Lucca Episode 2: Otherworld Operation

“Here is your tea my lord,” Stufful said. He walked across the throne room with a teacup on his head like it was second nature, not needing to balance the cup at all. The cup actually had water in it.

“And the bow before serving?” Father replied. Stufful bowed to Lucca without hesitation, who accepted the teacup with a proud smile.

“Read the database on Poipole,” Father said.

Stufful shut his eye and began to recite. “Docile Ultra Beasts that reside in curious habitats of ruins throughout Reverie.”

Lucca couldn’t stop smiling. Stufful’s voice was feminine, cute, and despite his age, smooth. That voice brightened his mood whenever he heard it, although that was rare. It wasn’t expected of the Stufful either, who throughout ten years of continued training, had grown to match his height since evolving into a Brionne. Stufful now wore a small bag and a sheath for his knife at his side, and was easily identified by the large tear over his left eye, which he kept closed at all times.

“They do not attack unless agitated, usually emitting a cry to alert others of their kind. If a conflict isn’t resolved quickly, then they flee, keeping to groups as much as they can. We’re yet to decipher their language, but of all the beasts’ dialogue, theirs is the most comprehensible,” Stufful said. He opened his right eye when he was done.

“And you fully understand what that means?” Father said.

“It means they’re the least aggressive Ultra Beast, and they normally run from fights. Because they stay in groups and live with us, we’ve almost been able to translate their language,” Stufful said.

“You suddenly detect an enemy approaching Lucca from behind, sneaking within the shadows. Act!” Father said.

Stufful didn’t say a word as he walked behind Lucca to glance side to side and scout what was there. “On your toes, my lord.”

“I er, don’t have toes,” Lucca giggled.

“I see. Observant, but not making a big deal,” Father muttered, a flipper by his mouth. “Well, it took two hours and it was made up on the spot, but it seems that you’ve passed the retainer test. You were right about this Pokémon, Lucca.”

“You mean-” Lucca gasped.

“He is arguably better as a retainer for you than Alver is. He is quiet, observant, obedient, and powerful,” Father said. The two Pokémon standing before him had childishly excited grins. “It seems that his skills as a feral hunter transferred to serving you well. What have you decided to name him?”

“He was called Mimia,” Lucca said slowly. He glanced at Mimia, who took a moment to glance back. Mimia tilted his head. “I don’t think it’s right changing that name. And I like it, anyway.”

“Mimia. Very well then. From this day forth until death, Mimia is now your personal retainer. May he serve you valiantly in your future endeavours,” Father said. He gave them both a pat on the head, and Lucca finally burst from happiness. He stood on his tail, threw his flippers up high and hooted excitedly. “Do not celebrate just yet. You still have much to achieve, my son.”

“Yes Father! I-I mean, yes, Father,” he said. He quickly stood down.

“Now that that inauguration is finished, I can show you what I have been meaning to show you for a long while now. Your reason for having trained so dedicatedly for all these years,” Father said. He slithered his way behind the thrones to the wall, where one of the little waterways stopped. With a light pat on the wall, a symbol appeared that lit up few of the stone blocks to make a doorway.

“Wait, what? How long has that been there?” Lucca said, but Father didn’t reply. He slithered into the corridor beyond, leaving a confused Lucca and Mimia to jog to catch up.

“This area will be underwater for a while. You had best give Mimia an air bubble,” Father said as they came to a ninety-degree dip in the path. The corridor remained perfectly square, but ahead was completely underwater. Lucca shrugged and blew a large blue bubble from his nose, which Mimia easily squeezed his head into.

Like this, Mimia could swim and breathe underwater. He paddled along beside them through the tunnel, but the depth they were going had him breathe conservatively. They must have gone deeper than the castle’s basement, and yet the path still descended for minutes more. The further they went, the redder the walls became, even though the water maintained a sterile clearness.

“You weren’t kidding about needing an air bubble,” Lucca said.

Even when the path changed angle to go forward again, things continued to feel worse. It was hot down here, and silent enough to hear every stroke of water and bubbly breath. Discarded bones lay by the walls and corners, while the stone walls had far more cracks, marks, or stains.

Father’s speed didn’t help matters, either. It felt like he swam at less than half his usual speed, but Lucca and Mimia knew better than to challenge that. What must have been over fifteen minutes later, they finally reached an upward path that had light filtering down. Mimia made a sound of relief as the surface was there too.

“Here,” Father said, and slithered to the side once he surfaced.

“What is this place?” Lucca asked as he popped Mimia’s bubble to help him out of the water. The red and aged stone continued worse than ever, only this room was so wide that other walls couldn’t be seen at all. “Actually, really. What is all this?”

Mimia made another curious noise as the duo wandered forward. A short staircase led down onto a floor where giant, blinding, shiny blue cubes of ice sat in countless rows like dominos. Each and every cube matched perfectly in size and shape, and were taller than a Buzzwole. The frosty air they let out filled the atmosphere with mist, so Mimia kept close.

