Chapter 9: Fledgling Alert

“No luck,” I replied to the retainers, putting the note close to my chest.

I needed to act fast, I readied my other paw with a couple of items.

As predicted, Kalea picked up on my prompt but panicked response. “….Zera, what’s going on?” she inquired. Her serious tone said it all.

 

In a swift motion while turning around, I hid the note behind my back and up close to my tail. I presented the shell and the iron thorn to the duo.

“One of Lucy’s shells,” Otto noted. “Lucy was here? But why?”

Kalea glanced at the Iron Thorn. “Better question, why the Iron Thorn?”

I needed to make conversation to look less suspicious. Besides, time was necessary to figure out what to do with the note. (“I need it, but if either retainer sees it now…who knows what’ll happen. After all, if these Lunar Stars were smart, they’d be relentlessly watching me right now.”)

Even I knew threats alone wouldn’t stop the retainers from trying.

I piped up. “Kalea, didn’t you guys go shopping earlier for supplies? She could’ve-”

The Primarina shook her head. “No, we’d never stocked throwing items like that. You really think I’d trust Lucy enough to hold those things in the house?”

“You trusted her enough to turn your back to her.”

Otto shook his head. “No no, this is no time for idle jokes. We have a situation to deal with. Seems like some fiends may have gone after our youngling friend. We better go searching and fast.”

I nodded. The more time we wasted, the greater danger Lucy would be in.

Kalea noticed my left hand pressed behind my back. “Is there something else behind your back?”

(“She noticed. Darn it, Zera! Think for once!”) 

 

So I promptly showed my empty left hand. “N-No, just trying to stay calm. You know.” I straightened up like some Falinks unit. “Out of respect and maintaining composure.” I sweated a bit as I made that amazing (and ridiculously stupid) excuse.

Both retainers showed doubt with a raised brow, even glancing at each other for a moment.

After some time of silent staring, Kalea sighed. “Alright…At ease, soldier. Come on, already.”

The retainers led the way out as I quietly and slowly let out a sigh in relief. The note was pressed against my tail. It was a close call for certain.

 

 

I was the last to leave the storage house, trying to avoid eye-contact.

“Hmmm…clean, huh,” Kalea noted.

I turned around toward Kalea, who was watching my back as I left. (“Had a feeling, that was too close either way.”)

I simply raised a brow. “What?”

The primarina just stared at me, rubbing her chin. “Hmmm…”

I crossed my arms for a moment. “Well?”

(She was looking for something. She didn’t believe the lies. Why else did she try listening for responses and checking the posture?)

As much as I wanted to say, I couldn’t. I was compelled to follow the note.

Thankfully, Grapploct chimed in. “Kalea, Zeraora.”

The Primarina reluctantly scooted ahead.

While her back was turned during the exit, I quickly and discreetly took the note and stuffed it in a more comfortable spot in my chest fur. Leagues better than risking an awkwardly-placed paper cut. (“Note to self: Get a bag. Mythical pride or not.”)

 

---

 

And so, we walked back to the entrance, where Dalton was yammering at folks.

I could hardly recall much about what he was saying. Not that it mattered much. It was easy to tell he was just barking orders to the lesser folks. Stuff like, “Make sure those ropes are tight,” “Keep an eye on them crooks,” and the most memorable bit, “Where’s our coffee guy? Not all of us have the Insomnia ability you know.”

 

Either way, our entrance to the area halted the Gumshoos’ hapless gawking. He turned to us and quickly ran up.

“Hey!” he barked with a feral-typical frown, “Don’t tell me.”

I looked at the retainers. “Huh? Tell what?”

Kalea and Otto glanced at each other and then looked away from Dalton.

The officer wiped some sweat off his brow. “No no no no no.”

Kalea brushed up her hair as if bracing herself to state the obvious. “Well…”

“Nonononononono! Nooo! Nooo! Nooo-”

“She vanished,” Otto said with a shrug.

“AAaaaaaagh!” Dalton whined to the artificial sky. “Not agaaaaaain!”

“Yes yes, we know,” Kalea stated. “So can we-”

“Why?” the Gumshoos drooped his arms, “How does she keep slipping away so easily? Don’t you know what will happen eventually?”

A bead of sweat slipped down Kalea’s cheek. “Well yes, if she finds out-”

“ When she finds out,” Dalton interjected.

Kalea paused for a moment and then sighed. “…Right, when she finds out, it won’t be pretty.”

