.
"Um... H-Hi," Melody started awkwardly. "Uh... Are all of you alright?"
A few of the Phione hesitantly nodded. "...T-Thank you for... chasing that mon off," one of the frontmost Phione said. "He was... very frightening."
"We were just doing our duty as explorers," Melody replied. "It's unfortunate that he got away like that... but hopefully he'll think twice about coming back here again after that. And we can let the authorities know about him when we get back to the mainland, just in case."
The Phione glanced over at the pile of bottles set off in the corner, some of which had shattered during the chaos of the fight. "...A-Are you also... here for...?"
Melody hesitated just a bit. "S-Sort of, yes. Not in the same way that Gyarados was, though. We just..." She paused, thinking back to the sight of Tempo laying in that guild bed. "...S-Someone important to us is sick right now, a-and he needs a bit of your dew to help him recover. We just need one dose like that, a-and then we'll be on our way. Okay?"
The Phione slowly nodded. "...A-Alright. We can do that." One of the Phione started looking through the remaining small bottles, and quickly picked out one that the Gyarados had already made them fill.
After carefully putting the precious bottle away in their treasure bag, Flynn gave the group of water-types a solemn nod. "...Thank you."
"Y-Yes," Melody echoed. "T-Thank you. We really do appreciate this."
"I-It is... no trouble," the Phione said quietly.
Flynn withdrew the team's escape orb from their bag, preparing to warp them back out of the dungeon. Just before he did, though, a thought occurred to Melody, and she held up a paw to stop him. "W-Wait."
She turned to look at the group of Phione again. "We, um... we happened to find an egg in a previous dungeon recently... a Manaphy egg." A few of the Phione's eyes widened slightly at that, though none of them said anything. "And y-you all... look more than a little similar to the little guy, actually. We, er..." Melody paused, letting out a sigh. "W-We managed to find a water-type who can look after him. But, um... y-you wouldn't happen to know where the poor parents that lost that egg would be, would you?"
The crowd silently exchanged looks for a moment, but the front Phione ultimately shook his head. "...No. I-I'm sorry, but we wouldn't really know much about that."
Melody nodded. It had only been a guess, so she wasn't too surprised that they couldn't help with that. A part of her almost wasn't certain how she would have even felt if they had answered yes, considering how conflicted she already felt over the whole situation.
In any case, they'd gotten what they'd come here for, at least. That was the important thing, for now.
After thanking the Phione one more time, the team finally activated their escape orb, warping them back out of the dungeon with a bright flash of light.
With their lifesaving stash of Phione Dew in tow, Team Sunrise immediately started the journey back to Treasure Town again. In the back of her mind, Melody made a mental note to thank Lapras profusely later for all of his help, but in the moment she hadn't been able to think of anything other than just getting back to town as fast as possible.
The group arrived back at the guild just a hair before nightfall. Chimecho apparently hadn't been able to make much progress with curing Tempo on her own, as of yet, but she had managed to keep him stable at least. She quickly administered the Phione Dew... and then the waiting started all over again.
Melody knew that it would naturally take time for the dew to work its course. It would be naive to think that Tempo would be right back up at full strength after only a minute or two. But that didn't make the wait any less torturous.
Walrein had gone back to the ocean for now, apparently sleeping somewhere down by the beach for tonight. But Melody and Flynn insisted on staying by Tempo's bedside until his condition improved.
Melody wasn't sure exactly how many hours had passed since then. But she hadn't managed to get even a wink of sleep, and she doubted that Flynn had either. Their minds were just too preoccupied with worrying about Tempo.
Eventually, though, a soft rustle of hay made one of Melody's ears perk up. She glanced over to Tempo's bed, noticing the hatchling start to gently stir.
"T-Tempo?" Melody whispered softly.
Very slowly, the Manaphy cracked open his eyes. "Mmn..." He blinked, before turning his attention over to Melody. An innocent smile lit up the hatchling's face. "Mah-mah..."
Melody could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she tiptoed over to nuzzle Tempo's forehead. A moment later, she heard Flynn get up too. The Cyndaquil gently picked up Tempo, the little Manaphy giggling softly in his paws.
For just a few seconds, Melody was completely content, relief at Tempo's recovery flooding through her.