“Go closer. It is okay to touch,” Father’s voice called from behind.

Lucca wasn’t sure about that, and gulped as he warily approached the nearest ice cube. He lightly laid a flipper on it to test whether it was sticky or not, and then pressed himself against it to try and look in. Inside was unmistakably a body.

“Uwa, what the heck?” he recoiled. Mimia caught him, and then dared to look.

He grit his fangs and went back to get a better look himself. The body wasn’t dead, and upon closer inspection, it looked more like a Pokémon that was asleep.  It wasn’t rigid like it was frozen either, peacefully submerged in liquid within the ice. He couldn’t recognise the species, however.

“That is a water type Pokémon,” Father said slowly. “In each of these cubes rests a Pokémon. This place hosts the entire population of Reverie.”

“The entire population… is that even possible? You mean, every Pokémon in Reverie is here?” Lucca said. He slapped his face upon realising what he’d just said. “Wait a second, back up a thousand words. Pokémon? These are other Pokémon?”

“That is correct. We were never the only Pokémon alive in this world,” Father said. He slithered around a few of the cubes with a solemn gaze, and had to brush his hair out of his face. “To make matters all the more personal, they are your family, Lucca.”

“Family?” Lucca raised his voice.

“We are the Aska, Lucca. A legendary inbred family of Pokémon that stand at the highest point in the entire world. But our world is on the brink of ruin, as you know. Our supply of Bestia energy is nearly exhausted, and should it continue to deplete, this land will become unhabitable,” Father said. He drew his sword and held it high. “In order to conserve Bestia for many more centuries, the Aska family have sealed themselves within these cubes. We are to awaken them should we ever restore Bestia to our world.”

“Is that why you had me train all these years?” he said.

“Precisely. To succeed the Aska family and rescue us from this sorrowful fate. You and your personal retainers, Mimia and Alver, are the sole Pokémon capable of saving all of Reverie. I stalled telling you this to ensure that you and Mimia were ready, and now that you are, we must delay no longer,” Father said. He slithered back up the stairs to address the duo. “You must investigate a legend that will see the restoration of Bestia energy.”

“Bestia energy,” he muttered.

“There is a world above ours known as Heroica. That is where the legend of the Shining Warriors takes place. You must go there and do everything in your power to ensure the warriors succeed in their legend. Save that world, and you will save ours in turn,” Father said. He sheathed his sword aggressively. “Alver has been aware of this task ever since he came of age. He will join you upon departure.”

“Hold on, sorry – you’re really dumping this all on me in a flash,” he said, and hung his head. “Our family, legendary? But they’re sealed in these ice cubes. And the only way to save them is through Heroica, another world. And that’s by banking on a legend?”

“Your doubts are justified, Lucca. However, I assure you: the legend of the Shining Warriors is very real. By all means necessary, you must find and ensure their success. If you do not, both worlds are liable for destruction. Bestia is an energy that we need not only to perform our abilities as Pokémon, but to cultivate nature as well. And you have seen Reverie for yourself. Nature does not exist here!” Father said, and swiped an arm aside. “Think. Mimia and those other feral hunters came into this world once before. They came from Heroica! The other world exists, and you must go there.”

“This is one of the most confusing things you’ve ever asked me to do.” Lucca shook his head. He looked over the frozen Pokémon and sighed. “But to think that Reverie had an entire population all this time, and all of them are just waiting for me to become a hero… what if I fail? What if something doesn’t work?”

“Then the task will fall onto your children,” Father said.

“My children? Wait, huh?” he gasped.

“At the very least, you are still my son. And I would like this to be a journey for you. With us and the Ultra Beasts being the only Pokémon alive in Reverie, we have many a century before Reverie reaches the point of no return. So when you get to Heroica, I want you to live. Live and enjoy what the world can be. You are a prince after all, so finding love and a successor has always been a duty,” Father said. Mimia moaned a little and turned to Lucca.

“I er, yeah. That’s a rare word I’ve never learnt the meaning of. What in the world is love?” Lucca asked, scratching his head. Mimia sighed.

“When you experience it, you will know for certain. For now, focus on the task at hand: reaching Heroica and investigating the legend of the Shining Warriors,” Father said. “There is one place in all of Reverie where the worlds cross. It is the tallest mountain, and the only one that reaches beyond the cloud barrier that keeps our world in darkness.”

“Oh, I know this one. End Mountain, right?” Lucca nodded.

“Precisely. Climb to the peak, and you should be able to reach Heroica. It will not be easy, but with your strength and your retainers, I know that all of you can do it,” Father said.

“Why don’t you come with us? I’m sure that’d make things even easier,” he hung his head.

