Chapter 6 – Day 3: New Faces
by snapdragonChapter 6 – Day 3: New Faces
Just as the first glimmer of sunlight touched the soils of Kebia, a black bird soared around the castle spires, and touched down on a roof overlooking the town below. The Murkrow perched on the tiled roof and squinted at the rising sun. It was early—so early that Dahlia’s other team members were still asleep. This was normal. The eager Murkrow tended to wake up before most other pokemon in Kebia due to her preference for having access to the news of the previous day first thing in the morning.
This was common. In other words, sunrise was when the other birds in Kebia would meet and exchange gossip. And Dahlia refused to miss out on that.
Dahlia preened her feathers while she waited for her informant—a Taillow that shared her interests. A bird so unassuming that other pokemon had a habit of saying what they usually wouldn’t when he was around. He had bigger than normal ears for his species, the Taillow had told Dahlia once.
She liked him enough, so she just took his word for it.
Tap.
Suddenly, a soft, hollow tap sounded out nearby. Dahlia lifted her head out of her feathers and rested her eyes on the one she had been waiting for.
“Yo.”
“Yo, yourself,” Dahlia greeted. “What’s up, Stork?”
The Tailow shrugged. “Nothing much,” he said. “Lobel apparently found himself a mate. Oh, and Mazus evolved, I think. Other than that, it’s been pretty quiet around here lately.” Stork rummaged through his plumage and pulled out a shiny object before placing it on the roof between them with his beak. “Got you something.”
The Murkrow stepped over to the object and examined the bright blue gem as it sparkled in the sunlight. Dahlia’s eyes lit up at the sight and she made a clicking sound with her beak. “It’s gorgeous!” she exclaimed in delight. “Stork, you shouldn’t have! How did you get it?”
Stork puffed up his chest feathers in pride. “Oh, you know,” he crooned. “Found it on the ground somewhere.”
Dahlia looked back at him and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She knew that was a lie. She knew Stork too well to not be skeptical in this instance. “Where did you really find it?” she asked dubiously.
After clearing his throat and looking away, Stork muttered, “I, uh…stole it off some female’s windowsill in town.” He clicked his beak. “She won’t miss it anyways. Not even worth that much.” He brought his eyes back to her. “But I know how much you like shiny things, so…just take it and don’t think about it too much, yeah?”
Dahlia picked up the gem with her beak and stuffed it into her feathers. “Mm, I’ll think I’ll do just that,” she purred.
“So, what about you, Dolls? Anything interesting going on with you?”
“You could say that,” Dahlia smiled. “Typical bounty work for one thing; picked up some pretty easy criminals for some quick cash. There’s been an influx of that sort of company lately.”
“Yeah, I heard about that,” Stork chirped. “Apparently, a bunch of low level crooks have been coming out of hiding lately. No one knows why, and they all just seemed to show up in the last couple of days. Weird, huh?”
Dahlia had a thought. Couple of days. That was when we found that Dewott. Oswald. I wonder what he’s up to…
“It is weird, yes,” Dahlia said while stroking her chin with a wing. “Speaking of weird, my team found a stowaway on one of our jobs a couple days ago.”
“Oh?” the Taillow crooned curiously. “Do tell.”
“A Dewott. Sleeping in the middle of the field. No idea how he got there.” Dahlia narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice. “And that’s not even the strange part…”
Stork leaned in closer. “I’m listening…”
“Not only did he not know how he got there…but the guy couldn’t remember anything. At all!” She fluffed her feathers.
“That is weird.” Stork balked. Something seemed to come to him just then. “You don’t think…all of these criminals…that Dewott…maybe they’re connected?”
Dahlia froze for a moment. In truth, she had considered the idea before. Those two distinct occurrences happening simultaneously isn’t something that should be ignored. She was definitely curious. And Oswald, as innocuous as he was, did seem very peculiar…
“I don’t know.” The Murkrow shrugged. “Maybe one of those criminals beat him up so bad that he forgot everything.” She narrowed her eyes once again. “Except his name. And…he wasn’t really hurt when we found him. Hm…” Dahlia idly carved into the bricks under her as she pondered.
Stork shrugged. “I don’t know either. Guess we’ll just have to keep our eyes open.”
“Yeah. I guess we will.”
Stork fluffed his feathers, ready to take off. “Well, I should be going. It was nice seeing you, Dolls.”
“You too, Stork,” Dahlia cheeped, a warm smile curving onto her beak.
Just as Stork was about to fly away, however, he stopped himself mid-takeoff. “Oh! Right! I almost forgot!” He excitedly turned back to Dahlia. “Marigold has her performance in a few days. You gonna be there?”
“Mmm…Maybe. I’ll have to see how busy we are. Work comes first.”
“Yeah, I can understand that,” he chirped. “See you around.”
“See you.”
And then he was gone. Dahlia was left with her thoughts and her new gem, and she didn’t move for some time. No matter what she did her mind would always return back to the previous conversation.
In particular, she kept thinking back to that Dewott. She couldn’t get him out of her mind. What was his deal? Was there a connection between those criminals and him?
Something about it just annoyed Dahlia. She had the chance to engage with the first genuinely interesting event in so long and she let it slip out of her wings! How could she be so stupid!
