TEEN: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: The Forgotten Isles (Chapter 50 Posted, Story Concluded)

[lucarioknight56]

3 Chapters to go!
Chapter 17: Newfound Revelations

Excerpt of Page 99 of the Explorer’s Guide: Emeras and Looplets

Emeras are small gems found in Mystery Dungeons, which disintegrate after a minute upon finding. They grant special powers to a Pokemon that attaches them to an equipped Looplet, a golden band that can also grant special abilities. The Emeras found in a dungeon will disintegrate upon exiting.

Matheus’ Notes:

Lately these haven’t been showing up, or anything in general for that matter. One other useful thing that Emeras can do is grant you increased energy, might, mental strength, and even concentration, by crushing the Emera and spreading it over your body. It even gives you a luxurious fur coat, as I happen to have an example of.

----------

Over Lucario Guild, dark storm clouds swirled, enshrouding the night with wind and thunder, the Pokemon living there taking shelter from the pelting rain. Harsh weather hadn’t occurred since before the expedition left for the Forgotten Isles, and this storm did not hold the same atmosphere as ones before; it felt unnatural, otherworldly even, as if this had come from a distant place.

Victor Mienshao looked above him, scowling. He wore a heavy blue cloak, running around the Tower and toward the Azure Inn. Class hadn’t felt the same ever since Sion and Ren left; he was without the meek and quiet companionship of Sion, and the rowdy and bullying antics of Ren, both he missed dearly. The other students were doing fine in their studies, but they just didn’t provide the satisfaction of Sion or the challenges of Ren.

He dashed under the eaves of the Azure Inn, saying to himself, “Of all the days to have a storm as horrible as this!” In his sopping wet cloak, he pounded the door, wishing for Molly to hurry as the wind and rain blew in his direction.

Molly opened it a crack, and upon seeing Victor she exclaimed, “What are you doing out in this weather? You’ll catch a cold!”

Victor cleared his throat and explained, “You actually won’t catch a cold from rain; hypothermia maybe, but not—“

“Just get inside, you’re letting the rain in!” She intervened, taking Victor by the paw and dragging him inside, shutting the door behind him.

The Azure Inn was dark, its lights unlit and the far window coated with raindrops. Behind Molly’s desk, Corinne sat, watching the rain fall from the sky. All the other residents of the Inn sat in their rooms, finding ways to keep themselves busy in the horrid storm, leaving Corinne to go where she pleased without worrying about the antagonizing residents of Lucario Guild.

Thunder boomed overhead, and a roar of anger issued from Molly’s room. “Would this storm just let up already! I have work to do!” It said.

Molly sighed, shaking her head. “Doug was hoping to go out of the Guild today, but this sudden rainstorm sort of ruined his plans.” She sighed, watching Victor take off his cloak and hang it on the rack next to the door. “There’s something about this I don’t like. I looked outside, and it seems like the clouds go on forever; maybe even to where Sion is. Do you think he’ll be alright over by those islands?”

Victor shrugged, replying, “Who’s to say he’s even there yet? The Tapu Islands are extremely far away from the mainland, if the Mist Wall’s location is any indication. Its miles away from even the furthest island of Cretea, so he could very well be in the middle of the ocean still.”

“But do you think he’s safe out there? We haven’t gotten any word from Frederick’s ship since they left, how do we know they’re alright?” Molly asked, worried.

Victor rubbed his temples, thinking of Frederick’s unsavory character. “Frederick is an oddball to be sure, and to be frank I wouldn’t want to be stuck with him either. But he knows the ocean better than anyone else, and I’d expect that Sion’s been a good sport about the entire thing. It can’t be worse than class.” He took a worried face himself, saying, “Although I do agree that his storm just doesn’t feel right. We haven’t gotten one this bad in years, since old Guildmaster Lukas’ father, Ulrin, was around. The very air we breathe just feels…infected, with some foreign presence.”

Molly nodded, looking back to Corinne. She came closer to Victor and said in hushed tones, “Corinne hasn’t been the same since Sion left either. She’s been thinking about something, muttering to herself at times, and she always has this far-off look in her eyes.” She stepped back and said, “I’m rather worried about her to be honest. She hasn’t let Sion go somewhere for more than a day without her being around. She refuses to talk to me about it; could you try?”

Victor held up his paws and said, “She doesn’t trust me as much as she trusts you! Why would I be any different?” Molly gave him a pleading look, and with a sigh Victor relented, saying, “Oh fine, I’ll go ahead. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” He shuffled over to Corinne, his legs dripping with rain, and stood alongside the Zoroark, him standing slightly taller than her.

Victor looked at her eyes, seeing that she was staring into the cloud above the daycare, the equipment hurriedly put away to be protected from the weather. Lightning arced across the sky, and a boom of thunder emerge soon after, putting into perspective the proximity of the clouds.

Victor, in an attempt to start conversation, said, “Lovely time to be outside, isn’t it?” He got no response, not even a flicker. He looked back to Molly, who motioned for him to continue on. He turned back and added, “Of course, if you were a Magcargo, this would be simply disastrous. At least we have none of their kind around here, yes?” He asked in a joking manner. Still no response.

Victor, amazed at Corinne’s state of mind, waved a paw over her eyes, saying, “Hello, Corinne? You’re still there, right?” She blinked, shaking her head, then holding it with her paw. She looked up to Victor, who smiled and said, “Ah yes, you’re still among the civilized. You almost looked like you were in a trance.”

Corinne looked away, saying to herself, “I think I may have been…”

Victor came in closer. “Pardon? What were you saying?”

Corinne waved it off and said, “Nothing. What are you doing here Victor? Shouldn’t you be back at the Dojo, getting your lesson ready for tomorrow?” She sounded distracted, her gaze circling back to the sky.

Victor noticed this and stepped in front of the window, saying to her, “Why, before I came here, I had just finished. I came over to say hello, and to see if you were doing alright with the absence of Sion. It can be rather…distressing, at times.” They stayed quiet for a moment, then Mienshao said, “Have you…been…missing him, by chance?”

Corinne looked to the floor, nodding her head. “I just feel like I did something…wrong. Something that I shouldn’t have. I just don’t know what.”

Molly came over and set her paws on Corinne’s shoulders, saying, “I’ve been with that boy of yours for twelve years, and I think you’ve done a wonderful job parenting him…especially without your husband around…” She added the last part hesitantly, unsure of how Corinne would react.

Corinne shut her eyes, saying with a croak, “I just hope I prepared him for what will come. There’s more than what’s on those islands that will come after him.”

Victor, intrigued, asked, “What would pursue him? No one except those in the Guild know that they are heading toward the Forgotten Isles, at least as far as I’m aware.”

Corinne shook her head, saying, “It’s not that. Not that at all. It’s what stirs within his mind, what I believe is a curse on our line.”

“What curse? What are you talking about?” Victor asked, concerned.

“Arthus was never truly killed; he was imprisoned within the Cocoon of Destruction, to exist within until the day Yveltal rises. His dark gift has not been taken from the world. It took the minds of Sevo’s father, and Sevo as well. I saw it that night,” she explained, tears falling. “Sevo used to be an honest worker, despite the grudge against our kind. But one day, after his father died, he began to change. He became more selfish, and began to steal from others. We had to flee, and soon Sevo became an Outlaw. He continued to grow worse, until he left and never returned, leaving his cloak behind.”

Molly clutched Corinne’s arms and asked, “What does this have to do with Sion? Tell us, please!”

“I didn’t know then, but the cloak that Sevo wore did not belong to Ferrick; Ferrick wore a black cloak while with Arthus, then a white after he turned away. The cloak my husband wore was a favorite of another, something that was worn in his many travels, and was one artifact he infected with Life, to enhance his abilities without expending what he had.” Victor’s eyes widened, and his arms fell to his legs.

“You’re not saying...that Sion is wearing Arthus’ cloak?” Corinne nodded sadly.

“I gave my son something that will enhance his powers, but it will also take him from me. His mind will turn for the worse, to the darkness that Yveltal will destroy when he returns.” Corinne sobbed, setting her face in her claws. Molly quickly embraced her, hoping to comfort her companion. Victor rubbed his chin, wondering how this was not known from before.

“How did you find out? You surely didn’t give the cloak to him knowing that it was Arthus’?”

Corinne forced herself to calm down, taking deep breaths, then finally said, “I was in my room minding my business, when I suddenly felt a presence in my mind. It told me to remember the night I fled here, and suddenly I remembered it with clarity.

“The story I told you was just as it was before, but the one thing that was different was how I handled the cloak. When I put it on, I felt sick as if the power within was rejecting me; it could only be worn by one of Arthus’ kin. I hastily took it off and stuffed it into a bag, not wanting to touch it more than I needed to. Something must have made me forget the horrible feeling, maybe even the cloak itself, so that I wouldn’t warn anyone of its powers.” She shut her eyes again, thunder booming in the distance once more. “There’s no way to tell Sion now. I only hope that he doesn’t succumb to the evil that lies within that cloak.” She stopped, burying her face into Molly’s fur the storm growing stronger as the minutes went by.

~~~~

Lukas sat on his bed, looking down on a misshapen crystal, glowing with rainbow light. The storm surrounded his lonely room at the top of the Master’s Tower, darkness enclosing what light there was. Harry had gone outside to ensure that the residents of Lucario Guild were safe from the storm, undaunted by the lightning due to his species.

The Guildmaster rubbed the surface of the crystal, the leaf within glowing with multi-colored energy in its veins. The crystal was in the shape of a rough diamond, pointed at the top and bottom, with a ridge in the middle, the light within centralizing around the points.

The crystal pulsed, and a voice echoed from within, “You must come, descendant of Laryon, to my domain.” Lukas nodded, taking a deep breath. Light burst around him, enlightening the entire room. The light faded, and the Lucario no longer sat on the bed. The crystal remained in his place, glowing softly with the leaf within.

Lukas now stood in front of a massive crystal, glowing with the same light as his own. Above, thousands of leaves threw light in all directions, spheres of light rising from the wooden floor beneath him to collect it. Bark covered the room everywhere he saw, what he knew to be a tree. He knew the master of this domain, the Tree of Life, and he wondered why he would be requested here.

Lukas heard the soft thump of wood behind him, saying, “What did you wish to say to me, Arceus?” He turned, seeing the magnificent Creator himself, his fur pristinely white, and his hoofs shining in the light of the Tree.

Arceus stamped his foot on the ground, causing the crystal set within a pillar of the tree to show a series of images. Lukas turned, seeing a tiny ship in a broiling storm, the crew within working to keep it afloat, all the while fighting a massive blue beast. He saw a Feraligatr, who daringly hopped atop the assailant and bit into its side, being thrown off it as quickly as he came. He saw a Greninja, who stood at the stern and strained to keep the wheel straight, watching the Noivern above adjust the sails and rigging to ensure they didn’t crash.

Lukas grimaced as he saw a Lucario he knew well stabbing a spear at the blue beast, his distressed face turning into one of few as the waves temporarily engulfed his side of the ship. The view finally centralized on the Zoroark below deck, holding a Cosmog under him, the cloak engulfing them.

Arceus said in his distant, booming voice, “The beings from Ultra Space have brought this storm, their conjuring against nature setting astray my creations. They are not the true evil in this war, however.” More images passed by, showing a Zoroark surrounded by waves of crimson flames, wearing an embroiled brown cloak. He struck down various Pokemon, red mist leaving their bodies and siphoning to him, the Zoroark laughing madly as he went.

The crystal shivered as the Zoroark said, “I shall turn this world into one where no evil shall be! The Prophecy of the Future of Death shall come to pass!” Lukas winced, knowing full well who the Zoroark was.

The image shifted to the same Zoroark in shadowy world, no light penetrating his prison. The cloak he wore drifted from him and it faded from view, exiting this exile. The Zoroark smiled maliciously, saying, “Fine, let this world be taken by Yveltal. It doesn’t matter to me, so long as all evil is brought away!” The image faded, and Lukas turned to Arceus, his palm on his face.

Lukas said, “Arthus sent his cloak from Yveltal’s cocoon, and he plans to use it to…corrupt the world?”

Arceus nodded slowly. “In a way, yes. His cloak is all that remains of his attempted destruction of Equivos, that and the children of Erik of which there is a sole individual left: Illusion. Whoever possesses that cloak would be in danger of falling under Arthus’ influence.”

Lukas clenched his fist, his brow furrowing. “So, we don’t have to only worry about the Ultra Beasts merging their world with ours, but also Arthus’ threat on Equivos! How did he send his cloak from the Cocoon, and how is he still controlling it?”

“Arthus’ powers over Life itself are strong, and his remaining stores from his attack 300 years ago remains strong. With Life under his command, he has many powers that are unknown.” He grunted slightly, adding, “Still, the fact remains that he still has a foothold in Equivos. Sadly, there is nothing we can do to stop him; the Ultra Beasts disturbance of nature has blocked the Tapu Islands from my reach, and now only the Island Guardians can help him now.”

Lukas shook his head regrettably, looking past the crystal and toward the storm that dominated the skyline of Deitae, the dancing lights sinking to the ground, their usual ascent altered. “Will we…will we see Ren again?” Lukas asked, wavering in his voice.

Arceus at first did not reply, the only noise being the rushing of the wind, brushing past the leaves. He suddenly stamped his foot, and a swirl of incandescent leaves, and they began to circle Lukas, the Lucario lifted into the air.

“Your seer and healer, Isis, spoke true in her vision of the future. Two shall be lost, and two shall be taken. Five foreigners shall save what is forgotten from what is unknown, and only three shall return to their place of birth. A dark hand shall challenge what is light, and one shall succeed, only according to the will of whoever shall be. Legends shall be remembered from what is lost, and a barrier of worlds shall be made open to all.”

The leaves crumbled to ashes, absorbing into Lukas’ body. Lukas looked at Arceus with astonished eyes, the Myth fading into mist with the rest of the Tree of Life.

“Heed my prophecy, Lukas Lucario, for by their coming, the region of Equivos shall be saved.”

~~~~

Lukas found himself on his bed, the crystal next to his side. The storm raged on, the rain striking his roof of glass with power. Lightning arced across the sky, the companion thunder joining after. The depth of the strange world Ultra Space permeated through the land, the effects of the Ultra Beasts being felt even from here.

~~~~

Above the crew under Frederick’s command, a crystal-clear being observed, her tentacles swaying gently in the air. She enjoyed the Wishiwashi below in its conquest of the attackers, her prime target huddling below deck with a Pokemon holding power.

Nihilego waved her arms, floating towards the rip through dimensions, her Ultra Wormhole. “The others must hear of this; the Cosmog has returned.”

 

[lucarioknight56]

Chapter 18: The Raging Encounter

Excerpt of Page 104 of the Explorer’s Guide: Ocean Exploration

In this age, the brunt of ocean exploration takes place in the Archipelago of Cretea, the peaks of the mountains that made up the former continents of Creation and Wayfare. All the islands are fairly small, with several having caves that act as Mystery Dungeons. The largest of these islands contains the Luminous Cavern, which allows premature evolution among Pokemon in Equivos.

Matheus’ Notes:

I never cared for ocean travel, in any form. Especially on that trip to Deitae back when I was protecting Laryon. There’s too much water, and not enough firm ground to make sure that you don’t go sick from the waves. Ugh. Thank goodness there’s nothing but fish in those waters. Fish, and a couple of vicious Samurott wielding swords!

----------

Frederick roared mightily, digging his fangs into the side of the raging Wishiwashi, the massive Pokemon slapping the side of his ship with its tail. The storm raged overhead, the winds driving the sea to a froth. The center of this massive gale, the Ultra Wormhole continued to spiral, its dark interior emitting an ever-present screech, driving the wild Pokemon to madness.

Ren threw a metal spear at their attacker, one of four that remained above deck. He called out, “Frederick, why don’t you just kill this thing like you did with the Gyarados!”

The Feraligatr forced his jaws away from the beast, leaving dozens of indents in the side of the Wishiwashi. He dug his claws into it, yelling out, “This is, by no means, a Gyarados!” The Wishiwashi dove beneath the waves, taking Frederick with it. Itdove out of sight, deep into the depths, leaving Ren to wonder what it was doing.

Ekon looked on from above, ensuring that the ship remained steady on its course to the Isles. As it crashed through the waves, he asked, “Where did that fish go!” The ship jolted into the air just after he finished, the nose of the Wishiwashi smashing against the keel of their vessel.

Sion scrambled across the cargo hold, trying his best to plug the leaks with planks of wood and glue. Cracks erupted from the bottom, causing cascades of water to force its way into the belly of the ship.

Cosma floated overhead, acting as a spotter for the frantic Zoroark. “There’s a leak there, and there, and there, they’re all over the place!” She cried. Sion took a slab of glue from the bucket hanging from the ceiling, thanking Frederick inwardly for the waterproof creation.

Applying the glue across a board, he exclaimed, “There’s no way this thing will stay together! We have to do—“ He was cut short as he slipped to the other end of the hold, another impact from the Wishiwashi sending him flying.

Cosma shuddered, looking to the water. “That awful wormhole is driving the Wishiwashi to do this, just like it’s done with the other wild Pokemon! What are we going to do?” Sion spat out water, the rising water now up to his knees.

Ren clambered down the stairs, exclaiming, “Are there any more harpoo—whoa!” He stopped just short of the bottom, the waves consuming the floor of the hold. “Why aren’t you doing your job? We need to get bailing!” He strode into the water, leaving Sion and moving toward the floating sacks, their stores bobbing out into the open.

Sion picked up a bucket, the sides shuddering as the Wishiwashi impacted the ship once more. “Why don’t you start? We’ll all drown unless we get this thing back together!” Ren ignored him, taking the knapsack he had brought with him from Lucario Guild. He strapped it to his back after studying it, then picked up another bucket from the flood.

“Let’s get started then.”

~~~~

High above the islands, Nihilego hovered in front of the Ultra Wormhole, the spiraling interior calling to her. She complied to its call, allowing herself to be drawn into the vortex, descending into her abode.

Within was a dark cavern, with pure white crystals glowing with purple energy scattered on throughout. The crystals power was drawn away in tethers, the lines diverting into a duplicate wormhole, the entrance to the Pokemon world. Ahead, seven chairs rose from the ground, made from the onyx rock that formed the soil of Ultra Space.

Four beings currently sat on the thrones, the largest a black cavernous maw, another a spindly bundle of vines, one made of metallic sheets, and a final made of cellular steel. All were shaded in the darkness of Ultra Space, the only light coming from the dim crystals that erupted from the darkened ground.

“The Cosmog has returned to the Islands. She and those she brought with her are being attacked by one of the natives to that world. What should we do?” Nihilego asked.

The vines zapped with purple lightning, then replied with a sizzle, “Now would be the best time to strike, while they are distracted. We cannot let that Cosmog survive!”

The green figure rose, saying, “I will take care of the Cosmog. Ensure that the Wormhole stays open until my return; we can’t have casualties so close to our victory.” Two jets of flame arose from her elongated arms, and she rocketed into the vortex, leaving Nihilego and the three others behind.

Nihilego drifted to her own throne, the smallest, and said, “Celesteela will seal the fate of this world faster than Buzzwole can.”

~~~~

Gaiden gave one of his few cries of surprise as the boat lurched once more, driving more of the ocean onto the deck. The wheel was growing more unresponsive with every strike of the Wishiwashi, and the Tapu Islands seemed to grow more distant. Despite their best efforts, the ship simply would not make it with the Wishiwashi’s assault.

He looked up, seeing Ekon checking the rigging once more. Gaiden exclaimed over the rising gale, “Help Frederick by stunning it with your Boomburst!” Ekon nodded, diving towards the Wishiwashi circling their once-grand vessel.

Frederick cackled maliciously, ripping away a one of the many fish that made up this creature. “You are just one made of many, many succulent morsels! Hahahaha!” He thrust the fish into his mouth, relishing the salty flavor. “I’ll just keep tearing into you until you’re all in my gut!”

Ekon dove in, seeing the dangerous magnificence of the massive Pokemon. It was covered with various dark patches, the work of Frederick pulling away the smaller Wishiwashi that created it. It roared in anger, knocking the ship again and again, shaking its massive frame to free itself of Frederick.

Ekon squinted, aiming straight for the head. He roared, a ball of soundwaves rocketing toward the Wishiwashi’s head, destined to stun the attacker.

Frederick leapt atop its head, reaching for one of its eyes. “I love the soft squishy—“ He was cut short by Ekon’s Boomburst, the attack sending him flying off the Wishiwashi, landing into the raging sea.

Ekon growled to himself, shaking his head. “Why, of all times, did he have to do that!”

Frederick surfaced, rubbing his head and shaking a fist at Ekon. “Watch where you’re aiming, you bat!” he roared. He sped after the Wishiwashi, who had taken to ramming its giant head back into the ship.

Cosma popped out from below, a tiny bucket in her arms, sitting on her head. Following her was Sion and Ren, each with two buckets in their paws, all full of seawater. They promptly dumped it back into the sea, with Cosma dumping hers last, entranced by the antics of the rogue Wishiwashi.

“Oh, why do you have to do this? The ship never tried to hurt you…” Cosma said, seemingly to the Wishiwashi. She dumped her bucket over the deck, and returned to the cargo hold.

Gaiden grimaced, the wheel becoming too much to bear. He saw the mast leaning awkwardly, the many attacks causing an enormous crack in the middle. Splinters of wood lay everywhere in the water, most coming from Frederick’s do-it-yourself work.

Gaiden looked over to the Wishiwashi, which had dove into the water once more to dodge Ekon’s Boombursts. “If that Wishiwashi isn’t stopped soon, we’ll have to abandon ship,” he said to himself, returning to his quiet tones. He looked behind him, seeing ropes tied limply to a pole. He took one, and had an idea.

Ekon gasped, his ears ringing from the number of Boombursts he had sent. He tried to remember what number it was now. 19? 20? He couldn’t think straight, his head spinning.

Frederick called out atop the back of the Wishiwashi, stuffing another little segment into his jaws. “What are you, blind! His head’s right here!” He jammed his claws into its forehead, ripping away more of the blue Wishiwashi.

Ekon growled in anger, shaking his head to drive away the dizziness. He took a deep breath, and let out another ball of sound, the sphere finally hitting the Wishiwashi’s face. The Boomburst exploded, driving many of the fish that had formally made the Pokemon into the water. The Wishiwashi fell still, moaning loudly as it did.

Frederick cackled once more, digging through the fish. “Nice goin’ there! Now, let’s see what this thing’s made of…” He finally broke the surface of the fishy skin finding nothing inside but sloshing water and a single white Wishiwashi, which looked remarkably similar to the one he had tried to eat earlier.

Frederick smacked his chops, saying, “Oh, so you’re the brains of this thing. Well now, let’s take you out!” He stuffed his arms and head inside, and attempted to reach the Wishiwashi, his legs flailing behind him.

The white Wishiwashi squealed, and the large he one he lay within stirred back to life, swimming away from the ship and into open water, madly attempting to yank the intruder out of its body.

Sion watched as he dumped another bucket of water into the sea, lightning flashing across the sky. He sped down below, his cloak hanging limply behind him as he exclaimed, “Quick, let’s get to plugging the leaks while the Wishiwashi’s distracted!” They heard a triumphant roar, and a loud crash, and they found the head of Frederick Feraligatr embedded in the wall.

Frederick moaned painfully, shaking his head, spitting out splinters of wood. He looked around him, seeing that he was now inside the hull of his ship. “After all this is over, you owe me a new ship!” he roared, thrusting himself from the side and swimming furiously after the Wishiwashi, which had begun swimming towards Frederick once more.

Ren looked through the hole Frederick left behind, jumping back as the waves sent a deluge of water into it. He stared at Sion in astonishment and said, “There’s no way we can fix this. We have to get out of here!” He turned for the stairs, water trickling down from above.

Sion grabbed hold of Ren’s paw, exclaiming, “We can’t swim all the way to the islands! Not even Gaiden or Frederick can in this storm! We have to keep trying!”

Ren pulled his paw away, glowering at Sion. “You have no right to tell me what to do,” he warned. After a moment, he returned to dashing up the stairs, searching for any sort of raft to keep himself safe.

Sion yelled in frustration, throwing down the bucket in his claws. “How can we survive with the likes of him with us! He doesn’t listen to any of us!” He turned to Cosma, who continued to float mournfully above him, holding her bucket above her head. “Is there anything you can do to stop that Wishiwashi?” Sion asked.

Cosma looked up, shaking her head. “I can hardly do a thing on my own. All I can really do is teleport away from places.” She blinked, opening her eyes wide. She began to smile then said, “When a Wishiwashi calls for help, the others form a body, and the one who called acts as a brain for it.” She grinned even wider and added, “I think I know what I can do!” She dropped the bucket and became absorbed in light, fading away from Sion. The Zoroark, wondering what she meant, dropped his own bucket in the rising waves and trudged upstairs.

Cosma rematerialized above the Wishiwashi, the Pokemon careening as it tried to bite Frederick, who had clamped his jaws on the tail of the Wishiwashi. The hole made by the Feraligatr still showed the miniscule controller inside, remaining in the very center of the beast.

Cosma forced her way closer, the winds and rain growing stronger. It continued to circle in the sea, trying to get ever-closer to Frederick, who had begun tearing away the fish on the tail. Cosma took a deep breath, and vanished once more in a Teleport.

She rematerialized inside the Wishiwashi, smacking into the inner wall of the Wishiwashi. She looked around her, holding her breath as water cascaded into the Wishiwashi. Tiny blue versions of the same Wishiwashi looked straight ahead, fused by some sort of clear gel, keeping the creature connected in movement and purpose.

She forced herself through the water, trying to get closer to the center Wishiwashi. It turned its head, and seeing her, squealed, alerting the large Wishiwashi. She felt herself moving toward something, the Wishiwashi wanting to drive her out of the body.

In Frederick’s ship, Sion pounded the nails into the sides of the ship, ignoring Frederick’s insistence against them. “Unless I fix this soon, we’re done for! Good thing the Wishiwashi is distracted.” The water was up to his waist now, and showed no signs of slowing.

Gaiden tied the final knot in the wheel, keeping it still as they continued their course to the Isles, which drifted ever closer into view. He looked down on the deck, seeing Ren pull a hodge-podge of assorted items, in the shape of a raft, being tied down by lengths of spare rope.

Gaiden leaped down, grabbing Ren by his wrist and looking him in the eye. “This is no time to be planning an escape! We need to get this ship back together!” Gaiden roared.

Ren pulled his arm, Gaiden’s grip remaining strong. “You don’t tell me what to do! No one does!” Ren replied, jerking away. Gaiden let go, Ren sprawling against the deck.

Gaiden shook his head sadly, stepping away. “Your duty is to this team and Lucario Guild. Not yourself. If you ever expect to become my Guildmaster, then you had better determine where your loyalties lie.” Gaiden proceeded to go down the stairs, leaving Ren to consider what he had attempted.

The Greninja studied the cargo hold, amazed that Sion still pounded boards into the sides. He was sopping wet, the water nearly up to his neck, and yet he raised the hammer in an attempt to save this craft.

Gaiden jumped into the water, feeling the water soaking into his porous skin. He looked up the stairs, seeing a clear shot to the sky above. “May as well get rid of this,” he thought to himself. He opened his mouth wide, and a massive stream of water shot out of it and onto the upper deck, gradually causing the water around him to recede. He continued this stream until only a puddle up to their ankles remained submerged, the many cracks on the floor clearly evident.

Sion blinked in amazement, midway through a swing of his hammer. Gaiden turned to him, pointing to the wall. “Well, get on with it. We won’t have long until the water returns.” Sion nodded, finishing his repair and setting to work on the floor, the many wooden boards in the corner providing what he needed. Gaiden set to work on gluing the boards alongside Sion’s hammering, making their best effort to repair Frederick’s damaged vessel.

Ekon squawked in fear, narrowly dodged a column of water from the ship. Seeing it descend into the ocean, he called out, “Watch where your aiming that thing!”

Cosma struggled to swim towards the Wishiwashi, her breath running out and her strength worn. The Wishiwashi, having to remain in the center of the cluster, swam in fear of being caught, knowing that its best defense was to keep swimming. Frederick hung behind, his powerful jaws still clamped on the tail of the massive Wishiwashi.

The Wishiwashi in front of Cosma seemed to grow fainter, and Cosma felt as if she couldn’t go on. “This can’t be…the way I die…” She thought, shutting her eyes, letting her mouth open, bubbles coming out. Hazy blue light began to surround her, and in a split-second the Wishiwashi shone with bright light. It suddenly burst into hundreds of tiny fish, all turning white in the loss of their connection with the Wishiwashi brain. In the center of the explosion was the little Cosmog, floating high in the air, ethereal bluish-white light emanating from her center.

Frederick cried out as he flew in the air, a mouthful a Wishiwashi in his jaws. He splashed into the water, and after gulping his delicious treat, stared at Cosma in amazement. “By Arceus what is she doin’!” She began to descend to the water, and the Feraligatr swam toward her, saying, “Not gonna let that little time bomb go into the deep, no way!” He plucked her inches from the waves, hearing he quiet and steady breathing as she lay in his claws, her eyes closed.

Frederick looked behind him, his ship distant. “Nothin’ for it but to swim I suppose,” he said, kicking his legs and wagging his tail, speedily proceeding to his vessel with his cargo in tow. From the now-shrinking Ultra Wormhole, a conic shape rocketed out.

Frederick leapt aboard his saving grace, setting Cosma on the deck. Ekon flapped down, studying the exhausted Cosmog, Ren stepping toward them as he kicked away at his attempt of a raft.

Gaiden and Sion came up from below, the latter announcing, “Got most of the leaks fixed up, we just need to get to land as soon as--” He stopped, seeing the three surrounding Cosma. “What happened to her? Where’s the Wishiwashi?”

Frederick scratched his head, saying, “I’m not entirely sure meself, but I’d say she caused some sort of explosion inside the belly of the beast, where I saw the lead Wishiwashi—the one I tried to eat earlier—controlling the whole thing. The big guy’s gone, and in a rain of delicious fish I saw her floating down, all covered in a mysterious blue light.” He picked her up again, saying, “She’s sleeping now, but oh boy, does she have some power!”

“Power? Yes. Life? Soon to be no.”

They all turned to the source of the statement, seeing a towering green statue, two narrow rods thrusting orange flames out the sides. A mouth lay near the top, in an inner column of white bamboo. Below the oddity was another jet of flame, keeping it floating in the air.

Ekon exclaimed, “What are you doing here? This is the middle of the ocean, and in case you haven’t noticed, we just got attacked by a giant fish!”

The statue remained unmoving, only swaying slightly in the strong gales. “I am Celesteela, known as the Blaster in my world. That Cosmog has the power to prevent the uniting of Ultra Space and this wretched world, and we cannot allow that.” Her two rods stopped emitting flame, the slender pieces rotating, pointing at the ship. “By having it in your possession you have sealed your fate.” Two orange spheres grew on the ends of the rods, and all he Pokemon ran from the deck, taking various positions.

Frederick took the helm, exclaiming as he slashed the ropes, “Get us away from that vile Ultra Be-“

WHOOM!

 

[lucarioknight56]

One chapter before the end of Act 1!
Chapter 19: Sorrow Succumbed

Excerpt of Page 104 of the Explorer’s Guide: The Mist Wall

The Mist Wall is a mysterious barrier separating Equivos from whatever else lies beyond the sea. Few individuals, if anyone, has crossed it, the only known case being Zacheus Incineroar from the Forgotten Isles. No one knows how long the Mist Wall has existed, or why it exists for that matter.

Matheus’ Notes:

I never learned all that much about this Zacheus fellow, but he must’ve been an extremely powerful foe, after hearing about his battle with one of my old nemesis, Maxim Magmortar. I wonder if he had a tribe within the Tapu Islands. If I was to meet them, they’d probably relieve me of my head sooner than I could say ‘hello’!

----------

Clear skies ruled overhead on the coastline of Serenita, the storm of the previous day nonexistent. Wingull flitted in the wind, the rolling waves pushing flotsam to the shore. The sun shone brightly to the east, the new morning telling the Pokemon of the distant Lucario Guild that good hope lay in the future.

A flock of Wingull settled on the waves, studying broken planks, scraps of sail, and a portrait showing a Feraligatr with a Lucario. A trail of this wreckage extended toward the Mist Wall, a distinct path to a great disaster.

A Wingull wearing a white legband emblazoned with the seal of Lucario Guild inspected the picture, looking to the Mist Wall. He gasped, turning back to the north. “Oh no…” He said, watching the picture finally sink below the surface.

He called out to the rest of the flock, “Back to Lucario Guild! We must alert the Guildmaster!” The entire flock immediately swooped from the water and to the sky, toward their beloved home.

