Free Exploration at Seashore Beach, Western Territory of the Guild of Roaring Thunder
Kaiyou
Kaiyou sprinted on all fours, moving across the dunes as fast as possible. The sand was hot beneath his feet, scorching the skin that touched it. Though this wasn't exactly the most comfortable way to travel, he knew it was necessary. He didn't know the waters here well, and, for all he knew, danger lurked around every corner. No, it was best that he kept to the land until he had a better option. The water was just too dangerous for travel.
He hadn't run a mission solo before, but he'd been on plenty of missions in the past with various members of his team; this mission couldn't be simpler... Well, simpler in theory, that is. In truth, he was here on a very important basis.
Two of the Pokemon in their guild were on death's doorstep, gravely poisoned while completing a mission of their own. The news was all over the guild, circulating through the voices and documents of every team. Notices had been slipped under every door, praying for some sort of response.
Unfortunately for the two guild members involved, lesser-ranked teams had been deemed unprepared for the mission, and the majority of higher-ranked individuals were away on business of their own. In the end, he'd been left to find the cure for the females of Team Polaris, and had been the first and only one to respond...
The first victim was someone only known as Chronicler. He didn't know much about her, only that she needed help. He couldn't say he wasn't determined to give that help, either.
The second victim was a Houndour by the name of Morana; the team's leader. He'd met the girl before, though they hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms.
In truth, he'd been new to the guild, and mistook her for the enemy in a battle. A well-placed Hydro Pump, and... well, it certainly hadn't ended well. The poor Fire-type and her partner, a Larvitar, hadn't been terribly pleased. Though he'd apologized to their team, he still felt responsible for that incident.
Maybe this was the time to repay them for his mistake. ...No. This mission wasn't for ridding himself of personal guilt. That had to be the most selfish thing he'd ever thought of. This was to save Morana's life, not his conscience!
Frustrated with himself, the Marshtomp carried on, running through the dunes of sand.
The Marshtomp leaped high over a small pool of water, lifting his heels into the air as he jumped.
The Krabby wasn't far behind him, it's claws snapping rather menacingly. Though he hated to turn tail and run from a fight, there just wasn't enough time.
Morana was counting on him to complete the mission, and he couldn't let her down. He couldn't let his team down... let himself down...
He let out a sharp yelp of pain, feeling something pinch hard on his leg, and pulling him up short in his leap. He snapped hurriedly out of his thoughts, turning to look at the Krabby that now held him tightly in his grasp.
The Marshtomp kicked hard, feeling the Krabby release him with a surprised, and possibly pained click of it's pincers, and the Marshtomp hurriedly leaped from it's grasp. He swung his arm around, throwing a powerful Ice Punch into the crab-Pokemon's face, and grabbing the edges of it's shell between his short, stubby fingers. Held like this, it wouldn't be able to hurt him, and he swung it into the ocean with a swift throw.
The sand slipped into the waters, and a final Muddy Water sent the now sand-filled current reeling back from the shoreline. The Krabby most likely wouldn't make it back to the shore for hours, and Kai felt that it was safe to carry on.
The Marshtomp twisted, examining his leg. It was already bruising, and he felt that he'd probably damaged his foot a little bit, but the Krabby's strike hadn't broken the skin.
With no danger of infection, he tested his foot, letting himself put weight on the heel once more. It hurt, but it didn't feel THAT bad. He'd be able to run on it for the time being, and he could deal with any damage later.
Moving a little slower due to the injury to his heel, the Marshtomp once again set off down the beach, limping slightly as he ran.
Kaiyou waded through the shallows, moving into deeper water. The salty liquid was cool on his skin, enveloping his body as he slipped into it's embrace.
His head ducked under the water, and his eyes opened wide, blinking repeatedly to adjust to the salty tang of the ocean. He felt his senses kick in, his sonar beginning to scan the ocean around him for other bodies and land masses.
He moved fluidly through the salt water, diving deeper. His strong hind legs kicked at the water, propeling him further. It felt strange, to be swimming freely again, but, at the same time, it felt good. He twisted in the water, his stubby fingers feeling the sand beneath him.
A small Goldeen weaved past him, staring at him as it circled 'round. He blinked at it, confused.
"Hi!" It squeaked, looking surprisingly cheerful. It's voice was high-pitched. Soft. Most likely, the Goldeen was still young, judging from that, combined with it's tiny size. It swam in a swift circle, tapping his forehead with an orange-dappled fin.
Impatient, and determined to complete his mission, the Marshtomp nudged the little fish away from him. "Bye." He told it firmly, swimming off, and continuing to move into the deep.
He could sense the Goldeen following, swimming swiftly along behind him. It gripped his injured ankle in it's fins, causing Kaiyou to pause, wincing.
"Please remove yourself from my person." He sighed heavily, his voice remaining firm. He really wasn't great with kids. They were annoying and dependant. Surely this thing had a parent somewhere...?
He turned around, about to swim off again, and found himself face to face with the same little Goldeen. "Hi again! Want t-"
The Marshtomp held up a hand, interrupting the child. "Look, kid. My friend's in danger, okay? I don't have TIME to help you right now. Maybe another time, okay?" He told it sternly, swimming around it and continuing off.
The water was dappled with light, twisting weirdly across the sandy bottom. If he'd had the time, it might have been nice to stop and watch, but as it was, his mad dash through the ocean's waters left no time to stop and admire the scenery.