Considering the faces I saw so far, I could easily assume who they were talking about. I suppose Lucy did much, much more if she was a pain to even the police pokemon in this town.

(“Yeah, I see why there’s a reputation on both ends.”)

“So…” Kalea gestured to Dalton.

The Gumshoos sighed in a gloomy fashion. “Alright, alright. I’ll get the Fledgling Alert ready then. There goes my salary again…”

 

Dalton left us alone and started barking at a group of officers. “Bad news, boys, we got a Fledgling Alert.”

A collective and unanimous groan sounded out. Several hung their heads low as they started walking, others hid their faces in despair. The alert certainly lived up to the reputation it was named after.

 

 

As this happened, Otto spoke up. “While they’re doing that, it’s our turn.”

My ears swiveled as I turned my gaze to the retainer. It was true that we needed to follow suit as well.

I stammered a bit. “Oh uh, right. Of course. Now to start-”

“No,” Kalea promptly interjected.

I instantly turned to the Primarina, who had her arms crossed. She aimed a firm stare at my eyes.

Sadly, I couldn’t keep my face from fuming. My fists were already tightening themselves. “What?”

Kalea stood her ground, her hair frozen still like spikes. “You heard me.”

“Wha-, what do you mean no?”

“Four words: Your leg is hurt.”

Otto alternated glances between the two of us as we spat at each other.

“Isn’t it fine now?” I irritably argued.

“Yes. Now,” she answered. “But it’s still healing. And it will most certainly hurt again if you decide to push your luck.”

“Hmph! Well it just so happens I know mister luck himself. And I’m sure he’ll be fine with the pushing.” (Victini wasn’t really the ‘luck legendary,’ but it was doubtful she knew the difference anyways.)

Kalea shook her head. “Not happening. Besides, you’ll slow us down.”

My jaw dropped at the statement. “I will slow you down?!? The guy with two legs. You have no legs!”

The Water-Type loudly clapped her flippers together as she glared. “Two legs you say? Want me to reduce that number?”

A drop of sweat ran down my cheek.

 

Otto stepped between us at that point. “Oooookaaaaaay. We have a kid missing in action here. How about we settle our differences and work together?”

“Grapploct,” Kalea addressed. “The bone in his leg was totally crooked.”

“Was it really?”

The Water-Type nodded.

Otto turned back to me. “Well that settles that, you should stay here, citizen.”

“What? No!” I said, “Why?”

“Come now. You’ve been through quite a few nasty predicaments today. So errrrmmm……You look like you could use a good amount of rest with those eyes of yours.”

The retainers stared at me while I processed the words. In one fell swoop, they said I was a liability. Me, a mythical pokemon that could easily cook them right now. I just stood there, dumbfounded at the proposition.

 

Out of frustration, I spoke out, “So you want me to sit here and twiddle my thumbs?”

Kalea shook her head. “Yes, you’ve done enough. The police can escort you to the house if they want you to leave.”

I pointed at the Primarina. “Last I checked, you almost died. I think you should check your thinking.”

Otto grabbed my pointing hand at that moment. My gaze soon met a stern glare.

“Perhaps you should check your thinking while we’re at it,” the Fighting-Type stated. “Now let us handle it.”

I tore my arm out of the Grapplocat’s grip and glared at the pair. (“These guys, I swear. Unbelievable. I can most certainly cover more ground.”) I glanced at the rock I stood on. (“There is that leg injury. Can’t walk, can’t search. Just say what they want to hear…”) My fist tightened at the thought, an almost visceral reaction. Sure, Lucy did plenty of disrespectful things, but even I wouldn’t wish a kidnapping. Besides, I knew there was no choice.

(“…Then again, this would be an opportunity to make a solo search. Sure, it’ll be slow, but…better than nothing. Surely someone would know what the riddle means, right?”) It was a risk, but it was the only way to be alone.

 

With a rather reckless thought in mind, I started walking away in a huff.

Kalea scoffed as I started walking. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I stopped, looked up, and then groaned. “Where do you think? Saving you the trouble! Cause it’s a much better choice .”

The Primarina wanted to say something (probably something rude), but Otto spoke up first. 

“Just stay put until we get back and all will be well,” Otto stated. “Alright?”

“Alright, alright!” I called back, sitting on top of a nearby box. “I’m staying put! Just go already!”

Kalea stared at me as I pouted and looked away.

