Chapter 68: Finding Your Feet
An oppressive aura lingered around Bluewhorl Town's harbor as the shadow of tall, lavender-sailed masts loomed over the seafront from three ships anchored in port. All along the ships, growling and glaring Pokémon in Company scarves disembarked and shuffled off as islanders warily poked their heads out from behind corners and windows, the sides between the two parties occupied by a growling Charizard and a wizened Ampharos staring each other down as the air crackled with unseen tension. Hatteras inhaled deeply, before hardening his eyes in determination and speaking up towards the scowling Commissioner in front of him.
"… I'm not sure what you're talking about," the sheep insisted. "We haven't been playing any games, so I don't really know why you're here right now."
"Hrmph, take your complaints up with the Board!" Bunsen scoffed. "They already knew that you've been giving safe harbor to smuggling crews, but to go and do the same for one that's turned to piracy? There's just some lines that can't be crossed and left unanswered!"
The Charizard batted his tail against the ground, spreading his wings as he craned his head forward with a low, guttural growl.
"To fix that, me and my subordinates will be staying here to capture those pirates in case Commissioner Lyn fails to do so and they return here," the Fire-Type snarled. "During our stay, we'll be taking over the day-to-day affairs of this hamlet and make some changes to ensure the Board that moments like these don't happen again."
"Hatteras!"
Bunsen and Hatteras looked up to see the form of a Sceptile running in with panting breaths.
"What's going on?" Osmund asked. "Lyn's back here already?!"
Osmund caught the sight of fire from the corner of his eyes and hastily entered a skidding stop, looking up to see a Marked Charizard staring back at him. The Sceptile blinked confusedly for a moment, only for Bunsen to shoot back a harsh glare and snort up a small spray of embers.
"And one of the first orders of business for me and my subordinates will be to hand down consequences for the Pokémon who have been abetting that criminality," the Commissioner said. "Effective immediately, you will be under house arrest in your domicile, and the Sceptile here will be detained in your local jail."
The Charizard's order at once drew scattered gasps as onlooking Pokémon cringed away from their windows and corners. Back in the front and center of things Hatteras' jaw dropped for a moment, before the sheep stomped a foot with a sharp bleat as sparks crackled along his hide.
"Look, 'Bunsen', was it? I don't know what sort of lies the Board has been feeding you, but our island hasn't been abiding any pirates," the Ampharos snapped. "The Siglo Swellow is a legitimate merchant ship, and the only reason Lyn is even chasing after it is because our Protector is aboard it!"
At once, Bunsen visibly blanched and uneasily shrank back. Their 'Protector'? As in whatever demon they worshipped on this rock?! The Charizard tried to stammer out a response but kept tripping over his own words, which failed to go unnoticed by the nearby townsfolk.
"Hah, not so tough now, are ya, blotch-head?!" a Mightyena sneered.
"Yeah, as if a Marked like you would really dare to show your ugly mug in front of a Protector!" a Machoke spat.
Bunsen flinched as one Pokémon after the other joined in with jeers and taunts, advancing with newfound courage, the Charizard turning pale at the thought of having to face one of the mythical demons in the flesh.
Did Darzin know about this when he sent him out here?! He hadn't even gotten a chance to get armor allocated for him or his Second-Ranks before Darzin forced him to set sail, even though it should've been standard issue for them and squad leaders for a pacifying mission such as this! W-Why would the Administrator send him off to face an awful monster like that so underequipped?!
Bunsen looked about and noticed his subordinates were also starting to grow uneasy from the encroaching mob, when a snide voice resounded in his head…
"Try and pretend to be imposing when you're on Tromba. Knowing the islanders, you'll need it."
The Commissioner stopped, digging his claws into the wood of the pier as hot, frustrated breaths left his snout. These- These lousy hicks were playing games with him like Darzin had warned! Trying to make him slink off with his tail between his legs over a bunch of empty words! He was supposed to believe that one of the demons woke up on this lousy rock just a month ago?! It would have been more likely that a snowstorm blew into Sormus since then! With renewed fire in his belly, Bunsen hardened his eyes as a sneering yip from the Mightyena reached his earholes.
"If our Protector was here, he'd blow- AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The hyena was swallowed up by a sudden Flamethrower, wheeling and thrashing about screaming much to the villagers' shock. The Dark-Type staggered as the flames subsided, before flopping over with a coat full of burnt-smelling fur and little sign of life beyond a weak twitch of his legs. The Machoke next to him paled and backpedaled into a wall as the townsfolk's defiance rapidly bled away and shouts went up from the ships. Hatteras and Osmund went wide-eyed as they saw cannons being wheeled up to the front and startled cries broke out among the gathered villagers, when a fierce roar cut through the air.
"Do you really think that you're going to scare me off with a bunch of dirty tricks just because I'm a Marked?!" Bunsen bellowed. "Who do you take me for?!"
The flame on the Charizard's tail turned a whitish blue as he wheeled with bared fangs at Hatteras, all but forcing the Ampharos back with a withering glare and livid breaths that blew out singing embers.
"I'm not giving another warning," the Commissioner snarled. "Do as you're ordered now or else things are going to get uncomfortably hot and charred around here!"
Hatteras grit his teeth as the townsfolk in the background split into a mix of 'mons hastily retreating and others who stammeringly assumed combative stances to defend their town. The Company underlings further up the docks began to approach massed and ready for battle when the air was pierced by a sharp cry.
"Wait!"
For a fleeting moment, the Pokémon near the ships and from the town paused and looked over at Osmund as he motioned for a stop. The remaining villagers eased themselves, trading uneasy murmurs as the Sceptile approached Bunsen with a deflated shake of his head.
"… I know when it's time to fold 'em," he muttered. "You say that it's the Board's orders that this needs to happen. Then fine."
At once, multiple voices in the crowd broke out in protest, pleading with Osmund not to yield and turn himself over. The Sceptile grit his teeth and turned around, shouting back over the villagers' cries.
"Listen! If we couldn't handle Lyn getting the drop on us with his galleon, what hope do we have against three ships?!"