~~~~

Lukas Lucario sat on his bed, his head in his paws. His staff lay on the ground, and his hat to his side. The Tower, bright with the light of day, towered above a Guild in mourning. All the Guild Pokemon stood around the Tree of Slumber, a symbol of dormant life, and the life to come. Pokemon took turns offering a small gift to the six Pokemon who were lost to the storm of the previous day.

Lukas looked up, turning to a picture on his bedside and picking it up. It showed three Lucario with a Riolu between them, standing in front of the entrance to the Master’s Tower. One of the Lucario was grizzled with age, leaning on his staff as he towered above the two younger Lucarios. The day was bright, and all were smiling, as if nothing could be better in the world.

The Guildmaster set a paw over the elder Lucario, saying to him, “I lost you to age, when my time to take your place finally came.” He moved his paw to the slender Lucario, wearing a pink flower over her ear. “I lost you to the mysteries of the dungeons.” He finally slid his paw to the Riolu, shutting his eyes. “And I lost you to the wishes of a father, to help in any way I could.” He set his head in his paws once more, heaving softly.

~~~~

George and Wilson both sat in their favored chair and couch, gazing at the pillow Gaiden so loved. The two members of Team Tri-Attack had set offerings of food and craft to their leader, a special Rawst Berry Pie, and a wood carving of the Greninja, in his ever-vigilant position of meditation.

George sniffed, wiping his eyes. “I just can’t believe that…that ship crashed with Gaiden on it. There’s no way even he could survive that retched storm…not ever.”

Wilson set an arm over his friend’s shoulder and replied, “He was a great Pokemon, and a worthy leader if there ever was one. It’s a shame that we couldn’t have gone with him.”

George sighed, saying, “What’ll we do now? We have to find a new Pokemon to take his place. We can’t be a proper exploration team without him.” A knock came to the door, at which Wilson came to it and opened it.

Beyond were the drooping forms of Rix Skarmory and Aaron Archeops, their wings hanging toward the ground. The latter’s feathers were unkempt, ruffled with distress.

Rix, after taking a deep breath, said, “I’m sorry for what happened…to Gaiden.”

“Me too. We should’ve been kinder to him,” Aaron added.

George clapped a hand over Aaron’s back and said, “We’re sorry for Ekon as well. All of us have been pretty horrible to each other.”

Rix looked back to their room, the door still open, feathers fluttering out. “We’ve got to thinking about what’ll happen to Team Aerospace with Ekon gone. With only two of us, we’ll eventually be forced to be Freelance unless we find a third member. Problem is, there won’t be any new candidates coming up for a while.”

Aaron added, “So were wondering, if, you know…”

“If we could be part of your team,” Wilson finished. They looked at each other, considering the idea.

After a few minutes, George held out his hand, meeting with Aaron’s outstretched claw. “We’ll work together…for Gaiden and Ekon’s sake.”

~~~~

Molly sat next to Corinne on her bed, looking longingly to Sion’s tidy sheets. Corinne remained silent, looking to the floor, unshifting in her manner.

The door open, and Doug Diggersby came in, his face neutral. “I, uh… I’m sorry for what happened. Sion was a good Pokemon, and I feel like I maybe should have…should have done better things for him.” He hastily stepped outside, saying, “I have to get going; important business outside the Guild.” He exited and trudged toward the stairs, leaving Victor Mienshao behind.

The aged teacher stepped into the room, the bright new day defying the feelings felt by all. He cleared his throat, then after a moment he said, “You know…the Wingull only saw the wreckage of what they thought was Frederick’s ship. It could be that Sion survived.”

Molly shook her head, a paw over Corinne’s shoulders. “It isn’t. That storm was the worst we’ve had in years. There’s no way any Pokemon in the open waters could’ve lived.” She began to tear up, saying, “I’m going to miss him…more now that I know he’s not coming back.”

Victor unfolded his arms and exclaimed, “We don’t know that yet! The Wingull are unreliable, what with there only being evidence a wreck, not death. We have to hold faith!”

Molly sprung upward and jabbed a paw toward Victor’s chest, crying out, “Just stop trying to find something good in this! Sion is gone, and those cursed Isles are lost for good! That Cosmog should never have come here, especially now that Sion’s gone!” She began to hit his chest weakly, and Victor hurriedly clamped Moly’s paws, trying his best to soothe her despairing state.

“Now Molly, please, this isn’t like you! Think about this logically!”

“I have! Let it go!”

“I shall not! Not while Arceus still lives!”

At the mention of Arceus, Corinne stood up, turning toward her quarreling comrades. Molly stopped her assault, and Victor let go of her paws, wondering why Corrine had suddenly changed.

She then said slowly, “Up until now, I had the same thoughts as Molly did; that Sion, my little Illusion, was dead in the sea, away from my grasp until we meet each other again in the afterlife, whatever it may be.” She began to smile, saying, “But I feel as if Sion is still alive, and that Arceus had something to do with it…like that this tragedy was all part of a plan.”

Molly and Victor looked at each other, the latter giving a small grin. “Let’s hope that that is indeed our great creator’s plan.”

~~~~

The stone on Lukas’ table glowed with bright light, catching the grieving Lucario’s attention. He set his picture down and picked it up, never having seen this before. It flashed again, this time showing a projection of Arceus, his face as unchanging as time itself.

“You must come to me…and the mother of Illusion as well,” he stated, the projection fading and the crystal continuing to pulse.

Lukas, curious as to why Arceus would demand for such an audience, quickly set his hat on his head, his staff in his paw, and the crystal in his pocket. He dashed down the stairs, halting only for the distraught form of Harold Heliolisk.

“I knew it! I knew it! It was a horrible idea to send Ren to those islands! You should have listened to me!” Harry spat, stamping his feet.

Lukas shoved him away, stating, “No one was expecting this to happen, least of all you. Now leave me be, I have an important meeting with Corinne.”

Harry, flabbergasted that Lukas had treated him as such, brushed his chest and growled. “What could be more important than a funeral for the former successor? It’s happening in just a few hours, and we need you to help organize it!” Harry exclaimed.

Lukas threw open the door and gave his assistant a warning glare. “If my hunch is correct, there will be no need for a funeral,” he said before closing the door behind him.

He pushed past the dozens of Pokemon wishing to give their condolences, the pulsing of the crystal in his pocket steadily growing in intensity. He hastily said his thanks as he made his way to the Azure Inn, wishing dearly that Arceus would say what he hoped he would say.

He stormed through the entryway and trudged up the stairs, shoving away the door to Corinne’s room. He said to the astonished Victor and Molly, “I have to take Corinne somewhere important, so excuse me.”

As he took Corinne’s claw, Molly asked, “Can’t we come with you? We’re her closest friends!”

Lukas held the crystal up in the air, saying to Molly, “Sorry, meeting with a Legend has a two-Pokemon limit.” He and Corinne were swept away in a swirl of mist, leaving no trace as to where they went.

Molly turned to Victor and asked, “What happened? First Corinne was all sad because of Sion being gone, and now she’s suddenly happy because she had the delusion of seeing Arceus, and now I think I’m going crazy because Lukas just disappeared with her! What’s going on!”

Victor could only grin, shaking his head. “I have the feeling that Arceus himself will tell them why.”

~~~~

Corinne found herself in a room of twisted tree bark, with a canopy of leaves overhead, and a gigantic ever-changing crystal in front of her. Lights rose from the ground, dancing toward the leaves and the sky above. She felt invigorated by being within the very presence of this ancient place, and wished she could stay here for the rest of her days.

“This is a place for mortals who have passed on, for us to relive their memories, which are never truly lost. Your time has not come.”

Corinne swiveled around to see Arceus towering above them, retaining his powerful and steadfast stance. She stared in awe at his presence, and curtsied in respect.

“My creator…why did you want me here today?” she asked.

Lukas took a bow as well, taking off his hat. “I ask the same question. I have not been called to you like this before,” he stated. Arceus only stamped his foot, the crystal embedded within the tree showing a vision of a charred wreckage in the middle of the sea, in a dark night.

Remnants of a mid-sized ship lay everywhere in sight, most blackened in flame, some still burning. Scattered remnants of wood, sail and rope could be seen, with the occasional bucket, and personal items such as various maps and pictures.

Corinne put a claw over her mouth, her eyes wide with fright. “This is…this is the ship Sion was on, isn’t it?”

Arceus nodded, stepping closer. “It is indeed. Soon after they had driven off a massive Pokemon from the sea, one of the invaders from another world attacked them with bursts of flame. It completely decimated their craft, which was known as The Guardian before Frederick Feraligatr’s tragedy.” Lukas studied the remains, knowing that a blast that could send a ship to splinters could very well eliminate his son.

A black figure within two shells surface from the water, gracefully pushing through the waves as she surveyed the wreckage. She picked up a black tricorn hat, battered from age and charred with flame. She held it close to her chest, and looked to the sky, the half-moon shining bright above her.

“By the powers vested in me by the Spirits of the Moon and Sun, I pray that the Pokemon sent to us this day shall live, for only they can prevent our islands from succumbing to the powers that the beasts command, for I am Tapu Fini, guardian of the sea of Tapu,” she softly said. She held the hat out in front of her and dropped it, watching it descend into the water. A pulse of soft blue light came from below, and Tapu Fini returned to the depths, closing her shells as she dove.

The vision faded, and Lukas and Corinne turned their attention to Arceus, towering above them in his elegant tranquility.

“Tapu Fini is one of four Pokemon the two guardian Legends called to protect the Tapu Islands in their stead, for they had to join the distant sky in their duty to continue the process of day and night within Equivos. Fini guards the seas, ensuring that those who travel it are protected from what dangers lay within.” He turned his head to the hole in the tree, facing the west, showing the beautiful blue sky beyond. “Today is not a day of mourning, for if it were, the skies themselves would have wept with you, for a being of the stars would have died, known as a Cosmog. No, today is a day of triumph for the beings of Ultra Space have been thwarted this day, and my creations shall stand victorious against their assault.” He stamped his foot once more, sending a shower of multi-colored leaves to surround Corinne and Lukas, their vision obscured by the swirling vortex.

“Know this day that Illusion Zoroark and Auren Lucario were blessed by a Legend, an honor given only to a few.. May light rule Equivos.” The leaves crumbled to dust, and Lukas and Corinne disappeared from the Tree of Life.

~~~~

Within the confines of Ultra Space, the seven Ultra Beasts sat on their thrones, the darkened atmosphere brought to light with the white crystals that were scattered in their cavern. The crystals focused their light on the center of the seven Beasts, forming a pool that showed the coast of one of the four islands that made up the Forgotten Isles. Debris from the recent wreckage floated to the shore, the heat of the day driving away the clouds above.

Pheromosa craned over the pool, considering the view. “You say that the Pokemon in question, namely the Cosmog, have been eliminated?”

Celesteela remained still, hovering ever-so-slightly above the chair. “Yes, I am positive. My cannons are too strong for those mere Pokemon.”

“But what if they did survive? We are too far with our plans to allow the Cosmog to cut our link to this world. We must ensure they are gone!” Buzzwole exclaimed, pounding the arm of his chair.

The wiry Ultra Beast stood up, grazing the edge of the pool with his tail. “Why do that *zzt* when we could focus our efforts on completing the connection?”

Buzzwole groaned, fingering his antennae. “Because, Xurkitree, all of that will be for naught unless we prevent the ascension of that Cosmog!” Xurkitree fizzled, crossing his arms, his head flashing with an array of lights.

The flimsy, papery Beast flitted above the pool, wavering. “Who cares! The sooner we connect, the sooner we will never have to worry about that ridiculous condition of the Sun and Moon.”

Nihilego floated next to the papery beast, spreading her tentacles about her. “Kartana, that reminds me, how did that legend go again? ’When the spirits of Sun and Moon fade, their descendants shall ascend the peaks of Lune and Sol. Only then shall the barrier between worlds be restored once more.’ Isn’t it concerning that it says descendants rather than descendant?”

The great black maw roared, stamping his feet. “There must be another Cosmog! I will consume both if I have to, if only to have that world for our taking!”

Pheromosa held her hand up, saying, “Calm yourself Guzzlord. We are confident that the Cosmog in the Kommo-o’s possession is destroyed; Celesteela has assured us of that.” She rubbed one her antennae, deep in thought. “However, the second Cosmog distresses me. While the Legend states that both must ascend, there is always the possibility that the other Cosmog survived the attack, and that this one is waiting for their companion to return, to make the ascension of the mountains.”

Buzzwole stood up, pounding his fists in the air. “Let’s go down once more, to discover this second Cosmog! I am ready to absorb its power!”

Xurkitree fizzled, replying, “You know that it takes days for Ultra Space to create another wormhole. We should be grateful that we can even have a visual of Equivos as it is.”

Buzzwole glared at Xurkitree, folding his arms together. “So we sit here and wait for the Cosmogs to show up? That is foolish!”

Xurkitree crackled with electricity, the bolts dissipating in the poisonous air. “It is better than being trapped there and suffering in their atmosphere,” he replied. Buzzwole grunted, turning his head aside in defeat.

Pheromosa stood up, a hand hovering over the pool of light. “We will watch from this abode for the Cosmogs, and if that one happened to survive, so be it.” She clenched her fist, watching as ripples came from the ocean within the light.

“Ultra Space and Equivos shall be one.”

 

[lucarioknight56]

Chapter 20: Shipwrecked Apart

Excerpt of Page 120 of the Explorer’s Guide: New Territory

Most land in the world of Equivos has been discovered and charted by the three Guilds, with special attention being given to the Mystery Dungeons that are found. When new land is discovered, study your surroundings carefully, and keep track on where you’ve been by making landmarks, such as scratches on tree or rocks. Above all, keep a lookout on wild Pokemon that might be in the area; there is always the possibility of a new species, and your knowledge may not be enough to keep you from attack.

Hoopa’s Notes:

Here’s what I always do when I find somewhere new. I find an unsuspecting Pokemon, throw a hoop under them, and watch them—

Get out of here, you fool! This is my shtick!

Excuse me…

Matheus’ Notes:

As I wanted to say before that trickster interrupted, I have yet to find a new species of Pokemon…until we found the Forgotten Isles, with the strange dragons known as Kommo-o. I wonder how they are in combat? Effective, I’d think, but not as great as I am!

----------

The winds blew gently across the skies, pushing puffy white clouds over the Tapu Islands. The sun hung high overhead, the afternoon bringing high heat to the Pokemon below. Waves rolled gently to the shore, pushing with it the remains of Frederick’s ship. Past the shore stood a towering wall of trees, intertwining with each other with vines and various other plants.

A misshapen brown cloth shifted slightly, washed by the rolling saltwater of the sea. It fluttered in the wind, revealing the Zoroark underneath, breathing haggardly. He awoke slowly, blinking rapidly to rid his eyes of salt and sand.

Afterward, he stood up, groaning as his muscles protested with soreness. He looked behind him, seeing the distinct trail of scrap wood leading to the distant wall of Mist, towering high in the sky. The trail split at some point between the island he lay on and the Mist Wall, the driftwood accumulating at another point.

Sion’s mind began to clear, and he had a stunning revelation: “I survived!” He looked around him, seeing if anyone else had made it with him. On the beach, nothing but wood and sail lay, with not even a berry to eat, or a Pokemon to meet.

Holding his head, Sion began to panic. He was on an island all by himself, with no food, no water, and no shelter, and especially no way of getting back to mainland Equivos. He needed to help Cosma ascend the mountains, but how was he to do that without her?

He fingered the cloak around his neck, seeing that it was no worse for wear after the attack by the Ultra Beast, Celesteela. What else had survived, Sion wondered? Or for that matter, who else survived?

He forced himself to his feet, studying the flood of the remains of Frederick’s ship, all making their way with the waves to the shore. He figured that Ren, Cosma and the others would be somewhere else along the coast, and that they were either unconscious as he was or worse, dead.

He looked around, hoping to find other items to help him, but had no such luck; everything was useless for survival, as it was just wood, sail, and assorted pieces of paper wadded up and ruined by water. So, he began to walk steadily across the sand, the island seeming like a continent as he did.

Sion found little else than what was found where he woke up along the rest of the coast. He hoped to find even a single morsel of food to satisfy his hunger, but he had no such luck; everything was most likely at sea.

He looked to the jungle that towered to his left, thinking that there’d surely be food there. But he decided against going inside, knowing that there would be wild Pokemon who wouldn’t think twice about attacking him.

He heard a moan to his left, and he swiftly turned toward its direction, wondering what it was. He saw a large square of sail, draped over a long, bumpy object. The center rose and fell slightly, almost as if it was breathing.

Sion cautiously approached it, pulling back the sail carefully. He gasped, seeing Ren unconscious underneath, breathing steadily. Just as Sion was, Ren didn’t appear worse for wear after the storm, his fur caked with sand and salt as it was.

The Zoroark brushed back his scruffy fur, wondering what to do. He didn’t know how much longer Ren would sleep for, or how long he should stay. Wild Pokemon could come at any moment, and it wouldn’t do to stay to meet them. He couldn’t just leave Ren by himself however; what if something got to him while he was still unconscious?

“Kill…him…”

Sion looked around wildly, trying to figure out where the voice came from. It held a malevolent and ghastly tone, as if its life depended on spreading its one message.

“He…mistreats you…end his existence…be free from harm…” it cried out hoarsely. Red veins began to spread along Sion’s cloak, and Sion languidly looked to the ground, eyeing a broken timber with sharpened shards of wood.

“He deserves it…why not…” Sion said with half-closed eyes, the veins of the cloak pulsing. He slowly picked up the timber, lifting it above Ren’s chest, the point aiming straight down.

Sion’s eyes came fully open, and he hurriedly gazed at the timber, then at Ren. He let the timber hang at his side, exclaiming as he did, “What am I doing! I’m not a killer!” The cloak pulsed again, forcing him to lift the timber once more.

“Be free…my descendant…” it said. Sion closed his eyes, and his grip on the timber began to slacken.

“Hello! Is anyone here? Gaiden? Sion? Anybody?” a tiny voice cried in the distance. Sion opened his eyes once more, giving a cry of surprise as he saw the timber up in the air once more.

He threw it away, breathing heavily and looking down at his claws. “What was going on with me?” He asked himself, the red veins of the cloak fading.

Ren snorted, blinking rapidly. He sat up, rubbing the salt away from his eyes as he exclaimed, “Where am I? What’s going on?” He looked up, and upon seeing Ren, he jumped back and said, “When did you get here!”

Sion, shaking his head, replied, “I was…I was going to ask you the same thing.” He tried to drive away the strange voice from his mind, desperately wishing that it was a one-time instance.

Ren groaned, forcing himself to stand. He wiped his back free of sand, and proceeding to the rest of his body, he added, “Whatever. That nasty Ultra Beast nearly killed us, but at least we made it here.” He rubbed the back of his head, mumbling, “But it had to be with you…”

“Hello! Can anyone hear me?” The distant voice cried again, a dark blob appearing on the far side of the shore.

Sion and Ren turned to the source, the former exclaiming, “Cosma! She’s here!” He began to dash toward her, Ren following his pace.

“I only just woke up! Can’t we just walk there?” Ren complained. Sion ignored him, too glad to know that another Pokemon survived the wretched attack.

The Cosmog drifted along the beach, not even a speck of sand on her body. She looked aimlessly to the sand, the trees, and the water, wishing only to find another soul to be with.

She glumly looked to the east, surprise overcoming her as she saw Sion and Ren rushing toward her. She squealed with glee and did the same towards them, crying out, “I knew there was someone else!” She rammed into Sion, nuzzling against his fur. Sion, caught by surprise, could only hold his arms in the air as she did so.

Ren sighed, rubbing his back, stopping behind Sion. “Great, we found each other. Now what?” Sion blinked, unsure of what to say.

Cosma pulled away from Sion and looked out to the sea, hoping to see something of use. She soon shook her head, saying, “I can’t tell what island we’re on right now; all of them have forests of some sort, and we’d have to travel along the coast for a while to find any of the others.” A loud grumble came from her, and she sheepishly smiled. “Also, we probably won’t find anything to eat along the way.”

Sion pointed over to the jungle and replied, “There’s sure to be something in there, but whether or not it’s safe is the—"

“See ya!”

Sion and Cosma turned around to see Ren charging into the jungle as he exclaimed, “I’m getting food for myself, no one else!” Cosma hovered forward, her arms drooping.

“There’s all sorts of bad Pokemon in there, especially since the UBs have been around! We have to follow him!” Before Sion could protest, she charged into the jungle herself, leaving Sion behind on the beach.

He looked back to the coast, seeing the diverging path of trash in the middle of the ocean. He shook his head, saying to himself, “Hopefully the others are alright…” He went into the woods, beginning his first adventure on the Forgotten Isles.

~~~~

Ekon opened his eyes wearily, feeling sore all over, and very cold. He looked around, seeing himself hanging over a plank of wood, bobbing hundreds of feet from shore. He could feel himself drifting along a current, moving away from a second trail of wasted ship pieces to his left.

He looked around, hoping to see another familiar face. He saw a series of large planks, hastily tied together, with no one aboard.

Ekon kicked weakly toward it, his legs weakened from lack of use. Still he pushed on, knowing that if he stayed on the board, he may very well drown. He drew near the raft, and lifted an arm toward it, sinking into the water slightly. He gripped onto the side and pulled himself up with a moan, forcing his other arm to go on top soon after. He finally brought his legs up to the raft, and lay sprawled on the deck, breathing heavily.

“Water…I need…water…” He panted, breathing slowly.

“Oh, you’ll find plenty o’ that around here, that’s fer sure. Just what sort o’ water are ye lookin’ for?” A beefy blue arm appeared on the raft, and the grinning mug of a Feraligatr just above it, his hat perched on top of his head.

Ekon scrambled upright in disbelief. “Frederick? You’re alive!” He exclaimed. Frederick nodded, splashing on board and scratching his chest.

“Well yeah, o’ course I am! You think a little blast o’ flame could kill the Feral Captain Frederick?” He laughed heartily, shaking water from his leg. “I took the liberty of taking what scraps of my ship I could and making this little craft, but it won’t hold long; my special glue doesn’t hold well under weight.”

A webby black hand stretched from under the water, the figure attached to it swimming desperately toward the raft. Ekon looked over to it and almost sighed with relief, watching as a shiny Greninja rolled onto the deck, coughing wetly.

Frederick chortled to himself, saying, “Ah, the frog lives! But why’re you coughing up water? I thought ye could breathe under there.”

Gaiden shook his head, spitting out more water. “The only frog Pokemon that can breathe under there are Poliwag and Tympole; my species can only hold their breath for a long time.” He wheezed.



Frederick snorted, waving off his comment. “Eh, makes no difference to me. Still, you’re alive, just like this sopping wet Noivern friend of ours!” Frederick exclaimed.

Gaiden looked over to Ekon, looking almost relieved. He stood up, saying to the Noivern, “I was underwater when I woke up, and I had to swim toward this raft for nearly ten minutes. You should be glad that the current brought you close.”

Ekon nodded, standing up shakily. “I was weaker than a newborn Noibat! I could hardly get up here, so don’t think I had an easier time than you.” Ekon exclaimed.

Frederick came between them with a couple berries in his claws, instantly closing their argument. He picked one up and threw into his mouth, saying, “I found these little beauties just bobbing in the water. We’ll need them to get over to that little island over there before this little ship goes kaput.” Ekon nabbed the Chesto berry, and Gaiden the Oran. Ekon ate his greedily, letting juice spill over his lips, while Gaiden ate his in small but quick bites.

After they finished, Frederick handed them two makeshift oars, made with two sticks and a wider bit of plank, glued together with his special mixture. “We better get paddling; I can feel the glue loosening up already.” He warned. Gaiden and Ekon each took one, and with the current, they paddled their way to the first island of Tapu.

