Ah, this chapter…been a while since I've done a 'snippet storm' type thing. A lot of smaller scenes in this chapter as things prepare to start moving again.
Hmm, maybe I should start doing polls again some time?
Scout had woken up with a clear head and light heart the next day.
Striker woke up with his mouth feeling like ash, his brain feeling like dust, and his throat feeling like sandpaper. He dunked himself in the watering hole, almost ready to drown himself with how bad the headache was.
Sean had to be levitated by Saniya and was also dunked in the watering hole.
"Well, now the water's corrupted," Scout complained, walking down from the guild jauntily. "It's got furry in it."
Sean resurfaced and made sure to shake himself off right next to Scout, spreading the smell of wet dog to the cat.
"Rai and Mane will destroy you for this," Scout warned. They got interestingly defensive of him when he smelled like other pokémon. It was kinda cute.
Speaking of them. "When did Sean wipe his fur on you?" Rai barked, appearing out of nowhere. His eyes were a bit bloodshot, but his nose was twitching.
"Just now," Scout answered, after laughing and sharing a look with Sean.
"Where's Mane?" Scout asked, noticing the lack of fire cat in the area. His nose was not as good as theirs, but he could still smell pretty good.
"Armaldo wanted to talk to him," Rai answered, yawning. "Mmm, I'm still tired. Want to go back to bed?"
"Always," Scout said, jumping at the chance. Rai was never one to sleep in. Hadn't been back when he first showed up and wasn't now.
"Heh, thought you'd like that." Rai licked his cheek, leaving a tingling feeling. "Once Mane shows up, let's go."
Team Thunder Crash, just walking into Treasure Town, immediately sneezed.
"Ugh, why does that keep happening?" Pikachu asked, rubbing his nose.
"No idea," Eevee replied. These sudden sneezes always came out of nowhere, and both of them went at once.
Their eyes fell on the two world-saving teams as they travelled in. "Should we go up to them?" Eevee hissed.
"I dunno, they're already talking to each other," Pikachu replied.
"About important stuff?"
"Maybe."
"Fine, later, though."
They continued into Treasure Town, missing as Mane travelled carefully down the steps. He liked those steps, after they were rebuilt, of course. He'd been forced to burn the previous ones to ash to protect Sunflora.
For once, the unusual expression on his face wasn't caused by unpleasant memories he didn't know how to feel about. Rai and Scout immediately detected something awry about him and excused themselves from the group.
"We're going to continue sleeping in at home," Scout said happily.
"It's too early to get up today," Rai agreed when Mane gave him a disbelieving look.
"Well, grumpig can fly," Mane said, amused.
Once they were home, Mane sighed. "Yeah, I know. Armaldo just told me something I'm not sure what to feel about."
Settling down onto their bed, Scout was the one to ask. "What was it?"
Mane hummed.
/
"You wanted to see me?" Mane asked as Rai stumbled out like he was still drunk.
"Right," Armaldo said gruffly, adjusting the papers on his desk and looking at the top of Mane's head.
Mane's eyes narrowed slightly; he was an expert at reading people. Armaldo wasn't the kind of pokémon to pussyfoot around anything, nor really feel uncomfortable about much of anything.
He was uncomfortable in Mane's eyes. For a moment, Mane wondered if he'd done anything while drunk that might have been a little far, but no. He wasn't very drunk last night, not blackout by any means.
Still, Armaldo had hesitated to ask him to come to speak to him, was not speaking abruptly, and was not quite looking at Mane.
"What is it?" Mane barked, after a moment too long had passed.
Armaldo sighed. "I won't beat around the bush, as it will only make it worse. Your brother, Pyroar, is dead."
Mane blinked.
Then he blinked again.
"What?"
"I'm sorry t-"
"No," Mane interrupted. "What? Who the fuck? When the fuck? Why the…well why is obvious."
"They don't know."
"Don't know?" Mane snarled. "Wasn't he in Clefable's prison? Who shanked Rumble?"
"The report is old," Armaldo said, uncharacteristically softly. "In fact, the date suggests it happened shortly before Palkia attacked and, with everything that followed, only now has come through to us. The Clefable Guild reported that, somehow, Pyroar escaped the prison and fled into the night. Once his escape was found, teams were unleashed to find him."
Which they did. Or what was left, at least.
"…They found his body and confirmed who it was. The guild then launched an investigation into how he escaped and who murdered him, but…I'm afraid they have been unable to find anything."
Mane's face was blank. "Ah…I see." He gave a full-body shrug. "Alright, thanks for telling me."
"I'm sorry," Armaldo offered.
Mane snorted. "What for? He was a first-grade monster. The only reason why you are telling me, and why I should care, is because I'm 'technically' related to him. He's no brother of mine; he's just like the rest of my 'family.' Or was like the rest, I guess. Hm, like Mother, actually. She got lynched too."
A disturbed flicker swept across Armaldo's face briefly before he steeled it. "I thought it was best to tell you regardless."
"Thanks," Mane said flatly, turning around. "Is that everything?"
"…Yes, Litleo."
"See ya." Mane pranced out.
/
"So, that's what's going on."
"Oh…," Rai said softly. He really didn't know what to say. He had been distant with his sister before, but never could he imagine not wanting to see her and his brothers alive and safe.
At the same time, he'd met Rumble, fought him even, and only knew a shadow of what Mane had experienced under their paws.
"Do you want to find whoever did that?" Scout asked, having something to say.
Mane's ear flicked. "I don't know…maybe. If just to stop a killer. It's not right what they did, even if he was a monster himself."
Scout nodded, and Rai did too. That was more understandable. "It'll be something to think about while we're on the road," Scout suggested, laying down. Rai curled up with him, and they had Mane in the middle.
Nothing wrong with a nap before breakfast?
Planning was afoot.
As much as they loved this place and being able to relax again with Darkrai and Cresselia stopped for good, which had been fact checked already just to be sure, Team Ion and Sunrise were not yet done.
Scout was the first to point out that his knowledge was probably nearly useless past this point, and Sean was the first to counter that point.
"Remember what Keira said?" he asked. "Despite time being changed before, things have had a habit of 'working out as they were supposed to'. I think what you've got could still be useful, as long as we actually use it this time."
Scout cringed but nodded along anyway.
"At least The Bittercold has already been stopped by Paradise. Not having to prepare for that is a relief, as it didn't really have a 'counter' that I can remember."
"You've mentioned the next foe vaguely," Striker said. "Can you explain more about them?"
"I'd call Dark Matter, and it's more of a them, really," Scout said. Then reconsidered. "Or maybe not, it…he…it, they. I'll go with one of them. Dark Matter is an embodiment of the world's negativity. All the anger, depression, hate, apathy and more. All in one solid form."
"It first came about a thousand years ago. I think it was one thousand and was stopped by the first human, I think first, and a mew who shattered it. Unfortunately, shattering this thing just made it worse in the long run, and it's been rebuilding and growing stronger."
"I can remember a bit," Saniya said, surprisingly. "What? I have access to the Celebi Power now, even if another one is filching my share. I don't like to dig into it because it makes me really sad to see all these previous celebi's memories, as they are just memories now."
She appeared very sad for a moment.
"I thought you needed Giratina to teach you a bunch of things?" Guardian asked curiously.
Saniya nodded. "The previous one…which I think is technically the 'modern day' one, really fecked things over when he sacrificed himself to stabilise time. I got respawned like a little baby deerling. I couldn't access much of anything in the Dark Future since I've been here…well, while Celebi might have taken my power, at least I can glance into the past Celebi's! That was a weird circus to jump into."
"Why have you never brought this up before?" Guardian asked, almost offended.
Saniya blinked. "I haven't?"
"NO!"
"Huh…well, guys, I've gathered you all here to say that I see dead people and their weirdest secrets!"
Scout laughed at that. "That's weird."
"Indubitably."
"You said you remembered a bit of Dark Matter?"
Saniya nodded. "Right, that. Yeah, weird time. Civilization as we know it wasn't really a thing back then. Or even much like before Lucario arrived, I can't really remember that stuff since the current Celebi has been around for a couple hundred years at least, and he's not dead…yet, so I can't see his memories. So, Celebi found a statue, which was weird because pokémon didn't make statues back then. They thought maybe it was a human relic but then found a bunch more. Just of regular pokémon living in a small settlement together, mud houses at best. Real 'rustic' stuff. No running water or MONEY! No betting on things and then you-"
"Saniya," Striker said gently.