An uncomfortable silence fell over the townsfolk, as one after the other, the gathered Pokémon looked away grudgingly as Osmund hung his head glumly.
"… This is the best that can be done for now," he muttered. "So let's just do what we can with it."
"Save your breath," Bunsen snapped. "Sicula, get this gecko in a cell! And march that Mightyena and Machoke from earlier with him!"
The Machoke at the wall yelped and turned to flee, only for an Energy Ball to zip in and strike the back of his head. The Fighting-Type pitched forward and collapsed face-first onto the ground as a Roserade pointed at the fallen Pokémon, prompting a band of underlings to pounce, swiftly binding him and the Mightyena up before unceremoniously dragging them off. A Scrafty and Bronzong turned to Osmund and wrenched the Sceptile's arms behind his back, binding them before the Roserade joined them and shoved him off in the same path for the jail. All around the square, the villagers stood in stunned silence, shrinking away quailing as Bunsen turned to Hatteras with a sharp huff.
"It's your turn, Hatteras," the Charizard snarled. "Just follow your orders and return to whatever hovel you pretend to run this place from. Perhaps the Company will still have a use for your present role once this is all over."
The Ampharos said nothing for a moment, before grudgingly shuffling off as a Dugtrio and a Lickilicky flanked him, leaving the sheep to turn back with a harsh glare.
"Don't think that this is just going to smooth over just by throwing a few 'mons in a cell," Hatteras said.
"I'll be the judge of that, sheep," Bunsen growled back. "Now off to your shack!"
The Dugtrio and Lickilicky carried on, brusquely pushing the Ampharos along up the path for the Guild Hall as Bunsen turned out to the lingering crowd with a stomp and bellowing roar.
"And the rest of you! I'll be serving resettlement notices during my stay on your miserable rock!" Bunsen snapped. "If you don't want to find you and your families on the receiving end of one, I'd suggest you all be good subjects and stay out of my way!"
The Charizard breathed in and spewed a plume of fire into the air over the crowd, prompting them to break and scatter much as if they were a swarm of startled Durant. As the square cleared out, an uneasy quiet settled in, leaving Bunsen to give a shake of his head before turning back to his underlings.
"… Start moving in," the Fire-Type harrumphed. "If we're going to be staying here a while in this town, we might as well make it ours."
The Commissioner was met with a chorus of affirmations as the lavender-garbed Pokémon marched into the town, fanning out down its lanes and paths. Satisfied with his work, Bunsen turned back and beat his wings with a flying hop onto the stern of his ship, his claws shaking as he sat down against the deck breathing out a heavy sigh of relief.
Out in the waters between Boisocéan and Otvaga, the deck of the Nektar Weide rumbled as sailors brought up wooden casks and rolled them out under the glow of the stars and moon, dispensing clear drinks into cups and mugs for the gathered crew. The air had a festive atmosphere to it, laughter and joking filtering about freely as a Samurott stood over the bridge raising a clay flask of jenever up for the crew to see.
"A toast! To the Company, and to an Anyilla reunited under its banner!"
The gathered Pokémon broke out in cheers as a few of the more restless sailors started drinking their helpings of jenever. Lyn looked around, noting the high spirits that had seemed absent from his crew for so long, and cracked a grin at the edges of his mouth.
"It's been a far longer mission than I'd have liked, but with the Protector finally in our grasp I think it's about time we all set our eyes on our higher goals," he remarked. "Drink up! You've earned it!"
Lyn pulled the flask to his mouth and drank deeply as another cheer broke out among the crew and others returned to their drinks, their captain sauntering down to mingle with his underlings. Further by the rigging, Team Sentinel busied themselves chattering with some curious sailors as Ketu and Ellsberg looked back at Lyn from the starboard railing of the central deck with sharp frowns, the Mothim of the pair giving an irritated flick of his wings and an unimpressed scoff.
"Hmph, look at him hogging all the credit!" Ellsberg spat. "If it wasn't for me he wouldn't even have known that Lugia had awakened!"
"Let him run his mouth off, he'll be knocked down a peg soon enough," Ketu said, giving a dismissive wave of his claw. "Shame I won't be able to see his face when he opens that nut in front of the Board, I was kinda looking forward to that stupid expression of his…"
Ellsberg extended his proboscis into his drink and sipped as he began to wonder, what would the Board do with Lyn for presenting a Ditto before them? Would they boot him from the mission for his failure? No, that seemed far too tame of a punishment to expect. If they assume he attempted to trick them, that would surely lead to some manner of demotion… perhaps even a public cashiering! Why, if Lyn was still even in the Company after everything, perhaps he'd be in a position to turn the tables and see how Lyn would like being his subordinate for a change! The Bug-Type began to smile as one possibility after another played through his mind when Ketu dangled his claw out in front of him, waving a clay cup slightly.
"Here, you can have it," the Weavile offered.
The Mothim gave an askew glance, looking down at Ketu's cup half-expecting the Weavile to throw it in his face as a joke. After a moment's wait and noticing Ketu giving him an impatient look, the moth tilted his head puzzledly.
"Huh? You don't like jenever?" he wondered.
"Nope, I don't drink alcohol," Ketu answered.
"… Even when you had to present yourself as a sailor?" Ellsberg asked. "I can't remember the last time one has said something like that."
"Tch, from what I've seen, Pokémon who drink alcohol tend to get drunk and lose control of themselves," the Weavile replied. "I'd like to keep my mind clear, so I don't need that to happen to me."
Ellsberg blinked at Ketu's reply, giving a curious flick of his antennae. There were few Pokémon in the Company who'd say 'no' to a cup of jenever after work, much less fellow Second-Ranks who both had lower-ranked peers to entertain and superiors to schmooze to. The Mothim briefly wondered to himself why Ketu felt this way, before opting not to press the matter and taking the cup from his claw.
"Besides, it seems like you're a fan of jenever," Ketu said. "After everything that's happened I don't mind giving you a little extra on top of your share of those con artists' money."
