70 Chapters. Nearly 140 authors notes. How have you not gotten sick of my ramblings by now?
Eat. Sleep. Protect.
Eat. Protect.
Sleep. Protect.
Protect.
Protect.
Protect.
Protect was all he knew anymore. Stand still, watch for danger, protect the vulnerable ones behind. Keep them safe. Keep them safe. Keep them safe.
There was no sound. Not ever. Did the sound ever exist, or was it only the whimpers and purr behind him? There was no other sound. For that was the only thing to exist. Protect. Protect it. Protect them.
There had been a time, maybe, where there was more to protect. There may have been another time, maybe. But if it ever was or was not, it didn't matter. Protect.
Protect. Protect. Protect.
Protect. Protect. Protect.
Protect. Protect. Protect.
Protect. Protect. Protect.
Something moved. He raised his hackles and growled out a warning. A warning of death. A warning of pain. A warning to go.
The something stopped moving, but he continued hissing. Something was off. Protect them. Protect them. You must protect them. There is no you, only protect. Protect them. Protect them. Protect them.
There was a smell. It was not the smell of blood and pain and waste. It was not the sickly-sweet scent of rot or the odour drying bones, or wasting limbs, or rank life. It smelled of something that was not those. It was different, therefore a danger. Different was dangerous.
WYh Dn'oT yOu cSat yROluesf on me?
Different was dangerous. He knew this. He knew different was dangerous because it was not known. What was not known was anything besides that which was behind him and protect.
Protect.
Protect.
I MusT PRrrrootte-c-c-c-ct.
He looked up until he could see the sky. Looked further, craning his bones as his eyes began to roll as the roof of the dwelling came into sight. Looked further as his spine began to crack and break under the bend. This was different. This bend was not normal.
This bend was dangerous.
Protect.
He bent until he could see those he was to protect, one last time. She hissed in fear. Protecting the other. Then his spine snapped, and he saw no longer.
/
She huddled for warmth, for safety. There wasn't much to be found. He was away, protecting. She was here, in the back. She was protected but protected in kind. There was another. Somehow, someway their two had become three. And so, they were to Protect.
Protect as His strong legs became thinner and not as strong.
Protect as Her strong heart beat harder, yet slower.
Protect as His huff and puff grew softer and slower.
Protect as Her purr grew faint and weak.
There were the Guardians of Another. She did not know why they were. It just was. He would protect them, and She would protect Another.
It was small. It was like one of them or both of them, but not. Still, she knew he was to be Protected. He was too small to Protect on his own. She licked his head many times. She wasn't sure why, but She did anyway.
She purred the day/night away as He protected.
Curled around Her own. Protect.
She was strong, but She was not anymore. Like Him, she had not moved much. She had not drawn in the musty food or stale liquid, but She had let the smaller one feed off Her. They should not go anywhere; they had to Protect. Protect. Protect.
It was a soft sound when He became different. Standing up on those strong/weak legs, on just two of them, rearing up and up and up.
She could not, She would not, She willed not to move even as He stood up too far. It was different. He was being different; she was afraid. She hissed in protest, and He made a sound; it was a terrible sound. His eyes were moving, but they stopped on Her, on them, once. Then a loud sound, violent and fearful, rang out, and He fell back and stopped moving.
That was better. That was not better. He normally did not move much lately. But at least He had moved a little.
Now…He was not moving at all. No movement of his middle. No twitch of His mouth. He was just… still. Like the others. Those lost to the winds, forever lost.
She curled tighter around the little one, squeezing Her eyes shut. Something else was moving, and He was not. He was not moving. He was not moving. He was not moving. He was not moving.
She was moving.
Something gripped her, and it was not passion or fury at first. Something grabbed Her whiskers, Her eyelids, the tips of Her claws and the curl of Her tail. Something was going to rip the dot out of Her head and pry the little one from Her.
She moved again, this time with purpose. She yowled and hissed, raising her hackles like He would at the different and dangerous. She Protected too.
I pmroise you w'not fEEl a tinhg
She hissed again, only… no sound. There was no sharp screech of moving air through Her mouth. No wordless command to leave. She tried again, but there was no sound.
There was no sound going in, either. She tried, but something was holding onto something deeper in. Her heart, Her pump, Her life roared to existence, and She tried to move, tried to free whatever was squeezing Her breath away.
Protect.
"I'm sorry, little one," she thought as words and clarity came back to her in this final moment. She bent her head and gave him a last, soft lick to his head.
Then she felt no longer.
/
He cried. He did not know much beyond crying. Crying for help, for warmth, for comfort. For anything.
He cried as he was pulled away from the warmth and into the air. A terrible different touched his skull-chin and lifted his head up and began moving down his back-spine.
He cracked open young eyes and tried to hiss to tell the monster to go away. To leave. Or else it'd be hurt.
But there was no one left to hurt. Warmth was not moving, and Protect was not moving. He did not understand why they were letting the monster in.
"There's golden treasures underneath, you'll see." That terrible hand moved from the gentle stroke of his chin and up his back to clamp down on his skull-thinker, and then it squeezed. Squeezed so hard as something else pressed in too.
He cried and then screamed, but there was no one left to save him: only The Horns and deep brown eyes.
"Now, please. Give yourself to me."
Scout gasped as his eyes snapped open, jolting up in bed as something felt like it whispered right in his ear. Rai and Mane, both covering a different part of his body, started as he did, and Rai began to glow as Mane's hackles rose.
Light lit up Sharpedo's Maw, and the straw smoked as the three of them looked for threats.
"S-S-Sorry," Scout stuttered, heart pounding as they realised there was no threat. "I…had a nightmare."
It was not unusual for this to happen.
Understanding immediately, Rai and Mane came back to his side and pressed in closer. The moon still had lordship of the sky, although few stars could be seen through thin clouds. The sun had not yet begun to rise.
