Chapter 64: The Melody of Music

Zack's POV

"Psychic Pokemon, huh?" I questioned as one particular being came to mind. "I've had a few encounters with one. He's not so nice though."

"Don't take what I say at face value," the Smeargle said. "Just because it's home to psychic types doesn't mean all psychic pokemon are from there."

"Oh, right," I said, feeling a little awkward. "I should have known that."

"Worry not," the Smeargle said. "It's nothing to fret about. This Psychic pokemon, I'm assuming there's bad blood between you two?"

"It's a little more complicated than that," I told her. "If you hear anything about a group of pokemon trying to change the world for the better, steer clear of them. They're bad news."

"I'll keep that in mind," the Smeargle said as she turned her attention back to the large musical instrument; playing a soft melody, one that was soothing to the ears. "So… do you have any requests for a song if any?"

"Not really," I answered. "Being a trained wild I haven't really listened to any kind of music, even as a wild."

"That would make sense," the Smeargle noted. "Then allow me to play some styles of it for you."

"Before you do, you mentioned something about a gym in a city a few moments ago?" I asked her. "Safforn or something?"

"Saffron City, yes," the Smeargle replied. "As I've stated, there is a gym there; however, being up against Psychic pokemon may prove difficult for your team, excluding you considering Psychic has little effect on dark types. I surely hope you have at least two or three teammates who can go up against them."

"Er… not really," I said with a bit of hesitance. "My team mostly consists of me and a Charmander."

"Then you have a bit of time," the Smeargle said. "Where we're porting, Saffron will be a bit of a fair distance so hopefully your trainer will put forth the thought of catching a pokemon or two who can go toe to toe against them before you get there."

"Yeah… I hope so too," I said as it dawned on me that, against a Psychic type like Destiny, Charcoal would stand no chance. It was by some lucky miracle that Ted and D.Z. weren't subjected to his power though in D.Z.'s case, I doubt Destiny would be able to do much to him. Now that I thought about it, D.Z. would be a preferable teammate to help against the Psychic gym but of course, he was Laura's pokemon and not… what's his name again? I don't think I ever stopped to ask. Then again, did Charcoal even know?

"So," the Smeargle spoke, snapping me from my thoughts. "Shall I sample to you the different styles of music, being that you are my audience?"

"Sure!" I said excitedly. "I've come all the way here. I wouldn't want to leave a music player disappointed."

She let out a small chuckle. "I appreciate that. It means a lot." She ceased playing the soft music as she began explaining the types of music she knew. "To begin, what you heard just now was, as you know, soft rock music. It's the kind of music that allows one to relax their mind and body and let their spirit soar within."

"It certainly was easy on the ears," I said. "Not to mention thought provoking. Is that normal? Thought provoking when listening to music?"

Music is part of social media and can therefore allow one to reflect on past situations whether it be good or bad," the Smeargle explained. "Soft rock is just the right kind to allow that compared to this next piece."

I was taken aback suddenly as the Smeargle suddenly played the same four beats three times with a one second pause between each one, pausing for three more seconds after the third time before resuming at a faster pace than before. I watched as her paws moved quickly, gliding across a white surface, noticing that sections of them were pressed down as she pressed her paws down on certain spots which I'm sure was the source of how the music was made. Atop where she played I noticed black… something that I couldn't really describe. All I could tell was that they were skinny and spread out.

As quickly as she began the music, she ended with the same four beats she played at the start. I could feel my heart racing to the speed she played, a tinge of excitement coursing through my body and the need to move sporadically in time with it. It was the best I had ever heard!

"That," the Smeargle spoke, "was rock and roll. It's a much faster beat that over-stimulates the brain, resulting in the desire to want to dance to it. It's the most common and overall popular style of music people love listening to. Tell me, how did it make you feel listening to it?"

"Excited!" I answered. "I wanted to get up and start dancing myself."