“Me? I am much too old to be climbing mountains and fighting beasts, Lucca! Besides, you are an adult now. The last thing you want is an old sea dog like me watching over your adventure,” Father said. He finally smiled. “If you are worried, don’t be. Believe in your weapons.”

Lucca looked over his shoulder at the two blades strapped to his back. He had two short swords that were neatly hidden below his ruffles. “If you say so.”

“There is one other thing I need to warn you about Heroica,” Father said. His stern face made them sit still. “Heroica is a world much like Reverie should be, with many different Pokémon that each have their own beliefs and behaviour. On your journey, you will meet more Pokémon than you will be able to remember.”

“You’re making me excited,” he said with a snicker.

“Not all of these Pokémon will be on your side, Lucca. And they will not be like the feral Ultra Beasts. They might be feral, but they could also be intelligent Pokémon much like myself. Intelligent Pokémon who wish to see the worlds fall to destruction,” Father said.

“Whoa. So you’re saying I should watch out,” he said.

“These Pokémon will openly use the Bestia of the world without care. You must remember that your mission is to ensure the success of the Shining Warriors at all costs. That includes killing Pokémon like that, if you must,” Father said.

The mere mention of the word ‘killing’ made his chest heavy. “I-I only have to do it if I absolutely have to, right? Like, only if there’s no other way to stop those Pokémon from being bad.”

“It is your life, your duty, and your judgement. You don’t have to go around stabbing every Pokémon you see using an attack. But if you should ever meet a Pokémon that threatens our plans, it falls to your duty to stop them at all costs,” Father said. “Now be on your way, Lucca! Your adventure awaits. Go and climb End Mountain and find the Shining Warriors!”

“For the sake of Reverie, and all these Pokémon. Uh, yes sir!” Lucca saluted. He nodded at Mimia, and then they were on their way.

Father watched them until he was sure they were deep in the tunnel again, and sighed deeply as he turned to look out over the frozen Pokémon. He brushed his hair out of his face and sat there for a while, just staring out at the distance. “Lucca didn’t quite end up the way I anticipated, but it won’t do me to be hasty.”

Silence responded, and he sighed again. “But I know more than anyone that life moves in unexpected ways. This time, the Aska will succeed.”

…

Alver met Lucca and Mimia back at the entrance with folded arms and a cocky smile, ignorant of Mimia’s irritation to being wet. “I’m guessing His Highness told you everything finally, huh?”

“Alver, there you are. I was worried I was going to have to look for you,” Lucca said. Mimia started shaking himself off, to which he laughed.

“Tch, do you have to do that here? You’re indoors!” Alver complained. “That means stop you pink plushie! The heat outside will cool you off anyway.”

Mimia whined, and Lucca kept laughing. “It’s not funny, Your Highness! Please. Oh forget it. Let’s just be on our way.”

“That’s the plan!” Lucca cheered. He leapt ahead and slapped the double doors open, only to stop and glare out over the world. “Is this going to be the last day I see Reverie?”

“At least for some time. It isn’t easy to go between here and Heroica,” Alver said.

All that red wasteland and cloudy sky seemed to be extra deadly, today. Their destination was directly in front of them, even visible from this distance, but a good half a day’s march away. A jagged mountain faded by sooty mist whose peak was hidden by the clouds. Lucca squinted at it, gulped, and then calmed himself with a long, heavy breath.

“Let’s go,” he said. His allies nodded, and they were off.

Between the castle and the mountain was a fair amount of variety. Valleys, hills, and even a gorge with a river of lava running through it, all of it made of sharp, dirty rock. He had been in some of these places before, but never with the sole purpose of simply getting through. The group were quiet until about an hour into their trip, where they were in the middle of one such valley.

“You know, I never would’ve guessed that Heroica was real, let alone had an entrance right in front of me the whole time,” Lucca said. The massive mountains had created a maze all around them, so he kept glancing at the sky to use the view of End Mountain as a compass.

“Not like anyone would want to come here. Besides, did His Highness tell you about the monster that guards that place?” Alver said, a sly smile on his face. Mimia made an interested noise.

“Monster? C’mon, you’re pulling my tailfins. Something dangerous?” Lucca said.

“Oh yes. The most powerful Ultra Beast lives there. It’s a great big monster that eats anything and everything, including unwary travellers that stumble down here,” Alver said, an arm raised.

“Okay yeah, you’re definitely trying to tease me or something. Like I’d be afraid of an old tale like that,” Lucca said with a half-lidded look. Mimia hung his head with a whine, and shivered. “Aww buddy, you’re not saying you believe it, are you?”

Mimia answered with a few growls and noises. He sounded like any dog Pokémon, only his feminine tone was music to Lucca. Alver looked perplexed by it though, especially when Lucca set off giggling from it all.