"Oop. Sorry. Statues, they were pokémon who got turned to stone."
Scout nodded. "That's what this thing does. Turns anything hit by this…vortex-like attack, you know the thing Cresselia did in the battle to Beheeyem? That was it. Dark Matter can corrupt and force pokémon to work for it, giving them the ability to turn pokémon to stone which sends their mind and souls to this…hell realm filled with these Void Shadow monster things."
"Oh."
Beheeyem hadn't spoken much of what he experienced while he was briefly stone. Scout had wondered about him a little. There were a trio of beheeyem who were corrupted in the game…and that seedot had sounded very strange.
He also wondered how Beheeyem got unfrozen. But he supposed that no one had actually killed one of the pokémon turning others to stone. Maybe that could undo it?
Still, there was a better way.
"Mew and the human put something into place, however," Scout continued. "In the distant past, knowing they hadn't stopped Dark Matter. This water can free those turned to stone, sealed in behind a magical barrier only a human can unseal. The human got launched into the future, so they'll turn up…soonish? While Mew did something to reincarnate as a regular pokémon, as it was Mew's fault Dark Matter would come back."
"Why?" Rai asked. "Was it Mew's fault?"
Scout shrugged. "This backstory stuff was only ever mentioned, not shown."
"Oh!" Saniya clicked a finger. "That's why I remember, heh. It was Celebi who sent them into the future! Nice, I'm so heckin helpful I am! That's two times one of me has saved the world with time travel!"
"You remember who you actually sent?"
"Nope!" Saniya beamed. "They're a bit blurry; everything is at best that far back. What I DO remember is that there were two humans, but the first was a punk-ass bitch."
"What?" Scout said, stunned. "Two?"
Saniya blinked. "That didn't come up in this backstory?"
"No!"
"Oh. Well, there was another human. I never met them; I just remember this magnificent TEA being spilled about them. Heh, tugged the tail of a flip-dippin ninetales! That's really just asking for it."
Scout stared at her. "Pardon?"
"You didn't hear me?"
"That's Gengar," Scout said flatly. He looked to Sean. "Right? Gengar slash Kenji?"
Sean's eyes were wide too. "I think…so, yeah."
Waving that off, Saniya scoffed. "Who cares. So, this water, where is it exactly? You've talked about the Water Continent, but where?"
"On a mountain outside this place called Serene Village," Scout explained. "I…don't actually remember the name of the mountain, but it's right by it, and the villagers take turns guarding the pathway to the top."
"We don't have to beat up any innocent villagers, do we?" Sean said.
"No, tell me we DO!" Saniya beamed.
"I believe if we just explain ourselves," Guardian began, but Scout shook his head.
"It's a pretty big tradition there, and they don't remember why they do. Only that it's important, sniffing around too much about that might get you in trouble."
"Lying didn't help you much, Scout," Guardian chided.
"Still, tradition is hard to get through," Sean said.
Scout gave a shrug. "I mean, it's up to you guys how you do it. Sean can unlock the water, bottle some."
"But why?"
"Dark Matter dries it up by tricking the human, okay first off." He quickly explained the hero, Nuzleaf, the beheeyem, and the mew-turned-partner.
"I doubt Nuzleaf of anything will be anywhere close to there. He was a recent addition to the village. And the villagers don't go to the top, so no one will know what you've done if you do get there. Hopefully, if we have some water hidden away, we can splash it and fix the problem when Dark Matter does rear their Kirby-rip-off face. Or not be us. We don't have to deal with this problem ourselves, please. Twice is enough. But getting some water is a failsafe."
Scout didn't know when things would start going bad again, but he was sure they had a few years at least. It was around twenty years since the meteor and around ten to twelve since the Bittercold. Apocalypses seemed to come every ten years, or so, that was ages to prepare.
Team Sunrise weren't sure when they were going to depart, however. There wasn't a tight time limit on things. There was another thing that Saniya had personally requested for them to achieve before they crossed the ocean.
She wanted to find the entrance to the Reverse Distortion and meet Giratina in person.
Things were quiet besides the sounds of feet on the ground and the overwhelming screaming awkwardness.
It was Scout and Striker today, doing their best to work on the things between them. Striker, always the active sort, suggested they undertake a mission together.
No simple item retrieving mission today, however. Rather, they were hunting down outlaws.
Minor crooks, if there ever was one, a duo of bandits Nidorino and Nidorina. It wasn't known if these two were opportunistic thieves, fallen on hard times, or just pokémon who cared only for the right of the mighty. Either way, a series of small Grass-type pokémon had been robbed by them, and Striker would not stand for such injustice.
They had hidden in the Underbridge Dungeon, a small one that had appeared after Palkia's death along the river from the Waterfall Cave to the Hot Springs.
They had achieved seven sentences on the walk to the dungeon. Thus, Scout and Striker knew how the others day was going.
"This won't be as awkward in the dungeon, right?" Scout asked, deciding that calling the awkwardness out might make it feel awkward and leave them alone.
"Fighting will make things better," Striker agreed. Such a pokémon, fighting was always the solution.
Still, Scout was willing to give it a shot. Not fighting Striker helped with that decision; fighting alongside him would be fun.
Besides the final showdown with Darkrai and Cresselia, they hadn't fought alongside each other since the expedition.
Scout still didn't like aerodactyl.
Underbridge was a Water-type heavy dungeon, so as they entered, Striker immediately held an advantage on the ferals that populated it.
Poor whiscash didn't stand a chance against even an Absorb, let alone one of Striker's Leaf Blade's. Ranged or otherwise.
Scout couldn't help but notice Striker's ranged attacks with interest. Absorb was a creepy green extension of rippling energy that latched onto something to drain them. Seeing Striker flash and small cuts disappear was cool, though.
Energy Ball was a concentrated orb of energy, not too dissimilar to Absorb, only it was contained in a sphere rather than like a rolling wave of barely-directed energy.
Leaf Blade, however.
From the Dark Future to seeing it again during the expedition, Scout was still wowed by Striker's perfection of the attack. His arms would extend from the elbow into green sabres if Striker willed it. Or he could half-form one and then flick his arm sharply, somehow launching the blade off his arm as a disc of death.
Maybe not death. The attack was weaker at range than when he slashed someone with them on his arms but seeing the curved blade of energy fly into something never failed to leave him wondering how Striker had ever figured out how to do it.
"How do you do that?" Scout blurted out after Striker knocked a barboach away with a ranged Leaf Blade.
Striker glanced at him, a smirk curling half of his mouth. "Not the first time I've been asked that," he said, amused. The smirk faded into a puzzled flicker before he continued grinning. "Want me to show you how?"
Scout's eyes widened. He'd asked Striker so many times. That must have been why Striker looked puzzled for a moment, remembering the same. Still, he'd never had the chance.
"Yes," Scout blurted again. He scowled at himself before chuckling. "Yeah, that'd be really cool. I've always wondered, in both times."
Striker nodded. "Stick close then; watch how I do it for a while."
Scout supported with Shadow Balls wherever he felt like it, but really Striker didn't need any help here. Maybe he would against the outlaws, but the dungeon was a piece of cake.
That being said, taxing oneself through overuse of their abilities could wear down even a powerful fighter in a weak dungeon. So Scout added a little more help.
He had already looked a lot as Striker fought but never wanted to be seen staring. Now that he was given permission to look as closely as he wanted, he was able to pick up a few more things.
The way the move formed. It extended a lot like his Night Slash did. Only, rather than down Striker's talons, it extended back over the pointy part of his elbow and a little further, narrowing as it went.
The Leaf Blade was an emerald green at its edge but a more leafy green in the middle, and it glinted like tinted glass at the sharpest parts.
The move was quite stable, more so than a Night Slash. Scout, being a Dark-type now, didn't need to think of any emotion to call upon the Power anymore, although doing so could still put a bit more oomph into the attack. However, Dark moves were still a little more unstable than a Grass-move, their serendipitous nature not providing the most stable form.
