Harkening back to a little of Arc 2, we've got some split POV.
This won't be forever. There's just a bunch of stuff happening all at the same time!
Say hello to Team Ion. Four members strong now.
They were leaving. Again. But for good reasons this time. Team Ion were all dressed up for the occasion, too, with powerful items gifted to them by Guardian and Croagunk.
They were saying goodbye; it was nice until Sean poked him in the ribs. "It's not healthy, is what it is. Be safe, don't do anything stupid."
Scout smirked. "You mean anything I'd do?"
"No." Sean shook his head, those sensors jangling. "I mean, don't do anything stupid. You're not stupid."
That meant a lot to Scout. "Well…." Joking would be unnecessarily mood-slaying, so instead, he said. "Be safe yourself. Keep an eye out for anyone I mentioned, or just suspicious in general. Things shouldn't be happening yet, but we all know how well it goes when I think that."
Sean nodded firmly for the advice before pulling back to let Saniya latch onto Scout and weep a little, and then Guardian, who wept a lot.
As Scout was released and the other two hugged as well, Striker cleared his throat and stepped forwards. "I wish we could spend more time getting to know each other again," he said awkwardly; Scout understood what he was saying.
Scout flexed his claws, but not threateningly. "Once we get back together. I bet I'll have a proper ranged Night Slash to show you by then!" He would; he was sure of it.
"I'll hold you to that."
Scout smiled. "See you, Striker."
"See you, Scout."
Finally, it was well past the time they had agreed to leave; the two teams separated. At this point, they were really just one, just with two names.
Everyone gave one last set of goodbyes to everyone, including a shout to Treasure Town. And then?
Then the journey began once more.
Batlock was a…place.
Actually, that was rude. Everything felt a little duller compared to the chaos that Treasure Town lived and breathed. Batlock was actually a very nice place.
On the ocean just like Treasure Town, simply further North, along the road to Capim Town. There was no Lapras Dock, but there was a bustling trade of treasures fished up from the briny depths of the ocean.
There was no guild located there, but a branch of the Rescue Team Federation kept a notice board updated on calls for help.
"Have you three been here before?" Rhythm asked once they had entered the fishing town well and proper.
"No, we didn't pass through it when we were chasing…." Rai trailed off, realising halfway through who he was about to mention.
"Pyroar," Mane finished, rolling his eyes. "Nah, we didn't hug the coast too much. We headed inland pretty quickly."
"I can show you around then!" Rhythm said, beaming. "It's been a little while since I was here last, but places don't usually change too soon."
"When were you here last?" Rai asked, cocking his head.
Rhythm's smile became a little fixed. "Probably around twenty years ago, I'd say." He smiled again, for real, and bobbed his head slightly. "Anyway, there should be a very lovely café near the centre of town and…."
Rhythm showed them through the town. More than a few eyes fell on them, and a few pokémon welcomed them to town pleasantly.
No one asked if they were Team Ion or the former Guildmaster Wigglytuff.
However, it was not all unfamiliar faces.
"Look at this," a sharp voice said, pulling their attention away from Rhythm explaining the history of the Batlock Brown Bench.
A mixture of strolling and strutting came Team Razor Wind.
"Hi, guys!" Rai said, beaming up at the three pokémon with very sharp limbs. "Funny seeing you out here!"
"What's up, Shinx?" Zangoose said as Sandslash waved, and Scyther nodded.
"Nothing much. We've just set out recently with Wigglytuff!"
"So, the rumours were true." Sandslash looked Rhythm up and down, curiously taking in everything he could about the soft-looking wigglytuff.
"How are you three?" Rhythm asked softly. It was not a secret between them that Team Razor Wind did not get along well with Guildmaster Wigglytuff.
Zangoose getting booted from the guild years back probably was the reason for that.
"We're good," Sandslash said, markedly more pleasant than his leader. He had no beef with Rhythm besides team pride. "We're heading down South. We were going to stop around Treasure Town to see if there was any interesting work being advertised through the guild. Hoping to see you three too." He nodded to Team Ion.
"What did you want to see us for?" Rai asked.
"Nothing special," Sandslash replied, glancing to Zangoose, who was stubbornly holding Rhythm's gaze without looking away. "Uh…?" He nudged Zangoose, who didn't react.
"Don't mind him," Scyther sighed as Zangoose began to squint. Seems that he was refusing to even blink. Rhythm was smiling in a mixture of amusement and challenge to the aggressive former apprentice.
Rai nodded in understanding. Zangoose had always been like that, one of the few pokémon to tell him that maybe the guild wasn't worth joining back when he went up to every exploration team that came around to ask for stories and advice.
Team Razor Wind enjoyed talking about themselves, so he had endeared himself to them pretty easily. Although now Rai was the mon that others came to for stories and advice, still everyone always had their idols.
"Just thought we'd catch up when we passed through," Sandslash explained, since it was very clear that Zangoose, with his tearing eyes, was not able to, his head was tilting with the effort to not back down from the former Guildmaster.
Rhythm could sleep with his eyes wide open. There was no beating him in a staring contest.
"Oh! Well, we've been really good lately. Heading out on a personal mission now, we're trying to track down this lavender audino. You might have heard about the guild looking?"
"Right." Sandslash nodded.
"We'll find her," Rhythm said, being merciful and finally looking away. Zangoose immediately sagged and began blinking a lot to clear the stinging in his eyes. He couldn't rub his face, not with those claws.
"That why you left the guild then?" Zangoose growled, eyes cleared enough to fix back into his trademark scowl.
"It was time to go." Rhythm nodded.
Zangoose snorted but didn't say anything more.
The two teams chatted a little more. Well, more like Team Razor Wind spoke to Rai. They had nothing against Mane or Scout, but there simply wasn't as much to say.
Before they did part, Rai remembered to ask something.
"Oh!" His eyes flicked up. "Since you guys have been here for a bit, have you seen a darmanitan around? The letter from Victini we're following asked us to talk to her and that she might be a 'little cranky'. You three look like you know what that means?"
Their expressions had turned after Rai mentioned Darmanitan.
"You've been asked to chat to Darmanitan?" Zangoose asked seriously.
"…Yeah?"
Zangoose gave a low whistle as Scyther said. "Seems like the kind of challenge a legendary would ask. Damn. Victini's a savage."
Rai glanced between the three with mounting wariness. "Why? What's wrong with talking to her?"
"Darmanitan ain't exactly the cuddliest pokémon around," Sandslash said. "Guess it's good you got Wigglytuff. Having Sing ought to help. You can find her up in the mountainous area up yonder." He pointed to the craggy cliffs not far out of town. "She's there because there's not many valuables there that she can break…or burn. If you catch my drift?"
Rai pursed his lips, looking out into the area before nodding. "I think so. Thanks, guys."
"I know you're brave," Zangoose said, having one last thing to say. "Much braver than you used to be, and you've been asked to do this for literally-legends know why. But it's still worth questioning. Darmanitan isn't nice. We went around there due to the whole town shaking and roaring, and she nearly snapped our blades like sticks. At least you can use Wigglytuff for something useful. Good luck, Shinx."
