"I see...thank you." Lusamine ended the phone call and sat her phone off to the side. She leaned over her desk, using her elbows as leverage as she folded her fingers to support her chin. "This was certainly a conundrum we've stepped in, that's for sure."
"Is everything alright, Miss Lusamine?" Wicke asked.
Lusamine heavily sighed. "I just got word from Ula'ula's Island Kahuna, Nanu. He told me of what happened with Tapu Bulu and an incident that involved a rather important figure, Nic Pularis."
"Nic Pularis..." Wicke put a finger to her chin as she looked up. The name certainly meant something, but she couldn't have placed it so easily. It wasn't until several moments of doubling over her thoughts when her eyes widened with shock. "Oh! You mean him! The one who was on the news with all the other Kalos Gym Leaders against that hideous alien dragon almost a year ago, right?"
"Yes, that's the one. Apparently, there's been a warrant issued for his capture. We still don't know all of the details, but after an investigation by Nanu and Detective Looker, they believe that the recent incidents with the people are related to him. Not to mention that he assaulted and knocked out Looker." She tapped her index finger against her desk. "What was a figure like that doing in the Alola Region? I've heard how we're now connected to another world, but if he was supposedly living there, that brings up even more questions..."
"Well, on the positive note, at least this explains why Professor Burnet's spatial energy detector was sensing a low frequency trail all over Alola." Wicke said, stepping forward to alleviate her boss' concerns.
"That's true...I suppose. We'll have to tell her about this as soon as possible. At least this piece of information can help us in learning new ways of how spatial energy is tied to a human being."
"Isn't there a label for those kinds of people, Miss Lusamine? I think the term was a...'Faller'?"
"Yes. Fallers that pass through Ultra Wormholes usually carry a strong spatial energy around them that attracts Ultra Beasts. Apparently, this same energy is what attracts Ultra Beasts to the Fallers. However, the energy that this person in particular produces is on a completely different scale. One that doesn't put him at risk against an Ultra Beast. I'm not sure whether to consider this a blessing or a curse. But one thing's paramount here..." She furrowed her brow. "If he really is the root cause to the bizarre actions over the past week, then we need to bring him in. Some sense of justice needs to be made clear here, and not just to us. Looker was an elite International Police Detective. This is a serious offense to national security for someone who has a power such as that to roam freely."
"I suppose that's true..." Wicke had a doubtful look as she put a hand to her cheek. "I'm worried..."
"Yes, Wicke, as am I. But, if that's become the case..." Lusamine straightened herself in her seat, giving Wicke as serious glare that meant one thing she was good at: Business. "We need to handle this problem as professionally as possible. For all we know, the entire region of Alola could be at stake if we let this problem run loose. Can you inform the Aether Paradise faculty about this? I need to process a warrant as well. Two employees were put into the hospital yesterday morning. Until they come around with a response, we must remain cautious at all times."
"Yes, right away, Ma'am!" Wicke was quick to respond and rushed towards the exit, her heels echoing along the smooth tiling.
As the clanging of heels diminished, Lusamine turned in her chair and crossed her legs. The look in her eyes were very serious, if not concerning. If Wicke had stayed around just a few ore seconds, she would have seen Lusamine's eyes having a duller shade than what they usually were.
'I knew such worlds were a possibility, but how could that be tied to Ultra Space? It shouldn't be possible...is it?'
Her inquiries weren't bringing her many answers, only theories. But within that realm of theories, there was a reason. She thought to when she was younger; how it was her, her two children that had her blonde hair and green eyes, and another man that was the father. Such blessed times that left her truly happy.
Before she dawdled too deep, she shook her head to stay on track. 'Stay focused, Lusamine. That's all in the past. Right now, your job is to stay ahead and keep all of Alola preserved, no matter the cost. If it means that we have to use every ounce of the Aether Foundation's power to do so, then so be it.' She reached for her phone again and started typing in a number. 'Hopefully she's rested enough to respond.'
The phone kept going for a long while, ringing on and off every few seconds. As she was waiting, she was leaning back in her chair and crossed her other leg over, folding an arm close and holding her bicep to appease her anxiety. Finally, a click was heard.
"Yes...Miss Lusamine?" The voice was a little drowsy, but she recognized it.
"Professor Burnet, it's me. Listen, I apologize if this is a bad time, but there's been a development that you might want to hear..."
"Well..." A loud yawn went through the line. "I'm awake now, so what is it?"
"It's regarding the spatial energy you've been tracking. We've figured out its source..."
The distorted realm was nearly empty. Empty, and dark. The only fragment of light that was possible was the space that was in the background, where faint starlight glistened and gave a dark lavender light that highlighted the pitch-black rock that was the upside-down castle.
Inside its dark walls, no one could tell where the ground was, yet when a wormhole opened up out of the blue, it expelled two parasites that flopped on a hard surface and laid deflated on cold, rough stone. They laid completely still, fresh coatings of bruises and cuts from what Nic and Garchomp left as mementoes for their meddling in their affairs.
They laid on the ground, staying completely quiet for several moments until Beast 1 started to stir. Its top throbbed like how a headache should feel, though in this case, it was more like a hat-ache...whatever the terminology to describe its top was. Its tendrils were completely numb from that last attack Nic pulled from out of his sleeve, quite literally if it recalled. It was completely broken after that painful lesson. For once, it was actually glad to have gone to a place where it hopefully couldn't be around nourishment. Some space felt pretty good right about now.
"Grrrrrrrr..."
Unfortunately for Beast 1, its moment of gratification had come to a screeching halt. It felt a very foreboding presence from behind, causing its nerves to shrivel up. Something with a piercing aura around it somehow made its tendrils to quiver, even though it wasn't able to feel them. That same ominous aura gradually approached with a grizzly grit of its massive claws bared.
"Need...light. I must have more to...sustain...starvation..." A very small speck of light emanated from his red eyes, which peered into the parasite's soul. "I brought you back here because I wanted light. Did you find my light...?"
The parasite looked up to the pure darkness, trying to come up with something to say. However, in the face of its lackluster scouting, it only gave a weak hiss.
"No light...? NO LIGHT?!" he snarled. "I...need light! I NEED IT!" The gruesome aura around the figment grew with his anger. His red eyes shuddered as he glared menacingly at the poor parasite scouts. "You...useless! Useless!"
In his writhe, he balled a fist tightly and violently roared. He slammed it into the darkness, which concealed a wall that was apparently right beside them. Rather than destroy the wall, a telekinetic shockwave rippled through the rocks, flattening every crevice and bump as it traveled up towards the ceiling. Stalagmites that hung over their heads shuddered before the ripples acted like a vice, clipping them from the ceiling. The spikes rained down around the pitch-black beast and the parasites and pierced the ground; one of them nearly crushed Beast 1 if it wasn't for it nudging its tendrils. Beast 2 was also thankfully spared from a crushing blow, but it was still unconscious.
The monster snarled as it floated closer towards them. "You...no find light. You are failures! No light means...pain! I HATE PAIN!" The glow in his glare dulled just enough to make Beast 1 feel even more feared for its life. "I need light to ease this pain...you search...and I go get...you come back with no light! NO LIIiiiiiIIIght!"
Beast 1 knew it was in trouble. If it didn't think of something soon, it could end up paying the piper. It didn't want to do that. Though it wasn't able to move, it could still think enough to realize that it might have a chance. But it needed to be fast, and if it had any excuses, now would be a good time to think of something beneficial.
"Kreee...!" It hissed in a gasp.
"You are not useful for my light...to me! GraaaAAAAaaaAHHhh!" The beast raised one of its pitch-black claws overhead and readied to bring it down onto Beast 1 first.
"KREEEEE!"
Beast 1's cry was heavy, but it feared that wouldn't have been enough to allow it to stop its impending death. It tensed up whatever nerves that it could feel, for the end...only that it realized that it wasn't dead yet. Curious, it became aware of its surroundings and looked up, seeing a silhouette of a black claw frozen just mere inches from its face. The feeling in its aching bell suddenly increased tenfold, causing it to deflate further into the ground like it collapsed.
The pitch-black beast glared at the parasite with his red eyes glinting. "Creatures...that have light?"
"K-Kreeee!"
"Beings with strange powers...and not Pokémon..." His own curiosity was piqued. There wasn't a lot of meaning that he paid attention to regarding these creatures that can use powers like Pokémon, but if they were in contact with light that he needed, then that might be a good thing. He would risk anything to get what he needed to get that light of his.