This was a good thing, however.
"You look like you've had an idea?" Striker said after flicking another blade off.
"You form the Leaf Blade only partially," Scout said; he'd noticed that beforehand. "Because when it's fully formed, it's too stable?"
Striker grinned and nodded. "Right. Once it fully forms, it's hard as glass and anchored to my arms. This is also part of why the ranged versions aren't quite as strong as a fully formed one. They're not quite as hard and so not as sharp."
He flicked another one off, hitting the wall and leaving a relatively large mark. Striker was still very strong. "The energy is inside, so if I strike something hard enough with a Leaf Blade, I can bleed some of that energy into them for extra damage. You know, a 'critical hit' and all."
Scout laughed at the terminology. Not even a game thing. He'd heard it mentioned well before he told anyone.
"But that generally jars my arm from the hit, and maybe some splash damage. Anyway, when I do a ranged one, the initial energy is like that of an Absorb or Energy Ball. It's more fluid and controllable, guidable into place."
"Is that how you got the idea?" Scout asked. "From those moves?"
Striker coughed. "Well…not quite; it was really a complete accident. I was fighting, tried to use a Leaf Blade too quickly and missed my target and hit Guardian instead. He wasn't happy."
Scout snorted and laughed. He could imagine Guardian being excessively emotional about an accident like that to make Striker feel bad.
Or he was remembering an occasion that actually happened; it was hard for him to tell sometimes.
"I reckon you can do it yourself," Striker said, nodding. "From what I understand about Dark-type moves."
"I've tried," Scout admitted. He extended a Night Slash and gave a flick of his paw. The dark sabres just scratched the floor. "Not sure exactly what I'm missing."
"They're too thin," Striker said immediately.
"Huh?"
"Watch." Striker formed a Leaf Blade. He always formed one that stretched over his whole arm. "Now, watch again." He faded it and then reformed it, slashing out halfway. The energy continued forming even as it left his arm, hitting that sweet spot and hardening in the air.
"Timing is important," Striker said. "Too early, and it won't do anything." He flicked, splashing some vague pine-smelling energy that faded into the air quickly. "And too late, well." He formed, went further, flicked his arm, and nothing happened; it simply finished forming around his arm.
"But also, you form your Night Slash from every claw." Scout glanced down. Striker was right. He had a set of wolverine, or Freddy Kruger, claws made of the darkest blackness.
"That means you move from unsubstantial Dark Energy to rigid blades almost immediately, only having enough given to extend them. Try forming a Night Slash using your whole paw rather than your claws. Work on that as we track these bandits down."
As much as Scout would love to do it right away and be perfect, Striker was right to suggest he practice as they walked, Striker taking care of the feral pokémon.
Scout enjoyed using his claws for it. Felt natural, plus he could make his paw turn into swords. He was the Edward Scissorhands of meowth, and that anime trash part of his brain, no matter how or why it was there, loved the idea of turning his fingers into swords to school foolish opponents with.
Wrapping the whole blade around his paw was a bit harder. He managed a fork after a few minutes, which just made him laugh so hard he couldn't focus.
That was when the bandits attacked them. Because, of course, they heard the sound of laughter and decided that had to stop.
Striker, living up to his name, struck a spinning dart out of the air with, as expected, a ranged Leaf Blade. Scout stopped laughing.
"Of course," he sighed as Striker dug his hand into the bag of holding he wore.
It had many-an-orb within.
"Where are they?" Scout asked, looking sharply about. He even glanced up for good measure.
"We're about to know," Striker said, hand pulling back to reveal he had grabbed an orb. The glassy sphere melted to nothing as Striker closed his eyes. "Keep an eye on things." Radar Orbs were short lasting and not able to be used with eyes open.
Darkness pooled at Scout's paws, of different kinds. One smoky, one glassy.
Detecting a flash of purple, he flung his left paw up, tossing the smoky Shadow Ball to deflect another barb before spinning on the heel of his foot, Night Slash coming out to catch hands with someone.
Nidorino, heavy and descending, crashed into Scout, his fragile Night Slash splintering under the pressure. But Nidorino took the full impact of the move plus his own weight.
And then Striker's foot.
Seeing him coming just as Scout did, but slightly slower. Nidorino crashed into Scout and then was launched back by Striker, eyes still closed, with a fresh green line to match the dark one Scout left.
Nidorino slammed into the wall hard and slid down as Striker spun back to catch another sneaky Poison Sting before jumping up and smashing through the ground.
Scout sprinted for Nidorino on all fours before the crook could recover as a squeal alerted that Striker had reached Nidorina.
She was thrown back to where Scout was as Scout slammed a Shadow Ball, point-blank, into Nidorino. He held his breath as it popped and darted back, Nidorino gasping harshly from the one-two-three hits and breathing in the Sleep Seed powder Scout had dissolved in his Shadow Ball.
He groaned, wobbled, then dropped.
"NO!" Nidorina yelled as her partner fell and growled as Striker and Scout turned to her. Her eyes darted from Scout to Striker. Scout began digging into his own bag again.
"You're beaten," Striker said, activating another orb as Scout bit down on a Heal Seed. The Slumber Orb made his eyes water, the orb's invisible wave meshing strangely with the Heal Seed. He felt a wave of vertigo that passed quickly, remaining conscious as Nidorina fell asleep.
Another hit on both, and they weren't getting up at another unfortunate moment.
"Anyway, what was I laughing about?" Scout asked as Striker bound them with ropes.
"I don't know," Striker answered. "You just looked at your paw and started laughing. I might have worried you'd gotten into the catnip."
"Ooh, that's right!" Scout returned to laughing. "My paw looked like a spork!"
Striker's bemused look encouraged more laughter.
He slowly smiled, shaking his head and activated the Escape Orb. They'd still need to walk back to Treasure Town with cargo, but he had orbs for that.
Scout continued practising a thicker Night Slash as they walked. They didn't talk a whole lot back, but it was a lot less awkward than on the walk in. Small steps and all.
"This is your choice?" Armaldo asked.
"This is." Blossom nodded, Jet and Boom nodded as well.
"Very well. You have the full backing of the guild. Take anything you need. Would you like to speak to Chimecho, or shall I?"
"I can talk to her," Blossom answered. Armaldo nodded in acceptance.
"Then…good luck. I may not have known the three of you for long, but I wholeheartedly believe you are an exceptional team that this guild and all who have taught you can be extremely proud of."
Blossom teared up just a little and smiled. "Thank you, boys. You want to get into the good stuff while I talk to Melody?"
"Okay," Jet said, a little misty-eyed himself. Boom couldn't speak.
They were leaving.
But they weren't just going out with no focus or direction. They were Team Voyage, but they had heard of a situation that had not been resolved, another guild had given up, and knowing that one of their own was affected, even slightly, meant that they were going to do something about it.
"You're going?" Melody asked softly as Blossom came up to her, sadness on her face.
"Yeah," the sunflora sighed. "It's time."
"Where are you going?"
"That's the other reason I'm here," Blossom said. "The first." She pulled Melody into a hug and held her tightly for a good long moment.
"Blackstone Village," Blossom said softly as she pulled back.
Melody blinked. "What? Why?"
"I know what you're thinking, and…yeah."
Melody's face was one of puzzlement. She was trying to hide and determine what Blossom meant.
"It's not right that the Clefable Guild gave up on finding Pyroar's killer. That's Litleo's brother, regardless of what he did or was like. So, we're going to find this person and stop them!"
Chimecho's face was a mask.
A grave one.
"I…."
"Melody?"
Melody's face was a mask. One that was cracking a little. "That's…dangerous, Blossom."
"Dungeons are dangerous," Blossom pointed out. "And so is leaving a killer on the loose."
"That's a bit…bigger than anything you've tackled."
"I beat the 'Invincible Haunter'."
"With Boom's help."
"Some help," Blossom snorted. "But exactly! I have Jet and Boom; I won't be alone. I'm not a silly billy, Melody. Being alone is a mistake; I've read the horror novels."
"That we have…." Melody floated statically, uncomfortably.