Mane licked his paw as Rai cuddled in and purred, comforting him and letting him focus on the feelings of here and now rather than the pounding of his heart and half-forgotten dreams.
"Want to talk about it?" Rai asked sleepily.
Scout answered by burying his face in Rai's scruff. They drifted back off to sleep. Mane would be the next one to awake from a nightmare.
The night was a time for comfort, but the day was theirs to steal.
Sean was the mon of the day. He had an idea in his head and wanted some company to see it through.
"I want to check out Circh again," he said, explaining himself to Team Ion. "I want to see if Violet is going to be there again. The others are kinda busy, and Team Go-Getters have set off back to the Air Continent. Want to come with?"
"I've got a thing I'd like to do today," Rai said apologetically, wearing the Treasure Bag. But nudged Mane and Scout. "They're free, I bet."
"Sure."
"I'd like to see this 'ghost' of yours," Mane said, rolling his eyes. Rai gave him a grin and a lick on the chin. "Okay! You three have fun!"
"What have you got to do today?" Scout asked, curious. Rai hadn't mentioned this before.
"A cunning plan I have," Rai replied, cheerfully not actually answering. "Hopefully, you'll see the fruits of it later! See you! Love you!"
"Love you too," Scout and Mane said. Scout held a small, thoughtful look as they parted. Rai had emphasised 'you'll' when looking at him.
He wondered what the shinx had planned.
Circh was a two-day trip. It was almost as far as Amp Plains was. A day to get there and a day back. Something of a journey to take just to see if a ghost was still there, but Sean needed a break from town, and, frankly, Scout and Mane did too.
They weren't the social butterfree's that Rai was, after all. Some time away from the chaos was half the pleasure of dungeon diving.
"Have you ever been to Circh, Mane?" Sean asked as they travelled the road. Nothing more to do than chat and think out here.
The path turned from rows of trees to picked berry bushes to the farmland-suitable plains as they truly entered the wilds.
"I have, yeah," Mane answered, nodding. "Feels like forever ago, when I was a cute cub rather than a handsome rogue." He flashed Scout a grin. "The kids in Treasure Town liked to dare each other to go on challenges out there, see who would actually go, who'd stay the longest."
"It's that well known?"
"It's an ancient human village! Of course, we have our ghost stories about the place. Although not a single Ghost-type would ever go. Ever."
"Really?" Scout asked, a little concerned. Ghost pokémon were one thing; actual apparitions that Sean had apparently seen were substantially creepier.
"It's a weird place, isn't it, Sean?"
Sean nodded. "Place just feels…off."
"Guess you'd get that feeling more than others." Mane's tail flicked one of Sean's tassels. "With those and all."
"And the actual ghost you saw," Scout added.
Sean shook his head. "Violet was actually fine. It was more…sad, but at least with her around, it brought some sense of 'okay, this is how things are' to the place. Before she appeared, it was just… it's the remains of a human village. Humans lived there, and they all died to the Ultimate Weapon." He shivered a little.
It was difficult for Sean to wrap his head around that. Even with Keira's explanations. One man, one human being, vile enough to kill humanity itself? It wasn't even a matter of capacity, just the horror at the kind of mind one would possess in order to genocide their own species.
Who could ever fall that far?
Scout, perhaps seeing the brooding discomfort Sean was falling into, decided wisely to change the subject.
Circh was going to take all day to walk to. Maybe a little faster than Sean's last trip, as Charizard and Guardian did NOT move nearly so fast on the ground, but still all day.
Complaining of sore feet, Mane cajoled Scout into jumping onto his back.
"I feel like you're just going to make endless dirty jokes," Scout complained gruffly as Mane loafed to let him climb on.
"Too easy," Mane said, rising back up as Scout got a hold on the silver bow around his neck. "Like I was last night."
Sean just shook his head at them.
"Why'd you decide to carry him?" he asked. Scout looked a little embarrassed to have given in so easily, but his paws were hurting, and Mane was offering.
"I carried him the other night on our date," Mane said. "Although Rai carried us BOTH in the end."
"Meaning our parts didn't go so well, but Rai is apparently a Casanova when it comes to thoughtful things."
"I'm not surprised," Mane said.
"Fair enough." Sean nodded.
"He was like air the first time, and I wasn't feeling well, so…yeah. I don't mind. Scout sometimes looks like he wants to go all fours too but is too stubborn about staying on two."
"I prefer it that way!"
"Yeah, sure, that's fine. Still, you are like skin, fur, and bone. I barely even feel you on my back."
"I can't tell if you're insulting me…."
"Trying to set you up to compliment me on YOUR back, but whatever."
"I'm not falling for that so easily."
"Scout always was skinny," Sean sighed. "Even though I couldn't understand them back then, I could still tell what Guardian was fretting about. There was never enough food about to keep everyone fed."
"I have a vague memory of getting mad at Guardian for not eating," Scout said, unsure. "Unless that was just something I made up."
"Nah, I bet it happened. He'd definitely be the kind to not eat, so we, and especially you, could. I love him, but he's not very good at taking care of himself. Others? Sure. Best guy around. But himself?"
"Yeah," Scout sighed. He felt…bad? Sort of. It was more of a sadness, but not quite. He wasn't sure exactly how he felt.
Mane, sensing heavier emotion, acted to lighten the mood. "So, yeah, Rai and I have been trying to get him to eat meat. If you know what I mean?" He waggled his eyebrows.
"I… don't think I want to."
"He's being a grumping," Scout said. "Don't read into it; you know how Mane is."
"Okay."
"You wound me, my love."
Once Sean looked away, Scout boxed his ears, and Mane smirked at him.
"Aanyway," fishing for another topic, Scout plucked at his anchor for a moment before remembering. "Oh, right. That."
"What?"
"Hm?" Mane felt a tugging. "Oi, choke me later when we're alone, not here."
"You know this?" Scout asked as they both ignored Mane. He was pawing the Silver Bow.
"Mane's bow?"
