Chapter 7-Navy Start Part 2

 Glade Totodile’s POV

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Four Pokémon stood in the back of the practice field, right beside the various-sized Substitute targets, and brightened when they saw us coming. The Quilava and the Oshawott nuzzled up next to each other while the Luxio and Rowlet chatted. These were Morágand Devontay’s teammates, of Team Whitelight.

“Howdy folks!” Linus cheered. “We finally made it!”

Nevada slowly nodded. “T-thanks for having us! We’ll do our best!”

“It’s time to learn some new moves and tear stuff up!” I patted my teammates on the back.

“Alright, our teammates will take it over from here. Here are some of the TMs Team Aegisdrip got from their missions,” Morág pointed down to a box. 

Devontay smiled and gave a little bow to the best of his ability. “That Team is busy right now, so these guys are taking over the training. Please behave yourselves and learn well!” 

I put my arms behind my back as the Pawinard and the Whirlpede then walked through the practice field back to the League Building. 

Angel the Quilava opened the box and pointed inside. “Here, we have Brick Break for Glade, Solar Beam for Nevada, and Energy Ball for Linus,” she explained.

Linus, Nevada, and I leaned forward to gaze at the TMs. The wind grew a bit intense and we shuffled back.

“First things first!” Kairiharu the rather big Oshawott shouted, and Nevada jumped into Linus’s arms. “Use all of your current moves on the Substitutes!”

“Now now, my love, don’t startle them,” the Quilava sighed. 

“These three are fine, they knew they were going to be under the care of Team Whitelight,” the Oshawott replied and lowered her ears. “But I’ll relax and try not to get carried away.”

“Kairiharu’s just stoked to have some more competition, right~?” Ollie, the lanky Rowlet asked with a thrill hoot. 

That’s weird. “Competition?” I asked.

“I ain’t expecting y’all to think of us like that!” Linus panicked, and his eyes darted around. “I’ve gotta live up ‘ta that!”

“But- but what if we aren’t good enough?” Nevada stepped away.

The Luxio, Enrique, padded up behind us and gently nuzzled Linus and Nevada. “Don’t worry, just do your best!”

I crossed my arms and stifled a growl as he got close, but he remained an appropriate distance anyway.

 

Even if he’s a fellow League mate, I still can’t help it! I really hate that stupid side of me. He’s not like them. Those are the only Pokémon I should hate. Wicked Blow.

“Hit ’em with everything you’ve got!”  Ollie cheered. “Then you can get some new moves!”

 

After we practiced all of our moves on the Substitutes, Ollie flew up to each of us and perched on our heads. “Alrighty, you three! We’ve figured out the best move combinations for you~!” they chirped. The Rowlet was still fairly thin even after Devolution so we didn’t mind. At least I didn’t.

 

I lined up in front of the medium-sized Substitute and smirked to myself. Ooh, I’m so fucking hyped!  

“Linus, you will swap out Leafage for Energy Ball! The rest of your moves are adequate for now!” Kairiharu ordered and gave the Treecko the Technical Manual.

 

Enrique picked up a similar green disk booklet in his teeth and passed it to the Charmander beside me. “I’d suggest exchanging Scratch with Solar Beam.”

 

Angel walked on her back legs for a moment and gave me a red-colored TM. “Brick Break allows you to cover more Pokémon elemental type weaknesses. You would find yourself in a good situation to remove Scratch as well.”

 

“Team Sharp Claw! We should activate the discs now!” Linus cheered before he flashed a smile. Then we broke them.

 

The soft bread-like taste of normal-type mana left me and the rush of strong thick fighting-type mana flooded my body.  “Let’s go!” I roared and channeled Brick Break on my forearms before I chopped directly at one of the Substitutes. The attack sliced it clean in half.

 

Next to me, Linus dashed forward with his palm against his Substitute, and the green orb of Energy Ball tore the fabric.

 

“What the voidlands?!” I yelped as I distanced myself from the Treecko.

 

I glanced over to Nevada and saw their claws near their stomach, as green and yellow swirls of grass-type power spun around like Dragonair’s Twister! Finally, after a couple of seconds, it fired, and the Solar Beam exploded the Substitute. 

 

The three Substitutes took only a blink of an eye and reappeared, their damage fixed completely. “Good work Team Sharp Claw,” the Luxio purred. “However, there are some other moves we think you should try learning.”

Nevada nervously glanced at Team Whitelight.  “W-what do you mean by trying to learn?”

 

I never really realized it but maybe we’ve neglected our true potential. I guess we aren’t strong enough for everything that could come our way. I’m not strong enough to deal with them. The ones who made me this way.

“In the next week, we think you should learn and try using the following moves: Flamethrower instead of Ember. You’re a big strong Charmander, ya know Nevada? You gotta have flames to match it. And Glade, those Totodile teeth of yours are made for bigger things. Learn Crunch instead of Bite,” Ollie hooted. 

