Chapter 2: Rain Before Renewal, Part 2

With Umbrich leading, Nightscale passed through an opening in a thicket of gnarled trees. Each of their steps was met with a cold, wet squelch of soaked earth. Though the storm had dwindled to a light shower, the air remained thick and constricting.

Ivan was at the back of the group, lost in thought as he observed the nature within the bogs. Mazey Marsh was plain, perhaps even dull, compared to other mystery dungeons.

‘Hard to believe this swamp’s a dungeon at all,’ he thought. ‘Though it would be harder if it wasn’t at the foot of a mountain.’

Alma’s landscapes were a fantastical assortment of climates and biomes, only possible due to some inexplicable magic, which also created an abundance of mystery dungeons. The isle was alluring and enigmatic to its visitors and residents alike. 

‘What can’t you find here?’ Ivan pondered. ‘Dungeons and cities, snowy peaks and deserts, meadows and swamps, rainforests and rivers-’

“Ivan. You’re up,” a raspy voice urged, interrupting the thought.

Ivan snapped out of his trance and found Umbrich staring daggers into him. The Grovyle nodded obediently. He looked ahead to the room they were approaching. 

Maul frowned. “Why can’t I be the scout?” 

“Because your eyesight is as dull as your ‘intellect,’” Lynn replied.

‘And because you’re not forced to do this as the new guy,’ Ivan retorted in his head. ‘At least I take this stuff seriously.’

As Ivan began to walk ahead, Lynn nudged him with an elbow, grazing him with his thick scales. The Grovyle winced.

“Make it quick. Rain’s so cold I can feel my blood freezing,” Lynn spat. 

Ivan looked past him and toward Umbrich. “Yes, sir.” The snubbed Hakamo-o huffed and crossed his arms.

Looking left to right, Ivan found a perfectly square expanse of puddles and swamp grasses. It had been the same way for three or four floors- or rather, subsections. “Floor” was just a term rescuers used for consistency when mapping out dungeons. Their tendency to randomly change meant that only landmarks and patterns could be reliably charted.

There was no sign of other Pokémon, save for the occasional whoop of a Wooper in the distance. The more threatening of the dungeon’s residents were presumably taking refuge from the downpour. 

“All clear. I see two branching paths ahead, one left and one going straight,” he reported. 

Umbrich huffed, wordlessly commanding them forward. He led Maul and Lynn ahead and Ivan snuck back in line. 

Midway through the room, Lynn stepped into a puddle of viscous mud, a wet splorch sounding as his foot sank.

“Yuck! When’s this kid gonna show? This place is disgusting!” he complained, wiping the grime off in the grass.

“If the kid was ready to come home, it wouldn’t be a rescue, dumbass,” Umbrich scoffed.

Maul stared at the soil caked on his feet. He rubbed it between his toes with a smile. “I dunno. Getting dirty can be fun.”

With a bored look, Umbrich pulled a map from his satchel and unfurled it. He studied it with a grimace. “This map is useless. We’re going straight.”

Ivan looked away as he noticed the irritation in his boss’s voice. The mission was approaching its third hour, and they had no sign of the Buneary.

‘I hope you’re okay out here,’ Ivan silently prayed. His stomach churned, bubbling with worry.

The team followed the path and continued to the next room. And to the next. And the next; there was no end in sight. The rain continued to smack them, its icy touch chilling them to their cores.

“This is friggin’ miserable! Why did hero boy have to sign us up for this?” Lynn growled. 

Ivan shook his head. Complaining was as much a specialty for Nightscale as fighting.

‘I’m the smallest and most exposed, but I’m not whining,’ he chastised Lynn in his head. 

A gust of chilling wind blew past Ivan, spraying him with rainwater. He shuddered.

‘Of all days to misplace my sweatshirt-’

“Ivan,” Umbrich called, interrupting again. The Grovyle hopped to his duty, not needing to hear the rest of the order. 

His eyes swept over the next area. “Clear,” he sighed, his voice weary as he also tired. The others tromped past him. 

Before Ivan assumed his place in the back, he stopped. There was a subtle rustling noise nearby. He turned to see bushes shaking to the right.

“Hold on,” he said, pointing to the vegetation.

The others stopped to face it. Umbrich snarled at the source, prompting the others to prepare for a fight. Maul widened his stance and aimed his tusks, ready to charge. Lynn hopped onto one leg and pushed out his arms, assuming a graceful guard. Ivan crossed his leaf blades in front of him, which began to glow with vibrant green energy.

The rustling ceased. The four watched intently for some monstrous hulk or slinking assailant, but they were met only with a Purrloin striding nonchalantly out of the brush. He showed them a smug smile, satisfied with his trick. The four exhaled and dropped their guard.

“D’aww! A little kitty!” Maul squeaked adoringly.

Ivan chuckled. “Looks like we’ve made a friend.”

“We don’t have time for this,” Umbrich grumbled. “Kick it away and let’s move.” 

Lynn’s face lit up at the prospect. He swung his leg back to wind up a kick. His foot twirled and twitched in excitement, but Ivan stepped in between them in time, leering.