Ellsberg flitted back in surprise, nearly spilling his drinks onto the deck. He buzzed sharply and turned his head to the Weavile incredulously, giving a pressing stare back.
"Wait, their money?" the moth asked. "What are you going on about?"
"What, you didn't think we were just going to throw it into the sea, did you?" Ketu replied. "I think we deserve a bonus after all of this, and it's not like those punks were going to do anything useful with it."
The Weavile shook his head, before leaning with his back against the railing and giving a small grin back.
"And hey, you pulled your own weight in the end," Ketu insisted. "Sounds like a good reason to share in the reward, don't you think?"
The Mothim shot a flummoxed look at the Dark-Type. Throughout the entire mission, Ketu had been passively neutral towards him at best, and openly threw insults and demeaning nicknames at him at worst. Telling him they had captured the Protector of Conntow earlier was already a bit of a surprise, but to go on and actually be nice for once was… unexpected, to say the least.
"So… what are you going to do now this is all over?" Ellsberg asked. "You never did give me a straight answer earlier."
Ketu blinked a moment at the Mothim's question, wondering why he still remembered his question from yesterday after everything that had happened since then. The Weavile closed his eyes, before giving a shrug of his shoulders and curling his mouth into a small smile.
"Eh, I guess it can't hurt to tell you," Ketu said. "Tell me, do you know who Betulo is?"
"I… think he's Administrator Elilan's Commander?" Ellsberg answered. "I've heard of him a few times, but never really talked with him at length."
"That's him," the Weavile affirmed. "As Administrator Elilan mentioned, he had a different candidate in mind than Lyn to replace Darzin on the Board, and that candidate is none other than Betulo."
"But… how does that involve you?" the Bug-Type wondered.
"Because I'll be Betulo's Commander. The two of us go back a long way, and I wouldn't have gotten to where I am if it wasn't for him," he explained. "Unlike my current position with Lyn, I'll actually enjoy being Betulo's right hand 'mon."
Ellsberg gave a puzzled twitch of his feelers. Why would Ketu care about what Betulo wound up doing as long as he got to be a Commander? Just what was this history that they shared with each other?
"So you're telling me that you're doing all of this just to help a friend get promoted?" the Mothim questioned.
"Well, it's one of the main reasons at least," Ketu replied. "The other being that it'll help pave the way for some changes the Company desperately needs."
"… What sorts of changes?"
The Weavile shrugged back as he gave Ellsberg a teasing smirk.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
Ellsberg's curious expression swiftly gave way to a sharp frown as his eyes hardened into an increasingly annoyed glare. After all they'd been through, he was still going to put him through this sort of nonsense?
"Really, Ketu?"
A pointed silence followed, before Ketu snickered and began to burst out in open laughter.
"Nah, I'm just messing with you," the Weavile teased. "Come on, it's a party, lighten up a bit!"
"I'd rather that you answered my question," Ellsberg harrumphed. "What exactly would helping Betulo become an Administrator change that's so important?"
Ketu's smile muted a bit as he thought to himself, crossing his arms as he returned to leaning against the railing.
"… Tell me Ellsberg, are you happy with the current state of the world?" the Weavile asked. "How we go about our lives in this pond and wait for things to get better, while most of the planet is a barren wasteland?"
Ellsberg fell silent and stared back at Ketu with his antennae ajar. Of all the possible replies Ketu could have given, an unusual question like that was probably the last thing he'd have expected.
"I mean… I don't think anyone is. But you of all 'mons should know the legends of how all that is set to change when the new gods wake up and the humans return," the Mothim murmured. "Isn't the point of trying to secure a Protector to make sure that we're best positioned for when those times come?"
"And how much of those legends do you really believe?" Ketu questioned. "The same legends that say these 'gods' awaken fully matured and accustomed to their own powers?"
Ellsberg paused, realizing that that part of the legends had underdelivered to say the least. The mighty Guardian of the Seas was but a mere fledgling, and from what he heard the Protector of Vollezee was little different when she was first spotted. But even so, there never really seemed to be a reason to question the rest… and where was Ketu even going with this?
"I… admit you have a point there. But that doesn't mean the rest of the legends aren't true," he insisted. "Even while young, Protectors aren't helpless and do have the power to change things. That's why we're searching these Pokémon out to get them on our side in the first place!"
"And what makes you sure that power alone is sufficient?" Ketu pressed. "Wouldn't you say that that power needs direction?"
"Well…"
"Really, if you think about it long enough, I suspect you'd come to about the same conclusion as me," the Weavile remarked. "This world isn't going to magically be restored into something humans can return to simply because a bunch of Pokémon with fancy powers wake up. That's only going to happen if the right 'mons are put in a position to do something about it and are willing to use the proper tools to do what's necessary to help bring that world along."
Ketuturned out to sea, looking at the waves as the wind blew the feathers on his head back in short bobs.
"Getting Betulo a seat on the Board alongside Administrator Elilan will be one step closer to that," he added. "That's why I'm going through all of this."
"I'm… not sure I fully understand."
"Hmph, I suppose it doesn't matter," Ketu said as he closed his eyes. "Just know that the Company will go through some big changes once this all settles out, and the help you've given so far will put you in a very good position to benefit from them."
Ellsberg scratched his head and puzzled over Ketu's comments. It was to be expected that the return of the Protectors would shake things up, but what sort of changes was he talking about? Was Administrator Elilan planning something specifically around their return? The Mothim grew lost in his own thoughts, only to notice Lyn approaching and swiftly snapped back to attention, as Ketu softly spoke up.
"Oh boy, here we go…"
Ketu forced a smile before turning to Lyn, giving a playful wave of his left claw without so much as a hint of his prior demeanor.
"Heya, Captain."
"I see that you're in festive spirits, Ketu," Lyn said. "And Ellsberg too for that matter. I don't believe I've ever seen the two of you smiling together like this on our mission."
Ketu paused as he and Ellsberg traded surprised looks. Did it really seem they were getting along that much better? The Weavile shrugged his shoulders, opting to play into his superior's perceptions.
"Eh, I guess there's a first time for everything," Ketu replied.
