Chapter 44: Arc 2- Rescue Team
Summary:
The start of a new arc. Zeryph's team is dispatched to the future, in order to stop a cataclysm. Along with Zeryph receiving a new form.
Notes:
This chapter marks the official start of our second story arc. One focused on the gameplay in Rescue Team. As stated in the previous chapter notes, I'm going to wait for a bit before I do Explorers. Still, I think Rescue Team should be pretty interesting.
[One Week Later]
[Zeryph]
I slowly blinked my eyes open, only to growl softly as they were met with blinding sunlight. It seemed to be just after noon.
"Ugh…Dialga, you could've given me a little more warning." I thought back to the week before, smiling at all the memories. People congratulating us on our league win. Then, Dialga recruiting us for some big mission, which…he sent us out last night. I covered my eyes, noting how it felt like I didn't have my old hands anymore.
I lifted my hands and…when I said I planned on getting a Lucario, this is not what I had in mind. I could tell just from the fur pattern, and the metal spikes on the backs of my…hands, if you can call them that. I sat up, shifting into a position to meditate. Dialga warned us that we were likely to wind up scattered, so I'd have to find everyone again.
Shouldn't take as long, since Mewtwo will be able to pick up on the magic I'm using. I began to let my magic pulse, sending it out as a sort of flare, trying to show my team where I was. But there's no telling if it'll work. However, it did draw some attention. Something which I…definitely don't remember being in rescue team.
He landed nearby, his claws digging into the ground. His massive ears bobbing slightly with the movements of his head. His smile was warm, welcoming, and his gaze matched.
"A Lucario? No way! Nobody's gonna believe me when I say what I saw." His excitement was very clear. "I'm Noivern. What's your name?"
"Zeryph. I'm not from around here." I noted that I was speaking the Pokemon language. Although it doesn't sound like that to me, it's true. "I, uh…used to be human. Dunno if I'll be able to change back or not."
"Your name sounds odd for someone around here, so it's kinda obvious." Noivern offered to help me up. "But…I guess you'll wanna call me something too, right? Just so you don't have to say Noivern constantly."
"Yeah. How about…hmm…Alex?" I asked.
"Sure! Nice to meet you, Zeryph." He helped me stand up, and I began to stretch.
"And to be fair, you wouldn't believe me if I said who sent me here, either." I told him.
"Really? Try me."
"Dialga." I got a look of disbelief.
"Whaaaat? There's no way." Alex then gasped as he realized something. "Waaaait, you're serious, aren't you?" I nodded. "Dude…cooool..." Alex's head snapped towards the sound of a scream, coming from a Butterfree who seemed to be frantic. But, seeing me, she seemed to become relieved.
"A Lucario! Thank goodness! Listen, I really…really need your help." She flew over to us. "My baby Caterpie, he…fell, into a chasm. I tried to go get him but these…really strong Pokemon attacked me, and I couldn't get to him."
"We'll get him, don't worry." I told her. "C'mon Alex, let's go." I ran off.
"Wait, Zeryph!" Alex called out, but I'd already run off. "Aaaand…off he goes. He must be really eager to help." I heard Alex give his wings a flap, and it wasn't long before his claws grabbed me by the shoulder and I was lifted into the air. Had it been my human form I would've freaked out. But, since my bones are made of steel now, that's no longer an issue.
"You ran off so fast, you forgot to ask for directions." Alex said, glancing down to look at me. "I know where it is, just relax down there." He turned his head back as I pointed to something approaching, really fast.
"What the?!"/"OOF!" Something slammed into me with quite a bit of force, knocking me out of Alex's grip. We tumbled as we hit the ground, then I felt one of the hardest nuzzles I've ever gotten.
"ZERY!" An excited squeak was let out. I let out a laugh and nuzzled her in return.
"Hey Latias." I said between laughs.
"You look…different." She tilted her head to the side. "A Lucario? I thought you would've been a Dragon-type. Still…looks really cute." Latias giggled, before getting off of me so I could get up.
