Suntren growled as he held onto Rocttryn's back as the dragon flew south. The northern wind was particularly fierce today, threatening to blow him away, though Suntren knew Rocttryn would catch him if anything were to happen. His goggles weren't correctly fitted over his eyes, having been knocked around by his partner's tail during the night, but he didn't have a good chance to readjust them, since Rocttryn had taken off immediately after waking up. As such, his eyes were clenched shut for protection.
Rocttryn banked left, narrowly avoiding a hurtling Mankey. The Mankey was screaming in fear, but fell on deaf ears. Rocttryn was more worried about regaining his positioning. The wind was blowing hard against the right of his body, keeping him in a vertical position. He flapped intensely. He roared.
The wind continued to push the dragon back, beginning to force him into a roll. This was particularly dangerous, especially with a passenger. He'd have to correct himself… or crash trying. Rocttyrn steeled his courage, pushing himself into a dive. The maneuver he was attempting, the Rolling Dive, had never been successfully performed by a Pokemon with a passenger. Still, it was his best option.
Rocttryn plummeted at an alarming rate. He was still in a dangerous roll, but was beginning to straighten out. He braced himself for impact as the ground grew closer and closer… And then spread his wings and pulled up.
_
Suntren groaned as he woke up. He couldn't remember the last thing that happened to him, only that he was in the air one moment, and on the ground the next. Looking around, the articles from his bag littered the ground. Rocttryn was nowhere to be seen. The Heliolisk groaned again. He tried to get up. Huge stings of pain shot through him, and he collapsed the moment he got on his feet.
Everything was a bit of a blur afterward. His items were blown around by the wind, one of them even coming to rest against his body. Despite this, the lizard barely flinched. He soon passed out from the pain again. As he did so, he vaguely heard a snapping sound as a nearby branch broke.
A passing Ludicolo noticed the messy scene a few hours later. He grumbled, before calling for his species to help him clean the area and relocate the injured Pokemon. They danced out of the nearby lake joyfully.
The lone Ludicolo flinched as the large group burst out into song.
Young man, there's no need to feel down
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground
I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town
There's no need to be unhappy
"Agh! Can't you guys just stop dancing for… thirty minutes!? There's kind of a-"
Young man, there's a place you can go
I said, young man, when you're short on your dough
You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time
"GUYS! C'MON!" Let's clean the area, you can dance later!" Ludicolo attempted to shout over the singing.
It's fun to stay at the YMCA
It's fun to stay at the YMCA
They have everything for you men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
Ludicolo grimaced. "Guess I'll clean up by myself, then…" he grumbled, moving towards the unconscious Heliolisk. He picked up a few pieces of broken TMs. "What a waste…"
It's fun to stay at the YMCA
It's fun to stay at the YMCA
You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal
You can do whatever you feel
Right. That would still be really distracting anyways. He glowered at his cohorts. All they wanted to do was dance their lives away, while he strived to make a difference in the world. Ludicolo continued to clean up the area, doing his best to ignore the obnoxious singing and dancing. Given that they were dancing in and out of his path, this was difficult. He weaved between the dancing Ludicolo, picking up pieces of trash and berries. Not the best way to start his day…
Young man, are you listening to me?
I said, young man, what do you want to be?
I said, young man, you can make real your dreams
But you got to know this one thing
Rocttryn landed with a resounding rumble outside of a small settlement. Small was the right word, he'd seen no more than 30 Pokemon as he flew overhead. He slowly removed his flight hood. Good for flying, but when he was on the ground, the hood was more of an annoyance. He blinked twice, recalling why he was here.
The Aerodactyl walked into the settlement. Pokemon eyed him warily; he was rather large compared to the rest of him. A few of them shuffled away, not being comfortable so close to a potential predator. They would walk quickly past him, trying not to make eye contact. Rocttryn sighed internally. If only he'd kept his Rescue Badge a little longer, he might've been able to quell their fears. Rescuers were commonly referred to as heroes of the people, after all.
"Hey. 'Scuse me, Aero, but I gotta talk to ya."