"I can help! I can help!" Came the return of the squeaky voice. It seemed to split the Marshtomp's skull, that voice did. Irritating.
He ignored the Goldeen entirely, continuing to swim, but the voice continued. "You have a friend? I bet you have lots of friends! You're so cool!"
Well, at least it was only half-stupid.
"What's wrong with your friend? Did their parents ground them? They should know better than to sneak out alone!"
Nevermind. Definitely not an intelligent mind to go with that chalkboard-grinding voice.
At least it's strange ways seemed to confirm his thoughts; it was definitely young. Maybe around four years old? It wasn't terribly intelligent, as was usual, for a little child. He wasn't even sure of it's gender, at this point.
"Would you just leave me alone? I need to find Phione, and you're wasting my time."
The Goldeen seemed ecstatic at this, hurriedly swimming ahead of the Marshtomp. "OH! Your friends are sick-sick! Okay~" It squealed, seeming, if possible, even more annoying and energetic. "I know where to find Phione! Phi-Phi are easy-peasy to find! They're EVERYWHERE!"
It waved it's fins all around it, and Kai scanned the area with a swift sonar reading.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Granted, that there were a few stones nearby, but nothing terribly interesting.
He sighed heavily. "Look, if you know where Phione is, just take me to it. None of this 'everywhere' crap. My friend's life is at stake, here." He snapped impatiently, narrowing his eyes at the Goldeen.
It's bottom lip began to wobble, and it's body trembled. It looked as though it was about to cry, despite being underwater.
It swam away as fast as it's fins would carry it, wailing at an obnoxiously high pitch.
Just joyous. With his luck, the psychotic little thing would end up telling it's parents that he'd been abusive or something of the like. He swam off, determined to be out of the area before the freakish little fish returned. If he was lucky, he might run into Phione on his way.
Unfortunately for Kaiyou, luck was hard to come by.
"I haven't seen Phione here in over a year." The Corsola remarked quietly, turning to look at it's friend. "Have you, Micky?"
The second Corsola, just as ancient as the first bounced slightly in response, drooling.
"Yes, well, I suppose that settles it. Sorry, dear, but I'm afraid you'll just have to keep looking..." The pink, coral-like Pokemon told the Marshtomp, looking sincerely apologetic.
Kaiyou grimaced, looking desperately between the two. "Are you sure? You must have seen at least one! Can't you tell me anything that might help me?!" He pleaded, holding out his hands in desperation.
The Corsola looked at each other, and the female turned back to him with a frown. "Why do you want to find Phione, anyway?" She demanded to know. "Phione are peaceful; we've never had anyone from the guilds come to hunt one down before." Her tone seemed scathing, and the Marshtomp winced.
"I'm not here to hurt anyone, honest! I'm just here to get some magical dew drop thing and get out. My friend's been badly poisoned. She'll die if I don't get back in time!"
The female Corsola seemed surprised, but said nothing. Instead, the male spoke. Whereas he'd been drooling before he now seemed to behave almost... intelligently. "Your cause is a worthy one, but you won't find Phione here. If it's Phione Dew you're seeking, you'd be wise to search the reef."
His voice was calm and even, though crackling with age. He seemed surprisingly wise. Kaiyou could only guess that his former level of intelligence was an act, to deter others from identifying him, or something similar.
In any case, it was the mention of a reef that he found most interesting. He'd never heard of a coral reef in the area. "...Reef?" He questioned simply, noticing a little late that the male Corsola had already returned to it's previous, drooling state.
The female chuckled.
"Uhhh.... is he quite alright?" Kai asked quietly, staring at the male. He seemed a little bit... off.
"His mind comes and goes, Dearie. No need to fuss over it." She replied calmly, before continuing to answer his previous question. "As for the reef, you'll find it just past the edge of the sandbar to the South. The drop-off is quite steep, but the view is lovely. My hubbie and I visit quite often fo-"
Kai waved a hand to cut her off. "Sorry, sorry, but I REALLY don't have the time right now. Thank you for the help!" He told her hurriedly, before turning and swimming off in the said direction.
He steadily picked up speed, and was gone within a few moments, disappearing into the swift-moving surf.
The pair of Corsola glanced at each other, looking sad.
"Was that really necessary, Sweetie? He seemed so sincere..." The female asked softly.
The Goldeen rose up behind the Corsola, shaking the sand off it's body. "It's ALWAYS necessary. You know the rules. Outsiders must be destroyed."
The elderly Corsola sighed unhappily. "Outsiders must be destroyed..." The Water-type repeated sadly. She was too old for such senseless violence...
Kai scanned the water around him, flicking his fins to propel him forward.
The area around him appeared flat and barren, and though the water had certainly gotten deeper, he hadn't see any sort of sandbar, drop-off, OR reef. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he got the feeling that the Corsola had sent him astray. He'd wasted too much of his time searching here.
Morana and Chronicler needed the Phione Dew quickly, and this misguided charade was taking too long. He just didn't have the time to waste, and the fact seemed to eat him alive from the inside out.
He paused, looking around him one last time. Surely there must have been something... Something flickered in the distance, just at the very edge of his sonar.
He swam closer, trying to get within range. His sonar focused in, pulling tight around the object.
