Chapter 10: I need an adult
As the party neared a cottage on the seaside with a boat in clear view of everyone. They quickly read a sign outside the house saying, "Mr. Briney's." Much to the dismay and shock of the team.
"Dude isn't that the creepy old guy who had us save his wingull for him earlier back at that tunnel?" Mitsu spoke to the group.
"Exactly." Nagamasa replied as all in the party knew and understood why this was not a good thing. That guy gave them a very strange vibe back at that cave. And they were not in any way interested in further association with the man. Though they also looked around the shoreline again quickly scanning the coast, to hear only bird calls and nothing as the coast was empty and void of any travelers except for this man and his boat.
"Fine we better do this quick." Katsuie braved up and moved himself forward to knock on the cottage door. The slakoth was not thrilled about how everyone had been treating him as he posed as a human boy and with each encounter he felt more and more pity for the youth of the world. "I have no clue how they are able to deal with this crap." He muttered as he tapped on the door. Only to then widen his eyes as he had no clue how to explain that he wanted a boat ride to Dewford.
The door opened to the chaos inside as the wingull from earlier was being chased around the room by the old man who instantly recognized the boy and asked them to wait while he was teaching the bird some manners. "Come in make yourself at home." He then grabbed the wingull by the feet and then forcibly took pictures of the pokemon's feet, while the bird flapped about wildly.
"Uhhh this guy is more nuts than we previously thought." Mitsu whispered to the others as they all entered the building at the request of Katsuie, as he really did not want to be alone in the house with the man. The wingull the man called Peecko soon gave up to the old man as he then let go of the bird after a few more photos were taken. The old man then came and patted Katsuie on the back.
"So Brenden….was that your name?" He remember the trainer tag that was shown to him earlier. Katsuie nodded in silence. "So what brings you down here? Are you seeking to better yourself with the coastal air? Do you want to enjoy some of my wisdom?" Katsuie shook his head quickly in disagreement with the statement. The old man then looked at the party of pokemon with him and gave them all a grunt as if he did not like their presence in the conversation. Katsuie shook off the awkwardness and then handed the letter to Mr. Briney to help him understand without words what he sought to do, to visit Dewford town and give this letter. The old man then looked down at the slakoth's feet and then looked back at Katsuie. He then licked his lips as he saw the letter and said in an ominous voice. "Perhaps we can make a trade."
Katsuie gulped as he heard the words from the old man's crusty mouth and told his friends, "I need an adult."
"I am an adult." Mr. Briney replied in perfect pokemon speak. The moment floored everyone and all screamed in such a violent matter that outside the house all nearby could see the foundation shake in the surprise of the moment.
…
"Don't worry, I'll wait here for you guys if you need another ride." The old man said as he waved the crew off as they left the dock in Dewford town. All smiled at the old man and their friend now as Slakoth looked down and enjoyed his new custom shoes. They were beyond surprised that the old man was actually a leading podiatrist in the Hoenn region and his new shoes for Katsuie were actually helping him be able to walk at a more okay pace and have to rely on the push cart less often, though the team kept it for the party basing as a whole.
"You know if he didn't come off so creepy he might have more friends." Masamune said as all in the party laughed together as they sought to orient themselves to the surroundings of the new island around them. The party was still just a cluster of 6 and Mistuhide knew it would be in their best interests to recruit new friends when able.
As they approached the center of the town they passed a fisherman who was clearly down on his luck. "STUPID ROD!" He then threw the pole with all the force of a man about ready to get divorced or lose his home and the rod struck Kicho in the face.
"OWWW!" The whismur exclaimed as the fisherman paid no mind to his actions. That really freaking hurt.
"Dude!" Nagamasa exclaimed as he grabbed the rod from the ground. "Guys we can catch a new friend."
"What do you mean that is just a fishing rod."
"Yeah but we can cast it into the water over there and get a new friend to join the group." Nagamasa replied. He knew as did Mitsu that the group was slightly lacking in companions and that as the challenges ahead grew they would need reinforcements.
"Okay but if it is a magikarp then you have to deal with its stupidity."