"I actually woke up with it!" Scout explained, smiling as his mind took him back. "It was one of the things that made me think I was you. Or at least the human. You get it in the games after it 'reads your aura'."
"How come it didn't disappear when you guys did?" Mane asked, curious.
"I… don't know? Maybe it didn't appear until after we travelled back in time?" Scout looked to Sean for advice. "Yeah, that's what I wanted to ask, really. Was this yours before?"
Sean shook his head. "No, I never saw anything like that. You used to have, well, that." He gestured to the old but cleaned and patched rag that Scout wore in place of his old Joy Ribbon. "I had my clothes and such, not that though."
Their eyes all turned to the bow.
"Although I do question why it would appear after we travelled back in time. Nothing appeared the other times we time travel, right?"
"Nothing I remember," Scout answered. "Hm."
"Actually, speaking of it. Mind if I?" Sean gestured to hold it.
Scout looked to Mane, who rolled his shoulders and nearly toppled Scout. "Heh." He chuckled as Scout clung on. "Go ahead, strip me naked."
Scout untied it and pulled it free of Mane's neck. "Here."
Sean took it in paw, and his expression flickered. "Huh."
"What?"
"Remember Brine-" Sean immediately winced as Scout flinched. "…Sorry. Um, when Mane…I stopped some of the bleeding with this thing, and I remember a tingling feeling in my paws. I figured it was just adrenaline and forgot about it. Now that you've reminded me." He weighed the fabric in his paws, took a close look at it, briefly sniffed it.
Smelled like spice and cat. Mane.
Sean's tassels began to rise slightly. "Is it still tingling?" Scout asked.
"Yeah…take it back." Scout quickly tied it around Mane's neck as Mane chewed on this for a few moments.
"So… it's probably yours?"
Sean shook his head. "I think it might be one of those things Keira mentioned. Something that 'was supposed to' be that just happened anyway. If it was mine, I think I would have gotten it when I went to the Dark Future, not when I came here. Plus, you look good in it."
"Well, you're RIGHT about that."
The sun was closing on the horizon as they arrived. "What do you think, camp tonight and go in tomorrow, or go in now?"
"Ghosts like the night, don't they?"
"Guardian does, at least."
"I think now, I don't want to wait."
The ancient entrance was as crumbling and overgrown as always. Rust had long since covered every inch of metal; a metallic smell wafted in the air to sensitive noses. Not quite like blood, but not too distant from it either.
"This it?" Scout asked, tracing a paw down a piece of corroded metal.
"Yep," Sean answered, stepping forwards. "It's a weird place, but I don't think it's dangerous. Still, the place is a bit of a ruin, so don't split up."
"Not intending on it," Mane said. A small shiver went down his spine as they stepped into the dungeons boundaries, but he didn't show it. They were in Circh.
"Woah," Scout gasped as they emerged into a wide area. Unlike all the other dungeons, this was not made of small rooms and tight corridors; Circh was open and free to breathe.
Only it definitely wasn't. A sour odour hung in the air, causing Scout to cough when he breathed in too sharply. "What is that?"
"Dunno," Sean said. "It smelled like that the last time…not as strongly, though."
"I don't remember too much about the smell," Mane added. "Just that it's weird. Smells like the idea of 'holding your breath'."
"At least the roof is normal," Scout said, looking up. A vortex it was. Enclosed dungeons like caves rarely showed anything more than a rocky roof, but the baleful light shone through where there were cracks.
A twisting miasma of reds, blacks, purples, with crackles of distant light. Close yet far.
"It's weird that we can see so much," Mane said, frowning. "Even in Amp Plains, it's not AS wide as that."
"Amp Plains still has rooms and corridors."
"True."
Sean was leading them, but he was immediately lost. "Looks different," he said, kicking at a stone.
"Well, it still IS a dungeon," Mane pointed out. "Probably shuffles around."
"Hmm." Sean continued leading down a cobblestone road pocketed with gaps and that led to a wall and then continued three meters away.
Walls that were once sturdy and proud lay collapsed into heaps as they approached the greater area of the dungeon. The outskirts were a flashpoint of human life, chopped wood, an axe, half of a chair, piece of a house.
Just a piece, placed perfectly on top of a mound. It could not have been built there; it must have just shuffled around to there.
Further in, at the end of the cobblestone path, was where Circh really began. A true town, beating nature into submission with shaped stone and woven reed. With nails and hammers, brick and log, humanity carved a piece of the world out for themselves to be remembered forever.
Remembered as just a memory.
The wind did not blow. The sky did not change. There was no spring nor summer here anymore. Trapped in eternal stasis, the gravestone to a civilisation.
"I forgot to mention," Sean said, a shiver going through him, "that this place reminds me of the Dark Future."
Scout nodded mutely. He felt it too down to the claws in his feet.
"How did you even forget that?" Mane asked. He was the least disturbed, but he still felt it. "Seems like a big thing to brush over."
"Violet kinda pushed that discomfort away."
"It's the silence," Scout said, cutting in. "It's just…silent here. Just like it was there. Only the sounds of our feet on the ground, literally nothing else."
Even the crackles of lightning in the sky above brought no rumble of thunder. The area was not like a place holding its breath.
There was just…nothing.
"Violet?" Sean called, cupping his paws around his muzzle. "VIOLET?" he gave a rueful chuckle. "I sound like her now, calling for her pokémon. VIOLET?"
They wandered around, Sean calling for Violet as they stepped over broken wagons, abandoned breakfasts, patches of just-dried blood, and a complete lack of anything moving.
Violet did not respond.
They wandered for an hour. Circh was quite large, and there were a lot of houses to barge into like a pokémon game protagonist.
Sometimes there was food on the tables still. They didn't touch it.
"I guess she's not here," Sean sighed, giving up later. "Chikorita did say that there were only some reports of a human, not everyone who came. So, she must not appear every time."
"Wonder what does it?" Scout asked, but he was happy to leave.