"As expected," the Smeargle said with a small smile. "It's a natural reaction to fulfill that desire because of how upbeat the music is. There's a term I use for music that has that kind of a beat. Upbeat positive is what I call it as compared to music that has an inverse effect that I call downbeat negative; or upbeat music that's played at a low beat."

"Wow! That's some pretty insightful knowledge!" I said, intrigued. "You must have studied music quite a lot to understand the different kinds of beats there are."

"Spending most of my life around music, it's only natural that I would gain the interest of the art itself; to learn from it and understand the depths of what music is," the Smeargle answered. "Music… brings the soul to life; allows you to free your mind and escape to a place untouched by time. Your body will respond naturally once you feel the flow of the rhythm, not just with music but with timed attacks as well. Once you get a feel for how your opponents move, fighting in battles will be easier to manage."

"Battles have their own rhythm too?" I said, shocked by this knowledge.

The Smeargle gave a small smile. "Perhaps it's something you should take into consideration," she said. "Especially against this Psychic foe you're against, for even he has a set pattern that can be predicted once you get the feel of his attacks."

"Wow!" I said, stunned in awe. "That's… some really deep knowledge you have there."

"Take it from someone who's spent years understanding the rhythm," the Smeargle said. "As a matter of fact, this whole world we live upon is just one big flow of music. You just have to stop and listen; turn noise into something magical. Once you do you'll understand better how the world works. Only then will you be able to use that meaning to your advantage."

My tail wagged as I took in every word she explained, pondering how I would be able to understand the meaning of the world through rhythm. "Thanks!" I said as I stood myself up. "I may not quite understand everything you told me, but if I put it into practice maybe I'll understand it when it happens?"

"That's one way to look at it," the Smeargle replied thoughtfully. "Find a style that will work for you and it will all come naturally, no matter how unnatural it might seem."

"I'll keep that in mind," I said as I turned to leave. "I hope you don't mind me leaving. I kind of want to continue exploring the ship."

"Not at all," the Smeargle said. "I thank you for taking the time to listen. Not many would come to appreciate the style of art I create. Before you go, may I be allowed to play one last genre of music for you?"

"Sure," I answered her with a nod. "I've enjoyed what you've played so far."

"Then I'm certain you'll enjoy this next piece," she said as she began to glide her paws over what produced the music from before, pressing each of them in several spots as I attuned my ears to the rhythm itself. The music slowed down significantly as the first beat was played, quickly followed by three separate beats; two of which were the same with the third being slightly higher before she repeated the process again a second time. A slight pause followed before she played four beats with three more; one lower while the other two were higher, one above the other.

After another slight pause she repeated the same beats as before, only this time there was a change in the rhythm after that first quick beat. I couldn't quite describe how it sounded. All I knew was that it was the exact same beat she played before, but a lower version of it, yet it was kept at that upbeat style she mentioned before but only slightly.

"I can see the confusion in your eyes," the Smeargle noted as she finished, glancing in my direction. "I can tell you caught the change in notes in that second half."

"Yeah!" I replied to her notice. "How'd you know?"

"The change in your expression," was her reply. "Your right eye raised while your left slightly lowered. You also cocked your head to the left and raised your right ear."

I gave a blank stare towards her, both awed and stunned that she caught me in such an expression, which only resulted in her to chuckle softly.

"I just have a good eye watching my audience when I play," she said. "Those who can feel the flow of music are much easier to read. It makes it easier to sympathize with them if the music's set at just the right mood."

"That's super cool!" I said excitedly. "Is music really that powerful to show how a person feels?"

"It's all based on the style that's being played," the Smeargle replied. "As well as the type of person who listens to it. You're a prime example of someone who is in tune with such a force. Though you may not know anything about music, the style played combined with how you feel will set the exact atmosphere for you. Aside from that, the music you just heard is known as bluegrass: a blend of several different styles of music combined together such as blues, Irish, Scottish, and country to name a few."

"Music can be mixed together?" I asked in surprise.

"Music must be mixed to create the melody it produces," the Smeargle said. "Otherwise it turns out bland and unappealing to the ears."