"I'll be back," Blossom promised. "We discussed it as a group a lot if we were right for this if this is something we could do. What it was worth. I haven't been able to sleep knowing this killer is out there. Who knows what they could be doing?"
"Why Blackstone Village then? They must have moved on by now."
"It's the lead, Melody." Blossom sighed and hugged her again. "It's scary, I know; I'm scared too."
"You shouldn't do it if you're scared."
"I think that's part of why I should," Blossom admitted. "It means that it means something big to me."
"Or that you know it's a bad idea."
"Melody," Blossom's voice became a little sharper, not angry, just…direct. "Are you really so against this?"
Melody floated in silence. "I…no," she sighed. "I just want you to be okay, but I know you. You won't be okay unless you do something to help." She smiled. "You're incredible like that. How about this? I can send some word ahead to Indeedee, she's the mayor of the village. She might be able to help you, especially if the guild there has given up on finding the killer."
"That'd be incredible, thank you!"
"Any time, Blossom."
"I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too. Come back soon, okay?"
"Okay."
"You know, I don't think we've ever actually talked about something we did all that time ago," Sean said.
He was sitting with Guardian in Spinda's Café, both of them having invited Rai out for lunch. Scout was with Striker and Azumarill while Saniya and Mane caused carnage around the new dungeons.
"That's pretty vague," Rai said curiously. "Lots of things happened."
"Right." One of Sean's ears had flopped over cutely, and Guardian couldn't restrain the urge to push it back up.
"We speak of the deceit we conducted upon you," Guardian said as Sean glanced at him for touching his ear. "With Scout and Striker talking once more." All three of them smiled at that. "It reminded Sean of something else that occurred that night."
"Rai, STOP!" Scout yelled, and Rai roared.
"HE LIED TO ME!"
"I don't know if I ever actually apologised for lying to you," Sean said. "Even if I did…I'm still sorry."
"And I am confident I never formally did so either," Guardian said, placing his hand on his chest. "For everything, I am truly sorry."
Rai had fallen silent, staring at the space between them as he sat frozen. "…Okay." He blinked and smiled. "I was very angry back then. Since I knew Scout hadn't been telling me the truth, I became very sensitive about lies…I still am, to be honest. It's not nice. But…I forgive you."
He smiled at Sean. "I understand why you did it."
And at Guardian, although the smile dipped slightly. "…I understand why you did as well. I think everyone's forgiven you by now because you really have changed."
Spinda, having taken his time with the drinks, suddenly came around as the conversation closed to deliver them.
"Pardon the cliché, but how did that make you feel?" Azumarill asked.
It was an interesting day today. A session with Azumarill, a mediation session for two pokémon that needed to talk with an impartial, trained mediator.
"Not. Good," Scout answered.
As Rai went out with Sean and Guardian and Mane explored a recently discovered dungeon with Saniya, who had been the one to discover it, Scout and Striker went into the residential district.
The last time they'd been out here together was when they had spoken after Fogbound Lake. Probably the last good memory between them until recently.
Exploring together was nice, and Striker was guiding Scout into launching sabres of darkness rather than just sprouting them like swords.
But talking was still…difficult between them. Neither wanted to say something that'd ruin this chance, leading to both of them being too careful, too awkward, to really spend time together. Uncomfortable for a different reason.
But, Scout had dealt with something vaguely similar to this before when he adjusted to the idea of being in a relationship with Rai and Mane, and Striker had learned to talk and trust Guardian again.
That didn't mean some help wasn't appreciated, however.
So, they came to Azumarill, who was happy to facilitate. This wasn't quite a therapy session. It was more a space to talk where it was understood that someone could step in if one of them began to go too far and offer advice.
"When did you realise that, Grovyle?"
"Took me a while," Striker admitted. "Then it was actually accepting it, which I took out a bit on Celebi. She's the most patient person I've ever met, and she has strange and wonderful abilities to acquire cookies. Eating those helped."
"Have you two had a meal together?"
"Not since we were separated after travelling back in time."
"Maybe that could be something you could enjoy before you go?"
It was an idea, that's for sure.
Talking was nice if still there were a few heavy things to get through.
"I still sometimes think about the lake trio. I haven't been back to the Underground Lake, things just…got so busy, but I wanted to thank Mesprit for saving us. I don't actually know if Rai and Mane have been back, hm."
"I'd like to apologise to them myself," Striker said. "It's not easy to work up to suggest. I'm sure it'd be fine, but…I really never did think I'd survive to see the world, so I acted like it didn't matter what had to be done to do it."
"Maybe when you're back, we can go around to the lakes with the others?"
Striker nodded. "I like that. It's a good idea."
"Thank you, Azumarill," Scout said as they came to a close, not wanting to take more of her time. "This really helps."
"You are a treasure to this town," Striker said before chuckling. "Wordplay unintended, but I'll go with it."
Azurill showed them out, and they made their way back into town. The split in the crossroads would be where they parted. Striker had the guild and Scout beyond the town.
They said goodnight and parted, but Striker did not head towards the guild but into Spinda's Café.
Sean was waiting for him at a table. The riolu brightened up from his relaxed, if a little bored, dozed expression and then yelped.
"S-Striker?" Sean asked, blinking in shock as the grovyle took him up in a hug. Spinda's Café wasn't exactly deserted, and pokémon were staring.
"I don't care if they look," Striker said. "I feel like I haven't hugged you in years, hm. Have I hugged you at all since you became a riolu?"
Beforehand, in the time that now never was, Sean was taller than Striker. How novel was it to have Sean smaller than him and able to talk without Saniya present?
He set his partner down and joined him at the table. Sean was beaming, unable to hold a silly smile off his face. Striker had the lightest dusting of red on his cheeks, but he was genuine when he said he didn't care if others looked.
"Busy times," Sean said as Striker relaxed. Striker didn't need to watch the doorway, neither of them did, but Sean had still unconsciously set them in the corner closest to the door. Old habits die hard.
"Very," Striker said, eyes slipping closed. "The session went well," he said, sensing Sean's unspoken question. "I think things might be okay. After we all get back from the next step of our journey, it might be nice for us to travel to the lakes. See the Lake Trio, apologise and all."
"Ah," Sean said. Then he nodded. "We never did get around to that, have we?"
"We know what I've been up to," Striker said after nodding to Sean's rhetorical question. "What about you, my partner? I don't think I had a chance to really ask about what happened at Circh?"
"Oh…yeah," Sean said, sighing. "Well, she wasn't there. I already said that."
"You had a bond with…Violet," Striker said, taking a moment to remember her name. "Do you think so?"
Sean considered it before shaking his head. "No…I think just because she's the first 'human' I've seen in years. And, well, an actual ghost who can't move on. I dunno, I'd like to help her. Or at least give her some company; she must be lonely, even if she doesn't seem to realise what's going on."
"You seemed off when you returned," Striker said. "And, again, I realise I didn't ask about that. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it." Sean smiled. "I wasn't really in the right mood to talk anyway. I had another Dimensional Scream while I was there. Dialga said that I can still have them. It's just rarer. But I saw nothing; I just heard a horrible scream and a flash of burning light. I think I saw the firing of the Ultimate Weapon."
"…That killed humanity."
Sean nodded.
Striker shifted around the bench to sit shoulder to shoulder with Sean. "Are you alright?
"It's…not easy to hear the extinction of a species…especially your own."
Striker put an arm around him and pulled him close. They had steaming cups of hot cocoa, specially blended so pokémon like Sean could drink it.
So, they each took a sip, feeling the warmth settle in their bellies.
"I'm sorry you've carried that on your own," Striker said. "I wish I could do something. Even bring Dimitri over."
Sean smiled. "I'm fine, Striker. To be fair, I don't know what I heard. It happened too fast, too dark to tell. You know how vague the Dimensional Scream can be."
Striker nodded; still, he wished he could do something.
"I can see that look on your face," Sean said, palming his chocolate drink. He butted his head on Striker's chest and flicked his chin with his ears. "Come on, I'm a big boy. I even drank alcohol!"
"Not sure why we gave you that," Striker said. "I feel like everyone knows a little too much about you now."
Sean chuckled. "I don't remember a thing!"
"I don't remember too much after I started slamming the shots back," Striker said honestly. "Except Scout and I's conversation, I feel like I went suddenly sober for that."