"Before we go," Sean said. "I want to test something. Try a Dimensional Scream." He smiled at Scout. "It's been a bit since all the chaos is over, and Dialga did say that I can still have them. It just doesn't happen as often. Fine by me; they make me feel sick."
"You sure you want to test them?"
Sean nodded. "Could be interesting."
"Okay…." Scout reached over and grabbed Sean's shoulder. Mane watched, bored, as they stared at each other.
"They say, people who stare into each other's eyes for long enough fall in love," he said, simultaneously board, teasing, and threatening.
"I'm looking at his tassel," Scout said, rolling his eyes.
"Scout's charm."
"He IS charming, yes. Back off."
Scout gave a short laugh and held onto Sean a little longer before letting go. "No?"
Sean shook his head. "Nah, but it seems to have dramatic timing after someone lets go!"
He waited expectantly.
Nothing.
"Oh, I guess-"
Then he staggered. "Oooh, there we go. I didn't know magical time abilities had a sense of humour." He stumbled, and Scout grabbed him, steadying him as Sean began to peer through time.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"AH!" Sean screamed, flinching back so hard he went rolling. Scout nearly jumped out of his skin, and Mane immediately burst into flames, claws popping out as he prepared to immolate something.
"Sean, what the fuck?" Scout shouted, running over to the riolu as the screaming stopped and tapered off into a groan. "What did you see?" he asked before he could realise the answer could be terrifying.
"I don't…know," Sean groaned, shifting on the ground before beginning to lean up. "Argh." He rubbed his face, felt around to a bump on his head from where he hit it before smushing his nose and wiping it.
Scout helped him to his feet as Mane's fire began to puff out, and he breathed a sharp breath. "Don't."
"I'm sorry," Sean said, wobbling on his feet for a moment before steadying. "I didn't see…anything. I just heard and felt, something I've never experienced before."
"What?"
Sean smacked his lips. "I don't…know how to explain it." He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temple. "It's already fading. Damn, I don't normally lose the visions. It was…a scream, a horrible, horrible, scream and then something bright and then…nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing at all. But the vision was still going, if that makes sense. It didn't split off and end until a moment after. Then I began screaming, heh."
"You alright?" Mane asked, calming down enough to trot over and look Sean over. "You look furry; that's normal."
Sean would have laughed that off, but he saw the gleam in Mane's eye and the smirk curling at his lip, and he groaned. "Dammit, Keira."
"I guess that's about it then," Sean said, glancing back. A frown touched his face, but he erased it before looking to his companions. "She's not here, but let's not camp IN the dungeon."
"I agree," Mane said. "Let's get out of this creepy place. Quickly."
They began to move off. Scout lingered slightly, casting curious looks at Sean.
They made it out of the dungeon and had dinner before he decided to ask. "What do you think it was. That you saw, I mean?"
Sean smiled. It was an empty thing, hollowed eyes looking at nothing and a painted stripe pretending to be a curve of the lips. "From what I've gathered from my visions, it shows me something that can be used to 'solve' a problem, whether that something shown is from the future or set in the past. Sometimes I don't even know what the problem is either; it just shows me something."
"So…?"
Sean shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't see or hear enough to be sure. But…."
"But?" Mane pushed.
"I know humanity died because the Ultimate Weapon was fired. I wondered how Violet died, so young looking and trapped there. I think I saw the impact of the weapon…and how humanity died."
The picture fell, and Sean squeezed his eyes shut, bringing his paws up to hide himself. "I just can't imagine what it took for someone to do that? To kill everyone? I know my world is fine. It's how the world would have been had that not happened, but…I just can't wrap my head around this place. That action."
Scout and Mane moved to sit with him, and they chatted away, shifting the subject from the horrors of the past until it was time to go to sleep. They'd travel back to town tomorrow.
"Hope Rai's alright," Mane said sleepily. "Without us there."
"I hope the others keep him company."
"I'm sure they would. Guardian, and Saniya really, are great about that."
"Not Striker?"
"He can be a bit obtuse…sorry about that."
"We moved past it ages ago."
"I guess…."
Scout and Mane curled up together as Sean slept closer to the fire.
"I've got a thing I'd like to do today. They're free, I bet."
Sean looked surprised at the nudge, as did Scout and Mane. "Sure."
"I'd like to see this 'ghost' of yours," Man, acting like he was too cool for them with a classic eye roll. Rai made sure to give him a lick on the chin to blow some of that hot air out. Mane flushed. "Okay! You three have fun!"
Scout smiled at him and winked when Mane or Sean wasn't looking. "What have you got to do today?"
"A cunning plan I have," he said, making sure not to give any hint. He didn't want Scout's fuss about his plan. "Hopefully, you'll see the fruits of it later! See you! Love you!" He couldn't help but give a little hint, though.
Showing just how far emotionally obtuse cat number one and emotionally obtuse cat number two had come, they returned his declaration of love in public without concern. Scout gave him a lingering look, but Rai just smiled.
He hoped their day would go well. He was pretty interested in this human as well. He'd love to know what they looked like with his own eyes.
He'd been to Circh himself, having heard the rumour. He hadn't actually gone alone, the whole day it took to get there but at least Ara, and he had been able to spend a day together rather than her being so distant like she was back then.
He wouldn't have gone in had she not dragged him in, though, ranting about. "Going all this way just to stop at the ending, we're going in, and that's FINAL!"
Good times, he missed her.
Ara hadn't remained in Treasure Town long after they had all woken up. She was too wild, really. He loved his sister with all his heart, and he knew she loved him too.
That's why it was okay for her to go. They'd see each other again; he was still mastering Iron Tail but more on the technique side. He could steel-up his tail all he liked now; working out how to properly use that was a challenge, especially when it made his tail heavier for a moment.
But, as always, the call to travel had been headed by her. She, at least, let him know a whole day in advance that she was going. Maybe because he did The Eyes at full force when she said she was getting ready to go, guilting her into one more day?