“If you needed to go, you should’ve said something earlier, silly! We’ll wait for you,” he said, a flipper by his mouth. Mimia whined and hurried off, disappearing around a corner. As he did, the eyes and shuffles of Poipole appeared around them as blue glows in the darkest corners.

“You mean to tell me you… understood what he was saying?” Alver cocked his head.

“Yeah! It’s feral language. It’s what him and all the Pokémon that live in the wild speak in Heroica, apparently.” He nodded. “You can understand the Ultra Beasts though, right? You spent all that time studying them.”

“Well yes, but their language is completely different to that of your friend. Or Pokémon, for that matter,” Alver said. He grumbled something. “Don’t you find it odd or unsettling, though? I thought Mimia to be the silent type, and that you figured out his wants through body language. He never ever responds to anything I say or do. And now I see he talks to you through those… noises. But I know he can talk. Rather fluently for someone who was feral, too. Don’t you find that rather suspicious?”

“Suspicious?” Lucca said.

“Yes. He evaded the monster on the mountain, only ever talks to you and His Highness, and is frighteningly strong as well. Why, he could’ve plotted something dramatic and we wouldn’t even know it,” Alver said. “That’s it! Your Highness, I demand you interpret his dialogue from here on. I must know what—”

“Woof!”

“Wha! What is, how the—” Alver shot right into Lucca’s face. He spun and pulled his staff out at the same time, but found himself pointed at Mimia. The Stufful wasn’t bothered at all though, and casually walked beside Lucca. “How did you- but you went that way- why did you even—”

“Hahaha, oh Alver. You worry too much,” Lucca said, and walked off.

Alver watched them with his mouth on the floor until Mimia yipped at him, and he flinched again. “W-why are you still here? Go then! Stay at the young master’s side, you, you diabolical fluff ball!”

“Okay okay, that’s enough teasing,” Lucca giggled as Mimia caught up. “But about that monster you mentioned, I doubt it’s really there.”

“Are you really going to question me? Right after praising my knowledge of the Ultra Beasts? I only pray that we don’t run into it somehow,” Alver said.

“I just find it really tough to believe in fairy tales and stuff anymore. I know, it’s rich coming from someone who places all his beliefs on Mimia,” he said. Mimia whined in interest. “I nearly gave up on my training, but then you showed up, Mimia. I still don’t know if this Heroica place is real or not, and to be honest, I have heavy doubts on that whole Shining Warrior story. But somehow, in a world with no Pokémon, you still showed up. When I think about that, it just kept me going. That maybe I’d get to go on an adventure like this.”

Mimia whined pleasantly and nuzzled him a bit.

“Aww. Where would I be without you, anyway? If fate exists, it has funny ways of acting,” Lucca said, nuzzling back.

“I am curious as to whether you know it, Sir Mimia. You did not run into any monsters when you first came here, did you?” Alver said. Mimia ignored him completely, making him growl.

“You asked this before. Mimia doesn’t remember. I mean, he nearly died back then, so I don’t blame him,” Lucca said.

“Grr, fine. Be that way. But look alive, we’re about to climb.” Alver pointed.

They all had to come to a stop. Reverie took a complete transformation here, even though it was the same features they had seen up until this point. End Mountain’s entrance sat before them, a gaping maw in the side of an intimidatingly tall mountain. The low grumble of lava echoed up into the sky around the area, coupled with a heavy storm of blue embers in the air. Just like Castle Reverie, there was a natural moat over a deep river of lava. That blue hue was all the light this mountain had from below, until the red glow of light that peeked through the clouds lit the top. The rays of light came through lightning bolt shaped cracks in the clouds.

From blue, to complete darkness, to a frightening red, this mountain went. And all of it was made of an unnaturally smooth rock. Unlike everywhere else in Reverie, this place almost looked like it had been sculpted and somehow retained all the finesse granted by the sculptor. There weren’t even any cracks inside the mountain caves.

“These markings,” Lucca muttered, immediately drawn to the walls inside. Mimia was curious enough to walk right up to them and put a paw on it, but there was no reaction.

“Don’t expect me to decipher. We haven’t been able to,” Alver said.

“Why isn’t this your priority? There’s writing everywhere. Even on the stai- there’s stairs?” Lucca said.

“It isn’t a priority because we can’t read it, Your Highness. It’s no use trying to decipher text we have no way of understanding,” Alver said. “There are no signs of the monster yet. We shouldn’t linger.”

“But… the stairs. Isn’t there a better way to do this?” he groaned. “I know! Why don’t you use your staff like a broomstick and carry us?”

“March, Your Highness.”

“But… but stairs,” he whined. Alver shoved him. “Aw fine. I hate stairs.”

Mimia watched him drag himself up the first few stone steps. With Lucca’s way of ‘walking’, it was only a matter of time before he tore his skin by scraping his tail or something. With a yip and a peppy bark, Mimia shoved his way beneath Lucca and hoisted him onto his back.