"Probably something-something Grass-type?"
"Heh." He took a sip. "I feel like I remember hearing a mention of that krokorok we…had an encounter with a few months back? How drunk was I?"
Sean tensed up. "Yeah…no."
"Hm?"
"No."
Striker blinked. "I thought you said you didn't remember?"
"I don't. But I wouldn't have spoken about that."
Striker snorted. "It's embarrassing, sure, but I feel like he got me the most."
"You were the least got!"
"You have no idea the things he said while we were grappling."
Sean had to give him that point.
"Not the same one anyway," Sean mumbled.
"What was that?"
"I want more hot chocolate."
Striker gave Sean a bemused look but decided to move on. It was fun to see Sean pout, so he'd bring this up again at a better time.
Maybe it brought back memories of Liepard? She was weird. Striker considered it, Liepard….
/
The letter had been at their doorstop and was simple. Asking Team Ion to come to the guild bright and early. Knowing that, despite being cats, Rai was an early riser and would find the letter and wake the other two up.
Most of the town hadn't quite woken up by the time they were stumbling through town. Scout and Mane were stumbling; Rai was prancing along bright as a daisy.
"Come on, sleepyheads!" Rai laughed, sprinting ahead. "Don't be slowpoke."
He blinked, almost tripping over Slowpoke. "S-Sorry, Slowpoke."
Slowpoke didn't react until after Scout and Mane had also passed by.
"That's offensive," he said, with Slakoth there also. "Ah, okay, I forgive you." To empty air. Slowpoke smiled. "There's always someone to hear it."
They were let in by Diglett reading their feet as always, and Loudred raised the bar. It had been just four days since Team Voyage graduated, and they hadn't left for Blackstone Village yet, still putting everything together and wrapping up what couldn't be left and helping out in the guild. Tomorrow, however, was the day they were off.
Wigglytuff turned to them as they entered, smiling. Armaldo did not. His arms were crossed, and he was glaring forwards. The assembled apprentices, and graduates, had slowly shuffled away, leaving a strange split in the crowd, Armaldo's gaze almost literally splitting them with its intensity.
Wigglytuff glanced to Armaldo with a heavily guilty look and sighed. "It's good to see you, Team Ion."
They nodded and joined the others. It was more than just them who were here also. Team Flame, Team Razor-Wind. Even Team Glee were in attendance.
All former apprentices of the guild, whether they had actually graduated or not.
"Thank you all for being here today," Wigglytuff said, unusually. It was Armaldo who did most of the morning address, and Wigglytuff's tone was tilted. Like he was metaphorically talking upwards from a downwards position.
"There is much to get done today, and this isn't something that must take up your valuable time. I'll just get to it, I think." He shifted slightly and took a breath. "As of today, I am renouncing my position as Guildmaster and stepping down."
…
A slow rising wave swept over the pokémon. First, it was confusion. What was he saying? Then it was shock. What was he saying? Then it was concern, why was he doing this? Then it all began to break into individual reactions.
Cries, shouts, calls for reason, and stunned silence sent the pokémon into a chattering mess. Wigglytuff tried to call order, but he could not wrangle this group of pokémon so easily.
"SILENCE!"
The guild shook.
Armaldo's glare could split stone. There was a mark in the wall from where the guild rattled, Armaldo possibly shaking it himself, or possibly Wigglytuff from building distress.
Rhythm was tearing up, breathing quickly with his paws over his mouth, and Armaldo wasn't a whole lot better off.
"This is…a shock," Armaldo growled. "I know. Trust me. I. Know. But it is how things are, shouting and screeching embarrasses this place, townsfolk I can understand, but you are professionals. Act like it."
"Thank you, teacher," Rhythm said softly, stepping forth again as Armaldo pulled back with a barely-concealed scoff. "This is something that…what I mean to say is…well…."
He began to trip over his words, not sure what to say.
"I, I mean he, she. They…oh dear, I can't." Rhythm turned to run away, but Armaldo barred the entrance.
"You made this decision," he growled, softly but others could still hear it. "I am not doing it for you. Turn around."
Rhythm was shaking.
"Rhythm. Breathe. In. Out. In. Out."
He began to calm down, coughed a few times, and pulled himself back together.
"I think…that's a good example of why," Rhythm said, turning back to them. "What am I at this point? Armaldo is taking over as Guildmaster. He already was in everything but title. I…I have to leave for a time."
"Are you coming back?" A soft voice broke through, Rai's voice.
Rhythm smiled. "Of course. I don't plan to be gone forever; I just have determined that…I'm no leader, not like I wanted to be. I haven't done what I dreamed, what we dreamed." Was there any question as to who 'we' were? "I have been distant; I have not taught. I have wallowed. First with Trill, and then without him. I don't know what to do anymore, but I do want to figure it out. That's why I'm leaving. To discover myself again. And once I do…I know I'll be back."
Armaldo's eyes weighed heavily on his neck as Rhythm answered what questions he could, the apprentices, no longer his, wanting to find some answer, some comfort in knowing.
"I hope you will all understand," Rhythm said as things began to wrap up. "I'm confident this will spread quickly, maybe that'll be a good thing, so I don't have to repeat this again." He gave a weak, guilty smile. "I'm very sorry. For…not being who I should have been."
"You've been a wonderful Guildmaster," Chimecho said. "I have never been so honoured as to work under you."
One by one, the others gave similar thoughts, even the teams that had failed to graduate. Although not all of them.
As the pokémon began to split apart and move, slowly, digesting that information and wondering what was next, Rhythm approached Team Ion.
Scout was in shock. The idea that Wigglytuff could ever NOT be the Guildmaster was…strange. Rai and Mane had known of him as the face and force of Treasure Town almost all their lives as well.
"I have another reason as to why I asked you here specifically," Rhythm said, taking them aside. The Swap Cauldron was back in business, and Croagunk never told secrets.
"What is it?"
Rhythm had a strange smile on his face. "I…heard from Litleo what you three are planning to do next," he said. Rai and Scout glanced to Mane, who nodded.
"We talked on the…morning after the party? Really early."
"And…I would like to ask you if I may join you."
All three's eyes flew wide.
"You what?"
"Did you just?"
"Huh?"
"Join?"
"Our team?"
"Wigglytuff?"
They tripped over each other's words until Scout and Mane stopped talking to let Rai finish for the three of them.
"Are you asking to join Team Ion, Gui…Wigglytuff?"
Rhythm nodded. "I…will understand if you say no. The three of you are very close, and I would never want to intrude. But…I do know Soothe, I may be able to help you find her. And not to have an ego, but I am quite strong."
Palkia could attest to that.
Rai didn't know what to say. It was…unbelievable, really, to hear that GUILDMASTER WIGGLYTUFF wanted to join the team.
"C-Can we think about it?" Rai asked.
"Of course," Rhythm said, nodding again. "This isn't a light decision to make. I wouldn't press it on you to answer me immediately. To be honest, I'm not sure what to do in order to figure out who I am again…."
"We'll talk about it," Rai said, giving him a nod back. "Alright?"
"Certainly."
And so the three of them raced off to talk about THAT.
They ran to the picnic spot Rai had taken them for their first date.
"What was that?" Scout asked. "Wigglytuff stepping down and wanting to join US?"
"I know," Rai said. "I know. I know." A broken record.
"That's really weird to ask," Mane said. "Do former Guildmaster's normally ask random teams if they can join?"
"We're not an example of a 'random' team," Scout pointed out. "We were apprentices, saved the world once or twice, and we ARE going to be looking for HIS former teammate."
"Could that be a good thing, then?" Rai asked. "Have someone who knows Soothe on our side when we track her down?"
"Or the worst thing," Mane, playing Giratina's Advocate, said. "I mean…he's the reason she's around in the first place, not putting her down the first time."
"She did save me," Scout offered.
"And also caused the problem by turning Darkrai in the first place," Mane shot back.
"Why did you tell him what we were doing?" Rai asked.
"I didn't know he'd ask to join our team!"
"And we weren't exactly being secret about it," Scout added. "He'd have found out sooner or later."