Frederick dived into the water and began pushing the raft from behind, his gigantic arms straining under the weight. “You should count yerselves lucky that I had enough glue left in my can to fix this beauty up.” He sniffed slightly, looking back to the main wreck. “Especially after what that cursed Ultra Beast did to my darling of a ship.” He shook his head, saying, “Anyways, I find it amusing that not one of us was burned by that Celesteela-or-whatever’s flames. Don’t you?” Ekon looked down at himself, seeing that Frederick’s statement was true; outside of being coated with salt, he wasn’t any worse for wear.

Gaiden replied, “Are you implying that something helped us? Like a Legend?”

Frederick shook his head, spitting out a loose tooth.“Nah, not what I’m saying at all; Legends hardly help us mortal folk. No, I’m saying that the brute who got my ship probably just made that explode rather than have us go up in flames; if it weren’t for that miracle and several others, we might not have made it.”

Ekon breathed in sharply, remembering something important. “Did anyone see Sion, Ren or Cosma? They should’ve been around here, just like us!”

Gaiden looked to the water, scanning the waves. “…If they survived, we must have gotten separated. I see a separate current over there, thanks to all the wreckage from the ship. Maybe they’re over there?” he suggested.

Frederick eyed a plank that floated behind them, bringing with it a strip of worn-out glue. “No time to talk about that now; we’re still hundreds of feet from shore, and I’m afraid this hunk of junk won’t make the trip.” Another plank fell off, leaving those below it to sag into the water. Gaiden and Ekon quickened their pace, leaving a trail of broken ship parts in their wake.

Minutes later, Ekon’s foot broke through the floor, the icy sting of the ocean water momentarily stunning him. He soon pulled his foot back out, silently cursing the damaging effects of the water. He looked ahead, seeing that they were now not too far from shore.

A huge chunk of the glued wood came off, drifting backward as they surged forward. Ekon growled, throwing down his paddle and raising his arms. “I’ll fly the rest of the way myself before I end up getting soaked!” he called, thrusting into the air, shrieking, the planks below crumbling into the water.

Gaiden dropped his own paddle and dove into the water, carving through the water just as Frederick’s ship did in its prime. The raft finally dissolved into leftover planks, leaving Frederick with a single length in his claws.

Frederick stared at the plank, then threw behind him, cracking his knuckles. “Let’s make this a race, shall we?” He muttered. He zoomed ahead, neck-to-neck with Gaiden, Ekon flying directly overhead. They crossed the remaining stretch of water in a matter of minutes, reaching the pearly sands of this Forgotten Isle.

Ekon landed and thrust his feet into the ground, sighing with contentment. “Ah…warm sand. Nothing else like it.”

Frederick spun out of the water and dove into a pile next to Ekon, coating himself with it. He poked his head out, spitting out stray grains. “Yeah, well little good it does us. We’re stranded here, and we’ve lost the Pokemon you two came here to protect!”

Gaiden strode onto the beach, kneeling in between Frederick and Ekon. “We’ll find them, I’m sure of that. This island isn’t all that large, and we could just follow the current to find out where they landed.”

Frederick looked at the jungle behind them, groaning. “That wood’s too scrawny to make a proper ship. Even if we do find those three, how’re we going to get off this place! I don’t want to be stranded here the rest of my life!” He shuddered, wiping sand off his snout. “Especially without a decent bite to eat. I’ll never touch one of those Wishiwashi again…”

Ekon squawked uncontrollably, saying after, “Look, we can talk about this stuff all we want, but I have the feeling that Ren won’t stay put.” He stared hardly at the jungle, adding, “He thinks sort of like me. He doesn’t care about what dangers there may be in a new place, he’ll just go there to get what he wants.” He growled. “But this place will surely have Pokemon we’ve never seen before! We don’t know what they’re capable of. We have to go in that jungle to find them. They’d be looking for something to eat, and that’s the best place to find it.”

Frederick crawled out of the sand and wiped his scales, nodding. “Yeah yeah yeah, I get the point. I’ll stick with you two until we get off this place; not like I can sail anywhere else.” He looked down in the sand and grinned, reaching into it. “Why hello, what have we here?” He pulled out a gritty tube, and pulled either side, revealing it to be his telescope. Frederick hugged it and cried, “Ah, the last remnant of me ship that’s actually worth something.” He turned to Ekon and said, “If you say that they’ll be in that jungle, that’s where we go. Come on!” He scrambled toward the trees, Ekon following after he jumped into the air. Gaiden stood up, looking toward the horizon, and the wall of mist that hovered above it.

He turned away, progressing toward the disappearing forms of Frederick and Ekon. “That wreck extends past the Mist Wall, and it’s very possible that Lucario Guild found out about it. Our funerals are probably being held, and there is nothing we can do to tell them that we are safe. We are the Forgotten Explorers of the Tapu Islands, and by Arceus, I will find a way back home.” He squinted his eyes.

“After our duty is complete.”

End of Act 1: The Rivals’ Journey

I thank you all for reading this far, and I encourage you all to read the next act of PMDFI, The Forgotten Explorers! I do have some bad news to share, however: due to my schedule, I will not be updating next week. This is because I need to plan for Act 2 and Act 3 of the story, which will ensure I can keep up with this rather active schedule compared to other stories around Bulbagarden. It will also give me time to make backup chapters for when I am not able to post in the future. So, please be patient as I plan, and once again, thank you for reading!

 

[lucarioknight56]

Alright, I'm posting to let you know that I am beginning work on PMDFI again, and also that I've shortened the story to 63 Chapters instead of 84. I have other ideas for stories too, and I can't have PMDFI take up all my time from now tile March. So, come Wednesday we'll have the first chapter of Act 2! Stay attentive!

 

[lucarioknight56]

Chapter 21: A Divine Investigation
Beginning of Act 2: The Forgotten Explorers

Excerpt of Page 130: Contributors

Pokemon responsible for editing this work include the original author, Laryon Lucario, who wrote all the original sections and set the framework for this Guide; Erik Zoroark, for basic revisions of original text; Samuel Chatot for past-tense revisions of the late Laryon Lucario; Ulrin Lucario for standardizing this Guide for the Expedition School; and the Legend Matheus Lucario for bringing the map of Equivos into existence.

Matheus’ Notes:

Thank you for bothering to read my quibbles in this story I’ve taken the liberty to recording. I hope you like my style; at least I don’t add any comments to that, right?

----------

Matheus Lucario set his pen down on the desk, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. “About time I got finished with that.” His room in the Tree of Life glowed with the lights of Deitae, rising from the floor and illuminating his haven from the world.

Hoopa plopped on top of his head, rubbing his side. “I’ll say! Now I can have a chance to shine!”

Matheus shook free of the lazing Hoopa, sending him flying into the wall. He then stood up and set his paws to his hips, saying, “Oh no you won’t, you buffoon. I saw your little attempt the last time I made my notes, and I don’t appreciate it!” He looked up for a moment then added, “Plus, this is my story. Get one of your own if you want to make your quips so badly.”

Hoopa pushed himself off the ground, brushing himself off. “Well you don’t have to get so touchy about it!” he muttered, his hoops jangling. A low-pitched whistle blew through the room, sending the lights away through the ceiling. Matheus and Hoopa looked to each other, then to the small doorway behind them, a set of steps within descending.

“Arceus,” they said simultaneously. They scrambled to be the first to the stairs, ending with both of them in the doorway, wedged inside. Hoopa threw a hoop down, then set another on the ground for him to hop into. Matheus snapped it up and threw it over his head, causing him to disappear into the ring, leaving Hoopa to fall to the floor and then roll down the stairs, making an eep with every step.

Hoopa finally rolled across the smooth wooden floor of the central tree, shaking a fist into the air when he stopped. “No fair! That’s my shtick!”

Matheus walked over as he picked himself up, rubbing his sore limbs. “Call it payback for trying to take mine.”

Hoopa flew upward and held up his fists, bobbing and weaving to the left and right. “You ready for a fight boy? You may have got me last time, but not now!” Matheus went into a similar stance, raising a paw into the air for a punch.

“Enough.”

They both stopped their play and turned their attention to the towering Myth, Arceus, who glowered down on his two resident troublemakers.

The silver Lucario rubbed the back of his head and said, “Sorry for that. We’ll try not to do it again.” Arceus continued to stare at them, focusing on the Trickster himself.

Hoopa shrunk back, holding is hands out in front of him defensively. “Okay, I’m sorry! You don’t have to look at me like that!”

Arceus turned his head, looking at them from the side. “So you say. I didn’t call for you just to explain basic manners in a sacred place such as this.” He stamped his foot, causing the crystal within the center to show a dark tunnel scattered with crystals of white light. Tendrils of dark mist emanated around them, spheres of violet light descending from the ceiling and seeping into the ground. The tunnel extended into a large cavern, where hundreds of white crystals littered the ceiling, bringing some semblance of light into this dark environment.

Matheus stepped forward, feeling sick at the sight. Below the crystals were seven thrones made of the dark stone that made up the cavern, each with a distinctly alien being sitting within, all staring at a pool of light created by the crystals above.

“The Ultra Beasts…” Matheus said. From his limited visuals thanks to the Orb of Transcendence, he was able to temporarily enter this strange realm, if only with Arceus’ power seeping into the Tree of Life. It was an arduous journey for his spirit, for the Ultra Beasts’ dimension was never intended for the Pokemon of Equivos, sapping away his very souls the longer he stayed.

The one called Kartana flitted from his throne and zipped across the pool, furiously shouting, “Why is that thing alive! You said that Cosmog would be dead!”

Celesteela growled, the flames within her cannons flaring up. “You do not reprimand me Kartana. None of you do. We are all working for the same goal, and we have agreed to not test each other’s faults.”

Kartana floated in front of her face, waving his arms and legs in front of her. “What good has that done us until now? If it weren’t for that shadow in the mists, we’d all be off on our own, enjoying what Ultra Space has given us so far. But no, we had to listen to that messenger from this wretched place!” He cried. Celesteela aimed a cannon at the being, and the other Ultra Beasts lifted themselves from their seats.

Buzzwole forced the cannon down, glaring at Celesteela. “There is no need for violence in this place! You know how unstable the crystals are so close together! Do you really want to kill us all?” The ivory crystals above thrummed with energy, as if they were expecting some sort of calamity to happen. The occasional spark drifted from them, dissipating into one of the tendrils of dark mist.

Celesteela hesitantly lowered her cannon as Kartana drifted back to his chair, his cross-like eyes showing no change in emotion. “That fool should be grateful that that messenger even told us about Equivos. When we combine the two worlds, we can live in total happiness, with the beauty of our world combined with theirs!”

Pheromosa took a stand in the center, holding her arms out. “Especially considering we are the last of a once-great race of Ultra Beasts. On that world, we may finally be able to expand our kind, using those ‘Pokemon’ as vessels.” She lowered her arms and shook her head, pointing at the bouncing ball of gases that traversed through a thick jungle. “But as long as that Cosmog lives, we are constantly at the risk of extinction. Celesteela did what she could, and it seems that the so-called ‘Legends’ of their world are taking steps to ensure that we cannot claim victory.”

Guzzlord snapped his jaws and stomped the ground. “Enough of this talk! We tire of hearing what we should do, and instead we must act! When will Ultra Space be ready to open the wormhole?” He demanded.

Xurkitree sent his tail toward a nearby crystal, and glowing with a myriad of lights, he calculated the answer. “Calculating…*zap* I estimate that in roughly three weeks, we can initiate a lengthened presence on Equivos, lasting several hours. In that time, it may be possible to permanently connect Ultra Space and Equivos. If we begin any sooner than that, we will not be able to remain on Equivos’ surface for more than an hour, therefore negating that possibility.” He fizzed once more, adding, “This is assuming, of course, that we feed our own energies into the crystals, and close contact with the other world. If we do that, we may make a smaller wormhole that will last a brief time, which will allow us to scout the area for our main invasion.” All considered his statement, knowing that Xurkitree was hardly wrong when it came to his knowledge of the crystals, he himself being partly made of them.

Pheromosa turned to Xurkitree and said, “Deactivate the visual. We’ll scout for the Cosmog and her companions before the pre-invasion. We cannot fail if we expect to live on!” The wiry Ultra Beast nodded, blinking with an array of lights as the crystals dimmed. The vision disintegrated, the one way to see into Ultra Space turned off.

Hoopa and Matheus stood openmouthed with disbelief, turning to Arceus. The Creator seemed to sigh, turning away, advancing toward the crystal.

“I know little of the Ultra Beasts’ dimension, Ultra Space. It is a dark and half-dead world, a result of their wars with each other over the limited resources that still exist. From my investigations, each of them came together unwillingly at the hand of a messenger that promised them a world of plenty, one that they could all share with surplus unimaginable, allowing them to once again bring their numbers to their former height.” Arceus explained.

Hoopa held up one of his hoops and exclaimed, “Can’t we try to take them on? All the Legends and Myths together, with you, can easily beat them back!”

Arceus shook his head sadly, turning his gaze to the open sky beyond the crystal. “The only point of entry is beyond the Wall of Mist, where the Ultra Beasts make a thin opening to view Equivos. The Mist is a fickle thing, letting only select individuals pass. It was created for a different purpose, but now is not the time to discuss such matters.” He stamped his foot, showing a stark, storming island, one that both Hoopa and Matheus knew well.

“Mewtwo has powerful psychic abilities, allowing him to have influence I usually do not have. He could prove invaluable in getting past the mist, and assisting the Forgotten Explorers. I want you to go to the Isle of Regret and recruit him. Without his help, I doubt you’ll be able to go beyond the mist.”

Matheus rubbed his chin, looking down for a moment. “But Mewtwo hates all visitors. What makes you think he’ll let us come?”

Arceus stamped once more, bringing the vision to the top of the mountain, where a hairline sliver could be seen cutting through it.

“Mewtwo is not an unreasonable Pokemon…most of the time. I am positive he will understand given the circumstances.” Crestfallen, he looked at himself. “I would go myself, but I must maintain the Tree of Life, especially with Xerneas in hibernation. While you are on the Isle of Regret, I will take the liberty of recording the journey of who will be known as the Forgotten Explorers.” He stamped once more, a rush of wind blowing behind Hoopa’s and Matheus’ back. “Now go!” The Myth and Legend saluted, rushing down the stairwell that acted as the exit to the Tree of Life.

Arceus shook his head, almost chuckling to himself, and proceeded to his crystal. He stamped his foot, bringing to pass three things: A vision of Sion pushing through the vines of a jungle, struggling as he did; the movement of Matheus’ book and pens from his room to the platform next to the crystal; a flurry of leaves came around Arceus, forming a cushion, where the towering Myth finally rested on his knees.

He sighed contentedly, enjoying the first rest he has had for years. A wispy tendril appeared from his arc, picking up one of Matheus’ pencils. Another tendril appeared, pulling open the book, revealing Matheus’ last scrawling page.

Arceus hummed as he began writing the events of Sion’s present, glad to have some purpose outside of watching the memories of the world.

~~~~

The day was bright in Deitae, the clearing in the Luminescent Woods that held the Tree of Life continuing to glow with the ever-present lights. No birds sung, yet the air was filled with a soft wind, carrying a warm feeling to those present.

Hoopa danced in the air, hugging himself tight. “Oh, what a joy it will be, finally going abroad with my best friend in the world, the mighty Matheus Lucario! What sights we’ll see, what treats we’ll enjoy, what pranks we’ll—“

Matheus batted him away with a well-placed paw, growling. “No, no, and no! We are going to a desolate mountain with an insane mastermind, we don’t need to eat, so we won’t on our way there, and no one but Alakazam Guild lives on this continent, so don’t expect to be pulling anything around here.” He flinched, eyeing Hoopa with his mitts around his tail. “Especially my tail.”

Hoopa harrumphed, crossing his arms. “Well, excuse me for having a bit of justice in life. Shall we walk to the Mount of Rebirth? It’d be nice to get some more chat between ourselves.”

Matheus laughed, stretching his legs. “After 300 years of dealing with your chatter, I think I’ve had enough. Plus, us Lucario can run day and night without rest, so there’s no walking to be had! Unless you’re going to pull out your hoops and be willing to take us there the short way, then we’re going to be running the entire way.” He thought about his statement, then added, “Of course, you’ll just be floating behind me the entire way. You don’t have any legs to speak of.”

Hoopa got close to Matheus’ face and shouted, “I do too have legs! They’re just…invisible!” He looked down momentarily to increase the effect.

Matheus grinned, setting his paws on his hips. “Alright then, kick me! If they’re there, then you should have no issue in giving me a black eye with your ‘feet’.” Hoopa’s face fell as he thought of a solution for his problem. He gave a mischievous smile, then pulled his hoops from his horns. He had one hover in front of Matheus’ face, and the other he threw underneath the Lucario, just below his foot. The hoop glowed, and Matheus’ paw promptly fell into it, propelling through the other hoop and into his own face, sending him to the ground with a paw hanging in the air.

Hoopa giggled uproariously, falling to the ground and pounding it excessively. “Ahahaha--that’s too good—hahaha—your own foot---haha—in your face—hahahaha!”

Matheus groaned, picking himself up, a paw across his eye. He hurriedly removed the paw and jabbed it at Hoopa, revealing the swelling that began to appear. “You sneaky, no good, mud-eating—“

“Don’t make me come out there, fools.” a booming voice echoed from the Tree that stood behind them. Matheus growled, punting Hoopa into the air, watching as he began to float, rubbing his side.

“Can’t I have any fun anymore?” He cried.

Matheus shook his head, stretching once more. “After this long, no. Why can’t you find someone else to torture with your demands? I’ve had to put up with it ever since I became a Legend.”

Hoopa willed his hoops to return, tossing them into the air nonchalantly afterward. “All the other Legends are to snobby and uptight. Have you ever tried playing with Zekrom?” He puffed out his chest and held his arms out, drooping is eyes. “’I represent the ideals of this world, and I do not have time to waste with a prankster.’” Hoopa sighed, rubbing his shoulder. “Really, the only reason I’m a Myth at all is thanks to my bottle, and there’s no way I’m becoming Unbound for a little respect.” He sighed, falling to the soft grass, watching as lights popped from beneath, floating toward the heavens.

Matheus cringed, knowing exactly what Hoopa meant. In his time challenging the Legends and Myths in his mortal years, he had grown to know each of their personalities, and outside of a select few, all were too caught up in their noble mission to protect Equivos and bring their special qualities to the mortal Pokemon, making them unbearable to talk to for extended periods of time. The only ones who were not like this and actually made an abode were Mewtwo, Hoopa, and Arceus; the others tended to drift across Equivos, only returning to their homes in Deitae once in a while.

The Lucario set a paw across Hoopa’s back, rubbing it. “I understand what you mean. Look at me; I became a Legend for making a few Pokemon in charge of something. I never had any special powers to speak of, yet here I am!” He cried.

Hoopa chuckled slightly, rubbing a hand across his eye. “Yeah, we’re both in the same boat. We’re the most fun Legend and Myth, and we’ve got to stick together, right?” Hoopa asked.

Matheus nodded, standing up. “Right-o, even if I can’t bear it sometimes.”

*Editing Note: This chapter, along with 22 and 24, became significantly shorter after editing.*

 

[lucarioknight56]

Chapter 22: First Encounter

Sion slashed at the net of vines in front of him, desperate to keep up. “Wait for us Ren! We shouldn’t get separated!” The coastal jungle surrounded him at every turn, the spindly, intertwining trees forming a virtual maze, letting only slivers of sunlight through.

Cosma wove through the trees, looking fearfully around her. In hushed tones she exclaimed, “Please be quiet! There are lots of unfriendly Pokemon around here; I can just feel it!” She gasped, seeing shadow in the darkness beyond. She hurried to keep up with Sion, wanting to stay protected in her hazardous home.

The rogue Lucario pushed ahead, looking for something to eat. He looked upward, spying a bundle of bright red fruit, hanging off a vine. The calls of various birds and beasts could be heard in the distance, all clamoring for one thing or another, whether it be food, territory, or love.

He grinned, grabbing hold of a nearby tree. “About time I find something to eat…” he said, climbing upward. Below, Sion and Cosma panted, the Lucario’s superior stamina wearing them out.

Cosma looked up, squinting despite the lack of light. “Those look like…Razz berries!” A grumble echoed from her, the Cosmog looking sadly at herself. “Mm…I’d love to have some right now…”

A dark shape flew above the berries, gradually descending. It fluttered down, revealing itself to be a small black and white bird, with blue eyes and a red crest on its head. It cheeped looking down at Ren as he climbed up, grabbing hold of loose vines.

Cosma smiled, saying, “Look, a Pikipek! It’s been weeks since I saw one of those little guys!”

Ren looked down, grunting in exertion. “It’s not planning on eating those berries, is it?” Ren asked, staring at the woodpecker. The Pikipek promptly jabbed at one of the Razzberries, juice flying as it swallowed.

Ren growled, now only inches away from the berries. “Ooh, you better not eat anymore! I’m warning you!” The Pikipek ate another, and staring down at Ren, warbled angrily, pointing its beak at him.

Ren seethed, reaching for it. “That’s it, you’re getting it…just as soon as I get those berries!” He shifted his reach to the bundle hanging from the vine, reaching desperately for sustenance. The Pikipek squawked, opening its beak slightly, firing a tiny green seed at Ren’s paw.

He hastily took it back, crying out. Shaking it, he said, “Hey, I need something to eat too!”

Sion brushed away a stray leaf, calling out to Ren, “Just leave it Ren! That bird can shoot out seeds, rather hard if you couldn’t tell!”

Ren cursed silently to himself, reaching out toward the Razzes once more. “I’m getting those berries one way or another, even if I have to strangle—whoa-whoaah!” He lost his grip, falling to the undergrowth below, the Pikipek’s seed bouncing off the supporting paw. The Lucario landed with a thud, moaning loudly.

Sion looked down at him, shaking his head sadly. “Maybe you should’ve tried a calmer approach?”

Ren growled in protest, pushing himself up and jabbing a paw toward the feasting Pikipek. “Hey, those’re mine! Stop eating them, or you’re gonna get it!” Ren exclaimed. The Pikipek warbled in what sounded like laughter, shooting a series of seeds at Ren. They clattered against his head, the recipient yelling in pain.

Cosma sighed, saying to herself, “We’re not going to get anything to eat if he keeps acting like this…” She hovered upward, coming face to face with the Pikipek, there being six Razz berries underneath it.

The Pikipek stared warily at her, looking down at the Razz berries protectively occasionally. Cosma cleared her throat and said, “Excuse me, can we have some of those berries please? We’re really hungry, and we’re really wanting to find somebody.” The Pikipek looked down at the berries again, and after a moment, bobbed its head in agreement. Cosma laughed, nodding her head. “Thank you!” She took the six berries in her arms, bringing them down with her. The Pikipek remained on its perch, chirping contentedly as it preened.

Sion’s stomach grumbled when he saw the berries up close, the red beadlets bursting with pinkish juice. “Can I have some?” He asked. Cosma nodded, hovering closer. Sion hungrily grabbed two, gobbling one and enjoying the slightly spicy flavor.

Ren reached out for the berries, only for his paw to grope around as Cosma hovered away. “You didn’t ask nicely like Sion did.”

“I was the one trying to get them first!”

“That doesn’t matter, I’m the one who got them!”

“Fine! Can I have one?”

“Hmm…let me think about it.”

“You didn’t have to think about it before!”

“Now I do!”

Sion came between them and exclaimed, “Enough! Let’s just get our berries eaten, and be on our way. We need to figure out what island we’re on, that way we can get to the Kommo-o tribe, right?” They both nodded, Ren reluctantly.

“I just want to get back home. There’s nothing around here except wild Pokemon. Where’s all the civilized?” Ren asked. A shadow whipped around in the background, causing the leaves to stir.

Cosma paled, holding two of the berries toward Ren. “Ever since the UBs came, a lot of the civilized have turned out to be little better than the wild Pokemon. I wouldn’t want to meet any more than we have to.” The rustling came once more, closer.

They hastily ate the rest of their berries afterward, trekking through the maze-like jungle once more, this time with Ren keeping close to Sion and Cosma, letting the Zoroark lead. The shadows of the jungle made seeing anything around them difficult, what light there was tricking their vision in thinking shapes were present but weren’t.

A low wind blew through the trees, sending a shiver down Sion’s spine. “Don’t you have the feeling that something’s watching us?” he said in low tones, watching a large blob move in the background.

Ren looked side-to-side warily, keeping his paws close. “I have to agree; there’s something out there. Think we can find it?” Cosma shrunk between the two larger Pokemon, fearing what lay beyond.

The Zoroark looked back to Ren and said, “Can’t Lucario make light from aura? Why don’t you try that?”

Ren winced, looking down at his paws. “No…you must have heard that from somebody who didn’t know better. We can’t use aura like that.” Ren replied, shifting his gaze to the ground.

Sion looked back curiously and asked, “Then why is it that Matheus could in the Mount—“

“Just forget it!” Ren roared. The jungle fell silent, the breeze growing still. A low-pitched squeak could be heard, and alongside it, other squeaks, all approaching the travelers.

Cosma gasped, seeing red eyes shine from the darkness. “Rattata.” Black-furred rodents crawled from the shadows toward them, their ragged fur covered with various scars, their teeth bared, ready to attack.

The threesome stepped back, hearing more squeaking coming from behind them. More of these strange Rattata appeared from behind, gnashing their fangs.

Sion grimaced as he saw one appear with a clawed-out eye, more vocal than its companions. “These aren’t the Rattata I know from home. Ours are purple, and they tend to run away from Pokemon, rather than attack them like this.”

Faking a punch towards one, Ren replied, “I don’t think they’re here for a few seeds.” One with a missing tooth suddenly lunged towards Ren, receiving a punch to its chest. “Run!” he cried, punting away the hording Pokemon. Sion followed, with Cosma clinging on to his cloak, the Rattata swarming after them as they did.

Sion slashed at another flying Rattata, fear growing in his eyes as he saw the encroaching horde. “Why did you have to yell like that Ren!” he cried.

Ren punched at another Rattata, squelching several others as he did. “Just focus on getting out of this place!” He replied, ignoring the question. He suddenly tripped, a lone Rattata acting as a speed bump for the rushing Lucario. Sion tripped on the fallen comrade soon after, leaving Cosma to fall flat on Sion’s back.

Rattata began to surround them, with many scouring the trees for the vines wrapped around them. Several dropped from above, bringing the vines with them, and began to entangle the three in the fibrous plant. Sion tried to cut away the vines, but to no avail; more and more vines kept coming from the Rattata. Likewise, Ren was caught in their trap, becoming unseen in the network of vines that surrounded him, Sion and Cosma.

When all their movement ceased, the Rattata dug themselves underneath their targets, lifting them above the ground. They began to progress into the darkness of the jungle, leaving Sion to wonder what would happen to them.

Cosma began to cry, saying, “We’re gonna die…”

“Don’t talk like that. We’ll find a way out.” Sion replied.

“Not before they eat us…”

~~~~

“Blech, too many greens around ‘ere for my taste. Where’s some meat when ya need it!” Frederick cried. They pushed through the jungle just as Sion and the others did, wishing to find the other company, so that they may be assured of their survival.

Ekon slashed at a vine, wishing he could fly over the mess of wood instead of going through it. “Not everyone makes other Pokemon part of their diet you know. We’ve hardly been travelling for half an hour!” Gaiden remained silent, hopping between the branches, making only slight grunts to keep Ekon aware of his location.

“Ha! As if you care. I’ve had to live out at sea for longer than ye’ve flapped yer wings! If you don’t eat plentiful resources like that, yer bound to starve!” Frederick explained. He suddenly grinned, a malicious glint in his eyes. “Well well, would ya look at that. A little treat for ole Frederick.” He had spied a Pikipek from afar, sleeping peacefully on a high branch.

Ekon looked up, shaking his head. “Climbing in a jungle is different from climbing a mast. There’s no way you’ll—“ He was cut off by Gaiden, who clamped a hand over his mouth, pointing upward. Ekon looked, and saw a large bird-like shape, circling over the tiny black bird.

Frederick was leaping between trees, drawing closer to the protected Pikipek. Ekon scowled, knowing well what was to come if Frederick continued with his plans. “Come back you fool! There’s something watching it!” the Noivern called.

Frederick shook his head, baring his teeth. “You don’t think I saw the big momma bird? That’s exactly who I want! Now, come here little birdie…” he cooed. His claws hovered over the Pikipek, and the bird awoke, screeching in fear of its assailant. The dark shape above circled tighter, then began to dive, soaring downward.