"Zeryph, what in the world was-" Alex fell into a momentary silence, a blush appearing on his face. "O-oh…wow…ahem." He landed nearby. "Given that squeak she let out, I take it you two…know each other."
"We're really good friends, yeah." I said, wrapping an arm around Latias's neck, and feeling one of hers wrap around my back.
"Seems like you're closer than that." Alex smiled. "Based on how happy she was to find you. So happy in fact that she nearly took me out in the process." Latias blushed.
"S-sorry. I was kinda…in a hurry." She let out a nervous giggle. Her blush deepened when I gave her a kiss on the cheek, causing her to break into giggles.
"We've only known each other for a little over a week now." I admitted.
"Seems like it's been for a lot longer, honestly." Alex turned and started to take off. "C'mon, we're almost to where that Butterfree's baby fell."
"Huh? Playing hero, now?" Latias asked.
"Heh…I guess so. Not the first time, Fuchsia City comes to mind." Latias swept me onto her back and helped me secure myself. The flight harness wasn't gonna work for me, so she had to hold on with her powers. "Besides…might as well help people out while we're here."
"True. Let's go. Hey, new guy, wanna race?" She asked Alex.
"Alex, and…no thanks. You seem like you're way faster than I am." Alex took the lead, with Latias following behind him.
"Ooh, we all are, actually. Well…my brother and I to a lesser degree." Latias told him. "Kaorah and Evan are the fastest. They're both capable of supersonic flight."
"Whoa…that's crazy." Alex sounded like he was awed by it.
"Latias is also pretty fast whenever it's related to tackling me, apparently." I spoke up, earning a light smack in return.
"Quiet, you. I get enough from Latios, already." She smiled back at me. There was a light glare in her eye, though. "I mean, unless you wanna take it further. But…we really should do some dates first, right?" She turned back to flying, only to stop. She then slowly turned back toward me, a blush appearing on her face. "Waaait a moment. You're a Lucario…who…has a team of females he happens to be mated with."
"Latias-" She shushed me. Alex went on ahead, trying to hide a building atomic blush from us.
"I wonder…who are you gonna make a momma out of, first?" I felt my face heat up in an instant, which isn't as pleasant when you have a metal skull.
"L-latias! Get your mind out of the gutter, girl." Latias broke into giggles as I told her off.
"Oooh…when the girls are in heat, you're gonna be in trouble." She giggled. "Ah…I can't imagine rut's gonna be-"
"Maybe you might end up being the one who gets that, hmm?" I said, interrupting her. Latias's face began to change as a super deep blush formed on her cheeks.
"I…ah…m-maybe. I d-don't th-think…m-my b-brother…would b-be…happy." She stammered out. She didn't seem to be expecting me to turn it around on her.
"Nah, I wouldn't do that right away. But…maybe one day. You'll have to talk with the other girls who gets it first though." I leaned up to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Now, focus. We've got a rescue to take care of."
"R-right!" She hurried to catch up with Alex. He couldn't look at either of us without blushing.
"How…do you…talk so openly about that?" Alex asked us.
"'Cause he has a…harem? Is that the word?" Latias got a nod from me. "Yeah, there you go. Several females, and even one male."
"Wait, he's…huh." Alex blushed lightly. "Well…he does look good…uh…never mind." We found what we were looking for, soon after that. A ravine in the ground, Latias and Alex slowly flew down, then I hopped off of Latias's back.
"Well, at least, Zeryph's still got his pretty green eyes." Latias said, earning a smile from me. "Wait…isn't this kinda like the dungeons your team runs?"
"Eh…kinda. Only, divided by floors rather than corridors and arenas." I said. "We're in Mystery Dungeon, Rescue Team to be specific."
"What…are you talking about?" Alex asked.
