Chapter 44: In Harm's Way
After taking a circuitous route off the Nektar Weide to avoid being spotted, Ketu and Ellsberg journeyed back to the wood-and-stone fort across the stream from Fensedge Village. There, Ketu led Ellsberg deep into the bowels of the building in Mengir's fort where Zorn's haunt was, weaving up stairwells and through corridors. The Dark-Type's guidance led him and the following Mothim to a stop in front of an engraved hardwood door with a metalworked push latch. The Weavile gave a look about his surroundings, before leaning up against the door and giving it a sharp, rhythmical series of thumps with his claws.
The two heard the sound of movement from inside, and paces drawing nearer and nearer. The door opened with a creak, as a Zoroark glanced out from the gap, an impatient frown etched on his muzzle.
"You're late, Ketu," the Dark-Type said.
"Sorry about that," the Weavile replied. "It was a little tricky to get Buzzy here out without anyone asking too many questions."
"Hrmph, I'll take your word for it," Elilan answered. "Hurry up and come inside, we have business to tend to with Ellsberg."
As Ketu and Ellsberg made their way through the doorway, they looked around and saw they had entered a timbered office lined with bookshelves and sunlight peeking in through glass windows. Paintings of seascapes and of the Company's Directors from past ages adorned the walls, along with a map of Anyilla that had been dutifully divided up into sectors reflecting the Company's de jure and de facto holdings.
The Zoroark led the two to a low table with a weathered red-and-white sphere of some strange material sitting on it, surrounded by short ottomans. On his way over, Elilan stopped to grab a thick, well-read tome off the desk before sitting down and beginning to lazily leaf through its contents.
"So Ellsberg, how has adjusting to your new position been going?" the Dark-Type asked, peering up from his tome. The Administrator was answered with a reflexive buzz from his Mothim guest, an exasperated frown firmly coloring Ellsberg's expression.
"That well, hm?"
The Mothim hesitated and flitted up from his seat uneasily. Administrator Elilan didn't call him all the way out here just to make light of his circumstances… had he?
"Administrator, why did you call me here, anyways?" Ellsberg asked. "Commissioner Lyn left me swamped in work and I shouldn't be away from it for too long."
"It's simple," Elilan replied. "I called you here to offer you a proposal."
Ellsberg reflexively batted his wings before standing up on his cushion and giving a puzzled tilt of his head. Administrator Elilan was clearly driving at something… but what?
"A proposal? Just what have you got in mind?"
"As I'm sure you already know from personal experience, Lyn is a bit of a troublesome colleague to work with," the Zoroark began.
"That's an understatement if I ever heard one," Ellsberg scoffed.
"Then surely you'd agree with me that his temperament is an ill fit for the Board," Elilan answered. "And if he were to join, he would potentially endanger the Company's long-term future."
The fox shrugged his shoulders and gave a knowing smirk. The Administrator set aside his book on the table, turning his attention fully to the flitting Mothim before him.
"That's why I wanted to do something about that," the Zoroark said, before pointing a claw at his moth guest. "And I want you to be a part of it."
Ellsberg jumped up with a buzzing shock. Did- Did Administrator Elilan really just say that? And Ketu, he was in on this?! What was going on here?
"Eh?! But Lyn is Director Inler's pick for this mission!" Ellsberg exclaimed. "There's no way that he'd give approval for something like that!"
"You're right, he wouldn't," Ketu remarked. "But that doesn't mean that we can't do something about it anyways."
"Office politics has a way of hamstringing the best decisions from time to time, since he certainly wasn't my pick for the job," the Zoroark harrumphed. "That's why I've felt the need to sidestep protocol for a bit in this situation. I'm sure Lyn has promised you something to keep you so close around him, but would it really be worth letting the Pokémon currently in charge of your ship climb the ranks to greater power?"
Ellsberg caught himself and paused. Commissioner Lyn was already exasperating enough at times to deal with as a Second-Rank. Even if Lyn made good on his word and gave him his Commissionership, he would still be in the rank above to boss him around, and with even more power at his disposal...
"… You know how to make a compelling argument," Ellsberg admitted. "But what is it that you would need me to do? And what would I get in return for going against the Director's orders?"
A small smile began to creep over the fox's face. Pleased to see that the Bug-Type seemed to be amenable to his argument, the Zoroark continued on and gave a calming wave of his right claw.
"Don't worry, it's just a little errand that I'll see that you're amply rewarded for," Elilan reassured. "All I need is for Lyn's incompetence to be demonstrated in front of the rest of the Board. When the topic of replacing Lyn comes up, my preferred candidate would be in a much better position to be selected."
"But how is that something that I'm supposed to do?" Ellsberg asked.
"Simple. We wait for Lyn to grab the bird, and then snatch him out from underneath and send him off to the Administrator here," Ketu said, pointing a claw at his chest. "Just follow your orders from me, and we'll complete this mission sooner than you kno-"
"Actually, Ketu," Elilan interrupted. "I think that you'd be better off working in tandem with Ellsberg here."
At once, Ketu's normal confident and lackadaisical air evaporated, replaced with a stunned blanch. The Weavile gave a shake of his head feathers before launching into a swift protest towards his superior.
"H-Huh?! Administrator, what do you mean?!" Ketu exclaimed. "I'm the Pokémon who's been working this mission for you for almost three years now! Why would bringing a complete newcomer as my partner be a better option?!"
"Because, unlike you, Ellsberg here knows the ins-and-outs of our more bureaucratic divisions," the fox countered. "Besides, the Sea Guardian already eluded you once when he escaped Lyn's ship. I think it would be wise not to turn down extra help."
"Administrator, the Lugia escaping was something that was completely out of my control!" the Weavile spluttered back. "It's not a matter of my target eluding me if it's not even there when I was supposed to-"
The Weavile was cut off by a raised claw from the Zoroark, along with a stern glare that quickly prompted the Sharp Claw Pokémon to drop his protest. After watching Ketu shift his gaze to the ground and grudgingly table his objections, the Administrator turned his attention back to Ellsberg.
"Anyhow, I'm aware that there is a good deal of risk to this mission, but there's also reward, which I will leave you to choose from, Ellsberg," Elilan answered. "Would you rather be known as Commissioner Ellsberg...?"
Whap!
The Zoroark clamped the book in his claws shut, nonchalantly tossing his tome back onto the table. The Dark-Type rose up and leaned over the table, peering directly into Ellsberg's eyes with a piercing gaze.
"Or Elmer, the notary whose name Pokémon can't even remember properly?"
The Mothim paused and thought over Elilan's offer. It was undoubtedly risky, and he couldn't really expect the Administrator to come to his aid were the scheme to fall through...
"Elmer, hurry up and make a decision already-!" Ketu hissed.
The Weavile was quickly met with mutual glares: one from his irked superior, and one from a Mothim with wounded pride. If nothing else, Elilan's offer did hold the cachet of finally being able to end this blasted 'Elmer' nonsense once and for all as a Commission- Wait a minute.
Lyn too had offered him Commissionership for help in getting the Sea Guardian under his control. So then, regardless of whose side he ultimately took, he would be sure to get his desired position in the ranks. Then... for now, there would surely be no harm in taking advantage of this opportunity.
"I think the choice is obvious there, Administrator Elilan," Ellsberg answered. "Count me in."
"Urgh… yeah, yeah, that's great," Ketu grumbled. "Can we go back to the ship now?"
The Weavile gave a disgusted scoff and furrowed his brow, turning on one heel in the direction of the door, only for Elilan's voice to call out after him.
"One more thing."
"Eh?" Ellsberg asked.
