The following is a non-profit fan-based work of fiction. Splatoon, Splatoon 2, and Splatoon 3 are all owned by Nintendo and Hisashi Nogami. Please support the official release.
The Splatlands.
A vast expansive desert to the west of Inkopolis and Inkadia, barren of life but filled with an ancient history predating the times before the great flood and beyond.
With the construction of the recent transit lines connecting both Inkopolis Square and Inkadia, folks have leisurely travelled to and fro both cities.
Of course, some chose to travel the hard way, immersing themselves into the culture of its inhabitants, the Splatlandians. Those who live in the Splatlands find themselves at home at the heart of these sands, an oasis of sorts for the hustling and bustling.
They call it, Splatsville, the City of Chaos.
Not the friendliest name to go around, but the city's development gained an economic boom from the increased population of Inklings and Octolings thanks to the "Splatpocalypse." After the events of Inkopolis Square's "Chaos VS Order" Splatfest, possibly promoting Splatville's development, the city's population rose exponentially, which garnered companies and sponsors to support the development, leading to where it stands today.
And now, many make their way to the City of Chaos, the new trendy or "Fresh" locale for Marine kind.
Our story begins with a lone cephalopod trekking across the desert with a particular companion in tow.
In the vast desert, a tiny Smallfry Salmonid rocking a faux hawk zooms and leaps over rocks and scrap metal, leaving a trail of dust over scrapped metal train cars as he holds a broken padlock in his mouth.
After a couple of leaps and hops, it bounces to a stop next to a ragged hooded drifter sitting under the shade of a pile of wreckage.
Wearing a pair of red-tinged camo green cargo pants, he laid back with a propped-up leg and an arm resting on the right knee, swiping their thumb across a map of the Splatlands on a phone screen. The sun's rays reflect on the drifter's eye shield shades above their respirator mask, worn on the slightly tanned skin as the wind flaps his ragged robe.
The Smallfry chirps while wagging his tail for the drifter's attention.
"Whatcha got there, Bud?" the drifter asks in a baritone voice as he lets down his hand.
Lil' Bud purred as he held out the padlock before placing it in the drifter's palm, bringing it up to his face.
"Hmm..." Lifting his shades to reveal a pair of green eyes surrounded by a black eyemask and a small slit on the right eyebrow, the drifter inspects the lock before turning to Lil' Bud.
"This must have been for a gate. Think you can trace it back?"
Lil' Bud jumped for joy as he dashed in a circle in his tiny, green overalls.
"Heh, alright then." The drifter chuckles while he rises, dusting off the sand on his hunting boots before slinging a dully-framed bow over his shoulders.
"Lead the way, Bud." The drifter commanded as Lil' Bud dashed slowly, placing back his shades as he followed suit.
As they trekked, the drifter paused by a makeshift fence to his right, made of scrap metal and police tape. It blocked off the cliff as a tower stood beyond the horizon, upside down with net-like architecture.
"'Wonder why they built that?" The drifter commented as tiny wailing reached his ears.
Lil' Buddy bounced as he called for the drifter's attention.
"I'm coming. I'm coming!"
He sighed as he ran up to Bud and stopped to absorb the sight before them.
A scrap metal jungle gym with nets, ramps, and platforms stood before them below a small cliff. At the end of the obstacle course, a rusted gate sways open from the calm breeze with an echoing creak.
The drifter took off his respirator mask as he looked at his tiny salmonid partner, turning back to him as they gave each other cheeky smiles.
~Start BGM: "G.P." (0:00 - 2:07) by [Yutaka Yamada] from {Great Pretender}~
"...Race ya there!" he exclaims, grabbing his bow before they both jump off the cliff, letting the wind from his fall play with his robe revealing his orange fleshy and messy hair.
He pulled the string of his bow, releasing a shot of five arrows that exploded into an orange inky cross bellow as Lil' Bud bounced bellow before dashing off.
As the drifter closed in on the ink, he vanished into the ink before a small burst of rapids appeared on the ink as a loud gush popped out of the water, revealing an orange squid with large black eyes surrounded by an eye mask.
The squid changed shape into the drifter who fired three quick shots across the area, spreading the ink all around as he neared a wall, leaping out of the ink and firing on the wall before swimming back into the ink.
In his squid form, he jumped into the wall of ink and seemingly charged before surging upward, popping out on top of the wall.
