Chapter 8: The Webs that Bind, Part 2

Ivan, Galena, and Chastain crossed through the tattered threshold of webbing. They scanned the area for the two Ariados, preparing for an ambush. However, when they looked ahead into the large room, their faces went pale.

All around were clusters of glittering webs. Stuck to each of them were wriggling, moaning, Pokémon-sized masses. In the center of the room was an enormous web perfectly knitted between a dead tree and a towering plant. The giant flower had massive yellow petals dripping a thick, golden substance.

‘That must be a nectarwort! It’s huge!’ Ivan thought as his jaw dropped. He vigorously shook away his amazement. ‘Can’t think about that now. This is about those Ariados and the captured Pokémon.’

“Psymon, Sasha!? Is that you?” he called. The forms murmured back weakly, their words unintelligible. The Mr. Mime’s eyes gleamed as he tried to communicate mentally, but he quickly stopped. “Fiddlesticks, they’re out cold. Don’t worry, I’ll get you out!”

As the Grovyle processed the horrific scene, Chastain bolted over to a mass of silk in the room’s corner. Two Meowstic-shaped cocoons were trapped within it. 

Chastain took another step forward, but before he could reach his deputies, two large strands of webbing shot down at him from the trees.

“You aren’t saving anyone!” yelled someone with a callous, female voice. 

Two Ariados crawled menacingly down the ivory ropes. The first to touch down was the female, who had a round magenta body and glaring blue eyes. The other was a red male, smaller than his accomplice but with a leaner build.  Tufts of yellow fur on his legs and abdomen crackled indignantly with electricity. The two rushed toward Chastain, causing him to stumble back toward Ivan and Galena. 

“Leave us be!” the male spat. 

“Leave or perish!” the female added, her mandibles dripping with drool and vitriol. 

Chastain threw his arms out in concession. “We mean you no trouble! Just please, release my friends! We’ll leave.”

The magenta one scoffed. “Meaningless words from a ‘civil’ Pokémon. Why should my Rach and I trust you? You could just stomp on us after we released them.”

“Those people you took didn’t do anything,” Ivan said as he stepped up. “Chief Chastain’s word is good, please trust us.”

“We can’t be sure of anything you say,” replied the male. “I won’t let you hurt or steal from Nida and me.”

The Grovyle balled his fists. “We’re not-!”

His eyes suddenly locked with the Ariados’s. They were frantic, barely able to meet Ivan’s before darting around. 

“They’re not gonna reason, dude. Looks like a fight,” Galena warned, snapping the Grovyle out of it.

He sighed. ‘She’s right. Sometimes there’s no use talking.’

“You will join your fellow trespassers in our webs!” Nida declared before spitting a blob of silk toward the group. Her accomplice followed, spewing thick strands crackling with electricity.

Ivan dug in his heels before springing away from webs flying at him. Galena manifested a blockade,  which one projectile slammed against with a gooey blap. Chastain’s eyes glowed as he threw his arms forward, telekinetically flinging more away. 

The Grovyle dashed around most of the barrage but a lone web landed on his foot, tethering it to the ground. He gasped as he lurched forward. He hit the ground with a hard thud, causing him to moan. As he tried to get up, another shower of nets poured down around him. 

“Ivan, my boy! I’ll help!” Chastain cried with a scowl. He twitched his fingers and the glow in his eyes intensified. Nida and Rach were thrown back before they could shoot again.  

Seeing her chance, Galena inhaled before firing a small pulse blast at the webbing around Ivan. It evaporated, allowing him to move. 

“Thanks!” Ivan said to the others as he stood. He darted toward the Ariados, who began to rain more silk down. The Grovyle spewed forward dragon breath, burning through the projectiles and blowing over Rach. The spider seethed as red marks spread across his body and his fur blackened.

Nida fired a web at Galena, her eyes alight with malice. The silk flew like a hyper beam, only for her to shoot it down with another pulse. The Goodra smacked her tail against the ground, summoning a pool of gunk before launching it at the Ariados. Right as the wave was about to crash into her, the spider spat out a tightly knit cloth-like web. She jumped and glided over the attack safely with her silk parachute. 

A gust of wind carried Nida over to Galena, who spat out another pulse. But the spider swooped to evade it before twitching her mandibles. She bit her web, severing it and dropping onto the Goodra’s chest. Catching the rescuer off guard, she began to pummel her chest and stomach. The tips of the Ariados’s legs turned a noxious purple as she continued to thrash. 