"Wooowwww!" I marveled. "Music really is a creative force of art! I can't see why anyone would think otherwise."

"It all comes down to what one perceives as art," the Smeargle stated. "Not all will fascinate the creativity of music much like how not all will fascinate over drawings of art. Once one sets themselves on a path, they can blossom forth the creativity they imagine in whatever they do. There truly is no end to what can be accomplished by mere thought alone."

"I'll definitely keep what you said in mind," I said with a nod of agreement. "It was definitely a pleasure talking with you."

"Likewise," the Smeargle said with a small smile adorned upon her face. "I'm Priscilla by the way."

"Nice to meet you! I'm Zack!"

"Well Zack, I sincerely hope you keep in mind everything said," Priscilla spoke. "May your future battles become something of artistic beauty in the way you perceive them."

"I just have to let it flow naturally right?" I said.

"Exactly!" Priscilla said with a nod. "Let the body and mind be as one and you'll achieve a level no one else will be able to match!"

"Right," I said with my own nod. "I'll definitely practice that. Nice meeting you Priscilla! Don't let anyone stop your flow of what art is."

"Never intended to," Priscilla said with a small laugh as I walked back out towards the main part of the ship, humming the merry tune she played happily.

Humming the tune, however, a single question rose within my mind, one that left me feeling a little perplexed.

Why did it sound so familiar?

Ted's POV

Slowly gazing around the deck of the ship, I detailed every aspect, every spot my eyes could take notice of in search of the psychic pokemon who had wandered off. Having split from the group, my main objective was to keep tabs on the mon and attempt to keep him from getting into trouble. That, however, proved to be fruitless as I instantly lost sight of him the moment I stepped out onto the main deck of the ship.

Clever as it was to use the crowd to one's advantage, D.Z. was hardly the kind to even think to use that tactic. If anything, it merely came down to luck that he managed to mingle in among the crowd. While perplexing, there was no need to worry about him jumping ship considering his reaction to the ship's interior. Now the only real concern was where he would hole himself up at and how often he would be seen snatching things to bring to his new lair.

The sound of the ship's horn broke my concentration, signaling its departure as I felt it begin to drift from port. The humans bustled with excitement, sharing their expression with their pokémon who returned how they felt as well. Pokemon who didn't casually walked about the ship like it was a normal occurrence.

Back to the matter at hand, finding D.Z. was sure to be a headache should I choose to scour for his whereabouts. Rather than doing that, I figured it'd be best to let life flow the way it did. If there was anything to know about a mon like D.Z., he was certain to slip up at some point. Until then…

"E-excuse me, s-sir," a timid voice spoke suddenly to my side, catching my attention. Glancing in said direction stood a small, petite Pokemon; her body of white attempting to balance a tray of drinks upon her arm; her face covered by her bangs with protruding red horns, one front one back. She appeared terribly nervous as the tray wobbled, resulting in me helping to steady it before she dropped it.

"Please, excuse me," I spoke. "I was not aware of your presence until just now. What appears to be troubling you, miss?"

"O-oh! It's n-nothing," the Ralts spoke. "I… I was just going to a-ask i-if you w-wanted a d-drink is all."

Studying the tray, I took notice of a group of cups clustered together in the center with the tray itself partially wet with the drinks that have been sloshed out from the wobbling. There weren't many as opposed to the many that may have been on there, but of the ones that were currently sitting up on the tray, one stuck out to me more than the rest, confirming my choice in what I would take.

"I think…" I said as I clasped the small cup in my claw. "...I'll take this. Nothing beats a drink like water does."

"I…I suppose not," the Ralts said more softly than she had been speaking as I sipped on the water.

"So how's the job treating you?" I asked directly, cutting to the point of the conversation. "I can't imagine it's easy with the swarms of Pokemon grabbing what they want from the tray."

"N-no," the Ralts said. " But it's all r-right. I-it is p-part of my j-job after all."