Dahlia watched the sun slowly rise to its full glory. She heard noises from below and looked down; the first teams of the day were leaving the castle for work. There was no doubt in her mind that Holly and Pink were busy getting ready for the day at this point.
She was just going to have to put her thoughts on that Dewott away for now, unfortunately. She had work to do. With a sigh, the Murkrow lifted off of the roof and flew into an open castle window. The time for gossiping was over.
Oo-oO
The sun shining through the window woke me up that morning. I was still somewhat tired, and sore from essentially sleeping on the floor. The blinding daylight wasn’t going to let me sleep in any more, though.
I sat up and groaned, stroking my aching neck. Even after spending so many hours shifting in my sleep to find the prime sleeping position, it wasn’t enough to keep me from hurting like hell after waking up. This wouldn’t have happened if I slept on the cozy covers of an actual bed, I thought, shooting a glance at the cushioned sleeping space on the other end of the room.
My eyes soon drifted to Fenn, who was still asleep. The sun hadn’t hit him yet; he was still curled in a ball, snoring softly. He seemed perfectly comfortable. Unlike me.
Yeah…yeah, no. If I have to be miserable, then so do you, badger boy.
“Fenn,” I said, shaking his shoulder with a paw. “Fenn, wake up.”
His eyes fluttered open. “Huh? What?” He was still half asleep when squinted eyes rested on me. “I-is it morning already?”
“Yes, it’s morning,” I responded groggily. “First day on the job, let’s go.”
He blinked away the grogginess from his eyes as he moved to sit up. “Oh…right,” he yawned. “We’re…we’re a rescue team now.” Fenn rubbed his face with an arm. “Forgot.”
“Yeah. We should go get a job from the bulletin board, ri…riiii-“
I stopped to yawn. “-ah! Right?”
Fenn yawned back. “Y…yeah, I think so.”
“Great,” I said, restraining another yawn. “Let’s get out of here before we start yawning non-stop.”
I could hear Fenn chuckle to himself behind me as I walked over to the door. Stepping out of the doorway, my foot hit something. I looked down and noticed a basket full of berries with two pieces of purple cloth tied to the basket’s handle. A note was sitting at the top of the pile.
“Hm? What is it?” Fenn asked from behind me.
“Someone left us a basket of stuff.” Still incapable of reading, I took the note from the basket and handed it to Fenn. “Here.”
Fenn took it from my paw and read it. “I-it says here…’I forgot to give you your complimentary gift basket. On the handle, you’ll find two scarves. They will act as your team…signifiers. Please wear them with care. Good luck with your work! Signed, Lace. P.S. – I recommend you find yourself someone to teach you how guild jobs work and how to travel through dungeons effectively. You can never be too safe!'”
Fenn flipped the note front and back. “That’s it.”
“Nice.” Grinning, I untied one of the scarves and held it out in front of me. It was plain and devoid of any designs. Felt cheap too. Guess this is their way of saving money.
Thinking back on it, most pokemon I had seen during my time at Kebia castle wore some sort of cloth somewhere on their person. All of team Phlox wore red pieces of cloth in different ways. Lace, Ipo, and the cafeteria workers all wore white scarves. Lilac, even, wore a teal piece of cloth around her torso.
The only significant pokemon I noticed that didn’t wear a piece of clothing was Fenn. I was curious about that, so I decided to ask him about it. “Hey, Fenn, did you not already have one of these before?”
Fenn shook his head as he fashioned the purple scarf around his neck. “No. They never gave me one.”
I frowned. So they never considered him a member of the guild to begin with. I seethed internally. I am going to have a few choice words for Anemone the next time I see her…
I tied the scarf around my neck. “Are you ready to get breakfast?” I asked Fenn.
“S-sure.”
I left the gift basket in our room and the two of us headed for the cafeteria shortly after. No words were really spoken during the entire trip, though when we got to the hall leading to our destination, we heard a voice.
“FENN!” a scratchy, angry sounding pokemon called out from behind. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!”
Fenn and I spun around to face them, my tail going stiff at the sudden interruption. I had to take a step back at the sight of a grey ghost that was wading toward us, halfway through the floor. His brow was furrowed and his zipper mouth was twisted into a scowl. He did not look happy.
He stopped in front of us, body in full view, hovering in the air. “You weren’t at the briefing today. Where WERE you?” The Banette shifted in the air until he was almost touching Fenn’s face with his own. His body ascended in the air over Fenn with each word.
Fenn gritted his teeth uncomfortably. “O-oh, I’m sorry mister Aster,” Fenn whimpered. “I-I forgot to t-tell you that I…um…”
“I had to fill in for you, you layabout!” the Banette fumed. “Do this again and I’ll dock your pay!”
Fenn shivered in fear. “I-I…I’m…”
I crossed my arms. “Who’re you supposed to be?”
The Banette slowly turned to me, his expression turning more sour. His mouth didn’t move with his words, but he still talked. “Aster,” he said, floating up to me. “Right hand ‘mon of Calluna, your superior.” He looked me up and down, his scowl deepening. “And who are YOU?”
“Oswald,” I told him with a neutral expression. “Fenn’s teammate.”