For a moment, he was purely confused. It wasn't that he didn't recognize the shape... He was just confused as to how a rock was bobbing up and down in seemingly calm waters. A little bit freaked out, and purely at a loss of where to go next, he moved in closer, swimming toward the strange, floating rock on the surface.
His head broke through the waves and he spluttered, gasping for breath. His lungs refilled, and he could feel water streaming out of his gills.
As he opened his eyes, he found himself floating alone, with no rock in sight. Maybe he'd been confused, because there was definitely no rock around him. In truth, he couldn't really see anything, other than the waves.... He'd ventured so far from shore.
The Water-type, genuinely ashamed of his failure, slashed angrily at the water with his arm, trying to figure out exactly where he was. He couldn't see any kind of landmark, and his sonar had already lost track of the course he'd taken. In the end, he decided just to pick a direction, and go with it. In all honesty, it couldn't really get worse. He just needed to find SOMETHING, ANYTHING, and maybe he could find his way back in time...
He let out a disheartened sigh, and ducked his head back underwater, gasping through his gills. He opened his eyes again, only to find himself face to face with an oddly familiar creature; in fact, it reminded him a lot of Gary, though more intelligent, most likely...
The Slowking waved a hand in front of his face, frowning. "You're not very bright, are you?" It sighed at him, frowning. "You ought to be more careful about who you take directions from in an area you're not accustomed to."
Kaiyou blinked. Several times. "W-wait! Who the hell are you, then? How can I trust you?" Kai demanded to know, poking the Slowking in the nose.
The dual Psychic-type waved his hand away, still frowning. Maybe his face was just stuck like that. It seemed a feasible explanation to him.
"You can trust me, simply because you have no other choice." He answered, staring at Kaiyou with his unnervingly blank eyes. "You have to get back to the shore; the one safe direction to travel. All other paths lead to death."
"Errr..... You're scaring me a little bit..." Kai admitted, backing up, he felt more than a little uncomfortable with the strange guy in front of him. What he wouldn't do to have Lumon with him just then...
"Look. You got tricked into coming to the outlands, Lad. The coral reef is the other way; you're headed straight for the open ocean. All sorts of trouble's gonna find you out there, I'll tell you that much."
Kai arched an eyebrow, rather suspicious. "Why would the Corsola trick me? They seemed nice enough, and so far you're just creeping me out."
The Slowking poked the Marshtomp in the stomach, pushing him back. "BECAUSE; the shore-residents are introverted. Closed-minded. Anything from outside their world is dangerous. It must be destroyed. Heaven knows how many times they've tried to kill my family, mate." The Slowking continued, waving a hand for the Marshtomp to follow. "Come on, Lad. I know you still don't trust me. but you've got no choice. Let's just try and find you some dry land."
Kai started to follow, before stopping dead, shaking his head vigorously. "No. I can't go back just yet. I need to find Phione!"
The Slowking looked at him strangely, tilting his head. "You don't look like you're in that sort o' trouble, Lad." He commented dryly.
"It's not for me, idiot! It's for my friends! If Morana and Chronicler don't get Phione Dew, they're going to die! I came here to get it for them.... I'm their only hope, at this point..." Kaiyou's voice faded, looking upset. He couldn't let the two die...
This mission was taking a turn for the worse, and he just didn't know what to do anymore. He felt lost. Entirely, and totally lost.
The Slowking stared at him a little bit, adjusting his strange, Shellder crown. It always struck Kaiyou as odd, to have the Shellder change form like that...
The Slowking popped the crown off his head, interrupting Kaiyou's trail of thought entirely, and causing the Marshtomp to yelp in shock.
The Slowking, calm and relaxed, simply reached inside his crown, and pulled out a piece of soggy, water-logged paper, before popping the crown right back onto his head.
He rolled up the paper, and handed it to Kai, who accepted it awkwardly, and staring at it as he held it between his fingers. It felt strange and sticky. Still stiff. ...In truth, it didn't seem to be wet at all. "Amazing... You used some sort of oil to coat the page, right? To water-proof it?" Kaiyou guessed.
The Psychic-type nodded. "It still has to be oiled on a regular basis, though. To keep the water from wearing through to the paper." He replied calmly.
Kai unrolled it carefully, trying not to smudge the oil around with his stubby fingertips. "What exactly is this thing, anyway?" He asked, staring at the paper. "Some sort of map?"
The Slowking nodded.
It was indeed a map; of the shoreline, to be specific. Every jut of land, every sandbar, and even the coral reef; it was all thoroughly marked out on the piece of paper. It was genius, how much data the Slowking had managed to cram into one map. Everything was writing in tiny handwriting, clear as day. It must have taken weeks to write everything out without smudging anything...
"You're... giving this to me?" He asked suddenly, looking up at the older Water-type.
The Slowking chuckled. "Obviously. I have the whole thing memorized and catelogged at home on my cave wall. I'll rewrite it another time." He answered, waving his hand, as he seemed to do only too often. He seemed to accompy his speech with hand gestures on a regular basis.
"So, Lad, the main point of this map, is that we, are HERE." The Slowking pointed at a spot on the map, being very precise in where he places the tip of his chubby, pink finger.
Kai's heart sank. They were so far from the shore that it might take another twenty minutes to return to the shore... And then he didn't even know where to go from there...