“M-Mimia?” Lucca said slowly. His friend yipped happily and began to gallop up the steps with ease. He couldn’t help but blush a bit, and wrapped his flippers around Mimia’s waist to hold on.

Alver sighed and shook his head. “Hmm. Well, I guess he doesn’t know what it’s like to be spoiled.”

“It’s so hot in here, still. If you get tired, you don’t have to carry me. I can walk,” Lucca said. Mimia responded with a happy yip as they reached a second floor of sorts, a long, winding cave lit by the occasional wall lamp. “There’s even writing here, too. And is it just me or does it seem more… aggressive than the text downstairs?”

Alver squinted. “An astute observation Your Highness, but a meaningless one at that. Like I said, we can’t read it, so there’s little point in investigating.”

“Can’t I be interested? It’s here for a reason, after all,” he said. Mimia yipped and continued onward.

The cave retained this linear pattern all the way through. There would be stairs at the end of a corridor or a hallway, but every single wall and ceiling had detailed text marked or drawn onto it. The higher they went, the bigger, sharper, and darker coloured this text became, all until it could be described as angry scribbles on the walls.

Hours this carried on for. Hours of unnerving exploration up this mysterious mountain. Lucca had gone quiet to speculate what all of this meant, while Mimia proved to have no difficulty carrying him the whole time. The temperature dropped as the embers disappeared from the air, too.

They eventually made it to a staircase that took them to the outside of the mountain, where they were just below the cloud barrier. The chaotic lands of Reverie were emphasized from this height, as the lava rivers looked like veins of blue made out of fissures in the planet. Every pit, canyon, and spiky mountain of these dry regions stretched as far as the eye could see, where they vanished into the misty distance.

“Whoa. Okay, I had no idea we were so high up,” Lucca gasped as he climbed off Mimia to run right to the edge. Mimia made an equally impressed noise.

“Be careful, Your Highness. Wouldn’t want you to fall from this height,” Alver said.

“Even Castle Reverie is tiny from here. Yet there’s still more to go,” he said. He slowly faced the clouds above, which obscured the peak of the mountain in a frightfully chilly, blood red hue. “I’m getting hungry. Hopefully this is over soon.”

“There isn’t much further to go. Please try to remember that I’ve been here before,” Alver said.

Another set of stairs, and these were much longer than the steps up until now. But these led to a massive hallway lined with gold murals and more text with each bit sectioned off. Lucca gasped and got off Mimia again.

“Your Highness, please,” Alver groaned.

“Wait, I want to see this!” he said as he examined each section. “It’s what I think this is. All of these are written in different languages. And that means…”

“That means something?” Alver said. Mimia started barking.

“Yes, you’re right. It’s footprint runes. Quick, what does it say?” Lucca said. Mimia paused to read it.

“Death… doom… destruction… death… doom… destruction…” Mimia said, and then made a confused sound. He started talking to Lucca through his usual growls and noises again.

“Wait a second, you can read footprint runes?” Alver gasped and bolted over.

“Of course he can, he’s from Heroica, right? But either way, it seems that’s all that’s written here. If you look at the other walls, even they have repeat letters,” Lucca said. He cocked his head and folded his flippers. “Death, doom, destruction, written over and over, in seemingly every conceivable language. If the text here is related to what we’ve seen so far, then…”

“Then tales of that monster aren’t too far off, are they, Your Highness?” Alver smiled.

“If it is related to that, then you made it sound way less intimidating,” he said. “Are we supposed to be here, then? It’s obvious that there’s something on this mountain that’s highly dangerous.”

“This is the only way to Heroica, Your Highness. Whatever that danger is, we must face it,” Alver said.

“… That’s a good point,” he said. His heart was heavy again. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

The next staircase was suitably more extravagant than the stairs that led up to this point. They were clear and frosty, like a perfectly shaped ice cube without the slipperiness. And at their peak, they opened out into an altar.

Lucca’s blood turned cold. This area was wide and open, but just above the clouds and nothing like he could ever have imagined. The ancient altar in the middle was among his expectations given the old text everywhere. Large stone arches surrounded the altar in a perfect circle, while a pillar of light bathed a colourful platform in the direct centre.

It was the massive creature in the back of the area that chilled him so. A colossal monster was right at the back of the area, a round, black monster with a heavy tail that looked like a mace.

“If we’re quiet, we can perhaps sneak by it,” Alver whispered. “The thing we need is that light in the centre. That is a Teleportal.”

“Oh, I know how to use those. Well, I’ve read how to use them. Using that will send us to Heroica?” Lucca said. Alver nodded.

The group shuffled slowly and carefully, and as they got closer, the noises of the area seemed to get louder. There was a constant howl of wind that was as frigid as it sounded, while incessant chomps of crumbling rock echoed from the monster. When they reached the platform of the altar, the true surprise took over.