Umbrich and Maul started walking again, and Ivan joined them with one eye on Lynn. The Hakamo-o muttered to himself as they left the spared kitten behind.

---

“Can we sit down and eat? I haven’t snacked all mission!” Maul whined, rubbing his belly, which growled in agreement.

Nightscale had become lost even deeper in the labyrinth, wandering route after route. Their wet scales glistened as the rain continued to pelt them. 

Umbrich groaned. “Are you even too stupid to eat and walk? We have an objective. We’ll rest once we find that money.”

“Once we find the boy,” Ivan corrected. He directed his tired gaze away from Umbrich.

The Hydreigon glowered at him. “That’s what I just said.”

A quiet sigh escaped Ivan’s mouth. ‘How can someone be this greedy?’

He thought back to the time before he became the bottom of Nightscale’s totem pole of miscreants. It had been two years since he had joined AIRTA, the Alma Isle Rescue Team Association. Signing on as an official rescuer was one of the greatest moments of his life, the realization of a childhood aspiration. 

He remembered the first time his father had brought him on a mission as a Treecko. They had led a group of small children out of a cave a short walk from town. He recalled their laughter as they all rode on his back, and how starstruck he was when his father returned them to their parents. Afterward, he refused any reward they offered. The cheers still echoed in his ears, bringing a smile to his face.

But it wasn’t that glory that endeared Ivan to rescuing. It was the heroism, the ability to better the world which each Pokémon he would help. This had always been his dream, and he’d do anything to achieve it. 

‘That ambition led me here,’ he reminded himself as he sighed. 

While Ivan had enjoyed his previous work with Vivacity and Lair, his previous teams, they were humble Bronze-rank operations. Ivan wanted to do more, turning his attention to Silver-rank teams. 

Unfortunately, the best he could do was Nightscale.

‘They’re not the best Pokémon, but I’ll still be helping the town,’ he had told himself then. 

But Ivan would soon find that all they’d do was fight outlaws and problem Pokémon around town. Those missions paid more, after all. And as for his colleagues? Maul and Lynn were screw-ups, always fighting and botching mission details. Thus, Ivan was quickly put in charge of handling missions. Umbrich was a whole other ordeal. He was demanding, power-hungry, and perpetually angry. 

‘But this will lead me to bigger and better things,’ Ivan thought. 

‘Hopefully.’

A burst of thunder pulled Ivan back to the present. The team was now making its way through a network of endless pathways in the trees. Save for the persistent rain and thunder, the marsh itself was peaceful. It was far quieter than Ivan would have imagined- eerily so.

Umbrich abruptly stopped, causing those behind him to flinch. He looked around, his main mouth opening. His nostrils twitched and his tongue squirmed, reporting something back to him.

“Something’s off,” he stated. 

Lynn cocked his head. “What was that, sir?”

“Keep your yap shut!” Umbrich snapped.

Ivan followed Umbrich’s gaze. There was movement in the trees around them. Multiple small forms darted across their branches.

Maul just stared at his teammates. “If we’re stopping can we take a snack break? All this walking is making me hungr-”

A purple blur flew down from a high branch, landing straight on Maul’s face. It was another Purrloin, this one distinguished by green streaks of fur on his forehead, foaming at the mouth as he swiped and scratched at Maul. 

“Greee! Get it off me!” Maul wailed, pulling at the cat in an attempt to tear him off. 

Following the ambusher, another Purrloin jumped out, and another, and yet more brashly leaving their shelter from the rain. Within moments Nightscale was surrounded by eleven of them, each hissing and baring teeth. Maul finally tore the twelfth off of him, which fell into the open position in the circle.

Umbrich scoffed. “Surrounded by a bunch of weaklings. How insulting!” 

Ivan frowned, though his eyes glowed with curiosity rather than concern. “They look young.”

“They look like my new practice dummies!” Lynn laughed, drumming on his scales, their shrill ring like that of a bell being struck with a hammer.

‘Do we seriously have to fight them?’ Ivan asked himself, groaning. ‘We’re on a time crunch.’

As if to answer the question, the Purrloin began to screech and hiss. They each planted their legs before pouncing at Nightscale. 

The first launched itself at Ivan, outstretched claws aiming at his throat. He threw his arms out to block her swipes before swinging them down, his leaves growing and curving like scythes as they sliced into her face. The attacker was sent crashing to the dirt with a hard thud. She winced as she got up, revealing an X-shaped cut branded on her forehead.

Lynn grinned, planting his feet in a wide stance as two others dashed at him. One of the two leaped, but the Hakamo-o balled his fist, winding his hips before brutally thrusting a fist into their chin. The Purrloin’s head jerked back before he was shot back and slammed into the ground. The other gasped but continued her advance, only for Lynn to smash his foot into the bridge of her nose, kicking the cat away. Both lay on the ground, sobbing and shivering as they pawed their injuries. 

Meanwhile the green-haired Purrloin darted and threw himself at Maul, screeching. The Haxorus roared and rammed it with his forehead mid-air, scale striking bone with a deafening crunch. Its limp form flew over the rest of its siblings, all of whom were dashing toward Umbrich.