Aster looked at me, then at Fenn, then back to me, and finally Fenn again. “I see.” His eyes narrowed on Fenn, causing The Quilava to tremble. “And you didn’t think to tell me…”
He floated to the ground, put his ghostly hands on his hips, and shook his head. “You’re lucky I’m not in charge of you anymore. You could’ve done well with some punishment.” Suddenly, Aster clapped his mitts together. “Oh well! Not much I can do now!”
His zipper mouth contorted into a big smile. “I wish you luck, Fenn!” He faced me. “And you, Oswald. It was nice meeting you!”
Somehow, his smile grew even larger. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again very soon…FAREWELL!” Aster bellowed, falling through the ground itself like it wasn’t even there.
“…”
“…”
“Well that was…something,” I said after a few seconds of staring at the ground in silence.
“A-Aster is…very eccentric,” Fenn added.
I nodded to myself, my eyes still locked on where Aster had disappeared. “Sounds about right.”
“So, how much do you actually know about this whole ‘guild work’ thing?”
“…Not much.”
I took a bite out of the berry I was eating. This one was purple at the top, tan at the bottom, and shaped like an acorn. It tasted vaguely like vanilla, and for some reason, I felt more awake after I started eating it.
“Damn,” I remarked between bites. “Guess we’ll have to find a mentor after all and do a job tomorrow instead.” I was really hoping Fenn knew what he was doing. I mean, he seemed competent in Figy Forest, but I was assuming there was more to exploring mystery dungeons than fighting through them. There’s probably a ton of oddities like that heal seed in this world too. Who knows what else I could discover while I’m here?
“Guess so,” Fenn agreed. “There should be plenty of experts around. We just…have to find them.” Fenn nibbled on his pecha berry, lost in thought. “Y-you know, I was thinking about it: maybe there’s someone in Pamtre that can help you with your memory issue. A psychic type, maybe?”
“Pamtre? Where’s that?”
Fenn spat his berry out onto the table.
“Oswald…you’re not serious!” Fenn looked absolutely stunned.
I peeled some stray bits of berry out of my fur. “I am. Where is this ‘Pamtre’ you’re talking about?”
“Oswald…we’re in it!” He threw up his arms and waved them all around. “Kebia is in Pamtre! Nanab is in Pamtre! Everyone you’ve ever met is living on Pamtre RIGHT NOW!”
I recoiled. “Is that what this world is called?” Why am I hearing about this just now?
Fenn rubbed his temples. “Arceus…you weren’t kidding…”
I sighed. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. Anemone already told me that there’s nothing there. If she couldn’t find anything, then I doubt anybody else could.”
The Quilava’s ears drooped. “Oh,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…it was that bad.”
Shooting him a small but reassuring smile, I said, “Don’t be sorry, Fenn. I’ll figure it out eventually.”
I hope.
We had both agreed that the easiest way to find someone to mentor us would just be to ask around after we finished breakfast. If that didn’t work, then we would ask the pokemon at the front desk to point one out to us.
On our way out, we noticed a crowd of pokemon outside of the cafeteria. Mostly younger pokemon it seemed; there were so many that I couldn’t tell what they were so excited about. We approached and I got the attention of a Porygon2 at the back.
“Excuse me,” I started. “What’s going on here?”
The Porygon2 spun its feet, floating in midair. “Neo the Fencer is in town,” the Porygon2 stated in a digitized sounding voice. Their beak didn’t open to signify that they actually spoke.
“NEO THE FENCER!” Fenn exclaimed. I looked to him to see his eyes sparking and his mouth open wide in glee.
“Who’s that?” I wondered.
“Only the most acclaimed adventurer in all of Kebia,” the Porygon2 added. “It’s not every day that he just shows up out of the blue like this.”
Fenn nudged my arm. “Oswald! We have to see him! We have to!” He was practically jumping up and down in excitement.
I raised an eyebrow. I didn’t really care for “the most acclaimed adventurer in all of Kebia,” but Fenn sure did. So while I didn’t see any reason to waste any time with this, I didn’t see any harm in seeing someone so accomplished in person.
But then I started wondering, what if he taught Fenn and I how to explore dungeons and become a better team. Now that could be interesting. A world renowned explorer…we’d be pros in no time! I was actually starting to get excited now.
“Alright, Fenn. Let’s go see Neo.”
The Quilava grinned super wide and pushed his way into the crowd. I followed to the best of my abilities.
Fenn was fidgeting in place when I caught up to him at the front of the crowd. I followed his eyes to the center of the attention of so many.
It was a bipedal, blue jackal pokemon. He was covered in bright white ribbons and cloaked in fancy attire. He spun an ethereal bone in his paws, throwing it up in the air and catching it with style. He stepped about his stage, letting the cries of every screaming pokemon praise him for theatrics. His eyes were closed, nodding along to their approval. The best word I could use to describe this Lucario would be “smug.”
Very, very smug.
“Neo the Fencer, how do you do it?” a voice yelled from the crowd.
“‘How do I do it,’ you wonder?” the Lucario said in a pompous tone. “Well, it’s simple! I’m glad you asked.” He tossed his bone into the air. “The evildoers! They cannot possibly comprehend-“
He caught it and struck a pose.
“-the AU-raaaa~”
And then the crowd cheered, Fenn included.
Neo bowed complacently, like he had done something spectacular.