"This isn't why he's left the guild, is it?" Rai wondered. "Tell him we're going after his former teammate, then a couple days later, he asks to join us?"
"I don't think he's dangerous to us," Scout said, frowning at them. "This is Wigglytuff we're talking about."
"I didn't say he was dangerous!" Rai yelped, tail shooting up and smacking Mane in the face. "Sorry, Mane."
Mane rubbed his cheek. "I much prefer that tail raised for other reasons, but whatever. That's actually a point here if he's with us…."
Scout and Rai grimaced.
"I'm just saying! It's a valid thing to point out!"
"Not saying it isn't," Scout sighed before shifting. He couldn't help but consider what Mane said. "How long do you think it'll take to find Soothe, anyway?"
"She must be around somewhere," Rai said. "She turned up right after Darkrai put the town to sleep, so she must have been close."
"At THAT time," Mane said.
"What are the chances she was just 'around' though at that perfect time?"
"Hmm."
"Yeah," Scout said. "Now we're just circling into the reasons why we're looking for her. Who is she? Why is she? How is she still around despite the paradox? Why did she save me? Why did Wigglytuff spare her if she's a Shadow Pokémon? Why did she kill Darkrai? What is she planning? I just don't know. She saved me but then attacked me afterwards and left the town to the ferals. Was she just after Darkrai, but why? Is it a Dark Future thing? Revenge for that, again? She's just…."
"That one big loose end," Rai finished. They'd heard Scout ramble on about this for much longer.
"I guess, back to Wigglytuff. Yay or nay?"
"I reckon he'll be helpful," Scout said. "If we're going to want to find her, we were going to ask him for advice anyway. This way, we can leave earlier and have him on hand. PLUS, he's strong. So was Soothe."
"We're strong!" Rai protested.
"Yeah, but she was destroying Darkrai the entire fight. I think he got one hit on her, and she just ignored it anyway. I don't know for sure if she's going to be dangerous to us, but if she is…she's going to be dangerous."
"He does have a point, Mane," Rai said.
"Yeah," Mane grumbled. "I'm just being a bit careful. He let her go before, and I really doubt he just decided, 'oh, I'll help those guys out, might find my way in life.' He's a nice guy, for sure, but sometimes a little too nice. Which makes me feel like someone is hiding something."
"Wigglytuff…."
"Was hiding something," Mane said. "He was hiding her. If she IS a Shadow Pokémon, and I can tell you those are monsters." Rai nodded in agreement. "Then who knows what she's been doing, and he's just let her do it. Because he was too nice. IF, and by if I mean when, he joins us. I just think we need to be ready for him doing something stupid."
"…So, you think yay as well?"
Mane nodded. "He's strong, probably the strongest pokémon around now that Lucario's bit the dust." Scout had told them. "And he does know her, so he can almost definitely help us find her. It's just after that that I think we should be ready."
Rai nodded. "I…I trust Wigglytuff, but I agree that he's probably too nice. Scout?"
Scout nodded as well. "Yeah, no question there. We find her, he'll probably want to get answers as well, and that'll help. I just hope those answers…." He didn't finish the thought; he wasn't really sure how to. But Rai and Mane nodded in understanding.
Turns out Team Ion was getting a fourth member.
Mane and Saniya had been having fun together. Exploring a new dungeon, causing trouble in town, laughing together.
They were a similar sort and were a common pair to see stalking the streets of Treasure Town.
"Wee," Saniya trilled, doing a spinning dive bomb into a mound of leaves. "Now do it!"
Mane used Flamethrower. It was super effective.
Using Flamethrower on a Grass-type while they were within a mound of dry leaves was usually something a mon got arrested for. In this case, they were only probably getting arrested as Saniya burst out from the flaming pile, scattering burning leaves in every direction.
She was not aiming for a fire hazard, however, catching every leaf as it flickered in the air in psychic power, hundreds of individual leaves, burning up, caught all at once.
"Y-Yeah," Saniya grunted. She had to focus tremendously to do this. Holding so many objects, in general, was a challenge even for a powerful Psychic-type, but when they were burning as well meant the overstretched Power she was using was burning up as well, forcing her to constantly push just to hold them.
The image was a burning tree floating in the air, each individual leaf a mixture of brown, green, and red. Before almost all at once, the fire took them entirely, and the tree vanished into ash and smoke.
"Phew," Saniya sighed, lowering herself to the ground as she was able to let go. "There we go. That's the good ache." She rubbed her neck and smiled as Mane padded over.
"Better?" he asked.
"Just need a Snicker's, and I'll be right," Saniya agreed, nodding. She got up on very wobbly feet, hanging onto Mane's pelt to stabilise herself. Then, they started walking.
"Do you think we could get pie afterwards?" Saniya asked.
"We deserve it," Mane agreed, nodding. "Pie each?"
"Oh yes! Blueberry!"
"With cinnamon."
"Eating tree bark, yum!"
"There's a tree." Mane gestured with a tail, as using his paw might rock him, and Saniya would fall over. "Want to chew on it?"
"Hmm," Saniya observed the pine tree with a concerning amount of hunger. "Nah, pine makes me sneeze."
"Don't sniff it then."
"That is the only way to imbibe, Mane!"
"You don't drink trees, lady lass!"
"You mean YOU don't drink trees. You can't prove I don't."
"Drink it then."
"I'm not thirsty."
"I thought the thirst never let up. You look at Striker like you've never drank a drop."
"Well, I haven't," Saniya grumbled.
"There-there," he said, patronisingly patting her head with his tail. "There's only enough game for one of us."
"So, you stole it from me!?"
"Can't steal what you never had."
Saniya gasped in major emotional offence.
They continued trading barbs as they walked.
This was the sort of thing they got up to. Dramatic displays of awesome power and skill, firepower, and leaf power like one had never seen before.
They ran about town, scaring the populace with their awesomeness.
However, there was more to it.
"Want to knock?" Mane asked as they reached their house.
Saniya was panting a little but trying to pretend she wasn't. "Of course," she said confidently. She had to let go of Mane to make the last few steps, tired and wobbling, but she did it without using any psychic powers to lay some delicate knocks on the door.
Thankfully, the house wasn't big, so her feather touches were still heard.
"Hi!" Azurill chirped, opening the door.
"I have the goods," Saniya said, pulling something from nowhere.
"Oooh, The Great Dusknoir's autograph!" Azurill squealed before rolling off to place it with his shrine to Guardian.
It called him The Great and Cool and Awesome Dusknoir and was the cutest thing.
Azurill had a lot of autographs from Guardian. Enough to start dating what day they were obtained, but he always could use more.
"Mother's in her room," Azurill chirped from the other room.
Thanking him, they headed in.
It was a new thing to see Azumarill together. Not any pair would work, as things had to be private. Scout and Striker did some sessions together to help work through the issues they had specifically with each other, and Guardian had also sat in with Scout for a good feelings session that left everyone feeling better.
Mane and Saniya were an odd choice, having no problem with each other and very personal things to consider. However, they had come to talk about things normally reserved for Azumarill.
Things that Mane wasn't too sure he wanted to put on Rai and Scout. He knew they'd be brilliant and support him, but he didn't want to burden them any more than he already did. Azumarill was working on Mane, seeing himself as a burden.
As for Saniya, no one else really quite got the erratics she presented. They understood, of course, that she had to find some way to survive the Dark Future, but no one quite understood from a personal level the way putting on an act eventually became their personality.
Saniya was a bit weird. This wasn't a coping mechanism or a mask. The same with Mane's somewhat perverted nature. It was simply who they were.
However, these things had started as coping mechanisms, and they found common ground in that. Faking until they made it and then enjoying who they were afterwards.
It wasn't a deeply sad thing they spoke about; having this in common, simply something that both of them understood. So, they occasionally would go to Azumarill together and give all three of them a few laughs.
"What do you think has been the biggest challenge for you in these sessions?" Azumarill asked them both.
It was Saniya who answered. "Probably accepting that…I'm okay? That being Crazy Saniya isn't actually a bad thing."
Azumarill nodded. She had come to her with a plan to change all of that, which Azumarill would support if that's what she wanted. The previous party actually was her shot at that, but she had already been doubting it. It made her mind up entirely on that.