"So what exactly are we doing now, Lyn?" Ellsberg pressed. "You've gotten everything you've wanted, so what's next?"
Lyn let out a low grumble and shook his head back, hardening his muzzle into a scolding frown.
"You're getting a bit premature, Ellsberg. After I present the Protector before the Board, then we can talk about the future more in depth," he said. "Not that I really blame you with how that promotion I was set to give you kept getting yanked away so many times."
Ellsberg fluttered back with a start at the Samurott's reply. Even after all his berating and bullying… he still remembered the promise he made to him? The moth stared wordlessly, unsure what to make of the newfound revelation when the sound of approaching footsteps announced the arrival of Sorge and his fellows from Team Sentinel.
"Congratulations Lyn," Sorge cheered. "It's not every day that we see a Commissioner rise through the ranks, let alone from bringing a Protector under the Company's fold."
"Well, these are unprecedented times, Sorge," Lyn answered confidently. "It's only logical that someone would have to rise to the occasion… even if things didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped."
"Surely you're not going to split hairs over things taking a little longer than planned, Lyn?" the Kommo-o asked. "This is a Protector we're talking about after all!"
"I was referring more to your cover that we broke leaving Buyeom," the Samurott said. "Didn't you mention Intelligence had you three working under your present covers for over four years now?"
"It's no matter," Sorge insisted. "If all goes well, we won't be needing them soon enough. When it means the Company having a Protector at its disposal, such inconveniences are worth it."
"I'm glad to hear. With this Protector in the Company's grasp, it's nigh time to look forward to the future… and the personal touches to leave on it."
Lyn gave a parting wave of his paw and carried on the deck to chat with his Crobat and Huntail escort leads further off, leaving Ellsberg to flutter in place and stare afterwards. 'Personal touches'? What concern was that to Lyn when all this time he'd simply been fixated on getting promoted to the Board?
"… Do you suppose he meant anything by that?" Ellsberg asked.
"Eh, it's probably just him getting all worked up over that promotion he thinks he's getting," Ketu said. "I wouldn't worry about it if I were you."
"Right…"
The Mothim gave a swirl of his gifted cup as the festivities continued on in the background, looking about wondering if perhaps they were dismissing Lyn a bit too quickly. Ellsberg shrugged, opting to turn his attention back to his drinks as the Nektar Weide carried on its northeast course, sailing along with the waves for Vollezee.
With the passage of the Sun Chaser's Traveller over the horizon, the first rays of sunshine began to fall down on the Siglo Swellow as it continued its course west. On deck, a skeleton crew manned the ship, a few yawning sailors trading places with fresher faces from further below deck. Over at a set of stairs leading to the ship's underlevels, the quiet thumping of footsteps against wood sounded out, stopping and starting awkwardly as tired pants carried through the air, followed by a Druddigon's voice and Crom's head poking out into the sunlight.
"Take it easy, dad…"
Crom shuffled his way up the stairs with Pladur leaning on his shoulder, the bandaged Fraxure stumbling up onto the deck with his child's help. After a moment's pause for Pladur to catch his breath, the pair shuffled along the ship's timbers in slow, cautious steps over to the railing as Pladur rested his shoulders against it and his son shot a beaming grin at him.
"See? Told you I could get you onto the deck!" Crom cheered.
"Heh, you did well mijo," Pladur chortled. "It's nice to finally be back on my feet again."
The Fraxure looked out at the surrounding sea as the waves rolled quietly around the ship, muffled chatter from the sea escorts filtering up with the ocean's sounds. The dragon paused a moment, before hanging his head with a disappointed sigh.
"I still wish I could've been there to see that other Protector," he murmured. "The rest of the crew sounded amazed just to be in his presence together with Lugia."
Crom pawed at his father's shoulder with a claw that tugged his attention back at him, giving a reassuring smile.
"Dad, it's okay, you needed the rest," the Druddigon insisted. "And I'm sure you'll get a chance to meet Kline again after you've fully recovered!"
Pladur blinked as a small smile began to spread over his face, his mind returning to ease as his attention drifted out back to the sea and the passing waves.
"I suppose there's a silver lining to everything that happened," he said. "Normally I'm too busy working just to take in the air like this."
"Well, I heard Beatrix say we were getting close to Pioppo," Crom mused. "So maybe you'll get lucky and see the island off in the distance!"
Pladur stiffened up, bristling uncomfortably much as if the ship's Audino medic had summarily tugged at his bandages. The Fraxure set his teeth on edge before turning to Crom worriedly.
"Are- Are you sure there's no other way, mijo?" Pladur stammered. "If you're not feeling well about going to the island, there's no shame in staying with your papi at the ship…"
"That's where the Knights' Ledger is though," Crom insisted. "Where else are we supposed to go to get it?"
"But the island's haunted!" the Fraxure cried. "Aren't you scared at all?"
Crom blanched a bit as his mind drifted back to Nida's description of Pioppo. Going to an island full of ghosts that snatched Pokémon away was… admittedly a pretty scary thought. But the Knights' Ledger was their only way to stop the Company, so they had to go there and get it! And more importantly…
"I mean… yes. But I won't be alone!" the Druddigon exclaimed. "I'll be there with Nida! And Pleo and Kiran too! And all the friends we've made! If we all look out for each other, I'm sure it'll work out well!"
Pladur shrank back hemming and hawing, only to be answered by Crom patting his shoulder reassuringly. The Fraxure wavered a moment, shifting his glance away uneasily.
"I-I mean… if you're really sure…"
"Don't worry dad, I'll be fine," the Druddigon insisted. "I'm not afraid of some ghosts!"
Pladur grimaced at the idea of Crom skulking off on Pioppo. Hadn't he already been through enough danger in this voyage? Why was he so insistent on getting anywhere near the blasted rock when all he'd ever heard of it were tales of terrifying wraiths and sailors who had vanished without a trace?