"Based off prior experience, it is possible that the past Protectors we and our rivals have encountered may emerge from the shadows," the Zoroark explained. "Most notably one you should be familiar with, Ketu."
"Hrmph."
The Weavile rolled his eyes and harrumphed quietly before looking the other direction. Administrator Elilan frowned and shot a stern glare, before deciding to wave the matter off and continue with his explanation.
"If you happen to stumble across one of them, by all means feel free to improvise," the Zoroark offered. "After all, there are more things in the Company's best interest than simply keeping Lyn off the Board."
"We'll be mindful of it," Ellsberg replied. "Come on, Ketu, we should be getting back to the ship."
Ellsberg flitted up from his seat and began to make his way for the door, Ketu begrudgingly following after him. The Mothim's conversation with Elilan had served to lift his spirits tremendously, with his earlier troubles on the Nektar Weide now feeling as if they were in a bygone era. As the Bug-Type made his way back into the hall, dormant daydreams from when he first stuck his alliance with Lyn came back into mind: of being Commissioner Ellsberg, of having respect, and most importantly, getting his newfound power on his own terms…
No more getting yelled at… No more getting his ship trashed or commandeered… No more getting bullied by underlings…
Everything would finally stay the way things were meant to, and he'd finally get the respect he'd worked so hard for in the Company's ranks.
As Ellsberg daydreamed about his future, the Company's quarry continued their arduous trek through the Mystery Dungeon they fell into. Nida and her companions quickly discovered that the direction of the dungeon went downwards, forcing the four to search out stable zones and trace passages in the fog between floors of watery expanses with tight bubble-covered paths…
"Huh?!"
Though much to Pleo's surprise, the floor coming into view after exiting the foggy periphery of their latest shortcut was far more terrestrial. The space consisted of tightly-packed trees and undergrowth studded with colorful gems, flanking sides of marshy ground that formed the chambers and paths of the floor. Above them, past the shade of the overshadowing tree litter, was the vague brightness of the sun peering through the mist, its orientation at an unnaturally low angle for this time of the day.
"Where did all these trees come from?!" the young Lugia squawked.
"Gardie, do you know what's going on here?" Guardia pressed. "We obviously haven't left the dungeon since I can still see fog and those crystals everywhere, but dungeons don't change this much."
"Actually, they do sometimes," the Growlithe said, much to Guardia's stunned befuddlement.
"... What?"
"Some Mystery Dungeons have different areas depending on the places the Distortion touches," he explained. "We came in via the sea, and have been working our way up. This obviously doesn't look a lot like the sea, so it's a fair bet that normally Pokémon come through here from land to go to the sea."
Nida nodded, her mind turning back to the dungeon back on Tromba which the stronger members of the guild similarly said linked land and sea. Pleo and Guardia on the other hand stared blankly, as if the Growlithe had just told them about a flying hilltop. The Fire-Type shrugged off the pair's puzzlement, giving an impatient shake of his head.
"Whatever," Elty grumbled. "The important part is that we're on our way outta here."
The fire-dog turned tail and led the group into the corridor, his companions following closely on his heels. Along the way, Nida realized that something was strange about how naturally Elty was able to discern how this dungeon went from the sea to land…
"You seem to be pretty familiar with this place, Elty," Nida murmured.
"Eh, it's nothing," Elty insisted as he turned his back towards the Nidoran. "When you've gone to as many places as I do, some dungeons are just easier than others to get the hang of- Oof!"
Lost in his line of thought, Elty had failed to notice a small avian Pokemon covered in downy pink feathers round a nearby corner. The bird flew directly into his path and bumped into the Fire-Type, the two knocking each other back. The Spritzee ruffled her feathers, eyes narrowing as she shot a glare down the length of her beak at the inattentive pup.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, you village runt!" the bird squawked.
"Er… sorry?" Elty gulped, folding his ears and tail back. "We were just passing through and-"
"GET OUT!"
The Spritzee gave a great shout, enough to cause visible reverberations in the air and knock Elty back into his teammates.
"AGH!"
Any hope at reconciliation lost, Team Traveler instead scrambled back along the corridor away from the furious Spritzee, who followed them in hot pursuit into a chamber hemmed in by a pond. Guardia, having been knocked from her perch atop Pleo's back, was the first one into the room. The Cubone nearly tripped on a wayward Gravelerock as she ran, stumbling forward and casting a glance back towards the stone. A spark of realization shot through the Cubone's mind, the lizard realizing the rock's helpfulness in her situation, she lunged over and grabbed it before continuing on her way.
"Hey bird, heads up!"
The Ground-Type dug her feet into the ground and lobbed the stone forward at the Spritzee, catching her in between the eyes with a loud squawk. The bird tumbled towards the ground, hastily righting herself and pulling up. As the Fairy-Type climbed back into the air, she dove for Guardia with a glare and her beak thrown open wide for what seemed to be a nip.
"Ow! Oh, you're finished, laghairt!"
Her stony missile spent, Guardia moved to grab her trusty weapon - her old familiar club - which she... had thrown away earlier that day. Dread set in as that old feeling of total helplessness took hold of her, and she found herself at a loss, frozen in a panic.
"Leave her alone!"
Before the Spritzee could reach her, Guardia looked up and saw Pleo running in with a sharp cry, plumes of blue aura trailing on his lower body and wisps forming around his head. The Lugia charged ahead and knocked the Fairy-Type back with a startled squawk, leaving Pleo to hastily flit back as his Cubone teammate stared dumbfounded at him.
"P-Pleo?! What was that?!" Guardia exclaimed. "You had blue lights all over your body!"
"I… did?" Pleo asked.
"Grr… you call that an attack?" the Spritzee spat. "That barely did anything to me-EEEK!"
The Fairy-Type squawked as a toxic needle from Nida dug into her side, followed swiftly by a gout of fire from Elty. The sudden onset of attacks dashed her tough facade somewhat, sending her crashing to earth with a pained grimace.
"Nrgh…"
The Spritzee weakly struggled up, her legs tottering from the effects of the burn and the poisoned barb, flapping her wings to try to get back into the air. Before the bird could properly raise her head, Nida caught the bird's face with a pair of spinning kicks, sending the assailing fairy tumbling backwards into a wall with a squawking thud, followed by weak groaning.
"Some dungeons are easier to get the hang of, huh?" Nida asked. The Poison-Type gave an unamused look at her guide, the Growlithe reciprocating with a glare.
"Oh shut up, spike ball," he snapped. "You know what I meant."
"But is this a good idea, Elty? We're getting worn out pretty fast here…" Pleo murmured. "Maybe we'd be better off waiting for help?"
"And hanging around here is safer than traveling around defenseless like this…" Guardia added. "And it would let me get to know this place better so I can pass it down onto my colony's lore…"
"No."
Elty simply couldn't let this chance slip. He was so close to Rosequartz Town now, his old haunt - his home! He couldn't stand to have come so far only for his 'teammates' to screw it all up now.
"I know what I'm doing, okay?" the Fire-Type growled. "This dungeon isn't as bad as Mengir and we've been doing fine so far! Besides, don't you think that those two fish aren't looking for us too?"
"Ya, ya, entiendo," Nida sighed. "Just… let us know if something's going on, alright?"
Elty gave an indifferent grunt and continued steadily down the passage. The day's events had worn heavily on the party's morale, and they felt it now more than ever. A spell of tense silence fell over the group for some time, before Nida piped up.