"Just talking about what really went down," Mane admitted. He still would edge around the truth on occasion, but he had made leaps and bounds on actually talking frankly. "Working through 'I'm okay to be like this even though Mother' has been just as hard."
"There's something to be said on nature vs nurture," Azumarill said. "From what I've heard from you if this is okay to say?" Both nodded. "Both of you seem to have been naturally inclined to developing the personalities you have. The things you had to go through to survive may have affected this development, of course, but I think it's more than okay to love you for yourselves."
"We are pretty great," Mane agreed.
"I'm so smart and beautiful."
"No one matches my ruggedness."
"Striker."
"Shush."
Afterwards, it was more walking.
She'd go as far as the primary trail, hanging onto Mane as her legs ached and arms did too. She'd float the rest of the way, no need for anyone else to see Saniya not skipping leg day because she looked silly while doing it.
"You know, I've been wondering something?" Mane said as they reached the path and Saniya stopped tugging on his fur.
"What's going on in that handsome little head of yours?" Saniya asked, popping her shoulders.
"How did Celebi, in general, become the Time Travel Pokémon? I mean, Dialga's already a thing, so…?"
Saniya had frozen. Entirely, even her wings. For a dramatic sense, she was holding herself in psychic.
Her bones creaked as she turned to look at Mane and her eyes shone colours he could not determine. "You ask a dangerous question, Mane of the Litleo. Answers you may not be able to handle, the knowledge that could propel you upwards or drag you down into the voidlands."
"So, you don't know?" Mane asked dryly.
"Shut your bitch speaking whore mouth!"
"You're not Rai or Scout!"
"Too much information, eww!"
She began pelting him with leaves she pulled off the trees, and Mane bolted, Saniya pursuing even as he used Quick Attack, hitting him with twigs as they laughed their way back to town.
"Oh my sweet baby boy," Guardian bemoaned. "Oh gosh, oh Arceus. Master Dialga. Lord Giratina. Why? Why? WHY?"
"It's not that bad," Scout said.
"It is, in fact, The Bad! The worst! I am the actual worst. Bury me now; I don't deserve to continue."
It was two days before they left, and so Scout had thought of a nice little idea. A gift, something from him to Guardian.
It was a small scarf, made of Reaper Cloth he'd…convinced Duskull to give him, made in the same fashion as Scout's own old blanket that he wore as his scarf now. With aid from Croagunk and some special duskull-family items, he'd managed to create him an Unlucky Sash, a powerful item for a Dusknoir, reversing their weakness to their own type to something that empowered them.
Guardian had been extremely moved and was currently having a meltdown as he did not do the same for Scout.
"Consider it a bunch of Father's Day gifts I missed," Scout tried.
"Because I had left my boy alone in the darkness," Guardian cried, beginning to genuinely break down into tears.
"G-G-Gua…Dad."
That. That stopped him.
"I'm so sorry, Scout." Guardian nearly crushed him in a hug that could pop bones if it wasn't for the fact that Scout was a durable little cat. This was possibly the reason he was so tough; one had to be to endure a loving fathers embrace.
"It's really okay," Scout squeaked, the air being pushed out of his lungs. He held onto what he could until Guardian calmed down enough to remember they were in public, and everyone was staring.
"I don't care that everyone knows I love my son!" he declared, very loudly. "I would have ended the world for him, and I'd do it again!"
"DAD!" Scout yelled, mortified. "N-No! Stop talking!"
"I'm only kidding," Guardian insisted, picking Scout up gently and propping him on his shoulder. He was probably kidding. Maybe. Very solid, maybe.
"Thank you for this," Guardian said softly, admiring the feel of the sash as Scout tied it around his arm. "I've never received a gift so nice. But I cannot allow this to go unrewarded."
"It's for you," Scout insisted as Guardian began to float towards the guild. "Not because I want something in return, but because I want you to be safe. You know, if Giratina decides to be a bit bitey, you can deal with it."
"Hoo-hoo-ha, hopefully, that is not the case, but thank you for the care. Now, to Croagunk!"
"Meh-heh-heh, back already, Meowth?" Croagunk asked as they arrived at his shop. He'd been booming in business, everyone trading now that the Swap Cauldron was back again. It had taken Scout a while to get Croagunk's time, but he was free at the moment.
"My son has granted me a prize born of care and love. I shall do the same!" Guardian declared, his word stone and his will absolute.
"What have you got to trade?" Croagunk asked, tapping his venomous fingers on the rim of the cauldron.
On the inside, it was a swirling miasma. Not quite liquid, not quite a gas, certainly not solid besides the metal itself. It was a strange thing, something Scout couldn't figure out how it worked. Croagunk was not the kind of pokémon who explained things.
Scout chalked it up to magic and left it at that.
"Team Sunrise collects treasures," Guardian answered. "Celebi most especially will carry everything shiny or valuable that she can. I have a great many things to trade, and I will obtain a Bling Ruff, an Energy Scarf, and a Blaze Collar."
Croagunk, ever the stoic, almost adjusted his expression at the gall of this demand. "That's some mighty fine treasures you are seeking."
"That's…really a lot," Scout said, shocked that Guardian was thinking of Rai and Mane as well.
"I offer you all the treasure we have," Guardian said solemnly.
"Dad!"
"Mmm." Croagunk still hadn't shifted his expression, but his cheek pouches did pause in their inflating when Guardian made his offer. "I'll need to see it first."
"Done."
Guardian sank into the ground, malevolently, setting Scout down as he could not move through solid things as the dusknoir could.
"I…don't know what he's thinking," he said to Croagunk.
"Meh-heh-heh. Business."
As Guardian and Croagunk worked things out, Scout backed off to find Rai and Mane.
"You won't believe what Guardian is doing," he said, still thrown by it all.
"That reminds me," Guardian said, causing Scout to shriek and jump. He did NOT see that coming, and Guardian caught him. "I have something else I'd like to talk to you about."
"Holy moly, you scared the hell out of me," Scout said, heart pounding. "Where did you come from?"
"The ground," Rai said cheerfully.
"Looked really scary," Mane added. "We didn't say anything as he put a finger to his face, you know the whole 'Shh' gesture?"
"You're all evil," Scout grumbled. "What is it?"
"In private. Saniya?" She appeared with a bang. "Get them ready."
Rai and Mane shared a concerned look. "Ready for what?"
"Oh…you know?" Saniya said, cocking her head and grinning a very unfriendly grin. "Stuff."
"So, as our teams are ready to depart once more," Guardian said, pulling Scout aside privately to talk. "I thought of something I did not have a chance to do when you left to track down Pyroar."
"Okay…?"
"Now, I am aware and accepting of your relationship. But there are some things that need to be discussed." Scout suddenly felt very, very bad. "How things may progress in your relationship, for example."
"Oh, my-NO!"
"Yes, Scout. I am your father-"
"That's not what Mane said last night," Scout snarked.
Guardian paused "…I'm going to act like I didn't hear that, and you have likely forgotten the last time we had the Pidgey and the Beedrill talk."
"RAI! MANE! HELP!"
"They cannot save you," Guardian said solemnly. "Saniya is getting ready for another talk with them. But let's get this over with sooner rather than later. Now, you are all males, so I won't need all of the toolboxes as last time. Anyway, so…."
By the time Scout returned, he was shaking and horrified. "I am an adult," he whimpered, heading towards Spinda's Café. He couldn't look at anyone, especially not Rai, Mane, or Guardian. "And it's not like we haven't already. I'm in a relationship with Mane, for the legends sake. Oh no."
While Scout drowned his sorrows, Guardian returned to a very-scared-looking Rai and Mane.
"That has been dealt with," he said to Saniya, who paused her demonstration of the spiked mace and the ways it broke watermelon with ease.
"Fantabulous," Saniya said, tossing the fruit-bloodied weapon aside. "Okay. Boys. We have a little bad cop/bad cop routine for you two."
"Isn't it…good cop/bad cop?" Rai asked.
Saniya grinned. "No!"
It was awfully dark on this sunny day as Guardian spoke. "You two have convinced my boy you are worth even an hour of his attention. That is up to him, and I accept that."