Then again… this Knights' Ledger didn't sound like anything to sneeze at… and his child had come this far. He had made it through skulking about Andaku okay… and then the Iron Fleet's subsequent ambush of their ship… Why, even the chase out of Giotto and that horrid Weavile's ambush on Buyeom had worked out! With his son's growth and the island's Protector watching over him, surely it couldn't hurt to give them some benefit of the doubt…
"Alright…" Pladur replied. "Just… please be careful out there…"
"Oh! Crom! You're up early too?"
Crom and Pladur turned around, spotting Pleo waddling up behind them. The Lugia blinked a moment, before turning his attention towards Pladur, giving a curious tilt of his head as he scanned the tusked Pokémon from head to toe.
"Who's the other Pokémon with you?" Pleo asked.
"That's my dad!" Crom cheered. "He's the one I told you about back in Bluewhorl!"
Pleo paced forward, eyeing Pladur curiously as he bobbed to and fro around Dragon-Type. Pladur reflexively shied away and screwed his eyes shut, made uneasy by the Protector's insistent probing, only to feel a soft, downy sensation. The Fraxure opened his eyes and saw Pleo embracing him with his wings, before pulling them back and beating them with a happy chirp.
"Well I'm happy to meet you!" the Lugia cheered. "I'm Pleo and Crom always made you sound so fun when he talked about you!"
Pladur blinked, before pawing at the back of his head with a sheepish smile, unsure what to say back.
"Ahehe… well, it's nice to meet you too, Protector…"
The Fraxure couldn't help but think the whole moment to be a touch absurd. This was Lugia, a god of the seas who could make it as calm or tempestuous as his will desired, and here he was running around and hugging common Pokémon like him! Though… even with all his powers, perhaps it had been a bit silly of him to think such a little 'mon wouldn't be a pollito at heart. The Dragon-Type trailed off, only to see Pleo still staring at him and craning his neck forward curiously.
"So… you normally sail with the ship too, right?" the Lugia asked.
"That's right, I'm the head cook for the ship! I make sure that everyone has something to eat during mealtimes," Pladur answered, prompting Pleo to give an excited squawk in realization.
"Oh! So you make bread like Gwenith!"
"Well, I make more than just bread…" the Fraxure said. "It's my job to make sure everyone gets a rounded meal onboard. After all, I don't think there's any 'mon who wouldn't get sick of bread if it was the only thing he ever had to eat."
"Huh… I guess dinner would be a bit boring with only one type of food…" Pleo murmured. "Though… that actually reminded me about something else I was wondering about…"
"Hm? What was it?" Pladur asked.
"What do you do to burp so well?" he pressed. "Crom said he learned from you, so that means you can teach me too, right?"
Pladur stared back puzzledly at Pleo's question and turned to his son for answers. Crom sheepishly pawed at the back of his head, giving a flustered grin back.
"Ehehe… it's a bit of a long story, but we might be having a competition with each other?" the Druddigon said.
Pladur shifted uneasily and fumbled for words. Of all the things he could've expected a god to ask from him… tips on how to get better at an uncouth sailors' game he occasionally did with his son certainly wasn't one of them. What would everyone back home even think of it?
"Uh… I mean is that really something that I should be teaching-?"
"Oi! Stop loafing around down there! I see land!"
Crom, Pleo, and Pladur looked up and spotted Scout leaning over the edge of the crow's nest, having taken quite naturally to his newfound role as a secondary lookout. Crom brushed off the Sentret's scolds and raised his claw over his brow to look when he heard his teammates' voices behind him, turning to see the other members of Team Traveller hurrying towards a growing gathering behind Beatrix as she looked out to see an island marked by rolling, tree-lined hills through a spyglass. The Illumise fluttered along with her ship carefully, when she slowed to a stop and pulled the spyglass back, before addressing the gathered sailors.
"That's Pioppo, alright," she remarked. "The description matches up with what I can see through my scope."
Worried murmurs filtered around the crew as Natrix and Philips shifted uncomfortably at the front. The Raichu of the duo flicked his ears back, before raising his voice in protest.
"Uh… considering this is the island with ghosts that snatch Pokémon away and do gods-knows-what to them, should we really anchor right next to it?"
"I mean, the alternative is swimming over to that island," Natrix muttered. "If we really have to go down there, what else are we supposed to do?"
The sailors began to offer up competing solutions, some opting to bravely press on, while others protested to keep their distance. All the while, Dimitri looked off, noticing a patch of water along the coastline where the waves kept breaking into foamy white spray, prompting him to blink before turning towards Beatrix with a wave of his scythes.
"Wait, Beatrix!" Dimitri cried. "What do those waves keep hitting over there?"
Beatrix raised a brow, moving a tarsal over her eyes as she looked at Pioppo's coast and noticed a spit of land jutting out. The Bug-Type reached into a satchel over her shoulder, raising a scope over her eyes and giving a surprised buzz after noticing a small cove behind the spit, before giving the scope off to Vicente who looked through before setting it aside with a disbelieving murmur.
"A hurricane hole?" the Hitmontop asked. "I mean, we could certainly do worse for places to anchor…"
"I don't think we'll find much better, and it'd give us some cover to hide behind if someone's been tracking us," Beatrix said, prompting Vicente to turn to the gathered sailors with an impatient tap of his foot.
"You heard her! Everyone at your stations!" he barked. "Take us hard to port!"
The crew answered back with a rousing 'aye' and returned to their stations as the escorts whipped up currents while Beatrix flitted to the ship's tiller. With a forceful lean against the shaft, the Siglo Swellow lurched to the west, sailing off for the hurricane hole in the distance.
As the Siglo Swellow neared the hurricane hole, the Iron Fleet had found shelter from the prior night's storm at a white beach where they ran their ship aground for repairs and disembarked to probe their surroundings. The air rang thick with the sounds of footsteps crunching sand while Hess and Rodion wandered ahead of the throng of golden-scarved underlings surveying the coastline. Uneasy murmurs filtered around the gathered pirates as a few stared off warily at the thick forest ahead of them, before turning their attention back to their captain.
"Captain, where are we?" a Vileplume demanded.
"Yeah, this definitely looks bigger than one of those unsettled islands!" Alvise complained.