I frowned, crossing my arms. This guy’s act didn’t have me convinced for a second. If he was so good, then I wanted to see it for myself—not just a performance.
“Hey, Fenn,” I said, getting the Quilava’s attention. “What do you think about getting that guy to mentor us?”
“N-Neo the Fencer?” Fenn stammered. “B-but there’s no way he’d-“
“Hey, Neo!” I yelled, attempting to get the Lucario’s attention. His ear twitched. I knew he heard me. “What do you say to mentoring a couple of rookies, huh?”
“MENTOR?” Neo laughed. He looked at Fenn and I, even more smug than before. “Maybe when you get done with those Rattatas and slay a LEGENDARY! HA!”
The rest of the crowd laughed with him. Fenn, embarrassed, shrunk behind me, but I didn’t even blush. I just crossed my arms and scowled as hard as possible at the so-called “Fencer.”
What an asshole, I thought.
It didn’t take long after that for the crowd to disperse and for the Fencer to leave. Pokemon would occasionally snicker at Fenn and I as they left. All the while, Fenn was absolutely miserable.
“Not him, then?” I asked Fenn sarcastically. He avoided my gaze.
“I hear you are looking for a mentor.”
Fenn and I turned our attention to the approaching Porygon2. The very same one from before. “I believe I can help you with that,” they said.
I raised an eyebrow, eying the normal type with confusion. What was this guy doing approaching all of a sudden. “Who are you?” I asked.
The Porygon2 bobbed in the air slightly. “Cycla. I work with Anemone.” Cycla tilted to the left. “Well…we all work for Anemone here. But I’m closer to her than most.” Cycla’s feet spun asymmetrically. “Are you a new team?”
“…Yes?” I nodded. “Fenn and I” -I motioned to Fenn- “were looking for someone to show us how to do guild work.”
Cycla made a variety of beeping noises. “So you are!” The Porygon2 bobbed back and forth. “I can find someone for you!”
“Y-you can?” Fenn wondered timidly. “Like who?”
“Me!” Cycla spun their feet. “I can show you the ropes! How does that sound?”
I considered it for a moment. Cycla was the first pokemon we had asked so far besides Neo. They seemed…reputable? Probably more trustworthy than the majority of other pokemon here? I was fine with it, but I wanted Fenn’s input first.
“What do you think, Fenn?” I asked him.
Fenn pondered the question for a moment. “I…maybe?” He shrugged. “I-I don’t really mind it…”
I nodded. May as well, since they’re offering. “Okay, sure.” I faced the Porygon2. “Show us the ropes, Cycla.”
Cycla spun their feet in excitement. Various high-pitched beeps and doots blared from their body. “Mentor mode! Engage!” Cycla’s voice became deeper and more uniform. “Let’s get to it then!” they exclaimed, their voice back to “normal.”
“We will learn together how to traverse dungeons!” they said. “Read maps! Use items! Battle like true dungeoneers! And learn which jobs to pick!” Cycla bobbed wildly in the air.
Battle, I suddenly thought. I still need to learn how to do that. And I’m not sure a Porygon2 can teach me how to shoot a water gun. I still have that Samurott I planned to visit the other day…I should focus on my moves instead. If I don’t, I probably won’t survive another mission. Fenn can do all of the other stuff, at least for now. He’s already plenty strong.
“Actually, Fenn, do you mind if I go learn how to fight somewhere else? I’m sure only one of us has to learn all of this.”
“W-what?” Fenn fretted. “B-but what about learning this stuff together? O-Oswald…”
“The Dewott is right,” Cycla chimed in. “Learning to fight is important; I can only do so much.” They hovered down to Fenn’s eye level. “Do not worry, my young friend. I am very thorough and easy to work with.” Cycla winked. It was the first time I had seen the Porygon2 close one of it’s eyes since I first met them.
Fenn looked at me, pleading with me with his eyes. In an attempt to calm him down some, I leaned forward and scratched the back of his right ear. The action seemed to knock him out of his funk, and make him blink, but it did do the job. His shoulders became less tense and he became visibly more calm.
“Don’t worry, Fenn,” I told him. “You know I need to learn how to fight. Now’s a good time to do that. You’ll be fine.”
Fenn stared at me for a few moments before sighing sadly. “Fine…d-dinner at sunset?”
“Dinner at sunset. See you then.”
I waved at the morose Quilava and the strange Porygon2 as they left me to head someplace else. I fiddled with my scallops as I stood there for a while, taking in the fact that this was the first time since yesterday morning that I was on my own.
Got a lot of time to work with here—best make it count. Next stop: the training grounds…
…
…implying I can find it again, that is…
I did find it. Much sooner than I was expecting, too. Kebia Castle was a difficult place to learn, but well worth the hassle.
I stared out into the courtyard, eagerly toying with one of my scallops now, almost unconsciously wanting to get it out and start swinging. Duos and trios of pokemon of many types sparred in the midday sun. I scanned the grounds for signs of the Samurott I saw a couple days ago, and I caught sight of something blue, but it would always turn out to be something else. I took so long staring out into the courtyard that I began to consider just finding a different water type trainer. There were quite a few to choose from. A Floatzel. A Swampert. A Quagsire. A-
Suddenly, the ground in front of me got darker. A large shadow obfuscated my vision and stretched across the grass in front of me.