Then Walrein's face flashed in her mind, as she remembered what tomorrow would no doubt bring. A pang of sadness jabbed through her heart, and a new wave of tears began welling up in her eyes.
A few minutes later, Tempo dozed back off. But even with the worst of her worries lifted from her chest, and exhaustion from the day's events setting in stronger than ever, Melody still struggled to fall asleep that night.
The next morning, Chimecho gave Tempo another check up. From what she could tell, he still hadn't completely recovered just yet, but the Phione Dew seemed to be working its magic quite well, so far.
Chimecho suggested keeping an eye on Tempo there in Treasure Town for just a few hours longer, just to make sure no complications came up, which seemed like a reasonable enough precaution to Flynn and Melody. And it would also give Team Sunrise a little time to properly introduce Tempo to Walrein, and let the hatchling hopefully warm up to him a bit before the two would have to leave for the ocean together later that day.
And, for that matter... Team Sunrise themselves wouldn't mind getting to know Walrein first, either. It's not that Flynn didn't trust the old mon or anything, but... after a week of raising and getting attached to Tempo, he wasn't eager to just turn him over to a complete stranger so suddenly. Even if he knew it was necessary.
For much of the morning, though, the trio remained there at the guild, as Tempo eagerly explored the various rooms with Flynn and Melody's supervision. Flynn took a particular enjoyment in seeing Tempo react to everything, knowing that this would be the last day they'd get to spend with the hatchling like this.
After looking around most of the guild, though, the trio decided to head out, looking for Walrein. Flynn had expected to potentially find Walrein down at the beach, but they wound up crossing paths with him down at the crossroads first.
"Ahoy! Team Sunrise!" Walrein called out, waving a flipper in greeting. "I was hoping I might bump into you along the way like this. Saves me the trouble of climbing all the way up that hill again. How's Manaphy faring, now?"
"He's doing a lot better," Melody replied, turning her head to look at the hatchling on her back. "Right, Tempo?"
The Manaphy looked over at Walrein curiously for a moment. But as soon as Walrein started to move closer, Tempo quickly hid behind Melody's head once again, only peeking out a bit to stare cautiously at the much larger water-type.
Walrein seemed a bit hurt by the display, though he managed to hide it behind a chuckle after a moment. "...Aye, maybe I should have expected that. I suppose I do have that sort of face, huh?"
"I-It's okay, Tempo," Melody whispered softly. "He's... H-He's actually nice. I promise."
Flynn helped the hatchling down to the ground, before gently nudging him forward a bit. Tempo continued to hesitate for a few more moments. But eventually, after a bit more encouragement from both Flynn and Melody, the Manaphy's unyielding curiosity finally won out over his fear. He slowly waddled up closer, only flinching a little as Walrein slowly lowered his head down to Tempo's level.
"Ahoy there, little one." Walrein tried his best to keep his voice soft and unthreatening. "I know the tusks probably look scary, but I promise I don't bite." Tempo hesitantly raised a hand up to Walrein's face, his mouth widening a bit in innocent surprise at the odd coarseness of the ice-type's hair. Walrein let out a soft chuckle.
As the hatchling started poking curiously at his flippers, Walrein slowly lifted his head to look at Team Sunrise again. "So, you named him Tempo, it seems?"
"T-That's right," Melody said, a slight blush rising on her face. "We know, it's... probably not exactly the most traditional name for a water-type, but-"
Walrein shook his head. "No, no. It's a fine name. Not the most common, perhaps, but perfectly reasonable. Really, if anything, I should be thanking you. I'm terrible with names." He gave a short laugh at that, though it quickly petered out, leaving an awkward silence behind. After quietly clearing his throat, he continued. "Seems like you've done a good job of caring for him so far, considering the circumstances."
"I-It hasn't all been easy," Melody replied softly. "But... it's been fulfilling, t-too. And compared to what might have happened if we hadn't brought the egg back with us... I-I don't regret it one bit."
She looked down at the little Manaphy for a moment, a hint of tears starting to well up in her eyes. "Just... j-just promise us that you'll take good care of him?"
Walrein gave a solemn nod. "Aye, I promise. I'll do my best to give the poor kid the best upbringing I can."
