Sorry for the delay on this fanfic, guys. I got so overwhelmed by the terminology I created that I had to take a break. Hopefully, things will go more smoothly now that I don't have to establish stuff. But if you want me to provide notes on what things in the Marémon world are in relation to their Pokémon counterparts, please let me know.

Episode 8: Lost in Vanaheim Forest!

It had been several days since MJ, Peter, and Thor had decided to travel together following their encounter with Team HYDRA. As promised, Thor agreed to guide Peter and MJ to New Asgard Town in exchange for getting back into shape for his upcoming rematch with his siblings for the title of Asgard Realm Champion. So he had been placed on a strict physical and dietary regiment, leading him to grow increasingly less fat and more muscular. But his sense of direction was somewhat off as they found themselves wandering northward along the coastline with no sign they were getting closer to New Asgard Town.

"Where in the Marvo Region are we?" MJ demanded as they stopped to get their bearings.

"The Vanaheim Forest, I think," Thor said, scratching his beard in confusion.

"How can you not be sure? Didn't you travel through here when you left New Asgard Town?"

"Yes, but I was so angry that I barely paid attention to my surroundings."

MJ groaned. "Great! Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"Because I knew you would get mad at me."

"Guys," Peter spoke up. "We're not completely lost."

"Oh, really?" MJ responded sarcastically.

"My aunt put a map in my pack," Peter said, pulling a piece of paper out of his pack. "Unfortunately, it's covered in Spidi's webs."

On his shoulder, the little red-and-blue spider Marémon seemed pleased.

Taking the map from Peter's hand, MJ used her hands to clear away the webbing. This made Spidi's white eyes narrow as he leaped onto MJ's shoulder with his Stingers out. Just as he was about to plunge them into MJ's neck, Peter used his hand to push Spidi off.

"I'm sorry, Spidi," Peter apologized. "But you do not paralyze my friends."

On the forest floor, Spidi was glaring up at Peter.

"Look, I said I was sorry," Peter repeated.

But as Peter knelt down and reached his hand out to Spidi, the little spider backed away. So Peter tried to pet him, but Spidi moved further back.

"Why are you acting like this?" Peter questioned out loud.

"He's clearly mad at you for pushing him and MJ for ruining his webs," Thor insisted.

"Are you saying I should've left the webs on the map?" MJ snapped.

"No, but you have to understand how Spidi feels and work around his emotions while still disciplining him," Thor responded. "That's what it takes to train your Marémon."

"Then I'll just give him the space he needs to calm down," Peter decided and got back up. "So, what does the map show?"

MJ looked at the map again, but more carefully. "Well, we went north from the western outskirts of Yortown where we met Thor. Since then, we've pretty much gone in the same direction. Therefore, we have to be in Vanaheim Forest."

"See? I told you," Thor bragged.

Giving Thor an irritated look, MJ then stared at the map again. "Now we should be coming to a road that will take us right to New Asgard Town, but it's hard to tell if we're close to it."

"Are there any markers?" Peter asked.

"Yes," MJ nodded. "There's a SHIELD Station next to the road, which by my calculations is just northwest of us."

"Well, that's good," Thor admitted. "Maybe they know more about Ar-I and White Wolf."

"But more importantly, they'll help us find a way out of here," MJ smiled and headed off in a northwestern direction.

The boys followed her, while Spidi reluctantly tagged along. Yet as they traversed through the tall pine trees that surrounded them on all sides, they couldn't help but feel like they were being watched by something unseen.

###

Several hours later, the three saw a metallic structure in the distance. Assuming it was the SHIELD Station, they started to quicken their pace when the sun coming in from a gap in the trees above was suddenly blotted. They immediately looked up and saw several dark shapes leaping down toward them.

"Get back!" Thor insisted.

Peter and MJ did what Thor asked, as they took several steps backward. As a result, the dark shapes didn't land on them. In the light of the sun, it turned out they were three-foot tall insects that resembled stag beetles with black limbs, faded gold endoskeletons, and mask-like faces with hollowed out eyes. A pair of curved horns protruded from the sides of their head, and they all appeared to be carrying bended sticks.

"What are those?" MJ's face cringed in disgust.

"A colony of Svartelm," Thor answered grimly.

Unsure of what Thor meant, Peter took out his handbook-shaped MarGuide and pointed it at the menacing group of insects.

"Svartelm, the Dark Marémon," EDITH responded from the MarGuide. "Believed to be the oldest creature in the entire universe, this Element/Tech-Type originally came from Svartalfheim, a world that exists in a separate dimension much like Asgard. It is not only physically stronger and more durable than regular insects, but it also possesses great intelligence and the skill to build weapons. While individual Svartelm are formidable foes for any Marémon Wielders, they are more dangerous when they attack in colonies and should be avoided if possible."

"Well, that's not good," Peter remarked.

"Don't worry," Thor insisted, taking his PDB out. "Thunderthor will take care of them."

Before Thor could summon Thunderthor, though, another shadow appeared over the Svartelm. This was followed by several blasts of energy that came from the shadow, causing the Svartelm to scatter. As it landed on the forest floor, the shadow was revealed to be a creature that resembled a cicada with a magenta-and-black endoskeleton, a yellow hornet-shaped insignia on its chest, silver wings, and a matching visor that obscured its eyes.

To be continued…