I didn’t hear them call out to me after that exchange and anyone that saw it just went back to their usual business.

So there I sat, unsure if they left or not. But after about a minute or so, I made my move. I glanced around to make sure the retainers weren’t hiding. The coast was clear, so I made my departure by going to the pier’s entrance.

 

 

Police pokemon were busy at the site, some of which were trying to keep bystanders away from the scene. Leaving wasn’t so much of a big deal.

Anyone that saw me just backed away, almost without hesitation (that or they pretended to not see a mythical walk by them).

Regardless, I left the premises with a lot of questions, no answers, and a strict time limit. What an ugly way to start a night. 

 

---

 

The streets remained fairly lit to my surprise. And it wasn’t by the usual torchlights I heard about either. Okay, there were standing lantern posts on occasion, but I never saw flames from what I could tell. The lights just glowed and buzzed.

I didn’t need human memories to recognize the electrical charges. Even my whiskers tingled a bit from the energy if I got close enough.

 

With the night sky’s imitation coming forth, not many pokemon were on the streets anymore. No one really bothered me as I walked further and further away from the pier.

The many buildings I passed, the old and rustic ones included, had lights as well. Perhaps that was typical of any town at night, but it did seem fair to notice how many buildings still had lights on at this hour.

From what I heard, most would start settling for the night. (That was given because almost everyone does that.) Maybe they were, but it was a lot harder to tell than usual. It made me wonder how this town looked from the perspective of an incoming traveler. If this town really was at the bottom of the ocean, then would it appear in the seafloor darkness as a glimmering star or a blinding sun? I shrugged at the philosophical thought and continued my way forward.

However, I wasn’t watching where I was going and ended up bumping into someone. A quick glance was enough to make me step back. A segment-bodied pokemon as tall as me. The bright-colored garments made her hard to recognize at first, but I recalled mention of a being capable of predicting the future in a similar vein to Cal…or rather supposedly. Gothitelles tended to stare at the night sky though. Why this one would be down here was beyond my understanding.

“My apologies,” the Gothitelle said, putting a hand up to her lips.

I more or less stammered at the sight, wanting to get out of the way and move on. So I continued walking past.

It was strangely the most friendly of reactions to me thus far. Not glaring with a grudge or anything like that. Still, it was a bizarre reaction. (Then again, Psychic-Types have their own level of strangeness, even Cal is strange in her own right.)

I took a chance and glanced behind me. In the distance, that same Gothitelle kept staring at me. In fact, she hadn’t moved from that spot at all. It was just creepy. Didn’t she have anything better to do?

Regardless, I shook my head and continued toward the one landmark I could see from anywhere: that blasted Hourglass Tower.

 

---

 

By the time I reached the tower, it was already lighting up the nearby area with its daylight-sky glow from yesterday. The entrances to the courtyard were still open, though I did notice a particular difference.

Guards, a pair of them, were posted at the Eastern entrance. Both of them were imposing Swamperts, standing tall with an ice-cold posture that could be best matched with Golurks. Both of them stared at the streets that connected to the entrance behind them, as any good guard would do.

 

They eventually took note of my presence and one of them stared at me as I gazed at the tower. At first I thought it was just my imagination, but with repeated glances, I couldn’t help but bite my lip at the combined glare they gave me.

This glare was narrow, focused, and unyielding. They didn’t care who I was at all. The town and the Bisharp from earlier made it quite clear. But for what? My Electric-Typing? Probably. Me staring at the tower? Probably. My repeated glances at the entrance? Hard to say. Regardless, there was something I had to do…that riddle, the hint that note gave to me. It was my only clue.

I thought to myself. (“I wonder, would someone in there know what this note is saying?”)

 

 

Right when I was about to enter, though, a voice called out to me. “Oh! Well isn’t this a surprise?”

I turned to the source and found a familiar Milotic slithering from the eastern main street. Yep, that same old bland beauty that all of her kind shared. She really did not stand out at all. Well, aside from the disturbingly sweet scent she seemed to be coated in now. That definitely wasn’t there the last time I saw her. 

Upon recognizing the figure, I crossed my arms and narrowed my gaze. “And what brings you here?”

 

Mioltic took her time coming to where I was. And just when it seemed like she was about to answer, she instead pondered for a moment, swinging the tip of her tail around and around in a circle.

I frowned and rigidly waved at the Water-Type. “Hello? Anyone there?”