"I hope that Dimitri isn't too worried about us…"
Back on the outskirts of Braveshoal, the resting grounds of the Khranitel Rod were awash with activity. All about the patch of reef, the clan's Pokémon swam here and there, busy loading little finfuls of sundry objects into bags of sea netting. Happy chatter among the Pokémon circulated in the waters, punctuated by orders barked out by a Dragalge's voice.
"Sergei, put the durables in before the delicates!
"Irena, make sure the kids to put on their best doll-eyes for the buyers today!"
"Nikolai, for the stars' sake, stop playing with that vodka bottle and get your fins moving already!"
Viktor's sharp barking was quickly followed by a short visit by the Khranitel Rod's leader, which was more than enough to rectify whatever caught the seahorse's eye. The Golisopod loading crates atop Wonder Orbs in his netting swiftly emptied his bag to repack. The Milotic was off and quickly calling a small school of various young Water Pokémon about her. Even that lackadaisical Whiscash he'd caught toying with a discarded glass bottle hastily made an attempt to look busy.
"I want to see cargo nets on backs and our haul at the main square in ten minutes!" Viktor barked. "If we don't move this stuff today, we're swimming the next leg of our circuit with basic rations!"
Such was the routine the Khranitel Rod went through when it came time to bring the fruits of their school's wanderings about the Cradle's sea to market in Braveshoal. A place where Pokémon of all stripes from sea and land gathered to trade with one another, and a mainstay for the sea clans of the Cradle, including Viktor's. Even so, there was still time to be found for levity in the midst of the clan's preparations, which prompted Kuda to swim up and greet his superior after finishing up overseeing some Pokémon pushing knots of seaweed into a net on their back.
"You're certainly chipper today, Ataman," the Kingdra said.
"We've got a bigger Market Day to look forward to thanks to that small haul you got us from those golden-scarved losers," Viktor replied. "And we finally managed to put Dimitri's landlubbing to good use to get those kids out of our scales and off to safety…"
The Dragalge gave a contented bob of his head. Yes, there were the customary annoyances here and there, but with the way things were shaping up in the clan's affairs, there only seemed to be one logical conclusion.
"That sounds like a pretty good day to me, don't you think?"
"Ataman! Ataman!"
The distressed burbling promptly pierced through the Poison-Type's relaxed demeanor. That chittering voice… Wait a minute, that was-
"Dimitri?!"
The Dragalge whirled around as the work at the reef ground to a halt. Sure enough, it was the form of none other than the Kabutops guide he had posted to lead Team Traveller to Sormus. Except, here he was back a full day early with neither hide nor hair of his charges to be seen, wincing from a large number of scrapes and dents covering his chitinous body.
"Oi, hurry up and get the medics in here!" the Dragalge cried. "He's injured!"
At once, a trio of Luvdisc swam over to begin inspecting the Kabutops' wounds. News travelled fast among the rest of the clan, as a gathering of Pokémon young and old quickly formed about the battered crab. Throughout the seawater, uneasy murmuring floated about what could have befallen the Rock-Type to make him return so suddenly.
"Dimitri, what happened?" Viktor asked. "And where are the deti?"
"A pair of Imperials ambushed us as we came out from Spirit Trench! I tried to outswim them, but they forced us into a Subway tunnel and collapsed it with a landslide," the Kabutops explained, nervously rubbing the edges of his scythes against each other. "The last I was able to see was that they chased Team Traveller into the Crystal Mangroves."
The Fossil Pokémon's explanation drew shocked gasps and cries of dismay from the gathered Pokémon. The Empire had already found out about the children? But all of them had expected that they were still in the dark about Team Traveller! And if the team was all the way in the Crystal Mangroves and Dimitri was here...
"Dimitri, I told you not to go too far east on the way over!" Viktor snapped.
"And you just let the Imperials go after them?!" Kuda demanded.
"Those Imperials chased me off my original path! And they turned tail, Kuda," Dimitri snapped. "They must have been just as unprepared to head in as I was, since they turned and swam off after they lost the kids."
"… Then that means we still have time to find them," Viktor said.
Puzzled burbles floated about the gathered sea creatures. Their gazes shot between each other before settling on their leader, hoping for some clarification.
"Eh? Ataman, what do you mean by that?" a Lumineon asked.
"What I mean is that those Imperials gave Pleo and his friends a head start for getting away," the Dragalge explained. "If they had to prepare, it means they'll have to go back in order to get prepared, which we can use as a chance to find the deti before they do."
"Eh?!" the Whiscash burbled in protest. "But what about the Market Day-?"
"Keep your priorities in order!" Viktor snapped. "There will be other Market Days, there won't be another shot at getting that chayka back!"
The Dragalge's outburst quickly quieted down any would-be protesters, but even so, skeptical looks floated here and there among the gathered Pokémon. After a tense silence, one of the Luvdisc healers grew emboldened enough to raise an objection.
"But Ataman, surely you don't mean for all of us to go along!" the Rendezvous Pokémon insisted.
"Yeah, our own kids aren't all 'hunter' material!" the Milotic objected. "And we'll lose our spot at the grounds if we all leave!"
"For crying out loud, use a little common sense!" Viktor groaned. "Everyone who is able to make it into that dungeon is coming. I'll expect the rest of you to hold down the fort and try and salvage what you can from Market Day."
"Should we tell the other Atamanov about this?" a Relicanth offered. "If they knew what was going on, I'm sure they'd help with this Protector, too."
"No. Before today, I thought that it was only the Company that we had to worry about," the Dragalge rebutted. "Clearly, the Empire also knows about this Protector, and they've been watching this town. If we keep things to our rod, it will be a lot easier to disguise."
A chorus of affirmations rose up in response to the Dragalge, though before they could drag on, they were cut short by a huff and a motion of the seahorse's fins for silence.
"Now, hurry up and get moving!"
Once again the resting grounds of the Khranitel Rod flew into a whirlwind of activity, if of a sort entirely different from the one just moments before. The goods for Market Day were largely sidelined and stowed away. In its place, seeds, orbs, and other tools for the arduous work of prowling through Mystery Dungeons were dug out in preparation for a visit to the distant dungeon. Even Dimitri, still stinging from his wounds set about preparing, bothered all the while by a nagging dread that he shared with the clan's Dragalge leader as he started to swim away.
"Ataman, will this really work?" the Kabutops asked. "I mean, we all know what lies at the other end of that place…"
Viktor twitched his fins uneasily, a grim look coming over his eyes. After a pregnant pause, the sea dragon shook his head, giving a resigned sigh.
"Let's just hope they haven't reached land yet."
High above the Khranitel Rod's grounds on the seabed, at that time, a flotilla of swimming Pokémon and their passengers in white scarves with red saltires made their way into the atoll. The group was waved along by a group of guards posted at an inlet, who allowed the group into the lagoon. There, an elderly Clawitzer swam out ahead, making a beeline for a frigate tied up against a simple wooden dock.
As Nagant neared, she noticed that the ship seemed uncannily empty above the waterline… only for the sound of shouts to draw her attention to the beach. The shrimp turned her head and saw her crew cavorting on the beach: sunbathing, digging up the sand, playing games with one another. Every manner of childish pursuits one could imagine, all of which swiftly came to a blanching end as Nagant and her flotilla passed, prompting the crew to take a hasty turn to made-up busywork on the dock and frigate.
"… Looks like the others were hard at work while we were out," Berecien sighed. Nagant gave an annoyed twitch of her feelers followed with an aggravated groan.
"Ugh… the things I have to put up with from this crew…"
The Clawitzer shook her head and clambered up some netting dangling over the side of her ship onto the deck. There, she propped herself up onto her tail, and gave a skeptical scowl as her Beedrill first mate flitted over to check on her.