"Masamune not all magikarp are the idiots our parents told us they are." Nagamasa corrected his compatriot. The comment upset him, but did also make him concerned as Mitsuhide cast the line into the water. He really hoped the party would find an intelligent or at least non special needs magikarp. As they all watched as the line sat around and the bob coasted atop the water the tension hung in the air. Then in a split second the line bobbed and all in the group pulled with Mitsuhide to pull the pokemon from the water. As this was their encounter for Dewford town proper they were excited to see if they could in fact bolster their numbers. The waters burst forth and out popped a magikarp. While the party was not excited for it to be such a stereotypical moron pokemon several of the others knew the potential the pokemon had going forward in the journey ahead. Mistuhide and the others were excited.
"FOOOOD!" Motonari went feral and immediately charged the fish and with minimal effort ripped the fish up and gulped half of the pokemon down its neck while the others sat nearby with their jaws on the ground. Montari then gulped down a few more bits of the fish only to then clean his beak with a return to grace and civility. He then looked back at the party only to realize what He had just done. "SHIT!" He put his wings on his hips and then smacked his head into a nearby tree in frustration. The rest of the party still had their jaws on the floor at the incident.
"Dude.." Nagamasa tried to break the silence but really didn't know where to point the conversation.
"I know." The bird replied as he kept banging his head on the tree.
"Dude…" Naga once again was trying to find the words.
"Motonari you just ate a potential ally." Katsuie was actually the one to break the pause.
"I am….really sorry, I just….he just looked so tasty." Motonari told the others. Mitsuhide dropped his head into his chest in disappointment.
"Okay from now on if we are trying to get a fish to join us. Somebody either restrain Moto or get him some food during the encounter okay." The leader gave out his orders then walked up to Moto and slapped him.
"I deserve that." Motonari put up no fight or argument to the order.
"Okay, enough guys so where is this Steven guy we need to give him this letter so maybe Brenden can get a little bit more positive spin in this world's news waves." All looked confused as it was Masamune who was actually making the most forward thinking sense for a change. After turning their head sideways for a moment in disbelief the others agreed.
They searched around the town and then found a path toward a cave up northward. "Maybe Steven is in that cave?" Katsuie thought. They agreed it would be better to search there than stand around the town with their fingers in their noses…..Even though Katsuie had his finger in his nose as he gave the thought.
"Is that the famous Brenden with the bounty?" Two fisherman saw the crew from a distance as they neared the cave. They then threw their pokemon from their balls and gave the orders. Mistuhide was not having anything of it. The first two out were two tentacool which Mistu called dibs on.
"Moto take on that Magikarp sense you love the taste so much!" He called out as the others began laughing hysterically.
"You're never gonna let me live that down are you?" The bird called out as he went to work on the splashing fish.
"Probably not!" Mistu called out as he was in the middle of being constricted by a tentacool. He then managed to get a hand free and amidst the grip of the squid he then proceeded to pound its forehead repeatedly until the pokemon let go in a faint. Mitsu then repeated this process once more on the next tentacool while the others cheered on and Motonari was busy eating another magikarp.
"STOP EATING THE MAGIKARP!" Nagamasa screamed out to his friend.
"I CAN'T HELP IT THEY AREN'T EVEN GOOD THEY JUST REMIND ME OF MY MOTHER'S COOKING!" The bird called out with tears in his eyes as he took another big bite of the fish's flesh.
"His mom must have been a really bad cook then." Kicho whispered to Katsuie. The battled was over shortly after as the fisherman really could not put up any kind of reasonable offense against the party. Kicho and Masamune then forced them to hand over some money as they fled toward the town in terror of the party.
"UHHH GUYS!" Mitsuhide called out as the others looked over toward him.
"Dude you're like glowing and stuff." Naga replied
"What is happening?" Mitsuhide said in shock as he stood there motionless as a white aura covered his body.
"Oh yeah I have seen this!" Masamune called out. "He has AIDS!" Motonari knocked the dog on the skull into the dirt for his stupidity.
"Relax you're evolving." The bird spoke as the others then changed from shock to relief and then in an instant to awe as the white light enveloped fully the treecko and then shattered to reveal a bigger stronger monster, a Grovyle.
"Guys this feels different." Mitsu spoke with a stronger and more raspy voice than prior.