With that happy message, they went on.
Rai quickly joined the rest of his team, who had moved onto playing tic-tac-toe in the dirt a few leaps away.
Rhythm was winning.
"Hey, uh…sorry about that." Rai apologised.
"Don't worry," Scout said brightly. "They're pretty cool."
"Definitely a trio of nice guys," Mane agreed, giving his eyebrows a wiggle.
Rhythm giggled apologetically as he put in the last cross and trapped Scout in an unwinnable position.
"Dammit," Scout cursed, clearing the dirt and removing the evidence of his loss.
"I asked them about Darmanitan," Rai said. "And…they seemed pretty concerned. She should be out there." He pointed to the rocky area. "Because it's the only place she doesn't break and burn everything."
"Ah," Scout said. "So, this is one of those?"
"Seems like it."
"Shall we head off then?" Rhythm asked brightly. "While the sun is shining, she might be in a better mood!"
Rhythm's cheer was rather infectious, and even Rai, a little more concerned, was drawn up in his cheerful humming.
"Tra la la, tre lelele. Tralalala. Trelelele."
Scout hummed along; a song he didn't really know how he knew came to mind.
Leaving Batlock didn't take long; the place was a fair bit smaller than Treasure Town. However, the path immediately grew difficult with sharp stones sticking out of the ground and signs of constant battle.
"How many last stands were had here?" Scout asked, looking at a pile of smashed stones that looked like they had met the head of a rampardos being flung by a machamp after being set on fire.
"Seems like at least four," Mane said, poking at a still-glowing piece of rock. "Oww! Hot!"
"Not as hot as you," Scout said, accidentally sweeping his tail over it. "AH! HOT! HOTTER THAN MANE!"
"Oh no," Rai gasped, running over. "How are you not dead? Anything hotter than Mane must be lava at least!"
"Kiss my tail better?" Scout pouted, holding his completely-unsigned tail tip.
"You think you're funny," Mane said, blushing through his fur.
"No, I think you're hot," Scout said, teasing Mane's nose with the tip of his tail. He yelped when Mane bit it. "Okay, okay, okay. Ow, let go!"
Mane did and spat out some fur. "You need a bath."
"No, I don't!"
"I think he does," Rai agreed.
"Hair. Balls."
"Sure."
"Rai!" Scout pushed him off before the shinx's greater weight could trap him. "We have company!"
Rhythm waved awkwardly from where he was not quite looking at them.
Look. Team Ion were happy to have him with them, but it was easy to forget they weren't alone. All three of them blushing, untangled and cleared their throats.
"So, Darmanitan?" Scout said.
"Yes, please."
"Okay."
She was not a difficult pokémon to find.
One just had to follow the most recent trail of destruction, lit with burning rocks.
In the midst of a rocky crater, stones still rolling from a sudden quake that shook the ground stood a panting beast of muscle and fire.
Darmanitan.
Her head raised sharply as the sound of paws on the ground braved against the hush the land had taken after her most recent attack.
"Who dares come here?" she uttered. The words were soft, yet they carried far and wide.
"Darmanitan!" Rai called, leaping down with Scout and Mane right behind him. "I am Shinx of Team Ion!"
The weight behind Team Ion's name was enough to hold her off for a moment, a small boulder in her hand being crushed to dust rather than flung at the shinx.
"And what business do you have here?" Darmanitan demanded.
"We've been asked to," Rai answered honestly. "By Victini."
Darmanitan stared at him before snorting. "Speak any more nonsense like that, and I'll smash you to pieces."
"May we ask what you are doing?" Rhythm asked, the last to slide down the cliff's edge to reach the ground.
"What does it LOOK like I'm doing, wiggly?" Darmanitan demanded, her fists burst into flames. "I'm relaxing. Do you know what the opposite of relaxing is? TALKING!"
She gave a frustrated roar, rising in pitch as the heat of the battlefield singed their fur.
"SHUT UP! LEAVE! OR I WILL SMASH YOU TOO!"
Team Ion all fell into a battle stance, and Darmanitan almost smiled. "Gooooood," she growled, as an aura of power built around her. The stones shivered and small pebbles raised as the ground began to shake.
"RrrrRRRAAAAGH!"
Darmanitan attacked.
Team Ion immediately scattered in different directions. Scout, bold as anyone, ran right between her legs while Rai and Mane went right and left. Rhythm stayed where he was, smile set on his face as his eyes tracked her every movement.
As he was the only one who didn't disappear as soon as she charged, she ran for him. Rhythm carefully set a foot slightly back and braced, bringing his arms up as Darmanitan slammed both fists down on him, thinking to create Former Guildmaster Paste.
Rhythm caught both of her arms with his own. The ground below him didn't crack as the elasticity of his body caused him to buckle down before springing back up, bouncing her hit back so hard it tossed her off her feet.
"TAAHHH!" Rhythm yelled. He didn't commit to the full Yoom-TAH as that was overkill. However, a basic Hyper Voice still held enough shout to blast her in mid-air like a cannon shot. Darmanitan's arms were flung back, nearly throwing herself in mid-air with the weight of them being rejected by sheer force.
While Rhythm being a badass was absolutely nothing new, the rest of the team weren't just running and hiding while he did all the work.
Rai began to pepper her with Thunderbolts; as Scout armed himself with a blast seed he melted into a Shadow Ball. He formed a Night Slash as well. His eyes tracked Darmanitan as she fell from Rhythm's blows, nodding to Mane, who had positioned himself as the ready.
Scout tossed the Shadow Ball in an arc, colliding with Darmanitan's hand. It had snapped out to catch the attack, but perhaps she hadn't realised the ball had a surprise in it.
"YeeOUCH!" Darmanitan cursed as her hand received a blast seed detonation, jarring every finger. With her left hand suddenly taken out of the picture, she landed with less than grace. The hand positioned to catch her had to be quickly shifted for the right, causing her to flop and crash rather than land with the aura of smug coolness.
Then Mane exploded her too.
His attacks would be less effective than the others here, but the fire still hurt.
Rai and Scout began to run, closing around Darmanitan to keep her surrounded and her wrath not solely on Mane as Rhythm too leapt up, doing a few flips in the air.
Scout tried tossing the Night Slash, but it didn't quite work, and Rai Charged for a stronger stream of lightning. Thunder boomed as lightning crackled, and he lit her up in a continuous stream of electricity.
Darmanitan was not stopped by it. Even as her body twitched and jerked, she began to charge him instead, ripping a stone out of the ground. Rai yelped, dropped his discharge, and scrambled to dodge before she smashed him with the rock.
He dove between her legs just in time.
Scout began to run, stuffing his hand into the Treasure Bag to find a better seed. He found an x-eye seed and decided that was good enough.
Darmanitan was a lot faster than someone who had been shocked, exploded, and thrown normally would be, and she whipped around in a flash, tossing the rock at Rai's retreating back.