The Slowking must have recognized the look of desperation on the Marshtomp's face, because it was just moments later that he continued to talk, raising Kai's hopes in the process. "Which is actually not a bad thing. You seem reasonably strong." The Slowking noted. "There is a small bridge of shallow waters here. It's dangerous, but not as deadly as much of the waters around here. If you can follow the shallow waters safely, you should be able to reach the reef within fifteen minutes of steady swimming. There, you'll have a much better chance of finding Phione." He explained, moving his finger across the map to indicate Kaiyou's path.
Kai looked a little uncomfortable, though his spirits better than they'd been previously. "Why doesn't it show the bridge of land on this map...?" He questioned quietly, casting the Slowking a suspicious glance.
"Because it's very small, point of fact, and very secret. The locals here don't know much about it; too afraid, y'see. You might not even notice it, on passing. Just swim North for about five minutes, and turn. You'll be straight on the path to the coral reef."
He finished, rolling up the map in Kai's hands. "I wish you good luck on your travels." The strange, slightly confusing Slowking saluted him, and swam off toward what Kai now knew as deeper water.
"Uhhh.... Isn't that the wrong way?" He questioned cautiously.
"Not for me. My home is this way. The locals are bloody nuts, Lad." Came the reply.
Kaiyou sighed. Would no one in this area show any signs of sanity?
"You ARE a local!" He called out sharply, before swimming off toward what he had determined was North. The Slowking had helped him out, yeah, but he'd still rather not meet up with him again. Something just felt... off... about him.
The Marshtomp floated in the current, blasting the sand and water around him with sonar at every opportunity.
The water was alive with soundwaves, ringing in his ears. If there were any other Pokemon near, with any sort of underwater hearing, they'd be disoriented, hopefully enough to stay away from him. He didn't want to run into any more locals until he'd found the path to the reef.
He'd been swimming for a while, and he'd traveled further than expected, the current pushing him on. It was nearly dawning on the five minute mark, and he had yet to see the famed sandbar that the Slowking had spoken of. Sure, he'd said it was small, but even the slightest elevation in the ocean floor should have been noticable; picked up by sonar.
With a disgruntled hiss, the Marshtomp turned, facing the deeper water ahead.
The current was too swift for a proper evaluation with soundwaves, and it would be risky.
Pulling out the oil-slicked map, he unrolled it, peering once again at the carefully labelled areas. It seemed still in good shape, even unprotected by the Slowking's crown, as it had once been sheltered, and the words were easily visible, coated in wax.
He nodded to himself, reading over the map, and running his finger along the path. The terrain where he was swimming seemed identical to the place marked on the map, and he felt confident in crossing. It was possible that the current had simply swept away part of the sandbar, and he just couldn't notice it.
Rolling the map back up, he tucked it away, preparing to dive into the current. He would need every ounce of his energy for the swim across the jetstream, and the deeper water would easily sweep him away if he wasn't paying attention.
He inhaled deeply, and kicked his legs, his scarred fins propeling him straight into the current. Immediately, he could sense and feel the sharp, dangerous tug of the water, pulling him away from his goal. It took all of his concentration to focus, to keep on track, and not let himself be swept away.
He could sense other things in the current, too. Small Pokemon. Mainly fish-like ones, flashing by in the current. He supposed, if the shore was your target, the stream would carry you there pretty quick. However, he quickly realized that there were things larger than he in the current, and one of the was strikingly familiar, and very angry.
He stopped swimming, letting the current pull him away. He began to swim with it, instead of against it, barely escaping death at the pincers of a very large, and furious Kingler. It's claws were massive, and it's eyes gleaming with hatred.
Something told him that he'd made an enemy in throwing the Krabby off the beach, and now he was paying the price.
He swam faster, trying to use the current as a booster to escape the sharp, painful death that hounded him.
He felt a blunt strike once more to his ankle, and the Marshtomp cried out in pain, spinning to face the Kingler behind him.
However, as he turned, the current caught his body full force, knocking the breath from his body, and sending him down the jetstream with a flash of bubbles.
Kaiyou awoke, his eyes fluttering open.
He groaned softly, trying to regain feeling in his limbs as he rolled in the dry sand. He sputtered and coughed, clearing his lungs of anything that might have gotten lodged, though he had a feeling it was mainly sand in his throat.
He turned around, looking for any signs of the locals nearby, and found himself face to face with the male Corsola, blinking at him.
Though Corsola tended to look a lot alike, he felt determined that this was the same one he'd met before. He recognized the glazed look in it's eyes, and the old, scarred scratches on it's coral-like apendages.
It drooled rather stupidly, and Kaiyou frowned at him. "I know you're not stupid, so cut the act." He snapped at it, irritated. "Why'd you lie to me? Send me all the way out there? It's a wasteland, that's what it is. No reef anywhere!"
He continued to glare at the Water-type, who remained motionless and staring. Kai's angry expression faded. "Nevermind... Just... nevermind. I'll find Phione on my own. I'm not leaving until I have dew to bring back with me." He informed it, frowning.
He felt empty, depressed. Looking at the Sun in the sky, he wasn't sure how long he'd been out for, or where he was. Even the map he'd been given, rolled up tightly, and coated in wax, was gone, only fragments of mushy paper clinging to his skin.
