Episode 93: Perceptions of Strength and Weakness!
Thinking about Natasha's salamander Marémon Salidow, MJ shivered. "I can't imagine a Marémon as strong as Salidow being beaten."
"Well, it did happen, and that's all the more reason why we should be prepared," Steve emphasized. "Now show me your Marémon teams."
Obediently, Peter, MJ, Gwen, and Quill took out their PDBs. From them emerged Marémon both familiar and new.
First, there was Peter's team which consisted of the large spider-shaped Spidermin, who wasn't in a PDB, the flying beetle Hornetech, Cassie the humanoid shadow-like Shadusk, the bipedal lizard Rikoshay, and the bipedal hawk Prodiwing. Then there was MJ's two Marémon Noirspi, who resembled a large tarantula, and the pig-like Hamder. Gwen's Marémon, on the other hand, were an odd mixture.
One was a small white-and-purple insect with four black limbs, blue feet, and a hood-like protrusion around its round body that partially obscured its white eyes that were similar to Spidermin and Noirspi. Standing next to the little insect was a tall humanoid creature with green skin, pointed ears, teeth, and claws, and a purple cloth-like hair that covered its body.
"The white insect Marémon is a Gwespin and the green-skinned one is a Greengob," Gwen said. "But I'm sure you know that already."
"I know what they are, but I don't recall seeing them when we fought those Svartelms and Kurseed near New Asgard Town," MJ recalled. "Or Liz's Vulcarrion for that matter."
"We were helping Nurse Linda and Miss Potts heal injured Marémon," Gwen said. "Then when Frigga was chasing Loki, I sent Gwespin after him while Liz sent Vulcarrion."
"Did you catch Gwespin because its name is similar to yours?" Peter asked.
Rolling her eyes, Gwen said, "My mom got me a Gwespin when I graduated from the Marémon Academy this year."
"And the Greengob?" MJ eyed the green Marémon suspiciously. "You weren't hoping to enter him into the Marémon Theater competition, were you?"
"He was given to me by a family friend for extra protection," Gwen answered vaguely.
Quill said nothing as he was busy trying to keep his Marémon from running off. His crayfish-like Starlure was hovering around using Aero-Jet, while a raccoon-shaped creature tried to crawl into Quill's backpack carrying a small walking tree, and a short gray bipedal creature carrying a pair of sharp knives eyed Peter and MJ suspiciously. Behind the gray creature stood a tall green insect with glowing antennae, who looked perpetually nervous.
"It seems your Marémon aren't very obedient," Gwen observed. "Your Rocoon is clearly stealing your food to feed the Groot on its back, your Brax looks ready to kill somebody, and the Manti behind it doesn't look like much of a fighter. Maybe if you still had Gamora's Gamslay, I would take you more seriously as a Marémon Wielder."
Peter quickly consulted his MarGuide to compare Gamslay to Manti. Indeed, Gamslay looked tougher resembling a bipedal fox with dark fur and magenta highlights carrying a sword known as the Godslayer which could cut through almost anything in the known universe. Whereas Manti was part of a race of empathic insects that were born from the Living Planet Marémon Ego along with the Starlures, making them distant relatives.
"Based on my experience, the weak Marémon are usually tougher than you think," Steve said, holding up his PDB. "My Capmer is proof of that."
From Steve's PDB emerged a blue turtle-like creature with white wing-like flaps on the sides of its head and a white star-shaped emblem on its shell.
"Oh, yeah!" Peter realized. "Capmer used to be an ordinary turtle before it was experimented on during the Second Marémon War."
"That's right," Steve confirmed. "He was given a formula that made him stronger than a normal turtle, and then I was given the same formula before the scientist who created it was assassinated."
Steven then had a distant look on his face before shaking his head and glancing carefully at everyone's Marémon.
"I think your teams will do," Steve said after being silent for several minutes. "So let's go."
"Wait," Gwen said. "I think we deserve to know why you picked us four, when Miss Potts or that Monica woman could've gone with you instead."
"You make a fair point, Miss Stacy," Steve responded. "Monica recommended Miss Jones and Mister Parker because of the way their Marémon fought off the white Vistro, and Pepper thought you and Mister Quill should come as backup."
Quill groaned in disappointment. "Really? Backup?"
"For once, I agree with Quill," Gwen said, folding her arms. "I didn't set out on this journey to become a Marémon Supporter just to serve as 'backup' for a couple of nobodies."
Noirspi's eyes narrowed at Gwen and he leaped toward her. But then Gwespin suddenly disappeared and reappeared right behind Noirspi using its front legs to kick him down to the ground. Surprised, Noirspi prepared to shoot Gwespin with his Twin Revolvers when a small pumpkin-shaped bomb was thrown down and exploded in front of Noirspi's face. MJ looked at where the bomb was thrown and saw Greengob holding an identical one in his hand.
"Is this how you get your way? Use your Marémon to pick on other Marémon?" MJ said.
"Your Noirspi started it, though," Gwen argued.
"He reacted to the way you insulted me, and now he's hurt because of your Greengob!"
"Guys, relax!" Steve said, holding up a Healing Factor Syringe that he took from his jacket pocket. "I've got plenty of items to heal your Marémon in case of emergencies, but if you two are just going to keep arguing then I suggest you go back to the hotel immediately."
"No way!" MJ and Gwen said at the same time, but they immediately hated each other for it.
"This isn't the time to act like children," Steve insisted. "I don't know why you can't seem to get along, but I can't afford to deal with this kind of immature behavior on this important mission to find the next Sokovia City Realm Champion. You're denying your friends the chance to get the next badges they need to become Marémon Heroes, and making it unlikely that you'll get ribbons from this town's Marémon Theater."
Upon hearing that, Gwen and MJ looked guiltily at their Marémon.
To be continued…