To Beast 1's relief, the monster gradually retracted his claw and glared it down. "Get strength to find those creatures again. Find the light that they carry...then return again. If fail..." He raised his other claw and brought it around, slashing it into a ceiling spike that pierced the ground beside him. Nothing happened at first, but Beast 1's gelatinous body shuddered when an outline of claw marks flashed before the rock was reduced to sliced pieces. "No failing. Find the same ones for next time...bring more of you lot!"
The monster's red eyes gradually dulled as he faded slowly back into the pitch-black hollows, allowing Beast 1 to collect everything it was instructed. It laid on the ground, completely deflated in strength and spirit. Its instincts were telling it to obey, otherwise it would end up dead.
"Kree...eeee..." Beside it, Beast 2 was coming around with a wary and tired hiss. It turned towards Beast 1, who while not having a face, it could sense something amiss. "Kreee..."
Beast 1 said nothing. All it could do until its bruises and numbness went away would be to wait it out until enough strength would allow it to drift off to a corner and rest. For now, all it could do was lay there exhausted, recounting the past few attempts at those humans that got in its way.
Unable to bear a hiss of spite, it instead drifted its bell, dragging its numb limbs across the ground until it depressed across a ledge to find a quiet place to rest. Beast 2 was soon to follow, hissing as it didn't want to be left behind.
The day dragged on in the Fairy Tail guild hall. As the hours had passed within the day, the number of people passing in and out seemed endless. It was hard enough to keep track with a lot of members heading out for work purposes. Mirajane waved at Kinana as she was next to depart with Seviper by her side. "You two take care now!" she chimed.
"We will, thanks." Kinana waved back, before turning towards her partner. "You, you ready?"
Seviper nodded. "Whatever you say."
As they started for the door, they were passing by Gray and Juvia, with the latter giving her cheerful smile. "Good afternoon, Kinana!" she chimed. "Are you going out on a job?"
The snake woman nodded. "Yup. I'm actually heading towards Freesia. Their overflow of flowers is bringing in a lot of Grass and Bug-type Pokémon in the area. So that's where Seviper and I come in, right?" She offered her ally a smile, to which a response was a flicker of her tongue. "I'm sure Grass-types are weak to Poison, and Bug-types aren't very strong against Poison...at least, I think. These typings are still hard to grasp."
"Yeah, tell me about it. I figured against Natsu's Fire-types that Snorunt would be the opposite and actually freeze up those guys..." Gray trailed off, rubbing the back of his head. "But that didn't work out. Gotta work on something against Fire-types."
Juvia chuckled. "Silly, that's where I come in. My Water-types will cover for you."
"Thanks, Juvia." Gray turned to her with a smile, making her face flush a bright pink. "Anyways, stay safe, Kinana."
"You too!" Kinana walked in the direction to the train station, with Seviper slinking her body and scrunching it as she moved along.
Gray and Juvia entered the guild hall, immediately seeing how a few of the primary members like Natsu and Lucy were absent, along with Wendy. It was a little surprising to them, but after being cramped in the heat yesterday, it made sense. Just to be sure, Gray looked over and noticed Cana drinking a bottle of liquor off to the side.
"Ahhh...that hit the spot!" Cana slurred, a sloppy smile on her face as she sat the mug down. "Eh?" She looked over at Gray and Juvia, the smile getting wider. "Oh, hey guys. Got back? That's great. You guys up for a drink?"
"Hello, Cana." Juvia greeted, though she seemed rather uneased with the half-drunken request. "Um...maybe later."
Cana shrugged. "Your loss." She reached for the mug again and lifted her head up to gulp down again.
"Guess Natsu and the others are out on jobs already, huh?" Gray figured, sparing one more glance around the guild hall with no signs of the aforementioned.
"Nah, they went out for work a little while ago. Same with Joey and his little posse. And Gajeel went off with Team Shadow Gear, Sophie and Vanessa are out..." She looked down at her digits to keep track of the names and the people she listed. "Eh, that's off the top of my head at least. Oh yeah, and Kinana went out just now, so add that to the list. Man, talk about busy! Works been kicking up a lot lately! "
As they were making conversation, they didn't realize that Shiin that in the corner of the guild hall as he usually was. He heard Cana's boisterous tone and kept his thoughts to himself. 'Perhaps that's because of the recent local guild disbandment. A handful of the small-time guilds in many areas have shut down because finances are being directed towards local trades and Pokémon Trainers handling tasks. It's not mentioned in the newspapers distributed because those guilds are so low in stature that their names are hardly recognized.' He thought. 'I'm surprised that none of them had turned to Dark Guilds...but apparently, the era of Dark Guilds is over. Or so they say.'
He took a quick glance at the guild's billboard, where there were still a handful of requests that were being stared at by Nab, while his Munchlax was licking his own hand coated in Honey. 'Even after all this time, this is the load of work the daily mage has to take in at the strongest guild in Ishgar? The demands for jobs has been staggering...especially with how many of them are connected to the surplus of these Pokémon.'
He would have the gaud to say it aloud, but he was paying attention specifically to what he's been hearing in the guild. Since everyone talked so loudly, he could hear what others had to say halfway across the guild hall. It wasn't hard for him to notice a pattern related to some of the subjects everyone was talking about.
"So my Sandslash totally stopped that dude's Nosepass. That guy tried to run away, but Sandslash's Sand Tomb put him down to size."
"That statue was really heavy, even for me! Luckily, Machoke was there to help me move it back into place. That's called a manly assist for ya!"
"I hate to say it, but I'm not even sure that even I can stop Litwick's Flash Fire. Flames just boost her own flames, but it works great on jobs against tougher opponents!"
"Couldn't have gotten there if it wasn't for Ponyta."
Left and right, in one ear and out the other, Shiin was hearing everything the guild had been doing the last couple days. Most – if not all – the jobs and the tasks they did involved the use of Pokémon. From how the toughest-looking mages like Elfman relied on using his Machoke and Rhyhorn to back him up. Or how he heard about wild Pokémon being unaffected by certain magics because of these "types" that they possessed. Some even had these unique traits known as "Abilities", like Joey's Gyarados' Intimidate, or Natsu's Charmeleon with Blaze. It was staggering to him, as a fellow competent mage, to see how many of the jobs and the work done had shifted about so drastically over the past few months. There were much less cases of people on jobs and more related to wild Pokémon. And because of that, the only thing related to outlaws is when they steal something, nothing related to Dark Guilds anymore or any Black Magic. All artifacts related to Zeref vanished completely after his death. For hundreds of years, this has been the primary purpose of guilds and magic, and now all of that is being rewritten with these creatures that have a power superior to even the most elite mages?
He needed to know more. Why was everything changing so dramatically? Why were capable mages holding themselves back by using Pokémon to do all their work for them?
"You may be entitled to what you may say, and perhaps there is some kernel of wisdom to how you perceive humans on PokeEarth. I can speak from personal experience when I say we may not be the most durable compared to here. But…there is something that those there have that you do not. Do you know what that might be…?"
He suddenly remembered what Vanessa said before as well regarding the relation between a trainer and their Pokémon. How, to her, there had to be a matter of understanding between them. But what was there to understand exactly? From what he's seen at the guild so far, there hasn't been any signs of magic. And observing The Freaks training earlier didn't help much to prove that the two races can work in tandem. Plus, they were Pokémon Trainers. He didn't expect them to understand.
"Hello, mister!"
A peppy squawk made him turn around, seeing Mirajane's Vullaby coming over, giving him a tilted look of confusion. Shiin did his best to keep a straight face, despite his muscles tensing at the tiny creature. "Hello..." He bluntly replied.
"So what are you doing now?" Vullaby asked innocently.
"Nothing of your concern." He turned away, closing his eyes. "If you may please, I would like to have my space, thank you very much."
Vullaby didn't get the hint and tilted her head with a small squawk again. "Huh? But you just sit there the whole time. Doesn't it get tiring?"
"I wouldn't expect you to understand. You are just an outlier in this settlement that is our problem."
"Vullaby!" A voice chimed loud enough to alert Vullaby. She fluttered her tiny wings and turned around to see Mirajane walking up to her. "There you are. What did I tell you about walking off on your own? You know you shouldn't do that unless I say so."
"Sorry..." Vullaby lowered her head, her red eyes gazing at the flatwood.