He was hit by a splash of dust as Rhythm cut his arm out, pounding the stone to dust before it could do serious damage to Rai. Rhythm hissed in pain, grabbing at his paw as the shards of stone drew blood, and Scout and Mane attacked.
"Don't you DARE!" Mane roared. He forewent anything ranged, instead charging in with fire crackling in his mouth. Scout hissed, and blood smoked into shadows, forming the ghostly ball that blended in a violet haze with the seed.
Mane unleashed a stream of fire, far more pronounced than his Ember spray attack as Rai's claws came out, and he spun himself around, carving scratches into the rocky ground.
Mane's Flamethrower enveloped Darmanitan's face and perfectly obscured her vision for Scout to call. "Smoke!"
Mane cut the attack as Scout tossed his Shadow Ball like a softball. As the stream faded and wouldn't destroy his attack too early, the Shadow Ball zoomed in and popped on Darmanitan's face.
She gasped, breathed in, and sneezed before groaning as her eyes crossed and her vision went funky. "Oooahhhg!"
"Attack now!" Mane yelled as Darmanitan staggered.
Scout and Rhythm raced in as Rai and Mane flashed.
On the cloudless sky, Thunder rumbled, and lightning struck.
Darmanitan roared as the air was ionized from the lightning strike. The air smelled like burning metal before something actually burning hit her.
Fur roasted and disintegrated as fire enveloped Darmanitan.
She fought it off, sheer speed blowing the fire off her as she lashed out, swinging at Scout and Rhythm as they got too close. Rhythm darted back, but Scout leapt forth, twisting to evade the brutal strike to his bones and catching his claws onto her arm instead.
She grappled at him as he ran up her body, jumping from muscle to chest to her furious face. Scout's claws, all four sets, latched onto her skull and his koban flashed as his eyes met hers.
Scout's Hypnosis couldn't hope to work before she grabbed him and squeezed the air out of his lungs. But it didn't need to work completely.
As he latched on and his will met her, it staggered her for just a moment. The next grab, slow and ponderous compared to the furious grappling from moments ago. Scout leapt back, scratching lines through her neck fur as she nearly clocked herself with her own hand.
He leapt back, intentionally doing a backflip as Rhythm brought his paws forth.
The space that Darmanitan occupied nearly popped as she quite suddenly vacated it.
A double paw Pound to her chest knocked Darmanitan flying, crashing her braviary-spread into the rockface of the cliffs she called her home, cratering it from the impact.
"Gaah…guh…oh fuu. Oww."
Slowly, step by step, Darmanitan peeled off the wall, her fire petering out, her arms dropping, and then finally, she fell flat on her face.
Team Ion panted together, converging as Scout pulled berries out of the Treasure Bag to quickly hand around.
You know, just in case, Darmanitan was one of those pokémon who turned red and decided to go for round two.
Thankfully, she was content to breathe on her front for a few minutes until Rhythm took an oran berry and approached.
"Here," he offered, handing out the oran berry. She cracked an eye open and stared at his offering for a long moment before grunting and opening her mouth.
He tossed it in, and she chewed it up quickly. Once it was down, she groaned and began to lean up, bracing herself on the ground with an arm. Rhythm offered a paw of help but didn't simply grab her, and she didn't take it.
"Oogh. I see the stories ain't JUST stories," Darmanitan said, rubbing her chest where the bruising was worst. "Team Ion, you are no joke." She peered at Rhythm suspiciously. "And I didn't hear you had four members. You the Guildmaster of Treasure Town?"
"I was," Rhythm confirmed.
"Peh. Makes sense that you hit like a tyranitar and look like a buneary."
"I would have thought I looked like a wigglytuff?"
"Don't sass me, or I'll thump you!"
She glared at Team Ion's kitties as they approached, but there was a remarkable lack of heat compared to her earlier stares. "Alright, you won; what do you want from me?"
"Victini," Rai began, and she rolled her eyes.
"This again. What are you really here for?" she demanded.
"We really were asked," Rai protested, and she waved at him dismissively.
"Yeah, sure. But that just means you're just doing something, so you'll get something. What are you wanting?"
"Victini says he can help us."
"To…?"
"We're searching for a lavender audino named Soothe," Rai explained. "And we can use all the help we can get."
"Feh. Whatever. Why would Victini want you to talk to me? I know nothing about no Victini or Soothe's in these parts."
Scout dug the letter out and quickly read the relevant part. "Come to Batlock, talk to Darmanitan; she'll get you in the right spot, yep, absolutely."
Darmanitan blinked at him. "That's it?"
"Well, he goes on to ramble about not being up to luck and you being…cranky." Scout edged off at the end there, not wanting to aggravate her again.
To his surprise, she snorted. "Pfft. Okay, wow. Dick. Not you," she added quickly. "I mean the writer of this letter. Calls me a bitch, tells you to talk to me. I don't fucking know what to say. I don't have any idea about this. I'm just minding my business, thinking about stupid shit and doing stupid shit as well."
She thumped the ground with a fist, causing Scout to stumble.
"Whatever. If you're here to talk, then I guess you have to listen."
Rai and Mane helped Scout up and shared a look as Darmanitan opened her giant mouth and began t K.
It was like being on the end of a Saniya ramble; Darmanitan could talk like she battled.
Violently, with a lot of swearing and rumbling of the ground.
They learned a little too much about her.
"So, that's why I hate my parents," Darmanitan finished a thirty-minute rant about her childhood. "Chapter 2: WHY DID HE LEAVE ME?"
And then she began ranting about meeting her partner, growing truly close, preparing to start a family, before he simply left her.
She talked for hours.
"What should I do?" Darmanitan asked as the stars began to glint their first twinkles in the sky.
"I'd suggest leaving this canyon might be a good start," Rhythm said patiently. He had heard enough about the jagged rocks, the pain and bloodshed and terrible memories this place brought her.
"This is the only place that I can keep it even a little together," Darmanitan growled. "You weren't listening at all, were you?"
"I listened," Rhythm returned, still gentle but with a firm edge. "You hate it here. Don't you?"
Darmanitan didn't respond.
"You hate the sharp cliffs, the lack of greenery, the fact that no one dares to come here anymore. You hate that it's the only place you feel like you're in control. You hate that this is the only place you felt safe, but now it has become so safe that it is a cage. The only place you can be because it doesn't matter what you break here."
"…I guess you were listening," Darmanitan grumbled. "I didn't say ANY of that, though."
"It's what you meant, though…right?"
Darmanitan huffed, crossed her arms, but didn't deny it.
"Then, what? I should just go? Where. There's nowhere I can go that I won't just break everything. I don't even go to towns often, but I'm not a wildie."
"Have you ever thought of exploring?"
"Dungeons?" Darmanitan scoffed. "I'm never going in one of those again. I got stuck in there when I was tiny, never again."
"Who was asking you to leave?" Rhythm asked instead.
"What?"
"You said, earlier, that someone was asking you to join them. Is that what you meant about what you should do?"
Darmanitan shifted a little uncomfortably. "Yeah," she admitted. "I don't know nothin' about who invited me. But I don't want to be here anymore. It sucks. Did I mention how much it sucks? Sucks even more than that litleo sucks. It sucks that much it does."