He let his eyes slide shut for a moment, trying to regain his composure. This was the worst possible thing to happen; to be so lost, so confused... when his guildmates needed his help. If he didn't find help soon, they'd be dead. Maybe they already were. He didn't know. He didn't even know if he was on the right part of the beach.
"Look, Sonny, you're gonna have to be quieter, alright?"
The shiny Marshtomp's eyes went wide, and he looked up at the Corsola.
He blinked at Kai, his eyes no longer glazed over. A moment of clarity, and just in time. "I wouldn't have lied to you, but I had no choice. We was tellin' you the truth, up 'til the direction o' travel."
"You've met a young Goldeen 'round these parts, I'm guessing? Really high, sqeaky voice?"
Kaiyou nodded with a grimace, and the Corsola seemed to agree.
"She might not look like it, but she's older than I am, and I'm 73 years old." It continued, causing Kaiyou to be more than a little bit alarmed. "She's a right nasty piece of work. Thinks outsiders are unpure, or some righteous nonsense. She says they have to be destroyed at all costs, and she'll beat the crap out of anyone who crosses her wrong."
Kaiyou continued to nod, opening his mouth to reply, before a loud spashing noise cut him off entirely.
The massive Kingler emerged from the waves, eying him closely.
The injured Marshtomp flinched, crouching down close to the sand. He couldn't run on his busted heel, and he didn't want to flee, to transport himself back to the guild... Morana and Chronicler would never get the Phione Dew, then...
But the Kingler drew nearer... and stopped. It seemed to almost smile at him.
"This 'ere is Bernie. He doesn't speak much, but he's a right friendly old fellow. Known him since I was a babe." The old Corsola babbled, rocking back at forth in the sand next to Kaiyou.
"When I heard from little Jim about you nearing the surf, he was the one who tried to head you off, steer you clear of Theresa. That's the Goldeen we was talkin' 'bout, ya' see? But you threw him right 'round, must of tossed him twenty yards. He was rather deluded once he got back to me. Said there was a fighter, a young'un in the area. I knew he must'a b'n talkin' 'bout you, havin' met you m'self, but I was pretty surprised, to hear the tale he spun. Longer than my attention span, and that's sayin' somethin'."
Kai tilted his head, hoping dearly that the Corsola would eventually get to the point.
"Anyway, assumin' from the map bits we found all over, you ran into that old nut of a Slowking, right?"
Kaiyou frowned, growling deep in his throat. "He lied to me. He had me throw myself right into the current! There WAS no sandbar! I could have died!" He snapped angrily, and the Corsola nodded understandingly.
"He really is a nice fella, but he's a little bit.... errr.... lackin' in the brain cells, y'see. He got knocked in the head a few good times as a young'un, like yerself. Hasn't b'n right since. Can't tell up from right, and backward from left. His maps are always scewed somehow, so I can't say I can blame ye' fer bein' angry. Jus' know that he didn't mean teh set you on the wrong path, young'un. He meant well." The Corsola continued on, causing Kaiyou to hold his head in his hands, frustrated.
"Look, I appreciate the help and all, but I really have to get going... My friends, the Phione Dew..." He reminded the old local as politely as he could manage.
"Oh, ri', ri'." The old Corsola replied casually, waving his stubby leg. "You get on ol' Bernie 'ere, and he'll take ye' to the reef. He won't go in 'imself, 'cause o' the coral an' such, but he'll get you to there safe and such."
Kai nodded, accepting the helping claw that was offered to him. He clung tightly to the Kingler's pinsir, feeling it lift him from the sand, and deposit him gently behind it's crown.
The Kingler was larger than usual, possibly around five feet, instead of the general four, but, if anything, that made it easier to hold onto. Kai himself was larger than normal, too, so it probably made carrying his bulk a little bit less challenging...
"Thanks, Bernie." He told the Kingler sincerely, and it blinked at him in response.
"Kiiiiiingler." It told him back. Kai tilted his head slightly. The Corsola hadn't been joking about the speech troubles...
"So, what about the crazy Goldeen chick? You can't just leave her running around like that; someone's going to get hurt!" He told the Corsola, hoping for the best. With Kingler as large and strong as the one he sat on, surely they had someone who could bring Theresa down?
The Water-type shook his head. "No one here has the guts of man-power to take her down, and well, you're a strong fella...." He paused, looking awkwardly at the Marshtomp.
Kaiyou frowned deeply. Well that made things a little bit trickier.
He felt a jolt of shock, suddenly realizing how expectantly the old Corsola was staring at him. "You want me to get rid of her, in exchange for the help." He accused, looking a little bit angry. He'd been thinking that this free ride was an apology, for leading him astray before. No such luck.
"Well, Son, I can't say that's not what I was hopin'..."
Kai sighed. "Look, if I run into her, I'll tear her apart myself, but I don't have the time to go searching for her. I have to get that Phione Dew as fast as possible. Is it a deal?" He offered the Corsola.
He felt a burst of relief as the pink Pokemon paused, nodding firmly. "It's a deal, Son. Now Bernie, you keep that young'un outta trouble, y'hear? He's an important friend o' ours, alright?"
The Kingler let out another primal response, unable to speak, and scuttled off toward the water, with Kai clinging tightly to it's back. All he could think about was how grateful he was to not have to swim or walk for a while.