May need to try that again next time….
Rai shook his head. Ara had left over a month ago. It wasn't the time to think about her. He was heading to the guild; he had things to think about up there.
Angles, patterns of attack, the best way to break a defence and rip and tear!
"That sounds bad," Rai chastised himself. "Hug and emotionally traumatise! Oh, wait."
Hopefully not. But he really did need to get to the bottom of one problem that had hung around the town for the past…how long was it?
He blinked; Darkrai felt like it went for so long, but how long was it really? Half a year? A little more?
He wasn't the best with time. Maybe he'd ask Saniya?
Give some dates, days, hours, minutes of how long this had been rotting at their feet. One could only ignore putridness for so long. You'd either get to the point where you did something about it, or you'd just accept it was a thing and embrace it.
Well, he was a cat. There would be no embracing of disgusting grossness, hairballs be damned.
Rai noted to egg Scout into bringing up furballs and pouncing on him later.
Climbing the steps of the guild felt nice on his paws, and he took his time, chewing on some ideas before getting to the top. The guild was…not exactly done, but it was liveable, and so the guildmates were making the trip back in.
Sunflora, Croagunk, and Loudred hadn't really brought all their stuff back in yet, neither had Marill, but Rai had an inkling as to why the formers hadn't yet.
Marill was definitely helping out with Azurill more, with Azumarill being so much busier lately. Whispers were even being shared that Banette might teach another day at school to lessen the burden on the parents and Chansey.
Rai had to wonder who was selling their actual soul to Banette to convince her of that. She was the teacher when he was a cub, and her lessons certainly stayed with him.
That was the mark of a good teacher, right?
Rai really only had the one to evaluate.
Diglett was manning the sentry grate again, although Loudred was not raising the gate; rather, Diglett was just noting who came in and out.
Chimecho's kitchen was rebuilt bigger and better than before, and the table lost to the waves had to be remade. They built one from the wreckage of trees from Palkia's attack. Little stone stools were made moveable for pokémon who wanted, was able, or needed to sit to reach the table.
Donations from Duskull laid the stools with soft fabric so that sitting on stone wasn't intolerable.
The Swap Cauldron was absent from the lower floors. Still, the seafloor had been combed for it for weeks now, and Corphish and Lapras stumbled upon a dungeon down in an undersea crevice large enough for the cauldron to fall through.
Sunflora, Corphish, and Loudred were getting ready to embark into the dungeon to see what it was made of and if anything swapy and/or cauldron could be found within.
Croagunk was as chill as he always was. With his cauldron missing, he was doing a little of everything, going out on missions, rebuilding the guild, helping Chimecho in the kitchen. He had even taken over Dugtrio's job of replacing the missions for the day.
Croagunk didn't seem to sleep anyway. He could get to that stuff early enough in the morning that no one saw them swapped over.
Bidoof's team, Team Guide as they had decided upon, were the most proficient at taking jobs at the moment. With so much focus on the town itself, other places had suffered, and they were there to fill in the void as best as they could; other teams converged on the place to aid as well.
Team Razor Wind had come back around, Team Poochy were taking rescue jobs for the first time ever, Team Flame were as driven as ever, Ponyta holding himself just as pompous as he always was, yet not bragging about his role in it all.
Rai still could not thank him enough for showing Scout and Saniya the magnagate to Ashen Island. Without that, they would have been finished for sure.
The throne had been moved back into Wigglytuff's chambers and his rooms recreated. Just as they were, to the overturned treasure boxes, to the door behind the tapestry, and the broken window.
He broke it himself to be sure it was done right.
Wigglytuff's library had been entirely destroyed by Palkia's attack. Countless books, tomes of priceless value, lost to the uncaring sea. Rhythm didn't care. Someone far more valuable had been lost to them all the same.
The only thing that were missed were the bundle of feathers tied to the top of the old guild like a crest. It was the last piece of Trill that Rhythm had left, but they too were gone.
He wouldn't cry about it, but the loss still stung for sure.
Books could be replaced and buildings rebuilt, but lives and memories were gone when they were gone.
Armaldo was himself. Stoic, unyielding, and grumpy as always. He ignored questions about fighting Palkia alongside Guildmaster Wigglytuff and The Legendary Lucario; he hadn't done it for the glory.
Rai lingered on the grate until Diglett chirped his greeting before moving into the guild. The spiral was still there, but it was made wider and less steep for easier access for bulkier pokémon.
Armaldo would be thankful if he wasn't Armaldo.
Or at least Wigglytuff would be the only one who knew, thanks.
The job listing boards were made a little bigger, made out of recycled wood from Palkia's rampage, and split into two.
Rescue requests and then general requests on one side. Thieves and troublemakers then more violent criminals on the other side.
There was an extension of the room as well, providing more space for social activity. The guild wasn't a place to party like Spinda's Café was, but with how crowded it could get at times, adding some space wouldn't hurt.
If that space may get used as renting space for the occasional pop-up shop, then that was just money in the purse, now wasn't it?
Further below, while a space for the Swap Shop had been set aside, it was empty for now. The rooms had been extended as well, not that Rai was particularly well-acquainted with that anymore.
They had added in some new ones, at least.
Handy, as Rai was pretty confident, there were some new recruits getting ready to ask to join the guild. A lot of new pokémon had entered the town, and the guild was well known before. But to have trained two teams that had saved the world twice?
More space was undoubtedly needed. Armaldo was already grumbling about making the training harder, put in some actual tests and activities administered by Wigglytuff.
Rai found Guardian. First, the dusknoir was a massive, dark spot in anyone's vision and very recognisable. He was looking over the outlaw notice board curiously.
"Morning, Dusknoir!" Rai chirped. A few pokémon were staring at him or were already staring at Guardian.
"Good morning, Shinx," Guardian replied pleasantly. "Looking for a task for the day?"
Rai shook his head. "Got one in mind already," he said.
"Oh?"