Faces appeared on the giant stone arches around them, and from those, they sung a heavenly choir in perfect sync. The song brought the monster to a stop, and it turned around. Lucca and the group stopped dead.

If the jagged lands of Reverie were a Pokémon, then this monster was it. A massive, round, draconic monster littered with sharp scales anywhere there could possibly be. Its mouth took up most of its front, where two arm-like tongues with maw-like pincers hung loosely outside. As such, its mouth was constantly open, and inside was a black tongue lined with spikes that constantly undulated.

Above that mouth were two eyes that glowed like the Poipole – luminous turquoise that glowed extra bright due to the black scales around them. Above that was another face, a jagged head between two massive horns with its own set of glowing eyes. The monster let out a grating roar as it stomped over to them.

“Great, how was I supposed to know the rocks could sing?” Lucca said. He stood on his tail and unsheathed his swords from his back. Mimia and Alver drew their weapons, too.

“This did not happen last time. I had no idea that those arches were Stonjourner,” Alver said.

“Stonjourner? Is that some kind of Pokémon?” Lucca said. He shifted back with the group as the monster stomped closer. Mimia made an interested sound, too.

“Not the time, you two. We need to focus to stand a chance against this thing!” Alver said. “Listen. We need to try and distract it so that was can use the Teleportal. If we can draw it over to the cliff, we might be able to trip it up.”

“And if we fall down instead?” Lucca glanced behind him. They were running out of room to back up.

“We’ll work on that if it comes to that,” Alver said, and then shot forward.

“Alver!” Lucca cried.

His worry was unfounded. The Ribombee flew nimbly around the monster like the insect he was, and dodged every single attempt to eat him. Mimia took Lucca’s attention with a bark, and carried him to the monster’s side.

The ground quaked hard thanks to the monster’s stomps, but Mimia managed to stay on his feet. Its tongues smashed the ground and bit the air to try and catch Alver, while its tail crashed and grinded against the ground with force enough to leave ditches.

“We’re behind it. Now Mimia, grab its tail,” Lucca said. Mimia responded with a screech and a bark. “You’re super strong, though. You can’t even pull that guy?”

Mimia growled instead, so Lucca got off him. “Fine, we’ll try stabbing them instead.”

Lucca tensed up and held his swords tight. Even though he was several metres away, he could feel gushes of wind from each swerve of the monster’s tail. Dust and chips of rock filled the air every time the tail hit the ground, and its movements were so erratic that it almost seemed like he would never get the chance to attack. With a nervous breath and a squint of focus, he threw himself into an attack.

Lucca sprinted as fast as his flippers would allow him, and got close enough for the tip of the monster’s tail to strike him. He ducked below a swipe of that tail, then leapt over it as it came back, lost in a cloud of dust as he landed. He knew he was close enough to hit. With gritted fangs and all of his flippers planted for a moment, he leapt with both swords pointed forward. Despite all of his effort, his blades bounced right off the monster’s skin without so much as a scratch.

“What the?” he coughed as he was totally thrown off-balance. He fell right below one of the monster’s feet which threatened to stomp him, and rolled away with a cry and a swipe of one of his swords. It once again bounced off harmlessly, leaving him vulnerable to another attack.

Mimia was there to help, thankfully. The monster’s tail swiped across the ground again, and Mimia tackled it to try and pin it in place. He cried out upon impact however, and barely slowed the tail enough for Lucca to get up and dive away.

“Mimia, Alver!” Lucca cried. The two Pokémon ran back to his side, both of them covered in dirt and marks. “That didn’t work out at all. My swords can’t pierce it!”

Alver growled while the monster turned to face them. “I hate to say this, but we may have to retreat. We cannot hope to touch that thing as we are now,” Alver said. The monster roared at them again. “Perhaps if we had a weapon that could distract or at least harm it…”

“We can’t give up, not after coming this far. There has to be something,” Lucca said. He scanned all around for something, anything that he could substitute as a means to distract the monster. The only thing that caught his eye was a large ball of flames high in the sky. He stared as he shifted back, and quickly concluded that whatever it was, it was headed towards them and fast.

Mimia was the one to bark in warning before the fireball crashed directly between the two parties. Lucca and Mimia shielded their faces as light blinded them from the crash, while the monster roared and staggered back. Alver seemed to be taken completely by surprise, too.

“What?” Lucca whispered as the light began to die down. The ground between them was untouched, but there was a large Pokémon where he expected to see a meteorite. A round white Pokémon with large wings, three tufts on its head, and an adorable face. Its body was adorned with red and blue triangles.

“Looks like I arrived just in time. Shining Warriors, your angel is here!” the Pokémon cheered and raised its wings as the glow died down completely. Silence fell, and everyone stared at her. “U-um, you don’t have to look at me that way.”