Mirajane sighed and bent over to lift her up. "There we go! Right where you belong!" She placed Vullaby in her arms, giving the baby vulture a smile that made her kick and flutter with glee. She then turned to Shiin with an apologetic grin. "Sorry about that. Vullaby is just a curious little thing. She doesn't mean any harm. I hope she didn't do anything to bother you."
Shiin glanced at her, giving a subtle scoff. "It's fine, though for future reference you should keep your pets under control. You never know what they are capable of when they're not watched."
"Well, I can't fully disagree with that statement." She countered, before looking back down at her Vullaby. "But sometimes even they can't help it. I mean, doesn't everyone get curious about something they haven't seen before? You're bound to take some risks to see it for yourself."
Shiin affirmed his crossed arms tightly to his robe. "Yes. However, if something is of unknown, and if it is dangerous, are you to suggest that we should approach it a smile and a wave? What if it's a predator that's docile only until you get too close?"
"Huh?" She blinked twice before she and Vullaby exchanged confused looks. "A predator you say?" Vullaby tilted her head in confusion, unsure if that's a compliment or an insult. Granted she was technically a Dark-type, but she wasn't all bad. "Silly, Vullaby is a vulture, not a bear or a crocodile. Besides..." She held out Vullaby to Shiin. "Does this look dangerous to you?"
Shiin had no choice but to spare one more glance at Vullaby. In Mirajane's hands, she looked more like an oversized baby vulture that just hatched. Her expression told him that she didn't seem to mind him, though he was still keeping a high guard and ready to act if she decided to actually attack unprovoked.
Giving a sigh, he decided to let her off easy for the sake of his space. "I suppose that as long as it's not harming anybody. But please, I insist. I am not a favor of personal comfort. I am here to observe, that is all."
"Right, we understand. Let's go find Lisanna, shall we, Vullaby? Maybe you just need a battle to get some of that energy out of your system. Sound good?"
"A battle with Brother? That sounds like fun!" Vullaby yelped.
Mirajane kept her smile as she held Vullaby to her ample buxom. She walked away, but stopped before she got out of Shiin's hearing range. "You know, if you're going to stay here until Nic gets back, it wouldn't hurt to try and move around a little. We're all pretty much used to Nic's antisocial habits, but it's not bad to be around him. We may seem a little rough at times..." She saw Juvia handing her Vaporeon a handful of Pokémon Food. She ate out of it, and her mouth on her hands made Juvia giggle. The scene made Mirajane's smile grow. "But we're not all bad. We just have rough goings and we all eventually meet up here. It's a fun place to be once you get used to it!"
Shiin said nothing as Mirajane went off to satisfy Vullaby's energy. With the space given back to him, he nestled into the seating and furrowed his brow at Juvia feeding and praising Vaporeon for the help with the job, which earned her a nuzzle against her cheek that left her more than a little embarrassed.
'So you say. Even if that is the case, not everything is as they say they are...'
The door to Laxus' office was knocked on, in which the response was an "Enter." When the handle turned, Freed was the one who ventured into his office.
"Master Laxus, how're you feeling?" Freed offered him a warm smile. "I brought you some coffee, your usual."
"Thanks. I appreciate it." He replied. Freed handed it directly to him, which he accepted and put up to his lips. He took a small sip and immediately tasted the grains. With his small fill, he sat the cup on his desk. "So how's the research going?"
Freed shook his head despondently. "I'm afraid that at the moment, we haven't found anything too in depth regarding the Pergrande Kingdom. Evergreen took it upon herself to accompany Bickslow to the Magic Library to find anything regarding the Pergrande Kingdom."
"And?"
"Even there, it wasn't much. Just a handful of biographies and the overall geography. There were some monumental landmarks with history, but that aside, we haven't found anything conclusive to the Magic Government that Shiin is supposedly from."
Laxus crossed his arms. "I see...guess that's as far as secondary knowledge we can get."
"From what I've been observing of him, he has extremely sharp perception. He's appearing to study the names and habits of our fellow guildmates. I'm not certain, but it looks like he's been paying attention extensively to the Pokémon as well."
"Just what is the Pergrande Kingdom thinking?" Laxus looked down at his folded arms, unable to draw any proper conclusions. He didn't believe there were any lies in what Shiin said earlier. However, that look in his eyes when he said he needed to "observe" Nic Pularis didn't settle well in his stomach.
Then again, that could be the coffee. Point still stands though.
"Has he done anything else?"
Freed shook his head. "Not at this time. Are we to assume that things will remain like this until Nic and Erza return?"
"That seems to be the case for now. Just keep an eye on him. Same with Evergreen and Bickslow, tell them that if he does something obscure to let me know...I'll deal with it myself."
Freed nodded. "You have nothing to fear, Master Laxus. The Thunder God Tribe will always be here for you and our guild. You can count on us." He turned and started out the door, closing it softly.
Laxus looked back down to the numerous articles that were on his desk. He was reading them before Freed came into the office, but hence resumed indulging himself in looking at the articles that involved other guilds gradually shutting down in low-maintenance areas. 'Looks like the next Guild Master conference is going to be looking a little smaller. A lot of change is happening to the kingdom, too. Should I be worried about this, too?'
"I need some more coffee..." He picked up his coffee cup, taking another sip before looking at the fresh stack of job requests that came in. 'There's even more jobs coming in for us to handle. We're getting busier with all this extra work. Great...'
A lone island stood by itself off the coast to Poni Island, where it had a very peculiar shape to its northern and southern ends. It was a long island where not many would normally go; in fact, it's actually preserved because of the native Exeggutor, which were standing so tall that their necks looked like actual palm tree trunks. With all these creatures about, it was easy to mistake them as the supposed fauna.
A glint from the cloudy sky shined down onto the island, before a high-speeding jet figure beamed down from the sky. Once the figment slowed down enough, it breached the appropriate speed to become visible, revealing itself to be none other than Garchomp. He gradually descended onto the island, carrying Nic and Erza on his back after their recent peace talks having gone wrong. Of all the places to hide at this time, this seemed the most acceptable.
'Looks uninhabited. Guess we'll have to see for ourselves.' Nic thought. "Alright Garchomp, bring us down."
The Mach Pokémon complied and glided over the island's palm trees. As he did, many of the palm trees shifted and shuffled about. Some of them were even moving if Nic and Erza's eyes were correct; they saw large feet and swinging tails with fruity puckered faces on the ends. They couldn't see well beyond the leafy canopies, but with what visage they had, they saw yellow coconuts with faces. Their minds immediately jumped to the conclusion of Exeggutor, but these ones weren't anything that they were familiar with.
They chose to disregard that before they got a headache from overthinking the impromptu subject. They looked around for any open areas, eventually settling along a clearing off to the seas facing the southern side. Garchomp's feet gradually settled into the soft, bright green grass and allowed Nic and Erza to dismount his back.
On the ground, Erza shot a glance left and right to see if there were any signs of people. However, it looked like they were safe for the time being. She looked out at the sea as well, seeing many of Pelipper and Tropius that mingled along the coast of the island. It looked like an ideal spot to lay low for a while. Not much of an option otherwise unless they wanted to encounter another disaster along the way.
"I'm not picking up anything related to people here on the island. Looks like it's deserted." She figured, turning her attention towards a roaming Alolan Exeggutor. "But I never expected to land anywhere that had...that..."
"(Alola~!)" A fellow Alolan Exeggutor waddled past a neighboring lookalike, which she replied by waving her trunk-like neck around side-to-side like a handwave.
Out of here own curiosity's sake, Erza held up her PokeDex to analyze these creatures.
"Exeggutor, the Coconut Pokémon. As it grew taller and taller, it outgrew its reliance on psychic powers, while within it awakened the power of the sleeping dragon."
Erza was taken back by this information. "It's a Grass/Dragon-type...how vexing." She took another glance at the palm tree. At first glance, she never would have guessed such a thing would be possible. She didn't know whether to be astounded by the fact that Alolan Exeggutor could grow five times their Kantonian size, or how they were Dragon-types. Either option would have led to its own conclusion that she would have wasted brainpower on.
But the notion didn't settle for very long before she realized their current situation. "Hopefully with us being this far out from the mainland will keep us from being spotted by the island guardians. We should make use of this time wisely and find some shelter for the evening."
Nic closed his eyes. "Yeah, sure thing." He turned to Garchomp, holding up his Poke Ball. "Thanks for all the help Garchomp, I really appreciate it. Take a rest for now."