I looked up. A bearded, grinning visage met my eyes.
Backing up and turning around, I realized that the source of the shadow was none other than a Samurott. He towered over me, even on all fours. The water type gave me a toothy smile through his mustache.
“Hello,” the Samurott greeted with a masculine and aged voice. “Are you here to train?”
“Um…yes, I suppose so.” I rubbed the back of my head. “Believe it or not, I was actually looking for you,” I laughed sheepishly.
“What a surprise!” He let out a jovial laugh. “I was looking for you as well!”
I flinched at that. “You were?”
“Of course!” he bellowed. “It is not everyday that a member of my line enters Kebia Castle! I’ve been wanting to meet the Dewott newcomer since I first heard the whispers of your coming!”
Whispers? Does that mean harmless gossip or…something else? I don’t like it either way.
“I wanted to test your mettle!” the Samurott beamed. “See how your skills hold up to mine!”
I frowned. “Well, I’m sorry to tell you, but I’m not much of a challenge. I still need to learn the basics.”
“The basics!” He grinned. “Of course! Perhaps you might surprise me?”
“…Doubt it.”
“Oh, but first, I must get your name,” the mature Samurott said.
“It’s Oswald.”
“Oswald!” he repeated loudly. “I’ve never heard of such a name! How peculiar.”
Yeah, tell me about it.
“I am Allium!” he declared. “Former leader of Team Lantana and veteran of the Psychic Wars! It is wonderful to finally meet you!”
“Good to meet you, too,” I said, pushing aside the Psychic Wars comment for now.
“Indeed! Are you ready to train?”
I really wasn’t, but I came here for a reason. Maybe he could help me use those scallop things and actually have a chance in a fight. “About as ready as I’ll ever be.”
Allium led me to an unoccupied patch of grass and faced me. I followed, trying not to seem too nervous.
“Okay! Show me what you’ve got!”
I exchanged glances with Allium and my own paws. “Alright, um…what do I do?”
He blinked before quickly composing himself. “A simple tackle will suffice for now!”
A Tackle? Can’t I just…ugh. Nevermind. I clenched my paws and stared Allium down. “Alright,” I said, siking myself up for the attack. I lowered my stance, narrowed my eyes, and dashed. My toes hit the dirt and kicked up grass. I rapidly approached the Samurott; bracing myself for impact, I closed my eyes. I launched myself into the pokemon expecting to hit Allium’s large figure-
-and hit the dirt with a thud. I missed. Or, rather, Allium dodged at the last moment.
He laughed heartily. “AHAHAHA! I haven’t seen such a pitiful tackle in years!”
I rubbed my forehead as I sat up. “I don’t know what you were expecting,” I groaned.
“A display more impressive than my newly hatched children! AHAHAHA!”
My face flushed in embarrassment. I should’ve known nothing good would come of this. “Okay, I get it, I suck. Sorry I’m such a disappointment.”
Allium stopped laughing, but he still wore a dumb smile on his face. “Oh, Oswald! I’m not disappointed, I’m elated!”
I blinked. “You what?”
“I haven’t laughed that much in years!” he cheered. “You are really something special, aren’t you?”
“…I’m not sure being terrible counts as being ‘special,’ but alright I guess.”
“It has been so long since I have taught a pokemon so inexperienced,” he beamed. “Come. We have much to work on.”
And so we did. For the next two or so hours, Allium instructed me on how to effectively tackle. I got the hang of it, eventually. After Allium told me to keep my eyes open as I did the move, my accuracy improved. He would still dodge and I would fall face-first into the grass, but I was getting better at it.
We stopped after some time. Allium left and came back with some of those blue berries I really liked. He said it counted as my lunch; so, I ate them all greedily.
Once we were done with “lunch,” the Samurott opted to teach me the technique that I’ve been looking forward to learning: Water Gun.
“Although knowing how to defend yourself in close quarters is important,” he explained, “a powerful water user knows when to stay at range. Show me what you know.”
“Okay…” I attempted to do my “think and it’ll happen” tactic again for the move. I imagined pelting Allium with a stream of high pressure water, a cascade of liquid spewing from my throat and making him stagger back. My mouth opened wide in an ‘O’ shape.
“HO!”
…
…Nothing happened.
Allium looked at me, perplexed. “I…see. You…do not know how to use the Water Gun technique…”
My face got red again; I felt stupid for even trying. “I don’t, no.”
The Samurott grinned wide. “Not to worry, Oswald! You will be a Water Gun expert in no time!”
Allium then began his lecture. “The key to a powerful water attack are your instincts,” he told me.
“Instincts?”
“Yes, indeed! Listening to your instincts is paramount to your victory!”
I frowned. What does that even mean?
“I want you to imagine yourself on a beach,” he said. “Think about the waves, imagine how they crash upon the shore. Envision the sounds in your head…”
Well, I tried my best. I couldn’t recall any memories I had of ever seeing an ocean with my own eyes, but I knew what it was like. I could see the sea, its water drifting about against the warm sunset backdrop. The waves were a mix of the reflected blue and orange of the sky. They gently crashed on the sand, and I could hear them clearly…
It was…calming…relaxing…
“Envision yourself below the waves. The serene calmness of it…think about how quiet it is. Schools of WishiWashi pass by you…seaweed flows softly on the ocean floor. You are floating. Not a care in the world.”