Rocttryn swivelled around to see the source of the voice. It was a rather large Feraligatr. He growled. "Sorry, pal. Bit ah dinnae hae time tae… talk." Rocttryn seemed to be mocking the Feraligatr with the last word.
"Oh, but ya'll talk to me, Aero. 'Less you don't want ter see the light o' day again."
Rocttryn growled again. "That a threat, pal? cause ye dinnae wantae battle me, lad."
The crocodile chuckled loudly. "I 'preciate the intimidation attempt, Aero, but that ain't gonna work on me." He put his hand on Rocttryn's shoulder. "But it don't matter, 'cause I didn' intend to fight ye regardless. I just… want to talk."
"If ye haven't clocked, ah dinnae git th' time tae talk, crocodile." Rocttryn flapped his wings angrily. The suddenness of the movement caused Feraligatr to stumble back a bit, and he gazed at Aerodactyl with a toothy smirk.
"Very well, go about yer business, then. But I'll be watchin' ya, so don' make any big movements, yeah?"
"Och, dinnae ye be worrying 'bout that, noo…" Rocttryn replied, before stomping off. "Bloody vigilantes…" the Aerodactyl grumbled, "Nae even gonnae be 'ere gey lang." He was aware the Feraligatr was watching him leave, but the dragon didn't care. He'd been held up long enough; any second wasted now could mean the difference between seeing his partner again and losing him for good.
His thoughts whirled back to Suntren again. The lizard was… Unique, to say the least. He was a part of a now-defunct enhancement initiative during his earliest years. Rocttyrn frowned. That's all he knew about Suntren's past before he ended up in Avianre Town, with Team Cynderleaf.
The dragon's thoughts were interrupted as he entered the mission district. He looked around. Explorers passed by many of the market stalls, converging on Kecleon's market. Rocttryn frowned. He didn't have any money on his person -Suntren was the one who usually went out for the social part of missions- which meant he couldn't buy the necessary rescue supplies.
He glanced at the mission board. It was full of requests out to Lake Hurani. The dragon recalled seeing a lake while stuck in the turbulent winds. Maybe that was the lake in question? He looked at them closer. They all seemed to be requesting the defeat of a local Ludicolo band. Causing trouble, stealing treasure… trapping passing merchants in song and dance until they faint… Scary. The Aerodactyl shuddered. Going up against outlaws wasn't his strong suit as a former Rescuer.
The board also had a small basket on either side, both containing paper and quill. This was a rare sight, as Pokemon would usually send a request directly through to the Pokemon Rescue Organization by way of Emergence Orb. Rocttryn grabbed a sheet and a quill, and shuffled off to the side to write out a mission request. Despite being quite flexible, his wings made the writing quite difficult. The words smeared together, merging into one big blob as his membrane passed over them. It would be a long while before Rocttryn finished his request…
_
Young man, I was once in your shoes
I said, I was down and out with the blues
I felt no man cared if I were alive
I felt the whole world was so tight
Ludicolo covered his ears. His cohorts had only gotten louder during the few hours he was cleaning up. He had been about to grab a strange sphere when they danced into his pathway, kicking it away and dragging him into song and dance. He'd escaped shortly after, but the other Ludicolo surrounded him afterward. Ludicolo desperately just wanted to get out of his current situation. It was his fault for calling to them, he thought.
That's when someone came up to me
And said, young man, take a walk up the street
There's a place there called the YMCA
They can start you back on your way
His sanity was beginning to wear thin. The constant signing… the constant dancing… it was just too much…
It's fun to stay at the YMCA
It's fun to stay at the YMCA
They have everything for you men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
Ludicolo grasped at his ears, trying to rip them off. The pain would be worth the silence, he felt.
YMCA, it's fun to stay at the YMCA
Young man, young man, there's no need to feel down
Young man, young man, pick yourself off the ground
YMCA, it's fun to stay at the YMCA
"MAKE IT STOP!"