In human form, he popped open the oval cap of a rectangular box on his left hip, grabbed a long sheet of wipes coated in orange ink and slammed it down on the ground as he shifted back into a squid and landed on the wipe.
The wipe slides across the pathway as the drifter steered himself near the edge before performing a Squid Roll, quickly turning his body in a spiral motion as he briefly reverted to his human form to repeat the wipe and shift.
He repeated the process as he leapt from one platform to another, nearing the gate seen from afar, until reaching a beam hanging by some old wire rope which started to snap as the platform tilted to the edge he landed.
Quickly running up ahead, eyeing his surroundings, he noticed some uninked parts of the cliff ahead of him.
He pulled the string on his bow, focusing his aim as he burst a volley of arrows that struck true to his target as the second wire holding the lifted side of the beam began to loosen.
Wasting no time, he quickly fired volleys of ink streaks on his path until the ink covered the other end of the beam before swimming back.
As he neared the lowering edge, the Squid Rolled back as his momentum picked up.
And just as the last wire rope snapped, he leapt across the gap, changing back into a human, flailing his arms to reach for the ledge with his mouth widening to reveal his fanged squid teeth as he drew close.
His hand missed its grab and fell as the beam crashed, destroying the wreckage below.
~End BGM~
But just below the edge lay orange patches of ink as a pair of eyes peeking open before looking down at the wreckage.
"Thank you, Squid Surge lessons." The drifter sighed in relief as he surged from patch to patch.
Reaching the top, he pulled himself up and face-planted on the ground, shifting back to his humanoid form before getting up. "I hope Bud made it safely. Though, it'd be nice to be first once-"
Only to find Lil' Bud waiting for him on top of a rock next to the drifter, wagging his tail as he smiled at him.
"...You cheeky little nugget." he playfully poked Lil Bud's cheek, purring on contact.
The two cross the junk-made bridge and reach the rusted gate creaking from its hinges from the wind.
The gate swayed its door as the chain link fence on both sides endured better days. What was once a means to fend off is now open with broken links failing to fulfil their purpose. For what purpose is there in this barren land with demolished shrapnels and sand?
Perhaps it's a reminder. One the living cannot remember.
But at the very least, some pay respects, one way or another.
*CLICK*
Tinkling at its proper latch, the two press past the gate to their destination.
Trekking onward, the drifter pulled up his visor to inspect the map on his phone while Lil' Bud slept soundly on his shoulder.
He glanced from his phone, doing a double take as he saw a structure far ahead of them before checking his map.
"Bud. Bud, wake up!" The drifter woke Lil' Bud as he sleepily turned to his partner. "Look! Look over there!"
Lil' Bud rubbed his eye with his fin before looking to where the drifter pointed.
Off in the distance stood a rustic train station between two railroad tracks littered with sand.
Bud jumped for joy as he landed on the sand and ran off with the drifter to the platform.
"The train's almost here!" the drifter proclaimed as he looked at his phone's clock. "We finally made it, Bud!"
They ran as he stuffed his phone in his pocket, slowing him down as he allowed Lil' Bud to get ahead.
"Hey! Get back here, Bud!" the drifter yelled, hopping across the sand as Bud climbed the steps with his tiny body.
The train was coming to a stop, revealing the numerous stickers plastered across the vehicle. It was covered in sand shown by the grains stuck on the windshield.
The train's whistle sounded off as it opened its doors.
On the platform, the drifter stood with his visor above his head and Bud by his side. After a few minutes, the train came to a stop and opened its doors to let the duo in.
The sunlight's rays travel through the closed windows of the quiet train car. Within, marine life folk of all shapes and sizes mind their business: checking online news or gossiping about different topics.
With our duo, they sit comfortably in their seat with the drifter's bag protected between them, securing it from pickpockets.
Should the two glance at the passengers on the train, they would have noticed some taking a double take at the sight of a Smallfry Salmonid sitting next to their supposed enemy.
The drifter watches Bud bounce with jolly timber as he gazes around the train, humming to the music playing in the train's sound system, bringing a soft smile to his face.
The speakers cut the music as a jingle briefly played, causing some within the train car to pause and listen to the announcement.
[Attention, passengers: we will be arriving shortly at Splatsville. For those who are about to depart, please do not leave any valuables on the train. We will not be held responsible for any loss. Thank you.]
A jingle played to the end of the announcement before returning to the radio. Some folks on the train grab their bags or luggage in preparation to depart.