"It would take too long to explain." I answered, then I started to move ahead. "Now, let's go find that Caterpie." I guess Latias and I are kinda over-leveled. Plus, her being a Legendary, and the fact I'm a Lucario, means that the Pokemon here…aren't really as aggressive as Butterfree suggested.
And I just realized, Gengar's team…boy is that gonna be messy. I've got a team full of Pokemon who should never be pissed off. I guess I'm on that list now, too…technically speaking. As we got further in, we began to hear what sounded like giggling. We found the Caterpie, and, a certain redhead playing with him in order to keep him entertained.
"Melly!" Latias called out.
"Latias? And who are…these…oh my Arceus. Zeryph?" Her eyes landed on me. I quickly found myself wrapped in a tight hug, with Melanie being careful of the new steel spike my chest sported. That's gonna be annoying for…missionary.
"Hey Mel." She and I shared a somewhat awkward kiss. Given the way my face was shaped now, anyway.
"I wasn't expecting…this. You look good." She said, quietly. I ran a hand, or I guess, paw, through her vivid red hair.
"Not as good as you though." I got a giggle, and another kiss. Alex started to look slightly uncomfortable, but Latias was still grinning.
"Oh, who's the new guy?" Melanie asked me.
"His name is Alex. He found me just after I woke up. The Caterpie you were playing with, we were looking for him. His mother is worried sick, after she wasn't able to get him back from down here." I told her.
"Oh, really? Well…let's get him home. C'mon." Melanie picked Caterpie up in her arms, and allowed us to lead the way out. She and Latias began to giggle to themselves, a faint blush appearing on their faces.
"What…are they talking about?" Alex asked quietly.
"It's girl talk, most likely. Let them focus on that, 'cause you aren't gonna get any of it. It's most likely related to me in some way." I said back. Alex nodded his head, then decided to fly off ahead of us.
[Oooh, leaving you alone with us, hmm?] I felt my face heat up when I heard Melanie.
[Melly!] Latias squeaked. [There's a kid, here.]
[Yeah…fair enough. Alright…I'll tone it down, for now.] Melanie said. I just shook my head at her.
[Control your impulses, Mel. Unless you wanna be denied for a month.] I said to Melanie. She put a hand on her chest, feigning pain. While Latias let out an over-exaggerated gasp.
[You MONSTER!] Latias squeaked.
[How could you say something like that?] Melanie feigned being hurt, before giggling. [To be fair…you're gonna have impulses, too. But, unlike us, you won't have as much control. Maybe we'll just give you a case of blue-balls if you're gonna deny us.]
[I still have Mewtwo, ya know.] I shot back.
[That's cheating…I mean, not actually, but still! Or maybe we can convince him to side with us.] Melanie responded. Latias had broken into a fit of giggles over us. She was blushing, but seemed to be otherwise unfazed.
[You two are bickering like a married couple. If that's…how that saying goes.] Latias spoke up.
[Uuuhh…not exactly. But we are definitely suuuper lovey.] Melanie said back. [I wouldn't complain about…getting married, but uh…how would that even work?] We fell into silence as we started to think about it.
Caterpie, fortunately, could not hear what we were saying. He's way too young for talk like that, anyway. His mother, by the time we found her, was immensely relieved. Taking him up and snuggling him for a moment, before thanking all of us.
From there, Alex decided to show us to where the village is. The looks of awe I got as we stepped into the small village.
"No way…a Lucario. Here?"
"That's…awesome!"
"Whoa…where do you think he's from?"
"And who are those Pokemon with him and Alex?"
Hearing the citizens reactions of surprise, seeing their looks of awe. It brought a smile to my face.
"Not even here for a full day, and you're already famous, Zee. That's a new record." Melanie said, leaning against my side and kissing my cheek.
"Aww! He's taken?!"
"Booo…and he's so cute, too."
"Well…at least his mate's pretty."
"What does she have that we don't?"
Melanie broke into giggles over hearing the people talking about us.
