Chapter 2 – Predators or Prey?

“So what’s it gonna be, girlie?”

 

The pirate captain’s tail blade was only a few inches away from Rene’s skull. Maxim was paralyzed as the amused dragon leaned in closer.

 

“It’s your life, or your goods. Pick one.”

 

Rene and Ocher locked eyes for what seemed to be an eternity, with the wind being the only thing heard between the two. She knelt down and slowly released Maxim. The former human swore she turned back to him briefly before stating her answer.

 

 “You moppet, pick someone to be a bigger tool than me.”  

 

Everyone on board, from pirate to crew member, glared wide-eyed at the Mienfoo’s bluntness. Even Clyde’s smile had vanished, replaced by a steep frown. Maxim frantically crawled away from Rene.

 

“Is that so?” Ocher chuckled, pulling back his tail.

 

Without warning, he slammed Rene face-first into the wooden deck. The weasel let out a yelp as she was lifted up in the Noivern’s claws. 

 

“Going to keep that bravado, eh? I guess I’ll do this slowly then!”

 

BANG

 

This time she was slammed down even harder, leaving behind visible cracks on the boards.

 

BANG

 

Ocher raised her up for a third time.

 

BANG

 

Then a forth, each impact leaving a bigger dent in the floor. As the crazed pirate pulled the battered Mienfoo up again, she was covered in wood shards and bruises . 

 

The Noivern leaned her in close. “Well? Still got that fire in your eyes?” 

 

Rene tilted her head over to Maxim, then stared directly into Ocher’s eyes. 

 

“Yeah, I do.”

 

A growl came from Ocher’s maw as the dragon raised his claws to her throat. “I’m getting rather bored of yah! Time to cut the fun and skin ya alive!” He turned to his crew. “What do you say, boys?! Want me to give em a proper show?”

 

Roars of laughter echoed. Ocher raised his claws high in the air before coating them in draconic energy. Maxim’s heart felt like it would beat out of his chest. 

 

Thump Thump

 

Fear coursed through him as his blood turned to ice in his veins. 

 

Thump Thump

 

There had to be something, anything he could do! He tried to pick himself up, but his body refused to move. The dragon’s claws began to race forward to sink into-

 

Thump Thump

 

“That’s enough outta you lot! No fun n’ games for yah!”

 

The pirate captain paused mid-swing. All attention was drawn to Clyde, who stood with his chest puffed out on stacked boxes. A golden badge, shaped like a crown of feathers, was in his hands. 

 

“And what do you think you’re going to do with that?” Ocher growled, pointing his tail at the Politoed. A Manectric and a Houndour rushed at Clyde, but he jumped high within seconds. Landing on one of the topmasts,  he tossed a glowing orb. The object dropped all the way to the deck, shattering into light as bright as the Sun. Maxim reflexively raised a wing to shield his eyes.

 

The light faded after a few seconds. Maxim removed his wing to see scores of pirates clenching their eyes and rolling on the deck. Ocher had covered his eyes with his wings, while Rene had buried her face in her free arm.

 

FWEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTT

 

Shrill whistling came from the sky. Stacks of containers rattled before several silhouettes rushed out in a tide of newcomers. A blue figure blitzed past a row of pirates, knocking them down in a single strike. The blur impacted Ocher and pulled Rene out of his grasp. The figure stopped and let her down a few feet away. Maxim took in the newcomer’s appearance.

 

A bipedal bird stood arms crossed in front of Ocher. The bird was blue with a yellow bill and a red and blue feather crest on their head. A light blue feather with a streak of white stood out in the center. Covering their torso was a fancy white and blue vest complete with a navy blue scarf on their left shoulder. A name sprung in Maxim’s mind: Quaquaval.

 

“You really threw me off track showing up this early!” The bird snarked in a deep and suave  voice. “Not a big deal!”

 

A trio consisting of a Cacnea, Krokorok, and Liepard sprung at the newcomer from behind, but the Quaquaval roundhouse kicked them into a stack of empty boxes. “How rude!” He groaned. 

 

The Noivern’s eyes widened. “What are you doing here, Drake?!” He turned over to the other newcomers, all of them wearing the same blue scarves. 

 

“This is a trap!” The bat-dragon roared, slapping his tail into the ground. “Boys, give em’ all you got!” 