Milotic glanced toward the guards behind me. “I was merely taking a stroll through town. How about we take this elsewhere? Don’t you think so?”

I raised a brow, accidentally leaving my mouth agape. “Wha-?” (“Is she serious? Like, really?”)

“Hello? Anyone there?” Milotic asked, imitating me, wave and all.

I quietly growled. “What? Can’t we do it here?”

“I suppose, but…” The Water-Type then pointed behind me with her tail. “They may find your mannerisms…distracting…”

I just sighed, “…Fine, where?”

“Come along now,” she promptly proposed. “Don’t worry, I can’t learn Bite.”

I mulled over the offer. (“Just take the offer. The longer you fight it, the longer it’ll take to search.”) I hated the sudden thought, but it was somewhat right. (“Though what difference does it make that she can’t learn Bite?”)

I then gestured to the Water-Type, with my head hung low. “…Lead the way,” I said with a defeated tone.

 

---

 

So she did. Milotic led me to that same rustic inn I saw earlier today. At a casual glance, it looked more like a mountain at night than an actual building.

Moving toward the entrance, the front door wasn’t a hole, nor was it some moving door per say. It was practically a large segmented part of the wall, save for a rather odd and wide handle on one side. Milotic wrapped her tail around this handle and slid the door open, revealing the more decorated interior.

 

 

Going inside, the front room was dimly lit with a single lantern hanging from the surprisingly high ceiling. Sure, there was a visible second floor connected by nearby stairs, but it was an odd choice of lighting either way. To the right of the entrance was what I assumed was the front desk, solidly built with smoothed out stone and decorated wood. It was still odd to see trees down here of all places. Sure it was a cultivated garden and all, but the strangeness and unnatural look of it all just seemed wrong?

Up ahead was a small little cafe area, complete with a variety of scattered tables, a hallway to the right, and a kitchen to the left. (It all seemed pretty standard to inns and cafes, heard about in tales and experiences.) At this time, the cafe area was quite empty. Noise of pans and running water could be heard from the kitchen.

“Dinner rush ended recently,” Milotic explained, gesturing to a table. “The place is quite empty afterwards.”

 

I took a seat at the table, aimlessly glancing around the building. (“Deceptive, kind of eerie in tastes, Lugia.”) Though at the same time, that same sweet odor was everywhere now. It made me gag just breathing it in, with no potential source of respite.

“Impressed?” the Water-Type inquired, coiling next to the table.

I bit my fist for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. “It’s…something…”

“Oh surely you of all folks would know appearances can be deceiving, correct?”

“…Yes…” I answered begrudgingly.

“Much like you right now…”

The way she pointed at me forced a raised brow. (“Oh great! Here we go. It’s that usual thing I heard so much about, ‘Oh my word! You’re so much less sociable, grandiose, or noble than you make yourself out to be. Ohhh you’re soooo rude! How can you be so dismissive and meeeeeeeeaaan!’ …Ugh, I guess this was inevitable…”) (Not that I experienced this myself, but there were tales where our usual mannerisms were revealed to some “lucky fellows.” It wasn’t our job to control how folks reacted, but when those tales appeared, it led to a lot of needless problems. Hence why we tend to act with grand or oftentimes prideful attitudes. Keep with the appearances of tales. Sadly, not all tales can be fully replicated, for better or worse.)

Milotic chuckled at my grumbling silence. “Hahaha, yes, yes, Lugia too grumbles like that when he comes here.”

I blinked for a moment. (“Or not…Right, Lugia did mention Milotic when I first got here, kind of. But then Lucy got in the way with that bribe of hers. Hmm…”)

 

 

After some contemplation, I began my own inquiry. “So, you and Lugia are friends.”

Milotic tapped her chin with the tip of her tail (considering her words carefully). “Not like traditional definitions, but certainly a little more than mere acquaintances.”

I rested an arm on the table. “For how long?”

“…Long enough to know of the little one’s antics, I’d say, more than just a few years.”

“Not really an exact answer…”

“Please don’t fault me for not counting the days. Our commoner minds just don’t have the feats necessary to compete with those with duties to perform.”

I glanced away for a moment at that statement. “I’d beg to differ, but I’m not exactly interested in that.” (“False statement or not, it’s not worth presenting our short-comings individually.”)

I shook my head. “Any idea how long they’ve been here at least?”

“From what I remember, ever since I was a little Feebas, fledgling and everything.”