[Vibrant red hair, for one. You look sooo good with red hair.] I said, mentally.
[I know. You absolutely love it, too.] Melanie brushed her vibrant hair with her fingers, careful to not knock the Lunar Tear away. [Hey, if I grew it out, would you have an issue with it?] She asked.
[I like it short. But…I wouldn't mind if you did some braids.] I said back.
[Aww…hehehe…OK. I'll keep that in mind.] Melanie smiled at me. [Imagine their reactions if Kaorah had been in my place.]
[Hah! Yeah…That's gonna be great, regardless of when she shows up.] I smiled back.
[Soo…how did Latias find you?] Melanie asked.
[My magic, I flared it. I'm surprised you didn't sense it.] I answered, and she nodded.
[Fair, but by the time I did, I had found the Catterpie.] Melanie said.
While Alex was showing us around, the locals greeted us in very friendly manners. There was a local Snubbull who was in shock when he first saw us, but it quickly shifted to an expression of awe.
"A Lucario…no way…" I smiled, even giving him a wink, before moving to catch up with the others. We spent the day just looking around, before returning to a small house in the evening that wasn't too far away. Course, I wasn't about to sleep here, with my powers and everything. Though it was slightly awkward, I was still able to cast the spell for the base portal.
Alex was startled when the portal opened, but seeing the girls head through without a second thought was enough to encourage him that it'd be safe. He looked around the cabin, in awe, before turning to look at me.
"I built this, if you're wondering. It's my own personal pocket dimension. I live here, team lives here. No place safer than this." I said. "Latias, show him to the room he'll be staying in, please."
"Sure! Follow me, Alex. You're gonna love the beds here." Latias began to lead him off down the hall with the guest rooms.
"We should really try to find Lexie, soon as possible." Melanie said to me. She went over to the couch to sit down, and I sat with her. I felt her snuggle against my side, right away.
"Yeah, absolutely." I wasn't gonna miss out on that, by any means.
"Oh and…about…this." Melanie gestured to me. "You should, ah…figure out a contraceptive spell, or…we could have some…issues. Not…that laying eggs is an issue, just…" Melanie sighed. "We're not ready for that, ya know? Or at least…I'm not. I can't really…speak for the other girls."
"Yeah…I know. It's fine, 'cause I'll be looking into a spell that does that." I wrapped an arm around her.
"Great. But…until you find one, stick to pulling out. And you probably have a knot, too…sooo…" Melanie and I both blushed lightly. "Ahem. Anyway…you also…don't know how to use Aura, either. Do you?"
"Ah…no." I said. "But, I can learn very quickly, at least."
"Well, yours is gonna be incredibly strong once you get used to it." Melanie started to get up, before pulling me along. "C'mon, let's get some sleep. We can go search for everyone in the morning." We headed upstairs and settled in for the night.
[Break]
As morning rolled around, I quietly got up at the same time as every morning. I rolled out of bed, quietly heading downstairs and beginning to stretch just like every morning. As I started on the routine, it wasn't the same without Lexie to run it with me. Thanks to training, the mountain run was much easier…even more-so since I was a Lucario now.
My weights made me feel heavier than usual, with the steel bones, but it didn't take long for me to adjust. Following the routine, I fixed a lighter breakfast. The smell drew the others from their beds. Alex was in a great mood, and he smiled as he saw us.
"That was the best night of sleep I've had in a while…those beds are great." Alex said as he found a spot to sit down, before he took a bite from his breakfast. "Also…this is delicious, too."
"Told you that you'd love the beds." Latias smiled. "And yeah, Zeryph's cooking is OK. But without Lexie here, it's just not the same." She still dug into her own food, happily.
"We're gonna try to regroup today, gotta have the team at full strength." I spoke up.
"Hey, speaking of which…we could start a Rescue Team, all of us." Alex said. "It'd be the strongest team in history, possibly. Depending on who the others are."
"Oh, Alex…it will be." I smiled at him.