 

In a split second, everything went to hell. The Serene Grace’ s deck erupted into a battlefield. Fireballs, spraying water, and even lightning attacks all clashed with each other, cascading colorful sparks and smoke everywhere. Taking advantage of the chaos, Maxim flapped away to find a hiding spot. He only got a few feet before he bumped head first into a black furred Sneasel. The orange scarf tied around their shoulder confirmed that he had made a grave mistake.

 

“Tsk! I’m gonna pluck your feathers for that one!” The Sneasel hissed, brandishing his claws. 

 

Maxim rolled to the side to avoid a claw swipe. He bolted away, weaving through fallen pokemon and flying projectiles. A fireball went over his head, the heat forcing him to dive to the ground. A slight creak behind him found the sneasel still in pursuit with claws encased in razor-sharp ice.  

 

“DUCK, YOU IDIOT!” 

 

Maxim obliged as Rene launched like a speeding bullet into the Sneasel, sending the mon flying across the deck. The Mienfoo dusted herself off before sending a glare toward Maxim. Bruises and messy fur still covered her body, but her fiery gaze remained unshaken.  

 

“Rene, you’re able to move around?!” Maxim stammered. “W-what’s going on?! Who are these guys?!”

 

Rene glared back. “I don’t have the time to explain it all, but if you see someone with a blue scarf just know they’re gonna be your buddy! How ‘bout you answer a question for me ?” She leaned forward. 

 

“Why the bloody hell did you run away? At least try to defend yourself!” she barked. 

 

The Rowlet shuddered. Fighting against bloodthirsty pirates? He couldn’t even outrun one! 

 

“I-I can’t fight. Not at all!” Maxim said. 

 

“A pokemon that can’t fight? You must be pulling a Wooloo on me.” 

 

A few seconds of silence was her answer. The weasel signed, before turning away. “Fine. That amnesia of yours must be that bad..” She pointed to a stack of boxes. “Do me a favor. Either stay right behind me or hide away. Just try to be anythin’ other than a moving target.” 

 

Maxim considered his options. If he were to hide he wouldn’t have to worry about constantly being attacked, but on the other hand if a pirate found him… He shuddered.  Rene began to walk away, forcing him to make up his mind. 

 

“W-wait! I’ll go with you!” He stammered. “I-I promise I won’t get in the way!”

 

The Mienfoo sighed and waved her paw forward. Maxim was quick to hop behind. Right as the two made their way around one of the masts, a massive column of water impacted the ground. As the water dispersed, it left behind a curious sight: a Floatzel with Fraxure headlocked under his arm, with his blue scarf wrapped around the base of his tail. Cuts and scars lined his body, while his face sported a huge grin. 

 

“ YO , Rene! How are you feelin’?!” The Floatzel said with a deep, bellowing voice.

 

Rene crossed her arms and laughed. “Doin’ good, Conner! I’ll feel much better when this mission’s done.” 

 

The Floatzel laughed back. “Aye! I say we pay ’em back at least twofold for those scrapes!” He brought attention over to Maxwell. “What about the little one over there? Ain’t never seen ‘im before.”

 

“Oh him?” She shrugged “Says he’s comin’ along. He won’t be much help in a fight, so I guess he’s on cheerleadin’”

 

The pirate went limp in Conner’s grip. He dropped them to the floor before kicking them away. 

 

“Let’s get a move on then!”

 

---

 

A few minutes later, the daring pair of Rene and Conner cleared out any pirate that got in their way.. Conner hosed down a group of pirates with a wave of water, with Rene following up with a flurry of kicks. To finish them off, Rene charged energy into her fist, hit the closest pirate, and sent them flying into the group like a bowling ball into pins. Maxim stood in awe behind the spectacle. 

 

T his is insane! How are they able to keep up with one another?

 

His curiosity continued to grow, but first he would need to find a safer spot to observe. Finding a nearby barrel, Maxim hopped inside and peered through a gash in its wooden side.. Beyond the duo’s position, the fighting still waged on with ferocious intensity. 

 

Close to the ship’s bow, Clyde paired up with a Grapploct, the latter swinging around pirates as if they were toys into each other. The Politoed himself bounced on the head of one pirate, jump kicked into a second one, then froze a third with a beam of ice. Before the Rowlet could see what happened next, he picked up on shouting coming from the middle of the deck. 

 

Spaced out enough to form a small arena, Ocher the Noivern and the Quaquaval were staring each other down while carefully moving around in a circle. 