Frowning at the statement, I closed my eyes. I bit my lip just trying not to say anything. (“That old fact again…”) 

 

Compelled to change the subject, I slowly spoke, “…I see. Now what about her ‘retainers?’ Care to explain that?”

“Oh, that’s easier to explain,” she replied, “It used to be just Grapploct doing the job. The Primarina was a more recent addition.”

“Recent? Like very or…”

“A few years at least.”

(“So Kalea’s only been in on this for a little while. Hmmm, I wonder how much she knows, about everything…”) The response left me pondering for a moment until…

“Speaking of which, where are those three?” Milotic inquired, practically waving her tail around. “Can’t imagine them leaving you alone unattended.”

My hand closed into a fist at that moment. (“Shoot! Already?!? Can’t have her know, especially if she’s friends with Lugia…”) “Well…” I winced for a moment. “They told me to go to the house.” I almost said “that’s all,” but if I said that, it probably would have sounded more suspicious.

“That’s it?” she asked.

I then silently nodded in response.

“So you’re saying they let you go and wander about in what you would consider an unfamiliar town, alone.”

“I’m responsible, aren’t I?”

“Hmm, with that tone of voice, it hardly sounds like it. No offense.”

I frowned for a moment. “Well, they did and I was fulfilling that task.”

“And yet you went to the Hourglass Tower first.”

“Most memorable part of this labyrinth.”

 

Milotic inquisitively stared at me in silence for a few moments. I didn’t dare look her in the eyes. I opted to stare in other directions, hoping to distract myself.

Finally, the Water-Type broke her silence. “Perhaps, but still. It’s odd.”

The word made me glance back, despite my efforts to not look nervous. “Huh? Why is that?”

Milotic pondered for what seemed too long. She eventually sighed and shook her head. “…It’s not worth beating around the bush.”

The statement only made me more anxious as to what she meant. (“Oh no, don’t tell me she already knows…”)

“I just don’t understand how she predicted that…”

I narrowed my gaze. “She?”

“I’m talking about the little one.”

I straightened my sitting posture upon hearing it. “Lucy? Huh?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Predicted? Predicted what?”

Milotic took a deep breath before replying. “…Yesterday afternoon, she said that someone would be at the Tower’s entrance at around this time, right around the time you showed up.”

The answer caused me to furrow my brow. (“Yesterday? Like when she first bribed Milotic yesterday? But…that doesn’t make any sense! Why would she say that? Why do that in the midst of interfering with Lugia? Why do that after getting lectured?”)

I shook my head. “That’s…odd. So wait, she told you I would be there when she paid you all that money.”

The Water-Type held up a tail. “No. No no no, she never said anything like that.”

“And?”

“Let me explain.”

And so Milotic began her little tale…

 

---

 

It started yesterday afternoon as mentioned before. I was minding my own business managing the front desk as usual, when the little one came in.

I am sure it is fine to say that I was apprehensive when she came into the building. Especially with that surprisingly big sack of poke. The little one skipped straight to the desk with her usual greeting.

I asked where she got that and the little one said she saved it up. 

The answer caused me to raise a brow. It definitely seemed rehearsed, which was odd to me. Even the explanation that came afterwards was odd. I mean, a “generous donation” from a child. It’s bound to raise a brow, especially if it’s from her. Lugia probably would have done it himself, unless he was busy.

 

And yet, that’s exactly what she said. “Pops is busy, he has urgent business.” Those were her exact words. However, that reasoning was the least of the little one’s bizarre actions. She had a request. I knew there were always strings attached to a request, even from the little one.

So of course I said no.

After a short and humorous exchange, the little one dropped the bag and quietly screamed into her wings.

I explained. “You and I both know that I’m busy and I’m not in the mood for another one of your needless ventures.”

She drooped her wings. “But there’s a certain someone here. A Pops Alert.”

“No such thing,” I stated, ignoring the obvious pun.

“Seriously, this isn’t a joke. Like someone was planning to come here?”

This caught my attention. “….Meaning…”

She looked away, tapping her wings together. “Pops was planning on a certain someone coming here to stay for a week at least.”

“And this someone is…”

“Just a guy who may be causing a buzz and stuff…a land-dweller?”

My gaze narrowed itself. It all begged a question. “And why would they want to stay at my Inn? Why would Lugia not guide him here, if he really was the one to send them here? Can’t the police do the work?”