"Yeah." He shook his head until his scarf loosened enough for a folded piece of paper to fell out. "This one!"
"May I see?" Rai nodded, and Guardian floated down, phasing into the floor briefly, to reach it. "Hm? Sandy Path?"
"Yep!"
"A Ground-type dungeon?"
"Right!"
"…?"
Rai blinked. "Oh, right. I'm going to ask for help."
"Ah, so Meowth and Litleo are accompanying Riolu on his fancy today?"
"Yep." Rai cocked his head. "You went to Circh too. What was it like for you?"
"Quiet," Guardian replied. "Too quiet. Violet was quite lovely, though."
"Was it odd seeing a human?" he asked before remembering. "Oh, wait, you knew Sean while he was still human too."
"That I did. She and him had the same general body, bipedal, two arms and legs, two eyes, fur on their head and little elsewhere, covered in fabrics. Her clothing were far more flamboyant than his, however. There was a visible difference in appearance beyond that, however. Hard to explain exactly."
"Weird."
"Quite." Guardian nodded. He shifted back as the pink menace herself zoomed into sight.
"Wassup bitches!?" Saniya cried, tossing glittery dust at a bunch of pokémon who cheered for her. "Signatures for you, and you, and you." She spent a few minutes signing things before clapping, teleporting away, and then returning with an apple she chomped down before tossing one to Guardian and Rai.
"Saw your butt hanging," she said, smirking at Guardian.
"Pardon?"
"The wispy end of your tail was sticking out of the roof a few minutes ago. It was hilarious."
"No, it wasn't," Striker sighed, hopping up from the lower level himself. "Although Celebi certainly made it seem like it was."
"I see."
"I sure did," Saniya snorted. "Saw it all."
"There's not much to see."
"And you just gave it all away like that!" Saniya said, scandalised. "I thought you were meant to be a good salesmon; you're just giving it all away like THAT." She clicked her fingers, then smirked. "Like father like son, I guess."
"Scout is NOT A PROSTITUTE!"
The room fell silent.
"I didn't say he was," Saniya said innocently.
"You inferred it!"
"Suspicious you read into innocent things so much and come up with that?"
"I'm sorry?" Rai said, speaking up again.
Saniya giggled, a little bashfully, at his cocked head. "Just some jokes between us."
"I don't find them funny."
"You like the argument, though!"
"…Shinx had something he wanted to ask, correct?"
Saniya smirked as Rai nodded. "Right! I'm going to Sandy Path today to find a lost necklace, and since the others are off to Circh, I was wondering if Grovyle was free?"
"Striker's always free!" Saniya answered for him, floating over to him to wrap an arm around his neck and ruffled his leaves. "Ain't ya?"
Glancing annoyed at Saniya, Striker let her have her fun before nodding to Rai. "Certainly, I can aid you."
"You're not…busy with plans?" Rai asked, glancing to Guardian again.
Guardian gave a laugh. "Hoo-hoo-ha, not at all, Young Shinx. Any such villain upon this board could be handled by any one of us, you included."
"Thank you, then."
Saniya plucked a random job off the board and waved it in front of Guardian's eye. "We'll do this one."
Guardian took it. "Bubasore the Bloody Bulbasaur?"
"That's hilarious. Let's destroy him!"
They gave their goodbyes to Striker and Rai before flying off.
Striker turned to Rai with a smile of confidence. "Well then. Are you prepared?"
Rai nodded. He had the Treasure Bag and moved to let Striker take it from him. It was no orb container, but Striker still had his bag of treasures with him anyway.
Sandy Path wasn't too far, it was a dungeon along the coast on the way to Brine Cave, and Rai and Striker were fast and full of energy.
There were pokémon who wanted to stop them to talk. Rai's politeness was aided by Striker's bluntness, and they were able to move on from the encounters without hurting feelings.
Or being bombarded with questions that took half the day.
Sandy Path was not a big dungeon.
"Wow, it's sandy," Rai said lamely as they walked in. He'd been in, of course, and Scout had made the same rough and coarse sand joke that he made in the Northern Desert.
"Quite, stay close."
Striker led the charge as the dungeon was flooded with Ground-type pokémon. Rai was strong enough to beat his way through if he needed, but the effort would wear him down sooner rather than later.
A flick of the wrist sent a curved arc of green energy at a flying vibrava and took it down. Striker was a powerhouse, striding through sand and stones without flinching to strike down the ferals that chose foolishly to attack them.
Frankly, the mission was easy, and they were in and out in an hour, necklace in hand.
Nice little thing, with a sealed locket that Striker had no interest in prying open.
"Looks pretty old," Rai said, glancing it over. He had an eye for treasure that Striker didn't. "An heirloom?"
"Didn't say in the job description?" Striker asked as they exited the dungeon.
"Nah, just that it was dropped in here."
"Who even came here and why?"
"Murkrow, not the one in Team Ebony, and I dunno."
"I see.
It was a few hours walk back, and they hadn't spoken much on the way here. Striker gave Rai a curious glance, the shinx was clearly chewing over something all day, and he didn't want to wait any longer.
"So," Striker began, "why did you invite me to come with you?"
"Well, you know, Ground-types."
"Could have asked Saniya," Striker pointed out. "And, no offence, but I am aware that the two of you get along quite well. You have the energy to keep up with her, which is rare, and she likes that."
Rai beamed at that. "I like her too!"
Striker chuckled. "Everybody does." He smiled before casting a sly look at Rai. "Nice avoidance of the question, but you still have to answer."
Rai's cheer dimmed a little, but his smile didn't fade entirely. "Ah, well," he scuffed the ground a little bashfully. "Well, I wanted to talk to you."
"Could have started on the way in," Striker pointed out. Although with the fans about, I suppose it's not the easiest time to find privacy. I assume this is a private conversation?"
Rai gave a roll of his shoulders. "I…I guess. I, hmm…."
"What kind of thing do you want to ask about?" Striker pressed, Rai was not usually quite this bashful about things.