 

“Don’t yell at me!” Nevada’s tail flame sparked out.

 

The Rowlet darted away at that moment and landed on Enrique’s head. “What’s wrong?” the Luxio’s ears fell as he spoke.

 

“O-oh, you sounded like h-him for a second,” the Charmander grabbed Linus’s hand and looked down. “But he’s not here. Sorry for yelling.”

Shit! Talking about Nevada’s species like that brought back some bad memories… That used to not be a trigger for them.  Wordlessly I placed my claw in theirs and they gripped it slightly.


“No no no,” Ollie hooted softly. “I’m sorry for saying it that way. I believe in you.”

“Those are obvious move upgrades, they allow you to unleash more of your latent power,” the Quilava placed her head against the Charmander’s shoulder. “Nevada, though… We think you could benefit from trying out another long-range move like Heat Wave. We’ll have to see if you can really work well with it instead of close combat.”

“We’ll have to see?” I asked, and folded my arms. “See after what?”

 

Team Whitelight exchanged some coy looks with each other and whispered something. “The coming week.”

“Okay. Let’s go!” Linus yelled and then he formed another Energy Ball and tossed it at a Substitute.

As we practiced the rest of our moves near Team Whitelight, I heard a little noise behind us and turned my head to get a quick glance. There was a Granbull who headed our way. 

 

“Hello. Team Sharp Claw, you have a request,” Sir Cooper explained. “It’s from me, 360 poke. Can you help teach the rest of the material with me?”

Nevada, Linus, and I looked up from our opponents. I groaned as I let the fighting-type mana leave my arms. “Gah, I wanted to test out my new moves some more!”

 

“All of you will be able to do so soon. Come on,” the Granbull started to lead us back to the patio. “Even more importantly, though… you know how Team Aegisdrip helped you with your Entrance Exam?” 

 

“Y-yes, we definitely needed their assistance to pass,” the Charmander next to me lamented.

 

“Yeah, I was a bit of a dumbass so I barely passed,” I sighed.

 

Linus patted me on the shoulder. “I guess I’m also a dumbass, I actually failed the first time I took the exam.”

“Oh right, that’s why you didn’t join the League right away!” I laughed. 

 

“Remember how Team Aegisdrip helped you all. Help their younger siblings, Mienfoo and Slowbro,” Coordinator Cooper urged us.

 

“Y-younger siblings!?” we gasped.

 

“Yes,” he answered.

 

“Those two?” I asked. “Why don’t we know more about them? Like their names?”

 

“Their names are withheld for Disruption safety procedures, but once they pass you best remember them. Just as everymon did for you.” 

 

“Understood,” we all replied.

 

Soon we made it back in front of the prospects. “Okay, you two, feel free to ask us anything!” the Granbull explained.

 

“Keepers and the world’s balance…” Mienfoo started to say, while they looked off to the side. “We as Keepers know what they are, but what do they mean to Sentinels?”

“Well,”  Coordinator Cooper sighed, “this was supposed to be a simple lesson, but I guess we can humor you.”

“Who really are Keepers?” Slowbro rubbed underneath his chin. 

 

“Keepers are Pokémon that are in tune with the world’s balance of mana,” Nevada repeated slowly.

 

‘“What does that mean?” Mienfoo grumbled. “There’s a balance to all this?”



“You all know that there is the mana that we use for elemental typing in our bodies and in our moves, right?” Linus asked.

“Yes,” Slowbro and Mienfoo answered.

 

“There is also mana, the same mana that is in the outside world, all across the Celestial Hemisphere,” I gestured to the sky.

 

“So the mana that is in the world is called the balance?” Mienfoo questioned. “How does the balance of mana really work with Keepers?” 

 

“The balance is something Keepers can understand in their body.” The Charmander started writing on the board. “How equal the energy of each elemental type is.” 

 

“What else exactly?” Slowbro tilted his head. “We know is that Coordinator Cooper told us he felt this terrible pressure in odd Mystery Dungeons before.”

 

“Oh, and bad tastes from other Keepers’ presences. What about mana levels by themselves?”

 

“We can tell if other Pokemon’s mana levels are unequal only if they are unlocked,” the Coordinator explained.

“Unlocked means that someone used the elemental key artifact of one of their types on them, correct?” Mienfoo asked.

“Yes,” Linus answered. “Now for the world’s balance, it gets tricky, as there are factors based on where you are, either inside a Mystery Dungeon or just in a normal area.”

 

“Inside a Mystery Dungeon, there is an average amount of mana pressure that we Keepers can feel,” the Granbull explained. “Normally it is firm, but if it is ‘crushing’,” he then paused. “Or too ‘loose’, this means the Dungeon is unbalanced.”