Holding no objections, the red laser zapped Garchomp, returning him back into his capsule before putting it into his coat pockets with the others.
"We should split up and see what resources this island has." Erza suggested. "We'll need to find some shelter, as well as anything else we can find that's edible. If I remember correctly, Tropius have fruit growing on their necks, right? Perhaps if we're kind enough, we'll be able to procure some to last us for a day."
"Yeah, sure." Nic said flatly, holding no objections. "I'll see what I can find." He turned away from Erza and immediately darted for a nearby palm tree. He started climbing with his agile Grovyle-like maneuverability and jumped away, swinging off an Exeggutor unintentionally in the process. Though it didn't seem to mind.
Erza observed Nic running off and frowned. He left rather hastily, something that didn't settle well for her. But before she could give chase to him, she had to remember that Nic could handle himself just fine without her. Her expression remained downcast as she went in another direction to forage for the evening.
As he jumped between trunks, Nic looked more serious than ever. Though if one wanted to say that he was angry, that could be justified, too. The face Nic made when he was both emotions weren't any different from one or the other. But his facial disturbances aside, what happened throughout their entire honeymoon was something that he couldn't shake off, no matter how hard he tried. It ate at him, and he hated that. But he knew better than to lash out like some little kid with a tantrum. That wouldn't do good for him. His best method to deal with them would be through his actions. And right now, anything to keep his mind off of the one-sided morons that he had to deal with, he would take.
As he beamed through the palm trees, he passed beneath the canopies to notice little brown clusters that were hanging at the base of the leaves. 'Coconuts? Guess that'll work...' As he prepared to jump to the next trunk over, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a Poke Ball. "Greninja, Water Shuriken!"
The Poke Ball was tossed above Nic as he went under. The energy popped out, revealing Greninja in midair. The ninja amphibian quickly reached for his thighs and swiped his arms, aiming swift and precise shuriken of water that beamed at the coconut clusters above. The shuriken faded into the sky, whereas the ninja frog found a nearby tree to latch onto while a dozen coconuts fell straight below.
As Nic glided to a nearby palm tree, he shifted to a cross between his Insect and Iron Forms, making a Bug/Steel typing. The Insect Plate's primary colors had overlapping Iron Plate accents, and his wings had a metallic sheen to them. He reached his arm out, sending a Spider Web that had iron fibers in it to keep the coconuts from hitting the ground. He glided across the netting and grabbed it with both hands, carrying the hefty load beneath as Greninja jumped through the trees to stay with him.
Nic was so focused on getting the needs to provide, that above, the sun was gradually being covered by an overcast.
Nanu sat in a waiting area, inside of Ula'ula's hospital located in Malie City. It took a lot of effort on the Kahuna's part to haul the three bodies that were unconscious out of the ruins, but after taking the time to call for an airlift, suffice to say that he had no intention on getting up anytime soon from the cushions.
He flipped a magazine that had the cover with a picture of a model with a Milotic, but he looked bored as he flipped to the next page. He was just about ready for a nap before he saw a familiar overcoat heading his way.
Looker walked out, holding in his left hand a plastic bag containing prescription details on a white label with a few white pills inside.
"So, you finally came around, huh?" Looker tossed the magazine to the stand beside the chair and stood up. "And here I was thinking you were going to be hospitalized. Figured I'd have to go and get you some flowers or something. Good to see that I didn't have a need to."
"I'm fine, Nanu. Thank you." Looker said.
Nanu shrugged and gave his associate a more serious scowl. "So, how you feel? That guy elbowed the back of your head pretty good."
"It was just a subtle concussion, but no serious damage was taken. They gave me some medicine if I ever have any dizzy spells within the next few days. But otherwise, I was told to take it easy for the time being."
Nanu furrowed his brow. "You absolutely certain you wanna stay kicking? It's not too late to step down if you think it's too much. Maybe have somebody fresh take over for ya."
"I appreciate your attempt at a concern, Nanu. I really am..." Looker shook his head, dispelling any disorientation that was starting to get into his mind. "But you know that I can't. We don't leave unfinished work behind for others to clean up. That's what the International Police does."
"Hey now, that's no way to shirk off a colleague." Nanu chimed, putting his hands up. "It's just a suggestion. Besides, in case you've forgotten, I'm a Kahuna, so like it or not, this is pretty much my problem as it is yours. Tapu Bulu's pretty steaming right about now. Odds are I couldn't back out now even if I wanted to." He rubbed the back of his head. "Honestly, this is all just a humungous pain in the neck. I'd pass if I were you, but if you really think you're up for it...guess I can't stop ya."
"Don't forget. The mission comes first. The International Police exists so we can stop criminals that threaten the lives and security of the public. I shouldn't have to remind you of my investigation in Sinnoh regarding Team Galactic."
Nanu smirked as he crossed his arms. "Heh, going there, are we? I was still giving ya pointers. I still remember some of the few codes you'd send every now and again."
"But you get my point, don't you?" He looked down. "The sad truth is, if we don't do something about this, odds are somebody else will. Even though Alola is still far from the other continents, internet travel is a different story. This could attract other syndicates from other organizations to your region. And then they would want to get their hands on Nic Pularis and his powers. You wanted to be left alone, didn't you? I'm just doing my job for the sake of PokeEarth, as much as what you're doing for Alola."
"Geez, did you have to sound so deep right there?" Nanu turned away, heavily sighing. "...yeah, guess I can't fault you there. If I were that kid, I'd find a nice quiet place to hide so nobody finds me. But we all know the saying 'you can run, but you can't hide'. Speaking of which..." He held up his own phone, showing Looker what appeared to be a familiar app. He blinked in surprise.
"You...got the app?"
"Your phone got busted, so we gotta use something to keep tabs on our culprit, right?" He put the device back into his pocket. "I've also taken the liberty to call your employer about the situation and about the warrant's validation."
"I see. I'm surprised you're taking the initiative this much...wait, hold on!" Looker glared. "Those two victims, what about them?!"
"Relax already. Geez, you're gonna wind up on a hospital bed again just from being high strung. If you're referring to those two tourists, they're in the ICU right now. They've got some pretty nasty neurotoxin stuck inside their systems that it's gonna take a while till they regain any conscience. Odds are we won't be getting anything from those guys, even after they wake up. They're gonna need some recovery days on top of that."
"That's unfortunate. I was hoping they would at least give us any insight on what Nic Pularis had done to them. With powers like that, anything could be in the realm of possibility."
Nanu inhaled deeply through his nose before sighing heavily. "You know, it's getting pretty late. It's just about dinner time. How's about I buy ya some grub so we can celebrate you not being stuck in a hospital?" He darkly smirked. "But I'm paying for only my share, just saying."
Looker dryly snickered. "Clever even when off duty, huh Nanu?" He started walking out with the Kahuna. They passed the double electronic doors out into the open, where they noticed some of the sky far west looked to be having some dark clouds. "Looks like bad weather is coming this way."
"That's just over on Poni Island. Still have a little while before it gets here. As far as I'm concerned, it might actually pass over." He turned towards the mountains. "Of course then again, Po Town's another story. Can't say that's the best place to be right now either. Not unless you had a brave stick on ya."
"Speaking of Poni Island, what about over there?"
"That island? Oh...yeah, that island is just mainly wildlife. There's really only one town on that map and the rest is rock and the Vast Poni Canyon." Given his earlier inquiries about Nic, he raised a brow. "Huh...so you're saying he might head there next?"
"It's possible to say the least. We can start fresh in the morning and we can call the local authorities and the fellow Kahunas about what's going on. I was able to get word to the International Police just before my phone was broken, and everything after that going black-!" Looker's head started to throb a little, enough to make him almost stumble over. Nanu was there to catch him before he fell over completely.
"Hey now, what did I tell ya about taking it easy? I know you just said you're in this game, but don't take yourself out just yet." Nanu scolded.
Looker applied pressure to his head as he sighed warily. "Sorry."
Nanu furrowed his brow and looked away. "Yeah, don't mention it." Looker managed to stand up on his own feet. Nanu didn't spare him a second glance as he started down the main street's direction. "Look, if you trip up gain, just be prepared to pay for the food yourself. Wanna set a good example of compensating for setbacks for your peers, don't ya?"
"My bad. Next time...I'll be sure to not be a burden."
"How's about paying the tip on top of that then?"
The sun that was once out had started clouding over, causing Exeggutor to instantly lose their smiles and droop their leaves. The longer the clouds remained, the darker it became. It couldn't be more fitting of a mood if mother nature tried.