~Start BGM: "Ask DNA" by [Seatbelts] from {Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door}~
Bud hummed to the song as the drifter leaned back with his left arm raised to the seat before turning his head to the window, tapping his fingers to the rhythm.
"Here we come…" he muttered as he gazed out the window while the train journeyed across the wastelands to the city of Chaos.
{Walk Like a Splatlandian}
An airline plane flies over Splatsville as the people below go through their daily lives.
A pair of Inklings discuss the pros and cons of a designer shirt in a clothes store window before purchasing.
Inside the store, a sharp-eyed jellyfish watches the two, brushing his jelly beard in his black jacket.
In a warmly lit store, a coconut crab wearing a graphic tank top and denim shorts brings two pairs of shoe boxes to an Octoling and an Inkling jumping for joy as he brings them over.
In a store on the upper floor, an Inkling looks into a mirror, trying on different hats as a laid-back nautilus in flip flops talks with an energetic river snail in shades on a cushion before the Inkling calls them over.
Below the store, a horseshoe crab babbles to his customer about the weapon of their choice as his words enter one ear out the other. Said customer is busy attempting to lift a three-barreled Gatling gun but failed to do so.
In the alleyways, an Octoling plays a card game with an Inkling before rising from his seat in victory while being watched by a motherly goldfish.
Near a tower, an Octoling boy haggles for a pixel cap with a sea urchin wearing a red shirt over a white shirt while in a pair of jeans and white shoes.
On the left of the entrance, a pair of Octolings girls gossip behind an Inkling boy, angrily munching his food.
In a portable toilet, someone groans inside as a fibre bar hits differently.
In a general store across the armoury, a sea anemone watches an Inkling carry a bag of items out of the store, ignoring the grey clownfish near her cap.
Inside an arcade, an Inkling girl sings karaoke with her friends to the song on the machine.
Next to the arcade at a gated stairway, a group flips over stacks of money, counting each bill before splitting it amongst themselves.
The train stops as its doors open, releasing the flood of passengers.
Stepping out of the train, the drifter climbs the stairway and takes in the city air and sun before picking up Bud and placing him on his shoulder.
~End BGM~
The drifter puts his shades above his eyes and takes his first step in Splatsville with his bow in hand.
"This is it, Bud. We're finally here." The drifter sighed as he turned to Bud.
"Walker and Bud, the Inkling and Small fry duo, ready to take names and kick some ass! Let's do this!"
Two months later
On a screen, a tune of a flute initiates a techno jingle plays as a black logo forms with blue, yellow, and grey, as three voices commence a program.
The panel fades as it reveals a trio facing the camera.
"Listen up! It's going down…" A pale-skinned, blue-haired Octoling, wearing a white Sarashi chest wrap and a long purple translucent shawl with a charm on its left, taps her Ogi fan on a Chabudai table before bowing to greet the camera while showing her Hachimaki headband wrapped around a suction cup on her head.
"Repping the Splatlands, we are DEEP CUT!" She announces, revealing her red, sharp eyes and shark tooth-shaped earrings on her right ear.
"Anarchy Splatcast! We're live!" A medium brown-skinned, yellow-haired Inkling claps her hands before pumping them into the air, revealing her vampire-like teeth as she grinned. She wore a sleeveless yellow turtleneck crop top under a small yellow translucent shawl and a pair of white and very baggy pants with holes on her left, revealing a part of her black leggings.
"Ay! (Here we go!)" A large dark-grey manta ray chimes in as he stands behind and holds a television screen. He isn't wearing any clothing except a headpiece carved out of bleached wood painted with red swirls and a styled "M" at the centre. A red rope tied the headpiece between his eyes and mouth.
"You lip-synch, we drip ink-'" The blue Octoling continued.
"Ay! Ay! Ay! (Shiver, Frye, and Big Man!)" The manta ray introduced themselves respectfully.
"Ay! (Breaking news! Fresh off the press!)'" Big Man exclaims, flapping his fins.
"Oh? You got something, Big Man?" Shiver asked with an interested tone. "Let's hear it!"
The screen flashed to a news report depicting a large eel-like creature holding onto a tower before shifting to the next image, where it was removed from the building.
"Uh, this was MY story to break." Frye points out with her blue-tipped fingers. "The Great Zapfish is gone!"
"It basically powers the whole city! We need it back soon, or it's lights out…'" Shiver summed its importance, shedding a fake tear for dramatic effect.
"Time to conserve. Turn out the lights, and set the temp to a cool 90 degrees Fahrenheit." Frye advised.