Mane looked up in mock-offence. He and the others had created a small campfire and were roasting berries. Rhythm had this in the bag, it seemed.
He continued talking to Darmanitan until night well and truly fell. Berries on sticks were roasted and passed around, and it turned out Darmanitan had a contagious laugh.
"Bwahahahahahaha!" she cackled, slapping the ground and shaking it from a story Mane had told about Scout.
"It's not funny!" Scout insisted.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" She found his protesting even funnier.
"It really is," Rai giggled. He wasn't laughing at Scout, though, but with him as Scout couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face even as he tried to shake it off.
They moved out of the battlefield for sleep and near the trees, partway between the craggy cliffs and Batlock.
The next morning Darmanitan was the first to wake up but last to get up.
"I think I know what I'm going to do," she said before shaking her head. "No. I'm no wishiwashi. I know what I'm going to do. Thanks, Wigglytuff. And the rest of you too, I guess."
"I thought you said no wishiwashiness," Mane snarked; he didn't like mornings.
"Fair point. Thanks, Wigglytuff." And she left it at that, smirking as Mane spat up embers.
She was going to leave this place and walk the trails rather than smash up one random part of the world.
Team Ion were not sure why they had been asked to speak to her but seeing Darmanitan wave and walk off with a smile was nice. They had bandaged her hands; they were very beaten up.
It gave Scout some old mystery dungeon vibes of playing and helping pokémon.
With her departure, they headed back into Batlock to stock up on items. Capim Town might as well be travelled to while they work something out.
"Ahem, Team Ion?" a pelipper asked, fluttering down while they were purchasing some food. Or a lot of it, really. Darmanitan and Rhythm were both big eaters, and they were already out.
"Oh? Yes?" Rai asked. The pelipper shuffled a travel bag around and procured a letter, passing it over in a wing to Scout.
"There was a letter addressed to you to be delivered today. Thank you, good day." And then the bird flew off.
Scout looked down at the letter in his paw before glancing to Rai and Mane. Rhythm was busy haggling for gummi's.
"Open it," Mane said, a small frown creasing his face. Scout slashed it open and pulled out the letter.
Ta daaaaaa~ Hello again! Hello, hello, hello again, Team Ion!
Wow, you are really good, huh?
Or not. I dunno. I hope you were able to help Darmanitan, though.
I bet you did.
I hear you have ol' wiggly with you? Yeah, you definitely helped.
I can't wait to meet you, oh gotta speed up the spins on your wheeeeels, EEEE! VEEE~
Ahem. Sorry. I get too excited sometimes, hahahahaa. Okay. Bet you'd like the next little askie of mine?
You do? Great! I knew you'd love to help.
Okay! There's a whisper of a little trouble coming up to Hillcrest Town, and I'm not supposed to do anything about it :(
Maybe you can? Telling someone about it doesn't count, right?
Hurry up, though!
Watch out for the ones you helped before.
~Victitory
P.S. Good luck!
"Well, that sounds good," Scout said, frowning.
"What does he mean ''he's not supposed to do anything about it?'" Mane asked. "Hey, Wigglytuff!? Take a look at this."
After Rhythm had been pulled away, he still got the gummi's though, and looked over it, he gave his own thoughts. "Well, it's a bit odd. But, if I do recall something that's been said before. Most legendary pokémon largely avoid the matters of other pokémon?"
"Saniya," Scout said.
Rhythm gave a giggle. "She's a bit of a rule-breaker, though, isn't she?" He gave a slight smile. "I don't know, really. Some legends hide away; others do not. Victini runs the V-Wheel, and that isn't easy to transport, I would imagine."
"Feels like he's just tugging us around," Mane said, frowning.
"Maybe. But we helped Darmanitan, so it should be worth it in the end."
They couldn't, or wouldn't, argue that point, and so the next destination was decided.
Unlike Batlock and Capim Town, Hillcrest Town was not on the sea and instead headed east a little. One could still get to Capim Town afterwards, but it would add a couple extra days to the trip.
Day two into the inland walk, they entered a suspiciously well-kept pathway.
It was almost fancy, with the shrubs being groomed and trimmed, the pathway wide and manicured. It looked like the road to a mansion in the mountains, but there was no castle in sight.
"I feel like we're being watched," Scout said as they passed rows upon rows of perfect shrubs.
"I'd call you out for being paranoid," Mane said, glancing about, "but you're totally right. Who's there! I'll set these bushes on fire if you don't come out!"
"Who are you talking to?"
All five of them jumped.
Scout, Rai, Mane, Rhythm, and Espurr all jumped in unison.
"Who the FUCK are you?" Mane gasped as all eyes turned onto the random espurr that had been walking aside them for who knows how long.
"Espurr," the pink espurr said blankly, staring with wide eyes.
"Espurr, where are you?" another voice called.
"Marowak," Espurr said brightly, smiling with his blank gaze almost appearing not blank for a moment.
To Scout's absolute shock, a marowak came stumbling out of the bushes. It wasn't a marowak like the one in Treasure Town, however.
This one was darker in body, its eyes glowed a bright yellow, and the bone it hefted burned with a turquoise flame.
"Sorry about that," the alolan marowak apologised, rushing up to Espurr and giving him a light smack on the head with his bone. "What did I say about wandering off?"
"But I found Team Ion," Espurr said cheerfully, not reacting to the head-bonk.
"Don't say that out loud!"
"Why?"
"They're right there!"
"Oooh." Espurr turned to the puzzled, but amused, team and beamed. "You're right! How did you know?"
Marowak sighed very heavily and gave a bow of apology. "I'm sorry you…four?" He blinked behind the skull. "One, two, three, Wigglytuff?"
"Hi!" Rhythm waved. "Fourth member of Team Ion here!"
Marowak and Espurr shared a stunned look.
"Wigglytuff?"
"Guildmaster Wigglytuff?"
"Join Team Ion?"
"Team Ion have four members?"
"And it's Guildmaster Wigglytuff?"
"So cool!" they said together.
Rhythm giggled, Rai beamed, Mane and Scout weren't as sure about this, though.
"We're gonna just ignore that Espurr was walking alongside us?" Scout mumbled to Mane.
"Apparently." They stared at the very odd duo. Pink rather than grey espurr, and a marowak that did not look much like the marowak they knew. The burning bone was a tell.
"Hello," Scout said, deciding it was impolite to mutter about this. "Can I ask why you were just walking alongside us?" he asked Espurr.
"And for how long?" Mane asked.
"About ten minutes," Espurr replied brightly. "You smell nice! Well, not the meowth, but the rest do!"
"I am the ONLY one who doesn't stink of saliva," Scout snapped. "Who doesn't use his tongue to clean himself! I smell like dust at worst!"
"Doesn't let us use our tongues either," Mane grumbled.
"Well," Rai started teasingly, and Mane smirked. Scout smushed their faces together in disgust.
"Hairballs."
"No, you," Rai said, between Scout's paws. His tongue scratched at Scout's paw pad, and he retracted.