Nic and Greninja were dangling one leg each off the southern cliffs of the island, both watching the bright sun that scorched the desert earlier being turned around so quickly. The former didn't know whether to consider that ironic or as part of Alola's natural weather patterns. The coconuts and the bananas they've gathered were tied up in sticky iron nets clustered together. But Nic didn't feel like going to find Erza just yet. He just wanted to be alone.
As the silence droned on, Nic was deep in thought with the same deflated expression he had since they've left Ula'ula Island. Unhappy would be putting it mildly. Bitter? Contempt? Upset maybe? Honestly, he didn't know what he was supposed to feel right now. This was their honeymoon sure, but it feels more like they were walking on pins and needles rather than smooth sandy beaches.
But as he learned from a long while back: Beggars cannot be choosers. He didn't choose this, so why are people trying to stick knives in their throats even when he didn't do anything? Was he really that intimidating to everyone?
The entire time, he's been trying to do his best to be himself, while learning some new things and opening up to people without revealing too much. He wasn't anything like his guild, anything but a social Butterfree, as some would say. But even he would know if he offended someone, or if he said or done something out of line. Unless you counted the Z-Move poses and the Alola greeting, he had to draw a line somewhere. Even he had morals. The point still stood that he did his absolute best to try and be open without engaging, and yet somehow, in some way, the island guardians picked up on him and went right for the kill, without any provocation whatsoever. And not just them. Hala, Olivia, even the supposedly laid-back Nanu were all wrapped up in taking out Nic despite knowing them earlier. So were the island guardians the ones with absolute rule? Should he be directing his anger at them instead, or the people? At this point, he didn't even care anymore. He just wanted to lay low and let people be to themselves...but it didn't work out that way.
Greninja glanced over at him. "(It's been a rough going, hasn't it...?)"
"...yeah, guess you can say that." Nic replied. He fell silent as he felt the ocean breeze intensify, another red flag that he seemingly blocked out. "You're lucky, that you're not human at least."
Greninja's red eyes gleamed at Nic, but he read him like a book. "(Let me guess, because humans cause even more problems than we Pokémon. Right?)"
Nic briefly closed his eyes and snickered. "Wouldn't be lying if I said you were in the ballpark."
Greninja directed his stare back out with his trainer. "(Yeah, from a Pokémon's standpoint, that's saying something. I can't really judge the ones that work for Team Flare or any of those other kinds of organizations. Some might have been forced to fight. Others might genuinely resent the world like Lysandre did. But quite a few of us I guess are influenced by people. But here, it looks like the hierarchy is off-key. Can't really say that I'm too proud of my kind out there either. Even I don't jump guns that hastily.)"
"Guess we really are twins." Nic dryly chimed. "At least we understand how the other feels...of course, that's saying little when you have every single person at your throat otherwise."
The waves started picking up, crashing against the rocky cliffs against the island. Gastrodon who were beneath the currents were being brought through the waves and down through the undertow. Nic and Greninja watched as many other Gastrodon descended to deeper depths in advance.
"(Nic, I've known you for a long time now. That goes without say. Charizard, Kecleon, all of us. We know you inside and out. You're a good person, no matter how forlorn you seem. You didn't have a social life, so you chose to be alone. And now that you're trying and failing, it's making you remember why you always stay away from everybody.)"
Nic shot a glance at him. "It's funny how Pokémon can understand me better than actual people."
"(I didn't have a social life either back at the lab. Chespin and Fennekin were all the rage, and the others weren't friendly with other wild Pokémon...that is, until you came along. We've opened up to each other thanks to you.)"
"Hey, don't mention it." Nic responded, glancing back out at the ocean waters. "I've given you guys equal footing with me because I didn't accept such titles...funny how hypocritical I am."
Greninja glanced at his side again. There was an undertone in what Nic was emphasizing that he didn't let slide underneath his tongue. "(You're talking about what happened with Natsu and Gray, right?)"
Nic sighed heavily, his head resting against his perched forearm. He didn't want to think back to those times when he realized those who were closest to him were hurt because of his selfish actions. Maybe if he were more open with them, maybe if he had tried to better understand how they felt than just himself, then maybe he wouldn't have gotten the two grizzly scars on both his shoulders. It would have spared everyone the grief and the pain. He knew that the blame was on him because he had no care for others, or was otherwise oblivious to their dilemmas and only dealt with them if they were of critical consensus. But a lot has happened since then, and Nic thought he was getting somewhere with helping people out with their problems. Turns out, he hadn't gotten anywhere. If anything, things went in reverse for him. Even when he wasn't causing trouble, it was always there looking for him.
His blood was starting to boil. The more he thought about the many people that he's fought over the years, the more stale everything looked. People like Zero, and the Dark Legendaries were the first to come to mind. The corrupted Impure Underworld bringing back millions of dead people with only lust to kill. Jose and Jiemma. Gran Doma and the Magic Council's war against Nic out of fear for his sheer power. Alvarez. The king in Seven. And then finally Acnologia.
All of them, each and every one of them, wanted power for the sake of self-preservation. They saw it fit to destroy what stood in their way without a care to what they had ever done to others. Even though he knew there were factors in their descents, they still wanted to kill and prove their strength to everybody else. Granted, what he did to Natsu and Gray back then was understandable in their point of view. He was the bad guy. And now, once again, he was seen as a threat to another's life that he had no desire to ruin.
"Figures you would be here."
Nic snapped out of his internal irate when a voice of silk rung his ears. He and Greninja turned around, seeing Erza and Aegislash walk up to them so casually. "Looks like you've found us some coconuts and fruits. I knew I could count on you." As she said that, she walked up to Nic. He could tell that she knew something was up.
Rather than greet his wife, he gave her a morose frown. "Thought you were gonna wait for us."
"If I did, I would have been waiting until it was dark out." She countered. "Besides, I know how you feel. You have a habit of hiding yourself from everything whenever you're upset or depressed about something. You like to keep your grief private, right?"
Nic didn't bother answering verbally. Though he wasn't going to lie and say Erza didn't just hit the nail on the head, but he was just too tired to deal with any kind of interactions with people at the moment. He found himself gazing back out towards the swaying sea as Pelipper flocked along the coast.
Erza took a few steps forward. "It's okay to feel upset Nic. Believe me, you're not the only one who feels this way. If you need to talk about it, you know there's still at least one person in this world that won't turn a blind eye on you."
"Thanks...but I'm not the best with my words." He muttered.
"I know. It's just like Natsu and many others. We're all too stubborn to admit how we feel until it's too late. You know that isn't healthy." Nic didn't offer any response, but she persisted. "At least try and here me out, Nic. We're married, and I know even we have our differences that we can live with...but don't you think you're being rather unfair on everyone around you by disclosing yourself again?"
"Sorry..."
Erza's frown grew heavier. "If you're going to say sorry, at least be sincere about it and face someone when doing it."
Nic's relaxed hands started tensing. He was starting to feel pushed, a very familiar sensation he had with everyone who told him that they knew better, when really they didn't. So much of his blood was boiling that it was taking everything to not explode in his Flame Form. "Erza, please...not now..."
"(Nic...)" Greninja wanted to intervene, but Erza gave him a look that told him to leave it to her.
"Nic, you know better than to shut out help. Do you remember what happened after the Impure Underworld? If it wasn't for me, who knows how long you and Vanessa would have been in that slump." Her tone was getting louder.
"You don't have to remind me...!" Nic's tone was getting just as loud, his eyebrows twitching.
"Then why are you sulking?! You're a man of action, aren't you?!" she lowly roared. "Where is that Nic who puts his foot down against anyone than miffs like a child?!"
"Just...SHUT UP ALREADY!" Suddenly pivoting around, Nic's eyes were shrunk and fierce as his maw was wide open, charging up catastrophic energy into a single point. In a flash, he unleashed a Hyper Beam that bolted across the ground and closed in on Erza. The knight's eyes were wide with shock before the beam went blazing a few inches on her right side. Her hair flew in the backdrafts created as the beam continued its way through the open island, destroying several standard coconut trees in the process. The beam continued further with the sheer force Nic unleashed, causing an air ripple to jettison it far across the ocean until it vanished in sight. Several seconds later, everything went silent before a monstrous explosion of energy exploded in the far distance, pillaring energy into the sky. Many of the wild inhabitance turned in shock and horror at the sight. The ocean suddenly swelled up with a shockwave racing across the water, smashing the entire western coast of the island with a magnitude of water that rose up.