"Jun, what is going on here?" Nagant demanded. "I'm leading an expedition to snag a god, not a pleasure cruise!"
"In their defense, we started running out of things to do for the members of the crew who couldn't swim after the second day," the Beedrill buzzed. "There's only so much intel that can be gathered from the nearby ferals."
The Clawitzer twitched her feelers before giving a begrudging sigh. Jun did have a point, and it sounded like in spite of the poor first impression, perhaps he and the crew had discovered something of value.
"So you have learned something, then?" she asked.
"Well, we've restocked the ship in case we need to make a longer leg," the Bug-Type said. "And we sent some of our own around the atoll and into Braveshoal to try and get a feel for what's been going on…"
"And…?"
"Erm… well, we didn't really pick up anything consistent with a 'flying sea god'," he admitted. "The closest we picked up was that a 'Blue Fairy' apparently passed through lately. She's apparently some manner of mystic that these sea Pokémon revere."
"That's hardly a new development," Nagant scoffed. "Talk of this 'Blue Fairy' has been going on for years."
"Well, we also got a couple reports of Commissioner Lyn being sighted in town earlier this morning..." Jun began.
Nagant waited for her first mate to continue when the sound of ruffling feathers and whispers reached her ears. There, up in the rigging were a Pidgeotto and a Togetic, whispering to a Drifblim latched onto the ropes about what happened on Mengir and if 'Captain Nugget's' talk with Jun was leaving anything out. The Clawitzer huffed and shot out a pressurized pulse of water, narrowly missing the three with startled cries and drawing their attention back down to the deck.
"Some tact with your mouths would be appreciated," Nagant growled. "'Loose lips sink ships', and there will be a special place in the afterlife for the idiot whose lips sink mine."
The three yelped apologies and hastily flew off from the rigging, retreating to a safe distance outside of earshot. Even so, the three's curiosity continued to linger, as the trio continued to sneak glances at Nagant as she carried on with Jun.
"And just how do you know that, Jun?" Nagant prodded. "It's not as if Lyn would swim in here with his Company Lavenders."
"We heard the name being thrown around, and there was apparently a Samurott that swam in from the outside today," the hornet explained. "It just seemed to logically be intertwined."
The shrimp captain paused and curled her mouth into a frown. Jun's logic admittedly wasn't ironclad proof, but even so there was reason to think that the Beedrill was onto something.
"Hrm... That would match up with what we found out from our end..."
"How so?"
"The Board arrived in port shortly after we made landfall on Mengir, and Lyn set off on his own in the direction of Braveshoal afterwards to meet up with a contact," she answered. "Berecien and his friends helped me track them into the village fort, where we were able to listen in on their meeting after some guards 'loaned' us their scarves."
"Eh? The entire Board meeting in that little hamlet?" Jun asked. "What on earth was going on there?"
"They apparently had just missed capturing the Protector. Based off what I overheard, it sounds like he slipped away with an injured wing," Nagant said, moving a claw pensively under her mandibles. "I'm not sure if the Admiralty already knows about it or not, but there's also some degree of friction going on within the Board itself."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Administrator Darzin apparently had a falling out with his peers some time ago," the Clawitzer explained. "He accosted us while we attempted to follow Commissioner Lyn out of port, and strong-armed us into working with him to retrieve the Protector."
Jun gave a startled buzz, and even a couple nearby sailors paused from their work to stare blankly at their captain. She'd done what with a Company Administrator?!
"Bzzt! Mwo?!" the Beedrill cried. "But Captain Nagant, that's-!"
"Something that will stay a matter of this crew and our crew alone until I see a need to change that," Nagant chittered. "I don't trust that Dragonite further than I can throw him, but he's ready to defect from his position, if he has the right incentive."
With her smaller claw, Nagant retrieved Darzin's shed scale and held it up to her crew, the shining orange tarnished by a streak of dull red: their safety net, in case the deal went south. After it'd been acknowledged, she stowed it back in her bag for safekeeping.
"More importantly, we learned from that meeting that the Sea Guardian's escape route leads through here," Nagant said. "Which is why you were hearing reports of Commissioner Lyn's presence here."
"The sea god must have gone another way," Jun murmured. "None of the crew have reported seeing any sign of him."
"I know what I heard, Jun," the Clawitzer harrumphed. "And what you're telling me just isn't adding up…"
She twitched her feelers tentatively, moving her little claw near her mandibles deep in thought.
"We must be overlooking something…"
As Nagant mulled, she overheard some surprised cries coming from the water. The crustacean turned and watched as Cyanea and Katyusha limped along in the water for the frigate, covered in cuts and scuffs.
"Gah… that crab hit harder than I thought."
"And just what happened to you two?" their Clawitzer captain demanded.
The Tentacruel and Sharpedo froze, watching as their peers turned curious glances at them. The pair quietly fumbled for explanations as chatter started to swirl and Nagant's gaze hardened more and more into a fixed glare.
"Er… just a little scrap with a school of ferals," Cyanea answered, giving a sheepish wave of her tentacles. "It's nothing major."
Nagant leveled her firing claw at the two escorts. The chitinous flaps at the end opened, ready to accommodate the backblast from a pressurized shot of water, evidencing the thinness of their owner's patience.
"I distinctly heard you two mention a 'crab' earlier," she hissed. "I'm not in the mood for games right now, so I'll ask again: what happened to you two?"
The duo glanced at one another nervously. It seemed they'd been cornered... Katyusha looked at her partner expectantly grudgingly, coming to a sinking realization that they had no choice now but to tell the truth. Tensing herself in preparation for the backlash she'd receive, Cyanea corrected herself:
"... We found the god you were looking for and went after him on our own," the Tentacruel admitted.
"What?!"
On deck, in the sea, and in the air, Cyanea's admission drew an outpouring of startled cries and questions. Even Nagant was taken aback for a moment, the shrimp having to take a moment to shake her head and compose herself to return to her normal, cantankerous demeanor.
"Cyanea, I want an explanation for this, now."
"W-We saw him and his friends leaving town while we were at Soapy's!" Cyanea interjected, only to be met with a prodding correction from her partner.
"Sophie's…"
"Whatever!"
While the Tentacruel and Sharpedo continued arguing about the name, their admission made Jun fly up with a start. All this time, they'd been so close to the Protector they were searching for and these two had kept quiet about it?!
"Cyanea, why didn't you tell us about this?!" the Beedrill buzzed.
"It was then or never!" the Tentacruel exclaimed. "If we had gone back to the ship and alerted the crew he would have slipped away for sure!"
"Well, you don't have the Lugia with you," Nagant scoffed. "So I don't think it made much of a difference."
"Captain," Katyusha began. "That's-"
The shark was interrupted with the sound of a splash and a moving, angry presence in the water. Captain Nagant had leapt into the water and was now directly in front of her, the Clawitzer glaring into the Sharpedo's eyes.
"Quite enough from both of you," Nagant interrupted. "I don't believe everything in that little story you just gave me, but I'm feeling gracious, so I'll cut to the chase. Where did you lose him?"
"Just outside the Crystal Mangroves, he swam into the fog from the side," Katyusha explained. "So he's somewhere in there now."
The uproar from the nearby crewmates swiftly returned at the mention of the 'Crystal Mangroves'. Cyanea and Katyusha had lost the sea god there? Eager to bring thing back under control, Nagant suddenly braced her shooting claw and aimed it skyward, firing a shot of water into the air with a resounding crack which echoed off of the ship's timbers. As the crew's other conversations came to an immediate halt and their peers from the dock were drawn to the gathering, she turned to address her newly-captivated audience.