"Great! I'll go and sign us up later, once we're back outside." Alex began to focus on his breakfast. And it didn't take too long for us to all finish eating. As soon as we were, Melanie helped me clean up, then we all went back out. Alex went to sign us up, while I sat down with the girls to figure stuff out.
"First priority is Mewtwo, then Latios. Since they'll make finding everyone much easier." I said, earning nods in agreement.
"I'll get up in the air, search from there." Latias shifted into her mega form. "I'll see you two in a bit, and if I find anyone, I'll send them-" She fell silent for a moment as her eyes caught someone. "Evan! Wait!" She took off after him in a hurry.
"Well, that's one accounted for." Melanie said, with a smile. "They'll take care of searching for a while, I'm sure."
"Yeah. And while they're doing that, we can work on the new Rescue Team stuff. Once Alex gets back from that whole thing." I thought for a moment. "Actually, I know how to make it even faster." I felt for the dark power, and began to channel it into my right hand. Although being a Lucario made it feel…extremely wrong, it was only for a moment. A flick of the wrist, and that small speck of dark power turned into a shadow rift. A pair of red eyes faded into existence, followed by a shadowy form.
"Zeryph." Giratina bowed his head. "What do you need?"
"Hey, we're all over the place right now. I was wondering if you could help us regroup." I got a nod in response.
"Say no more, I'm already on it. I'll get everyone back to you by…end of the day at the latest." Giratina's head turned to look at something, or rather, someone.
"Whoa…! Dude!" Alex landed next to us, carefully setting down something he was carrying as he did. "I knew you mentioned Dialga, but…Giratina? Who are you…really?" He asked me.
"Father's Chosen One." Giratina spoke up before I could say anything. I just let out a brief laugh and nodded.
"Coool…" Alex let a big smile break out on his face. "You're gonna be the greatest hero this world has ever seen. Ooh, by the way…here's our starter pack. They let me fly it back instead of having the post office bring it." I pulled the bag open. Four bandannas were inside, as well as some other starting equipment and a toolbox. Not that I needed one, 'cause of the inventory system being way better than this thing. Melanie and I tied ours around our left arms, then I helped Alex put his on.
"Wait…where did Latias go?" He asked, upon realizing that she was gone.
"She took off after Evan, our team's Pidgeot, when she saw him. They're gonna search from the air. Giratina's also joining in on that effort." I started to sort through the starting equipment, before storing it away in my inventory.
"What about you three?" Giratina asked us. I prepared to answer, when a mechanical voice called out to us for help.
"Guess that answers that question. See you in a bit, big guy." I said. Giratina nodded, before closing the rift. I turned toward the voice, a Magnemite, and waved to them.
Alex calmed them down enough for them to say what they were trying to. From the sounds of things, two of their friends got stuck together. And because this one, and another one, didn't get stuck with them, they didn't evolve. Even though their expression wasn't readable in the same way as other species, Magnemite still had a look of awe in their single eye when they saw me.
"We'll help your friends, don't worry. You can even tag along if you'd like." I said with a smile. Part of my mind was focused on figuring out Aura. Mewtwo had managed to, but only just enough to use Aura Sphere. I think the brothers can also use it, but they haven't said anything. Perhaps learning Aura is just another test for me to take.
"I'll lead the way. Follow me!" Magnemite buzzed, before quickly turning to fly off. I started to follow behind, feeling Melanie grab for one of my hands as she walked with me.
"So…with the metal skeleton, how do the weights feel?" She asked.
"Heavier than I'm used to, but I adjusted pretty fast. Can't wait to see what it's like when they come off." I'll be taking them off today, actually. While I don't have Aura…yet, I'll unlock it pretty soon, I'm sure. I wonder if mine's gonna be the normal color, of if it's gonna take after me. Considering the fact that green is my color. Human, Lucario, Protogen, Synth, Demon…species doesn't really matter. I've always got green in some way. Usually, it's my eyes. But my Proto and Synth versions had green lights, too.