Still sitting on top of Bernie's shell, Kai held his ankle in the air, examining it closely. It had definitely taken a few hard hits so far, and it didn't look like it would be an easy task to take down Theresa with his leg messed up as it was. Hopefully he wouldn't be running into her scaly skin anytime soon.
He tapped Bernie's shell politely. "Hey Bernie? Is there any seaweed there that I might be able to make use of?" He asked the giant crab carefully.
"Kiiiiiing!" Bernie replied happily, pulling up several strands of it with ease, his sharp claws tearing the thick, grass-like plant without trouble.
"Thanks, Bernie. You're a good guy." He informed him, having learned over the past twenty minutes that Bernie was a very sensitive crab. One had to be very nice to him, and keep his spirits up, or he'd slow, getting depressed and clumsy. Luckily for Kaiyou, the task of keeping the simple-minded beast was easy. All he needed was a few kind words to keep him happy with the world.
"Kiiiinnnngggg~" The Kingler sang delightfully, swimming along the surface at a reasonable speed.
Kai, now with an armload of seaweed, set to work rinsing them down with a Water Gun, trying to get the sand, salt, and silt from the leaves. It took a few extra minutes, but it made them clean enough to serve as a sort of binding for his ankle, and within five minutes, his leg was firmly secured, so that he could swim without trouble.
"How far are we from the reef, Bernie?" He asked the Kingler, who, again, wordlessly replied. His voice was happy, though, so Kai could assume it meant 'almost there', or something similar.
"Thanks." He told it again, tying the final knot on his ankle bindings.
Seaweed was surprisingly strong and flexible. He'd have to tell Luna about it sometime, to see if it could be used in the medical field at all.
A sudden halt had the Marshtomp nearly tumbling through the Kingler's crown, and Kai stood up, peering over the sharp spikes to see what had caused the hold-up. "Bernie? What's up?" He asked the crab.
"Kiiiiiiinglllllllerrrrrr~" It sang in response, waving a claw ahead of it.
Kai peered closely at the waves, smiling as he caught a glimpse of brightly-coloured coral through the surf. "Good job, Bernie!" He congratulated it happily, patting his shell.
Finally, after so long searching, he'd been able to find the reef. Now, all he had to do was find Phione.
"King, King!" Bernie told him, helping him down into the waves.
Kai gave the Kingler a swift salute, before diving under, and gasping at the cool, salty water. His gills spread wide, taking in water. Bubbles spilled out of his mouth as the air left his lungs, rising to the surface.
A moment later, Kai shoved his arm above the water, giving Bernie a thumbs up. The giant Kingler began to move off, heading a little further from the reef, and settling down in the sand.
He too, was now almost fully-submersed in water, his crown poking above the waves, happy as a Clamperl.
Kai chuckled to himself, and took off into the reef, diving around a patch of particularly stunning coral. It was sort of grass-like in appearance, and a bright, rich red in colour. He had to admit that it was pretty, even if it wasn't really his thing.
Luna and Zori would most likely have enjoyed it more than he.
Inhaling deeply to calm his nerves, the Marshtomp sped off through the reef, searching for any signs of Phione.
He swerved around a large chunk of coral, his eyes darting around warily. His sonar was picking up strange movements in the ocean currents, like the movements of a fish.
Though he couldn't be sure, he had a feeling it was Theresa. The Corsola had warned him of her, and he had a feeling that he'd been followed since he'd left Bernie's side on the other edge of the reef.
The elderly Goldeen, though young in voice and appearance, swam strangely. He hadn't noticed it before, but he was beginning to notice it now. The stiff movements in what was normally a very smooth, graceful motion.
She was nearing the end of her lifespan, and yet she maintained her false face as a young child, secretly pulling the strings of every local within her grasp. He had to feel sorry for the others that lived there.
He dove under another string of coral, pausing to examine the edge.
A single, shimmering orange scale rested on it's surface, glinting in the light, and sending horror rippling through him.
A sudden Water Pulse fired from above, his sonar picking it up just moments before it slammed into his body, and sending him spinning into the sandy bottom.
His arm swung 'round, Muddy Water flashing up in a massive jet toward the Goldeen above. The sand-filled current was strong and fast-paced, but the Goldeen had been waiting for it. She flitted to the side, easily dodging his blow.
Theresa's body begin to twirl, spinning faster and faster as she began to spiral down at him. Her body was surrounded by spinning waves, sucking at the water around her, and drawing it inward.
Kai kicked hard off the bottom, taking advantage of his position, and flinging himself to the side. Spinning his body around, he pounded his hindlegs into Theresa's side. His Low Kick caught true, sending her shooting hard into the sandy bottom several feet away.
She bounced off the ground, floating stunned in the water. He couldn't lose the opportunity for attack; it was too risky to waste. Thinking fast, he fired a powerful Hydro Pump at Theresa. The Goldeen, recovering slowly, was caught in the sudden jet of water, spinning off through the currents away from him.
However, she hadn't lived to such an old age by letting herself get pushed around. With a sudden flick of her fins, the old Goldeen shot forward, her Horn pointing straight for Kai.
The shiny, having had the time to think and react, flashed up a barrier to Protect himself. The Psychic barrier flashed up right in front of the fish Pokemon's face, but it didn't deter her for long. She altered her course, swerving around the barrier to come in from above.