 

“Once I’ve skinned your sorry hide, Drake, every pirate worth their salt is gonna know who the real prowler of the west skies is!” The pirate-captain growled. He flapped his wings which caused a wave of air to rush like a bullet. Drake twirled to the side to dodge, the attack instead hitting the ground and knocking up splinters. 

 

“Now that’s the spirit! It’s great to aim for sky high goals!” Drake taunted, waggling a feather. “But if you’re looking for some better rep, you might want to start with taking on someone in your own league!”

 

Ocher growled before his form crouched to the ground. Violet light coated his claws as they extended into blades. Drake responded in turn by summoning back his pair a water sabres, crossing them together in an X pattern. .

 

“Shall we dance?” Drake grinned.

 

Within a split second, both combatants closed the gap. Ocher attempted to land the first strike, launching one claw at Drake’s side while his tail zipped in from the other. Drake stepped back and struck the Noivern’s arm twice, leaving a visible cut. With a hiss, Ocher leapt into the air, charged his claws with draconic energy, then dived. Drake raised his water sabres to meet the attack head on. 

 

BOOM!

 

The clash was strong enough to release a small shockwave that knocked down nearby pokemon. As the dust settled, Drake and Ocher were locked head to head: the dragon’s scowl countered by the grin on the Quaquaval’s face. 

 

“I’ve had enough of this, you damned feather bag!” The Noivern snarled, pressing his attack onward..

 

“Already? I thought this dance was just getting started~!” Drake chuckled back, his twin sabers still holding the line..

 

The duck’s position slowly started to give, allowing Ocher a small opening. His bladed tail shot forward, causing  Drake to veer to the side.The attack landed close enough to rip from the front to the back of his jacket. 

 

“Why you..” He groaned. 

 

Drake swung his leg into Ocher’s torso. The bat-dragon flinched from the strong attack. Drake didn’t waste the opportunity, slamming his foe with flurries of kicks ending with a roundhouse kick that knocked him across the deck and into unlucky Gabite pirate. 

 

Drake took a deep breath. Ice slowly formed on the bottom of his legs, condensing until makeshift ice skates formed under his feet. Ocher rose from the ground. Sparks flowed from Ocher’s maw right before he launched a massive fireball. Drake met the attack head on and cut the fireball in two. Flipping into the air with the ice blade still on his feet, the Quaquaval became a spinning blur. Ocher tried to block using his wings, but the attack broke through before swerving into side. The Novern was launched away, howling as he impacted the ground.  

 

Unfortunately for Maxim, the landing spot was right in front of his barrel. He turned back to Rene and Conner’s position, only to see the two had moved further on.. 

 

“ Shit! I need to get out of here!” He panicked. 

 

A tall shadow loomed over the barrel. Maxim stared into the bloodshot eyes of Ocher. His heartbeat zoomed as the Noivern split the barrel in two with a tail strike. Ocher’s claws seized Maxim, the Rowlet struggling against his tight grip. 

 

The crazed Noivern turned back to Drake. “Now then, let down those blades o’ yours before I squish this little one!” His claws began to squeeze Maxim, the breath being sucked right out of his lungs. Tears started to form in Maxim’s eyes.

 

N-no! Someone! Anyone! Help! 

 

Suddenly, a strange pink light enveloped both Maxim and Ocher. The former human found himself unable to move anything beyond his eyes.. Straining them around, he saw that the pirate captain himself was also frozen with his bloodshot eyes darting around.. 

 

Some of the remaining pirates rushed over to their captain’s aid, only to freeze when a shadow flew overhead. The shadow curved around and swept over the deck, knocking them all down. It back around, this time heading straight at the frozen duo. Like a speeding jet, the shadow impacted Ocher. Maxim soon found himself in its claws. 

 

The Rowlet groaned at the familiar sensation of rushing wind against his feathers. He looked up at his rescuer. It was a Braviary, an impressive crest of white feathers billowing out from their head. Patterns on the crest glowed with pink and violet energy then unleashed an energy wave. The crescent shaped attack slammed into the Noivern’s back. 

 

Drake had the opening he needed. He shot into the air, ice energy freezing his legs again. With a yell he twirled into another spin attack. The blow smashed Ocher directly on the head, slamming him face first into the wooden deck. Splinters flew everywhere as the Noivern rebounded onto his back, unmoving. 

 

The sharp end of his tail twitched as Drake removed the blade, then held it up into the air. The fighting came to a standstill as friend and foe alike diverted attention. 