The fledgling sheepishly pressed the tips of her wings together, looking rather nervous as she usually does with her little lies. “W-Well…he’s kind of…special? Like me?”

I briefly pondered what the little one meant by that. Something seemed odd about the whole thing. It seemed unnecessary. Why bother me about it?

So, I asked, “Then why are you here?”

“Uhh, three reasons,” she answered, “First, to assure that you don’t need to worry about it and that we’ll take care of it. Grapploct, Kalea, and I. Pops is a little busy with damage control right now, but he told me what to do and I’ll pass the message to the others.”

I glared at the fledgling, just to make sure she was staying true to her word. “You better.”

“Of course, of course. Second, to help you out. No repayment needed.”

I remained silent, motioning her to continue.

“And third…This will sound a bit strange, but hear me out at least before you say no.”

I had a feeling she would keep going at that point. So out of curiosity, I caved. “Fine. I’m listening.”

 

These were her exact words. “Tomorrow evening, I want you to take a stroll toward Hourglass Tower’s eastern entrance and be there at twenty past Half Evening.”

The request made me blink. “Wait, what?”

And in spite of my obvious and clear confusion, the little one remained eerily calm. No, not just calm, confident. Even after asking thorough questions. She had a ready answer.

She mentioned there would be someone there who wasn’t a guard and that I was to talk to them here. I had a hard time understanding this. Talking to a random stranger at this specific time? You’d think it was some kind of dangerous plot.

And yet, the fledgling assured me it wasn’t, but that didn’t set my nerves at ease. The fledgling was rather nonchalant about what she was saying. Her words had conviction, like she knew who I was about to meet.

 

I glanced away. The proposition definitely had the fledgling’s flavor work written all over it, but it felt even more weird than usual. It didn’t seem dangerous by the sound of it. It wasn’t too late and not in the Underside. That fact didn’t stop me from wondering.

And then the little one said this to me. “Come on Milotic, you know I wouldn’t come to you if I wasn’t desperate, right?”

After mulling it over, I came to a conclusion. She wouldn’t stop until she got her way and that money was putting a target on both our backs. So I decided to play along, just to keep her safe on my end of the deal. Whatever else she had in mind, I was prepared to meet it.

So I looked the fledgling in the eyes and agreed to the deal.

 

---

 

“After another short exchange, she left the Inn,” Milotic stated. “From there I waited for the appointed time and slithered my way to the tower. And that’s when I found you, the same pokemon I met earlier today.”

 

The whole story left me speechless. (“That’s impossible. Just impossible. What in the world is going on? There’s just no way Lucy could have possibly- How? Unless…”)

“Wait, what time is it?” I blurted.

“Twenty till Moonlight now,” Milotic answered, “I just said we met at the appointed time.”

(“Right on time, but wouldn’t that mean…”) However, a new panicked thought came to mind. (“The note.”) Right, midnight.

“Moonlight, Moonlight. Wait, how long until it’s Midnight?” I hastily asked.

“There’s measurements for these things, Zeraora. Moonlight and any other wedge on the Hourglass Tower last two hours.”

I gritted my teeth at the thought. I knew all too well what two hours meant. 120 minutes.

“Yes, yes. It’s hard to explain, but in short. Moonlight is the last segment before Midnight.”

“R-Right I know, but two hours is…not that long at all. Shoot!” (“That means they expected me to find some place I had never heard of in about two and a half hours. What kind of rigged game is this?”)

 

Milotic noticed my internal tension. “…Midnight, that sounds rather important. Care to explain?”

I gritted my teeth as my gaze met with hers. She wanted to know, that much was clear. (She had a real good idea if that story was anything to go by).

 

 

I hesitated, but with my injury. I had to take a risk and fast. “L-Listen, don’t tell anyone this. Lucy, she’s-”

“Gone missing?”

“….Worse actually.” I reluctantly showed the note, placing it on the table.

The Water-Type’s expression turned grim as she read the writing.

“Found it with an Iron Spike stuck on it,” I explained.

“Where blossoms glow against the odds,” she muttered, pondering to herself.

“I need to-”

But then Milotic tapped the table. “I see that. You must go alone because you’re oh so important. Don’t let me ruin your moment. But still, there’s nothing here in the Upperside that matches the description.”

“What about the Underside?”

The innkeeper started tapping her chin in thought. “Well, the thing is, there are a couple of places like that, which one is debatable and we don’t have much time.”