Rai took a breath, psyching himself up. "We get along great, and I'm really happy about that. I think that time when the others got taken to the future, and we got left behind really built up a bit of respect there."
Rai frowned. "Enough to make up for the lying you'd done beforehand since I came to understand why you did it."
He shook his head and sighed. "But…I think you can tell where I'm going with this."
Striker, who was looking deeply uncomfortable, gave a jerky nod. "Yeah," he sighed. "I think I can put one and two to make three. Scout?"
"I don't like what's going on between you two," Rai said, jumping to the point of this excursion right away. "I don't like how you both just…act like the other isn't there."
"You say hello and that kind of chatter," Rai added brightly. His voice changed back to low. "But otherwise? You were brothers, or…something at least."
Striker sighed, rubbing his chest. "More like…uncle and nephew, really."
"I almost would say adoptive dad."
"The date was a trick," Striker said flatly, not as easily stirred up as Guardian.
Rai smiled before returning to the point of it all. "I know you two had a talk about this stuff before, and you 'agreed' to be nice to each other, but I don't think it's working."
"Why do you say that?"
"It bothers Scout," Rai said. "I know it does. He's a pretty bad actor, really. He looks up to you, before and after, but you both act like you're strangers."
"I feel we are," Striker said.
"Do you really?" Rai asked, eyes sharpening. "Or do you just pretend that's the case to justify all this to yourself?"
Striker's expression flickered to shock before he frowned at Rai. "That's a pretty big leap to take there, Rai."
"Do you really think he's not Scout?" Rai asked flatly.
Striker hesitated.
"He feels different," Striker said.
Rai held that for a moment before nodding. "I get that; I really do. I've heard it from Saniya, and Sean, even Guardian. They all acknowledge he's different to what he used to be, but they also say he's not that different. He's still Scout."
Striker tensed his jaw. "Alright, I'll say it then. You won't like it, but I will. You don't HAVE to like someone just because you liked them before. He changed, and I didn't like the way he changed; we've agreed to be civil; we don't fight or argue. Yes, Rai, we are not close, but I feel like you may just be reading into things."
"Did you even try?"
"Pardon?"
"Did you…even try?" Rai repeated. "You're right. You don't HAVE to like him just because you did before, but did you ever actually try to get to know him again? Or did you decide that he changed and therefore was not worth getting to know again?"
Striker fell silent.
They still had a fair while to walk, and Rai didn't want to leave it on an awkward note that'd hang over them both for the next forever.
He smiled. "Maybe you should try it? He's really not so bad. And I won't blame you if you still decide you don't." He looked down. "It's not easy to know someone for so long, and suddenly they change, and you don't know what to think about it and if you can possibly trust them."
"…Mane?"
"Yeah."
Striker gave a heavy breath. "I…I guess I can talk to him."
"That's a good start. I'm sure you both got stuff you want to say to the other."
"Might not be good," Striker warned.
Rai nodded. "Right. But it'd feel better letting it out. But I do think you two might like each other, he's got a sense of humour, and I know you do too."
Striker gave a shadow of a smile, and they made the rest of the trip a little more comfortable. Murkrow was beside himself at the idea of the leader of Team Ion and a member of Team Sunrise coming together for HIS meagre task.
As night fell upon the world, Rai found himself invited to the guild for the evening meal. It was nostalgic to be at the table again, even if Scout and Mane weren't there to enjoy it too. He took Sean's spot at the table and dug in with gusto.
Sunflora, Corphish, and Loudred weren't back from their big exciting job, though. Croagunk wasn't eating much either, so Rai decided to talk to him.
"How have you been since?" Rai asked after their meal was finished.
"The days go by," Croagunk answered, shrugging.
"I'm sorry we weren't able to take on the Drowned Dungeon to see if the Swap Cauldron was down there," Rai apologised. They had offered, actually, but getting down there would be a challenge…and getting back would be even harder.
Lapras had taken Sunflora and Loudred, utilising a bubble so they could breathe and was ready to dive back down to get them and their cargo later. Corphish had led the trip.
"Did they tell you the rest of it?" Croagunk asked, sleepy eyes sharpening up a little.
"The rest of it?"
"Meh-heh-heh." Croagunk gestured, and Rai leaned in with an ear. "It's their graduation exam."
"WHAT?"
Croagunk didn't react to the sharp yell, not that it was a secret either. Everyone in the guild knew, and smiles were flashed at Rai from across the room, guessing what he'd heard.
"They're graduating?" Rai hissed excitedly. "Oh wow! They were around ages before I was. I can't believe it!"
"They were waiting for Bidoof," Croagunk explained. "But since he's got his Team Guide and all, they decided they shouldn't wait any longer."
"Oh, oooh. That makes sense. How's Bidoof about that?"
"As far as I know, they talked about it." Croagunk shrugged. "Bidoof seems happier. He was feeling guilty about holding them back, I hear."
"Where?"
"His diary."
"Croagunk!"
"Gotta do something while I'm standing around watching everyone sleep."
"That's creepy, Croagunk."
"Did you know Meowth talks in his sleep?"
"Creeeeep."
Croagunk chuckled, and Rai rolled his eyes, smiling himself. He bounded over, talking to people here and there until the time really began to tick, and the pull of sleep caused him to glance at the exit.
"I…guess I should be off," Rai sighed, sitting with Saniya.
"Aww, you're not staying the night?"
"I… don't think I can?"
"Pffft," Saniya scoffed, the idea of rules and laws inapplicable to her train of thought. "Stay in our room! We got an extra bed!"
"Oh!" Rai's ears flicked up before he drooped. "I don't want to intrude."
"Ladi-nah. Like that's even possible. Come on." She lifted Rai with her mind and flew to Team Sunrise's room. "We got the big one too because Guardian likes to spread out."
There was a suspiciously dusknoir-shaped figure pressed into the bed of straw. Saniya dropped Rai on it and flew out, returning with a sleepy Striker and dozing Guardian.