Flynn felt a gentle tap against his leg. As he looked down, he found Tempo pointing restlessly towards the path down towards the beach. "Phee."
Melody softly shook her head, blinking away the moisture in her eyes as a bittersweet chuckle escaped her. "A-Alright, Tempo. I-I guess we can head down and swim now, if you want." She glanced over at Walrein. "I-I assume that's fine with you, too?"
"Of course."
Flynn carefully settled the hatchling onto his back, and the four of them started on their way down towards the beach.
For a while, the group traveled in silence. But eventually, Walrein decided to speak up again. "You know... like I said yesterday, Chatot told me about some of the things you two've done as a team. But obviously, he didn't give too much detail. Since we've got a bit of time to pass anyhow..."
"...S-Sure," Melody nodded. "I guess... I guess we can tell you about our adventures, if you want. And I'm sure you have your own share of interesting tales from when you were an explorer, too."
For the next several minutes, Melody and Walrein went back and forth, swapping stories as they all continued along the path out of town. It managed to help lighten the mood at least a little bit, after the prior conversation. Though, even when Melody was recounting some of the team's funnier or more triumphant moments, her smile didn't quite seem to reach her eyes.
Eventually, they made it down to the beach. Melody and Walrein headed out into the ocean to swim with Tempo, while Flynn remained on the sandy shore.
Tempo's initial fear of Walrein seemed to have mostly dissipated by then. At one point, he took a break from cheerfully following along behind Melody to instead start swimming circles around the larger water-type.
All the while, Flynn watched from the sidelines, feeling more than a little conflicted. He knew it was good that Tempo was gradually warming up to Walrein. But, still...
He shook his head, letting out a quiet sigh as he stared out at the ocean.
Eventually, Tempo started to get tired again. He clung to Melody's back as she slowly swam back to shore, the hatchling letting out a soft yawn as he nestled against the Skitty's soft fur.
After bidding farewell to Walrein for the time being, Melody and Flynn started the long trek back up towards the guild. A tense silence hung over the pair as they walked, neither of them quite feeling ready to talk despite knowing there were things that needed to be said.
Chimecho continued to check in on Tempo's condition somewhat regularly. He seemed to be improving steadily, and Chimecho indicated that he should hopefully be fully recovered within another day or two. Though, of course, he would eventually just get sick all over again if they tried to keep him here on land.
Melody tried to savor the remaining hours she and Flynn had with the hatchling, whenever he was awake. But the rest of the day seemed to just fly by in the blink of an eye. Morning turned to afternoon, and then to early evening, as the sun continued its steady journey through the sky.
All too soon, the moment Melody had been dreading finally arrived. Her legs felt numb, knowing this would be the last time they brought Tempo back down to the beach like this. But she forced herself to keep walking, no matter how little she wanted to.
She knew they couldn't just insist on keeping Tempo permanently. But a part of her couldn't help but wish they could try.
By the time Team Sunrise arrived, Walrein and Chatot were already there. Both of them looked fairly composed and solemn, in stark contrast to Team Sunrise.
Tempo, naturally enough, thought they were just going down to the ocean for another normal little swim, the same as every other time. He eagerly hopped down from Melody's back onto the soft sand below, and had crawled nearly halfway across the beach before he finally turned back and saw the looks on Flynn and Melody's faces. He slowed to a stop, looking up at the Skitty's face. "Mmh... Mah-Mah?"
Melody slowly made her way over, sitting down on the beach just in front of the Manaphy. Unsure what else to do, she started to speak. "T-Tempo... I w-want you to listen to me, now. This is... t-this is important." She tried her absolute hardest to keep her face and voice even as she looked the hatchling straight in the eye, but she wasn't very successful.
Tempo stared uncomprehendingly at the tears running down Melody's face. He raised an arm to wipe one away, before staring oddly at his now damp hand. "Mah-Mah?"
"M-Mister Walrein is... is going to take g-good care of you from now on, o-okay?" Melody continued. She knew full well the hatchling couldn't understand her, but she felt the need to get the words out regardless. "He's g-going to help you grow up b-big and strong. A-And I'm sure there will be all kinds of interesting sights for him to show you down in the ocean, too. S-So I need you behave for him. Try not to g-get into too much trouble, okay? And..." She paused, her voice little more than a ragged whisper. "And... a-and as you grow up... t-try to remember us e-every now and then... o-okay, Tempo?"