Frederick picked his teeth, waiting for the diving Pokemon. “That’s right, that’s right, come to Frederick.”

Gaiden could only shake his head, while Ekon slapped his forehead. “This is not going to end well…” He sighed. The bird landed gracefully over the Pikipek, revealing itself to have an enormously long beak, in varying shades of red and orange. It had black feathers along its back, its chest pure white, and its tail had a red tuft in the shape of a fuse. Its blue eyes stared coldly at Frederick, who continued to grin like a fool.

“Ooh, you’re going to make a fine treat,” he commented, flashing his claws. A brown blur of fur behind them squeaked, dashing into the trees.

“Toucannon, Toucannon!” it squealed. Gaiden looked curiously where it stood, wondering what it meant.

The bird squawked loudly, its beak beginning to glow red. Frederick flinched, holding back his claws. “Hold it…did that little voice say Tou-cannon?” The Toucannon opened its beak wide, firing a torrent of fiery seeds at Frederick.

The Feraligatr hastily dropped to the ground below, running deeper into the jungle. “Run for yer lives if you want to keep ‘em!” Gaiden and Ekon rushed after the fleeing Feraligatr, the furious calls of the Toucannon growing closer as they did.

Another torrent of seeds came from behind, grazing Ekon’s arm. He yelled in pain, clamping a claw over his arm. “How in the world does a bird like that heat up its beak!” he cried. Gaiden looked back and sprayed Ekon with a jet of water, cooling his burn, while also drenching him in the process.

Ekon glared at him in both thankfulness and annoyance.

“You’re welcome.” Gaiden remarked.

Another barrage of seeds came as the Toucannon came into view, dodging the low-hanging branches with utmost skill.

Frederick huffed, looking back. “We got to lose this stinkin’ bird or we’re toasted!” He ducked, the seeds grazing his crest. Patting the top of his head and growling, he looked to his left, seeing dark shapes retreating into the inner darkness of the jungle.

He veered towards them, calling out, “Come this way, I’ve got a plan!” He reached into his mouth, pulling out his telescope, stretching his jaw afterwards. “Shame I’ve got to use you like this, but I got to distract the bird somehow.” Gaiden and Ekon appeared, along with the Toucannon behind them.

The Feraligatr lifted the spyglass into the air, aiming it the bird. “Y’all duck!” he ordered. The Noivern and Greninja did so, diving to the ground just as the Toucannon fired its seeds once more.

Diving down himself, Frederick cursed, watching the Toucannon swerve past him and turn around, calling out fearfully. Perplexed, Frederick stood up, looking into the darker part of the jungle, where more dark shapes flooded within.

Gaiden drew closer, inspecting the shapes. “Those look like…Rattata?”

Frederick pshawed, shoving him away. “No chance; Rattata are cute and purple, those little things and dark and ugly.” He scratched his chin, adding, “Other than that, they are rather similar…” One of the Rattata stood up and glared at them, allowing its red eyes to be seen through the darkness. It screeched momentarily, then proceeded with the rest of its companions into the jungle.

Ekon shivered, rubbing his injured arm. “Those don’t look right, even if they are a different variety. They’re almost…evil.”

Gaiden turned to him and replied, “Remember what Cosma said: The wild Pokemon have been affected by the presence of the Ultra Beasts, becoming far more vicious that ordinary. We should proceed with caution, because while that Toucannon may have attacked us out of defense, those Rattata are probably not as defensive.”

Frederick pushed into the dark of the jungle, slashing away at more vines. “Well I’m going to follow ‘em. If I know Rattata like I think I do, which I do, then they’ve found food. And if there’s food good for a Rattata, then there’s food good for me!”

Ekon and Gaiden looked at each other, wondering whether or not Frederick had lost his mind yet. “Since when does he know how a Rattata acts?” Ekon asked.

“Got to be one to know one I guess. He certainly eats like one, outside of his liking of meat.” Gaiden replied. “We should follow him anyways; all we’ve gotten today was a berry, and he is right; Rattata wouldn’t rush off like that without a good reason, which is usually food.” He began to push through the vines, following Frederick’s rampant path, and Ekon followed soon after.

 

[lucarioknight56]

Chapter 23: Close Call


“Well, isn’t this nice. We’re strung up in a tree, waiting for whoever these Rattata are waiting for. What’s next, an Ultra Beast will come from the sky?” Ren seethed. He, Sion and Cosma were tied around separate trees, surrounding a large firepit in a clearing of the jungle. Rattata crowded them everywhere, from the sprawling undergrowth, to the branches above, all staring at a massive chair made from discarded branches. It was completely dark save for the fire, the canopy above too dense for sunlight to push through. At the head of the encampment was an enormous tree, long dead and uprooted, being supported by a network of vines, leaning just above the throne.

Sion struggled to reach for the vine around his chest, his arms pinned against his sides. “We wouldn’t have gotten in this mess if you hadn’t yelled like that Ren!” Cosma hung by her arms sadly, gloomily looking to the ground, while Ren was busily chewing at his bindings.

Spitting bits of vine from his mouth, Ren replied, “Well, you’re the one who asked the question!”

“I’m not the one who reacted!” Sion shouted. The chittering of the Rattata suddenly stopped, a foul hush coming over them. From the shadows, an enormous figure emerged, stomping up the root toward the throne. It came into the firelight, revealing it to be a massive black Raticate, rotund with fat, complete with chubby cheeks. It was as ratty as his fellow Rattata, but somehow held a regal air about it, as if it knew it was the leader of the world.

The Raticate fell into the throne, the wood creaking under its weight. It pointed at Cosma, chittering rapidly, sounding as if it was talking to the Rattata. One of the Rattata, one heavily scarred and larger than the rest, came up, replying in another series of squeaks. The Raticate screeched, pounding the throne, causing the Rattata around it to skitter back in terror. Afterward, the conversation continued, this time with the Raticate pointing Sion and Ren.

Sion looked to Cosma and said, “Do you have any idea what they’re saying?”

She nodded. “I’ve lived around wild Pokemon for a while, so I can understand them, if only a little. These guys are more similar to a tribe rather than a pack; that Raticate’s their chief, and he’s wanting to know why they brought me, since I don’t look any good to eat.”

Sion stared wide-eyed at Cosma. “Eat? You don’t mean…”

“Yes, they’re planning on having you two for a feast, over that fire they have. They won’t eat me though; they say I have too much gas, not enough meat,” she replied. “It’ll take them a while to figure out how to best prepare you, since the Raticate would like to eat everything, but that lead Rattata there wants to get food for him and the other Rattata, so they’ll have to wait for that to resolve.”

Ren spat out more vine, straining to push free of the vines. “Isn’t there something we can do? We can’t just let them have us!”

Cosma at first appeared as glum as ever, then suddenly brightened up, beaming even. “I have an idea,” she said, before fading in a flash of light. Sion and Ren stood dumbfounded at the Cosmog’s act, unaware that she could do something like that.

A Rattata with an ear missing looked back, noticing the light. It squeaked in astonishment at the empty ropes in between his two captives, coming closer to investigate.

Cosma appeared behind Sion’s tree, restraining her laughter. She floated out, coming in between the two trees. “Looking for me?” She said to the Rattata. The savage whirled around, baring its teeth with a low growl. Cosma promptly floated back behind Sion’s tree, giggling as she did so. The Rattata followed, leaving the other Rattata to listen to the proceedings between their chief and his deputy.

The Rattata slashed at the Cosmog, not wishing to bite into a ball of gases that it could smell was true. Cosma swung back and forth, avoiding the Rattata’s attacks with ease. She finally came in front of Sion’s vines, sticking her tongue out at the Rattata. “Nah-nah, you can’t get me!” she said in a taunting tone. The Rattata squealed in fury, gnashing his teeth. They began to glow white, and the Rattata lunged forward, its Super Fang sharpening the already deadly teeth.

Cosma teleported away, leaving only a white visage for the Rattata to strike. The Super Fang sliced the vines keeping Sion bound, the Rattata’s teeth digging into the bark of the tree.

While the Rattata struggled to get itself free of its trap, Sion allowed the vines to fall loose, feeling only the thump of the Rattata as a signal of his release. He quickly became invisible, the other Rattata taking no notice of their escapee.

Ren looked around, expecting Sion to come help him. Sure enough, a purple mist slashed at the vines, letting Ren go free. His liberator came close and said, “You wouldn’t go trying to beat up these guys, right?”

Ren punched his paws together, pushing him aside. “Oh, you don’t know me then. I’m going to make them pay for capturing us like that.”

Sion took hold of his shoulder, restraining the pugilistic Lucario. “If you want to get killed by thousands of meat-eating Rattata, be my guest. Me and Cosma will just sneak by and live to tell the tale.” The Zoroark replied.

Ren, clenching his teeth, set down his paws, turning away from their former captors. “…Fine, have it your way. They’re probably not much of a challenge anyways,” he replied reluctantly. They walked away stealthily, until the enormous Raticate atop the throne let out a throaty squeal, pointing at them voraciously. The Rattata turned their gaze to Sion and Ren, glaring furiously.

Cosma reappeared in a shine of light, saying to her companion, “Come on, let’s get—“ She stopped, seeing their new audience. “Uh…this is a little awkward,” she said, teleporting again.

The Rattata hissed at the two remaining Pokémon, approaching them slowly. Sion and Ren stepped back gradually, the former holding up his claws, and the latter his fists.

“Alright, now you can attack them,” Sion noted. A Rattata with an overgrown tooth hissed, clamping his teeth together.

Ren grimaced, shaking his head. “I think I’ll agree with you that we probably shouldn’t. There’s way too many of them.” The Rattata began to climb down from the trees and surround the Zoroark and Lucario, all of them wishing to try this foreign delicacy.

Suddenly, a shaft of light broke from the canopy where Sion and Ren stood, causing all the Rattata to pause. Several shapes jumped from above all yelling the same thing: “Yungoos, attack!” Long, brown-and-gold-furred Pokémon with sharp teeth and deep black claws came down from the canopy, landing on the undergrowth with a quiet thud. They surrounded Sion and Ren and growled viciously at the Rattata, who began to step back protectively.

More shafts of light broke through the trees above, causing the Raticate chief to stamp his foot angrily, jabbering constantly at the Rattata. As more of the Yungoos came down from the canopy, the Raticate became so active on his throne that the bottom finally gave way, trapping the enormous Raticate in a mess of branches, squeaking in rage.

The Rattata finally gained courage and began to strike at the Yungoos, the darkened clearing now bright with light. Brown and black fur flew as they fought, both sides sustaining losses.

Ren kicked away a Rattata, watching as he flown into a line of three others. They all bowled into a nearby tree, unconsciously groaning. Ren punched a fist into the air, kicking away another Rattata. “Finally, I can hit something!” he yelled.

A Rattata flew in between two trees, pinched between the two trunks. Sion laughed to himself, pushing away the horde of Rattata. “The tables have turned, goons!” He roared. He looked around him, seeing the Yungoos tribe beginning to falter, the Rattata teaming up and beating on the Pokémon individually, all being driven to action by the stuck Raticate chief, situated directly underneath the dead tree.

Sion smirked, a new idea in his mind. He rushed through the Rattata, occasionally stepping on their heads, making his way to the chief. Ren looked over, surprised by the fact that Sion was headed toward the heart of the horde. “What are you, crazy! Get back here!” Ren ordered, Sion promptly ignoring. Seeing the lack of obedience, Ren began fighting his way toward him, the Rattata leaping towards him as they leapt to protect their chief.

Sion felt a surge of power unlike what he felt before. Ordinarily he would’ve shrunk into the shadows, leaving others to fight for him. Those thoughts left him as the cloak pulsed with red veins, compelling him to act against those that wanted to kill him!

The Raticate squeaked fiercely, continuing its struggle to escape its deflated seat of power. Sion thrust ahead, his cloak billowing behind him as he did. He leapt onto the vines around the Raticate, climbing up to the trunk that hung overhead.

Ren looked up, picking up a Rattata and chucking it, bamboozled by his companion’s actions. “What in the world?” Sion drew away his claws and slash at one of the supporting vines, causing the trunk to shift slightly. He hopped to another, doing the same, causing it to sink more.

The Raticate saw what was happening, invigorating its efforts to escape. The trunk continued to fall, soon with only three supporting vines. Sion finally cut one more, and the trunk creaked, snapping through the final supports, falling toward the chief. One final screech echoed through the jungle, and then a massive crash!

The air grew quiet, discarded leaves falling through the air. The Rattata stared in astonishment at the log, and the unexpected death of their leader. The Yungoos stared as well, at the sudden attack on the fallen chief.

Sion swung down from the hanging vines, landing on the trunk and holding out his claws. “Run away if you want to live, savages!” the Rattata immediately ran off, following the deputy of the now-dead Raticate chief.

Ren ran up to Sion, who lowered his claws and drooped his head. The Lucario clapped him over the back, laughing. “Alright, I have to admit, what you did there was epic!” He pumped his fist, watching the straggling Rattata catch up with the rest of the gang.

A flash of light appeared in front of them, Cosma coming from the shine. She floated over Sion and Ren, exclaiming, “We managed to beat those guys after all! Yay!”

Sion nodded in agreement. “If it weren’t for the Yungoos, we probably wouldn’t have killed the chief so easily. He would’ve sat in his throne without getting stuck!” Ren sniggered at the last moments of the unlucky Raticate, as he watched him struggle to escape from his self-made prison.

“He must’ve eaten a Snorlax to get that big!” Ren cried.

Sion laughed in return, leaving Cosma to ponder. “What’s a Snorlax?” she asked.

Ren sighed, rolling his eyes. “I’ll tell you later.” He replied, the Yungoos drawing closer. Their numbers significantly thinned, the swarming tactics of the Rattata bringing many down. Still, a good few remained, evident by the many that now surrounded the fallen trunk.

One Yungoos wearing a red vine over his brow clambered up, standing up with the towering foreigners. He bowed, saying reverently, “You have caused our enemy to flee this day, without the chieftain of their tribe, saving my fellow Yungoos from an early death. Thank you, by the Tapu thank you!” He threw his paws into the air and whooped, the other Yungoos following suit. Sion awkwardly waved his paw, while Ren held up his own confidently, relishing the appreciation for his heroics.

The lead Yungoos came to Cosma, who came low to the ground. “You are familiar to me. Our elder, Great Reeda, has spoken of a being of the stars, and how she’d come to save our island from certain doom,” he remarked.

Cosma beamed, twirling around. “That’s exactly what Chief Kernus said to me when he found me! He’s the chief of the Kommo-o, on Bulu Island! Do you know where he is?” The young Yungoos crossed his arms, deep in thought.

He set his arms down, shaking his head. “No, they are not familiar to me; you are on the island of the great Tapu Lele, not Tapu Bulu. If you wish to find your tribe, you must go to the coast, and find the island to the west of the two great peaks.”

Cosma turned to Sion and Ren, saying, “He means Mount Sol and Mount Lune! We know what island we’re on now!”

Ren rubbed his chin thinking. “Well, that’s good and all, but we’re on the wrong island? How’ll we get there? We certainly can’t swim across, since there’s got to be something that’ll want to make us a snack.”

The Yungoos quieted him, clambering onto the Lucario’s shoulder. “Don’t think about such things now. You are friends to the Yungoos tribe, and my father will surely want to meet you! My name is Asta, and I invite you to stay with our tribe for the night; it is very dangerous at night in the jungle, for the distant Shadow Ruins awake, and drive away all the ghosts within!” The other Yungoos shivered with fear, even more so as the blue sky faded into orange.

Sion, not eager to go into what sounds like a Mystery Dungeon without knowing it, thought better of it. “We’ll follow you then. We came from far away, and we don’t know your island as well as you do.” Asta cheered, as did the other Yungoos, as they began to charge back into the jungle, toward their home.

Ren watched as Asta scuttled down his body, grinning. “It’ll be nice to go somewhere where there’s some nice Pokémon. Still, I want to get back home as soon as possible, so let’s try not to take too long.” He ran toward Asta, leaving Sion and Cosma at the log.

Cosma rushed after him, saying, “Finally, somewhere good to be! Come on Sion!”

Sion nodded, beginning to walk toward his companions. “Maybe Ren isn’t so bad after all,” he thought, but he quickly dismissed it. “No, he’s just excited about beating the Rattata; he’s never been good to me, so why should he start now?” He groaned, scratching his shoulder. “What have I ever done to him?” Sion asked aloud, entering the darkened forest of vines and trees.

~~~~

“If I cut another flippin’ vine, I’m gonna tear down a tree!” Frederick roared, swiping away a vine. He, Ekon and Gaiden been wandering for what felt like hours, going through the endless maze of the jungle while following the cold trail of thousands of Rattata.

Ekon looked suspiciously at the orange sky above, not noticing the suspicious eyes in the growth. “We’d better find some shelter for the night; there’s no telling what strange Pokémon might come out and try to eat us.”

Frederick punched away a vine, giving a small chuckle. “Ha, not before I eat it first! I’ve been hoping to catch up with those Rattata and make a nice roast, sizzling in the fire with some a’ those Razz Berries I saw earlier.”

Ekon halted, staring crossly at Frederick. “Hold up: you’re saying that you found some food and never told us?” Ekon asked. Gaiden crossed his arms, glaring at the Feraligatr.

Several berries fell from the air, as if they had just been waiting for the right moment to fall. Frederick pointed at them, stone-faced. “Yep, there they are. I will say, I thought I saw them hanging on a vine some ways back but I guess this is good.” Gaiden picked one up, inspecting the plump Razz Berry.

Picking up one himself, Ekon smacked his lips, drawing it closer. “Oh, have I been waiting for this.” He opened his jaws wide.

Gaiden promptly shut his jaw, causing Ekon to bite his tongue and drop the berry, screeching in pain. He fumed at Gaiden, roaring, “What’s the deal! I find the first bit of food since we were on the beach, and you make it seem like it could kill me!” Gaiden shoved the berry he held into Ekon’s face, allowing him to study it. Purple sparkles could be seen dotting the surface, making it look tantalizing.

“Judging by the unusual color, I’d say that having it kill you would be accurate, or at least make you fall asleep. Some Pokémon was clever enough to shake spores over these, expecting us to eat them.” Gaiden tossed the berry behind him, looking to the side. “Smart tactics against wild Pokémon, not so much against us…not counting you, that is.”

Ekon stamped his foot in reply, restraining a growl. “And here I thought we were having a streak of friendliness! Why do you always—” He quieted down, noticing dark shapes shuffle in the trees.

Frederick grinned viciously, grinding his teeth. “Ooh, here we go. A nice meal for the feral, famished Frederick Feraligatr! Oh, how I love the letter ‘F’!” Rattata dropped down, chittering amongst themselves excitedly. One Rattata with various scars across it's body pointed at them, squealing elatedly. More Rattata swarmed in from above and around, completely encapsulating them.

Frederick growled, gnashing his teeth. “Now, all of ya can sit tight; there’s enough room in this belly for all a ya, just gotta take turns, that’s all.”

Ekon sighed, lowering his head. “Enough about food Frederick. We have bigger issues, like us being food.” Ekon noted. He poked a claw at a cross-eyed Rattata, pulling it back when it snapped. “They certainly aren’t friendly.”

Gaiden spread his arms apart, spreading his knees apart for combat. “Since when is a Pokémon at night, surrounding us like a pack of Houndour, ever friendly?” He slapped away a Rattata that lunged for his throat, the battle beginning with shurikens flying, fur soaring, and claws ripping, in the approaching sunset over Lele Island.

 

[lucarioknight56]

Chapter 24: Solace at Sunset

The sun faded from view at the canopy of Lele Island’s jungle, the yellow glow finally receding. High in the treetops, wooden platforms surrounded the tallest branches, making a campsite in the sky for the Gumshoos Tribe. Huts were scattered across them, making a permanent home for these Pokemon.

Sion, Ren and Cosma all sat around a banquet of various berries and meat, with Asta and two Gumshoos, both highly decorated. The others eagerly took both berries and flesh, while the foreigners took berries exclusively.

The chief Gumshoos grunted, taking a bite of meat. He wore a crown of feathers in his golden head fur, and wore a robe of various furs over his back, covering the various streaks of paint that lined his body. Through this, various scars could be seen, symbols of a warlike life. Next to him was a frailer. grayer Gumshoos, similar in decorative styles, but wearing a myriad of necklaces around his neck.

Asta swallowed, nodding graciously. “Good food made by Mama, yes?”

Ren poked at a bird leg, restraining a grimace. “Um…what exactly did you cook here?” He asked.

Asta took the leg, tearing off a hunk voraciously. “Trumbeak, the older Pikipek. We don’t like going after the little birds because they’ll grow bigger, and the Toucannon are too difficult to kill, and their meat isn’t as juicy. Trumbeak don’t have their parents guarding them either, so they’re easier to catch,” he explained. He handed what looked to be a wing to Sion, saying, “Try some, please! It is very good, and helps keep you strong; its more filling than berries.” He lowered his tone and added, “Also, father wouldn’t be pleased if you said no; it would be an insult to him and Mama.”

Sion took the wing, not wanting to suffer the wrath of the Gumshoos chief. The golden-brown skin made it look tantalizing, and it was dripping with juice, as Asta had said.

He hesitantly took a bite, somewhat revolted by the thought of eating another Pokemon. Thoughts of Frederick’s ways made him almost gag, but he remembered that Laryon and Matheus ate meat on a regular basis, on the basis that all civilized Pokemon were once wild, and relied on berries and each other for sustenance.

He chewed, the spicy flavor of the Razz Berries, meshing well with the sweet Trumbeak. He took another bite, nodding his head and saying, “Mm, very good. We don’t really eat meat where I’m from, but I think it’d be worth a try to do it more often.” He motioned to Ren and Cosma, pointing at the platter of Trumbeak. “Go on, it’s delicious!” He exclaimed. Cosma only shook her head, pursing her lips, while Ren took a leg and bit into it, making satisfying moans. He continued to grind the rest of the meat off, moving on to another leg, setting the bone aside.

Asta grinned wide, showing off his sharp teeth. “It is good to see that you like our cooking! Isn’t that right father?” The chief Gumshoos grunted, taking a wing, popping it in his mouth, chewing for a bit, then spitting out the bone.

As they ate, the Chief said, “I, Arsa, thank you for eliminating the Raticate chief. He has caused us grief for many years, ordering his Rattata to attack us and take our food at night. We live mostly in the day, resting at night…unlike them, who attack at all hours.” He turned to the frailer Gumshoos, who mashed berries with a mortar and pestle, slurping up the pulp. “Reeda, our elder, foretold such an event, being gifted with future sight by our benevolent Tapu Lele.” He scratched the planks below him, closing his eyes. “Regrettably, he also saw the Rattata choosing a new chief, but it will be years before he dares attack us once more, believing that we now have a guardian spirit in the guise of a black terror in a cloak.” The Gumshoos tribe all turned their eyes on Sion, who was busy on a thigh. He looked about, noticing the other eyes, and promptly took the thigh away from his mouth.

“I didn’t know they see me like that. I didn’t know that my cloak was so distinctive.” He answered.

Reeda pointed a claw at him, shaking with age. In a reedy voice he proclaimed, “I see a darkness surround that cloak, young one. You would do well to burn it in high flames, and never wear it again.”

Sion fingered the cloak around his neck, feeling fearful about what he said.

“He is a senile old Gumshoos…do not listen to him…” A hoarse voice snarled in Sion’s mind. The Zoroark made a respectful face, taking is claws away from the cloak.

“It was a gift from my mother; I wouldn’t take it off for anything…especially since I don’t know if I’ll see her again…” he lamented, the cloak feeling heavier. Arsa grunted, turning to Reeda, who looked at his chief and shook his head.

Asta came next to Sion and hugged him, looking up at the large Pokemon. “I wouldn’t toss away anything from my mother either, Sion,” he consoled.

Arsa growled, motioning for Asta to return to his seat, who did so reluctantly. The chief groaned, taking a berry from the center. “What brought you to Lele Island, travelers, and where did you come from? Koko perhaps? Or Fini?” he demanded, hostility in his tone. “I don’t know how much I can trust you, considering that I have never seen any of your kind before.” Ren, not liking the tone of the half-height chief, clenched the bone in his paw, snapping it.

Sion cut in, before worse could happen. “We came from beyond the Mist Wall,” he blurted. Silence overtook them, Reeda shaking more so, his pestle clattering against the floor. Sion stammered, “We came here to bring Cosma up the mountains of Fini Island, to get rid of the monsters that have been making the wild Pokemon more aggressive, and causing disruptions in the Mystery Dungeons. We came here with three others, but we don’t really know what happened to them; we hope to find them eventually though.”

The Gumshoos chief considered this, stroking his chin. “You are from beyond the mist you say? There lie more lands past it?”

Sion nodded. “Yes, but we crashed on our way here, thanks to an attack made by the Ultra Beasts.”

Arsa pounded his fist, seething. “Ultra Beasts! Those fiends have made the wild Pokemon that exist here go mad, attacking us whenever they can instead of when they are in danger. If you are here to eliminate them, then stay here and rest, until you can finally rid our home of them!”

Sion, Cosma and Ren all grinned, heartily enjoying their gracious meal.

~~~~

A skinned Rattata roasted on a stick over a fire, Razz berry juice being squeezed over it gradually by Frederick Feraligatr. Dusk turned into night, a heap of deceased Rattata piled behind Ekon and Gaiden, waiting to be roasted by the chief chef.

Frederick cackled satisfyingly, rotating the stick over the gentle flames in the middle of the jungle. “Ah, now this is the life, roasting a little rodent over an open flame, after a good day of killing dozens of the blighters. Almost brings a tear to my eye really.”

Ekon slouched on a rock, moaning, while Gaiden took a meditative position. “Yeah, easy for you to say, you monster! I swear I saw you eat some of them whole! I’m amazed you even have an appetite!” He held his stomach, rumbling. “Still, roast Rattata does sound nice right now…”

Frederick chuckled, licking his claw free of juice. “Ah, you can never go back once you’ve had a bite of my Spicy Rattata Roast! I remember the first bite o’ meat I had, all the way on Clyptus Island in the ole Archipelago of Cretea. I was famished, near starvation in fact, and then I saw a lone Tauros, sitting in the middle of the grass. I couldn’t help myself, being so hungry, so I sprinted after it, sunk my fangs into its neck, and made a meal of the carcass, raw.” He scratched his tail, his merry spirit turning cold. “I was little better than a wild Pokemon that day, and some days out at sea, I really let myself go, doing unimaginable things to the Pokemon I caught. Can’t say I’m too proud of it either, to tell the truth,” he admitted. He lifted the Rattata from the fire and blew across it softly, the steam trailing into the sky.

Silence lingered for a moment, until Ekon asked, “What made you into who you are now? I’m sure you didn’t begin wandering Cretea for no reason.”

Frederick nibbled at the Rattata, glumly peeling the skin off another. “It’s not a pretty tale. You’re askin’ me to go into the days when me beautiful ship was known as the Guardian, when I had me backstabbin’ crew,” he hissed, snapping the neck off his prey. Ekon only gazed Frederick, ignoring the bloody scene beneath him.

The former captain sighed, stabbing the end of his stick into the Rattata and setting it over the flames. “I’ve always been odd, considering me birth. My pa told me that my ma was wild, only having slight bouts of civility in her time. That may explain my behavior, but it doesn’t excuse it, as he said once. I managed to get by a’course, going through the ranks of Rhyperior Guild, roughing the dangerous seas that surround Harmonia. I eventually landed myself an exploration vessel designed for exploring the Mystery Dungeons beneath the sea, along with fifteen crew members, making five different teams. I was the chief navigator and steersman, so I wasn’t paired with any of them. Something always told me that it was also because my wild nature made the Guildmaster nervous that I’d snap at my teammates, so he wanted me to be alone. Look how right he’d end up.

“For a couple months, all was swell. I did my job, they did theirs, occasionally making port to take requests and pick up supplies. Into our second year, however, things started to change between us. They saw me for what I really was: a dangerous beast, waiting to strike out at any second, with only a veil of sanity marking me different from the wild Pokemon.” He squeezed a Razz Berry over the Rattata, leaving the juice to drip down his claw. “They made that decision after seeing me in battle, using my claws and fangs more than the elemental abilities born into all a’ us. If there was one thing constant throughout my life, it is my love of tearing my claws into my enemies, making sure they couldn’t bother me again.