The Ludicolo's pained screeches startled several birds in Crosat Village. Explorers dove for cover as the birds flew in a panic around the district. Feathers rained upon the square while paper flew everywhere. Calm became chaos, order became disorder. Rocttryn dove for cover as a Swellow came flying directly at him, crashing into the mission board.
Feraligatr walked into the chaotic district. He was greeted with a foul-smelling projectile on his snout. He growled, flicking off a large white glob, fixing a glare overhead. Not paying attention to what was in front of him, a panicking Gogoat raced into him. It sent Feraligatr flying back a few meters before he crashed into a building. He growled, getting up.
"ENOUGH!"
His shout went unheard as the Pokemon continued to panic. Feraligatr made his way through the district, dodging Pokemon, but not the gastrointestinal-powered fowl projectiles. As he was pelted from above, Feraligatr tried to keep himself calm. It was an effort in futility, as he eventually snapped his jaws at the nearest bird. The poor Fletchinder was caught in his jaws, dying instantly. The sudden action was enough to shock most of the Pokemon to cower.
Feraligatr stood in the center of the district, dripping with bird excrement. He snarled. "You lot call yerselves explorers!?"
The Aerodactyl, meanwhile, had been hiding under a table. His size made it uncomfortable for him, but at least he was clean. The stench of the district, though, wrinkled his nose. What once was a colourful plaza, now was white and black. He could feel Feraligatr's glare.
"You call yerselves explorers, but yer quick to scare! And now lookit yourselves!"
"Awright ye! Lea thaim a' alone!"
Feraligatr visibly sighed. "...Aerodactyl."
"We've a' git they moments we dinnae tak' pride in," Rocttryn growled. "Ye dinnae need tae rub it in!"
"I'm standing here, covered in bird shit, and ya expect me not ter lose my shit!?"
"Cuid be a tad mair polite aboot it, aye?" Rocttryn asked. "Tell me, whit's yer name?"
"Eh?" Feraligatr was confused. "Why do ya care? It ain't like I want ter be friends with ya."
"Ah see yer exploration badge, crocodile," Rocttryn explained. "Ah shuid report ye fur bein' sae... Uncivilized."
"Yer soundin' a might hostile, Aero." Feraligatr responded, crossing his arms. "Ya sure yer not an outlaw?"
"A'm sure. A'm a former rescuer, and a'm juist wanting tae fin' mah pal," Rocttryn started to answer. "Bit ah will staun up fur they in need, tae."
"Aye. I suppose that ain't a bad type. Alright, I was thinkin' you were some kinda outlaw, with how the Pokemon were reactin' ter ya."
"Sae wha urr ye? If Pokemon wur scared o' me, how come nae ye?"
"I'm Noytrun. I'm an explorer, yeah, but lookin' for a team. As for why I'm not seen as scary…? 'Cause of my badge, friend. Always the badge."
Rocttryn paused. Looking for an exploration team, huh? Even if it wasn't going to be a permanent arrangement, perhaps he could join forces with this Feraligatr. It would certainly make his search for Suntren easier. He glanced at his rescue request. He'd been about to post it when the chaos arose.
"A team, aye?" Rocttryn's eyes gleamed. "Doesn't hae tae be a permanent arrangement, bit…"
Noytrun cleaned himself off with a quick Aqua Ring. "Ya want to join me?"
The Aerodactyl nodded in affirmation. "At least 'til ah reunite wi' Suntren."
"Suntren?"
"Mah Heliolisk buddy," Rocttryn responded. "We git caught in a windstorm... He fell aff."
"Well. I wouldn't want to be alone again, but I can't keep ya with me if ya don' want it. Nevertheless…" Noytrun held out his arm. "I'll welcome ya ter the team."
Rocttryn shook Noytrun's hand. "Sae... Whit's th' name?"
The Feraligatr paused. "Hmm… I hadn't thought of it."
The dragon grinned. "Fair gam, then?"
"I suppose. Ya got ideas?"
Rocttryn's grin widened as he thought of the perfect name. One that symbolized his new life. "Team Genesis." And to top it all off, it sounded cool. The Feraligatr smirked.
"I like it," he replied. "Welcome to the team, pardner."