"Don't listen to him," Marowak said quickly. "He talks nonsense. Well, not nonsense. You DO smell nice, but I mean that…uh…."
There was no real way to recover from that, so he ended up just clearing his throat really loudly. "Hello. I'm Marowak, this is Espurr. I promise we weren't stalking you."
"Nope!" Espurr said brightly. It was always brightly. "But as soon as we saw you, we began following you through the bushes!"
"Espurr!" Marowak snapped frustratedly. "Don't tell them that!"
"Why?"
"Because my lie was so believable, I even was able to fool them by calling out your name like I didn't know you had jumped out and was walking with them." He blinked again. "Dammit! Why don't I think before I speak."
"It does help," Espurr said wisely.
"You're one to talk; you said they smell nice!"
"They do. I thought very long and hard about that." Marowak bonked him on the head again. "Ouch," he said brightly.
Marowak turned to Team Ion desperately. "Don't listen to him; he's crazy!"
"Nope," Espurr said brightly. "I wouldn't have won the sweepstake if I was crazy!"
"Cheating and reading the future doesn't count!"
"One doesn't need to read the future when one is smart enough to go all-in on the boldest play."
"He's crazy," Marowak insisted, bowing to Team Ion again. "Listen to nothing that spills from his brightly-speaking, blank-eyed face.
"I'm only pink; you're the one who talks about humans like they still exist."
"They do!" Marowak insisted, waving his bone. "I know it! I saw it! They were all over the place, everywhere; you're the crazy one. You're all the crazy one!"
Almost meekly, Scout raised his paw. "Uh…?"
"He's crazy," Marowak said, spinning back to them. "Oh? Yes?"
"Are you from Alola?" Scout asked, getting a curious look from the others.
Marowak sighed in relief. "Finally! See!" He pointed at Espurr viciously. "I told you that YOU were the crazy one. Thank the tapu's. Okay. Where am I? Can you tell me what Ultra Wormhole-esc nightmare I stumbled into to wind up here?"
Scout blinked. "…Huh."
"That's not an answer, Scout!"
"Hey!" Rai and Mane snapped together. "You don't get to say his name."
"Whoops," Marowak said, scratching his chin. "Sorry. Meowth." He blinked. "Hey, you're one of the meowth from Alola! All blue rather than the cream-coloured ones all around. Did you fall through a portal too? Do you know the way back? I want to show Espurr the humans, so he'll believe me at long last."
"I believe nothing that comes out of your mouth," Espurr said brightly.
"I am very lost," Rai said. Mane nodded.
Rhythm was following along pretty well.
"Alola." Marowak tossed his bone to Espurr and did a double-handed wave.
"A-Alola." Scout clumsily copied it.
"You've never been to Alola, have you?" Marowak asked, seeing through him like glass.
"…I think you've got a thing to explain," Scout said instead. "You…you're not in Alola anymore."
"I've worked that much out."
"You're not in your own world either."
"Darn. Fine." He gave Espurr a coin, it balanced on his forehead, and he beamed.
"I'm like Meowth now!" The coin glinted like Scout's koban but wasn't nearly as great.
"How long have you been here?" Scout asked as they began walking again. No one was exactly sure when, but it seemed like a natural progression to take.
"Espurr?" Marowak asked.
"At least four months!" he said brightly. "That's when I met you at least, wandering out of the dungeon all confused and cute."
"I am not cute!" Marowak said. "He's cute!" He pointed at Rai. Mane and Scout snarled at him. "Adorable."
"I can feel a dangerous headache coming on if this continues," Rai warned.
"Ahahahah. Okay. Sorry."
"Alright," Mane said. "Moving on from all…that. Why were you two following us?"
"We weren't!" Marowak insisted.
"We heard Team Ion was in the area and wanted to meet you," Espurr said brightly.
They all looked at Marowak, who looked ready to bop something again, but he sighed roughly. "Why do I even bother with lying with you around?"
"Because you enjoy being made to look harmless," Espurr explained brightly.
"I am NOT harmless! I will destroy anyone who says that!"
"I've said it many times."
Marowak brandished his bone threateningly. Espurr was nonplussed. "Hello, Team Ion! We're a travelling duo, not really a team. He just appeared out of a dungeon one day looking interesting, so do I. So, we're going about."
They were going from zero to a hundred back to twelve point three without any rhyme or reason.
Rhythm, as expected, was following.
"It's lovely to meet you, stranger from beyond our world and Espurr!"
"I can see beyond the world!" Espurr said brightly.
"That's fantastic!"
"It isn't." He gave a laugh. "It really isn't."
"Well, it's nice to meet you," Rai said pleasantly. "I think anyway. Besides stalking us, is there anything you want?"
Marowak opened his mouth.
"Can we come with?" Espurr asked brightly.
Five sets of eyes turned to him. He beamed. "Can't hurt to ask."
"No," Mane said.
"Why?" Rai asked.
"Sure!" Rhythm beamed.
"Hold on, everyone," Scout said.
It was all at the same time, and the words were difficult to make out.
"You can't be serious?" Mane drawled, eyes narrowing. "Who do you think you are to ask that?"
"Espurr!"
"Don't listen to him. I'm so sorry," Marowak said.
"You're worse than he is," Mane growled, although it noticeably lacked heat. "Start talking fast. Who ARE you two, and why were you following us in the first place?"
"Well, you're Team Ion!" Espurr said brightly, opening his arms up in excitement. "It's so cool that there are living legends like you just walking around. I wanted to ask for your paw prints, but Marowak said we should wait until we could help you before we ask anything like that."
"I'm not this sneaky," Marowak denied. "I'm not! Honest."
Mane glare was almost playful, not that anyone who didn't know him well could tell that.
"I'm sorry," Marowak said, grabbing Espurr and picking him up. "I'll take this troublemaker away."
"Ah, you don't need to apologise," Scout said, raising his paw to wave him down. "Litleo's just messing with you. It's not the first time we've had pokémon approach us for something like this."
"Oh, you must be sick of it then," Marowak said. "Stupid, stupid!" He bonked himself now, and Scout's expression slowly turned to concern. He glanced to Mane, to Rai, and to Rhythm before back. "You can stop that now."
It sounded like he was drumming a rock to a depressing tune.
Marowak continued bonking himself until Espurr levitated the bone out of his grasp. "Hey! Give that back."
Espurr dropped it like a club on a trolls head and nearly knocked Marowak out. "Aaowww. I was only pretend hitting myself!"
Brightly, Espurr said. "Well, you weren't doing a very good job of it!"
Marowak looks ready to burst into flames, and he grabbed Espurr, and they began to brawl.
"You two are…a pair, that's for sure," Scout said, confused but amused at this comedy routine. "But anyway. We're heading to Hillcrest Town rather than back that way."
"Hillcrest Town?" Espurr asked, pulling away from where he was giving Marowak a noogie. "There are mean pokémon down there, you don't want to go…or I guess you do, you could probably make them less mean with cute and autographs!"
"Get off me!" Marowak demanded.