"Oh for crying out loud, do you expect me to have a map for every stray rock where there isn't a single civilized soul living on it?!" Hess snapped.
"… Are we sure about this, Captain? When we were pulling in, I could've sworn I saw some sort of ruins further along the beach near the eastern side," a Staravia murmured. "What if we're not as alone as we think we are?"
The gathered pirates whispered nervously at the idea of being on the same island as another organized group of Pokémon, especially if they didn't know they could overpower them in a fight if needed. A forceful slam and quaking of the sand underfoot cut through the chatter, as the crew turned towards their captain just as he let out an impatient growl.
"Enough!" Hess bellowed. "For crying out loud, haven't you all heard of 'any port in a storm' before?!"
"But we pulled onto a beach!" Wilhelm exclaimed, prompting Hess to throw a claw over his face and pinch his brow.
"My point is, we got to a safe place when we needed to, and if we were in any real danger, those 'ruins' or whatever it was would've given us trouble right away!" the Aggron insisted. "So whatever's out there, it's not anything that we can't deal with!"
A wave of groans went up at the Steel-Type's insistence. With all the implausible incidents that they'd dealt with over the past month, was Hess seriously trying to soothe them by dismissing things as 'probably nothing'?
"Oh yeah, that's real assuring," Kichiro grumbled.
"How on earth did you air-breathers talk us into this?" a Seadra fumed. "The water was just fine last night!"
"Oi! Less talk and more work!" Hess barked. "We've got a ship that needs to be patched up and resupplied, and you all sitting around isn't helping!"
The Aggron's cry drew a sharp growl and prompted Nori to stamp his foot irritably with an accusing swing of his club.
"And the ruins?" the Marowak snapped. "It would be nice to know that we're not busting our tails off just waiting to be pounced on, you know!"
Hess flinched at the sight of Nori's bone being leveled at him, backpedaling by reflex. He stared wide-eyed at the Marowak for a second only to realize… the blasted bone lizard had brought up something that could help get rid of him once and for all! With newfound confidence, Hess' eyes hardened back into a scowl as he gave an impatient slap of his tail against the sand.
"Well, since you're so curious about it, you can be a part of the team to go check it out and see if there's anything worth taking from there!" Hess spat, making Nori recoil and go wide-eyed.
"N-Nanda?!" the Marowak stammered. "I didn't sign up for-!"
"That'll be all!" Hess announced. "You can report to Rodion for your assignments!"
At Hess' cue, Rodion marched out and hopped atop a driftwood log on the beach sand. The Mistral Marauder's crew began to crowd around the Floatzel as he began to bark out instructions, splitting the crew into three groups. Some like Valatos and his buddies were tasked to follow Kichiro to go scout the ruins the Staravia spotted, while others like a Vileplume and a Charmeleon were spun off to go west and forage, as the rest were instructed to set up an encampment and help repair the ship. Hess watched as the crowd began to thin and gave an approving grunt, making his way back for the ship as Rodion suddenly stepped away from the log and darted up to tap at his captain's shoulder.
"Hess, I think that we're still missing something," the Floatzel said.
"Eh? How so?" Hess asked. "There should be food right near the beach, there's 'mons assigned to the ship, and those ruins are getting checked up on. What are we still missing?"
"Well, what are you planning to drink once we push off?" Rodion answered. "We're nearly out of water, and rum too for that matter. A 'mon can go a few days without food if need be, but if you try to do the same with water, you'd be quite literally left with a skeleton crew."
Hess bit his tongue and grimaced. Even with the world as diminished as it was in present times, it was a fool's errand to try and sail without a voyage's supply of water. And with no rum, it meant that if the crew got into a mutinous mood before dying of thirst, there'd be nothing to calm them down with. He paused and shook his head, racking his mind for potential solutions to the crew's current predicament.
"I mean, we could always assign some scouts from the team that's checking the rui-"
The Aggron looked back for the Pokémon tasked to go to the ruins, only to trail off and go wide-eyed after noting they were rapidly slipping from view down the beach and well out of earshot.
"… Oh… Er…"
Hess hemmed and hawed, looking off at the forest uneasily as he began to wonder how he or Rodion would be able to find water on their own without grinding repairs to a halt. The sound of a passing buzz caught his ears, prompting him to turn back and spot Kichiro and Wilhelm heading after the departing group, which made the Aggron's eyes light up as he let out a sigh of relief.
"Oi, Kichiro! Come over here!" he ordered.
Kichiro tilted his head skeptically, before flitting up with Wilhelm in tow. The Hoppip drifted to and fro with a happy cheer, while Kichiro let out a sharp, annoyed buzz.
"Captain, it's Keiichiro!" the Ledian piped. "And aren't I supposed to lead the group checking out the ruins?"
"Change of plans, we're running low on water," Hess replied. "We need you to go inland and look for any water sources."
Kichiro hopped back with a start, lowering his antennae and curling his mouth into a sour frown as he shot back with an irritated hiss.
"And why do I of all Pokémon have to scout inside that dense forest when we don't even know this island is safe?!" he demanded.
"Because you're the best aerial scout on the crew, and picking anyone else isn't going to produce better results when this could mean the difference between us dying of thirst on the way home or not," Rodion retorted.
Kichiro began to splutter in protest, only for Rodion to roll his eyes and opt to bypass him entirely by turning to Wilhelm and stooping down to meet his eyes.
"Wilhelm, go and let the others headed towards the ruins know that Kichiro's been reassigned to another task," the Floatzel said. "It shouldn't be too hard to check up on it and loot anything useful there."
"Aye captain- Er… Aye first mate!" the Hoppip cheered. Satisfied with the Rodion's order, Wilhelm took off, making his way east down the beach bobbing and babbling to himself as Kichiro stared open-mouthed while Hess looked down at him with an impatient glare.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" the Aggron demanded. "Go and find us that water!"
"Ugh… fine."
The Ledian hissed and fumed under his breath before spreading his elytra and taking to the air. Hess and Rodion watched as the Bug-Type zipped along for the forest and slipped out of view, leaving the two to trade looks before Hess turned his head with a low grunt.