"I was wondering what those bands were for." Alex spoke up. "So…those are weights? How much are you carrying?"
"Several tons, actually." I told him. "In fact, whole team uses weights in some way. If you're gonna work with us, then you get your own set. Just, not to the same level as ours. We've been training with weights for over two months by now."
"Remember how it was said that two of us were capable of supersonic flight? Yeah…that's how." I reminded him of what Latias said. She's not quite to the same point, neither is Latios, but they don't mind that at all. They're both fine with Kaorah and Evan being faster. Course, they're not as fast as our true fastest, as Mewtwo has demonstrated.
But he doesn't fly, by choice, so we have no way of knowing if he's capable of supersonic flight. Regardless, he still moves extremely fast anyway. To be fair though, we're all fast with the weights off.
"Not just that, but we're league champions, too." Melanie spoke up. "We won our first…about a week ago, now."
"Huh? There's no League…right. Dialga, I kinda…forgot." Alex laughed. "So…time travelers?"
"Yeah, sent into the future to stop a major cataclysm. I think we arrived early, though." Depending on how many days we take to do the main jobs, it could last us anywhere from a few days here, to a month or so. But as Dialga told me just before we left, there's no need to rush.
Plus, he personally ensured that word of our actions would get around in the past. So…the Weather Trio would be aware of us, and be waiting for our arrival. Rayquaza especially, who I know is going to want to test my strength for himself. Both versions are. I really don't want to get into trying to explain time travel, to save us all a headache. But, that said, getting a headache from it does mean you're doing something right. All I'm missing is a mad man in a blue box.
We began to pick up the pace, and in about fifteen minutes, we found what we were looking for. A second Magnemite was waiting for us outside of what seemed to be a cave. I guess this is where we get to work.
"Weights off. I think we deserve to cut loose." I said to Melanie, then we pulled the bands off and stored them away. I began to go through the warm-up stretches I always do with Lexie, before doing a series of short hops to test my mobility out. Movement felt…so much easier, and not just because of the weights being off. But the change in my muscles, too. I guess it's what being a Fighting-Type feels like.
Melanie floated up, a few inches off the ground. Her Force Cloak formed around her, causing the air to ripple.
"Whoa…she feels…strong. Really strong." Alex commented.
"Oh, she is. She's the team's caster, and happens to double as our healer, too." I said. "Melanie, remember, non-lethal only. These Pokemon are real, unlike our own dungeons."
"Right. Shall we begin?" Melanie and I started to move into the cave. Lightning sparked along her arms as she set herself up to stun anyone in our way. Had we started going after poachers, she devised a way to make sure we could capture them, quick and easy. She took the idea from what I showed her based on Electric Judgement. Lightning that can stun anyone, although Ground-Types are still immune unless she puts a lot of mana into a single cast. Her element shifted to fire when we found out the cave was full of Electric-Types.
She had begun working on possibly harnessing some of the magic from other games, too. Her eyes being set on Diablo 3's Archon Form, can't remember if I already mentioned that or not.
"What about seeds?" Melanie asked.
"Right…we do have plenty." I was rather hesitant to try one, for good reason. Didn't want to risk losing control, since I have no idea how this form's powers work. "But I don't feel safe eating one right now. Don't wanna risk losing control."
"Fair enough. And I'm not gonna use one, either…not right now at least." Melanie smiled. "Besides…it would be excessive, not that we really care about being ridiculously overpowered, anyway."
Much like yesterday, most of our would-be opponents actually chose to steer clear of us. Avoiding myself and Melanie, because we seemed like we were way too strong to fight. They're certainly smarter than in the actual game, that's for sure. In the game, they'd still attack us regardless of how over-leveled we were.
As we were nearing the first stairs though, my boosted senses caught something approaching, fast. I braced myself, sliding backwards as several pounds of force in the form of a dragon-shark slammed into me at high speed. I winced, from the strength of the arms that wrapped around my waist. My upgraded skeleton was better able to handle it, but it didn't feel any better.