"Ay! (That's 32 degrees Celcius, and it's NOT cool! Call us if you find the Zapfish!)'" Big Man corrected.
"Moving on to our usual program, these stages have been selected." Shiver shrugged as the screen shifted to six locations with two under three categories.
"Hagglefish Market and Eeltail Alley," Frye informed as she pointed at the alleyway in the "Turf War" category. "I swear, I feel like that place hates me. No matter where I go, some whackjob manages to splat me out after each turn!"
"Huh, funny you say that," Shiver commented, spreading her white fan to cover her mouth, revealing a crest on the leaf. "Cause I seem to recall how you always charge ahead, leaving your team to pick up the pace before getting splatted yourself."
"It's called a winning strategy!" Frye argued. "Git Gud scrubs!"
"I prefer to call it 'sweat play.' But if that's what you want to call it, be my guest." Shiver giggled.
"Why you-!" Frye growled before pouting. "Sponsor!"
The screen switched to an advertisement using the colour orange, showing a small island surrounded by green water reflected by the sunset.
"Y'know, aside from how deadly of a swarm that are the Salmonids, I admire the artistic vision they have. Everything they seem to do is art, no matter the circumstances." Shiver admired with a glitter in her eye.
"Ay. (Was that what while a Small Fry swarm were busy swallowing Frye and me?)'" Big Man deadpanned.
"Um… And that's it! For now!" Shiver blushed as the screen switched back to its screen saver.
"Ay! (Please don't change the subject!)'" Big Man barked.
"Spicy~!" Frye chimed.
"From Splattsville, that's a wrap." Shiver nods to the camera, tapping her fan on the table as she exits her kneeling position in her tabi-like shoes, revealing herself in a pair of low-cut black leggings with two slashes on her right thigh.
Frye followed suit as Big Man turned to the camera.
"Catch ya later!"
Both Shiver and Frye posed with three fingers dangling from their hands as Big Man smiled for the camera.
A buzzer blared as the lights in the studio came on, revealing a camera crew and the cameras.
On a director's seat, a Jellyfish with a horn and a cap gave a thumbs-up as Deep Cut sighed in relief.
"Glad that's over. How about you guys?" Frye asked while stretching her arms.
"Ay… (I'm good, thanks for asking.)" Big Man smiled as he held the screen.
"Currently having pins and needles," Shiver stated with a stiff smile. "Help."
Frye assisted Shiver to the platform's ledge, letting her sit and rest her feet.
"Thanks, Frye." Shiver thanked her as she hissed from the feeling in her legs.
"Anytime, Shiver." Frye smiled.
As Big Man smiled at the two, he noticed Frye's phone vibrating near her cushion.
"Ay! (Hey, Frye! You got something!)'" Big Man informed.
Frye turned and grabbed her phone before swiping it to unlock it. As she read her phone, her face morphed into excitement as she turned to Big Man.
"We just got a big one!" She squealed in glee.
"Ay?! (Seriously?!)'" Big Man exclaimed.
"Where is it?!" Shiver asked, massaging her legs until she stopped and looked for something on her body.
"Just outside of Splatsville!" Frye answered. "Let's get going, guys!"
"Ay! (Alright!)'"
"You two go ahead," Shiver advised as the two turned to her. "I think I left my mask back at my apartment."
"Aw, for real?" Frye whined, dropping her arms.
"Don't look so glum, frye. Think of it this way." Shiver suggested. "You get the first claim before me and Big Man."
"A-Ay!? (Oh yeah, that's right- Wait, what's that supposed to mean!?)'" Big Man double-checked.
Frye giggled as she kept her phone before running out of the studio. "I'll see you there, Shiver!"
"Ay! (Wait for me!)'" Big Man wailed as he chased after Frye, closing the studio doors.
Shiver smiled as she continued massaging her legs.
Shiver walks out of the studio, stretching her body before sighing in relief.
She checks both sides before turning left to her apartment.
Until she heard breathing behind her.
She slowly turned back and saw movement behind an AC unit.
Closing distance, she could make out what sounded like chewing as she drew closer.
She brandishes her fan and quietly steps toward the sound, eying the movement seen as more rigorous the closer moves and the cloth more visible.
Finally, she looks over the AC and examines the person before her.
Sitting behind the AC was an Inkling, judging by the orange tentacle strand sticking out of his hood.