"You definitely look stronger." Masamune said pulling his jaw from the ground. "Are you stronger?"
"Well I am definitely taller so I hope so." The Grovyle replied. The others walked around their leader slowly and examined his form like taking in the change of a friend very carefully, in a new attire. Mitsu could tell there was tension in the air from his transformation and sough to remove the thickness from the air. So he gave all the party his classic thumbs up. To which the party of friends now significantly shorter than him all cheered. "It feels so weird being this tall compared to them. I hope this doesn't stay this way." He thought to himself. The pokemon felt the weight of this change as he took his first few steps and realized how much different life was now going to be for him in all facets.
"So do we enter the cave?" Nagamasa was in awe as somehow this cave felt more daunting than the tunnel outside Rustboro, maybe it was because this time the party really didn't know what would be inside the cave whereas prior they were chasing after some Team Magma grunt.
"Finally Mitsuhide knowing he was now also the biggest in the group as well as the leader took the charge and led the gang into the cave. All followed without much delay except for Kicho, whom Masamune eventually exited the cave and then grabbed her by the ear and dragged her inside.
"Hey you guys. Are you looking for Steven?" All were confused why this guy happened to know what their purpose in the cave was. "Well look up ahead its really dark, like you might need to use 'FLASH' to see better. So uhhh….well here." He handed over the HM to the party. The group then instantly looked over to Katsuie who quickly explained that he couldn't learn that move.
"Our pokedex says that actually of our group only Mitsu can learn FLASH." Nagamasa said after examining their tool. All in the party then instantly agreed that they were not going to be using that silly tool.
"Who needs light." Masamune said still holding onto Kicho's ear.
"I kind of like light."
"AHHHH!" The pokemon all jumped in confusion as a Makuhita appeared over their shoulder. The gang soon regained their focus as they looked the wild pokemon over.
"Prepare to fight wild one our gang is on a mission." Masamune growled out as Grovyle grabbed the dog's tail as he prepared to charge. The leader explained this was a first encounter and the pokemon would be a welcome addition to the crew.
"Don't eat him Moto." Nagamasa teased. The party made quick work wearing the wild fighting type down to a catchable degree and then tossed a pokeball in his direction. The seal locked quickly and the Makuhita was now a part of the crew. They released him from the ball to begin introductions, then their leader in the style of Brenden gave the fighting type the name Kenshin.
"What a dope name!" Kenshin thought as he punched the air and hopped around. "I have never heard of a pokemon trainer who in fact is a pokemon."
"No he isn't the trainer." Nagamasa called out as Ken seemed to think Mitsu was the trainer.
"Look it's a long story." Moto explained.
"To be honest I still don't actually understand it." Kicho chuckled as Ken looked puzzled. They agreed to explain things over time and if it all seemed weird to just think of all things simply as they sought to be stronger. The simple minded friend agreed with those sentiments.
"Just point me where I get to punch something." Kenshin said. Nagamasa reminded the group that they were on a specific mission still, to find Steven. Of course, Mitsu and Katsuie were most excited about the gaining of this ally as it meant that Katsuie would not come up as being in the active party by examining gym leaders and other trainers making it easier for them to maintain their disguise.
"Wait guys there are literal mud walls down here that we don't know how to pass and HM05 says we need to beat the Dewford gym just to use it." Nagamasa said reading over things in the pokedex system guide.
"Are you telling me this is all a bologna plot device to force us to go back and go through that gym here on the island first?" Mitsuhide looked frustrated.
"Yes." All were floored and angry.
"Fine lets go beat up that gym it can't be too tough right?" Mistsu spoke with newfound confidence. They ran back to town quickly without really thinking over their current power as a team. They all thought it would be cake.
….
"Yeah so that wasn't easy." Mistu spoke as they exited the gym. They had only defeated the first trainer who had a Meditate, but that one pokemon put Motonari and their leader and strongest of the group, Mistu on the ropes.
"So what do we do, sure none of us died but that was a bit too close for my comfort." Motonari explained as he was also breathing heavy and sporting a new Band-Aid. The party then halted and looked around for a few seconds before they spoke in unison.
"TRAINING MONTAGE."
Author's note: what should be the theme song?