"But even then there should be a line of respect," I said, swirling the water around before placing it on the tray and grabbing another cup, this time with a dark liquid inside it as I held it out to a Pokemon who was walking up to us. The pokemon took the cup without question and moseyed on his way.

The Ralts, watching my movement without so much as breaking my eye contact, was stunned by what she just saw and simply stared at me with said expression. "It's all really about standing your ground and not letting others walk all over you," I continued. "As well as setting personal boundaries."

"H-how do y-you m-mean?" the Ralts asked, snapping herself out from her stupor. "A-Am I d-doing m-my job wrong?"

"I wouldn't say that you are in any way," I said, tapping a claw thoughtfully upon my chin. "I can tell from your reactions that you haven't been doing this very long. The sheer number of Pokemon can be overwhelming, especially when they flaunt their egos around."

The Ralts fell silent, staring down at the floor as a foot, though unseen, could be noticed shuffling slightly. "I-it's not s-so bad," she said, quieter than normal. "Th-there are s-some n-nice ones b-but…"

"Excuse me!" I heard someone from behind me say suddenly, causing the Ralts to tense up and flinch a little. Turning about, I watched as a Grumpig marched right up to the two of us, paws clenched before stopping just a few feet from us. "Are you harassing my employee? Time is berries and I am not one to tolerate my employees wasting time by chatting with pokemon!"

"Apologies," I said. "I hadn't realized I was taking up so much time. I got caught up in this engaging conversation I was having with your employee here."

"Well I would appreciate it if you left her alone!" the Grumpig demanded. "Her job is to serve, not chitchat! Refreshment samples draw in the pokemon which in turn gives us the berries that help us stay in business."

"Then I shall allow her to return posthaste," I said with an understanding nod. The Grumpig snorted and stormed off as I turned back to the Ralts. "I must apologize for getting you in trouble. I was unaware of how much time I was taking."

"I-it's n-no tr-trouble at all," the Ralts said. "I'm j-just n-not v-very g-good at th-this even a-after t-two weeks."

"I see," I said. "Well just do the best you can and remember the advice I advised you on."

"I…I'll tr-try," the Ralts said as she made to resume her job.

"A quick favor if I may ask," I said, stopping her once more. "Are you knowledgeable of what Drowzee are?"

"Y-yes," was her reply. "B-being a s-sample s-server, I s-see many p-pokemon from a-all over. S-so I p-pick u-up on n-names of th-those I d-don't know."

"Then let me know if you see a peculiar Drowzee walking around acting suspiciously," I said to her. "He's a teammate of mine but hasn't quite grown out of his habits. You'll know if you see him."

"S-sure thing," the Ralts said. "I…I'll do m-my best."

"I do appreciate the help," I said with a calm smile. "Just so that you'll be able to tell me apart from other Teddiursa: I'm Ted."

"P-pleasure to m-meet y-you," the Ralts said. "My name is Kara; and thank you."

I gave a bow of respect to the Ralts as she turned once more and returned to what she was doing before. Taking another sip of water, I resumed my meandering the ship mostly for exploration.

Zack's POV

Slowing my speed so that my eyes could adjust to the brightness of the lights, I stepped back out to the main interior of the ship from when I walked in, walking up to the bars that prevented others from falling down to the floor below; stopping as I gazed about. My mind wondered what other interesting rooms there were and which one to visit next. This ship had many wonders to be discovered and only a short period of time to discover all of them in.

"You can't do this to me!" I heard someone yell suddenly. "I'm a paying passenger on this ship! I have every right to play! You can't kick me out!"

Turning my head towards the source of the commotion, I watched from above as a rocky looking pokemon I was all too familiar with was in a heated argument with a bipedal rodent with light orange fur. All other attributes of the pokemon were hard to see considering where I was standing.

What's more: the two stood before a room that, unlike the previous room where, aside from Priscilla playing that large musical instrument, was mostly quiet, this room had quite a lot of noise coming from within. Curse my overly sensitive ears!

Curious nonetheless, I made my way towards my next destination not just to see what lied within but to see what this current interaction between the two Pokemon was about.