“One day, after a successful raid of a dungeon, all fifteen of ‘em said we should celebrate on a nearby island, next to the retched Isle o’ Regret. I warned them that Mewtwo lived there, waiting to prey on unlucky souls who dare to go there. They insisted, and I finally gave in, eager to try the juice they made from the berries we had found. Little did I know that Yuri, the Butterfree, drugged it with Sleep Powder, making me fall asleep amidst the festivities. I didn’t wake up till the next day, on a field of jagged rocks: the Isle of Regret.

“I saw Mewtwo sitting on a chair made from the rock, waiting for me to wake up. He told me that my friend abandoned me for dead, because I was a monster. I didn’t believe him at first, but he pointed at a distant ship, which looked like my own, sailing away from the Isle. I felt betrayed, hopeless, and most of all, hatred.

“Mewtwo encouraged me to pursue them, and I did, tearing through the waves faster than a Sharpedo just to catch them. When I finally did, they, in shock, tried to say that they forgot me, with the blasted Swampert at the helm. They lied; I could sense it in my teeth and claws. The monster they saw within me finally snapped, and they finally saw me for what I was.”

His claws shook as he looked down on them, the Rattata now starting to smoke. He pressed them against his face and heaved, ignoring all around him. After several moments, he uncovered his face, wiped his nose, and continued: “I buried them on the island they drugged me at, and sailed away, all by myself. Soon after that, Mewtwo came and congratulated me for showing more hatred on Pokemon than he ever could, and that he was glad that he let me live. I wish that he killed me instead.” He removed the Rattata, slightly charred, and handed it to Ekon. “You’ve heard my tale, so please, tell it to no one. I have a hard time getting business as it is, especially since Rhyperior Guild discharged me.” He halfheartedly tore through another Rattata, his usally-shining eyes dull with tears.

Ekon looked down at the Rattata in his claws looking at Frederick pitifully. “…Your story’s safe with us, friend. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be here, saving the world from who knows what. You may be crazy, but I’d never call you a monster.”

Frederick lifted his head gazing open-mouthed at Ekon. Gaiden looked over and nodded, giving a rare smile. The Feraligatr grinned wide, chuckling slightly. “And here I thought you hated being with me. Thank you.” He eagerly finished his next roast and took a bite from his first, his spirits heightened. “Now how ‘bout you try my cooking? I didn’t kill all those Rattata just to have ‘em rot.”

 

[canisaries]

Hi! I'm here to review the first two chapters of this story for the review game. (Sorry it took so long, had technical difficulties with the forum that made me lose a considerable amount of progress... rip) I have not read any of your other work before this, and it's been a while since I've played any PMD games, but I don't expect that to be too much of a problem. Well, without further ado, let's jump right in.

300 Years AU (After the Usurper)

In a distant region, Legends live. Equivos, a location where only Pokemon exist in the world, and where Mystery Dungeons exist. Deitae, domain of the legends; Harmonia and Serenita, lands of mortal Pokemon. And the Forgotten Isles, the long lost place where ancient deity lie. This tale--

"Bah, too boring!"

I'm glad when a story is off to a self-aware start. It grips ya more. Good call on that.

A pencil flew through the air, clattering to the wooden floor of a cone-shaped room. Upon further inspection, one could see that the room was within the bark of a massive tree. The room narrowed toward the ceiling, letting a shaft of sunlight from the boughs above. Leaves shining with all the colors of the rainbow hung high above, shifting with the breeze, tiny yellow lights darting and dancing in an everlasting swing. Within the room was a small oval desk, with a sizable stack of paper and a cup full of pencils on next to it, with a swirling purple orb in the corner.

This is a really nice, pretty and vivid description. I can't remember if there was a scene or location like this in the PMD games - gonna assume yes, but if not, then extra great job.

A black paw reached down for the pencil, lifting it into the air. The paw belonged to the arm of a Lucario, the silver fur where blue would ordinarily be. Despite this color shift, he looked quite young, his chest-fur golden and his legs and paws onyx. His eyes shown with curiosity and intrigue, inspecting the sharpened pencil.

While the prose for the description is good, it seems a bit excessive. The reader really doesn't need to know every marking detail about the character right away. I would be more lenient on this, though, if there was more logical incentive to hearing this description, like if a character was looking in a mirror.

He exclaimed, referring to the fact that he was a Myth, similar to a Legend in that they are immortal. The difference lies only in name.

I'm not perfectly sure why there is a distinction, in that case. Was that a thing in the PMD games?

Being a Myth’s tough you know, having to wait for someone to cross by before you can do anything with them.”

Feels a bit weird that the Myth would feel the need to explain this to a character who is later said to be a Legend, and it was just said that these two are synonyms. But I guess that's kind of just a nitpick.

Their thoughts became less-crowded, filling with clarity and vision. They felt a strange pulling sensation on their chests, beginning to feel lighter in body.

Description for the astral projectionification (probably not the right word) is pretty good, but could push a liiittle more to the concrete side. Words like "less-crowded" and "clarity" and "vision" are pretty vague and just kind of give a feel of "well, something magical sure is happening here" as they're hard to picture in your head. Instead, to give more tangibility to the abstract, you could use metaphors with concrete words, like "the stormy seas of their minds, seething with everyday worries and thought patterns, became still" as just an example, can't say if it would work here or not because I'm not sure what you imagine the feel to be like. Juxtaposition helps, too, which is also visible in that example - comparing what's before to what's after emphasizes the change. I get that this was just a small part of a huge fic, but maybe that's a trick you'll find useful anyway. I personally find it to spice up the prose quite nicely. But it might also be up to style, who knows.

Matheus took several deep breaths, amazed by the sudden change of events. “Beats sitting around all day I suppose…” After his turning to a Legend, he took to exploring Equivos, and for many years he went to brand new areas.

The transition to talking about Matheus' past is kinda out of the blue. I feel like it would have felt more natural if more of that explanation was via Matheus' thoughts and not narration. "Action -> One thought -> Lots of exposition" just seems like a really quick jump out of the current and into the past.

Also, I think the exposition should be in a different tense. I don't know the actual term for it, but with it the sentence would be: "After his turning to a Legend, he had taken to exploring Equivos, and for many years he had gone to brand new areas."

The reason I think this is because the story is already told through the normal past tense, meaning that if the tense doesn't change, there is no distinction between the present and the past other than the fact that it just wouldn't make sense if it was also currently happening.

He searched all of Deitae, the home of the Legends and Myths. [...] Serenita is also the home of the illustrious Lucario Guild, the only one that has jurisdiction across all three continents.

I will not lie, the text between those two lines is very, very heavy exposition. I get that worldbuilding is important, but I'd much rather find out all these things during the course of the story rather than have it all dumped on me right at the start. I'm very, very likely not to remember it just after one read, anyway. It does serve the purpose of letting the reader know that "hey, these things exist", but on the other hand, it's 5 paragraphs of nearly pure exposition. It could be a lot more balanced, or missing completely, if later on in the story these things come with time and sufficient forewarning.

A gale blew by, drifting to the south. He looked over, seeing one of the most defining features of the region: the Mist Wall. No Pokemon has crossed the Mist Wall since time immemorial, the rolling and spiraling cloud of fog that surrounds all sides, ending the supposedly endless ocean. No one knew what lay behind it, the mysteries within tempting to any explorer.

It kinda throws me off that no actual reason is given as to why no one has gone to investigate, or if they have, why they haven't succeeded.

Matheus grinned, rocketing toward the wall. He didn't know if one could actually cross it in his state, but might as well. Night was falling, dusk reaching its last legs, the Pokemon of Equivos settling for sleep. Hoopa floated behind, excited just as Matheus was, remaining as quiet as he could. They stopped in front of the mist, the peaceful yet foreboding clouds thick and opaque. Matheus and Hoopa looked at each other and nodded, floating cautiously into the giant Mist Wall, heading southward to what could be a new location.

...Especially if it can be entered and crossed in mere astral projection form? Or are astral projections somehow better than physical bodies? Why has no one else used astral projection to explore the outside world? I'm just kind of confused by this. If this is actually explained in the PMD canon, though, then that's my bad.

They drifted to the beach, seeing four grey and gold scaled reptiles, standing on two legs. One stood mightier than the rest, decorated with longer chains of scales, having a golden helm on his head. In the center of the four was a tiny puff of blue and purple clouds, with a black face and yellow ring around its body.

This is a great example of a situation where detailed character description is necessary and useful, and you've used it accordingly. The Hoopa and Lucario have never seen such creatures before, and they wouldn't now their names, so this is the alternative way of telling the reader what the creatures are.

one red with four arms,

four legs you mean haha u done goofed silly ok no more nitpicking from this point on i swear

The elegant white Pokemon stepped forward, her arm on her hip. She stood upright, her hair nearly touching the ground, her antennae drooping to her legs. She held herself confidently, staring coldly at the Dragons.

One thing you seem to be pretty good at is body language, which is great in character introduction as a means of establishing personality. Keep up the good work on that front.

A strange tugging sensation came upon the two spectators as they saw a blue mask surface from under the water, it splitting horizontally, revealing a black Pokemon similar to Tapu Bulu. Their vision faded, and their souls were drawn back into the Tree of Life, reawakening their immortal frames.

Hoopa hovered around Matheus, hyperventilating with excitement. "Can you believe it! A real adventure! The danger, the romance, the-" Matheus clamped a paw over his mouth, quickly halting the Trickster's spouting.

He removed his paw, staring into the Orb. "While that is certainly something to start with, I don't want to be like every other writer in the region, if there are any. I want something to educate Pokemon too, you know?" He pondered, grabbing hold of a pencil. He pulled open a drawer, revealing a tiny book, dusty with age. He picked it up, blowing away the dust.

This felt pretty strange to me... If I ever happened to penetrate an impenetrable wall and stumble across an entirely new location with completely alien creatures fighting, I'd be a lot angrier to be torn away from it, and I'd want to get the heck back right away. Especially if my own land had become boring to me after years and years of exploring it. But, I don't know. Maybe I just don't know Matheus enough.

"I'll also add some of my own comments, for personal tastes." He added.

Final grammar note (I swear it's not nitpicking, it's kind of important actually):

"I'll also add some of my own comments, for personal tastes," he added.

This, I believe, is the correct format in English. It also reads smoother, having less periods.

If you don't mind, I'd actually like to cut this review here and continue with the second part later, as this post is getting pretty lengthy and you seem to be eager to receive commentary anyway (don't blame you, comments are tragically scarce). I get that this might mean a double post on my part, but I didn't actually spot anything in the rules that said it was prohibited, so I think it should be fine. I'll pick up from where I left off soon, part 2 of the review should be up tomorrow unless something comes up.

 

[lucarioknight56]

Thanks for the review Canisaries, I really could use some. I'll look forward to the next part of it.

Anyways, I'm just letting everyone know that I won't be on again until Saturday thanks to a campout, but that shouldn't affect my posting schedule; I've made sure to have a chapter prepared in advance. I'll see you then!

Chapter 25: Of Queens and Trees

Asta waved to the leaving party of Pokemon, the rest of the Gumshoos tribe waving as well. Sion waved back to them, while Cosma and Ren progressed through the jungle, heading toward the rising sun, leaving the elevated homes behind.

Turning to his companions, Sion cocked his head, curious. “Why aren’t you saying good-bye? They gave us somewhere to sleep for the night!”

Cosma floated lackluster above Sion, waving her arms about. “Their tradition of eating Trumbeak sort of threw me off. I mean, I like all forms of life, no matter if we used to eat them.” She blinked, watching Pikipek flit through the canopy. “Besides, I don’t have any teeth; how am I supposed to chew it?”

Ren swatted at a leaf, saying, “It was all those little kids last night, that’s all. Those guys just crawled all over me, like I was a Pokemon jungle gym. Why does the chief allow that anyway?”

Sion shrugged. “Maybe he likes it? He does have a kid of his own.” He replied.

Ren sighed, shaking his head. “You seem to be able to find the good side to everything. How do you go through life like that, especially with what’s happened to us?”

“Because there’s always a good side.”

“What if there isn’t?”

“Then I’ll find one.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“It does in the right mind.”

“Well then, where’s the good side of getting shipwrecked so far from home?”

“We got to meet the Gumshoos didn’t we? And we got to try out Trumbeak, which I thought was better than I was expecting.”

“Alright, you have a point there. But how are we going to get home after we get Cosma up Mount Lune?”

“I haven’t gotten that far yet.”

“Well you better, because I still have a Guild to get back to.”

“I do too, remember?”

Ren stopped, coming in front of Sion. “Just because I’m being friendly now doesn’t mean I will be later. I have friends at Lucario Guild, and I still don’t want you to be around me.” He turned away, leaving Sion to gape. “I need you to be with me to help me get back, and that’s it. You can do some cool stuff, but I know there’s better Pokemon I can be with than you.” He pushed forward, leaving Cosma and Sion to behind.

Continuing, Cosma hovered furiously around Sion, leaving bits of dust in her wake. “Who does he think he is, saying things like that? He was so nice after you squashed that Rattata yesterday too!” Sion sighed, kicking at a lone rock.

“I used to think that too.”

Trudging through the thick Lele jungle continued for several hours, with not even the slightest mutter passing between Sion or Ren. Cosma several times tried to make amends between them, mainly trying to find Ren’s reasoning for making such a personal attack on his only other travelling companion, but she had no such luck. Ren remained silent on his reasons why he loathed Sion.

Soon the jungle began to thin, a sort of grassland coming into view. Many trees still stood in their way, but now the seemingly endless jungle was no longer so endless. The sun was high overhead, the afternoon feeling warm and humid.

Cosma trusted ahead, exclaiming, “Finally, we made it! We might be able to see the coast from there!” She began to go forward again, but stopped when she saw a bright pink fruit above her. “Ooh, a berry! And a big one too!” She rose up to reach it, while Sion and Ren waited below, feeling no pangs of hunger as she did.

Cosma reached the fruit, seeing that it was white on the bottom and pink at the top, with a bundle of green leaves on top of the pink. It was as big as the little Cosmog, the sweetness of the smell overcoming her expectations.

She floated over it, sighing graciously. “It's so sweet…I don’t think I’ve smelled anything so heavenly…” The fruit rotated, showing to yellow dots and a smiling mouth.

Cosma swerved back, astonished. “What are you!” The fruit only smiled, making small high-pitched squeals. A bundle of shapes sat overhead, watching it.

The sweet smell turning her astonishment to joy, Cosma drew near the fruit once more, patting it slightly. “You look like a Pokémon, don’t you? What’s your name?” The fruit stood up and began to bound along the branch, cheering as it went. Cosma floated after it, not wanting to be left behind by a new fried. “Hey, wait up! You haven’t told me anything yet!”

Sion began to follow her below, pushing through the now-diminished vines. “Hey, what’s going on up there? Are you alright?” Ren followed, though less enthusiastically.

Cosma looked down and replied, “That berry’s actually a Pokémon! I haven’t seen one like it before though, so let’s follow it!” Behind her, a trio of upright figures sped across the branches, rapidly approaching her and the unknown Pokémon.

Seeing the threat, Sion called out, “Cosma, look behind you!” She did so, and saw three pink-and-white Pokémon with determined looks, all sprinting toward her.

“Hands off the Bounsweet, weirdo!” one exclaimed. She bounced upward and landed in front of the little fruit-like Pokemon, causing both it and Cosma to stop.

She picked up the Bounsweet and sniffed haughtily. “We’re Steenee of the Tsareena Tribe, and we’re here to protect our sister!”

The other two bounced alongside her and pointed angrily at Cosma. “Yeah!”

Cosma shrunk back unsure of what to do. “I wasn’t trying to hurt her…”

The lead Steenee drew closer, eyeing Cosma warily. “Well how do we know that? I haven’t seen anyone like you before.”

“Yeah!” The other Steenee added.

The lead turned to them, irritated. “Enough with the ‘yeahs’, alright?” They were about to say it once more, but quickly decided against it.

She nodded swiftly, then turned back to Cosma, this time with an imposing Zoroark behind her. “And what seems to be the issue here? Cosma did nothing wrong.”

The lead Steenee stamped her foot, pointing at him. “She caused my sister, Borsha, to become afraid for her life by staring at her!”

Cosma sputtered in surprise, hovering in front of her insulter. “I have the same eyes as her! What’s the big deal!” she argued, glaring at her.

The Bounsweet made an unintelligible comment to her older sister, who nodded sagely. “Ah, now I understand. She was napping and you caught her by surprise. I suppose you don’t know that Bounsweet don’t know how to do anything else than smell sweet, bounce around and look happy, huh?”

“Yes! I’m from Bulu, not here! How was I supposed to know that there’s a Pokemon that looks exactly like a large berry!” Cosma fumed. The Steenee looked at each other, then went into a huddle, whispering to each other. Sion and Cosma tried to overhear, but the cheering face of Borsha made them think otherwise.

The Steenee turned back around, the lead saying, “We misjudged you and we’re sorry for it. I’m Barsi, and this is Bara and Binnie. We’re watching Borsha while Chieftess Balla is out driving away the Exeggutor from our lands.”

“Exeggutor? I’ll take care of those guys easy peasy! Just show me where they are!” Ren called out from below.

Barsi looked down and saw Ren, who lay waiting for Sion and Cosma to come down. “Where are you from? I know that the blob, Cosma, is from Bulu, but you and that blue guy down there?”

Sion scratched the back of head, smiling uneasily. “That’s a long story. What’s important to know right now is that we need to get to Bulu Island to talk with Cosma’s tribe, the Kommo-o. Would you know how to get there?”

The Steenee all whispered to each other again, turning back to them after a moment. This time Binnie spoke, saying, “No, but we know someone who might. Past the plains there’s a river, and that’ll take you near a cave. Near the cave there’s supposed to be a raft. Borsi, Bara and I went to look for new places to go in case the Exeggutor got too difficult to deal with, but it didn’t end up too well. Too much sand, not enough grass, you know?”

Sion beamed, still standing precariously over Ren. “Good, it doesn’t sound too far, right?”

Bara then added, “The grassland is larger than you think, and you won’t be able to get anywhere unless you get the Exeggutor back on their side. We live in the middle, while the Exeggutor live on the south side, and the Mudsdale stay in the north. The river’s around the north side, but the Exeggutor are too dangerous to simply go past them; you need to get them out of there.”

“Why exactly do the Exeggutor want to be on your part so badly?’ Sion inquired.

“Because there’s more room. There’s not too many of them, but those guys want a mile apiece! It’s like they want to make sure they can’t see each other.” Barsi rebuked, stamping her foot again. “Still, they have to go, one way or another.”

“Exeggutor are wimps! They’re practically sitting ducks when you catch ‘em in their blind spot!” Ren shouted. He attempted to climb the tree, sliding down soon after.

Barsi looked at him curiously, cocking her head. “Really? I didn’t know they had a blind spot.”

Ren nodded, scrambling up the trunk. “Yeah, behind their heads! We can take them down real easy! Besides, Sion’s a Dark Pokemon, he has an advantage!”

The three Steenee looked down at Ren, then turned to each other, whispering. Meanwhile, Cosma asked Sion, “I’m not sure we’re talking about the same Pokemon here. It could be the same sort of thing as the Rattata you know.”

Sion shrugged, waving it off. “How bad can they be? Even if they’re too difficult, I’m sure I can scare them off somehow. I spooked an entire Mystery Dungeon, remember?”

Cosma winced, shrinking back. “That’s not really something to be proud of…”

“As long as we can get to Bulu, who cares? Let’s just get this thing done!” Ren added, finally sitting on the branch behind the Steenee.

The three sisters turned back around, with Binnie stating, “Alright, we’ve decided. We’ll take you to where the rest of our tribe are, and you’ll take care of the Exeggutor. After that, we’ll tell you what to watch out for on your way to that cave. Sound good?”

The explorers agreed.

~~~~

Gaiden crouched, inspecting the undergrowth. After a good night’s rest, the veteran explorers continued their task of finding their lost charges, still confident that they were alive. They continued through the jungle, following the trail of the now-diminished Raticate Tribe, finding their demolished home, complete with fallen trunk and Pokemon tracks.

Frederick took a deep sniff, assessing what the creatures might be. “Hmm…smells like a sort similar to an old Zangoose I knew, but smaller, and on a diet of some sort of bird. There must’ve been dozens of the little things, but not near as many as the Rattata.” He took another sniff, perking up. “And from what I can tell, I can smell the distinct dusty flavor of little Cosma. She’d easily be crossed off the menu if the Rattata caught her, as I suspect.”

With a shriek, Ekon dove down from one of the many gaps in the canopy, skidding on the undergrowth as he landed. “It seems like there’s a colony a few miles ahead, up in the trees. I saw the other islands too; I think Cosma said that Fini Island was the one with the two mountains we needed to get to. Fini and the other islands aren’t as big as one of the continents, but they would easily take at least a few days to travel across on foot, and that’s assuming there’s no distractions.”

Frederick grimaced, kicking at the undergrowth. “Guess that means there won’t be much sea travel then. I’d like to be goin’ around like I was as free as a bird, but here on land?” He growled. He spat the ground, baring his teeth. “Little better than being a Doduo in that case.”

Ekon sighed, rubbing his temple. “Well yeah, Sion, Ren and Cosma will all be on land, considering that they can’t fly or swim like we can. What’s the point of going across the water?” Before the bickering could continue, Gaiden stood up, hushing them with his glance.

After they settled, he pointed toward a gap in the wood and noted, “All the tracks show that the attackers went through there; all the Rattata tracks went back the way we came. If we follow these other tracks, we should be able to find out where our lost Pokemon went.”

Ekon nodded agreeably, while Frederick chuckled, scratching his teeth. “Good to hear, good to hear. Now, tell me, where do you think they go?” The Feraligatr inquired. Gaiden didn’t reply, only going toward the aforementioned gap.

Frederick waved him off, turning back to Ekon. “Bah, quiet ones are always the most annoying. What is it with their ‘watch first, answer later’ nature?”

Ekon sighed, shaking his head. “I wonder the same thing.” He admitted. They continued to follow Gaiden, toward where this mysterious tribe had exited, presumably with their lost companions.

Two hours later…

Ekon looked up, seeing several platforms high in the air. “Looks like the tracks lead to those platforms I mentioned earlier. Now, what do these have to do with—“

“Eeyah! Intruders!” a tiny voice cried. Several lithe, brown-furred creatures dove from above, sliding down on vines.

Frederick sighed, stretching his limbs. “They just have to be civilized don’t they? I was hoping to try another exotic meal.”

Ekon growled irritably, flapping his wings. “Enough with the food, Frederick, because we should be more concerned about what those strange Pokemon will do, alright?” Ekon asserted. Frederick muttered to himself about the manners of his peers.

The Pokemon landed in front of the three, baring their teeth and crouching low on the ground, their fur raising on end. “Go away, before the Yungoos attack!” one warned.

Gaiden came forward, crouching a few feet away. “We mean no harm to you. We’re just looking for three Pokemon we believe to have traveled with you. One was blue, another black, and another purple. Do any of them mean anything to you?” Gaiden implored.

The Yungoos settled, looking at each other uneasily. One said, “Does he mean the one who defeated the Raticate Chief?”

“They did say they traveled with others…”

“Maybe these intruders are them!”

The lead Yungoos with a red band stood up, bowing respectfully. “Please excuse our earlier behavior. If you were wild Pokemon, you would have spared no time to attack us. Your three companions, were they named Sion, Ren, and Cosma?”

Ekon shouted in excitement, punching his fist in the air. “Finally, we’ve got solid proof that they’re alive! Yes, they’re who we’re looking for! Can you tell us where they went?”

The Yungoos pointed toward a distant light, where a clearing could be seen. “Past the jungle is a vast grassland, where another tribe makes their home. Your friends traveled there, in hopes of finding the best way toward Bulu Island. You are on the island we call Lele, where our guardian, Tapu Lele, watches over us,” he replied.

Frederick took a deep sniff, smacking his lips. “You wouldn’t happen to be bird-eaters, would you? You see, I’m a sort of connoisseur of meat, and I’d like to…*ahem*…sample what these islands have to offer.”

The lead Yungoos grinned, as did the other Yungoos. “You are not like the others, I see. They didn’t take an immediate liking to our roast Trumbeak, but I sense that you would, given the chance. Sadly, we haven’t gone hunting, so we have no Trumbeak ready,” he explained regrettably.

Frederick moaned, snapping his claws. “Drat! I wanted a taste. Ah well, off we go to find that arrogant sap of a Lucario, Ren. I wonder if he’s changed at all, being stranded on this here island with ole Sion?” he wondered.

Ekon shrugged, shooing away a curious Yungoos. “Can’t say he would, knowing him. He’s a lot like me, except when it comes to respect of other Pokemon. By the by, how was he when you saw him?” Ekon asked.

Several of the Yungoos began to giggle, with the leader trying his best not to. “The babies really liked being with him, even if he didn’t. He’s a strange individual; at times he likes Sion, and at others he loathes him,” he noted.

Ekon clapped a claw over Gaiden’s back, receiving a cold stare in return. “Ha, that must be what’s going in your head too, am I right? Ow! Hey!” Ekon retracted his claw and rubbed his chest, where Gaiden briefly jabbed with his fingers.

Leaving him to sulk, Gaiden bowed to the Yungoos. “Thank you for telling us about them. We hope you do well in this time of danger, with the Ultra Beasts about.” The lead Yungoos bowed as well, and his companions began to clamber up the vines to their uplifted home.

He himself began to go up a vine, but stopped midway, referring to Gaiden. “My elder, Reeda, has said that six Pokemon from afar shall be vital to the health of our beloved island. I would take a guess that you, along with your other friends, are those six. May you bring peace to the Islands of Tapu.” He then rose upwards, leaving Gaiden, Frederick and Ekon to ponder what he meant as they progressed to Lele’s great plains.

 

[canisaries]

Alright, glad you liked it, and thanks for waiting. Let's get to Chapter 2 now.

In the beginning, there was only darkness. [...] All historians and explorers conclude that the Forgotten Isles are a myth, and nothing more.

While I like the worldbuilding and what you've got going for it here, it's again kind of an info dump. It also strikes me as odd that something as fundamental as this would be taught in what appears to be a while into the students' education already, especially since the characters already seem to know a good bunch of it. Just an "as you know" in there could have made this a bit more natural, in my opinion.

Several closets and cupboards sat against the walls, holding school supplies for Master Mienshao to use. The floor was marked with various remains of previously used moves, as the ceiling and walls did, through years of sparring sessions. Several training dummies were piled together, of varying sizes and shapes for practicing against different Pokemon. On the far wall, near where Mienshao stood, a chalkboard and Map hung, and just in front of it, Mienshao's desk, and in front of that were all the students...except one.

I like the functional approach to the description of the room. It makes it feel like a real place with real use.

“You should be glad I let you off the hook at times too, Ren. If your father wasn’t the Guildmaster I would mark you late every day.” Mienshao warned. Ren muttered to himself, glaring at Sion.

Mienshao marched back to his desk, sitting down. “We’ll continue our lesson, but I expect all of you to treat Sion better in the future. He has been a wonderful student despite your misgivings toward him…especially you Ren. I expect you to go talk with your father about this after class.” Ren shrugged, looking to Johnson confidently.

He whispered to his friend, “My dad doesn’t do anything when I talk with him. No groundings, no curfews, no nothing. This’ll be a piece of cake.” Class continued, the atmosphere less relaxed by Mienshao’s ever-attentive eye, now watching carefully to make sure that his law was followed. At the end of the day, the only Pokemon to be seen were Ren and Mienshao. Mienshao shook his finger at him, cross.

“I have talked to you about this too many times Ren. Just because Sion is related to the Usurper doesn’t mean he isn’t a good Pokemon.” Mienshao explained. Ren waved him off, walking toward the door, where the setting sun could be seen in the sky.

Mienshao feels pretty out of touch here. Pointing out a bullied student and specifically telling everyone not to bully him is just going to draw more attention to him. And it should be apparent by now that telling Ren to talk with his father isn't going to have any kind of effect, if it's been done several times before, as this suggests. Not sure why marking him late isn't an option either. I'd assume it's because his dad could get Mienshao fired, but Mienshao, who believes in some mythical lost isles despite what everyone says, seems more headstrong than that so far.

Also, I need to comment on Ren and Sion. Ren seems like a pretty cliche bully, to be honest, and I sort of get the feeling that the whole class being against Sion so visibly is pretty on the nose. More subtle discrimination would be better, like no one wanting to pair up with him or talk to him, but otherwise treating him normally. And then some small but meaningful aggressions. Outright bullying and openly jackass behavior in the middle of class is just kind of in-your-face. And I know Ren is supposed to be unlikable, but... geez

Lucario Guild, a lasting landmark in the landscape of Serenita.
[...] Lucario Guild, the pinnacle of the Equivos Region’s three remaining Guilds, is envied by all.

Hate to sound like a broken record, but again, this exposition comes kind of out of nowhere and says a lot of stuff the reader most likely isn't going to remember. The line before this (“Given the right chance, he could be great. I wonder when that chance will come…”) would have been way better the end the chapter on, as it even ends on a pondering note, beckoning the reader to find out what happens next. Instead, two paragraphs of pure description follow, stubbing the flow. If you'd like to make the description more natural, you'd build it around action (which is what you have done to some extent already), for example a character walking through this place and looking around. Maybe have some other people there interact with the environment, too, and describe that.

Alright, so, overall I'd say this was pretty okay. Personally I didn't really get hooked, but I'd put that on my own genre preferences instead of the story's quality. These first two chapters seem pretty exposition-heavy at times - I get that you probably want to establish stuff early on for the first-time readers and get it out of the way, but for future reference it'd probably be better to even it out over later chapters so that first-timers have an easier time of immersing themselves into the story.

The story does seem like it's gonna pick up after this, though, since interesting stuff's been set up already early on. Another plus (not sure if it's technically a plus, but it sure ain't a minus) is that the feel of this story seems like it matches that of the PMD games, or what I can remember from them, at least.

Anyway, that's really all I can think of to say based on these two chapters. Hope this review was helpful or insightful to at least some degree, and I hope the new Review League system encourages others to give feedback on this story too. Till next time!

 

[AceTrainer14]

Thanks to the awards, I finally had a chance to read this story in detail, and I see what we have here is a very solid story. All the right pieces are here: an intriguing plot that slowly builds up, an epic quest that takes us around the world, a strong community at the heart of this world, and two central characters that are unique and richly detailed to be perfect heroes. I enjoyed this story for the most part, and I look forward to reading more of it when I can.

However, there are a few things I’d like to note that I think could hugely improve the story. You are making some of the mistakes that I made as an early writer and I am still dealing with the repercussions of them six/seven years later.

Firstly, there are quite a few characters. A lot, really. It makes it tricky to remember how important each one is when there are simply so many and few of these background characters have much to make them stand out. They mostly just detract focus from Sion and Ren, or are there for expositional purposes, and it can slow things down when the focus turns on them.

In terms of Sion and Ren, they are both good characters and it shows that you’ve put thought and energy into them. However, I think they can be a bit trope-y occasionally, and I think they need some more uniqueness to them. For example, I am kind of baffled as to why Ren dislikes Sion. I understand there is a general feeling in the town, but Ren’s relatives are kind and understanding and it seems odd that their son/descendant would be so racist, for lack of a better term. (I will note here that, due to time constraints, I did not read every chapter eligible so I may have missed some pivotal moment).

I did see it coming that the two would end up on a quest together. I applaud you for finding logical reasons as to why it had to be them and why there is a quest in the first place. I think there could be some more urgency in the quest though, whether in terms of character motivations or the threat of the Ultra Beasts, just to make things feel a bit tenser. There is a lot of travelogue once the quest begins and island hopping, and a bit more reason as to why they are going to each location would help.

Settings, you do a good job. There is enough there to imagine the world, and in terms of the community setting, it does feel like a fully functional and operating town. Some more physical descriptions of the town would help, even small details such as picking out the colour of the grass or ground or sky, just to liven things up.

Spelling and grammar wise, there are two quick things that could make things more readable. Firstly, if a bit of dialogue ends like this ‘“blah blah blah.” Ren said’, there should be a comma instead of that first full stop. An easy mistake to make, but an even easier one to fix.

Secondly, something I was informed of relatively recently that I think would help you. When someone is speaking, any actions undertaken by another character should go to a separate line. There were a lot of instances here where someone would talk and then the person they were talking to would do something, and then it cut to the next line of dialogue where the roles are reversed. This came up a lot in the prologue with Theus and the Hoopa, and it could be a bit irritating I must say as it just read quite oddly.

This may seem like a very negative review, but I did enjoy the story and was impressed by the quality of your writing. I just think a few edits could make it the must-read it has the potential to be. I think the best thing you could do is focus things on Sion and Ren more and less on the surrounding cast. Their relationship is the main focus, and it should be what the story is about as much as the Ultra Beast threat. I think of Harry Potter, where the only times in the books we saw characters perspectives that weren’t Harry’s was when it was absolutely necessary to the plot, and it should be the same here. Fewer conversations, a bit less build up before the quest and adding some urgency would really help the story. You have the potential and so does the story, and I know you can do it! Any questions feel free to send them my way.

On a non-review note, I would offer one additional piece of advice. I think that adding more time between chapters would help get the story a bit more attention. Daily/weekly updates can be quite intense for some people, and it also can dissuade people from reviewing a bit as their notes likely won’t be taken into consideration if there are already five chapters waiting to go. It’s entirely up to you, but I think a fortnightly schedule at the least would give people more time to read things through. Just my take!

 

[lucarioknight56]

@AceTrainer14

Thank you for the review! I'm glad you came by, and from your review, there are just a few things I feel I need to note on. Some of the quips, like the focus on Sion and Ren's relationship, and the number of characters, are somewhat resolved in Act 2, I believe. Ren's reasoning for his behavior towards Sion hasn't been explained yet, but I assure you, it will make sense when it comes around.

Another thing is the number of updates. While I do understand it can be hard to keep up with the story, I'm on a bit of a time crunch. Within less than a year, I'll be taking a long break from the forums, two years to be exact. I want to finish PMDFI and the other two stories I have planned before that time, and the constant updates keep me motivated to write, though they may slow down when the school year starts again for me. I will say that I gladly accept reviews for any chapter, especially given the format. At some point, maybe when I'm working on my next set of chapter outlines, I'll update all the chapters with grammar fixes that have been noted in the reviews.

To say one final thing, I will work on using the two writing fixes you suggested, after this chapter. Thanks again!

Chapter 26: Cloak and Dragon

From the plains of Lele Island, far in the distance, the islands of Bulu, Koko and Fini could be seen. Koko and Bulu both had forests, with the former having nothing but that and an extended beach, and the latter having a large plateau, the sides littered with dozens of holes. Fini was a massive desert, with deep shoals in the water around it, and the twin peaks of Lune and Sol, taking the north and south sides of the island. Several miles of ocean stood between each of the islands, making it no easy task with the deep-dwelling Pokemon seen below.

Cosma sighed longingly, gazing at the distant Bulu Island, to the right of her view. “I wish I could see Chief Kernus and the others…” She sat on the edge of a sheer cliff, with Sion and Ren heading toward the hiding spot of the Tsareena Tribe, leaving Cosma to watch for anyone that may come near.

She sniffed, looking toward Fini Island, the most distant of the Forgotten Isles. “We have to go all the way there? What am I supposed to do? I can’t do anything except run away.” She turned away, moping to herself. She gazed at the trees in the middle of the field, swaying in the wind, trying to distract her feelings for her lost Kommo-o Tribe.