Her horn began to glow an eerie green, and Kai knew he was in trouble. With a panicked cry, he struck upward with his fist, ice spiralling up his arm.
There was an earsplitting crack, and both Pokemon shrieked in pain, blood spurting into the water, and dying it red.
Kai cradled his throbbing arm, blood gushing from the wound on his hand.
His eyes narrowed with hatred, and his face contorted with fury, staring down the injured Goldeen that floated dazed in the water once more. Blood ran steadily from the hole in her forehead, where her horn had broken off entirely.
It was then that Kaiyou clued in, and swiftly pulled the deadly point from his fist, causing him to tremble in pain. That had NOT been a fun experience.
The water began to ripple around him, spinning and twisting in a tight spiral around Theresa.
The Goldeen's eyes opened in a flash, and she fired a weak Water Pulse, which Kai's Whirlpool promptly destroyed in it's path. He shot a mud shot at it, the water running a strange, brown-red with a mixture of sand, dirt, and blood.
He pulled it ever tighter around the Goldeen, until it spun tight around her body, moving so fast that he couldn't tell one end of her body from the other.
With a sharp cry of fury, the Marshtomp flung another Ice Punch through, the blood freezing as it left his hand, and freezing through the entire Whirlpool. The tightly-spinning funnel of filth and water exploded, sending Kai reeling back into the waves, where he floated, stunned and in pain.
Shimmering orange scales littered the sand.
"You've come a long way, traveler. Not many from the guilds would venture so far to see us." The Phione told him, dew beginning to swirl from it's body, and congregating in a small sphere between it's fins.
Kai nodded wordlessly, his eyes blinking rapidly to clear the sand from his eyes, looking a little bit weary. Where was he...? He could see strange, distorted blobs of colour. The reef. He must still be near the reef... ...Theresa.
His hand curled into a fist, sending a shot of pain spiralling up his arm.
He gasped in pain, releasing his grip.
"Yes, it has been many a year since we've seen the likes of you, traveler." Agreed the second Phione.
Phione... He couldn't help but feel incredibly lucky that he'd found two, instead of one. Now, he knew, that he'd at least have enough Phione Dew for the both of the Team Polaris girls...
"...I can't thank you enough..." He murmured drowsily, nodding his head like a bobblehead toy... What was he thanking them for, again? He couldn't really determine that, but it seemed like a good idea to thank them, anyway...
"No, no, traveler. We can't thank YOU enough!"
"Yes, yes, traveler. You've helped us greatly in your act of bravery against Theresa."
"She was hurting everyone, including herself."
"It's been a long time since her violent ways have done us an ounce of good."
The two Phione continued to chatter, pressing their energy into large bubbles of dew.
Finally, the two spheres seemed to harden, a thin film forming over their surfaces.
"There, traveler." The first Phione noted happily. "Your Phione Dew is ready!"
The second seemed to echo in the same, cheerful tone. "We wish your friends well, traveler."
"Yes indeed, we wish them well." The two Phione seemed quite pleased with themselves, delighted to have been of help.
"Th-thank you..." Kaiyou told them, cautiously taking the two orbs of Phione Dew in his hands, and holding them to his chest. How the hell had they known he needed them? He'd just woken up, and he'd barely gotten a word in since then... It made his head ache to think about it, and he just let it slide. Hopefully the Slowking or Corsola or something had told them. He just really didn't care at this point. He had the Dew, and that was all that mattered...
"They are just the right size to swallow, yes?" The first Phione noted.
"They will do the most good that way~" Sang the second.
Kaiyou just nodded, already beginning to tired of the chattery locals of the beach.
He needed to get out of here, and do so fast. He needed medical attention, before he bled to death, and Morana and Chronicler definitely needed the Dew at this point... It was time to leave the insanity behind; he had no doubts in this. He could only hope that he wasn't too late.
With a flash of his badge, he disappeared, bubbles floating up to the surface from where he'd disappeared.
Mission's Grading by Cherry_chain
Pluto
The old Leafeon was waiting upon Kai's return. Pluto was worried about the fate of Team Polaris's members, and sighed with relief when he saw the Marshtomp arrive, holding two small orbs of what appeared to be simple water. He couldn't believe it worked; he had sent expeditions to obtain Phione Dew numerous times, all ending in failure. He had long ago given up on the idea of dealing with his sickness that way- especially considering that for him it would only be a temporary solution. No amount of magic and healing in the world could get rid of his natural frailness.
He frowned when he saw the Marshtomp's ankle, and shook his head. He had expected as much- those water were dangerous.
"Good job. Dew will take you to the hospital to get your leg checked and get the Phione Dew to Team Polaris." He told the Marshtomp, and a small white-and-green Chimecho hovered forward, quickly enacting a teleport before waiting for a response. Time was of the essence; rewards and other talk could be done later.
A day later two letters arrived for the Team, one with the official seal of the Guild on it, the other from Team Polaris.
The first letter was one issued by the Guild System, awarding Team Stormcloud with 3 mission points for their service to fellow Guildmembers, as well as a ticket for withdrawing 3,000 PD from the guild account.
The second letter was one from a member of Team Polaris. The script was flowy and formal, but the handwriting was shaky; small splotches of dried water smeared the ink in places.