"And as an aside," Saniya said flippantly. "You three are very cute together and make a fantastic team. Even doing well with therapy and talking and healthiness and all that jazz."
She was not the good cop.
"However." Saniya grinned, a grin that was somehow larger than her face. "Little baby Scout is an easily corruptible togetic, and you've put your filthy paws on him without talking to us first."
Rai and Mane shared a wide-eyed look of terror.
Guardian grabbed the mace while Saniya began playing with a rusty iron thorn. The rust was suspiciously reddish black. "Thus, we need to have a certain conversation before you three traipse off into the wilderness together," he said darkly.
By the time they were released, they joined Scout at Spinda's Café, shaking and blank-eyed.
Saniya, as it turned out, could list some very creative ways to use common objects. That was not so much of a surprise.
What was, happened to be the depth in which Guardian could describe the process of making people disappear without a trace, questions, or anything suspicious.
The last days were coming upon them. That all seven of them were together.
In two days' time, Team Ion would depart, Wigglytuff included. Team Sunrise would ride Lapras yet again to the Hidden Land, Scout had given them an idea of where he remembered the World Abyss to be, but his memory was not exactly great for extremely specific dungeons from the post-game.
So, they were going to head to Dialga first. He'd given them the ability to invade Palkia's realm; if nothing else, he'd surely be able to point them towards Giratina?
Assuming he didn't eat them for bothering him yet again.
Wigglytuff was still living at the guild, so Team Ion still awoke to Rai's badgering. "We got another letter!" he was saying, poking Scout and Mane repeatedly.
"I'd prefer another kind of poking," Mane grumbled, eyes squinted open.
"Get up, and maybe I will," Rai said, nudging them both. Mane groaned but acquiesced. Scout was harder to rouse, but Rai threatened to jump on him, so Scout stopped pretending to be asleep.
"What is it, Rai?" Scout moaned, really not wanting to get up.
"We have a letter!"
"Read it and go back to sleep."
"I did, and it's too exciting to hold off on. Come up, get up!" Rai roamed over to the water basin and dunked his tail before flicking it at both of them.
Mane hissed, steam hissing from his head.
Scout gave in and sat up, rubbing his face. "How early is it?"
"Too early," Mane grumbled. "The sun has barely even begun to rise."
"We can watch the sunrise together!" Rai said, as bright as the rising sun. "Come on, up, you get."
"You will be making this up to us," Mane swore, and Rai winked, curling his tail around Mane's.
"I promise."
They walked out, Scout now holding the letter that had been discarded on the ground in favour of waking them up. Once outside in the chilly air, they sat close as Scout unfolded it and they read it.
Ta daaa~ Hello, hello, hello Team Ion!
I've heard just so much about you over the waves, and I've decided I just HAVE to help you!
Lucky you, huh?
But I got to meet you first! Bring your paws; I need autographs. Everyone will love them.
I can definitely help you; yep, sure can. Absolutely. I just GOT to meet you.
I'm riding the waves at the moment, heeheehee, spinning around. And you got to prove yourselves!
What's that? You saved the world. That's amazing! Come to Batlock, talk to Darmanitan; she'll get you in the right spot, yep, absolutely. It's easy, not up to luck.
Well, she might be cranky. Haha, maybe you'll need to catch her at the right time. Be careful!
I know what you're looking for.
You'll know me when we meet!
From Vi
From Victory!
Ps. Hi.
"…This is from Victini," Scout said flatly.
They had to bring this to Rhythm's attention.
"Why would Victini be contacting us?" Rai wondered, after showing Rhythm the letter.
"You mean why wouldn't Victini be contacting us?" Mane corrected. "We're awesome! Saved the world twice. That's better than Paradise or Team Go-Getters!"
"Easy tiger, don't get a big head."
"It isn't too unusual to see this," Rhythm said, chiming in. "Victini can be a little…strange, but he's very knowledgeable. Especially about his current topic of obsession."
"You sound like you know him?" Scout asked.
Rhythm shrugged. "I met him once, Trill, Soothe, and I. Very…energetic, haha. Imagine Celebi…but replace her threats with puns, and that's close to Victini."
"Oh, good grief," Mane groaned. Rai agreed.
"Oh, come on," Scout laughed. "I think puns are purrfect."
"Perish."
"Your sarcasm's getting better!"
"Who said it was sarcasm?"
"What does he mean by 'I know what you're looking for'?" Scout asked. "We're looking for, well, Soothe."
Rhythm hesitated. "As I said. Very knowledgeable about his current topic of obsession. It sounds like he's a fan of yours, so he's probably been finding everything out about you three."
A fanboy.
Saniya-tier fanboy.
"Oh dear," Scout said.
That was a terrifying thought. But…Batlock. A small fishing village along the coast towards Capim Town. That was a first step they could take. Even with Rhythm's help, they weren't sure where to start. It was pretty close to Treasure Town, enough that maybe something could be found.
And, well, if Victini could help….
It was something to start with.
Mane was a bit odd today.
It was the last day, the day before Team Sunrise were going to head off. Team Ion wouldn't be far behind them, and Team Voyage had already left.
And Mane had woken up first. That was strike one on the strange-o-metre.
He was lazier than Scout if he had the chance.
Strike two was preparing breakfast. Actually preparing it, he roasted berries with sugar dusted on them. Sugar was expensive, but Team Ion were Team Ion and could obtain such treasures.
Breakfast was very good, waking up to the smell of sugar-roasted fruit.
Not that Mane was an unthoughtful pokémon. To outsiders, he may have seemed nothing but crass, but he was very sweet.
However, it was a little odd, which only got more so when he seemed a bit jumpy and fidgety about getting ready for the day.
With this essentially being their last day all together, Team Ion and Team Sunrise were going to spend the day together.
"We got to get all freshened up," Mane suggested. "Bathing ourselves will take too long, so let's go to the hot springs! Race ya!"
Rai, always up for a run, quickly kept match. Scout normally would resist, but the sugar had put him in a playful mood, and he raced after them.
As like on their date, they were faster than him when using Quick Attack, but the moment that ceased, Scout would catch up, leading to a tug-of-war for first place.
None of their species were built for endurance running; however, one of the major tenants of being an exploration team member was building stamina as best as one could. The strongest pokémon could fail in a weak dungeon by simply running out of stamina to continue after all.
They wouldn't be able to run at full speed the whole way, but they made a significant portion before slowing to a stroll.
Rai and Scout shared some curious looks, wondering what Mane was planning. He wasn't the best at hiding his excitement for things, and there was clearly something else going on with his eagerness and energy for the day.
And the reason was revealed as they arrived.
There was no one at the hot springs; even Torkoal was gone. Well, not no one.
"They're up!" Sean called, sensing them coming, and Team Sunrise waved them over.
"I talked to Torkoal about reserving the Hot springs for just us today," Mane said happily. "He's doing pretty good at the moment, and Ponyta was happy to spend some time with him and Team Flame, so everyone wins!"
"You got us the hot springs for the whole day?" Scout asked, touched. Mane nodded, beaming. "Aww." He gave Mane a lick on the nose, and Mane grinned, only blushing and sparking a little from the public affection.
It was a hot springs relaxation day!
There was no need for difficult talks and painful goodbyes, just a good time to relax in the pleasant waters of the hot springs.
"What do you think will happen next?" Scout wondered, floating in the water. "Because I don't know. And I'm happy about that, but also a little worried. Not really knowing what's going to happen next. I haven't felt that in a while."
"Now you're just like the rest of us," Sean teased, splashing him. "Gotta live every day as they come."
"Heh." Scout splashed him back, hit Saniya, who was practising her dramatic dives.
"You do realise you have violated the ceasefire?" Saniya asked softly. The water began to churn. "War it is."
And what a water war it was.
What a nice chapter. It didn't have any unanswered questions at all!
Hahahahaha.
So, we've passed the suddenly-decided-upon chapters and have reached the start of the Arc that I had planned! This is likely why this chapter was so much sooner than I have been posting lately. I can't say for sure if this will continue, but I am excited, so hopefully, I'll be a bit quicker than once a month, haha.
Thanks for reading! If you'd like, I have a discord you can join! It's not just about my stories; it's got a general side to it.
An invite code: discord gg/X8HWHUbX