They swarmed onto the Hydreigon, biting and lashing furiously. His eyes blazed with rage as he twisted and stomped wildly to shake them off. He snatched some in his three mouths and fiercely flung them aside. The rest piled onto his tail before he whipped it, dragging them through the mud. They weakly picked themselves up, coughing up gunk before whipping themselves around toward Ivan instead. 

“Shinx!” Ivan swore as they jumped onto him. His nerves screeched as their claws dug into the scales of his neck and stomach, like knives carving the skin. The Grovyle raised his arms and slashed, tearing his leaves into everyone and anyone he could. They crashed to the ground, hissing and rubbing their scratches before crawling away.

Lynn noticed a few sluggishly sneaking toward him, the showers and the slippery ground slowing them. “Not so fast!” he shouted before swinging his feet around and knocking them away with swift roundhouse kicks. 

They yelped before finally turning to Maul. His “friend,” braver than the rest, hurled himself at the Haxorus. He scurried up Maul’s leg and bit into his side, before recoiling in pain; the feline’s teeth shattered, unable to pierce the armor. Maul contorted his long neck around and clamped his jaws down on the Purrloin before flinging the kitten off. His adversary faceplanted into a puddle and went limp, remnants of teeth rising to the surface. Maul cackled at the sight.

The remaining cats backed slowly away from Nightscale, but Umbrich sensed their fear; his head turned towards them, nostrils flaring. His mouth stretched open wide, smoke fuming out and a purple energy crackling wildly in his throat. He roared as a beam of violet draconic energy erupted from it, rending the air around it. The Purrloin froze in horror as they watched the beam surge towards them. They were blasted away as it hit the ground, dirt and grass flying everywhere as the fireball left a smoking imprint on the forest floor. 

Lynn and Maul smiled with glee, rushing over to stomp on the stragglers who weren’t scorched. The sounds of crunching bone and pained yowls echoed through the clearing as Umbrich approached, his mouth still smoldering.

Ivan took in the chaos. He had prepared for more attacks, yet there was nobody left. Only the storm was lashing at them now. The tables had turned; the dragons were now hunting down the Purrloin.

One of the Purrloin looked up at Ivan. The feline moaned as they lay limp in the soil, letting the rain engulf them. Their trembling eyes locked with the Grovyle’s, making him gasp. Guilt burned his chest.

‘They’re not a threat to us! Why are they still wailing on them?’ he thought. 

“Guys! Maybe that’s enough!?” Ivan called. The three stopped to glower at him. 

Umbrich frowned. His nostrils twitched, and Ivan envisioned steam rising out. “Excuse me?” 

The Grovyle tensed up. Umbrich made the orders- that had been made clear to Ivan from the start. There would be trouble unless he found an excuse.

Ivan looked around, and his eyes stopped above Umbrich. Through a thin gap in the clouds, he could see streaks of sunlight brushing over the trees. The sun was falling steadily toward the horizon. Evening would come soon, endangering the mission. 

“C-can I suggest we move on, sir?” Ivan began. He gulped and let out a shaky breath. “We’re losing daylight. If we spend more time here, we might not find the boy.”

Umbrich looked down on the Purrloin under his foot. Her eyes were wide and darting around fearfully. 

“Fine,” Umbrich groaned. “Not like these pathetic excuses for Pokémon are stopping us.” Maul and Lynn halted as well.

‘Thank you, Arceus,’ Ivan thought as he exhaled in relief.

The spared Purrloin looked at one another. One of them got up, stretched, and ran back to the brush. Nightscale watched as they withdrew, each member pulling itself up and following the last, ignoring their sprains and bruises. The final escapee, the one with the green forehead, locked eyes with Maul and hissed. His fangs were broken and chipped. Once he retreated, Nightscale found themselves alone again. 

Umbrich inspected a claw mark on his chest. “Damn cats. What the hell was that, anyway?” 

“At least they didn’t try to carve your face!” Maul moaned, rubbing the afflicted area.

Lynn jabbed Maul in his side. “Quit whining! Those cats are way worse off! Teach ‘em to mess with a master fighter!” He stood taller than usual, taking pride in his “art.” The Haxorus grumbled.

“They were weak. Why’d they choose to attack us?” Ivan wondered aloud, looking down as he thought.

Umbrich turned to the endlessly sprawling path before them. “Don’t know, don’t care. Let’s haul tail.” 

Maul and Lynn assumed their usual formation behind their leader, and Ivan too started to get in line. But before he did, he froze.

‘Dungeon Pokémon can be territorial, but weak ones like those wouldn’t bother us,’ Ivan knew. ‘And why Purrloin here? I haven’t seen any around before. They watched us before attacking, too.’

It hit him.

‘Like they were keeping us away from something.’ 

“Purrloin don’t live here! They might be connected to our mission!” Ivan blurted. His team turned.

Umbrich gave him a sideways glance. “Come again?” He pressed.

“That was a distraction! We might be close to something- maybe the boy!” Ivan explained. He pointed to the tree line where the litter had fled.

Umbrich stepped up to the brush. Upon further inspection, there was a thin path winding through the woods, just wide enough for them to traverse. 

“Not like we have any other ideas,” he sighed. “Fine. Come on, we’re tailing those wimps!”