"Come on, we should go and help get that ship together."
The Aggron and Floatzel turned and shuffled back for the Mistral Marauder, as the bushes near the treeline quietly shifted. There, a purplish cloud settled and billowed as yellow eyes appeared and glared out at the departing pirates. The figure drifted back and ebbed away, slinking off into the undergrowth as the forest returned to its eerie calm.
In the waters north of Buyeom, the hulking form of a four-masted ship with metal cladding plowed along through the waves. At the bow, Nagant looked ahead intently, watching as a steep reddish peak poked over the horizon with hazy black stone structures near its base. As the craft neared, the Clawitzer began to make out the colors of the ships in port in the distance, prompting her to take out a scope and look ahead. She peered through skeptically, panning to her left towards the harbor's naval yard, only to freeze and lower it with a stunned gape.
"Chto za chert…?"
As the Uragan entered the mouth of the harbor, the cause of Nagant's shock became apparent. All throughout the naval yard, the ships had their hulls pressed up against one another in a jumble, while a few had their masts tilting at precarious angles. The crew of the Uragan looked up from their work, watching the sight of 'mons in indigo squabbling with one another on the ships and docks about how to go about repairing the damage. All the while, the lot stared blankly along with their captain, as Jun sidled up with an incredulous stare before giving a shake of his head.
"I certainly wasn't expecting home to look like this when I came back…" the Beedrill sighed. "It looks like the Protector came through here, though I suppose the question now is whether he's still on the island or not."
"Hmph, either way, it looks like we've got no time to lose," Nagant huffed. "Get the ship tied down, I'll go talk to the local Duke about what's going on here right away!"
Jun buzzed in agreement and saluted before turning back for the deck, leaving Nagant to pivot on her tail for the water. The Clawitzer sprang up and leapt down, diving into the harbor's water as she plowed along for the battered docks. All along the way, she noticed from the corner of her eye Pokémon looking up from their work cleaning debris and repairing ships to stare in awe at the ironclad behind her, sentiments that would've filled the wizened shrimp with pride had the circumstances been less dire. Nagant veered hard to her right, where she saw a less-damaged dock next to two ships that had been shoved up against each other, prompting her to zip along for it and hop onto the wood, letting the seawater drip off of her as a Braixen in an indigo scarf at its end noticed her and approached.
"Buyeom-do-e osin geol hwan-yeonghabnida. It's a shame that we could not receive you under better circumstances," the Braixen said. "You must be Admiral Coil's assistant. Do you know when your superior will be out-?"
The fox bit her tongue as Nagant hissed loudly and glared daggers back. The Braixen hemmed and hawed audibly, before stammering out a hasty correction.
"Uh… right, Coil has been relieved of duty… permanently," the Fire-Type gulped. "Uhm… I don't suppose I could speak to your superior-?"
"I'm in charge of this mission here per direct orders of the crown, you dunce!" Nagant barked. The Clawitzer pivoted on her tail and gestured about the stricken naval yard around her, before turning back to the Braixen with an overpowering scowl.
"And what on earth happened here?!" the shrimp snapped. "It looks like a hurricane just blew through!"
"Uh… well, you see… we found the ship that took the Protector docked here in port yesterday," the Braixen began. "The guards tried to stop it, but-"
"You let them get away?!"
The Braixen squeaked, backing away slowly from the fuming shrimp. After working up the nerve to stand her ground, the messenger piped back with stammering exasperation.
"W-Well what were we supposed to do?!" the fox complained. "All of the ships that were to chase after them were damaged when those pirates forced the Protector to attack us!"
"I've heard enough. Bring me to the Duke and the Governor at once!" Nagant spat. "Those pirates are still out there and I'm not getting any closer to recovering the Protector from them wasting time on this nonsense!"
The Fire-Type hesitated, peering down at Nagant's scarf for a long moment, and then looking up at her scowling face before uneasily rubbing at the back of her head.
"I… can try to see if he can squeeze in a quick meeting," she answered. "But Duke Seok normally isn't the type to make impromptu meetings with just any naval captain…"
"Nobody said these were normal circumstances," Nagant harrumphed. "Now let's go already!"
The Braixen shuffled uneasily, before heading inland as Nagant hopped after her impatiently. The pair carried on, making their way amid the twisting lanes for the harbor's black stone gate and the form of a slate-roofed palace in the distance, overlooking Magmapool from the lower reaches of the volcano.
The air over the Siglo Swellow's hurricane hole was crisp and clear as days after storms typically were, the quiet bobbing of the waves being broken by the sound of marine Pokémon in the ship's white scarves travelling in convoys between the ship and a ramshackle encampment sprouting on the beach. There, sailors stacked crates and drove stray wood into the sand as tattered sails were hung over them, forming a growing collection of tents and lean-tos. All the while, the sounds of construction mingled with uneasy murmurs about what lay beyond the treeline deeper in the island's forest… and grumbling complaints of how the few Pokémon tasked to care for the ship mysteriously had their numbers doubled thanks to sailors abruptly developing 'stomachaches'.
Among the convoy's members, Team Traveller rode for the shoreline on the backs of Dimitri and a Mantine from the crew, who took them towards the western fringe of the encampment, while Pleo and Kiran kept pace from the air. After disembarking and getting their feet wet in the surf, the Mantine turned and set off back for the ship, leaving Team Traveller to look around their surroundings.
"Well, I wasn't expecting it to take eleven days, but we're finally here," Dimitri said. "Welcome to Pioppo."
Pleo craned his head along the beach cautiously, pacing forward with slow, hesitant steps. To his left was a long stretch of white sand, and ahead the sight of an overgrown forest thick enough to blot the sun out in darkened shade. The Lugia shrank back, feeling as if the island itself was trying to drive away curious Pokémon, but this was Pioppo and it was supposed to be where Cernun and the Knights' Ledger would be…
"But… how do we find Cernun?" Pleo asked. "Kline said he'd be here, but I don't see any town and everything looks the same with all these trees!"