"What do you mean by 'mean pokémon'?" Rhythm asked as the kitties shared some silent communication.
"Heehehehe. You said mean twice," Espurr giggled.
"He means there are some real bullies down there," Marowak said, finally getting up. "We were warned not to go, so we were avoiding the place. No one's done anything, but the place is on edge. Some group of pokémon look like they're about to cause trouble. I guess they called for help, and you four answered?"
"Sure," Rhythm answered. "Close enough, at least. We are heading up there to deal with some 'trouble' so…thank you!"
"Yeah, thanks."
"Thank you."
"Hmph."
"Wait!" Marowak said before Team Ion could turn away. "We could…lead you there?" Marowak offered. Espurr beamed and nodded. "Now, don't take this as a way to spend more time around cool idols. We know the place, know the shortcuts. Been to Hillcrest Town more than a few times. We could show you there, help you out. Do a good thing?"
He seemed to be suppressing eagerness at the idea. Playing it off like a casual offer, glancing over his bone and not quite at them. Espurr was staring through their souls, though.
Scout was ready to thank them for the offer but refuse when Rhythm accepted.
"That'd be so good! Thank you!"
The kitties all shot Rhythm a look of annoyance as Marowak blinked in surprise and Espurr cheered. "Yay! No take-backs."
"Alright, fine, but we'll be clear," Mane growled. "Just to Hillcrest Town. You can get your paw prints and then buzz off."
"I can ask Meowth about worldly travels," Marowak hummed, ignoring Mane's words.
"And I can ask Shinx about being awesome!" Espurr said brightly. "I can't wait! Shinx, how are you so awesome?"
"What's it like running a guild?" Marowak asked Rhythm curiously. "Pokémon, where I come from, aren't so organised. Humans probably have guilds, probably."
"Ooh, what about how you made the team? Can you tell me Shinx, Meowth was the first who joined, right? Can you tell me?"
They kept on talking as they walked, moving on before many answers could actually be provided.
Mane was deeply unimpressed at it all.
They hadn't expected to spend a couple days with a couple of fans, but that's what they did.
Once you got past the comedy of errors routine and Marowak's insistence on being the coolest, they were pretty decent pokémon. Espurr did everything, everything, with bright cheer regardless of the situation.
Arguments? Glee!
Rockslides? Delight!
Team A.W.D? Ecstatic!
Hillcrest Town was significantly larger than most little villages that dotted the landscape. They had a rotating member of the Psychic Network stationed there as well as a branch of Lilligant's Rescue Guild as the mountainous region could be a little hazardous.
Most rescue teams sought pokémon trapped in dungeons, but Hillcrest Town received a lot more requests for pokémon trapped in dangerous situations and missing person cases.
Being a mountain town, they had endured the feral attack from months back quite well and dispatched many teams to search out ferals who had fled into the craggy crevices.
Lilligant's Rescue Guild teams were known for their quality. One was not sanctioned through her without learning diligence, first aid skills, and building a competent body.
Rhythm had been the one to tell them all this.
"Why do they need our help then?" Mane asked.
"Must be something they can't handle," Marowak said wisely. "They need to call in a real world-saving team!"
"Okay, I'm the cocky one," Mane said. "And also don't like having my time wasted by stuff they can do."
"The letter says pokémon are 'griefing' other pokémon," Scout pointed out. "Probably not ferals then?"
"Mustn't be." Rhythm nodded. "While rescue teams can certainly take on outlaws if they wish, or if there is a kidnapping rescue involved, it's generally not their prerogative to do."
"How come the Wigglytuff Guild does a bit of everything?" Espurr asked. "Aren't you an exploration guild?"
"Well," Rhythm hummed. "That's my favourite part, but no. The Big Three guilds of the Grass Continent, Lilligant's, Clefable's, and Cinccino's all focus on one main aspect. The Wigglytuff Guild gives equal treatment to everything, on account that not wanting to pidgeyhole pokémon into one area even if they'd like to do other things, they can still get official training for it!"
"That makes sense; you're really wise, Wigglytuff!"
"Ooh, I don't know about that."
Hillcrest Town would be nice to explore later. The place was nestled in the mountains like a small gem. Happy pokémon went back and forth, to and fro, talking and laughing.
The trouble they were called for was loitering well before the town, however.
"Could you please just let us go? We want to get to town."
It was the rising pitches of voices that Espurr caught first.
"Hm?" he hummed, turning away from the path. "Did you hear that?"
Marowak did not immediately disregard and insult him as usual. Instead, he turned too. "You hear something?"
Team Ion paused and looked at the two.
"Espurr has very strong ears," Marowak explained. "He's got to, keeping them rolled up like that."
Possibly bad jokes aside, he was serious, and Espurr frowned slightly. Almost cutely. He closed his eyes and then opened them. They were white.
He began to talk, but it wasn't entirely with his own voice.
"Hehe, you really think you're just going to pass by without paying the toll? Come on, rescuers, you should know better than that."
The six of them moved.
Crossing a few hills and pointy rocks, they found five pokémon huddled in a group.
Or, perhaps, three pokémon boxing two smaller ones in.
Arbok. Weavile. Drapion. Two large and intimidating pokémon and a smaller one whose dangerous aura dwarfed their own. Little Teddiursa and Sliggoo eyed the three with clear nerves, although their eyes immediately fell on the six newcomers.
"H-Hey, can you guys help us?" Teddiursa called bravely, cupping their hands to carry their voice. Their Treasure Bag was at their feet, ripped open with items scattered everywhere, likely be Weavile's claws.
Arbok's tail and Drapion's tail pincer remained back, right by the two little pokémon.
"Is that…Team A.W.D?" Scout asked, shocked. Rai frowned, remembering a brief interaction with such a trio in the past.
The trio turned to the sextuple of pokémon coming down the hill, and Arbok and Drapion shifted to place themselves ahead of Weavile.
"Ooh, some more weary travellers," Weavile said, raising her wicked claws to pick at a tooth. "Why, hello there."
"Have at thee, icicle witch!" Marowak called, brandishing his bone threateningly. Weavile gave him a flat look, and Drapion moved to attack.
"Hold on," she snapped, and Drapion froze. "I swear, if you fought everyone who looked at you the wrong way, you'd be dead twenty years ago. You don't have to look more than once to figure out who these guys are."
She glanced between Marowak and Espurr. "Well. I have no fucking clue who those losers are, but Team Ion is obvious."
"L-Losers?" Marowak spluttered. His bone exploded into blue fire. "You won't grief these pokémon any longer!"
He was very brave. When Team Ion were there, and the target was outnumbered.
"Are they really what we were asked here to stop?" Scout muttered to Rai.
"Are you Team A.W.D?" Rai asked, stepping ahead of Marowak.
"Aww, does he remember us?" Weavile said. "We sure remember you."
Scout also stepped up. "So, you are Team A.W.D then?"
"I think that's pretty obvious," Weavile sighed. She snapped her claws. "Boys, stand down. Seems there's something a bit more interesting today."
They pulled back, revealing that they had been restraining the two little pokémon who immediately scrambled back and ran off.