Unlike Octolings with suction cups on the surface, the Inklings have suction cups underneath their appendages.
The Inkling before her takes a bite of an onigiri in his hand, close to its expiration date according to its wrapper next to his ripped and torn cargo pants.
A Small Fry slept between his side and left hand while he ate.
After another bite, Shiver noticed his attire, from his worn-out shoes to his patchwork cloak.
"Is something wrong, miss?" The Inkling asked, startling Shiver as he turned to her with his green eyes. "Then again, I shouldn't be here, huh?"
"I wouldn't say that, no," Shiver replied. "Might I ask why you are here in the first place?"
"I just wanted to find somewhere quiet to eat. Most of the time, I am either kicked out or some kids beat the carp out of me for fun." He recalled as he rubbed his face. "I can still feel the firecrackers they threw at my eyes."
"Excuse me!?" Shiver gasped.
"On the bright side, the convenience store just threw these out today, so they're fresh." The Inkling pointed to a garbage bag filled with wrappers. "A real shame though I'm flat-out broke. I could've given them a tip for that."
"How long have you been like this?" She asked with a worried tone.
"About two months since I got here in Splatsville." He innocently answered. "Five if you count the three months I've been walking in the desert."
"By yourself?"
"Not really." the Inkling shrugged.
"Oh, thank goodness-"
"I had Bud here with me." He gestured to the waking Salmonid, ribbing its eyes as it stared at Shiver.
"...And only him? No one else?" Shiver asked with an incredulous look.
"Yeah, just the two of us." He shrugged as Bud climbed up his shoulder and nuzzled to his face. "Walker and Bud, Splatsville rising stars! Only to be thwarted by weapon policies and lack of funds."
Shiver raised an eyebrow at "weapon policies" as she looked down at the equipment next to Walker.
The weapon was a black and blue five-barrelled composite bow with a burst fire mechanism attached to the cable guard and string. Its condition, however, was poor as it showed signs of corrosion by the limbs with scratches and sand.
Scanning his body, she noticed a box buckled to his waist. The box has a slit at its rectangular centre with a thin piece of orange cloth sticking out in the same shading as his hair.
"Oh, the bow's sort of a family heirloom," Walker explained, shaking Shiver out of her observation. "The box is just something I scrapped together while I was out there. Think of it as a quick shield from enemy fire."
"Why would you make something like that?" Shiver quirked.
"Cause I was kidnapped by bandits when I met Bud," Walker answered as Bud gave a thumbs-up with his fin.
"..."
"..."
Silence covered the alley as Shiver took a deep breath and released it as she crouched in front of Walker, reached out her hand towards him and grabbed his hood.
"H-Hey! What're you-!?" Walker yelped as she removed his hood, revealing his messy hair covering his eyes as he grabbed her arm.
She ignored his whining, brushing his hair from his face to cup his cheeks, earning her a clear view of his face.
He went silent as he found himself entranced by her sharp red eyes, scanning each corner of his head before locking her eyes with him.
"Right." Shiver stood as she offered him her hand. "Come with me."
"Wait, what?" Walker uttered as he stood with Bud leaping off his shoulder.
"I have some spare clothes in my apartment you could use. We'll also look for weapons at Sheldon's to work over that policy." Shiver informed as Bud followed before sitting between her and Walker.
"Uh…"
"And you'll need a haircut." She added as she turned to him, covering her mouth with her fan as she looked through him with her red eye. "If you want to look the part of a fighter, you'll need one."
He remained silent as he watched the Octoling woman before him with inquisition slowly flutter her fan to her face.
"Who are you? The least you could do is introduce yourself. Even if this all feels suspicious." Walker asked as she stopped fluttering her fan.
"Hohojiro." Shiver began as she snapped her fan closed and aimed its tip at Walker. "Hohojiro, Shiver. Might I know yours? As your benefactor."
With a soft chuckle and a wry challenging smile, he looked Shiver in the eyes and answered.
"Walker. Good to meet you, Shiv."
Well, this is different now, isn't it? I understand some were expecting a new chapter, but I haven't been motivated lately to write the next chapter for RTG: Redux. I'll get back to it when I can, but as of late, the idea of a Splatoon 3 story has been lingering. Thus, leading to a new story.
Welcome, to Walk Like a Splatlandian.
As per the format of the SEQ-ments of RTG, you can share any questions you have in the reviews.
Be sure to follow and leave a review. They're always appreciated.
See ya next time, Ink Cowboy.