We can not thank you enough for your help. Thank you for everything. Both Morana and Chronicler are recovering. They're going to make it. Thank you, thank you, so so much. You have our eternal gratitude. This is a little something from our shop that you might find useful. And please, if you need anything from us, just ask.
-Crown
Inside the envelope would be found a small necklace. The chain was silver, and the charm was what appeared to be a small orb of cracked clay that was much more sturdy than its appearance implied. Knowing what Second Chance sold, it would not be hard to figure out what the necklace was; a Terra Globe, which protected ground types from Grass-type attacks.
Later on that day three Pokemon showed up at the team's doorsteps. A familiar Kingler, the old Corsola, and...a ghastly? It had a high, squeaky annoying voice like a little child but Kai would probably know better than that. Especially when she mentions something about being too old to die. I blame Cysic for that last one.
Rewards!
+3 Mission Points
+ 3000 PD
+ Terra Globe
Recruit Options: Bernie the Kingler, Corsola, Theresa the Ghastly
+3 Mission Points
+ 3000 PD
+ Terra Globe
Recruit Options: Bernie the Kingler, Corsola, Theresa the Ghastly
Mission's End
Kaiyou
Kai held the delicate charm in his hands, his fingers running across the smooth glass, and peering inside at the soft, cracked clay within. Normally, he wasn't one for jewelery, but this was special.
He undid the clasp, holding it carefully up to the light once more. As Zori treasured her sooth globe, his terra globe was something that he would treasure. For the protection it gave him, and the soul within.
He wrapped the chain twice 'round his arm, to keep it holding tight, and he redid the clasp, letting the orb gently fall into place.
He tucked the letters away inside the drawer next to his bed, and rose to his feet. His ankle, heavily bandaged as it was, was slowly healing, as Morana and Chronicler healed from their troubles.
A knock at the door interrupted him, and he moved to answer it, slipping quietly into the hallway, and straight through the main room. His large, stubby-fingered hand closed around the doorknob, and he opened it wide, only to find a small orb of ghostly matter floating before him.
"You... You are strange." Came the voice, so soft it was barely audible, even to Kaiyou. A pair of ethereal eyes opened out of nowhere, fixating on his face. "Different." The Gastly moved closer, but Kai didn't flinch, meeting the voice with an even gaze. Her voice was still hi-pitched, and easily recognizable, but it had softened a great deal since her death. No longer harsh and screeching.
"You came to my home, and survived every test I put before you... No one has ever done that. All of the selfish, the greedy, the powerful; all who've come to take the dew that belongs to my people; they've never returned with anything but the scars on their backs. You came, and you returned with all that you had sought, destroying me in the process."
Kai closed his eyes in silence, until he felt ghostly tendrils lift his face once more, to meet the unseeing eyes of the Ghastly in front of him.
"Why you? What makes you so special, that you could succeed, where I had failed?" Tears began to flow from the Ghastly's eyes, slipping down her face, and disappearing into the air, before they could even touch the ground.
"Because a promise is more powerful than that, Theresa." Kaiyou told her quietly, reaching out to wipe her tears off her face. His hand merely slipped through her, and he let it drop to his side.
"Theresa, when I make a promise to someone, to protect them, to help them when no one else can, I don't take it lightly. Breaking a promise, to me, means that I'm not who I think I am, who I want to be. It changes who you are, whether you realize it or not."
The Marshtomp paused, tilting his head seriously as the Ghastly reopened her eyes to look at him. She seemed a little bit confused by his words, but didn't interrupt.
"I went to the shore to save the life of someone I care about; someone of this guild. I owed that person a lot, even though all they taught me was to slow down. Battles aren't meant to be fought, they're meant to protect something. In the case of fighting you, I was protecting the promises I'd made, to Morana and Chronicler, to the Corsola who guided me to the reef. It wasn't something I could let myself down on."
The silence stretched on for a moment, and, finally, Theresa spoke. "My promise, long ago, was that I would protect my family, no matter what. It was a very long time ago, when I was just a child. I failed, and my family was lost..." Theresa told him, still watching the Marshtomp with wary eyes. "I continued to fight, even when the time came, that I was no longer needed. In that, I suppose you're right... In failing, in breaking my promise to those I loved, I changed..."
The Gastly bobbed slightly, looking firm in the decision Kai knew she was about to make. "But now, it is time that I change back." She smiled at him a little bit. "I have a new life to live, now. I can't let myself throw it away again..."
"Stranger, you know my name, yet I don't know yours."
"Kaiyou."
The Gastly smiled. "Kaiyou, then. I wish to go with you.I can't return to the reef, after all that I've done to hurt them, but I hope that I can start anew here... The only question left is, will you forgive me, and let me in?"
A ghostly tendril reached out, seeking Kaiyou's hand.
The Marshtomp hesitated for a moment, looking thoughtful, but reached out with his own, letting the curious tendril wrap around his finger.
"There's nothing to forgive, Theresa." He had taken her life away once, as someone had before him. She'd die forever, if he turned her away. Something told him that.... And despite how hard she'd tried to destroy him, he couldn't let her suffer like that.
She smiled back at him. "No; not Theresa. That name holds a lot of memories for me... but I have to let it go. I'll take a new name, to shed the life I'm leaving behind. Maisha."
Kai nodded. Her name was her own, as was the decision to change it. He slipped back inside the room, the newly renamed Gastly following behind.
The door slid shut with a soft click.