"Problem solved!" Espurr said brightly, patting Marowak on the trembling arm. "Good job!"
"I know," Marowak said coolly, lowering the bone.
He wisely stepped back. Coolly. They shared a high five, a low five, then knuckles.
Weavile strolled forwards unconcerned. "What are you…six, I suppose, doing all the way out here? Isn't this the Lilligant land? What's Wigglytuff doing out here?"
"Hey," Arbok said lowly. Drapion didn't speak.
"I've joined Team Ion," Rhythm said proudly.
Weavile raised an eye and glanced to the three. "…Well then. Team Ion sure has grown since the early days. I remember there being just the two of you; you were whiter then," she said to Scout. "You two looking all small and cute and brave."
"When did you two meet these jokers?" Mane growled, stepping up by Rai and Scout.
"I think it was right before you joined, actually," Scout said.
"We were just taking a glance around," Weavile said. "The Wigglytuff Guild had recently returned from an expedition. Maybe they'd found something interesting or a clue to something better. Heh. Well, we got what we were after." She looked right at Scout.
"Zero Isle," Drapion said, his voice was very deep. A baritone that trembled their bones.
"How did you know?" Weavile asked, walking again right up to Scout. She swayed as she walked. If that was meant to be seductive or unsettling was up to the recipient. "That's a question I'm wondering."
Scout leaned back but didn't step back, as Mane and Rai stepped as one to block her path from him. Weavile rolled her eyes. "Cool the protective instinct, I'm just curious. Even grateful in a way."
Quick as a flash, she plucked Scout up from behind them, her claws hooking into the scruff of his neck and leaving his body limp in her grasp.
Mane immediately breathed sparks, but she didn't flinch. Rai didn't shock her, as that'd shock Scout as well.
And she wasn't attacking, just being creepy as all hell.
She pulled Scout up until they were nose to nose. "How did you know where it was?"
"Let me go," Scout said, unintimidated by her.
Weavile's cold eyes met his for an uncomfortably long moment before she twitched her hand and dropped him on Rai and Mane, stepping back.
"It's nice to catch up with old friends," she said, returning to the protective shadow of Arbok and Drapion. "Been a while since I've seen you, Wigglytuff."
"I'm sorry we didn't get to catch up when you came to Treasure Town last," Rhythm said, genuinely apologetic.
"I always liked that about you," Weavile said, nodding. "You're pretty honest, even when it seems ridiculous. Arbok, Drapion, stop looming like a pair of goons. We're around friends, relaaax. Let a load off those shoulders of yours."
They did not look relaxed as they lowered slightly to the ground, eyes trained on the six.
"What do you want with them?" Arbok asked lowly. "You realise that."
He didn't finish the sentence, simply stopped as he was talking.
Team Ion did not sit. The kitties stood up front, Rhythm just behind them, with Marowak and Espurr peeking out from behind him.
They had been asked to come here for a problem. Was it too easy that Team A.W.D was the problem? Even if it was…how did Victini know? And why were Team A.W.D here anyway?
Darmanitan had nothing really to tell them. But these three were a different story.
"Why are you three here?" Scout asked.
"Just travelling here and there," Weavile answered. "Why are you?"
"I'm getting to see the world again," Rhythm answered for them. "Team Ion has been most kind by giving me that chance."
"Hillcrest Town is pretty out of the way," Arbok said. "You don't know the." He stopped again.
"You've got some idea coming over here," Drapion grumbled. "To a pile of rocks and nothing."
"What they mean to say," Weavile said, rolling her eyes again. "Is that it's nice to hear that, Wigglytuff. I remember you back in your explorer days. You and Team Charm. And, you know…you, Chatot, and Audino. Only ever heard about the latter, though."
If Rhythm was saddened by the reminder, he didn't show it. Although his smile did become a little more genuine, a little more nostalgic.
"Hahaha. You were causing trouble even all that time ago. Did you hear about the time trouble from a while back? Thanks to the Time Gear, we found that location was known, and we were able to feel like we were doing something."
Weavile gave a crooked smile, quirking her mouth as her eyes twitched slightly. "If that's your way of saying thanks for not stealing it, you're welcome. And we wouldn't mess with a Time Gear, not then. Not now."
"So, what are you doing here messing with pokémon?" Mane demanded.
Weavile smiled at him. Anything nice in it disappeared for the duration of her eyes on him. "Eh."
He shivered, reflexively, the tremor going down his spine from the neck, and he swallowed.
Scout glanced between them as Rai's tail entwined with Mane's. "Can we just get to the point?" he asked.
"Sure." Weavile nodded. "What is the point?" she asked.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Why do you care?" she retorted.
"If you've been hurting pokémon here," he began.
"That's not why you're here," she said, a dangerous edge of teasing venom in her voice. "You said you're here because Wigglytuff wants to travel. Right?"
"Just because we're adventuring doesn't mean we're going to turn a blind eye," Scout replied coolly, staring Weavile down.
She stared back. She wasn't flinching; he found it hard to hold her cold gaze. There was something about her, a calculating coldness. Like she was debating what parts it'd take for her to cut or freeze for him to be finished.
Team A.W.D weren't supposed to be genuinely dangerous, were they? Thieves, probably worse, but they wouldn't mess with a Time Gear. Noble demons? Or…just not tremendous fools?
Scout swallowed. "Fine. I'm curious. What did you do in Zero Isle?"
Weavile smiled as her partners did not. "Well, that's good to hear, something actually worth discussing. Since I am still so very curious in return. How. Did. You. Know?"
Scout raised an eyebrow. "I'm from the future, or did you not hear about that?"
"As a matter of fact, we have," Weavile answered, nodding. "Is that how you knew, then? Answer it, please."
"…"
Scout wasn't a very good liar. It had taken him a long time to really realise that.
"No?"
"You haven't answered my question," Scout said. Weavile laughed and leaned back, reclining against Drapion who was as solid as a rock.
"Didn't find anything. Right boys?"
"It was awful," Drapion began, not even blinking from the sudden, chilly, body pressing against his carapace.
"The things we…didn't." Arbok hissed, ducking his head. "It was like listening to Gengar plot again."
"You ever put a challenge on yourself?" Weavile asked, pulling herself back up. "Because everything else has gotten blasé and boring. Routine. Easy. A challenge because you knew exactly what you were doing, what had to be done, what steps you had to take. And then fuck everything up?"
Scout shifted, uncomfortable. He did know it was cutting a little close to comfort.
"That's what Zero Isle was. Whatever monstrous fuckery is going on in that distortion ruinscape of an 'island' is better left alone. So. You can imagine it's a little traumatic, and I'm just curious. Very curious. What you knew about it. You knew where it was. You 'heard it was an island to the south of here. It was directly south. Tell me, Scout. How did you know? Who did you hear it from?"
Scout considered her for a moment. Ages back, although not really that long ago either, Weavile would have scared the piss out of him. He had changed a lot from the nervous meowth blundering his way along.