"Alright, listen up everybody," the crustacean barked. "I need you all to double back into town and pick up any items you can use for battle. We leave port as soon as they're on the ship!"
"Eh?" a Salandit asked. "But we already loaded up this ship!"
"Yeah, why do we suddenly need even more?" a Vespiquen added.
"Because the area around the Crystal Mangroves isn't some quiet beach you can sunbathe on!" the wizened shrimp spat. "There's good odds we're going to have to fight, and you'd better be prepared for it!"
A sober silence settled over the gathered crew, as the gravity of the situation became apparent. Without further prompting, the Pokémon set off: some to the sea, others to the town beneath the waves, some back aboard to clear space for the extra cargo, and still others to the docks to hurry aboard the last of the frigate's cargo. As the Imperial ship slipped back into the normal hubbub of a hasty departure, Nagant's first mate turned to his grizzled captain, something about her mannerisms striking the Beedrill as odd.
"Just how much firepower are you expecting us to need, Captain?" Jun asked. Nagant paused and cast a look over the horizon, before giving a grunting shake of her head.
"Knowing that accursed island the dungeon's attached to, the more the better."
Back in the Crystal Mangroves, Team Traveller's climb had taken them to a floor where the paths and surroundings jutted off through foggy space at odd angles. In spite of going up, around, and even upside down, the pull of gravity always seemed to be bound to the ground underfoot. More concerningly, the team also found that a number of the paths seemed to loop in onto themselves, which started to stir up uneasy whispers about their Growlithe guide's directions.
"Elty?" Pleo murmured. "Are we lost?"
"No, we're not lost," the Growlithe huffed back.
"But we passed by that branch thirty minutes ago!" Nida exclaimed.
"Some things just look similar around here, okay?" Elty sighed. "Just trust me, I know what I'm doing."
"Gardie, if you don't tell us what's going on, how are we supposed to help get out of here?" Guardia hissed.
"Oi, I'm the one who got us this far," Elty growled. "So just butt out and let me lead the way, unless you fancy bumbling around this place for who knows how much longer!"
The Cubone gritted her teeth and stamped her feet irately. After everything they'd been through, this mutt had the gall to lead them along on what for all anyone knew was just a wild goose chase?!
"Grr! Butt out of this!"
Guardia lowered her head and charged the Growlithe, striking him in the face with a loud yelp. The Fire-Type flopped backwards onto the marshy ground, before wobbling back up to his feet and lowering his body to lunge back-
Click
"Hey what the-"
Elty suddenly dropped out of view, a series of pained yips and the sound of something thunking onto the ground sounding throughout the dungeon. The racket echoed around the area before fading out, leaving the rest of Team Traveller staring blankly in shock.
"Elty!"
The three quickly darted over to the hole and peered down it. There, they saw their Growlithe teammate uneasily righting himself at the end of a stony flight of stairs, still wobbling from his sudden fall.
"Eh?! He fell down the stairs!" Pleo exclaimed. "Quick, this way!"
The rest of Team Traveller hurried down the newly-revealed staircase after their fallen companion. As they rushed to the floor below, something clicked in Nida's head, slowing her pace somewhat as she realized that something was amiss.
"… Hey, wait a minute," Nida murmured. "The stairs between floors aren't hidden like this..."
The Nidoran crept down the steps, her Lugia and Cubone companions following close by. There, much to their surprise, they discovered that just behind Elty was a patch of thick fog. The Growlithe, still shaking sense back into his head, also seemed to grasp the enormity of his accidental discovery.
"Gah… Like I was saying, bonehead. I've got this," Elty groaned. "So are you going to let me lead or what?"
"… Urgh. Fine," Guardia huffed. "But something feels weird about this place."
Team Traveller gathered around behind Elty and began to march into the fog, the sounds and the sensations of their floor quickly vanishing into the ever-thickening haze. The visibility whittled down until- as usual for passages from the Distortion to stable areas- it began to clear along with the filtering of sounds and smells of the next area. A sniff revealed the faint whiff of food, as well as the sound of voices up ahead. The four children tensed themselves as they saw a ring-like shape floating off up ahead, bracing themselves for sudden battle.
"Good afternoon, and congratulations! You've found the Crystal Mangroves' Secret Bazaar!"
The four Pokémon traded confused looks and darted out ahead, where there waiting for them was a Klefki hovering over a pink cloth mat spread over the marshy ground of a forest clearing. A quick look about the clearing revealed a Happiny on a green mat with potted berry bushes and a bowl set out on a stump table, and to the side a Snorlax dozing on a red mat ringed by burlap sacks. Wait a minute! Were these-?
"Wait, are those shops?" Guardia asked. "What are they doing here in a dungeon's stable zone?"
"Since when did being in a dungeon ever stop shops? The Merchantry gouges Pokémon in them all the time," Elty countered.
"But that's in the dungeon," the Cubone insisted. "And there's always one of those green lizards who will knock you into next week for taking something off their mat!"
"Well it would be hard to do the work we do if we had to tear down and rebuild our shops every few hours," the Klefki chuckled. "It makes it well worth being a little out of the way for both us and our more adventurous customers!"
The Klefki waved an arm and bade the youngsters to follow after him. The Key Ring Pokémon led Team Traveller into the center of the chamber, where they saw that there were two additional mats in the room, colored blue and yellow respectively. The lot were staffed by shopkeepers who gave cheerful greetings and invitations to the wayward wanderers to come and pay their mats a closer look.
"I heard back home that there were places like these hidden in dungeons. But this is the first time I've ever been to one myself!" Nida exclaimed. "That said… what exactly do you sell here?"
"All kinds of things! For example the Happiny at the green mat over there sells food to either fill your belly or heal you up," the Klefki explained. "Or, on the blue mat over there, the Minccino there can get any of your items cleaned that were affected by Sticky Traps."
"Uhm… Is there anything that would help us to get an Escape Orb working?" Pleo wondered. "We came into the dungeon the wrong way and I think we broke it."
"Oh, so you're looking for a way out?" the Klefki guide asked. "Try talking with Bech. He's the Ribombee on the yellow mat with the red panel over there."
The Klefki jangled his keys in the direction of the yellow mat with the Ribombee. Nida scrutinized the makeshift shop, which beyond a seat and a red cloth screen along one of the earthen chamber walls seemed to be completely bereft of anything to sell, much less help a team escape a dungeon. Still, the guide had insisted this "Bech" could help... perhaps it was best to give him the benefit of the doubt?
"Thanks for the tip," Nida said, giving a thankful bow of her head. "We'll visit him right away-"
"Oi, spike ball, hurry up!" a yipping voice cried. "Some of us want to get out of here!"
Nida turned her head and saw Elty sitting in front of a flustered-looking Ribombee, wagging his tail impatiently. The Nidoran traded glances with her teammates before they too made their way over to the yellow mat as the Ribombee sized them up.
"Conas atá sibh, young ones?" the Fairy-Type buzzed. "Had enough exploring for a day today, huh?"
"Oh?" Pleo began. "Well, we actually haven't spent all that much time ex-"
"Yes."
"Well in that case, I can take you through my trademark secret passage and back out onto terra firma," Bech said, starting to trail off before straightening up and clearing his throat. "For a price, that is."
Each team member's face soured at the mention of money. Desperate as they were, they only had so much Poké to spend… Would they even be able to afford this mysterious Pokemon's services?
"How much are we talking about here?" Nida asked.
"Well it varies from case to case," the dungeon guide replied. "But for you… I'd say… 100 Poké."
The entire team paused, unsure if they'd heard the Bug-Type correctly. Only a hundred Poké? Could he really offer a measly price like that for such an invaluable service?