“But there has to be something at least…”

Milotic pointed back at me. “Be patient. The only place I could think of that fits the description is the Blossom Palace.”

“Sweet! Now where is it?” I eagerly asked.

However, the Water-Type frowned. “It’s not a matter of where, it’s how you can get there.”

“Huh?”

Milotic spun her tail. “You see, there’s two of them. One of them is new, the other is…not accessible publicly.”

I raised a brow. “Accessible?” (“I mean, it’s one thing for me to need new breather seeds for access and all, but if even she can’t access it, then…”)

 

Milotic glanced around before telling me, “Look, you’re on a tight schedule, and there’s not much time. We can’t afford to waste time, especially when we can’t get help.”

With that, she fully uncoiled and gestured for me to follow her. And so I did, note in hand.

 

 

We went to a back storage room where she pulled out and tossed a rather odd looking bag on the floor. (Said bag was more like a bunch of large pouches strung together by a strap attached to the backside. Actually, it was more like a Sawk belt, but with an Incineroar center. One end of the strap was a metallic ring and a tiny little rod, while the other had small holes.) This belt and buckle was easy to recognize, but nevertheless, I did voice a bit of concern when I looked at it. “Uhhh…”

“Strap that on your hips,” Milotic instructed. “Better than using that fur of yours. We’ll be hitting water to travel more quickly.”

 

With nothing better to do, I started strapping up. I thought it would be a struggle, but to my surprise, I managed to strap it on tightly with no trouble. (“Huh, I guess those straps come naturally to ‘humans’ after all. How weird…”)

Milotic cleared her throat in front of me. On the tip of her tail were a few Oran Berries.

I took the berries, and anything else she handed me, and placed them into the pockets, with the note being in its own pocket. As I did so I remarked, “Wait, if we’re going underwater again, wouldn’t that mean everything gets wet again?”

“It may be old, but it’s water-tight as long as the pockets are closed.”

“Uh huh…” (“That’s helpful to know.”) “And Electric-Type attacks?”

“You’re not planning on shocking everything including me, are you?” Milotic handed over a few Breather Seeds. “I mean, shock too much and of course things in there will fry. It’s common sense.”

I rolled my eyes and took the seeds. “Ha ha…yeah…” (“Would have been nice to know sooner, Lucy.”)

After some short prep, Milotic and I departed from the Inn. Three Orans, Two Pechas, Four Breather Seeds, and a Sleep Seed were new additions to my item collection here. Not the best selection, but better than nothing.

 

---

 

We quickly traveled to the Underside, a feat made quite easy thanks to Milotic’s natural ability to swim and the lack of roadblocks. On the way there through the tunnels, I managed to squeeze in time for a conversation. 

I spoke up first, “So, we get to the Underside, find this Blossom Palace-”

“It’s not that simple. First, there’s two of them. But I have a feeling that the old one is the one you’re looking for.”

“So why not go there?”

“Because it was abandoned years ago.”

I raised a brow. “…That doesn’t exactly answer my question…”

“I mean the way to it was wrecked many years ago, practically impossible to access.”

“Wrecked? How?”

“That’s…That’s not important to you. What’s important is that you can’t just walk there.”

“So, why bother?”

“…I have heard rumors of the Catacombs potentially reaching there.”

“You don’t mean the mystery dungeon here.”

“No, but rumors are rumors, not reliable.”

“So what’s the plan here then?”

 

Milotic paused for a moment. “You’re not going to like this, but you’ll need to get it from the mouths of some criminals.”

“In other words, some old fashioned interrogation…”

“Yes, yes…There’s a rival group I’ve heard about, the Shining Slashers.”

My eyelids lowered themselves. “Gee, how creative…”

“Don’t patronize them,” Milotic said with a sharp tone.

“I’m not. So let me guess, you’re sending me into their territory and making them my problem.”

“Not exactly,” Milotic growled. “More like nudging you in the right direction.”

I sighed. “Ah, ‘Doing it your way,’ huh.”

“Quiet yourself, boy. If anyone knows the way to that palace, it’ll likely be the current leader. Beats trying to track one of those pokemon down, right?”

I grumbled. “Maybe, but it does leave me alone.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“It doesn’t take an Alakazam to figure out that you’re just gonna leave me alone to deal with the problem, right?”

 

Milotic fell silent for the rest of the trek after I said my piece. My searing shot landed true.