~~~~

The three Steenee sisters rushed past a grassy tunnel, leaving a trail of sweet scents for Sion and Ren to follow. Barsi looked back with Borsha in her hands, staring crossly at her two companions. “Come on, hurry up! You have to meet Chieftess Balla!” Sion slid slightly as he turned the corner, ducking his head thanks to the low ceiling, while Ren banged into the wall, moaning and rubbing his nose.

The young Lucario growled, restarting his pace and hastily catching up to the Zoroark. “How are you able to run through here so well? I can’t turn around with sliding into a wall!”

Sion shrugged, turning once more, Ren slowing down and narrowly avoiding collision. “I guess it’s because I have claws. Maybe the real question we should be asking is why we have to go through these tunnels?”

Ren growled once more, looking down at his paws. “Claws shouldn’t make any difference! And anyways, I’m supposed to be the faster one here. Remember that Lucario can run for days without getting tired?” he boasted. He turned the corner once more, Sion’s bushy fur and billowing cloak blocking his visual of the Steenee.

Sion adjusted the cloak on his shoulders, feeling a tingling feeling. “I’ve heard plenty about that thanks to your ‘research’ in Pokemon Study back at Lucario Guild.” Ren always bragged about the superiority of Lucario in both combat and exploration, all the while playing pranks on Sion in class.

Ren nodded haughtily, kicking against another corner of the tunnels. “Well, all that’s true. So why is it that a lanky Zoroark like you can outspeed me down here?” Before Sion could reply, the three Steenee suddenly stopped, causing Sion to skid to a halt, with Ren thudding into his back as he did.

Binnie turned back, setting her hand on her lips. “Ssh, Chieftess Balla doesn’t like too much sound. These are our secret tunnels to get across the plains while the Exeggutor are about, so they don’t find us.”

Ren pushed in front of Sion, cross. “Hold up. Why do we have to go up to deal with the Exeggutor if we could just go past them from here?” he demanded.

Barsi rolled her eyes, as if it was obvious. “Because the tunnels don’t go that far. We only ever made them go through the central part because that’s where we live. We don’t want to go where the Exeggutor are supposed to be, and we certainly don’t want to get in trouble with the Mudsdale, so we didn’t bother,” she hissed. Clacking footsteps could be heard farther down the tunnel, muffled voices echoing within.

The three motioned for Sion and Ren to follow them, and they steadily entered the next section. The two followed, the voices growing louder, and the footsteps growing more pronounced. Soon, they could hear the conversation within the central room.

One distinctly feminine voice shouted, “How many times have I told you, the Exeggutor are simply too strong! Why don’t we just move in to where we determined they should be?

“Because, Bara, there isn’t enough food! Being this close to the Gumshoos jungle allows us to easily get berries for ourselves, but if we go to the other side of the plains, we end up being too far to make that practical!”

“Well, what should we do then? We can’t very well talk with them; they’re wild.”

“We’ve driven them out many times before, and we can do it again.”

“Ha! Good luck with that! Have you seen how many Exeggcute they have under their heads? They won’t be moving out till those guys are Exeggutor, then they’ll just spread again. We need a more permanent solution.”

“What about a fence? There’s plenty of wood in the jungle.”

“That will take away some of our food source too. We can’t rely on what’s in the jungle.”

“Then why not drive them in there? There’s plenty of food.”

“They’ll refuse because their skinny little necks won’t fit. “

“Well what do you expect us to do then!”

Barsi jumped up and exclaimed, “I have a solution!” Three fancier and larger versions of the many Steenee and Bounsweet in the central cavern stood in the center, all glowering at the younger residents and the two newcomers. Several holes littered the ceiling, bringing the cavern light, and there was bedding in the corners made from leaves and twigs. A ladder to the side extended to a hole covered with a slab of wood, leading to the outside.

The largest of the three larger Steenee, which Sion could only assume were Tsareena, came closer on her sharp legs and inspected him and Ren. “Who are these two and why did you bring them here?” She demanded. The three Steenee curtsied slightly, setting Borsha on the ground. She bounced back with the other Bounsweet, cheering happily.

Binnie gestured to Sion and Ren and said, “Chieftess, these are two Pokemon from a faraway land. They say they can drive out the Exeggutor!” A clamor arose among the Steenee, with some giggling, some shouts, and some cheers.

The smaller Tsareena came next to the Chieftess, inspecting alongside her. “I don’t like the looks of them. Look at that dark one there. He doesn’t seem very trustworthy.”

The third Tsareena came up, jabbing a finger at Ren’s chest. “And look at this one! He’s cockier than a Toucannon, I can see it in the way he holds himself.”

Ren breathed in sharply, clenching his paws. He jabbed his own paw at the Tsareena and roared, “I’ll have you know that I’m a future Guildmaster of Lucario Guild! I have every right to look cocky!”

The Tsareena took a step forward, causing the Steenee to shrink in fear. “Well, you’re not at this Lucario Guild, are you? This is the Tsareena tribe, and I’m sister to the Chieftess, Bara, second in command. You better back down, furball, or you’re going to get a kick to the gut,” she threatened.

Ren refused, drawing closer. “Oh yeah? You’ll have to do that before I get a punch into your pretty little—“

“Enough!” Sion exclaimed, pushing Ren away from Bara. He whirled him around and clutched his shoulders, glaring at him. “What are you thinking! We only just got here, and already you’re asking for a fight!” he whispered.

Ren pushed him away, making a move toward the Tsareena. “She deserves it, because no one will treat me like that. I’m the son of Lukas Lucario, someone who means something…unlike you.” He venomously replied. He pushed past him, leaving Sion to stand and bear another insult to his name.

Ren went up to Bara and said, “Oh, how I’m going to—“

“Stop, please!”

He turned around, seeing Cosma rushing through the tunnels toward them. The Tsareena blinked in surprise, causing Cosma to look around warily. “Um…I got a little bored waiting up there, so I came down here. What’s going on?”

Bara pushed past Ren and Sion, getting a closer look at Cosma. “Hmm…you look like what our mother, Beril, described to save us from a group of invaders, the Ultra Beasts. They’ve come here frequently, demanding for our allegiance. We Tsareena would never follow such malicious Pokemon, especially after what they caused with their gates. It’s thanks to them that we even have to worry about the Exeggutor; we had to keep pushing them back to ensure that they didn’t constantly attack us.” She turned back to Sion and Ren and said, “Do you two travel with her?”

Before Ren could reply, Sion cut in. “Yes, yes we are. We came from past the Mist Wall to bring her here.” He asserted. This started a new slew of discussion among the Steenee, leaving the three Tsareena speechless.

Chieftess Balla, after much deliberation, finally said, “If you can drive out the Exeggutor, by all means do so. To bring the child of the sun and moon to the peaks of Fini, that will be your only way.” She motioned to the ladder, where thumping could be heard above. “Your duty awaits.”

~~~~

“Why did we ever agree to this?” Ren stammered, gazing at the towering Exeggutor several feet in front of him. Scattered throughout the plains were over two dozen Exeggutor, resting blissfully as their extended necks stayed suspended in the air. Under several were bunches of Exeggcute, resting alongside their parents as they grew. Behind them, their tails swayed, the heads on them keeping watch for attackers.

Sion nudged him playfully, despite his own fear. “You’re the guy who said we can do this. It can’t be that hard…right?”

Ren frowned, studying the shaking head on one Exeggutor’s tail. “Yeah, that was before I saw them! How was I supposed to know they were taller than a tree and had a tail to keep watch for them, huh?” He snapped. One of the Exeggutor’s heads snorted, and Ren swiftly ducked beneath the hill they hid behind, not wishing to suffer its wrath.

Cosma hovered in front of them and said, “Well we have to at least get past them, right? Any ideas?” They all pondered, looking over to the far side of the plains, where the distant shapes of Mudsdale could be seen grazing.

Sion suddenly beamed, giving a grin. “Alright, I have an idea, but we’ll need both of you to make it work.” He relayed his idea, receiving both praises and groans.

~~~~

“This is not going to work,” Ren grumbled under his breath, holding one side of a large tree trunk, with Sion on the other. They now stood right in front of the Exeggutor, the giant still sleeping blissfully, as Cosma swayed in front of the tail’s head, making it drowsy.

“You are growing very sleepy…sleepy…” she swooned, the head rocking side-to-side with a dopey grin. It finally shut its eyes, and Cosma gave a nod. The log-holders ran straight into the legs of the Exeggutor, knocking them away from under it. The Exeggutor snapped awake, roaring in surprise as its faces met with the ground.

Dropping the log, Ren stared in amazement. “Wow, I guess it did.” He admitted.

Sion nodded, studying the elongated form. “Yep, I thought so. You know, the Tsareena won’t have to constantly push them away if they do this. They could have a Bounsweet distract the head, then…” Sion explained, trailing off. Ren was turned away from the Exeggutor, and Cosma towards the heads, as it began to slowly rise, with the Lucario taking no notice of the fluid motion.

He wanted to say something, the anger evident in the smiling Exeggutor’s faces, but something stopped him. “Let him suffer his fate. He called you worthless, when you are so much more…” The hoarse voice explained. Cosma shivered with fear, speechless at the sight.

Ren looked curiously at Sion, the heads of the Exeggutor rearing back. “What’s going on? Mewoth got your tongue?” he asked. The heads began to glow with bluish-light, and began to swing forward, right towards Ren.

“Look out!” Sion cried, dodging to the left.

Ren looked behind him and swore, rolling to the side just before the heads fell. The Exeggutor rose up and gave a malicious chuckle, stomping toward its assailants. From behind, other Exeggutor began to advance.

All three blanched at the sight, unmoving. “We need to run, now!” Ren yelled. Sion and Cosma complied, scrambling through the plains toward the herd of Mudsdale.

~~~~

From the exit of the jungle, Ekon squinted at the sudden daylight, studying the environment he was now in. “Well well, looks like there is a grassland just after the jungle. Who knew?”

Frederick pushed past him, taking a deep sniff. “Hmm, I smell Cosma. She’s near here, probably not more than a couple hundred yards,” he stated, turning to the right.

Gaiden emerged, tilting his head to the left. “I hear…laughing.”

Three sets of heads emerged from the nearby hill, all chuckling maliciously, stomping forward with their tails wagging behind them. Their full bodies could be seen soon after, causing Ekon and Frederick to gape in surprise.

“By Kyogre’s rains…that’s one tall Exeggutor!” Frederick gasped. One of the three turned to them and laughed louder, his companions turning as well. They began to stomp toward them, their heads beginning to glow with blue light.

Ekon took to the air and shrieked, “Fly for your life!”

Frederick shrugged, dashing to the right with all his might. “And run if you can’t!” he added. Gaiden soon followed, narrowly dodging the swinging neck of the Exeggutor. All three pursued them, with one spewing sizzling black seeds from its mouths at Ekon, the others doing the same toward Frederick and Gaiden.

~~~~

Ren jumped down the hill, narrowly dodging a falling Seed Bomb from an Exeggutor. “Why did we ever do that!” he exclaimed. The Mudsdale grew closer, their herds now becoming a more distinct shape. Sion beamed, eager to finally be free of the Exeggutor threat.

The pursuing Exeggutor launched another seed, this time right in front of Ren. He staggered backward, narrowly dodging the explosion, landing on his back and banging his head on the ground. He saw the upside-down Exeggutor, stomping forward, paying no attention to Ren as he recuperated from the blast.

Sion slowed, feeling somewhat aware of his ally’s trouble. He looked back, seeing the Exeggutor continue to advance, while Ren struggled to his feet, holding his head. Sion gasped, beginning to run toward him to help.

“Leave him to his demise…you will do better without the descendant of Laryon.” The voice demanded, causing Sion to halt. He felt compelled to listen, but the thought of leaving another Pokemon, even one like Ren, to the Exeggutor felt too much.

He pulled back his claws and threw a shade at the Exeggutor, red wisps of mist trailing from them. The shade grew larger, landing at Ren’s feet. The Exeggutor stopped, its laugh faltering as the shade grew to its height. The shadow took on a lanky upright shape, its arms near the ground as its deep red eyes stared into the Exeggutor’s.

It reared back and roared, slashing the air with shadowy claws. The Exeggutor screamed in fright, turning tail and running the other way, bringing other Exeggutor with it.

Ren stood up, holding his head and moaning. “What was that horrible sound?” he mumbled, staggering toward Sion. The Zoroark ran forward and supported Ren with his shoulder, looking behind his head.

“Good thing I was here, right?” Sion asked, a nagging thought in his mind.

Ren looked over and nodded weakly shutting his eyes. “Yes…thanks for saving my life…” he slurred before resting his head on Sion’s arm.

Cosma appeared over the hill, gasping at the sight of Ren.

“What happened? Did an Exeggutor get him?” she inquired. She floated on the other side of him and took his other arm, weakly pulling him up.

Sion looked back, seeing the entire herd of Exeggutor flee to their own side of the grassland. “Not exactly…” The voice dwelled in his mind once more, and he began to wonder why it began to haunt him, specifically to let Ren die.

~~~~

“Look, there a little patch of forest, right here!” Ekon yelled. He had begun to fly low, only several feet above Gaiden and Frederick as they fled. Behind them, a single Exeggutor now tromped, sending out more Seed Bombs to assail.

Frederick gave a wheeze of relief. “Thank the Legends, I’m not near as spry on the ground as I am in the ocean! Let’s get in there!” The three rushed into the circular formation of trees, the structure too tight for the Exeggutor to enter, and the top too dense to fire seeds.

It chuckled sadly, seeing its invaders impossible to attack. It began to trudge back to its former home, then began to stomp as fast as it could once a deathly roar echoed from a distant point in the plains.

Ekon shivered, looking up toward the leaves of the still wood. “I heard that before, in the Woods. Sion must be close.”

Frederick spluttered, gaping. “Yer sayin’ that that shifty little Zoroark did that? It sounded more frightenin’ than an angry Wailord, I’ll tell ya!” Frederick shouted. Gaiden said nothing, knowing that Sion had finally driven away the Exeggutor, just as he did with the wild Pokemon in the Elusive Woods.

~~~~

Binnie hopped in joy at the Exeggutor, seeing them retreat to their designated home. “Look, they did it! They got rid of the Exeggutor!” She picked up her little Bounsweet sister, Borsha, and exclaimed, “We can play outside again!” She nearly rushed off, but stopped at the sight of Chieftess Balla’s stern look.

She crossed her arms, looking out on the surface of the plains. “If that distant roar I heard drove away the Exeggutor in sheer fear, I fear for what may happen to our home if those foreigners remain.”

 

[chaos_Leader]

Well, I've made it all the way to the most recent chapters.

So this is shaping up to be an Adventure flavored kind of "buddy-cop" story, where two co-protagonists with contrasting personalities and styles are forced to work together to solve the problem. It's a solid format, and naturally creates tension by the setup alone. The key to the success/failure of this format of course lies in the co-protagonists themselves.

In the opening chapters when we're getting to know Ren and Sion (and to lesser extents throughout the story), I felt like the bully/victim dynamic was awfully heavy-handed, leading to a bit of awkwardness reading it. Ren acts spoiled and Entitled, but if Ren's interactions with his father are any indication, it seems Lukas is neither spoiling nor entitling his son. People usually don't act so cruel unless they're pretty sure they can get away with it scott-free, and clearly Ren is made to face consequences for his behavior. Another thing to consider is motivation for such concentrated, targeted cruelty. One such motivation could be personal vendetta, and as far as I can tell, there doesn't seem to be any specific history between Ren and Sion that would spark a personal vendetta. An explanation was given later involving the cloak, Sion's bloodline and Aura sensing, but it felt like a cop-out or a hand-wave rather than a satisfying explanation. Don't get me wrong, it's good to write flaws into characters, but care should be taken so the flaws make sense to the readers. Being a jerk merely for the sake of jerkitude, especially for a major focus character, looks pretty tacky. Consider the character: why do they believe what they do is 'right' or 'correct'? Where did they get their values and ideas from? For Ren specifically, I do foresee a possible route that could be taken to address this: his mother. We only see Ren's father, and we aren't given any indication thus far what Ren's relationship with his mother was, nor why/what happened that she's now absent. From this setup alone, there's a few ways to work on it that could potentially explain Ren's characterization and his mother's absence. You've already taken a bit of narrative space to give at least an ipression of Sion's absent father, so given Ren similar treatment is definitely something to consider. I won't put my specific thoughts and ideas here, as I feel that's something better thought up by yourself, but I would be happy to share my details if asked.

I'm a little wary of the integration of game mechanics so intimately in the narrative. It's less prevalent here than in the previous story, especially later on when the gang reaches the islands, but I do feel like some of the immersion is 'tainted' when references to specific in-game mechanics are adhered to, and treated as rules to the setting. In this story specifically, the time that comes to mind is the trek though a Mystery Dungeon on the way to the ship. It's also a lot of narrative space dedicated to a part where the only purpose seems to be showcasing how the gang operates together. I understand that desire to show off the characters working together, but it's a fairly forgone conclusion at that point that they're at least going to make it to the ship and out to sea before facing mortal peril, which knocks the tension of that portion way down, and interest with it. And when interest is down, reading becomes more of chore to get to the next part, and we don't end up appreciating the work put into character interaction. Once they're out to sea, and even more-so when they make it to the islands, then it really works well together, since the tension and interest are up and risen there.

I wrote this bold in my notes. There's a pretty glaring format flub in chapter 8, where it looks like all the text at the end of the chapter seems to have been duplicated. There's also a light smattering of spelling slips, grammar goofs and missing words here and there; nothing a quick skim through would miss. I won't harp on this point much though.

On a bit of a logistics note with character: where's Fredrick's crew? A ship his size ought to have at least a few dedicated hands familiar with sailing to man the stations. Even if his previous crew is dead and gone, as detailed in some of the later chapters, I still think he'd have an awful hard time making even a modest ship sail by himself. Part of my persnickety nature on this point is probably because I'm a mariner myself, and am naturally more aware of these thing anyway. But I do also recall the airship in the previous story to this having a dedicated crew.

Interesting use of Athus' cloak as a cursed artifact. I'm getting a feeling like its similar to 'The One Ring' of Lord of the Rings, or a malignant version 'Martin's Sword' of Redwall, or a Harry Potter 'Horcrux'.

This really isn't a negative review. Honestly if I find I'm reading a story I think is 'bad', most of the time I'd just stop and walk away.

Also on a non-story point about publishing schedule. I think it's really pretty impressive you can put out as much writing of this quality as you do so quickly, but like Acetrainer said before, I feel like it has some disadvantages. With myself specifically, in the past when I was busy, one of my poor procrastination excuses was essentially "meh, he'll publish another chapter in a couple days. I might have more time to catch up then." The pace of writing output is great, and I wouldn't want you to actually slow it down, especially if you're doing it on a deadline. However, putting out a stack of four chapters once every two weeks instead might be an alternative to consider.

 

[lucarioknight56]

@chaos_Leader

I'm planning on explaining Ren's behavior soon enough, more specifically in Act 3. And believe me, I consider myself the complete opposite of Ren; it was hard for me to write those chapters, very hard. I wasn't sure how far I had to go to make Ren's feelings toward Sion clear. And on the Mystery Dungeon note, that honestly has to be my least favorite part to write; I just involved it to keep aspects of the world. If I was to change something in a future rewrite, then I'd certainly change the approach to those.

On the spelling errors, I'm going to do a skim through all the chapters when I finish Act 2; it'll be when I'm planning, so I'll have time to work on them. And that flub in Chapter 8, I must have accidentally pasted that part of the chapter again after the site hiccupped. It's fixed now though.

Frederick, in his many years at sea on his formerly-sixteen-Pokemon vessel, has figured out ways with rope and other handmade tools to control his ship. And, well, I never had a good idea on how much work is required to keep a ship going, but his is smaller than most, so I figured it could work.

I like the four chapters per two weeks idea, as it'll give me some leeway when I feel that I'm too busy with schoolwork. I'll implement it when school starts on the 22nd; this week and next week I'll keep my current format. Thanks for the review by the way!

Today's my break day, so I don't have anything to say on the status of Chapter 27, but I will say that I will be gone from Thursday to Monday with family, but I'll do my best to post Chapter 28 while I'm away, if I finish it this week. No promises!

 

[lucarioknight56]

Chapter 27: Runaway Recovery

The Exeggutor now fleeing behind them, Sion set Ren on the ground, the Lucario moaning softly as he hit the soft grass. Sion sighed, looking back at the Exeggutor. “I didn’t know I could do that. It’s almost…frightening, really,” he said to himself. He looked down at his claws, dull, but sharp when he felt the need to use his abilities.

Cosma appeared over the hill, panting. “You…you scared them off, didn’t you?”

Sion nodded. “Yeah, but Ren hit his head when he tripped. I managed to…save him, before the Exeggutor got to him.” The words ‘save him’ caught in his mouth, as if he should be guilty for saving the Pokemon who had bullied him for days on end.

The Cosmog hovered near Ren, inspect him. “He doesn’t seem to be hurt too badly. He’ll probably wake up soon, right?”

Ren shot up, gasping. “I nearly died!” He cried. He leaned forward and groaned, holding his head. “Ach…my head…”

Cosma whirled around him, her breathing slowed. “Well, that was faster than I thought it’d be!”