"… I may not know a whole lot about pricing, but isn't that supposed to be not that big of a number for those coins of yours, Nidoran?" Guardia questioned.
"It isn't..." Nida answered, before turning back to the Ribombee proprietor. "Why are you charging so little for this, Bech?"
"Well, my job is to help out Pokémon who would normally be stuck in here, so if my customers need a little slack, I'll try to give it when I can," the Fairy-Type explained. "It's a rough world out there at times, and I figured that a bunch of worn-out kids like you could use a break from it."
"Sounds good enough for me," Elty grunted. "Give him the money, spike ball. I could go for seeing some proper sunshine right about now."
Nida rooted through her shoulder bag and set down a pair of misshapen coins onto the mat. The Ribombee snatched up the glinting baubles and stuffed them into a small pouch tucked under the corner of the mat before coming to a stop in front of the rounded panel at his shop's end. The Fairy-Type gave the display a firm knock, sending it tumbling down, and revealing the arch of a stony tunnel behind it.
"And there we go," the Ribombee said. "Follow me, we'll be out before you know it."
"Hey wait a minute, you charged us 100 Poké to go through a tunnel that was right in front of us?!" Elty exclaimed. "What sort of rip-off is- Ow!"
Elty yelped in pain as he felt something wrench his right ear. The Growlithe pulled his head back, and saw that a fuming Guardia had latched onto it with her claws.
"Enough Gardie," she snapped. "Let's just follow the nice bee and replace my bone already."
Not needing a further hint, Elty pulled his head back and begrudgingly decided to table his objections to Bech's fee, leaving Nida to fold her ears back with a frustrated shake of her head. The bee gave a puzzled look before shrugging his shoulders and bidding the four youngsters to follow after him, leading the party deeper into the earthen tunnel and off towards what they hoped would be the end of their ordeal.
"See anything you like, Crom?"
After leaving Mengir's green-sanded beaches, Crom and his companions' search for work to do around town took them to the domed Guild Hall of Fensedge Village. There, under the central chamber's dome, Crom scanned a message board sparsely flecked with illustrated papers with mission descriptions on them. The morning rush had evidently left the board bare, and one constant seemed to characterize the still-unclaimed missions.
"Uh… well, a lot of these look kinda tough…"
"Searching for some ferals accused of battery… Crate hunting on the thirtieth floor…" Kiran muttered, before giving an exasperated shake of his head. "Everything here that will get us as much money as we need is stuff that's way outside our rank."
"What about that one with the apple over there?" Pladur offered, gesturing with his claw at a mission notice for an all-too-familiar mission of gathering apples.
The suggestion immediately drew a chorus of groans and exasperated looks. Even out here, was it really that impossible to avoid apple-picking?
"Uhm… I mean, I suppose apple-gathering is something any Pokémon could do," Ander sighed. "But with a reward like that, we could work until our grandchildren are in their autumn years, and we still wouldn't have the money we need."
"But there must be something we can do…" Crom murmured.
"But Guildmaster Stewart, this is important!" a slightly agitated voice protested. "What do you mean you can't list my mission?"
"Huh?"
The little Druddigon turned around, where he saw in the neighboring hallway, a Mienshao in the garb of a First-Rank Company grunt trying to sway an elderly Sawsbuck.
"I'm sorry, Hertsog. But guild policy is guild policy," the Sawsbuck replied. "You know how we feel about bending our rules, especially if it's not for a good reason."
"Stewart, this is my last opportunity to ask for help!" the Fighting-Type pleaded. "Surely that's grounds for shifting the guild's rules a little?"
Crom peered at the Mienshao as he continued to try and persuade the Sawsbuck guildmaster. The Druddigon initially thought to turn away and leave the Company Pokémon's problems remain his own. But… the weasel seemed to be particularly affected by whatever he needed help with. As member of a Rescue Team, wasn't it his job to help Pokémon in the Fighting-Type's place?
"Eh? What's the mission that you're trying to post?" Crom called out.
Hertsog and Stewart exchanged glances. The Sawsbuck's stern expression softened as he saw this issue begin to resolve itself, and he bowed his head in salutation before turning to leave.
"I'll leave you be for now," the Guildmaster said. "It looks like you won't need my help after all, Hertsog."
The Sawsbuck trotted off, leaving Crom and his companions to make their way over to the Mienshao. The Fighting-Type sized up his audience, and upon noticing their fellow First-Rank scarves, started to develop a skeptical glimmer in his eyes.
"Eh?" the weasel asked. "Shouldn't you all be at work?"
The four Pokémon all began to stammer a different excuse before catching themselves and trailing off awkwardly. After some clumsy glances to one another, Pladur cleared his throat and tried to offer a suitable explanation.
"Uh… we're from a crew that's just passing through?" Pladur answered sheepishly. "You don't have to worry about us shirking from work if that's what you're talking about."
"Fair enough, and I don't believe I'm in much of a position to be picky about my help…" Hertsog sighed. "Who are you all anyways?"
"Well, I'm Pladur," the Fraxure said, before pawing at the Druddigon beside him. "And this is my son Crom."
"I'm Kiran," the Swellow added, raising a wing in greeting.
"And I'm Ander," the team's Scyther buzzed, giving a flicker of his wings. "We had a bit of ship trouble and had to cover some repairs out of our own pocket."
Hertsog brought one paw to his chin, regarding the party dubiously. It seemed to be almost too convenient that they should show up right when they did... but - he reasoned - there was no point being so suspicious when they were essentially his only hope here.
"Razbiram. Anyhow, I'm Hertsog," the Mienshao said. "Until recently, I was the Captain of the Guard in this town, but there's been a bit of an incident that led to my reassignment. As such, I wanted to give back to this town before I got sent to Vollezee for my new assignment."
"Eh?" Crom asked. "But then why didn't that Sawsbuck want you to post your mission here?"
"Well, it's because it's not exactly a request for something to be done in the dungeon," Hertsog answered. "I wanted to get some help to repair something that I and a lot of folks around here have been putting off."
"Hrm?" Kiran murmured. "And what would that be?"
"The shrine to our local Protector. It's up on the path going up to the Mystery Dungeon and badly needs renovation," the Fighting-Type explained. "I'd be willing to offer 4000 Poké if you can get the job done before I leave."
Crom, Kiran, and Pladur's eyes lit up at the mention of the reward. This Mienshao was offering so much just for a little construction work?
"4000 Poké?" Pladur asked. "Why, for that much, of course we'd be-"
"No! Absolutely not!"
The three turned and stared at Ander with stunned silence. The Scyther reeled back, and shot a glare back at the lippy Fraxure.
"I'm not dipping my scythes into this matter," the mantis hissed. "You know what those shrines mean to Marked like me, Pladur. We can get that 4000 Poké in the dungeon like a normal team-"
The Scyther's rant was abruptly cut off by a pained squawk from the main chamber. The group turned its attention to the room, where in the center, a haggard looking Pipikek and Pidgey were helping up a Fletchling after tumbling onto the floor. The three were covered in scuffs from battle, and all were evidently too exhausted to take wing.
"I told you that you shouldn't have gone off on your own," the Pipikek said.
"Hey, it still- Ow!" the Fletchling winced. "It still worked out, right?"
Ander looked uneasily at the young team of Pokémon. While it was surely just coincidence, that was not a promising omen for going into the dungeon. The mantis turned his gaze back to Hertsog, where he noticed the Fighting-Type giving a shake of his head
"… I can understand if you don't want to take my mission, Scyther," Hertsog responded. "But you weren't seriously thinking about going into the dungeon with your team in your present condition, were you?"