A strong silence fell across the atmosphere. The clouds in the sky rumbled as rain began falling. Gradually, the rain began to intensify until it was a little more than a drizzle.
Nic stood there, breathing heavily with defiance-fueled eyes against Erza, who had a soft but sympathetic frown. Even though there was a straight line of destruction in the grass and trees beyond her, she never once took her eyes off Nic's. Greninja and Aegislash were there on guard in case anything happened to their partners.
Nic's cold glare gradually settled, his expression reducing to one of utter shock at what he had just done. He looked at what his instincts did, then back to Erza. To the destruction, then her again. He wanted to say something to give a reason, but nothing was coming out between his parted lips. He just stood frozen in his disbelief and humility.
Erza closed her eyes humbly, finally speaking up. "I knew you weren't going to hit me. But if you were going to threaten someone, perhaps you should be more subtle...like you usually would."
Nic became slackjawed, his gaze slowly dipping to the dirt trail he made. He hung his head as he sank to his knees and curled over. "Damnit...damnit!" He banged his fist against the ground, causing drenches mud to stain the back of his head. His teeth gnashed against one another at the urge to bite something. But no matter what, he just couldn't find it in himself to strike Erza knowing that she was trying to provoke his stress out for him.
He hated feeling like this. This was the exact scenario that he wanted to avoid ever happening. Feeling so helpless when another person stood over him. That was something that was bitter scorn. It was his way! Nobody else's! And when he did, this was what he turned into.
The frustration he had finally at its end, he kept hunched over as he heard Erza's footsteps as she walked over, looking down at her dejected husband. She never wanted to see him like this. It made her feel bad for him...and knowing Nic, the last thing he wanted was pity. "There, there." She moved her hand, rubbing his drenched back. "It's okay. Everything is fine now."
"...sorry." Nic murmured, his voice cracking.
"I know."
"So sorry..."
As the rain came down harder, Erza comforted Nic. She moved herself to embrace Nic, even though all he did was place his forehead on her soft, massive breasts. She placed her cheek against his short, wet hair and rubbed his back. Greninja and Aegislash looked at each other, knowing it wasn't in their places to say or do much while their trainers worked themselves out.
The rain came down harder as the late afternoon drew towards night. Erza was able to procure a cave that she, Nic, Greninja, and Aegislash took comfort in along the northern island's base. It was large enough to fit them.
As a small fire made by Erza's Houndoom warmed them up, the couple were awkwardly silent. They haven't said much after what happened earlier, and nobody faulted them for that.
Aegislash used her sword-like body and came down on a coconut, splitting it in two halves, with water in both containers. She drifted between the two, offering the halves. "(Here, this might help.)"
"Thank you, Aegislash." Erza thanked, accepting the coconut water. Aegislash gave a humble nod and drifted off to the wall, where Greninja sat with arms folded and one leg sticking out. They both watched their trainers' backs quietly as the fire kept going.
She glanced towards Nic, who was still gazing at the fire deeply. The glow in his eyes showed how transfixed he was on his actions and what he did wrong. Erza wanted to say something, but she instead found herself looking down at the coconut water provided.
"You can probably tell why I hate people."
Before her lips met the coconut, she pulled back gazed at Nic as he stared at his reflection in the makeshift bowl. "I know that I'm not the most likeable person, and I can't really fault anyone there. But...I also wanna say that I don't want to be anybody else but me. I'm perfectly content with how I am. Yet even though I try to make that clear, everyone else seems to think otherwise."
Erza frowned heavily, but she knew this wasn't the time to intervene. This was the time to listen.
"I've been getting used to using the concept of understanding someone else's perspective to handle a situation, at least, that's what I attempted. Have you ever stopped to think what all those people we've fought before thought about us? That this was how they felt and was forced to turned on society? Honestly...if I knew what was wrong with people, it would make things a lot easier for our case wouldn't it?"
The Requip Mage looked down at the fire, frowning at the inquisition set upon her. "Yes, that would make things easier..."
"But I'm also not that dumb to know that's not how life works. If people don't want to tell their problems, that's fine. But is it really necessary to put the blame on somebody else? It wasn't the island guardians' fault, and it most certainly wasn't ours. But if they didn't know either, well...that's like making excuses, wouldn't it? They're just shifting the blame on us because we're that big of a power threat to their lives. I honestly couldn't care how strong a person would be. But if they pick a fight with me or threaten anything important to me, I would pound them into the ground without giving them so much of a chance...at least that's how I would see it." He watched a piece of firewood crackle apart. "I'm not saying that what I learned from the guild isn't implied. If anything were to happen to them, I'd get right on it. We're there to fight for people and Pokémon. But now that they're against us, exactly...just what are we fighting for now?"
"Well...what reason did you have before you met the guild?" Erza asked him.
Nic's gaze fell further to flames' base. "For myself. I wasn't able to do anything for Vanessa, and because of that, I stayed away from people's problems and focused on strengthening my own." He hung his head and closed his eyes. "Is that honestly where I fall behind? Is it my fault that I train my own way, act my own way, and at the end of the day get rewarded with this guilt?" His fists balled tightly again. So much so that the knuckles were turning white from blood being cut off.
Before he sunk any lower, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder that sent shivers down his spine. "Nic...you're no monster. You're human, just like we all are. You're right, when people are flustered, when they're angry, they tend to push the faults on others than accept them as their own. People fear what they don't understand, and they don't understand us. When we tried pushing forward, they pulled back. But...that's nobody's fault." She moved to turn his head to face her.
"Nic...I am so proud of how far you've come to learning all these new sorts of things. It shows that you aren't the same as you were back then. If you were anything like before, you wouldn't be thinking the way you are now. Everyone has doubts about themselves when they believe something didn't go right. But let me put you at ease with what I think of you." She cupped his cheeks, gazing directly into his blue eyes.
"At your core, I think this is who you are: When someone puts you down, you fight back twice as hard. You fight for the justice that many who are prosecuted unfairly and stand your ground against those who are on pedestals. And because of that, you want to knock them down so they know how you feel, so that way they'll understand and accept that justice. You carve your own path without taking anybody else's so you can learn the value of merit. You're a fighter. Someone who stands up and pushes forward against a challenge."
Nic was taken back when his body shifted into Erza's, only it wasn't his doing. With him hearing out his wife, she wrapped her arms around his back and rested her head against his. Nic's speechlessness only continued to grow as the fire warmed them.
"I abide by guild rules, and I love the guild and everyone in it. But I learned something from you as well. Something I haven't considered until I've gotten to know you. If a rule is unjust, everyone has a choice to fight against it for what they believe is right for everyone, not just for themselves. That's what you taught me." She pulled away so she could look directly into his eyes once more. "And I'm going to continue going on believing in that. It's the least that I can do."
She leaned closer to him and planted a kiss on his lips. Her lips were so soft, and the taste of strawberries immediately caused his body temperature to rise a few degrees. He didn't know what to say, let alone do while his wife was setting him straight. That selfish weight he's been swinging around felt like it dropped. He didn't think Erza would be this supportive of him. Of all the people he's ever met, someone who was as stubborn as he was actually held ground when he was trying to give it away. He felt more of a fool than he did before.
Once Erza parted from him, she smirked. "There, feel better?"
Nic's face was flushed with a light pink. "Y-yeah...yeah, I am."
"Good. Now just remember, whatever anyone says about you, there's nothing wrong with who you are. And I'll be sure to be there so that you don't second-guess your actions ever again. Okay?"
For once that evening, Nic's lips managed to curl into a smile. "...yeah, sure thing. Guess this means we'll have to rethink our strategy again after this, huh?"
"Perhaps...but we can worry about that in the morning. Just this once, let's just enjoy ourselves while we can, shall we?"
"Yeah...I'd like that."
"(Hm? Hey, you both better take a look outside.)" Greninja intervened, looking past Nic and Erza.
They turned their heads and looked out towards the sky. They were so distracted with each other that they didn't realize that the rain had stopped, leaving the grassy ground to glisten with freshwater dropped from the passing storm. They looked up, seeing a break in the clouds to show the clear night sky painted with stars gradually growing in size. It was like something out of a story or movie with the silver lining showing. Everyone peered out of the cave and looked up towards the nighttime sky of Alola with their own eyes.
"The rain stopped. What a coincidence." Erza stated.