"Kaorah…you're squeezing too tight." I growled softly. She nuzzled the side of my head, and her grip softened up. I guess even like this, that nose of hers just can't be fooled.
"Sorry. But, how could I not? You look way more huggable like this, chest spike be damned." I felt her tongue lap at the side of my face, only for her to growl and let out a "bleh!"
"Fur got you, didn't it?" I asked her.
"Uh-huh. That's gonna take some getting used to." She pulled away, smiling, then turned to look at our new friends. "A Noivern, huh?" Alex turned into a blushing mess, trying to stammer out a reply but he couldn't find the words.
"He got flustered over Latias, too. So you're not the first." I said. I nuzzled Kaorah's right cheek, before moving ahead. She quickly dropped weights and moved to follow us, once they were stashed away.
"She's your mate…right?" Alex asked, once he'd gotten himself straightened out. "Your alpha, I mean. I thought I smelled a Garchomp on you, but I wasn't sure."
"She only thinks she's the alpha, but I'm not so sure." Melanie said. Kaorah growled at her, only to get a giggle in response.
"I still say gravity powers are cheating." Kaorah huffed.
"You don't seem to mind when Zeryph takes charge, though." Melanie shot back.
"Yeah, but he uses his actual strength to do it, not magic powers." Kaorah growled.
"Do you guys…always talk so openly about stuff like this?" Alex asked me.
"Oh yeah…especially when we don't have to worry about the wrong ears catching it." I answered. "Get used to it, Alex, cause you're gonna be hearing it a lot."
"Oh…he's given you a nickname, already?" Kaorah turned her attention to Alex. "Guess that means you're really stuck with us, then. Hey, Zer, you gonna catch him, too?"
"Ah…no. Not unless Dialga's willing to let him come to the past with us." It would really suck if he didn't. Especially if Alex and I go and get attached to each other. Which is…likely, since he's part of the team here. "Only way he will is if Alex doesn't jeopardize his own existence with a paradox or something." Alex gave me a frightened look.
"Oh, I think he'll be fine, personally." Melanie said. "Besides, the time separation between our Kanto, and here…is so long that humans aren't around anymore for…whatever reason Arceus had."
"I just hope it's not bad, whatever it was." I just realized that's actually true. Why would Arceus get rid of humans, anyway? Something related to the Jewel of Life, perhaps…or maybe something else happened. Still, I'd really like to know, and the only way to do that is to get to the Hall of Origin in this time period. Easier said than done, 'cause we are definitely not in Sinnoh, and I don't have the Azure Flute.
But there's other ways to contact him, at least. And I have half of them on-call at any time now. Giratina, most of all, since I'm really leaning toward that Void Reaper class. Maybe being a Lucario is all I need to balance out the dark that comes with using it.
Mewtwo has expressed interest in Palkia's class, actually. His potential can only increase if he chooses to take it, as well. Palkia's also shown interest in training him to use it, on top of that. Which only leaves Dialga, with the Time Walker class. We haven't currently figured out who would use it best.
During our week off, I even proposed the idea to Samuel, but he politely turned it down. Saying that his days of traveling as a trainer were well past their end. However, he did wish us luck with finding someone to fit that role.
With Kaorah here, the local Pokemon started to flee on sight. She sighed and shook her head, but the offer of a spar later, made her perk right back up. As she was reminded that I was a Lucario now. Honestly, I'd rather spar with Mewtwo or Lexie first, since they're the least likely to hurt me by accident. And Melanie's not a physical fighter, anyway.
Still, our quiet walk through the dungeon gave me some time to focus on myself. Feeling for what my Aura was. I could feel that it was there, and sense it in the others too…even see it. Kaorah's was a deep blue with occasional flickers of orange, while Melanie's was a bright, yet soft, golden color. Mixed with flashes of pink and white.