So, he shrugged. "Saw it in a story once." It wasn't a lie. Rai, Mane, even Rhythm couldn't help but smile a little at him.
Rai didn't like lying, but you'd have to be blind, deaf, and have no nose to not smell something off about this.
Weavile smirked at him. "Fuck you," she laughed, shaking her head. "Whatever. Keep your cryptic comments to yourself. I think we're done here, boys."
"Actually, I have one last question," Scout said, standing. "Why is your team name start with Arbok instead of you, Weavile?"
Weavile paused, glanced at him in a mixture of annoyance and amusement. "…Well, Arbok?" she asked, as he wasn't talking.
Arbok started and hissed. "I sstarted the team," he said, the trademark serpent lisp coming out after being absent this whole time. "After Gengar disbanded Team Meanies."
"Well," Scout thought. "That confirms that theory for sure."
"Where are you going next?" Drapion rumbled, apparently not keen to leave just yet.
"I'd say into Hillcrest Town properly," Rhythm said brightly.
"And then?"
Rhythm shrugged. "Wherever the day takes us, I guess!"
Weavile's eyes narrowed, as did Arbok and Drapion's at the consistent deflection. However, it was difficult to call Rhythm out on it as it was tricky to tell if he was intentionally doing it or just answering literally.
"…Fine." Arbok and Drapion turned away, but Weavile didn't start walking with them. "By the way, we're not finished with you."
Team Ion all tensed, ready for a quick attack. Marowak's bone burst into flames again.
"The next time we see you…better be ready. Arbok! Drapion! Let's go."
Team Thunder Crash sneezed together and fell off the bridge and into the river.
"Next time, we'll," Arbok said.
"Remember that," Drapion rumbled.
Team A.W.D charged off.
Team Ion all stood very tensely together.
"…Well, that went well!" Rhythm beamed as the kitties sagged. "No one got hurt. Let's get to Hillcrest Town. Maybe check up on those two pokémon; they were being meanies too. Guess Arbok hasn't strayed too far from his original team, hee-hee."
"I've got their stuff," Marowak grunted, holding a sack awkwardly. Espurr had levitated it all back into place, and he'd picked it up. Part of it had been tied to his bone to hold it together.
"Alright, let's get to town!"
Marowak and Espurr remained with them as they entered Hillcrest Town, assured that the place was safe now that Team A.W.D had been heroically driven off.
Things were normal, if a little directionless, until later that night.
Team Ion were spending the night in a hostel, which was something different. The kitties had their own room. Rhythm had been swayed into staying in a room with Marowak and Espurr, saving some poké and all.
It was nice, having a night to themselves.
Or not, as an insistent knocking on the door ruined prime Scout teasing time.
Rai growled. "What is it?" he demanded, getting up to trot over to the door, hoping to get this done sooner rather than later.
"Mail delivery?" Girafarig said, appearing a little confused. He was the owner of the hostel and had graciously given them a lovely room for little charge.
"Mail?" Rai asked, also a little confused.
Girafarig levitated a letter over, keeping it away from his tail, who was trying to bite it. "A very insistent pelipper came around to deliver. Kept saying that he'll get a good bonus if it's gotten to you today. He's over there."
The tail bucked in a direction, and looking past Girafarig, there was indeed a pelipper hovering anxiously. He raised a wing in greeting and sighed a breath of relief.
Rai took the letter and thanked Girafarig.
"Sorry to disturb you," Girafarig said. "He was really insistent."
Rai brought it over and placed it on Scout's head.
"…Another letter from Victini?" Scout asked.
"Probably."
"Want me to read it now?"
"…I'm very tempted to say no."
Scout sighed and plucked it from his head, untangling from Mane, who didn't let him go easily. He had to compromise and let Mane chew on his tail to pacify him.
Scout read it quickly. Then read it again.
"…What's Victini playing at here?"
It was a quiet night in Treasure Town.
The town was somewhat calmer with so many troublemakers gone, slightly more relaxed, a little lonelier but happy to take a breather.
Wynaut was walking along happily. They had enjoyed a great day at the hot springs planning out some new Project P plans with Wobbuffet.
They might have walked this pathway a dozen hundred times. The trees were green, the dirt was brown, and Wobbuffet was blue.
They may have missed something a little out of the ordinary had Wobbuffet not stumbled.
"You alright?" Wynaut asked, helping her up.
"All right," Wobbuffet replied, giving a salute.
Wynaut smiled and turned to continue before turning back as something caught their attention. "What is that over there?" They pointed.
Wobbuffet had tripped because she was clumsy, but off the track, something stuck out of the ground. It was only slight, Wynaut might have seen it a dozen-dozen times before, but maybe this time they noticed enough to look closer.
Or enough had been drawn away by the elements.
Either way, they wandered over and brushed some dirt away. It was a flat stone, but there seemed to be something drawn on it like a pattern. They brushed more and more and more and more.
Wobbuffet helped them, and they brushed away for an hour or two before making a grand discovery.
"Oooh, what do you think this is?" Wynaut gasped.
"Treasure?" Wobbuffet suggested.
"It just might be. It looks so old." They looked down at the revealed prize. It was ancient, yet sturdy, a large light greyish-to-tan stone with a red pattern painted on it.
"It's like an arbok," Wynaut said, looking over the serpentine painting that ended on a sharp-toothed mouth. "We should bring it to the guild! Don't you think that fits the totem aesthetic they have on the outside?"
"That's right!"
"Alright! I'll keep watch, make sure no one tries to pinch our find. You get someone to carry it back!"
"No worries!" Wobbuffet saluted then raced off. She tripped over only three more times in Wynaut's field of view before they couldn't see her anymore.
While Wynaut waited, they cleared out some more of the dirt. "It's very pretty," they said, looking over the clean red lines. "I wonder what this is made of…?" They rubbed part of the red, but nothing came off.
They traced a limb up the serpentine twists of the body, there were parts of the statue that seemed almost like it'd crumble away at a touch, but it was firm and stable.
They traced up to the eye. An over traced around the eye-place, but there was nothing else. The stone was unusually darker there, and Wynaut hesitated to touch it.
They laughed at themselves for being creeped out, but they were alone, and it was getting dark. To prove to themselves that it was nothing, they plunged their limb onto the dark patch and felt around.
Just stone, nothing more.
Eventually, Armaldo appeared with Wobbuffet.
"We found this!" Wynaut said proudly, relieved they weren't alone anymore.
"Hm, that does look interesting," Armaldo said, nodding. "Alright, Wobbuffet talked it up a bit, but I see your point. I can take it to the guild."
"That's great!" Wynaut cheered, pleased their time had not gone to waste. Guildmaster Armaldo could be prickly, especially if you called him Guildmaster Armaldo.
The odd stone was set up on the right of the path to the guild, as part way past the left was already taken up.
It would stay there.
It would not move.
It was just an odd stone.
Wynaut was safe.
Totally safe!
Though, we can't just leave Treasure Town alone entirely! There's still fun stuff going down there. Timber still has some knock-knock jokes to tell, and Wynaut is the proud finder of relics and treasures, apparently!
Totally safe….