Kiran looked over at the encampment, where he watched as Vicente went to and fro inspecting the rising structures. The Swellow began to hop along to ask the Hitmontop if he'd already assigned scouts, only to see him get pulled aside by Natrix and Philips, prompting him to pause before turning back to his teammates.
"Beatrix and Vicente were going to start sending out Pokémon to look around. Perhaps we could take a look around the forest ourselves?" Kiran suggested. "If we split into two teams again, we'd improve our odds of finding Cernun, or at least help give the others more information to work with."
The younger members of the team reflexively shrank back with hems and haws as Elty rolled his eyes and curled his muzzle down into a sour frown.
"… Really, Kiran?" the Growlithe scoffed. "Because splitting up to find Xerneas really worked out for us on Buyeom."
"Esto es diferente! That Xerneas was a fake and we were being misled!" the Swellow insisted, giving an emphatic bat of his wings. "We have a better idea of what we're dealing with right now and don't need to convince him that we have a Protector of our own, so our odds of success are bound to be at least 100% better!"
Crom and Nida shifted uncomfortably at Kiran's suggestion. Splitting up… here of all places?
"I dunno… in school sometimes we'd hear of scary stories from the time of humans," Nida murmured. "In them, whenever people split up, they always seemed to wind up meeting horrible fates."
"Yeah, and if it kept happening over and over again in those stories, wouldn't there have been a reason for that?" Crom added. "Maybe the humans wanted to warn us against splitting up in scary-seeming situations!"
The Druddigon trailed off, bringing his wings in warily against his body as his eyes shifted uneasily off to his side… to the darkened forest at the edge of the sand.
"Ones kinda like this…"
Kiran sidled up beside the unsettled dragon, giving a confident puff of his chest feathers and a reassuring wave of his wing.
"You're forgetting that those stories always had people meet those fates when they would go off alone. Four Pokémon is larger than most rescue teams!" he exclaimed. "If we truly run into any trouble, there will be more than enough of us to pull through."
"… I don't know, Ohsubame," Guardia said. "Even if it's not exactly the same, it does feel like we're brushing aside this lore a bit quickly."
"I can understand the hesitation, but part of being a Rescue Team is knowing when it's appropriate to take risks," Kiran insisted. "It's only a matter of time before the Company realizes they've been tricked, so isn't it better to try and find Cernun as soon as we can?"
"While that's a fair point, I… just really don't feel good about this idea, Kiran," Ander replied.
Kiran paused and moved a wing up to his beak in thought. He looked impatiently off at the forest for a moment, before back reluctantly at the younger members of the team. The Swellow noticed the youngsters seemed hesitant, making him uneasy about the idea of forcing them into uncomfortable circumstances. Kiran lingered a moment, pausing noticeably before speaking up to his companions with a soft chirp.
"Why don't we split up based off where we're comfortable searching?" he suggested. "I'll lead a team inland, and anyone who feels less comfortable can search the coastline with Ander."
The gathered Pokémon hesitated at the Swellow's suggestion, trading uneasy looks with one another. Crom inched back, turning his eyes towards Ander as his thoughts turned to the haunted forest ahead. The Druddigon began to drift towards the Scyther, before thinking back to the encouragement he gave his father in the morning. If he'd really come so far, surely there wasn't any reason to shy away like this. With newfound reassurance, Crom shook his head, and stepped up towards his Swellow teacher.
"I'll join you, Kiran," Crom said. "If that Knight's Ledger is really that important, then I'll do whatever I can to help."
"Count me in as well," Nida added. "You're going to need a good set of ears, and I'm sure that I can pick up anything that sounds suspicious through all those bushes."
"Tch, nieważne. I'm sticking to the coast," Elty retorted. Nida blinked a moment, raising an ear puzzledly back at the Growlithe.
"Eh? Since when did you like being around water?" she asked.
"I'm sure I'll manage," he scoffed. "It may be wet, but at least I can see what's going on in front of me."
The Nidoran frowned, before shaking the bag on her shoulders loose and nudging it over to her canine teammate.
"Well you're going to need something to help you in a pinch, and this bag is sized for you and has your smell all over it," she said. "I figured that you'd find it useful. Just don't slack off, alright?"
"Hrmph, I appreciate the bag, but worry less about me and more about keeping your barbs together," Elty retorted. The Growlithe bent down and slipped the satchel back over his front shoulder as Dimitri looked off at the forest in the distance, before slowly turning away back towards the sea with a shake of his head.
"I wouldn't but mind exploring new land myself, but I am more useful to the team near water, so…" Dimitri mused, as the group's attention shifted to Guardia and Pleo who had both yet to make a decision.
Guardia shuffled her feet uneasily, casting uncomfortable glances between the water and the forest. If these spirits were approachable, it would be a prime opportunity to learn from this island's dead. But with what Laurens had described of them, it almost made being around the sea's dampness seem comforting! The Cubone looked down at the sand and struggled between the choices, only for Pleo to step ahead towards Kiran and raise his head with a cheery squawk.
"I'll come too!" the Lugia offered. "If it's really dangerous in the forest, you'll need a Protector watching over you!"
"I… suppose that means I should stay near the coast then. Since that way our teams are equal in size," Guardia said. "Just be careful out there, alright?"
Kiran and his charges nodded back, before the two teams drifted into their chosen groups and began to pace off for their respective directions. After a few steps towards the forest, Kiran turned back, giving a cheerful wave back at Dimitri and his teammates.
"Good luck everyone," the Swellow said. "Let's meet up again soon and share what we've all found."
The two squads carried on their respective paths, slipping out of sight of each other as the encampment and the Siglo Swellow in the distance faded from view, and their attention gravitated ahead searching high or low for any sign of the hidden Xerneas.
Author's Notes:
- Chto za chert (Что за черт) - Russian: "What the hell", "What the deuce" (BGN/PCGN Romanization.)
- Buyeom-do-e osin geol hwan-yeonghabnida (부염도에 오신 걸 환영합니다) - Korean: "Welcome to Buyeom Island" (South Korean Revised Romanization)
- (¡)Esto es diferente! - Spanish: "This is different!"