Melody felt a paw settle on her back, dimly recognizing her partner's voice telling her to breathe. She glanced over in his direction. The Cyndaquil seemed to be holding his composure a little better than she was, but she could still see his eyes glistening with moisture, and the flames on his back flickering significantly.
A short ways away, Chatot shook his head, a grim frown on his face. "...Prolonging this is only going to make things harder on everyone involved." He glanced over at Walrein. "It may be best if you don't wait any longer."
Walrein hesitated, not seeming too thrilled with the idea. But after a moment, he gave a small nod. "...Aye. You're probably right." He scooted a bit closer, leaning his head down to Tempo's level. "C'mon, Tempo. It's... time to go home."
The hatchling didn't seem to listen, his gaze slowly shifting back and forth between Melody and Flynn. "Mah-Mah? Phween?" He softly nudged Melody with one arm, but the Skitty barely reacted at all.
Eventually, Walrein reached out with a flipper, pulling Tempo closer and holding him against his side. The hatchling squirmed, trying his best to wriggle out of Walrein's grip as the larger water-type slowly started towards the shore.
"M-Mah Mah! Phween!"
The confusion and fear in Tempo's voice felt like a stab right through Melody's heart. She let herself collapse into the sand, closing her eyes and folding down her ears as she tried in vain to block out what was happening. (It's for his own good,) she repeated to herself in her head, over and over.
"MAH MAH! PHWEEN! MAH MAH!"
It took every once of Melody's willpower just to stay there and not move, as Tempo's cries got further and further away. Her instincts were screaming at her to fight. To 'save' her little Manaphy, and bring him back home with her and Flynn again. But she knew she couldn't. For his own sake, she couldn't.
Less than a minute later, it was all over. Walrein had vanished below the ocean's waves with Tempo in tow.
A peaceful calm reigned once again on the beach's sandy shore, the silence only broken by a pair of hardened explorers sobbing into the sand.
Melody had no idea how long the two of them had stayed down there. All she knew is that by the time they left, the sun had nearly vanished over the horizon. Chatot had long since left. The wild Krabby had long since come and gone. She and Flynn were entirely alone.
She didn't really want to get up. She didn't really feel like doing much of anything, in that moment. But she knew they needed to get home at some point, and she was dimly aware that they had barely eaten anything all day. So when Flynn eventually nudged her side and whispered that they should start heading back, she didn't argue.
After a long and quiet trip back across town, with little more than Flynn's fire to light the way for them, the pair finally made it home to Sharpedo Bluff. Neither of them were in much of a mood to bother with anything fancy for dinner, so they simply pulled out a few apples and berries from their supplies.
The pair sat down and slowly started to eat. But the utter silence felt... almost smothering, somehow. Even if Tempo's loud, excitable energy had been a little grating at times, and even if a part of Melody had been looking forward to their home being peaceful and quiet again... this felt so wrong, now. Their home felt empty.
Melody gently ran a paw over one of the leftover shards of Tempo's eggshell. Pretty much the only keepsake they still had of him now, she supposed. At least they would have something to remember him by.
But as much as she tried to focus on the happier times they'd had with Tempo... she still couldn't get those last moments on the beach out of her head. That look on Tempo's face, and the way he'd called out for them... she couldn't imagine how he must have felt, watching them simply sit there and do nothing while Walrein took him away.
She wondered if he would resent them for all of this, as he started to grow older. Or if he would even remember them at all, for that matter. She supposed she'd probably never know, either way.
A fresh wave of tears started to well up in her eyes, dripping down onto the eggshell fragment below.
A gentle nudge on her side eventually drew her out of her thoughts. "...You know," Flynn whispered, "...even if Tempo can't live up here on the land... Walrein could still bring him back to visit, sometime."
Melody lifted her head just a bit at that thought. "...Maybe." She glanced over at her partner. "Do you think... D-Do you think Tempo will still remember us, by then?"
"Of course," he answered back. There wasn't a hint of doubt in his voice, like he was stating an absolute fact.