"By the godly decree of Saniya the goddess, you sleep and become not unhealthy."
Rai did not argue, Striker mumbled something aggressive out of principle, and Guardian was unable to. Snoring already.
Saniya smiled fondly at the three before floating back. She didn't need sleep as much as the others, and she generally preferred not to sleep more than she needed to. Nightmares were never fun.
She'd make sure the town was safe overnight. If pokémon woke up with some work mysteriously done or gifts for exhausted workers, then that was just the work of fairy's, now wasn't it?
Scout woke with a start. Not because of a nightmare, but because of Mane's nightmare.
"Hey-hey-hey-hey-hey," he said, grabbing onto Mane as he whimpered, trying to squirm away from something. "Mane? Mane? Mane?"
Mane's eyes cracked open, squinting in the dying embers and wet with tears. "S-Scout?"
"It's me."
He hugged Mane, holding him tightly until Mane shook and then until he stopped shaking. Then a little more for good measure.
"Want to talk about it?" he asked, rather than asking if he was okay. They all asked that instead.
Mane shook his head. "N-Nah. Just the usual shit."
"A walk then?"
Rai was the most likely of the three to want to talk. Scout preferred to just go right back to sleep, but Mane would often need a walk to clear his head. Sometimes he went on his own, sometimes with them.
He nodded. "Yeah…you mind coming?"
"Not at all."
They were both up and stretched before realising they had company. And then a moment later to realise they didn't.
"Where's…Sean?"
He was not there. That was something.
Scout and Mane shared a look before glancing at the dungeon and went off running. They were sleepy and a little disorientated from a quick awakening, maybe not thinking entirely clearly.
Circh was creepier in the light of the very early morning.
"Why would he have come back in here?" Scout asked as they jogged.
"He's weird, that's why."
Scout couldn't really argue that. They began calling for Sean, just asking for ghosts and ghouls to come for them.
However, there was no horrors, only a riolu wearing his pants as a cape.
"Uh, hey?" Sean said as they spotted him and dashed. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to worry you two."
"Why are you even in here at this hour?" Mane asked, breath coming out like steam in the chilly air.
"I just…." Sean turned back, gazing at the ruined buildings.
Calming down a little now, Scout stepped forwards. "You were looking for her, or…?"
"A little of both," Sean sighed. "There's just questions, and it's…this place is sad." He reached up and moved one of his tassels. "I'm pretty good at turning off or ignoring the stuff I get from these, but there's just this…aura, I guess."
"Well, if you're sensing it with those," Mane said dryly.
"Haahaa." Sean released it and looked around once more. "It's just this distant, ill feeling in my stomach. Something happened here, but I can't tell if it was what destroyed this place or was more recent. If Violet was here, I might be able to know. But she isn't, but why?"
He didn't look to the two for answers. The question was called out only into the empty town.
There was no answer.
"Sorry guys," Sean apologised. "For making you worry…why are you up?"
They began to walk back, and it was agreed that they were all up already. Might as well start the trip back to Treasure Town.
"Hey…can I ask you something a bit off-topic?" Scout asked.
They had come back to town. Sean re-joined his team, and Rai tackle-hugged them both.
Sunflora, Loudred, and Corphish hadn't resurfaced yet.
The two teams mixed and matched with no plans for the day and began tackling the day together. They may as well be a single team anyway with how often they'd do that.
"Of course." Guardian waved him along. Scout had wanted to go shopping with him today, and Guardian was ecstatic to spend any time with Scout that he could.
"So…I don't know. I've just been thinking about it randomly for the last…not even sure. But…do you know what happened to my birth parents? Or hatch parents, I guess it'd be called."
Guardian blinked before he chuckled. "Hoo-hoo-ha, oh dear. I shouldn't laugh; my apologies. I just had a wave of nostalgia. I can't even remember exactly when or where or why, but I do know you've asked me that before."
"Heh, yeah, I guess kids do that."
"When you reached a certain age, I was honest that I had found and adopted you. You took it well, you had asked me before why we looked so different, and if you'd evolve into me, so I know you'd noticed there were some differences."
"Glad that the scout wasn't blind."
Guardian laughed again. "Quite." Then he sobered. "Ah, well…the story isn't a happy one, nor is it a satisfying one. Honestly, there isn't much to tell. I found you shortly after being ejected from my previous home and wandering, going mad. I happened upon you, starving, and freezing with your…" Guardian sighed. "My apologies, your parents…."
Guardian had trailed off, gauging Scout's reaction. He frowned, pinched lips for a moment, before sighing. "They were dead?"
A nod.
"I guess that's…nicer than being abandoned?"
"From what I remember," Guardian said, thinking back to the past. "It appeared as if your parents had been attacked."
Scout frowned. "But I was left?"
"Yes," Guardian said, frowning himself. "I… don't know why."
"Well, that's unsettling."
Guardian evaluated him for a moment, Scout shrinking a little into himself. He sighed. "I can see where your thoughts are heading, Scout. There is no way a cub could have returned with their mind. The Dark Future was an awful place. Roving madness was the name of the land. Most likely something attacked, they drove it off, but died from their injuries."
It was a little callous to say so bluntly, but Scout felt better to not have it sugar-coated. He sighed and nodded, unshrinking. "Thank you for telling me…dad." He gave a shy smile as if asking if that was okay to say.
Guardian's eye immediately teared up. Thankfully, he didn't grab Scout and choked the life out of him in a hug; he composed himself quickly and didn't let it get weird.
"Of course. Anything you'd like to know, I will tell you."
"Anything?"
"…Yes?"
"Hmm." Now Scout was smirking evilly.
"Oh, dear."
So, Scout hasn't called Guardian a term of parentage…at all during the story. At least outside of flashbacks. So, I thought that moment would be nice.
Rai stands up for his own, even against his own.
Sean is feeling a little lost….
All this healthy communication, look at where they've come!