 

---

 

We emerged at the Underside’s open air. We were practically in a riverbed, only the shores were the open-sides of a pipe. Milotic made her way to the docking shore, dropping me off at the earliest opportunity. The air was no longer stained with that putrid scent of Milotic’s. I couldn’t believe I was thanking those waters for something.

The streets were dark, only dimly lit by small lights that glowed and clustered themselves on the path and occasional pole.

 

---

 

After several bridges were crossed, we made our way to an old fenced-off building. As we did so, a bell-like chime echoed through the city.

I glanced around as my ears swiveled.

“That’s the tower’s bell,” Milotic commented. “It rings throughout the town whenever the time of day changes, or rather when a new wedge is reached on time.”

I crossed my arms anxiously. “So it’s Moonlight now.” (“Two hours left.”) With a quick glance at the building and then at Milotic, I decided to continue our conversation. “Well?”

Milotic stared back. “Well go.”

“What am I supposed to do with this? And you never answered my question.”

The Water-Type took a slow and deep breath. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll do something to help you out, like checking out the other garden.”

 

The statement was rather vague for my tastes, but we wasted enough time bickering. I poked my forehead with two fingers before sighing.

Milotic continued. “There should be an old passageway. Take it, follow the tunnel. Once through, you’ll find yourself in a tall and open hub area with many pipes. No way to miss it. Follow the yellow and orange pipes, colors of the sun.”

I blinked at the sudden instructions.

Milotic gave me a stern look. “Remember these important words and forget my face. Understand?”

I bit my lip at the implications; questions ran through my head. But one thought put me to action. (“There’s no time for questioning it, just go with it.”) In time, I just nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

“Good,” Milotic said. “Stay vigilant, land-dweller.”

And just like that, she slithered away.

 

 

I turned my attention to the building before me. Old, worn-down, had plenty of holes in it. The tall fence surrounding it was metallic, yet oddly thin. Thin wires were strung together like Ariados webs. The top nested a string spiral of barbed spikes. They looked rather nasty to touch. Just looking at them made me scratch my neck nervously.

I glanced at my formerly bad leg. I decided to move it around, lift the knee, check my ankle, press some weig-

“Egh!” I barely kept my balance after attempting to put all my weight on my bad leg.

(“Yep. Not quite ready yet. Just gotta not do that.”) Up to now, I barely walked on it. Mostly limping to hopefully keep it better.

 

I decided to take a moment to walk around the perimeter, hoping to find a place to climb. Instead, I ended up finding a sloppily made hole at the bottom of the fence.

With no quicker option, I bent down and crawled under. It was a fairly easy feat, save for my back shoulder and tail hitting the edge of the fence on the way out.

 

 

After getting up and dusting myself off, I entered the old building, charging and rubbing my paws as I did so. There were many piles of debris, knocked-over shelves, and trash everywhere. It was a Trubbish’s paradise. Although one spot stood out above the rest, a set of stairs hidden at the back of the room.

 

I went over there and peered into the passageway. It was dark and extended far below the floor.

(“Nice and easy, Zera. Remember why you’re here. Just a dark passage, nothing more.”)

With that thought, I took my first steps down the stairs and into the depths of darkness once more.

---

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Fragment of Knowledge:

Silspringer Police File: #GS-G2R4-249

Subject: Lugia the Fifth (Dubbed: “Five”)

Age: 42 Years

Relations:

• Lugia the Fourth (Parent)
• [REDACTED]
• Grapploct (“Family Retainer”)
• Primarina Kalea (“Family Retainer”)

Background: 

She is the fifth Lugia numbered in recorded history, and the offspring of Lugia the Fourth. Lives in the South-Eastern Central District with appointed retainer and berry farmer Grapploct as well as the appointed retainer Primarina Kalea. Is set to be the heiress of Lugia’s duties and titles (much to the department and public’s dismay)

Delinquency Record:

Has an extensive history of demerits based on the following over the course of twenty-two years:

• 8 Counts of Thievery during the first two years of residing.
• 32 Counts of Causing Public Commotion and Panic in Districts
• 20 Counts of Accidental Property Damage and Destruction
• 8 Counts of Perjury
• 55 Counts of Trespassing
• 30 Counts of Resisting Arrest

(Note: This does not count attempted assaults during attempts to resist arrest.)

All on-duty officers are warned to take extreme caution if she happens to appear on patrol routes.