Despite herself, Melody felt her lips curl upwards just the tiniest bit. "...I-It'd be nice, getting to see Tempo again, every now and then. Getting to... g-getting to see him actually grow up. And... who knows, maybe by then we might even have..." She trailed off, feeling heat rush to her cheeks at the thought that had crossed her mind.
Flynn turned to look at her, a silent question plain on his face.
Melody hesitated. She didn't know if Flynn had thought that far ahead, or if it was even something he'd be comfortable discussing at all. But...
"S-Say, Flynn?" she meekly started, not quite able to look him in the eye. "Have you... H-Have you ever put any thought into the idea of... y-you know..." She couldn't quite bring herself to finish that sentence. Her gaze drifted pointedly down to the eggshell piece again, before timidly peeking over to gauge Flynn's reaction.
Given the matching blush that quickly started to appear on Flynn's face, he seemed to pick up on what she'd meant. He looked away, taking a moment to think through his words. "...It's crossed my mind, sometimes. As a thought for the future, at least."
"Y-Yeah, same," Melody replied. "I-I mean, I g-guess I'd always figured that someday I'd... want to s-start a family of my own." She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she'd caught herself daydreaming about the future once or twice, since she and Flynn had gotten together. "B-But it always seemed like such a... distant thing, y-you know? A-And then..."
"...And then fate dropped that Manaphy egg into our laps," Flynn finished for her. The pair both reached out to feel the eggshell fragment again, their paws gently overlapping.
This entire last week had all just been so... so sudden and overwhelming. Often in good ways, granted. They'd had plenty of good times while taking care of Tempo, and Melody would probably cherish those memories for the rest of her life. But just as often, she had been left feeling exhausted, panicked... and more than a little unprepared. They'd managed for a week, but it was clear they weren't ready to deal with this full-time.
Still... just remembering the way that Tempo would look at them... the sheer innocence and love etched on his cute little face... there had been something utterly magical about that feeling, not quite like anything Melody had experienced before.
(...Someday,) Melody thought wistfully to herself, letting out a faint sigh. (Maybe someday.)
For a while, silence fell over the pair. They went back to half-heartedly nibbling at their cold supper, if only to quiet the gnawing in their stomachs.
Melody gazed out over the moonlit ocean, wondering how exactly Tempo and Walrein were faring in that moment. She could only hope the poor hatchling would settle into his new home eventually. He deserved to grow up happy and healthy.
"...If it's any consolation..."
Flynn's quiet voice drew Melody back out of her thoughts again, and she turned to look at him.
"...I think..." he continued, blushing as he carefully considered his words. "...whenever the right time comes... I think you'd make a great mother, if you wanted to be."
"F-Flynn..." Melody blinked slowly, feeling her blood rush to her face as his words sunk in. She really hadn't expected him to say anything quite like that. But... "I-I, um... t-thank you." Slowly, the stunned look on her face faded into a slight smile, and she leaned in to nuzzle his side. "I... I-It was cute, getting to see a bit of your fatherly side come out this last week. S-So um... y-you too."
Flynn silently returned the nuzzle, settling a paw on the Skitty's back and starting to gently stroke her fur. Melody couldn't help but let out a faint purr.
Her heart still ached a bit, thinking about Tempo. She was going to miss the hatchling's cheerful energy, his innocent giggles... his charming attempts at saying their names. It would take time to get used to not having him around anymore.
But... Flynn was right with what he'd said earlier. Maybe this didn't have to be goodbye forever. Someday, down the road... she hoped they would get to see the Manaphy again.
And perhaps... perhaps someday, they might even have another little member of the family to introduce him to.
A/N: Apologies for taking so long, as usual. Took longer than I would have liked to figure out exactly how to handle certain sections, and to get everything just how I wanted it. Hopefully it turned out well enough to be worth the wait.
Special thanks to Jusmove for looking over this chapter early, and giving some helpful feedback about everything.
Also... for anyone interested, I've actually started writing/posting a second fic, in addition to this one. It's also a PMD fic, though it's a fair bit different from this story otherwise. Was initially hesitant to split my focus between two fics, with how slow my writing has generally been. But honestly, having something a bit different to write for has helped boost my motivation/productivity for writing in general, which is nice. We'll see if it's enough to help finally speed up my update schedule a little, but I'm cautiously hopeful, at least.