I saw everything he described. My body hovered in the water as sunlight danced above me. The sea life…I couldn’t stop thinking about how…delicious…some of them would be. I wanted to swim. I wanted to go along with the ocean current.
“You are at peace…”
I was. Everything I was worrying about…all of my anxieties…they…washed away…
“A SHARPEDO ATTACKS YOU!”
“AHH!”
I jumped. Literally.
I fell onto my back. As I fell, a pressure in my stomach was released. Liquid spewed from my mouth unconsciously, my torso quickly becoming soaked with water. I spat, trying to get it all out. “Wha…what the hell?” I sputtered.
“Congratulations, Oswald!” Allium grinned. “You now know how to use Water Gun!”
What?
“W-what?”
“To unleash the might of the ocean, you must see yourself as a dweller of the depths,” he said. “You must accept every gift and cruelty that Kyogre’s abode has to offer.”
I stood up, attempting to wipe the water out of my fur. To my annoyance, it didn’t really work. “I don’t…bleugh…understand.”
“You will! Because next I am going to teach you how to use Water Gun properly and drown your enemies. Not your own fur.”
We then worked on getting the Water Gun technique right. Another few hours passed. I felt completely drained by the end of it. I was certain that I had hacked up my own weight in water three times over by the second hour, but then Allium told me that a water type’s inner ocean is functionally infinite, as long as I had a source of sustenance.
I ate more berries. They made me feel better.
I started to get the hang of it by the end of the session. I was spraying Allium with jets of water so strong that I couldn’t believe it. Though, when Allium was hit, he would tell me my power was actually quite weak; he wouldn’t flinch. My abilities when it came to Water Gun was comparable to a young child, but not a pokemon just out of the egg.
That gave me hope.
Soon enough, the Samurott stopped me. “That is enough practice for today. However, there is one more technique I want to teach you.”
He pointed at my hip. “Your scalchop, Oswald! Swing it for me!”
I looked at him confused. “Scalchop?”
“Yes, your scalchop,” he repeated. “The one’s on your hip!”
‘What? These?” I rubbed them with my paws. “The scallops?”
“Scal-CHOP.”
I frowned. “Um, okay I guess.” I peeled a scallop off of my hip with my right paw. I stared at it, and felt a sense of excitement. Learning to use these things was what I wanted since I learned that I first had them. But after failing for a few hours…the thought of doing the same with these things made me hesitate. “Um-“
“Swing it!” Allium commanded. “Show me how you cut and slice your enemies!”
So…I swung the scalchop in the air. I had no idea what I was actually supposed to do, so I swung it as hard as I could in front of me. However, unlike with Water Gun, I envisioned myself in the middle of a large-scale battle, my blades cutting through enemies like they were butter. I was a samurai—powerful and competent. None would stand in my way.
…Though in reality, I sliced the air sloppily. My footwork was lazy and awkward, mostly because I didn’t move from my standing spot. Allium stopped me almost immediately.
“You handle the weapon as if you’ve never held a scalchop in your life,” he told me.
…Well, that’s demoralizing. I probably looked like an absolute idiot swinging that thing around. Why do I even bother? My cheeks became a bright red and I couldn’t look Allium in the eyes.
Allium shook his head. “You are not ready for the Razor Shell technique. Work on your Tackle and Water Gun first.”
I placed the scalchop back on my hip, sighing in disappointment. “If you say so.”
The Samurott shot me a large, toothy grin. “In time, you will become a fearsome hero!” Allium unsheathed a blade from one of his front legs and held it high above him. He looked at the blade with deep reverence. “We Samurott…we are a proud bunch. Our swords protect the innocent and slay any and all evil!” He looked down at me. “You will learn this in time, Oswald.” He sheathed his blade.
As silly as it sounded, I was actually looking forward to that happening some day. I was a pokemon now, and fighting as one was…sort of appealing. Sort of. Still not interested in getting killed. “Looking forward to it…Allium.” I nodded respectfully. “Thank you for teaching me.”
Allium smiled warmly. “And I thank you for allowing me to teach. Now, I must be off,” he suddenly said. “I have other things to attend to.” He turned to leave but then turned back as if he forgot something. “Oh, yes! Are you familiar with the castle pool?”
I raised an eyebrow. “No?”
“Then consider that your homework assignment,” he chuckled. “Visit the castle pool and experience the feeling of water on your fur. Indulge in its welcoming embrace. Goodbye, Oswald! May we meet again!”
“…See you later!” I called back while waving.
I was alone again. And after looking up, I noted that the sun was still a few hours from setting I reckoned. I still had some time to spare before dinner with Fenn. With nothing better to do, I decided it was best to take up Allium’s offer and visit the castle pool. Cooling down a bit sounded nice.
Cursing myself for not asking Allium where the pool actually was, I began my search.
I stopped by the front desk to ask Lace where the pool was. She said that it was actually on the first floor, right behind the courtyard, out in the backyard of the castle, outside. I was thankful that I didn’t have to climb any stairs at least.
I found it in minutes. Walking onto the tiled path leading to Kebia’s back lawn I was immediately struck by how lively it was. A well maintained path, lined with hand cut trees in pots, led into a clearing holding a bunch of pokemon. These pokemon lounged about and conversed with another.