"Hrmph. And why not?" Ander demanded.
"The ferals here have been more aggressive since even before the Empire's collapse, and they have a tendency to bend the rules with regard to the Pact's protections," the Mienshao explained. "I couldn't in good conscience recommend a team in your condition head in there."
A sinking realization began to settle over the four Pokémon as Ander hesitantly racked his brain for an alternative. Regardless of whether or not they turned down Hertsog, his mission was the safest and most plausible opportunity they had to help scrape together the funds they needed to get the Siglo Swellow seaworthy again in time. The longer they waited, the more likely it was that Lyn and the Company would beat them to the punch for finding Pleo.
"… Is there really nothing at all that would convince you to take this mission, Ander?" Kiran murmured.
"I- I mean, this really isn't something that I'm taking glibly, Kiran," the Bug-Type buzzed.
"But- But you said you'd help us out back at the ship!" Crom insisted. "Please, Ander, we really need your help!"
The Bug-Type paused and looked away. After an uneasy moment of silence and tapping his blades together, the Scyther sighed and reluctantly looked back at his teammates.
"… Fine. Given our circumstances, it doesn't look like we have many realistic alternatives," the Scyther begrudgingly replied. "I'll make the materials you need, but I will not stick my scythes deeper into this matter. What you do with them afterwards is none of my business."
"It looks like we're in, Hertsog," Kiran chirped. "We'll head out right now-"
"Hold on a minute," the Mienshao interrupted. "I admire your sense of punctuality, but there are a couple of important matters that I feel need to be cleared up first."
"Huh, what do you mean?" Pladur asked.
"The first is that I unfortunately don't have materials for you to work with," the Fighting-Type explained. "I gave a larger reward than normal since I anticipated that whoever fixed the shrine might need to get some on their own… It's admittedly a bit of a squeeze if you're trying to stretch your reward money."
"I'm sure we'll manage, we've been stretching our money just to patch up our ship," the Fraxure answered. "Though what was the other thing you were going to mention?"
"Namely, that I'm going to be swamped with work from preparing for my reassignment which comes in two days," the weasel explained. "I'll still try to make it up to the shrine to help, but if you don't see me there, that's the reason."
The four stated back at Hertsog blankly. While it was never wise for a Rescue Team to harangue its client with questions... just how were they supposed to fix up the shrine without someone who was familiar with it helping?
"Er… that could be a bit of a problem," Kiran groaned. "You're the one who knows about the shrine better than any of us here. Do you at least have something we could use in your absence."
"I'll try and see if a few of my old subordinates can help, but in the meantime, take these."
The Mienshao rooted through a shoulder satchel, and pulled out a small stack of dog-eared papers. On them were drawings of a monolith with a pair of nearby pavilions, sporting motifs of trees and a blue stag with rainbow horns.
"It's admittedly not a whole lot, but surely a visual reference is better than nothing," Hertsog sighed.
"I think we can work with that," Kiran chirped. "We'll head out to the site now to get an idea of what's needed."
"Yeah, we'll get that shrine looking as good as new before you know it!" Crom cheered.
Hertsog opened his mouth to reply, but faltered before he found the words. The task he'd laid out for his new allies was already such a longshot; perhaps it was best not to get their hopes up on the matter...? On the other paw, their hearts were in the right place. With the zeal they'd already showed for the job, it would be downright counterproductive to shoot them down before they'd even taken off.
"I'm sure that you will," Hertsog said, a small smile creeping over his muzzle. "Thank you, and good luck."
The Mienshao crossed his arms, retaining his supportive smile as he watched Crom and his party fade into the distance. As they rounded a corner out of his sight, his expression deflated, shaking his head to himself with a heavy sigh.
"You'll need it."
As Crom and his teammates started their journey off into Mengir's interior, Team Traveller's journey out of the Crystal Mangroves wound down under Bech's guidance. The Ribombee took the four through a winding path in the dungeon's fog, which at the end cleared to reveal a forest of deciduous trees with their leaves all stained shades of red and orange. Nida, Guardia, and Pleo nosed around, looking about curiously at the wooded surroundings.
"Where are we?" Nida asked.
"Eh? You didn't know? You're on Orleigh," their guide explained. "The town here's a bit scruffy, but it's certainly a place that would scratch your adventuring itch."
Nida blinked and gave a puzzled tilt of her head at the bee's statement. Meanwhile, her partners traded tired looks with one another, their own thoughts more preoccupied with much-needed rest.
"Eh, I personally could use a rest before any more adventures," Elty said. "What do you all think?"
"It would be nice to give my wing a rest..." Pleo added.
"Well, I still want to learn the local lore," Guardia insisted. "But I kinda need a new bone for, well- living."
The group turned to Nida so she could weigh in on the matter, but she seemed hesitant. She stared at the ground, apparently lost in thought, mouth partway open as if her answer was on the very tip of her tongue, but she remained silent.
"Something the matter, Nidoran?" Bech wondered.
"Oh, no es nada," Nida said. "It's just that I thought this island's name sounded familiar for some reason."
Elty abruptly went rigid at the Poison-Type's words, his fur pricking up. Bech for his part found the Nidoran's words to be similarly disconcerting, as he traded a wary look back to the little rabbit.
"Eh? Would you four need a guide around town?" the Ribombee asked. "It would help you get the lay of the land a bit better."
"Well…" Nida began.
"We'll be fine, I'm sure," Elty hastily interrupted. "Come on, let's get going."
The Fire-Type turned and set off down a dirt path snaking down a hill. The other members of Team Traveller faltered, before relenting and following after. It would be best not to stumble onto a new island with the team scattered, but even so, just what was giving Elty this confidence?
"Elty, what was that all about?!" Nida exclaimed. "This isn't a place we've been before!"
"Yeah, I'd be able to learn about this place faster if I had someone to learn lore from!" Guardia grumbled.
"Considering how hit-or-miss our past guides have been, do we really want to take the chance when at least two different groups of Pokémon are chasing after us?" the Fire-Type demanded.
The three Pokémon paused at Elty's words. Pleo and Nida's minds turned back to their time in Seahive. There, their guides from Team Chasseur had shown them around the town, and even saved their necks on more than one occasion. By the same token though, the team's blind trust in Salvini's guidance had almost led to disaster, even if she ultimately came around in the end. And the less said about their stint with Team Taxonomy, the better...
"I guess that's a good point…" Pleo answered.
"Then let's keep moving-" Elty began, only for the sound of a feline voice to carry along the winds.
"That's it, one at a time, there's plenty of food for everyone."
"Huh?" Guardia asked.
The four turned and crept through a cluster of bushes, where they saw that a large number of scarfless Pokémon had gathered in a clearing. In the middle of the crowd were a Cacturne and a Meowstic bearing orange scarves with a white jawbone design on it, who were freely handing out donuts from a basket.
"See, we take care of the 'mons around our town," the Cacturne reassured.
"Yeah, and we take care of 'mons with our colors even better," his Meowstic partner added. "Join us, and you'll never have to worry about finding food again!"
Team Traveller watched silently as the pair handed out donuts, their stomachs giving envious growls. Guardia in particular seemed particularly enticed, the ring-shaped pastries making the Ground-Type's mouth water and her worries about her bone melt away (if only for a moment).
"If they're just handing that food out, maybe we could get some?" Guardia asked.
"Um. Guardia," Nida answered, flattening her ears out. "I think those are meant for ferals."
"Oi, I was one of your 'ferals' just a week ago!" the Ground-Type shot back. "That has to count for something!"