“I have no idea what’s going on, but watch out! That monster behind you,” Lucca said. He leapt forward to pull the Pokémon back, but the monster swung one of its tongues down at him. It missed, but it hit the ground so hard that chunks of mountain flew up and knocked him back. Lucca gave a winded cough as rock punched his chest and stomach.

“Lucca!” Alver rushed to his aid. “What was that? That was a rookie move for you.”

“B-but, that Pokémon,” he growled as he forced himself up. The white Pokémon was unharmed and flew to his side.

“Don’t worry about me, but what gives? Why is there only two of you?” the Pokémon said. Her voice was unexpectedly adult. Mimia barked at her. “Wait a minute… this isn’t right…”

“What isn’t right? What’s going on, who are you?” Lucca growled as he got up. The monster eyed them in silence.

“Okay, short story of it. The name’s Angel, and I’m here because the Shining Warriors have awakened,” Angel said. The group stared back at the monster. “Normal Pokémon can’t see or hear me, so only you and your Stufful friend can talk.”

“It’s like I’m talking to myself, huh?” he said.

“For some reason, the Shining Warriors are separated right now. They shouldn’t be, so that puts us in a pickle,” Angel said. The monster finally took a step towards them, and they all shifted back.

“Nothing you can do to miraculously get us out of this, huh?” he growled.

“Huh? Oh yeah sure I can handle that. Or you can, anyway. I’m gonna give you guys a boost of Bestia. But you’ve only got one Pokémon attack, ya’hear?” Angel said.

“Wait a minute, what? You can give us Bestia?” Lucca flinched.

“Has that attack made you delirious, Lucca? Who are you talking to?” Alver shouted. Mimia barked and growled at him.

“Yeah, but you’ve got one attack. Aim it at Guzzlord’s head, ‘kay? Then when it’s stunned, go and stand on that pedestal. I’ll handle the rest. Got it?” she said.

Mimia immediately began barking orders, and Lucca gasped. “Are you sure, buddy?”

“Seriously, what are you two doing?” Alver said, but Mimia spoke over him.

“Okay, we’ll go with Bubble Beam. Bear in mind I’ve never actually used that before, so pardon me if I get it wrong,” Lucca said, and sheathed his swords.

“Your Highness?” Alver said.

“Just get ready to make a break for the Teleportal. Mimia, I’m counting on you,” he said. Mimia nodded.

They dashed forward together this time, Angel close behind them. Guzzlord roared as it raised both its tongues to smash down, but before it did, Lucca dove onto Mimia, who stood on his hind legs to catch him with his front legs. With their flippers and forepaws linked, Mimia spun around to throw Lucca high up, and all with enough time to stumble away from Guzzlord’s attack.

Angel followed Lucca closely and stretched her wings out once he was in the air. For a brief moment, she turned into a blue flame and sunk into Lucca. At that moment, instincts sparked up within him. He had never used a Pokémon attack before, yet he knew exactly how to use what he intended to use.

He took a deep, exaggerated breath to the point that his cheeks bulged, then pointed his whole body directly at Guzzlord’s second face, the eyes between its large horns. He exhaled hard through his nose, and out came a hissing torrent of bubbles that blasted Guzzlord right in the eyes. It wasn’t enough to knock it over, but it did cause the monster to grumble, flail its tongues about, and cringe to resist them. Foam formed over the Pokémon’s face, and it stumbled on the spot.

“Bubble Beam?” Alver’s mouth hit the floor. Mimia barked at him wildly, and he shook himself to focus. “Right. I don’t need to interpret that.”

Lucca’s attack continued for nearly half a minute and ended with a burst of blue smoke and foam that lingered all over Guzzlord’s face. That blast caused it to fall on its backside, all the time crying and flailing its tongues to try and remove the foam.

“That went well,” he said as he landed on his tail. He kept a boastful smile as he rushed over to the others on the pedestal. “Okay Angel. Do your thing!”

She popped out of him in a flash with her wings crossed, and unfurled them to her sides to trigger her magic. The circular pattern below them bathed the group in a cylinder of light, which whisked them away. Moments later, Guzzlord stood back up to search for them, and caught the light as it vanished. It snapped the mouths of its tongues together and began to throw a tantrum, all with a roar so loud that it shook the sky of Reverie.

…

Lucca kept his eyes closed until the light faded, so he never expected to be dumped on solid ground when they arrived. He heard the others grunt and growl too, so they weren’t much better. With a rub of his side and a stretch of his flippers, he got up to assess where he was, and had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

Green. Green all around as far as he could see. Tall trees that overflowed with leaves on their tops, vivid grass all over the ground, and all of it had its colour brought to life by the heated sun. It was a pleasant heat unlike the stagnant air of Reverie, further complimented by a quiet blue sky.

“Huh?” he whispered.