In the center of the clearing was the pool I was looking for. Unsurprising to me, the majority of the pokemon swimming about and sitting near the pool were water types.
I was ignored as I approached. Definitely preferable to me; honestly, I didn’t feel like meeting any more new people today. Eventually, I came to a stop at the pool’s edge. A couple of young Wooper swam past and splashed some droplets in my direction, causing me to flinch.
That really annoyed me. I’m a water type! I shouldn’t be afraid of water!
I looked down at the pool and my own reflection looked back at me. An unkempt Dewott with a despondent look on his face stared into my peculiar green eyes. This was the first time I had gotten a good look at myself properly.
I’m so…thin…and…weak looking. Is this what others see me as? God…no wonder I keep getting laughed at. I look pathetic.
I needed to sit down. Staring at myself for any longer might’ve made me pass out. So, I plopped down on the water’s edge, careful not to sit on my tail again, and let my feet soak in the water. It was lukewarm.
Watching others swim about and having a good time, I let my mind wander. I started to wonder if going through with all of this guild nonsense was really worth it. I made it through one dungeon (one dungeon!) and nearly got my head cleaved off. Sure, I’m more prepared now, but what good did that amount to if I was still terrible at battling?
I stroked one of my scalchops and rested my head on my other paw. I considered if I actually had any other options. I mean, I just…went along with everything that’s happened so far. I could’ve said no, probably, at some point. Maybe I’d still be stuck in the wilderness? I guess I did end up well off in the end, but dead with a room and dead without one are both fundamentally the same.
Judging by my experience in Figy Forest, I could very easily end up dead on the job. Was there an option for me at some point that would’ve left me without the looming threat of death? Maybe I should’ve just asked Anemone to throw me in a cage and keep me like a pet until she figures this all out.
I didn’t know. And frankly, I didn’t want to think about it anymore.
I dropped myself into the pool to get my mind off of all of those grim thoughts. My body steadily sank into the depths, and immediately, my fight or flight instincts kicked in. My breath caught and I struggled to keep myself from panicking.
I paddled my arms and legs frantically, trying to get a foothold on something. I ended up spinning around in circles, my tail betraying me and throwing me off balance. I slowly began to realize that my death was even closer than I anticipated.
I was going to die here, in a pool not two seconds after I willingly fell into it. What a waste; couldn’t even make it to the second mission. I should’ve known that I’d die of my own stupidity.
I flailed for a moment longer, gradually losing the strength to move. My limbs ached and I so desperately wanted to just give up.
And eventually, I did. I accepted my fate and let my limp body float in the water. I waited for my imminent demise.
I waited. And I waited. And I waited more.
…Nothing changed. I opened my eyes to find that I was in the pool, still alive. I was incredibly confused, but then I looked at my own hands.
Paws.
I was a Dewott.
Well, now I feel like an even bigger idiot than before.
I was never in any real danger. My human side just took over and caused me to panic. I could literally breathe under water now that I was a Dewott.
I let myself drift again, this time actually attempting to enjoy the feeling of being in my supposed natural element. The calming feeling of being drenched in something so inherent to this body I was in set my mind at ease. It felt so…normal. Like I was meant to be here, under the water, in my true home.
I was at peace, just like Allium had said.
I stayed at peace for a little while longer until I caught wind of a bubbling sound to my right. I looked over and a pokemon with a long snout tipped with a round, pink nose grinned back at me. If I hadn’t been under water, I might’ve screamed in surprise.
The Primarina attempted to say something to me, but it came out muffled. I looked at them, befuddled and unsure of what to do. Then, they pointed one of her flippers up, pointing to the surface. Following their signal, I got their message immediately and tried to follow them to the surface.
Much like before, however, I couldn’t manage to move effectively. I screamed in the water to get the Primarina’s attention, but only bubbles and muffled noises escaped my throat. They looked puzzled, but soon got what I was implying with a look of recollection on their face. They swam behind me and put their flippers under my arms. Together, we swam back to the surface.
The clarity of the above land world coursed back to me, and the Primarina set me down on the pool’s edge. Water slid off of my drenched figure, coating the stone in the water I was just swimming in. I coughed the water out of my lungs as the Primarina drifted next to me. “Ack! Th-thanks!” I coughed.
“Don’t mention it,” the feminine sounding Primarina said. “You seemed to be having a lot of trouble for a Dewott, huh?”
I coughed some more. “You could…say that.”
“I didn’t think we’d need a lifeguard,” she joked, “but you’ve definitely proven me wrong!”
“Ha…ha…yeah, I guess,” I laughed awkwardly.
She rested her head on her crossed flippers on the pool’s edge. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Marigold.”
Marigold. I’ve heard that name before. Dahlia mentioned an entertainer in town with that same name.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“Oh, Oswald.” I briefly considered making a joke out of this introduction, but I was too exhausted to think straight.
“I know,” she giggled.
…Not anymore, as it turned out. “What?”
“Anemone has already told me aaaaall about you. She told me you just showed up one day and joined the guild without any fanfare. A real shame. You got your own room, though. That’s cool.”