Ren ignored her, turning to Sion. “It’s a good thing you were with me, or else I’d be halfway into the ground. I guess, what I mean to say is.” He rolled his head, the statement hard for him to admit. “Thanks for coming here.”

Sion, caught by surprise, meant to say his thanks as well, until a familiar voice cut into his mind. “I can sense the intentions of this fool…he is only gracious in this moment, and soon, he will revert to his insulting self.” Sion held back his tongue, agreeing with the statement silently as Ren turned his head to the Mudsdale.

“Do we have to beat up the Mudsdale too? Or can we avoid them?” he asked warily, holding his head still. One of the Mudsdale reared its head and snorted, stamping the ground.

Cosma shuddered, shrinking low to the ground. “I hope we can just go through them without making them angry. They look like they can hurt a lot.”

“But we have to go through to make it to the river, right? At least, if we want to make it the fast way.” Sion asked. He didn’t look forward to moving alongside massive Pokemon.

Cosma sighed, defeated. “If only I could teleport with you guys with me. Are you all ready to go Ren?”

The Lucario nodded, getting up to his feet. “Yep, all set.” He put a paw against his head and groaned again, closing his eyes. “Except for a huge headache. The ground back there was really hard.” He shook his head and pressed forward, adding, “But I can live with it. Come on!” Cosma and Sion followed, moving toward the black-maned horses that grazed peacefully across the Lele plains.

~~~~

“Alright, let’s try this again!” Matheus roared, throwing all his might into the oars of his modest, but battered, dinghy. He bobbed in the vast ocean, the Archipelago of Cretea miles behind him. Dusk dominated the sky, the orange glow marking the end of the day for Equivos, the Pokémon in the ocean below retreating to their places of rest.

Hoopa scratched his head, looking lazily out to water at the prow of the boat. “How many times have we tried to go through the mist now? Six? I lost count.” The dinghy began to enter the massive wall of mist once more, completely enclosing the Legend and Myth.

“Why in Arceus’ name did this Mist Wall have to be here! We can’t get anywhere close to the cloak that keeps Arthus powerful thanks to it!” Matheus seethed. Soon after, the mist receded, revealing dozens of distant islands, with three massive continents alongside them.

The Lucario threw down the oars and yelled, turning back and shaking his fist at the mist. “Why do you have to be so cruel!” He flipped back to his seat and shook his head. “Fat lot of good we are to Sion and Ren now, aren’t we? Guess we better head to Mewtwo after all.”

Hoopa shrugged, fondling his hoops. “Do you remember when the mist came down?”

Mathews cocked his head, perplexed by his inquiry. “What do you mean? I thought the Mist Wall had always been here.”

Hoopa hovered upward, gesturing to the sky. “Well, that’s not the case. Years ago, when I just barely became a Myth, the seas were clear, and only the horizon blocked the Forgotten Isles from view. In those days, the Legends could go just about anywhere, though there was little point; Equivos was still rather new, and we were busy crafting our monuments on Deitae.”

Matheus gave him a suspicious look. “You had a monument? What was it, a lake in the shape of a hoop?”

Hoopa rolled his eyes, setting his hands on his hips. “I wish. I had my bottle made instead. Back then everyone stayed away from me, since I became Unbound at random times. Now I have the Prison Bottle to keep me in check.” He looked back up to the sky. “Anyway, one day the sun seemed less…vibrant, for sake of a better word. And later that night, the moon seemed like that too. Arceus mentioned the bringers of day and night had passed from this world, but I never really understood what he meant. Regardless, the day after that happened, the Mist Wall descended like a giant cloud, and it settled into the sea, blocking us from going to the Tapu Islands or any other lands that may lay beyond.” He rubbed his chin, grinning. “I think I finally said something that made me sound smart.”

Matheus looked upward in curiosity, thinking of what Hoopa said. “The bringers of day and night.” He thought back to the walls covered with the history of Equivos in the Mount of Rebirth, of the major events that created the world he knew. All the Legends on the walls seemed familiar to him…except two.

“Solgaleo and Lunala…” he muttered. What ever happened to them, he wondered.

~~~~

Sion swallowed fearfully as a Mudsdale stared at him, munching on grass. Its legs, covered with red mud, were beefy and strong, strong enough to break more than a few bones if it decided to attack. Its drooping eyes hid the hostility that Sion knew was there, if only restrained by the fact that he didn’t feel threatened by the scrawny Zoroark, tiny Cosmog and burly Lucario.

Ren looked slyly at another Mudsdale, looking at the smaller Pokémon nuzzling next to it. It was a lighter brown with a mop of black hair and Brady eyes, with a smattering of mud all along it's body. “Wonder what this little guy is. Looks like a smaller and less scary Mudsdale,” Ren pondered.

Cosma watched as it began to wander toward her, entranced by the particles that drifted off of her. “I think I remember the Steenee saying that they were called Mudbray. They’re pretty much baby Mudsdale.” The Mudbray brayed, brushing it's head against Cosma’s face. She giggled, nuzzling back. “This little guy sure is nice, isn’t he?”

The Mudbray wandered toward Sion and began to nuzzle him, braying softly as he did. Sion, caught aback, began to stroke the Mudbray’s hair slowly, feeling a sense of peace that the wild Pokémon seemed to bring with it.

He looked over to Ren and said, “He’s really quite nice. Friendly even.” The Mudbray moved away and shuffled toward Ren, the Lucario hesitantly allowing it to draw closer.

The Mudbray suddenly stopped, looking at Ren blankly. Ren stared back, not sure what to think. It brayed fearfully, stepping back toward its mother, the Mudsdale turning its head toward Ren and snorting. He gulped, saying, “Um…I didn’t do anything.” Sion gazed at Ren’s paws, as did Cosma, both in shock and amazement. Ren held up one and gasped. Surrounding it was blue light, a cool energy that flowed like fire around the paw.

He chuckled weakly, rotating his paw. “I-I can’t believe it! After so-“ The Mudsdale neighed, stamping its feet. The light faded from his paws as Ren shrunk away, knowing well the dangers of Lele’s inhabitants. He turned toward the distant river and cried, “Run!” Sion and Cosma did so, just as the Mudsdale all neighed together and ran toward the three explorers.

Sion looked back, the once-docile Pokémon up in arms against the peaceful adventurers; all because of Ren. “What was that light!” he demanded, feeling Ren was to blame.

He turned to him and shouted, “That was Aura, okay! I’ve never been able to use it until now!” He thrust his paws behind him, expecting a ball of energy that he knew his father and all his ascendants could throw. Nothing came.

He gaped at the Mudsdale, which charged still, neighing angrily as their hooves chopped through the grass after those who threatened their children. “That….that should have worked! Why didn’t it work!” he sobbed. He squeezed his eyes shut and ran faster, easily outrunning the lumbering Mudsdale, and Sion and Cosma.

Cosma faltered, dipping and slowing. “Wait up, please! I’m getting tired!”

Sion leapt toward her and snatched the Cosmog from the air, continuing his frantic pace toward the distant river. “I’ve got you! We’re nearly there!” He imagined the dark and hideous creature that he had summoned before, and the sheer terror it had invoked in the Exeggutor and the Elusive Forest residents in the past. He looked back at the Mudsdale and waved his claw at them, causing a shade to appear. It expanded slightly and appeared menacing, but no soul-splitting roar came, and no dark red eyes came forth. The Mudsdale slowed only barely, leaving the shadow to dissipate in the dusk of twilight.

Sion looked down at his free claw, wondering why it didn’t work. In the back of his mind he heard a cruel chuckle, taunting him. “My power is only given when you have the chance to eliminate he who runs when you most need him. Fend for yourself unless you take my path,” the hoarse voice warned. Sion did not understand how this voice could have such control, or why it cared about Ren’s death so badly….but he needed another way to lose his pursuers.

He looked ahead, seeing a steep drop from a hill. He grinned, dropping below the dip, out of the Mudsdale’s sight. They came over the bend, and saw not one, but four Zoroarks with brown cloaks, all running in different directions.

The Mudsdale faltered, unsure of what target to pursue. They never split apart from each other; it was too dangerous with their Exeggutor neighbors. Besides, they realized now that their slow gait couldn’t catch the elusive Zoroark, so they took the way of least resistance; turn around, and return to the particularly sweet patch of grass they had left because of the blue light.

Sion looked behind him, watching the Mudsdale turn back as his doubles disappeared. “At least they’re gone now.” He marched onward, towards the bend in the river, where a Lucario could be seen sitting on a rock, facing away from the sunset.

~~~~

“Awright boys, eat up. I didn’t cook up this here bird just to let it rot.” Frederick chastened. In the grove of trees, a gentle flame burned underneath a skinned Trumbeak on a spit, around which Ekon and Gaiden sat, watching Frederick rotate the meal.

Ekon groaned, resting his head on his claw. “Meat again? I mean, the Rattata was delicious, but don’t you think we could have something else? Ow!” He rubbed his head, Frederick’s smack hurting his pride more than anything.

“Eat or be eaten around these parts, even if that sack of feathers eats berries and little else. Look, unlike ole Lucario Guild, this place has hardly a berry or seed in sight; them birds eat them up as soon as they see ‘em. So, we make do by helpin’ out the food chain a bit. Now come on,” He tore off a leg and handed it to the Noivern. “Eat.”

Ekon sighed, taking the Trumbeak leg. He nibbled at it, sighing. “It's the second night since we’ve been shipwrecked, and we’ve had to first beat up dozens of Rattata, then we had to run away from killer Exeggutor. What’s next, a bunch of Butterfree will eat us in our sleep?”

Frederick shook his head, tearing off a wing. “Can’t expect things to stay like this forever. Remember, we have a job to do, and a home to get back to.” He grunted, handing the wing to Gaiden. “Except me. I have to get a new ship as soon as I get back to the mainland. Then I’ll just drift in Cretea till the end of me days.” Frederick eyed his two companions curiously, seeing them hardly touch the delicious meat he had prepared.

The Feraligatr tore off a leg for himself, and took a deep bite of it. “So, tell me,” He chomped, swallowing. “What’s the story behind you two? I poured me heart out the other night, and I was in a bad mood such as yerselves. I ended up feelin’ great afterwards.” He motioned the atmosphere with the leg, drawing it near his mouth. “Somethin’ about this place that makes you closer with those yer stuck with, I guess.”

Ekon set. The leg on his lap, tapping his claws beside it. “What’s there to tell? I graduated from Expedition School, got paired up with a practice team. During a Regroup Day I found Rix and Aaron, and we’ve just been doing jobs ever since.”

Gaiden studied the wing, turning to Frederick. “Sounds similar to mine, except I found George and Wilson for mine.”

Frederick growled, tearing off another chunk of meat. “All the mates of me ship had better stories than the both a ya. It sounds like you’re just the goody-goody heroes in baby stories.” He made a goofy grin and held his claws in the air. “’Oh, look at me! I found some friends and we just got together to go see the world!’ Blech!” He swallowed the meat, tossing away the bone. “I’d hate to suffer that fate.”

Ekon squawked, standing up indignantly, the leg landing on the ground. “Hey, I had a tough life too! You think it’s easy being a guy who can’t control when he has to get a better look at his surroundings!” He squawked once more, clamping a claw over his mouth.

Gaiden looked at Frederick with a warning look, still holding the wing. “Or someone who has a challenging time making friends because you hardly speak. We have our share of tales, but after what you said last night, why should we share our issues in life?”

Frederick sighed, ripping another hunk of meat from the Trumbeak. “Hey, I was unusual. My mom was a wild one, and I never asked how me dad made it work.” He made circles in the earth, looking sadly at him. “And, well…it's been hard for me to be friendly with others since the Isle of Regret. I’m giving it another shot, and you two don’t bother to give me a decent answer.” He took a bite from the meat, leaving Ekon to stare at the ground guiltily, and Gaiden to shut his eyes in thought.

After several moments of nibbling at the meat, Ekon took a deep breath. “Alright. If we’re going to be stuck together for who knows how long, we might as well get to know each other better, right?” Frederick nodded, while Gaiden remained motionless.

Ekon sighed, shaking his head. “Well, I’ll start. You see, I was raised in a little cave several miles from Lucario Guild, next to the Founder’s Canyon. My parents were great, teaching me how to fly, how to find things with sound. We were all happy with our simple life, with my dad gathering berries and seeds from the Mystery Dungeon nearby, the Somber Pit, and my mom making things from the plants around where we were.

“One day, dad invites me to go with him into the pit. I had just barely evolved into a Noivern, so he was wanting to test my skills out there. I was anxious to be with him, as I wanted to be just like my dad, you know? So we go in, and the peacefulness of the cave, with only the occasional Zubat screeching by, made me like what the Mystery Dungeons had to bring.

“So I keep going with him into the pit, and my mom does just fine on her own. But one day, while going through the dungeon, dad finds signs of a massive Pokémon exiting the pit. It was the end of the day, and the Dungeon was very generous for us today, with all sorts of berries to eat. We go investigate, and we find out that the Pokémon was a huge Gigalith…heading straight for our home.

“Me and dad rush to protect my mom, but by then it was too late; the Gigalith had got to her, and made its home in our little cave. We attacked it as best we could, and eventually drove us out. But Mom was gone, crushed by the rocks that fell when it used Earthquake.” He paused, rubbing his eyes. “We found Lucario Guild soon after that, and Dad had me get properly trained while he went out as a delivery Pokémon for rescue messages. They never taught me to control my noises, hence why I’m as loud as I am. That ended up coming to my disappointment in Expedition School…especially since I got grouped with the little kids.” He looked to Frederick, who sniffed crestfallenly.

“I have my own share of losses too, you know.”

 

[lucarioknight56]

Chapter 28: Night of Reflection

The night came quickly, the orange quickly shifting to a dark blue, the creatures of Lele beginning to sleep or awaken. Wind whistled through the plains, the soft, vibrant grass to bend under its will. Beyond the plains was a winding river, giving way to a patch of marsh beyond.

Cosma looked up at the sky atop one of the few boulders in this vast plain, oohing and aweing as the moon began to rise over the horizon. Sion and Ren huddled next to it, wanting some protection from the chill of the wind. They wished for something to eat, but knew that going into the jungle now would be asking for trouble with the inhabitants.

Sion pulled his cloak tight, shivering. The jungle was warm last night, with the heat of the many Yungoos and the lack of wind making him feel comfortable for the night. The plains, however, had no such company, and no mercy for the gale that blew. It would be hard for him to sleep tonight.

Ren had drawn his knees close, wrapping his arms around them and tucking his head in, his tail still. After more silence between them, Sion finally said, “Chilly night, isn’t it?” Ren only made a grunt of agreement.

The Zoroark had the thought of giving his cloak for Ren to use, as he was surely colder due to his shorter fur. He bristled at the thought, as a familiar presence weighed in his mind. “This cloak is for your use only. The descendant of Laryon is not worthy for the power this has.” the voice hissed. Sion’s interest in knowing how the voice came into his mind had faded, feeling as if it was a part of him, albeit one that he had trouble listening to.

Sion cleared his throat, pulling his cloak tighter. “Well, um…what exactly happened back with the Mudsdale? With the light?”

Ren looked up, staring into space. “That light was called Aura. It's the power that lies within our soul, joined with our Life Energy. Lucario can tap into it, making weapons from it, and seeing the intentions of others by knowing their emotions.” He returned to his position, sighing. “Riolu can see emotions, usually, but can’t really manipulate it until they evolve…most of the time.”

Sion cocked his head, curious. “What do you mean, ‘most of the time’?”

Ren looked up and turned to Sion, anger in his eyes. “Why do you care? You can trick other Pokémon, and your ancestor could use Life itself. Who’s to say you can’t?” He turned away again, looking toward the river.

Sion shivered at the thought of using Life energy. Arthus had devastated Equivos 300 years earlier, taking the life of many Pokémon to fuel his ambitions. Sion never wished to use such power…even if he did in fact have it.

Sion drew his arms away, feeling the irritation towards Ren rising. “I just want to know why you ran away from us when we needed you most!”

Ren remained quiet for a moment, then looked back, the anger gone. “Do you remember what Simeon said, back when I attacked you?” Sion shook his head. “Well, he said that I had gone to the Luminous Cavern to evolve, because I couldn’t find any friends. Riolu evolve normally by making a friendship stronger than anything with someone, like how Laryon evolved because of his love for Matheus.” He lowered his head, wavering. “I wanted to evolve so badly, just so I could be a great fighter like him. When I told Dad about my plans, he didn’t like it; he said that every Guildmaster since Laryon had only evolve through love for others, and that it should stay that way. I didn’t listen.

“One day, Dad had to go on a trip to Cretea, for a meeting with the other two Guildmasters I think. I asked to come, and he let me; he wanted me to see what he does for a day. He would’ve made me stay behind if he knew what I was going to do.

“When we crossed the island with the Luminous Cavern, I jumped off, and began to swim toward it. Dad tried to get me away, but he couldn’t do it fast enough. I entered the cavern, and saw the pool of blue light within. I was so excited to finally evolve, and be as great as Laryon Lucario. So I entered.”

He stopped, cringing. “I…I don’t really remember what happened after that, but I remember going out, and seeing Dad’s face. He looked so…sad, disappointed in me. I wasn’t sure why, but I understood when he asked me to make the Aura come. He had taught me as a Riolu, so that I could be ready when I finally evolved. I tried his techniques, thinking deep within myself, trying to detect the power that lay within me. Nothing…nothing came.” He sniffed, rubbing his nose. “He told me after that that because I didn’t know the true way to call Aura, and cheat my way to evolution, I couldn’t use the one thing that made Lucario truly strong.” A tear fell from his face, and for once, Sion felt sympathy for him.

Ren took a deep breath, and concluded, “I thought I was hopeless, until I saw the Aura around my paw. I thought I finally could make Aura do what I wanted, that I could finally be like Laryon. But that was taken from me just as quickly as it came.” He lowered his head, and quieted.

Ren sniffed, wiping his eyes. “Why am I telling you this? I haven’t cared about you, and you haven’t cared about me. When did that change?”

Sion clasped his claws, rather surprised about what he was admitting. “I guess you have to be grateful for who you have in a place like this.”

Ren chuckled weakly, sitting up straight. “Yeah, well, I never thought I’d be grateful for you until yesterday, when you squashed that Raticate.”

Sion grinned, restraining a laugh. “More like Faticate. He got stuck in his chair because it fell through.” They laughed louder now.

They continued their small talk, going from their longing for Lucario Guild’s cooking, to the stuffiness of Assistant Guildmaster Harold; from Master Mienshao’s classes to kindly Molly Lopunny and her disgruntled husband, Doug Diggersby.

The discussion took a different tone when Sion asked, “What happened to your mom?”

Ren flinched, his face contorted with a mixture of sorrow and anger. “Why do you want to know?”

“I just haven’t met her, that’s all. Is she a good Pokémon?” Sion inquired.

Ren looked down, hugging his shoulders. “She was.” he whispered.

Sion’s eyes widened, and he hastily turned away. He looked to the ground, plucking at the grass. “I…I didn’t realize. I’m sorry.”

Ren grunted, giving Sion an evil look. Sion thought of some way to make up for touching on the sensitive subject. “I lost my dad, you know. He just disappeared one night, and my mom took me to Lucario Guild that night, bringing his cloak with her. I don’t remember much about him, except that he always seemed distant. I never really knew him that well.”

Ren made no reply, going on to his back and crossing his arms behind his head. “I’m going to sleep. Thanks for talking.” He closed his eyes.

Sion sighed, shaking his head. He thought he made progress with his relationship with Ren, but now it seemed like he was back where he started. He looked up, seeing Cosma continue to look up in the sky, watching the half moon shine across the plains, seeming like it was all for her.

The Zoroark clambered up the rock, sitting alongside the tiny Cosmog. She took no notice of him, only looking up at the thing she valued most.

Sion cleared his throat, causing Cosma to turn to him in surprise. “When did you get here?”

He looked down at Ren, who breathed steadily with cringing features, looking as if he was reliving a dream. “I talked with Ren for a while, so I figured I should talk with you some.”

Cosma returned to looking at the moon, smiling. “I usually sleep a lot during the day, but with what’s happened, I haven’t really had the chance. I love to just watch the moon all night.”

Sion cocked his head curiously, shifting his position on the rock. “Why do you like doing that? It's never been that interesting to me.”

Cosma whipped around, flabbergasted. “Really? It's different every night, having a different story to tell, except when its dark; that’s the only time it goes across the unseen, going to different lands.”

Sion looked at her suspiciously, scratching his head. “What gave you that idea? I always thought it was because sunlight wasn’t being—”

“That’s a lie. The sun and moon are alive like we are, I know it!” Cosma shouted, puffs of dust rising from her face.

Sion held his claws up defensively. “Alright, I won’t bring that up! It’s just…that makes the sun and moon sound almost like...Legends. And the Legends that supposedly brought the sun and moon, Solgaleo and Lunala, haven’t been seen since…. ever. We only know about them thanks to Laryon Lucario’s reports from the Mount of Rebirth.” Sion explained. No one really knew what Solgaleo and Lunala looked like, or what may have caused their disappearance. Researchers from Alakazam Guild have only determined that the two were not created by Arceus; they had supposedly come from a different world to bring light to Equivos.

Cosma sighed, shaking her head. “I guess that might be right. The story that the moon has told has been the same for a long time, as if it's…sleeping. Like there’s no one coming to bring it new ones. My brother, Cosmo, looks at the sun most of the day, and on the few times I’ve seen him, he said the same thing.” She sniffed, shaking her head. “I miss him a lot.”

“…How’s he like?” Sion asked, hoping to comfort her.

Cosma sighed dreamily, looking to the sky once more. “He's always loved watching the sun, saying that it feels like he wants to be there with it. He’s not as fun as I am, but he always takes the time to brighten everyone’s day with nice things, like flowers, or compliments.” She hovered above Sion, landing on his headfur. “He went to live with the Passimian tribe after the Ultra Beasts began to come from Ultra Space, since Chief Kernus thought having both of us together was too dangerous.”

Sion wondered what it might be like to have a brother or sister like one of the Cosmogs. It never occurred to him before, but what would his life have looked like if his father had never disappeared? Would he have gone to Lucario Guild? Would he even be here, on an island forgotten by Equivos? With someone who had never cared for him and never would?

He picked at one of the cracks in the rock, moving to a different subject. “Do you know what happened to your parents? Where you came from?”

Cosma scrunched her features, thinking hard. “I don’t really know. I just remember waking up one day on top of the cliffs that the Kommo-o live on, and for a long time, I just sat there with my brother, watching the sun and moon. One day, Jeertha, the Kommo-o tribe’s seer, came up the cliffs and found us, offering us a place to stay and learn about the world. We followed her, feeling like it was the best thing to do.” She sniffed, taking a deep breath. “I would like to know who my mom and dad were though. You and Ren have one, and everyone else I met surely have them too.”

Sion nodded, yawning. He shook his head vigorously, not wanting to fall asleep just yet. “I’m sure you’ll find out. I remember Mienshao saying one day that going on a journey reveals many secrets about yourself and those you’re with, answering questions you never knew you had. I guess that’s true so far, right?” Cosma nodded, continuing her vigil on the moon.

Sion yawned again, stretching. “Well…. I think I’ll be getting to sleep now. Good luck watching the moon, and…” He smiled, descending the boulder. “I hope you’ll see your family again.”

Cosma gasped slightly, looking at where Sion once stood. She smiled, looking up at the moon.

“Thanks Sion.”

~~~~

Gaiden snapped awake, remaining still. Next to him both Ekon and Frederick snored the night away, completely oblivious to all around them. The leaves rustled in the wind, the glade protected from the chilling gale, blocking the padded footsteps of several Pokémon.

Gaiden turned and plugged Ekon’s nose and mouth, causing the Noivern to make a muffled squawk and awaken, fuming. “What do you think—” he roared before Gaiden clamped his hand over his mouth once more. He put his other to his mouth, and pointed to beyond the trees, where shadows could be seen in the dim moonlight.

Ekon nodded, pulling Gaiden’s webbed hand away. “I see. Come on, let’s wake up Frederick.” He picked up one of the fragrant remains of their dinner, and waved it over the Feraligatr’s nose. He sniffed curiously, and began to reach for it with his jaws. Ekon yanked it away, causing Frederick to awaken and smack his lips.

“Hey, where’d you put the good bites?” he demanded, hastily ending is query as Pokémon could be heard pushing past the tree trunks.

Frederick chuckled, baring his fangs. “Oh ho, what have we here? More delicacies for our next meal?” A low growl permeated through the air, sounding almost friendly.

Ekon shivered, kicking at the ashes of their fire. “That felt…unsettling.”

A single low-pitched voice uttered, “Bewear…”

Ekon turned to Gaiden in puzzlement. “Beware? Beware what?” A towering figure emerged, with large, round limbs. It had a pink head and black body, and had kindly eyes, making it seem loveable yet imposing. Next to it was another black-and-pink creature, although cute and on four legs.

The Bewear looked down and moaned, “Stufful…” The Stufful yipped excitedly, running toward Frederick. The Bewear followed, its arms out in front of it.

Frederick’s grin quickly faded as the Bewear came closer. “Uh…what’s it doin’?” It suddenly embraced him, and made another low moan.

Frederick chuckled, hugging it back. "Aw, you just need some love, don’t ya?” It squeezed harder, and Frederick laughed, half-choking. “Mind loosening up a bit?” he gasped. He felt his ribs begin to crack, and he instinctively bit into the Bewear’s shoulder, causing the Pokémon to rear back and moan once more.

Frederick wheezed, holding his sides. “Manaphy’s egg, that was more than a hug! It’s like it wanted to kill me!” More Bewear came from the trees, all moaning in diverse ways alongside the smaller Stufful.

“Bewear…” they continued, as if it was a warning to all those who lay in the glade.

Gaiden stepped back, looking at one of the outstretched Bewear as it drew closer. “That is their intention: to kill those who enter their glade.”

Ekon squawked, clawing at a Bewear. “Let’s get out of here then!” He cried, turning back. More Bewear lay in the trees, waiting for their captive to relinquish their hold on fate.