 

Drake took a deep breath, then shouted. “This battle is over! Surrender, and I promise the rest of you will go unharmed.” 

 

Silence passed. Then, one by one, the remaining pirates held up their arms and other substitutes. Maxim let out a sigh, then scanned the deck. He found Rene sitting on a stack of defeated pirates, their orange scarves tossed into their own pile. In the middle of that quelled chaos, Maxim felt a smile creep up on his face. Unpleasant first impression aside, the weas-err Mienfoo was a force to be reckoned with. 

 

He still needed to focus on the pressing issue. Despite floating calmly in place, the Braviary still had a strong grip on him. Maxim swallowed the fear blooming in his heart and spoke.

 

“Uhh hello, could you let me go already?”

 

The Braviary stared back, then nodded. Maxim dropped down, quickly flapping his wings. The deck approached faster and faster with the Rowlet’s flaps speeding up. The Rowlet shut his eyes tight, then felt himself gently hit solid ground.

 

Maxim opened his eyes. Pirates were bunched up into tight groups bound by metal chains, while the unconscious ones were arranged into rows tied up with rope. Blue-scarved pokemon went back and forth between the two ships using the tether lines. Maxim marveled at how coordinated the dismantling was. Even with how busy things were, some mons still remained on deck, hanging out and laughing with each other like nothing had happened.

 

How can they just joke around like this?  He thought. Just who are these gu-

 

A lone shadow looming over him snapped the Rowlet out of his thoughts. He subconsciously swiveled his head around to see the same Quaquaval. Maxim recoiled back.

 

“Oh, uhh hey there! Nice to meet you! Drake, wasn’t it?” He laughed, slowly shuffling away.

 

Drake straightened up and crossed his arms, only to relax with a chuckle a few seconds later. “A Rowlet? Don’t think I’ve ever seen you before!”

 

A gust of wind passed over the two right as the Braviary landed next to Drake. Maxim took a look at the huge eagle. Small scars and nicks lined their body. A blue scarf remained wrapped around their left leg, the symbol vaguely resembling Drake’s head. Their violet head crest glowed as they locked eyes with the Quaquaval. 

 

The pair locked in a silent stare for a few seconds, before Drake knelled and placed an arm on Maxim’s head. “So you’re the one Signal rescued.. Interesting!” He raised his other arm to his chin. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one of your kind on this side of the skies.”

 

“Y-yeah, that’s nice… Uhh, xcuse me sir, but you’re the captain, right?” Maxim said, recoiling. “The nurse here told me it was a merchant ship, but that’s clearly not what’s going on!” 

 

The Quauqaval chuckled and rubbed Maxim’s head. “Did he now? Well you see, that was just a little white lie! Good on him for not letting the Meowth out of the bag!” He clasped both his feathery arms together.

 

Standing up, Drake proceeded to twirl in place, placing a hand on his crest. Sparkles radiated from the Quaquaval’s form, completing the fabulous pose. Maxim nearly fell over from shock. 

 

“It’s true, we aren’t merchants.” He waggled a feather. “I’m Captain Drake, leader of Aqua Step! We’re Privateers! ”

 

“Priva- what? ”

 

“Privateers! Nothing more, nothing less!”

 

Maxim racked his brain around that word. Privateer Privateer Privateer… I’ve heard that term somewhere before… Think it has some relation to pirates. He paused as a definition came to mind. Privateer – someone with the right to pirate under government rights. In other words-

 

“Y-you’re pirates too?!” He squawked. 

 

Drake waggled a feather. “ Priv-a-teers~! Get it right~!” 

 

Maxim slapped a wing to his face. This long day was about to feel even longer. 

 

---

 

Elsewhere, in the endless void..

 

“What were you thinking, letting him drop in without coordination?! Did you want him to die before he could even begin to realize his purpose?!”

 

“Hmm, I suppose my calculations were off. Nevertheless, giving him a chance to meet another variable is the best outcome for him.”

 

“All the knowledge of the world, and yet you failed! How can you even call this the best outcome?”

 

“Oh dear sister, always driven by your emotions. He is a hardy individual. If you do not believe me, then wait for the next ‘experiment’ to begin. Even our sibling would agree.”

 

“Hmph, fine! But should you fail to keep it under control… then I shall step in.”

---

Drake’s Full Design (Drawn by yours truly!)