He put a flipper by his eye as a cool breeze rustled the woodland. There was evidence of ruins close to him, but all of it was old and weathered beyond recognition. Short, broken pillars covered in moss and other odd rocky shapes were here and there, including the little platform he was stood on. He dozily walked off it, but flinched when Angel collapsed beside him.

“Grr darn. Okay yeah, Angel, gonna have to avoid doin’ that again until everyone’s back together,” she said with a dozy gurgle.

“A-are you okay?” he said. He motioned to help her up, but his flippers went right through her as if she wasn’t there.

“Don’t bother. I won’t die, so I can pick myself up,” she said. It still took her a long groan to do that.

“It appears we’ve made it. And at no greater a time as well. The day is healthy,” Alver said. “Please excuse me for taking a little bit of a break. All that dust has stiffened my wings.”

“We made it… you mean,” Lucca said. He scanned the area again. Mimia made a curious sound with him. “Is this Heroica?”

“Welcome. To the land, the world of Pokémon where Bestia still exists,” Alver said. “We must get through this forest, but it is a quiet one. We should not run into any trouble we cannot handle.”

Mimia barked and galloped ahead a few paces. Lucca was still in disbelief, but when he heard Mimia’s happy howls, he smiled. “You’re home, buddy. Ten years away… It must feel really good to be back.”

Mimia returned and yipped happily. His tail wagged the whole time.

“Okay, so what gives? Why were you guys in Reverie of all places?” Angel pointed a wing at them.

“Shall we be on our way, then? We should make a point to get a roof over our heads before night falls,” Alver said.

“Night? Er, A-Alver, wait a minute,” Lucca said. “I don’t understand, Angel.”

“I don’t understand either!” she said, wings on her hips. “’Kay, here’s the long-ish story. I’m like, the guide of the Shining Warriors, yeah? I get to wake up when the Shining Warriors are born. I take them to these six fountains where they do these special prayers to bring back Bestia.”

“It really is the legend, just like Father said. And in the books,” he muttered.

“The thing is, I’m supposed to wake up when all six warriors arrive at their first fountain. So what the heck gives? Why is it only you two, and why are you miles away from any fountain? What’d you do with the other warriors?” Angel cried. Mimia barked at her. “Yes, it’s you two! Little doggo-wannabe and the cool blue dude. Big bad bug there can’t see me.”

“If it wasn’t for the ghostly stuff before, I don’t think I’d believe that you were a legendary right now,” Lucca tilted his head with a cheeky smile. “But I’m honestly just as confused as you are. All of this is happening so fast. Am I really one of the Shining Warriors?”

“The amulet around your neck says it! C’mon, wake up already,” Angel said. The duo exchanged glances, gasped, and pointed at the necklaces they suddenly now wore. Plain necklaces with a hexagonal jewel on the end. “Those necklaces are proof of your heroic status. You can’t lose ‘em even if you wanted to.”

“So I really am one of the warriors, Mimia too. This is incredible! And kinda the best,” Lucca cheered and jumped high. “Alver, isn’t this awesome?”

“If I am following correctly, you are communicating with the guide of legend, aren’t you? This certainly makes things more convenient,” he said. He folded his arms. “Rather than finding and helping out the Shining Warriors, now that you are one yourself, you can ensure their success by your own paws.”

“But there are six of them, and only two of you here! Argh!” Angel shouted. She pulled at the tufts on her head and stomped around. “Alright Angel, get it together. The warriors are born again, and this time they’re a bunch of clueless dolts in the middle of nowhere. You just hafta put in a little bit of wingwork this time.”

“That does seem like the way to go.” Lucca nodded. Angel turned back to him. “We find the other warriors first, then go to those fountains. N-not that I know what a fountain is.”

“Well, then you’re stupid,” she said.

“Ouch.”

“Look, it’s probably easier if I go find everyone first and tell them where to meet. Yeah, that seems like a mighty better plan,” she said. “You got a map?”

“This is my first time seeing the colour green, put it that way. At least outside of books,” he said. She roared into the air again.

“I’m working with a frickin’ hobo! Okay how’s the best way to do this?” she said. “… Go explore. Look around, learn something about the world for once. You’re lookin’ for a place called Fossil Hill.”

“Fossil Hill. Noted.” He nodded.

“There’s a Bestia Fountain there. Can’t tell you exactly where it is, but fate and legend will probably make you show up there eventually. Just don’t give up searching for it, ‘kay?” she said. She spun and vanished into a small blue wisp. “And don’t go all tourist on me either! You get there as soon as you can if you’re serious about this legend, ya’hear?”

“I-I may not know my way around, but it’s a promise. Fossil Hill Bestia Fountain, I’ll be there!” he said. She disappeared after that, and silence fell. “Aww man, what am I getting myself into this time?”

“It seems you have a lot of work to do, Your Highness,” Alver said. Lucca nodded.

“It sounds like the legend isn’t going exactly as it should. I hope this still goes well,” he said.