"Yeah...almost like someone knew when the silver lining would be." Nic dryly said. He turned towards Erza. "Erza, thank you. I mean it. Not sure what I would be without you or Greninja."
Erza returned the smile and gave him an endearing look. "Let's not find out, shall we?" She picked up a coconut half with water still inside and held it up. "Let's just make use of this break. I'm sure that stress must be leaving you famished. Let's see what those bars that Joey packed taste like."
Nic shook his head. "If they're mint flavored, either he's a psychic or he's private investigator material."
Erza chuckled. "Perhaps so. But he means well. I'm sure the others are doing just fine. Let's just wrap up things on our end. We'll settle this conspiracy theory once and for all tomorrow."
"I'll toast to that." Nic picked up his half of the coconut and put it up to Erza's half. "Wouldn't want to spend this honeymoon with anybody else."
"You're cute when you use such dry liners." Erza teased back.
The two bumped their coconuts together for their toast, but some of it swayed too much in the white insides and spilled. Some of which got on Nic's face.
"Oh no, allow me dear." Erza took the initiative and leaned in to clean it off. However, when Nic felt Erza's tongue licking off the water from his cheek, his face exploded with red.
"E-Erza?!"
She pulled away, licking her lips at the savoring flavor that the water had. "Hmm, it's salty, yet...sweet."
Nic's left brow twitched as he realized where Erza was going with this. She giggled mischievously as she nestled her head into his cheek, pushing him over as her giggles evolved into a laugh.
Greninja and Aegislash looked at each other amicably before settling against the fire that went on, with Erza and Nic relishing their kinship under the starry sky.
Tapu Koko appeared in a bright yellow flare, which quickly diffused into tiny yellow particles in the subconscious plane. As usual, he was the first one to act, with a blue light flaring right beside him, followed by a pink light. Both diffused at the same time, showing off Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele.
"(Evening to you all. I trust that you've been faring well.)" Tapu Fini said flatly, little sense of comedy in her voice.
"(What up, yo.)" Tapu Lele quipped, dabbing her right hand forward like she was jabbing. "(Anybody call for a little Tapu Lele fanservice?)" She twirled around, setting a pose with a pink and a kissy face expression, pink sparkling scales raining around her for dramatic effect.
Tapy Fini sighed heavily. "(It's fortunate that you're handling yourself better today.)"
"(Mhm! You bet! Just had to breathe in some nice flowers and I feel as good as you! I don't even know how you get power from the ocean, Tapu Fini. Is there like some kind of secret technique that makes you drink water that makes you stronger?)"
"(Let's save those kinds of questions for when there's a more convenient time, shall we?)" Tapu Fini strained to keep herself from sounding too harsh. Fortunately for her, Tapu Lele understood and folded her arms back.
"(Phooey. Fine, but later for sure!)"
Tapu Koko shook his head despondently. "(Why do girls talk so much? You never catch me and Tapu Bulu chatting like that. Speaking of which...)" He turned his head just as a bright green hemisphere of energy formed on his other side. Once it dissipated, the last island guardian arrived.
"(Oh, Tapu Bulu! It's you! How ya feeling, big lug?)" Tapu Lele chimed.
Tapu Bulu snorted out his nostrils as his cowbell tail swayed side-to-side. Suffice to say that he didn't look too happy. "(What did I miss?)" He asked, his tone not the usual laid-back tone the others were used to. This meant usually one thing.
"(Oh dear, looks like ole' Bulu is upset about something again~.)" Tapu Lele shrank back, putting a hand to her nonexistent lips.
Tapu Fini gave the peeved entry a conspicuous gaze. "(Dare I ask...are you well, Tapu Bulu?)"
The makeshift bull sharply turned to give her a glare straight in the eye. "(What? What kind of a question is that, huh? Do I look just dandy to you? Well?!)" He snorted out again, this time a little more forceful to make a breeze through Tapu Lele's locks. "(But no...I'm not happy. I was woken up from my nap...and then they were there.)"
"(Oh my!)" Tapu Lele gasped. No wonder why Tapu Bulu was such a Grumpy Gus. He absolutely hated it when his lazy naps are interrupted.
"(You mean those two that Tapu Lele and I fought, right?)" Tapu Koko clarified.
Tapu Bulu turned to him and nodded. "(Yeah, I remember. I was surprised when they were there. Immediately I remembered what you all said, about taking action as soon as we must. That's exactly what I did...but they still outmaneuvered me.)" His gaze fell towards the ground. "(And I did my best...but I was unable to tend even to the red-haired warrior and her Scizor.)"
"(Wait, just one?)" Tapu Koko furrowed his brows. He wasn't going to say that he was disappointed in his brethren because of this, but he had to fend against the two, as did Tapu Lele. He questioned who really the weakest of the bunch was. He chose to focus on the present and looked down. "(Well...er...Steel-types don't generally agree with us.)"
"(Oh! Oh! And Poison-types...though I say I can handle myself alright.)" Tapu Lele chimed in, earning glares from the other deities. She shrank back in fear. "(What? It's just a fact, don't go judging me!)"
Tapu Fini shook her head dejectedly. "(What are we doing right now? It feels like we're just drifting in circles at this point. We have an actual problem in our hands and we're allowing it to sink its jaws further into our skin. Pardon me for being so blunt, but I fear at this rate, even I will not have much of a prayer if what you say is true.)"
"(Oof! Girl, don't be like that!)" Tapu Lele snapped, her tone surprisingly to the point. "(What have I been tellin' y'all! You've gotta stop being so reserved and open up that shell of yours a little wider! You'll never know unless you try, right? So you're sayin' that what ole' Koko and Bulu been through made you throw in the towel? But what about me? Your one and only gal pal? Don't I matter?)"
Tapu Fini sighed. "(You can guilt trip me as much as you want to, Tapu Lele, but I'm just speaking facts. If they were beside the ocean, then perhaps maybe, just maybe, I might be able to slow them down. But even so-)"
"(Even so what?)" Tapu Koko moved further into the circle, leering at Tapu Lele. "(What did you just say a minute ago? We have an actual crisis on our hands. We have strangers with supernatural powers that are enough to threaten our lives and our lands. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather go deal with them rather than sit here and hear how much of a reserved wuss you want to be. At least try to be more proactive, geez!)"
"(Hey now, that's a little bit much...right?)" Tapu Bulu said, looking at Tapu Lele. She huffed with her own pride, leaving him the only one hanging.
Tapu Fini retreated slightly into her shell. She didn't appreciate the tone that was being talked to by Tapu Koko, but like it or not, as much as she would have wanted to tussle, she knew she wouldn't have an advantage. Sometimes it sucked being a Water-type. But she also knew she couldn't take this lying down either. She needed to stand up for herself under all this fire.
Her shell reopened slightly. "(I see your points. I know. And I have my duties...if you all heavily insist. If I must...I shall give it a try.)"
"(You will?!)" Tapu Lele squealed. She jetted into Tapu Fini's side, grabbing hold of her and nuzzling her cheek affectionately with her own. "(Awww! I knew it! You do love me! Thank you for sticking out your neck for me! I don't know how any of us could do anything without you!)"
Fighting to urge to clamp down on Tapu Lele for violating her space, Tapu Fini gradually pushed her away. "(C-calm down already. I'm not doing this just because you were so persistent. I'd just rather not be the one to being given the blame if all else failed is all.)"
"(Sure you are. Teehee.)"
Tapu Koko eyerolled. "(Anyways...has anybody been able to sense them? I haven't gotten anything on Melemele.)" He glanced at Tapu Bulu. "(What happened after you were defeated? Were you sensing anything on Ula'ula after that?)"
Tapu Bulu shook his head. "(Nah. I spent the whole afternoon flying through mountains and forests looking for them, but I didn't get anything. I was just about ready to lay waste to that village again just because I was pissed...)" He slumped away. "(But by the end of it I grew tired. Couldn't lift a hoof until I ended up sleeping in a nice, grassy plain to regain my strength.)"
"(That so, huh? That's gotta mean they're onto another island that isn't within our borders. We need to find them, and corner them as soon as the opportunity comes.)"
Tapu Fini raised a hand. "(If I may? I should be able to do the part if they're within Poni Island's vicinity. Once they're close enough and we're at the ocean, I can block them off before they venture any further into the island.)"
Tapu Koko nodded at the suggestion. "(Sounds about right. That should give us a chance to fight back. We're counting on you until all of our strength is back up to speed, Tapu Fini.)"