For the first time, I could see just how strong my team really is. And it's nothing short of incredible. And this is only with two of them here. If we were to all learn to use it properly, we'd be even stronger. Which brings my attention to my own Aura. Though I couldn't draw it out, I could still see it in my arms when I focused. And, sure enough, it took on a bright, vibrant green color. Honestly, could it have been anything else?
From what I could see with my Aura Sight…I had quite a lot, and it was extremely strong, too. I just don't know how to use it, for right now anyway. I really wish we'd gotten a Lucario before we set out, 'cause that would've helped us a lot.
Maybe the Kingdom will be willing to help me learn to use it, once I reveal this to them. If…I'm able to change into this form once we're back in our proper time. And, also…family knows where we are, as Dialga explained we would be away on a mission to Ash and Delia. His prediction was that we'll be back by the time Ash's crew finishes up in the Orange Islands.
Back to the present, we didn't take too long to find Magnemite's friends. Even if we did have to navigate multiple floors to do it. Melanie was able to unstick them, once Kaorah grounded the pair by touching them with her claws. They all thanked us for our help, with the new pair giving me the same looks of awe as their friends did. We all returned to the village afterwards.
Once we were back in the village, I couldn't help chuckling over the looks that Kaorah got. My fur covers up her bite scar, so I plan to dye the spots where the bite marks are in order to make them visible. We decided to pick up some side-jobs and go back out. During our time in the village, a shadow rift opened and Solais stepped through before stretching. Unlike the other girls, she didn't feel the need to bowl me over the moment she saw me.
Instead, rearing up just enough to reach my shoulders with her front paws, then nuzzling me as hard as she could manage. Something which I returned before smiling. The revelation that I pretty much had a harem going definitely got some interesting reactions. Some of the locals wondering if I was looking for more to fill it in.
Which, I wasn't really. The ones who got in did so because of the fact they're very special to me. And, in fact…I think I'm almost at the limit for what I can handle, anyway. Well…there's one more potential, the zap cat. But until we see him again and get him on the team, I won't know for sure. Zeraora would still fit right in with the rest of us, that much is true.
Actually, that said, I could wait for Alola but that'd take a long time. So, I think that, instead, I'll go see him once we're done with our work here. I'd love to have him join the team. And I know that Latias and her brother are likely to officially join once we're back home, too.
Speaking of which, the pair of them, plus Evan, caught up with us as we were heading back out. I had to get some new team bandannas for everyone, and help them to put them on. I think we'll be keeping these, even when we go back home. Our next reunion was in the late evening, as we got back from doing the jobs we picked up. Lexie was happy to be back with us, and as soon as she was, we started on a proper meal for everyone.
The scent drew the village, as we decided to not go back to the cabin to cook. It meant we had to make some extra stuff, but that's totally fine. It's nothing compared to the cookout when we were celebrating after the tournament, that's for sure. Still, the locals loved the food we put together, all of them asking us to make more in the future.
I even gave Lexie the option to set up a small shop here. It'd pull in some extra money for us, and give the locals the means to stop and eat whenever they wanted. She seemed to like the idea, and the locals jumped in on helping us get her set up. Since we didn't have the same stuff as back home, or in the cabin, Lexie would have to use firewood. But that was fine, and she'd find no shortage of folks willing to gather some for her if she put a job up for it.
'Course, the shop would only last for as long as we were here. But, if Dialga allows it, Lexie will be able to come back and run it during the day, going forward. Once we're back in our time, at least. Unless she decides to train someone else to run it in her place.
As our second day wound down, we finally returned to base. Kaorah got a night to snuggle with me, tonight. She insisted on it, because of Melanie getting last night. We'll get back into our weekly rotation once we've properly reunited with everyone. Kaorah had snuggled up closer than in the past, I guess because of the fur making me feel warmer than normal. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep, either. A soft smile forming on my face as I did.