I shouldn’t be surprised. Dahlia said that Anemone meets with the other two matriarchs often. I just hope that she didn’t didn’t tell them about-
Marigold lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned closer. “She also let me know that you had a very special secret. One of the…otherworldly variety.”
Oh. That’s wonderful.
I held my paws out in front of me. “L-listen Marigold, Anemone made it clear with me that I shouldn’t tell anyone else-“
“Oh, there’s no need to worry,” she interrupted. “She told me the same thing. Your secret’s safe with me.” She winked. “I just wanted to meet you. I like meeting new pokemon. Especially super unique ones like you.” The Primarina booped my nose with a flipper.
I flinched, then frowned. “I’m not really that unique or nice to look at, sorry to say.”
“Nonsense!” she retorted. “I bet you’re a killer with the ladies.” Her eyes lit up and she gasped. “You should come to my show in the cafeteria in a few days!”
I raised an eyebrow, rubbing my nose. “Your show?”
“Yes!” Marigold exclaimed. “I would love to see you there! We’ll be singing songs all night! Maybe you can even meet a sweetheart there, huh?” She wiggled her eyebrows at me.
“That…sounds like fun, Marigold.” I honestly couldn’t care less. “I’ll have to see if I can make it.” I shot her a half-hearted smile.
I turned away to look at the sun falling in the distance. It still wasn’t sunset yet, but I didn’t feel like being here anymore. This trip was hardly the relaxing venture I thought it would be.
So, I stood up. “I uh…gotta get going. Gotta water my plants and all that, you know?”
“Aw,” she pouted. “I was hoping to hear more about you…”
“Not today, sorry. Those flowers aren’t going to water themselves.”
She gave me a sad smile. “Ah…alright. Well, it was nice meeting you, Oswald.”
“You too,” I said while walking away. “Bye!”
“Bye!” she called out to me, waving a fin. “Oh! Grab a towel on your way out!”
“Oh, um…thanks! I’ll do that!”
I waited for Fenn in the cafeteria and ate an apple while I waited. Said apple was one of the only fruits that I recognized right away when I first saw it. Despite this, I never bothered to actually eat one until now. My reasoning was that I wanted to try something new first so I didn’t get stuck eating what I already know. Because, I mean, I had no idea how long I’d be here. May as well.
Still not eating meat, though. I could barely stomach the thought of it.
My eyes perked up at the sight of a familiar looking Quilava. A brown bag was strapped around his shoulder and he smiled when he saw me.
“H-hey, Oswald,” Fenn said. “How was your…why are you wet?”
I looked down at myself. My fur was still damp from the swim I just took, and I was sitting on a towel. “Went for a swim.”
“N-nice,” he nodded. “I didn’t know Kebia had a pool.”
“You’ve been here for two months and you didn’t know there was a pool?”
Fenn sat down and set his shoulder bag on the table. “Fire type, remember?” He pointed at himself.
I smirked. “Surely it wouldn’t kill you,” I argued. “You could use the bath. I can give you one, you know. I know how to use Water Gun now.”
“U-um…no thanks,” he murmured, rubbing his arm. “I prefer dry-cleaning.”
“Suit yourself.”
Fenn went to go get a plate of berries and when he returned, I asked him something. “What’s with the bag?”
The Quilava munched on a berry. “Cycla gave it to me,” he answered between bites. “They said every team needs a bag to store their items.”
Fenn then tapped the table. “…Kind of a waste of a lesson in my opinion…” he said.
“What do you mean?” I pondered.
“They wouldn’t shut up!” Fenn voiced, throwing his arms into the air. “Every topic was so stretched out and they were so monotone with their explanations…p-plus I already knew most of it anyway…”
Didn’t he say earlier that he didn’t know much about mystery dungeons and such? Should I be concerned?
“Did you get anything out of it?” I questioned.
Fenn pointed. “The bag.” He bit into a berry. “What about you? Did your day go well?”
I grimaced. Did it? Did it go well? I honestly wasn’t sure. It was a day full of self loathing, that’s for sure. Nothing outwardly bad really happened. In fact, I was better off for it. Maybe it was just all in my head.
Shrugging, I just replied with, “It went fine.”
Fenn nodded wordlessly and then looked down at his food. “First real job tomorrow…” he said quietly.
“Are you nervous?” I asked softly.
He looked at me, a few sparks popping off of his forehead. “N-not…really. I’m sure I can handle whatever we come across.” His eyes widened and he swiftly corrected himself. “We! We can handle whatever we come across!”
“It’s fine, Fenn,” I chuckled. “I know I’m not as good at battling compared to you.”
Fenn’s ears drooped and he rubbed his arm. “Yeah…”
We finished our meal and headed back to the room. Fenn set the bag in the corner and curled up to sleep. I layed down as well, but stayed up for some time.
My mind started to wander back to everything that happened today, over and over again; my head wouldn’t let me rest. I rolled over and stared at Fenn sleeping on the other side of the room.
Fenn was the only pokemon I’ve met so far that I really trusted in any capacity. Maybe I didn’t have any choice in coming here to Kebia, but I was glad that the one active choice I had made since I woke up resulted in the two of us becoming friends. I’m lucky to have met him.
Lucky…is that it? Am I just lucky? Or am I unlucky and I just don’t know it yet?
I sighed and turned onto my back.
Guess I’ll know for sure tomorrow…
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