Tapu Fini humbly bowed. "(I'll do the best as what my duties allow me. Now, if you'll excuse me.)" She generated herself a large blue light hemisphere that engulfed her. It swallowed her entire body, until she dissolved away in blue particles.
Tapu Bulu let out a loud yawn, stretching a hood over his helmet. "(Yeah, guess I'll be calling quits, too. Gotta finish up my nap so I can be ready to go tomorrow. This time, they won't get away.)"
He quickly vanished in a green light, leaving the atmosphere between Tapu Lele and Tapu Koko.
"(Ole' Koko...what do you think these guys want from us?)" Tapu Lele tilted her head.
"(Your guess is as good as mine. If I had power like that, I would go around showing everyone who looked at me the wrong way a thing or two.)" Tapu Lele gave him a raised brow. "(Don't give me that, I didn't say I'd do a hostile takeover. Besides...I'm sure we all remember the lesson we learned about a greater power.)"
A silence fell amongst the two deities as their ethereal minds were recounting something that made even Tapu Lele's skin crawl. They could still vividly remember a bright ray that was in the shape of the moon that struck them all down. That bitter memory was the scorn that Tapu Koko couldn't stomach down. He never wanted to feel that kind of humiliation ever again. Their pride as the island guardians were on the line.
If their land was under threat yet again, they will mow down anyone who stood in their way. That was the truth. Whatever it takes, they will not stand being put down by a stronger force that they believe will bring ruin.
Tapu Koko whipped away, static crackling around his body. "(You'd best follow their lead and get ready. I have a bad feeling about all of this.)"
"(Aye aye, Koko!)" Tapu Lele saluted, before her ethereal presences started fading in a pink glow. The glow shrank down until pink particles burst in a manner like her scales, until every last one faded completely.
Tapu Koko looked down with a heavy glare. As his presence faded in a yellow light, the crackling static flourished with his adrenaline. '(I won't lose...I won't lose...)'
Shiin entered his temporary home's bedroom, where he took solace in how hollow it was. He looked over his shoulder in case anyone visible followed behind, but concluded that nobody was there. He was very quiet when he closed the door, leaving him to his privacy.
He walked over to the curtains and took one more look out at the city streets below. Nobody seemed to be looking his way as his magic sensory wasn't picking up any of the mages in particular within the vicinity. He slid the curtains shut and went over to his desk light. He turned it on and took his seat with a fresh piece of paper to begin his daily report.
June 28th, X793
21:08
Today's temperature was much more tolerable for the mages of Fairy Tail. In comparison to yesterday, many of the primary members were much more active.
I had begun my earlier testimony to investigate the rest of the Pokémon Trainers that were within the guild's confines. At 7:30, I had started observing the coalition of trainers that entitle themselves as 'The Freaks'.
The leader of the coalition is led by Joey Haycliff. He possesses a barrier-related magic that makes an impenetrable barrier around himself or another object within his vicinity. He is also able to alter the shape of the barrier to anything that he desires. There does not appear to be any related weakness that I have confirmed. However, I have seen that at the moment, he can make only one barrier at a time. He possesses Pokémon of amiable strength. From what I have seen so far, his Pokémon are as noted: Quilladin, Tranquill, Trubbish, Gyarados, and Palpitoad. Gyarados and Tranquill were the two that I was able to distinctly observe.
Dereece Iwoda, another member and fellow Pokémon Trainer under Joey's aid. He uses Elemental Walk Magic that enables him to create friction and solidify particles, allowing him to run vertically up in the air or sideways as he sees fit. Compared to his rather carefree leader, Dereece has a much calmer approach to matters. He possesses humanitarian wit, otherwise he does not act upon it under Joey's jurisdiction. He appears to be loyal to Joey Haycliff. His Pokémon are as documented: Heracross, Yanma, Seel, and Stunfisk.
Duncan Roserto, the other member of the coalition, and the most experienced Pokémon Trainer of the three. He is a very cautious but also very serious character. He has a one-track mind of honing his skills to be self-sufficient in our world. Otherwise, compared to his allies, he is not socially adept. His magic is Holding Magic, which enables him to surge Magic Power from his body into any weapon he handles to increase its striking power. The more magic he pours into the handheld, the stronger the force. The only Pokémon that I have seen him train today was Gastrodon, a sea slug.
Of these three, I have learned that they are implementing the usage of magic into their art of Pokémon battling. Joey's magic gives his Pokémon a greater defense, while Duncan's magic puts him on an offensive line. Dereece's magic allows him to remain versatile out of range to give himself a better position to command his Pokémon. However, they appear to have only minor experience. Their coordination is far from honed. But from observations, they have a grasp of the concept.
After their training, I observed the guild in the morning. Everyone was very active as I have seen many of them going out on jobs. However, the job requests that I have seen had no Dark Guild information listed. As estimated, after the fall of Alvarez and Zeref almost a year ago, Dark Guilds have disbanded the use of Black Magic. All traces regarding Zeref's creations made from the Book of Zeref have been eradicated, thus the Baram Alliance's Dark Guilds have gone extinct.
However, the matter of work now has dramatically shifted. Much of the jobs related to the guild had much fewer rogue mages and more problems related to Pokémon. With much of the world being populated with these creatures, guild work has multiplied extraordinarily. Much of the smaller guilds have also disbanded with more Pokémon Trainers and the superior guilds taking up these tasks. At this rate, there will be a considerable decline of efficient mages to populate Fiore if this problem continues.
The mages of Fairy Tail have also been using Pokémon on their guild work. So much so in fact that the mages themselves have lessened their own values. They utilize their Pokémon's unique properties to handle the work for them, which depreciates the quality of their magic. I have also learned much of the Pokémon that have unique abilities as well as types that can turn even one's own magic into power for them. I will report more once I have procured enough data about each individual ability and typing.
With my presence being extensive, many of the mages have started to attempt to interact with me. However, rest assured, I have remained vigilant and abbreviated my proximity of them. They have no indication of the motives. However, as per precaution, I will involve myself in more stakeouts so that I may visibly study them until Nic Pularis' return.
I shall entrust myself to remain on guard and hold firm to the magic world that we believe in. For the purity of magic, I shall resume my research.
~Verdade Shiin
21:30
Shiin folded up the letter and placed it within an envelope with the specific seal. He sensed the area to make sure no mages were around, again sensing nothing. With the coast clear, he reached for his handheld grimoire and turned to the bookmarked page. He implanted magic into the incantation and a bright blue magic seal projected out. He held the envelope over it and watched it dissolve into magical particles that were absorbed into the circle before it faded.
"That takes care of that. Now then..." He flipped to the next red tab and turned to said page. There, the inbox page was open and noticed a bright red glow from the incantations, indicating a message received for him.
He reached his hand out and began focusing his Magic Power into the circle once more. The glow in the incantation intensified until red particles started clustering and manifesting into a neatly folded white cloak with a bright yellow lace and two red buttons to fasten it neatly. Sitting on top of it looked like a folded piece of paper with a set of instructions with a handwritten signature.
"Looks like Captain In-Sue got the message and delivered the Magic Disabling Cloak." He procured the cloak and sat it off to the side, before closing the grimoire. "At least now I will be able to move about without being detected by others' magic abilities. I'll have to make use of this tomorrow."
With everything assessed, Shiin let out a sigh and got up from his desk. He reached for the light, turning it off to envelop his room in darkness. He sauntered towards his bed and undid the covers to get underneath. As far as he was concerned, he would need as much rest as he can to get what he needed.
Here's the newest chapter! Hope this didn't take too long! Can't really say much else, but I hope that you guys enjoyed the little NicxErza moment! I know it's been a really long time since I did anything intimate with them, and I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to try and take a step back to reevaluate Nic's overall character. I had a bit of difficulty describing what he was trying to convey, but hopefully some of you can kind of get behind what he was trying to explain about himself. This was a reaffirmation of his reclusive character development. I know he's not all sunshine and roses, and he really isn't the most likeable OC ever created, but the way I see it, not every character has to be liked, but more like understood. That's just how I feel about it, so don't take my word for it. ;)
The next chapter, I'll be picking things up again. Be it for Nic and Erza's benefit or for the worst. But no matter what happens, Nic isn't going to have it with anybody else's way but his anymore. So be prepared to see Mr. Not So Nice Guy!
I'll see how well I do with the next chapter's speed, given I kept the pacing for this one relatively slow. I won't keep you all waiting too long!