The Cubone, having been given newfound confidence by her stomach, crept along and slipped into the back of the gathering. A few of the ferals noticed her, and traded puzzled looks, but didn't question the matter as donuts continued to be passed around.
"Bonehead!" Elty whispered. "Dość tego!"
"But it's free food-"
The lizard's protest was cut off by the sound of a loud snarl, which made her tumble back with a start. Guardia, now once again aware of her defenselessness, yelped and bolted back to the safety of Pleo's back, as the two orange-scarved Pokémon trained harsh glares on the quartet.
"Hey! Take a hike, you lousy brats!" the Cacturne growled.
"Yeah, this is our group," the Meowstic spat. "Go get your own!"
"Alright, alright, we're going!" Elty yipped.
The Growlithe hastily lead his teammates back to the forest path, and then turned off running. After the four could no longer see the pair from the clearing, Team Traveller took a moment to pause and catch their breath, the shock of their encounter giving way to puzzlement and sour grapes.
"… Clearly the hut-dwellers on this island are very possessive about the alliances they strike with Pokémon that don't wear scarves like them," Guardia growled.
"Eh? But why?" Pleo asked. "Weren't they just trying to be helpful?"
"Sounded more like they were trying to bribe them into joining their team," Nida grumbled, flattening her ears out with an unamused stare. "But if that's so, why were they trying to do that with such a large group?"
"Eh, their team, their rules," Elty said, shaking his head. "No need to worry your prickly head about it."
"But-"
"Let's just keep moving towards town okay?" the Growlithe pressed. "We could all use some rest anyway."
After a look back in the direction of the clearing, the four shook their heads and continued on. The forest was starting to look less and less wild now. The undergrowth grew thinner by the step, and the nests in the trees and burrows on the ground were joined with fields of crops, reed mats, and mailboxes. All signs of an impending approach to a town…
Team Traveller's ears perked up at the sound of a hiccuping voice, which drew their attention towards a lean-to nestled among the trees. Pleo gave a puzzled tilt of his head before waddling forward. What was this shack doing here by itself?
"Shooo… where do we stash the goods?"
Hey wait a minute, that shack wasn't alone! There were a pawful of shops, some attached to residences, including what looked to be a Juice Bar.
"I say we bury our loot on the beach," a Hippopotas said. Its companion, a similarly inebriated-looking Weepinbell took umbrage and countered the creature's assertion.
"No, the woods! Beaches are too cliche!"
An unusually active one for the time of day. But, was this really this island's town? A quick count revealed there were a mere eight structures in the cluster, without any of the expected features of a town attached to it. There was no Guild, no guard outpost, not even a Post Office!
"These eight huts are the entire town for this island?" the Cubone asked, giving a skeptical raise of her brow.
"What? No, this is just a trading post on the outskirts," a Tsareena from behind the bar answered. "A lot of Pokémon around here don't like bothering to go all the way into town for a drink, so some of us brought our businesses out to our customers."
"That certainly isn't how the town on my island worked," Guardia countered. "What's so special about yours that it needs all of this?"
"Eh, sometimes a little more peace and quiet's better for business with the visiting ships in town," the Grass-Type replied. "They can be a bit of a handful to do business with."
"But then where is the town?" Pleo wondered.
"Just keep following the path on the right," she said, motioning at a dirt path continuing under the canopy. "It'll take you to the ridge overlooking the eastern side of Rosequartz Town."
The mention of 'Rosequartz Town' brightened up Elty's eyes, prompting the Fire-Type to give a brief wag of his tail. As soon as Nida noticed her partner's demeanor, the Growlithe stiffened up and became more businesslike before speaking back to the Grass-type bartender.
"Oh trust us," he said. "I'm sure we can't miss it."
Once again, the members of Team Traveller set off, Elty taking the lead with humming as his teammates followed after. All the while, the trip drew uneasy twitches of Nida's whiskers. They were on a new island, knowing nothing about who controlled the place, and here Elty was even more comfortable and at ease than he'd been back in Bluewhorl!
"Hey, Elty? Didn't you say you were tired earlier?" the Nidoran asked.
"And what's your point?" the Fire-Type demanded
"You seemed awfully… energetic for someone who was in a hurry to get some rest," she pressed. "What's going on?"
"We almost got killed by bugs, then almost got forced to pick Apricorns for the rest of our lives, and then got stuck at the bottom of the sea over the last couple days," Elty answered. "I think there's nothing wrong about looking forward to some proper rest."
"But, the way you were talking earlier," Pleo murmured, "do you know this place, Elty-?"
Before the little Lugia could finish his question, Guardia shot to attention, calling out to her teammates as she gestured off into the distance with a claw.
"Oh, I think I see it!" she exclaimed.
Nida, Pleo, and Elty turned their heads to the right, where the sight of a seaside town at sunset caught their eye. The settlement seemed to be a little larger than Bluewhorl, though its buildings were primarily composed of dark stone with slate roofs, punctuated by the occasional painted structure in the shape of a Pokémon's head. Smoke curled up from alleyways and ventilation holes, while a number of larger structures flew colorful banners… Perhaps flags of the local rescue teams? Off in the distance, there was the faint sight of a harbor, along with ships shuffling in.
"Whew... looks like we finally made it," Nida sighed.
"Nida! Nida!" Pleo exclaimed. "Look at all those ships in the harbor!"
"Huh?"
"Go, jū, jū-go, ni-jū...… Hey, wait a minute, there's almost as many ships as in Mossaisle down here!" Guardia exclaimed. "Why does a smaller town like this need so many?"
Nida blinked and peered off into the distance at the harbor. Although the vista was muddy for the Nidoran's eyes from that distance, she could see that there were indeed far more shapes in the harbor than back in Bluewhorl. But… it's not as if it would be that surprising, would it? The town seemed bigger when they came in...
"… I can't really see them from here, but it's not like there wouldn't ever be reasons for a lot of ships in a small harbor," Nida offered. "Maybe they're here for all those crystals we saw on the way over-?"
"Tch."
"Huh?" the Nidoran murmured. The Poison-Type looked down next to a colorful gambling hall with simple roulette wheels and card tables under a slate roof, where she saw a Floette and Dewpider duo prattling with each other as they passed below..
"I can't believe we have to walk all the way out to the edge of town for the new hangout," the Floette grumbled. "What was wrong with our old one by the seaside?"
"Eh, the captain had to use his share of the booty for something," the Dewpider countered. "Besides, you can't go wrong with a bit more space, right?"
"I dunno, I for one don't like being made to drag my share of the loot halfway across town just to be able to kick back and unwind," the Fairy-Type said, rolling his eyes.
"Eh?!"
Nida froze and a sinking feeling began to churn in her stomach. She suddenly realized why Orleigh had seemed so familiar to her: Valatos and his friends had marked it as a hangout on their map! With the conversation between the drunks back at the cluster of huts, the ships in the harbor, and with everything they'd seen from this town so far...
There was only one logical conclusion to be drawn.
"This entire town is a pirates' den!"
Author's Notes:
- laghairt - Irish: "lizard"
- Atamanov (Атаманов) - Russian: Plural of "Ataman", used here as title of a "clan leader/chieftain" (BGN/PCGN Romanization)
- Conas atá sibh - Irish: "How are you"
- Razbiram (Разбирам) - Bulgarian: "I understand" (BGN/PCGN Romanization)
- no es nada - Spanish: "it's nothing"
- Dość tego - Polish: "Knock it off!"
- Go, jū, jū-go, ni-jū... (五,十,十五,二十...) - Japanese: "Five, ten, fifteen, twenty..." (Hepburn Romanization)