Frederick rolled his shoulder, growling. “Only thing left to do is to fight. Bring it on!”

~~~~

In a distant cave, beyond a river, the wind stopped. Within were dozens of flickering lights, illuminating the entrance to the cave. The candles lined the walls, all sitting a dish made from shells. Deep within the cave, in a still pool of water filled with pink lilies, a pink decorated capsule bobbed in the water, a gentle hum echoing from within.

The hum grew, and began to take on lyrics, filling the cave with a sweet voice.

“Those who enter, hear my claim,

On those who venture in wish of gain.

I will grant the future, for a price,

For all things to be free from vice.

I shall not fail, I am not vain,

For I just wish my home be free from pain.

I am the Guardian of Fate, and I do not tempt.

I only foretell, to prevent foolish attempt.”

The pink capsule suddenly parted, and a black figure with locks of white hair emerged from the top, the capsule acting as a hat on her. She continued to bob in the water, looking into it, where grasses drifted in the gentle ripples created by her movements.

She shook her body, causing sparkles to fall from the container, creating a sphere of light around her. She saw a boulder jutting from the plains of her stewardship, her island, and three figures around it, two resting, and another looking up into the sky. The two slept fitfully, one tossing and turning, reliving past events, while the other had thoughts drift in his mind, darkness coming to cloud what light there was. The one looked up and saw the tale of two lovers, bringing light to the world, leaving their wasted one in their wake.

“I, Tapu Lele, shall meet with the Child of the Cosmos and the Sons of Life and Death by tomorrow’s end.”

 

[lucarioknight56]

Chapter 29: Marshed Continuance

Morning arose over the Forgotten Isles, the light stretching over the plains and jungle of Lele Island, the peaks and desert of Fini, the forest and coast of Koko, and the cliffs and secrets of Bulu island. Pikipek chirped their song to their mother Toucannon, receiving a comforting call in reply. Mudsdale snorted and neighed, alerting their neighbors to move to fresher ground. All the while, the sky stayed clear, not a cloud in sight.

Sion rubbed his eyes, the brightness disturbing his rest. He stretched, opening his eyes gradually, adjusting to the light. He looked up, seeing the gently breathing shape of Cosma, asleep after her long night of watching the moon. He turned to his side and saw Ren snoring, his arms stretched over his head in a contorted position.

Cosma floated upward, making an elongated yawn. “Morning Sion. I fell asleep when the moon disappeared.” She stretched her arms, closing her eyes. “I think I only slept a couple hours,” she said down the boulder, landing on the grass, snoring gently.

Sion shook his head in amazement, looking to the sky, and picked her up. He nudged Ren with his foot, receiving moans of disapproval. He nudged once more, and Ren slapped at his foot, causing the Zoroark to wince.

The Lucario stood up, stretching as the others did. “What’d you wake me up for?”

“It’s time to get up. We need to make it to the raft that the Steenee told us about if we expect to get to Bulu, and it’d be better if we could make it there before tomorrow.” Sion replied, adjusting his grasp on Cosma.

Muttering to himself, Ren stood up, leaning back. “Alright, alright, I get it. I wanna get there too you know.” He turned, looking over to the river that coursed the plains, scraggly trees growing around it. “That’s where we need to head to, right?”

Sion nodded. “Through the marsh, past the river, then across the beach to the cave, if I remember right. Sounds like a lot of ground to cover, so we better get going.”

Ren scratched his head, looking out toward the river. “If you say so.”

With Sion carrying Cosma, the three progressed toward the distant river, with a brown smudge in the distance connected to it. Spikes of green tufts and ponds were scattered about it, with bubbles of mud popping within.

Drawing closer to the mudpot, Ren plugged his nose. “Whew, what is that smell! It's like a Stunky died or something.”

Sion coughed, his eyes watering. “I’m guessing that’s the marsh, though I didn’t think it’d smell so bad.” He looked onward, bushes with dozens of ripe berries scattered amongst the muck. “Look, food!” Sion exclaimed, pointing at the bushes.

Ren beamed, renewing his pace. “About time we found something! Yesterday really got me hungry!” He ran ahead, leaving Sion atop of the final hill of the plains.

The Zoroark struggled to run with much speed with Cosma in his claws, having no chance to catch up with the Lucario. “Wait for me!”

The Lucario looked down at the bog, sceptical. The mud bubbled up, the only sturdy ground that was apparent where the berries were. Still, Ren searched for someplace he may cross.

He saw a trail of grass, as if it was placed by some Pokémon for this specific purpose. He chuckled to himself, running across it. “Berries, here we come!” he whooped. The grass ended, and Ren dove next to one of the bushes, greedily plucking the juicy fruits from it shoving them into his mouth.

Sion finally met with Ren and studied the grass, thinking it odd that such a growth would lead to the berries. “Hey, don’t you think we should be a little more careful, especially after what’s happened before?”

Ren looked over and motioned to the entire bog. “Nothing’s hopping out to kill us now, right? It has to be safe.”

Cosma hopped from Sion’s claws and cheered, hovering to another berry bush. “Yay, berries!” She ate the berries directly from the branches, relishing every bite.

Sion shrugged, running to his own bush. There didn’t appear to be anything hostile, and he was famished from last night. He plucked berries from the bush, which he thought were Iapapa, and swooned with the nourishment.

He looked over to one bubble and stopped, eyeing it warily. It was clear, and appeared to have a small black head with large blue eyes. It had a little green mouth, which was pursed in restrained rage, directed toward the three travelling Pokémon.

He looked around, checking for any sign of wild Pokémon. He looked at a small tree, seeing what looked like a crude sign attached with a grass rope.

Sion pointed at it and called to Cosma, “Does that say anything, or have any pictures?”

The Cosmog licked the juice from her lips and hovered to the sign, reading it carefully. “It says...beware Mother Araquanid and child Dewpider. It's ancient Tapu, most likely written by some elder. It's not known by many, and it's rather odd that we’d see it here.”

Sion looked back where he saw the bubble, seeing that it had disappeared. Feeling uneasy, he looked around the bog, sensing that the creature within the bubble wasn’t the only one.

Bubbles began to rise from the bog, hovering just above the surface. Sion saw dozens of the bubble-headed Pokémon, all popping above to converge on the intruders. In the river, a larger bubble Pokémon watched.

Sion slowly moved toward the path, continuing to look at the bubbles. “I-I think we should get going now.”

Ren popped up from behind the bush, taking no notice of the surrounding Pokémon. “Why? There’s plenty of food, and no one’s here to attack us.”

“Opportunities such as this will not come forever. Walk away, and the Lucario shall be no more.”

Sion knew the hoarse voice well, and was prepared to dismiss it once more, Ren’s story from the previous night empowering him to do so.

“Do you really think such a sob story would redeem him of his wrongs? He brought that upon himself, and is no excuse to treat you so badly,” it countered, slyness creeping into its tone.

Sion now felt compelled to leave Ren to that fate, a dark feeling lurking within his chest. He edged farther away from the bushes, Ren continuing his feast of berries all the while.

Cosma looked around her, seeing the dozens of clear bubbles advancing. “R-Ren...” she stuttered. “S-Sion...”

The dark feeling within the Zoroark lifted, and he finally bellowed, “Run! They’re in the mud!” He bolted across the path and towards the river, with Cosma following soon after.

Ren looked around him and halted his feast, jumping out of the bush and narrowly dodging the slamming heads of dozens of Dewpider. He looked back, his jaw dropping as he saw the fate he had escaped. “What in the world?” He looked around him, and more Dewpider popped onto the land, hissing at Ren as they crawled on their tiny green feet.

He chuckled, cracking his knuckles. “They don’t look so bad. I can easily knock...them…” He trailed off as larger bubbles appeared on land, showing a multi-legged version of the Dewpider that looked vicious and ready to strike: the Araquanid.

One reared back and charged at Ren, the Lucario leaping to the side, leaving the Araquanid to land in a bush. He looked back and weakly smiled. “I’d like to stay, but I’m not in the mood for dying today.” He sprinted after his companions as the Dewpider and Araquanid left their mud wallow and pursued their invaders.

Ren soon caught up with Sion, the Dewpider and Araquanid scuttling ever-closer to them as he did. “Sorry for not believing you back there. Good thing I listened, or I’d be, well, dead!”

Sion made no reply, thinking of how he had nearly left Ren to die. “What’s going on with me?” he thought.

They soon reached the bank of the river, where a line of Araquanid floated on the surface, preventing any escape for their prey. They hissed, their blue eyes glaring at them furiously.

Ren looked to either side and sighed, getting into a combative position. “Nothing for it except to fight I suppose. Unless...” He thought back to the attempt made by the Dewpider to attack him, and how those bubbles withstood a powerful charge.

He grinned, running toward the river. “Follow me!” He leapt upward and landed on the giant bubble of one of the Araquanid, bouncing upward and landing on the other bank.

Cosma hovered over it harmlessly, going as fast as she could. “Why can’t we have a day where we don’t have to worry about wild Pokémon?” she sighed, the Araquanid hissing in annoyance.

Sion halted on the bank, the Araquanid hesitant to move because of the break it would form. He looked back, the dozens of Dewpider all scuttling closer, their bubbles bobbing back and forth over their heads.

“Come on, jump across!” Ren called. The Araquanid rose higher, getting ready to charge.

Sion mustered his courage and leapt atop the Pokémon, narrowly dodging the Araquanid’s attack. He jumped toward the shore, landing in the water next to it. He scrambled away from the advancing Dewpider and Araquanid, following Cosma and Ren in their escape.

They darted behind a series of rocks, their assailants losing sight of them. The Araquanid edged a little farther, expecting to find their prey, but soon turned back, deeming it too far from their bog to bother chasing them anymore. The Dewpider, now riding in the bubbles of their mother Araquanid, dove into the river, the thought of Sion, Ren, and Cosma, gone from their minds.

Sion gave a sigh of relief, leaning against the rock. “Thank Arceus we made it out of there. You saw how those Dewpider charged, right?”

Ren nodded grimly, the memory lingering close. “I was nearly on the receiving end of it. At least we got to eat before we left, right?”

~~~~

“Where does the trail lead Frederick?” Ekon inquired. The Feraligatr was on all-fours, sniffing the grass intently for signs of their charges. They and Gaiden remained in the plains, on the fringes of the new riverland just ahead.

“They be just over the river I think, though, judging from the mud I see, they cross right through a bog. Not too many safe trails through those things, and who’s to say that there’s no Pokémon guarding the one Cosma and the others went down,” Frederick explained. He stood up and pointed to his right, where there were many dead and knocked over trees, along with a pit of steaming mud. “I say we head that way. The trees will make a perfect path across. The smell might be horrible, but it be better than sinkin’ like a rock.”

Ekon thrust himself into the air, squawking as he did. “I’ll go look ahead and see if I can see them. They can’t be far, right?”

Frederick shrugged, looking up at the airborne Noivern. “Can’t say they aren’t. Trails might be useful in where they’re goin’, but not necessarily when they were there. If I was younger I could tell, but the sniffer ain’t as good as it used to be.”

Ekon looked toward the coastline, seeing the winding river come to its mouth. The beach extended to a patch of towering rocks, where he couldn’t see much of anything. As for the bog, he could see the entire mudpit clearly, and thought he could see what could be called a trail made by the trees.

He dove back down to Frederick and Gaiden and said, “Well, don’t see them yet. I’d go ahead, but I’d rather not lose you two like we lost Sion, Ren and Cosma.”

Frederick nodded, walking in the direction he suggested. “Understandable, given the fact that we’re stuck on an island like this...and the fact that we barely survived killer huggers last night.” In the glade, the unconscious forms of dozens of Bewear moaned in pain, regretting their decision to attack the strange Pokémon.

The three made their way to the fallen bog, moving past the scarce trees and soggy earth of the marshland and toward the sinking mud of their chosen path. Soon, blackened fallen trees crisscrossed their way, rotting from the inside out, black sludge dripping from the boughs. Putrid smells drifted from the mudpit, causing the travellers to begin to regret the decision to go this way.

Frederick hacked the horrible gas from his lungs, only to have it re-enter when he breathed in again. “Gah, what horrible stenches linger in this place! Almost as if some nasty sludge made its home here and never left.” Several masses suddenly moved in the mud, skimming along the surface like oil on water.

Ekon drew closer to Frederick and whispered, “You might be on to something there. Just like always, we aren’t alone.” The masses moved once more, with a low growl emanating around them.

Gaiden sprung upward and sprayed a jet of water from his mouth, hitting one of the masses directly. It squealed and drifted away, leaving a trail of multi-coloured slime in its wake.

He landed, looking over to Frederick and Ekon with little care. “You’re right that we aren’t alone, and I think I know what we’re up against, judging by the sounds they make.”

One of the masses rose up and formed a mound of green-and-yellow slime, two arms sprouting out and a mouth filled with teeth coming together at the head. Two large eyes blinked open, staring at the strange new Pokémon with wonder and malice. It skidded along the mud, staying a good distance away from Gaiden, not wanting the results as one of its companions.

Ekon sighed, slapping his face. “There’s even a new variety of Grimer around here. I guess that explains the horrible smell and the rotting trees.” More Grimer formed in the bog, accumulating around the fringe between marshland and mud, where Ekon, Gaiden and Frederick currently gathered.

The Noivern looked to them and said, “I can fly over to the other side and wait for you, if that’ll make it any easier.” A giant, rainbow-colored mass bellowed, forming a vague mound, two tiny eyes and giant maw forming, two small arms raised high in the air.

Frederick growled and said, “Me and Gaiden can take care of them easier than I could bite off a Wingull head. Go ahead and fly off.” Ekon did so, flying high above the rotting logs and Grimer masses, moving toward where the marshland turned to sand, the proposed meeting point.

Frederick took a deep breath and wagged his tail, a misty aura emanating from it. “Only one way to get through sludge like this: clean it up.” He leapt upward and landed on a log, slamming his tail down on the mud. A wave of water blasted from the impact point, pushing away the crowd of Grimer and Muk, thinning their viscous grime.

Frederick cackled, running on the log, the trail behind him sinking into the bog. “You cowards aren’t so tough now, are ya!” One of the Grimer growled and pulled a chunk of sludge from itself, tossing it into the air and letting it fall back into its hand. Others followed suit, all glaring at the Feraligatr.

“Kyogre's rains,” he stammered. The Grimer all launched their slimeballs at Frederick, bits and pieces flying off them as they flew through the air.

Frederick leapt upward once more, landing precariously on an upright tree. The slimeballs landed with a splat on the log, causing it to sink completely under the mud.

Frederick cackled once more, sticking it his tongue. “Ahaha, no way her gonna make me part a yer bog today. I’m outta here!” He leapt once more to another log, more slimeballs splattering against it.

Gaiden stood at the side, his eyes closed. The Grimer, leaving others in the bog to deal with Frederick, turned to him, slime balled up in their hands. They all threw them towards Gaiden, a messy fate seeming certain.

The Greninja opened his eyes, and a torrent of water burst from his mouth once more, blasting away both the slimeballs and Grimer as he swept side-to-side. The thinness of water threatening their existence, the Grimer retreated into the deepest parts of the sludge, aiming to reassemble their battered bodies.

Gaiden gave a slight smirk, and leapt onto a log, landing gracefully and jumping toward another. When he met another crowd of Grimer, he blasted them with his Hydro Pump, leaving them sodden with water.

Eventually, he crossed paths with Frederick, who was waving his arms over a sinking log, no other within leaping distance. “Mind helpin’ a lad out here!” he cried. Gaiden looked around, seeing if there was something he could make a suitable platform from. He looked up, and jumped onto the side of a massive dead tree.

“Gah! Get away you blighters!” Frederick hissed, smacking a Grimer away with his tail. Grimer arose from the depths and began encompassing the sinking log, weighing it down further.

Frederick kicked away a Grimer and shook off the mud, looking up at Gaiden. “Any time now!”

Gaiden leaned against the tree and pushed his legs against another nearby one, grunting. There was a large snap, and the Grimer looked up.

Crack! Splort!

The tree landed on the crowd of Grimer and on the log, causing it to instantly sink into the mud. Frederick had leapt off it and onto the tree, now running along it to the next trail.

Gaiden landed on the log, breathing heavier. Frederick swiftly shook his hand and said, “I owe you a favor for savin’ me from a muddy doom. Now let’s move!” Gaiden agreed, running along the logs and toward the saving grace of the coast.

 

[lucarioknight56]

Excuse the slightly shorter chapter this time; it's hard to get through certain parts you know. Anyways, I wanted to thank everyone who has read halfway through PMDFI, and I wish for you to continue reading the next of this tale. I am letting you know about two changes, one major, one minor. First, I have reduced the number of chapters for Act 2 from 21 to 20. While not a significant change, it will make the process of finishing the story all the faster.

The second change is in my posting schedule. From today onward, I will no longer be posting every Wednesday and Saturday. I will post every other Saturday, essentially every two weeks, from now on. Senior year is starting in just a few days, and this schedule was only suitable for the summer time anyways. I will add that I will try my best to be posting four chapters every two weeks, so that I can ensure that I get my two future stories finished before my two year hiatus (which currently has an undefined start date). Note: This change was also suggested by our fellow user Chaos_Leader, who I will thank for this plan.

Anyways, onto Chapter 30!

Chapter 30: Wimpish Togetherness

The rocks in the fringe of marshland and sand towered above Sion, Ren and Cosma, made a blackish-grey stone, worn and weathered by the elements. Holes dotted the rocks, some smaller than a pinhead, others large enough for Sion to fit inside. The waves crashed nearby, bringing a sense of peace through the air alongside the gentle chirping of the Pikipek. The sand was coarse and gritty, not in the least softened by the ocean, making it no pleasure to walk on.

Cosma darted from one hole to another, enjoying the tiny adventures she had within each one. “Wonder what’s in here? Or in here? Wow, look at this!” she gasped. She carried out a large, smooth rock, black and hardly small enough for her to hold. “I wonder how this got here?” she wheezed, tossing it back into the cave.

“Come on, we can’t get distracted! We have to get to the raft and get over to Bulu, remember?” Ren reminded.

Cosma drooped, hovering down and trailing Sion, moping. “Okay...I just haven’t been to any of the other islands, okay? Bulu has a lot of holes, but they aren’t in rocks like these; I just wanted to see what might be inside.”

“Come on, let her have a little fun; it's not like she’s slowing us down.” Sion argued. Cosma beamed, returning to her fun.

Ren growled to himself, muttering. “I don’t want to have to run away from a bunch of wild Pokémon again. She’s going to make us do exactly that, I’m sure of it.” He groaned. “It’s…humiliating.”

“But it’s better than having to harm a bunch of Pokémon. I only got rid of the Raticate because I knew that would be the only way the Rattata would stop killing the Yungoos. Had it not been for that, I would’ve just run off.” Sion replied.

“But there’s something so satisfying about landing a blow right to the face of somebody that you hate. I thought about doing that a lot to you before, well, this happened.” Ren admitted.

Before Sion could reply, a low rumble emerged from an enormous cave in front of them, sounding like a warning to all who draw near. It yawned before them, a cavern set in a massive boulder the size of a hill.

Cosma hung above them in awe, gazing open-mouthed at the formation. “What do you think’s in there?”

A flat, silver-colored shell scuttled out, looking around it warily. It had two yellow, worried-looking eyes, with a pair of antennae and a purple ring around its pairs of legs. It hugged the ground tightly, as if it was worried about attack from any direction.

It noticed Sion and froze, making a quiet, high-pitched whine. The Zoroark turned to Ren and held up his claws in astonishment. “What did I do?”

Cosma squeezed her eyes shut in thought. “Hmm, I remember seeing one of these guys before, back on Bulu. I remember Chief Kernus saying it was called a Wimpod, and. That they’re afraid of practically everything.”

Ren grinned, glaring at the Wimpod. He stomped his foot down and rose his paws, making it look as if he was going to attack. The Wimpod squealed and scuttled back into the cave, the noise echoing off the walls.

Ren blasted with laughter, holding his sides. “Wimpods are wimps, that’s for sure. Finally, something we don’t have to worry about.”

A dull roar echoed, causing Ren to stifle his enjoyment. It was menacing, wrathful, and almost…protective.

Cosma’s eyes popped open, and she exclaimed, “Oh, now I remember why Kernus told me to stay away from them; their parent Golisopod are usually in a nearby cave!”

Heavy footsteps echoed through the cavern, another roar reaching the three’s ears. Coming into the light, a massive silver-plated Pokemon charged forward, with large black eyes and two huge arms, spread outwards and ready for attack.

The Golisopod went after Ren, swiping at him with the claws. Ren leapt backward and landed, skidding against the ground. The Golisopod’s claws glowed with white light, and it slashed at Ren repeatedly, the Lucario jumping to the side to avoid it.

“Wasn’t expecting that thing! Is there anything else I should know Cosma?” Ren demanded, throwing a punch against the Golisopod’s chest. There was a sharp crack, and the Golisopod roared in pain, while Ren clutched his throbbing paw. “Argh! Why’s it so hard?”

Sion caught Cosma and began running in the other direction, toward the last stretch of sand before the cave. “Come on, let’s just make a run for it!”

Ren now wrestled with the Golisopod, his paws within the grip of the massive claws. “Uh, little busy here!” he shouted. He yelled mightily and twisted his arms to his right, causing the Golisopod to slam against a pillar.

The Golisopod let go of the Lucario, punching the pillar, causing it to shatter into pebbles. It turned back around, searching for the one who assaulted its young. The Lucario was nowhere to be seen, as where its two companions.

Enraged at having lost its prey, it charged toward another pillar, and heard a grunt of exertion. It crashed through the pillar and whipped around, searching for the source of the noise. It a tinkling of metal, and on top of a pillar it saw a flash of white-grey light.

A pulse of metallic energy crashed against the side of Golisopod, blasting it into another structure, causing it to collapse, boulders of diverse sizes landing on the wild Pokemon. It moaned in pain, remaining under the boulders.

Ren appeared where the light was previously, his paws thrust outward in the delivery of a Flash Cannon. “Heh, that was easier than I thought it would be. How didn’t it notice me?” He felt a tap on his shoulder, causing him to turn, seeing Sion atop the rock alongside him.

He yelped in surprise, nearly slipping of the pillar. “When did you get there?”

Sion chuckled to himself, raising his claws. “It’s really easy to sneak up on Pokemon when you’re invisible. How do you think you caught the Golisopod so easily?”

Ren grinned, nodding his head appreciatively. “You sneaky—”

They both fell as the Golisopod charged into their pillar, causing more rocks to cascade on it, and its two targets to be within reaching distance. It gave a mighty roar as tendrils of water began to surround it, scraping its feet against the ground, with Ren right in front of it.

Sion groaned, holding his head. He saw Ren pick himself up from the rubble, rearing his fist back. The Golisopod thrust forward with jets of water, slamming into Ren and throwing him into a pillar. The Golisopod roared victoriously as Ren groaned.

“That wild beast may just take care of the descendant of Laryon for you. Leave him be, and you won’t have to be concerned for him any longer.” The voice advised Sion, slightly smoother and liquid than before.

The Golisopod stomped forward, raising its claws high, glowing with white energy once more. Ren looked up, rolling away, causing the Golisopod to strike the rocks below. While it recovered, Ren came around and punched the softer purple area of the beast, orange waves emanating off the area. The Golisopod roared, swinging its arms after Ren. Ren ducked beneath it and threw another Power-Up Punch, the orange waves growing brighter. The Golisopod growled, looking at the Lucario. It turned toward its cave and ran into it, the menacing Pokemon remaining inside its abode.

Ren rubbed his paw, cringing. “Yeesh, that thing is harder than I thought it’d be. At least it ran off though.”

Cosma reappeared above him, pointing to the distant cave. “Let’s get to that cave! I want to see Chief Kernus again!” She darted past the pillars and toward the coast, the final leg of their journey to the raft.

Ren stood alongside Sion, patting him on the back. “Clever idea, making me invisible. We can work pretty well if we get around not liking each other.” He at first had a hopeful expression, but it quickly turned to regret, a light thought being destroyed by a dark. He ran after Cosma, leaving Sion to consider his words.

“What does he know about your abilities? You could have prevented the entire encounter by allowing the descendant of Laryon be destroyed, as I have told you many times. What good has he done for you on this journey? What will he do to complete your purpose?” The voice inquired. Sion felt compelled to agree, seeing as Ren had not done anything useful across Lele island except drive off the Golisopod, and even then, it had attacked them because of his idiocy.

“If you wish to survive the Forgotten Isles and bring to pass what you will wish, let the Lucario die. He will be a weight off your shoulders, a pain soothed, a dagger away from your back. You don’t think he will ever consider you a friend, do you? Because he won’t. A descendant of Laryon would never trust a descendant of Arthus. Accept that.” The voice added, a heaviness descending on Sion’s heart. His head felt heavy, and he felt that he couldn’t think of anything of his own. It was like the voice was making a physical presence in his mind.

“Come on Sion, the cave’s just over here!” Cosma exclaimed.

The darkness immediately vanished, and Sion felt he could think again. He held his head, resting from the brief but powerful encounter, and soon began running after Cosma and Ren, where the massive cave rested on a cliff alongside the gentle waves of Lele.

~~~~

“You sure we should be here right now Matheus? You know he doesn’t like visitors.” Hoopa stammered, looking around nervously. In a field of jagged rocks, a massive storm booming overhead, he and Matheus progressed toward a winding tunnel, where a single light penetrated through the deep darkness.

“We can’t go to the Forgotten Isles, the mist made sure of that. If we expect to help get rid of those Ultra Beasts, Mewtwo’s our best bet!” Matheus retorted, scrambling the last hill. The seas around the Isle of Regret roiled with fury, the dinghy the Legend and Myth arrived in bobbing up and down in the massive waves.

Hoopa came in front of Matheus, blocking the way to the tunnel. “But how do you know that he’ll actually listen to us? He hasn’t left this place for hundreds of years! He doesn’t care about the outside world anymore.”

Matheus pushed past him, the dim light of the cave growing brighter. “The last time he helped, he made sure that Laryon and I could defeat Arthus, and that was so he could continue to live. I’m sure having Ultra Space combined with Equivos would make that a tad difficult, don’t you agree?” He entered the cave, and stepped back and gasped.

The treasures that he had seen the last time he had been on the Isle of Regret were gone, replaced a single blazing torch, shining over nine remaining relics. Gold coins were scattered across the floor, remnants of a great hoard, with the occasional jewel shining back torchlight. Scratches and char gouged into the sides of the cavern, a faint trail of blood leading from the center of the room to where Matheus stood.

Hoopa came in, eyes wide. “What…what happened here?”

“Thievery happened, that’s what.”

Matheus and Hoopa spun around and saw the imposing lavender figure of Mewtwo standing above them, his face contorted with fury. His hands glowed with fiery purple energy, and his tail snaked around anxiously, waiting to use his pent-up rage. He was covered with scars and scabs, and his right eye was still slightly swollen from a vicious attack.

Mewtwo chuckled maliciously, stepping away. “No more than a week ago, I came here to discover my treasures stolen, with only my most precious ones spared. If it wasn’t for my psychic protections, I would have lost those as well. Decades of dungeon looting and decades more of safeguarding have resulted in this.”

He raised his hands, the fiery aura directed at Matheus. “So tell me, Deity Elect, why have you come? My debt has been repaid, and you have done nothing to warrant further help. Let my hatred towards your thieving kind be left on this island, and not on you unless you leave.”

Matheus stamped his foot and bellowed, “I have never stolen from a fellow Pokemon in such a manner! This is disgraceful and completely insane, stealing from one of the most powerful Legends Equivos has!” He then added, “I have come to bargain with you. Beings known as Ultra Beasts—”

“I know all about the Ultra Beasts, Arthus’ cloak, and the little expedition that went over to the Forgotten Isles, Matheus. I don’t care! I tire of tolerating this world and all its kind, for what it has done to me, and what it has given me! I helped you recover your strength, but I also gave Arthus the key to the world’s destruction. What makes you think I’d prevent Ultra Space from coming to us?” Mewtwo roared.

He doused his flames, gesturing to the sky. “Ultra Space will not kill us as you think, but it will change us! The atmosphere and energy of their dimension will affect our bodies in such a way that we can wield it, becoming Ultra Beasts ourselves! It will be a mutation, just like me!” Mewtwo clenched his fists and punched the wall, causing several rocks to fall from the ceiling. He gave a shuddering sigh, squeezing his eyes shut.

Matheus came closer, holding his paws out defensively. “You aren’t being reasonable right now Mewtwo. We can’t let the Ultra Beasts take Equivos. The world would get thrown into chaos once everyone begins to mutate. Isn’t that what Arthus wants, to make the world go down in flames so he could make his perfect vision? He still has his gift, and once Yveltal rises again, he will survive and create his perfect beings, destroying all in his way. Do you want to let that happen?”

Mewtwo gave Matheus an evil glare, and turned away. “There’s only one way to prevent that, and it is to close the gate between our worlds. Only two Pokemon can do that, and they are both gone. We have to rely on their children to do that for us, and what makes you think they’ll succeed? They have a ticking time bomb of disaster waiting for them, and it is in the form of Illusion Zoroark. He is the last remaining descendant of Arthus, so what makes you think the Usurper will spare him now that he’s in his clutches?” he sneered. “Besides, what makes you think I could do anything about it? If a Legend and Myth like yourselves couldn’t get past the mist, what makes you think I can?”

Matheus stepped closer, inches away from Mewtwo. “Because you can tap into the minds of every Pokemon in existence! You reached into my and Laryon’s mind in a time of need, and you told me to ignore my past and change the future. That set me straight in that horrible time, where I felt inadequate for the care of Laryon.”

He clutched Mewtwo’s hand and looked him in the eye. “So tell me Mewtwo, can you ignore what Pokemon have done to you like you have done for so many years, and focus on saving your future?”

The thunder crashed overhead as the words hung in the air, the psychic Pokemon staring Matheus in the eyes as he considered his question. The torch flickered behind him, the sign of his former glory burning strong despite the storm that surrounded it outside.

Mewtwo took Matheus’ paw and set his other hand on top of it, shaking it. “You have saved me once again Matheus. First a strike on my body, then a strike on my sanity. Years of being alone have worn on me, and I so wish to be an influence once again.”

He took back his hands, setting them on his sides. “But I must tell you, the Mist Wall is not so easily surmounted. I am capable of many things, but the fallen gate is of cosmic qualities; I cannot break it.”

Hoopa finally cut in and exclaimed, “Walls can be climbed over, right? Isn’t there some way around this wall that you can take?”

Mewtwo cocked his head in curiosity, then smiled slyly.

“There is.”