“The unbalanced state of the world meant Keepers of Wicked Blow messed with the mana artifacts,” I pointed at the board.

 

“The artifacts…” the Slowbro grumbled and clenched his eyes in concentration.

 

Nevada sighed. “Don’t fret about it, you’ll search for them with the League in no time. Well, I hope. M-most Keepers don’t know where exactly, it could be here or on another Continent.”

 

“Oh, I see.” Slowbro nodded. “Hopefully Keepers and Sentinels can work together and find possible locations for them.”

 

“What are the locations called?” Mienfoo asked. “So we can go inside, go beat up Wicked Blow, and save the world!” 

 

“Mana Temples,” the Coordinator finished wiping down both boards. “They are hidden away inside Mystery Dungeons.”

 

“What?!” those two Pokémon shouted. “Just like that!? In places, we go daily?!”

 

“Yes, Mystery Dungeons,” Coordinator Cooper smiled. 

The pair of Pokémon finally closed their notebooks. The Mienfoo rubbed their shoulders while the Slowbro absent-mindedly picked at the shell attached to his arm.

“Team Sharp Claw, Cooper, just the Pokémon I wanted to see!” a muffled voice called out. 

 

I snapped my jaw shut as I realized the Pokemon. “Chief McBone!?” I gasped.

 

The Stoutland had a sealed letter tube in her mouth and then released it. “You can read the contents here. Team Sharp Claw and everymon should be aware.”

Team Whitelight, as if on cue, rushed over to the patio and stood behind us. 

“Master Zeraora will reach the Mohz Dunes ‘soon’. Estimated time is around one or so months of travel after going up through the Hunter’s Plains villages to the west of Bristberg,” I listened closely as Sir Cooper repeated the information from the letter Chief McBone received. He continued. “They will be on the lookout for Keepers who don’t take their responsibilities seriously, particularly ones who should know better…” 

 

The Granbull glanced over at our shocked expressions. “That’s definitely just a fear-mongering tactic, but we can never be too careful. Especially with Pokémon that have not received any education on proper Keeper behavior.”

 

He watched as his mate pulled out another letter. “This one’s for you specifically,” the Stoutland said through the plastic tube in her teeth. So the Granbull took it.

 

Coordinator Cooper sighed as he read the contents of the letter and then looked toward us. “So the ‘Tiger’ of the Committee will be here in a few weeks, and actually wants to meet with me while Team Sharp Claw goes with that their ward to Brist Mountain Mystery Dungeon.”

 

“Remember to use those tone inflections and speech patterns from the Legend Roche City,” the Stoutland added. “Helps with formality, especially with Committee members and the Heads apparently. 

 

“I know there’s definitely a reason, but why?” Sir Cooper asked, and his tail lowered. 

 

“When Chief Centiskorch used his regular Red Rock accent with some Committee staff members, they asked if the Committee would let any city slicker be Chief of  a League. When he used elocution from Lg. Roche, they praised him for his brilliant articulation.”

 

“That’s frankly asinine.”

 

“And so is that supposed ward protection and assessment program the Committee is hosting. We know absolutely nothing about those Pokémon at the moment.”

 

“I’ve never heard of this ward-business before… I need to have some Pokémon help me investigate, covertly. Lest what happened with Team Vanguard happens again.”

 

The pair looked back over to us just when I tapped my foot against the ground. “You all are now free to ask some questions,” Chief McBone explained.

 

“Are we going to go somewhere on a request again?” Nevada chimed in with their claw raised.

 

“Well, at least at the place I told you I need you to escort a client through. Brist Mountain Mystery Dungeon.”

 

“That never-ending maze?!” I groaned. “But we just went there last week!”

 

Coordinator Cooper chuckled. “Well, now we will have a guest in a few weeks. Where else did you think you were going? Especially with your countless regular requests, sparring, and helping the prospects in the next weeks?” The Granbull then walked over to us. “Your new Keeper teammates will arrive sometime in the next month. Understand, Linus, Nevada, Glade?”


I can’t believe this! I sucked in my teeth. “But you only have us listed for some damn boring missions that are just outside of town!”



“Well tough shit,” Linus patted me on the head. “Just finish ’em’ like we always do.”



Nevada tugged on the Treecko’s arm. “Glade’s right, it’s so tiresome going to the same place doing requests over and over against mainly the same Pokémon day in and day out!”



“I need you all to prepare,” Coordinator Cooper sighed. “Just as I will do my part, I need you to do yours.”

 

He’s right. I need to become stronger. Not just for myself. But for everyone. Especially for Linus and Nevada. We don’t know what’ll happen with the Committee, Head Tiger, that ward, and Wicked Blow.  

 

Even then, there’s always unknown wildcards that could get in our way. Whoever it is, we’ll deal with them. It’s who we are. Team Sharp Claw.