“Get off me!” Galena shouted. She threw forward her arms, pushing Nida off of her. The Goodra spun around and slammed her tail into the Ariados, sending her rolling backward. But as Galena regained her personal space, she moaned and looked down at her torso, which was covered in patches of sickly purple. Her body groaned and she began to hack and seethe. “Crap, I’m poisoned.”

Rach jumped forward to shield his vulnerable partner. He knitted more electrified webbing before firing it at the three. 

One web slammed into Chastain’s chest, electricity exploding over him. He gasped as he convulsed. “Iiiiiiii knnnnnnew I shshshshshould hahahahave wowwoworn rubbbbbbber!”  As the voltage died down, the Mr. Mime ripped the string off with a grunt. “I may not be a youngun, but this old heart doesn’t need a jumpstart!” Rach scrabbled toward Chastain but the Mr. Mime threw out his arm, flinging him away. The male screeched as he crashed into Nida, and the two fell to the ground on their stomachs.

“You think you can best us with your mind powers?” the male huffed as he and his partner stood up. “We’ll show you mind powers!” 

The pair’s eyes glowed as they concentrated. Chastain gestured to attack, but his arm suddenly threw itself over his head. His other arm followed. 

“Wh-what?” he uttered as he watched his arms move like a puppet’s, outside of his control. His legs were next, carrying him toward Ivan and Galena. His arms pushed themselves out, making him look like a shambling zombie. His fingertips sparkled before sparkling pink light flashed from them. The glimmering energy surged forward, flying between Ivan and Galena. 

“What the heck!?” the Goodra uttered in shock. 

Chastain grimaced, his face the only part of himself he could control. “Dearest apologies, Miss Galena! I’m not myself at the moment!”

Ivan sprinted toward the Ariados as the Mr. Mime turned to unwillingly launch another flash of searing sparkles. The Grovyle outran it as he barreled toward Rach.

The magic in the spider’s eyes flickered as he shifted his focus. He spat another electroweb, which Ivan ducked under it. The Grovyle reached Rach before he could spit another, extending his leaves out to slash him. The blades rammed and dug in, sending the Ariados flying back. 

“PERISH, HEATHENS!” Nida screeched as her partner flew past her. She lobbed a net at Ivan, who turned only for it to slap his snout and spread over his face. He yelped, but the mass muffled the sound.

Chastain gasped as his body abruptly stopped. He looked to the Ariados, who in their anger dashed at Ivan, releasing their mental grasp on him. The Mr. Mime wound up his arm before throwing a clumsy punch in the air. Just as Nida was about to pounce on Ivan, she grunted and reeled back. A fist-shaped bruise appeared on her face, defacing the shining pink of her exoskeleton. Rach leaped, but a barrier flashed into existence. He smashed into it face-first with an echoing crunch before helplessly sliding off. 

Ivan clawed the blob off his face to see the battered spiders moaning and backing away to recuperate.

“We need a plan, my dear,” Rach whispered to Nida.

She nodded. “I’ll busy the speedy one and the clown, you pick off the Goodra.”

Rach scuttled swiftly at Galena while Nida launched a barrage of webs toward Chastain and Ivan. The Mr. Mime redirected some off to the side as the Grovyle dashed to avoid others. 

Galena threw her head back, brewing explosive energy in her mouth. But Rach quickly skittered before jumping onto her. She gasped, causing the pulse to erupt from her mouth and miss. The force of the blast caused her to stumble back, losing her balance before falling onto her back. She cried in pain as Rach crawled onto her, his maw dripping with venom. 

“This is for invading our home, trying to take what’s ours! We shall protect what is precious to us!” he raved before gnashing his mandibles. Galena shut her eyes, bracing for the spider to spray her with the deadly liquid.

Ivan grimaced as he watched. ‘That could be Venoshock— and she’s already poisoned, this is bad! I have to get him off her!’

Fire began to rise in his throat, but instead of unleashing it, he exhaled a puff of smoke. ‘No, he could still bite her even if I landed a direct hit. I need something more surefire.’  

Ivan dug into his bag and gripped a smooth, glassy sphere. Sunlight reflected off the orb’s sleek blue surface as he pulled it out. ‘A slumber orb? Yeah, that could work. Here goes nothing!’ 

“GALENA! HOLD YOUR BREATH!” he hollered.

The Goodra opened her eyes and directed them toward Ivan. “What!?” 

“Trust me!” he replied before raising the orb behind him. His facial features tightened as he concentrated on Rach. With a roar, he lobbed the sphere with all his might, sending it flying.

The orb slammed into the ground a foot away from Galena, shattering into a hundred pieces. A silvery smoke rose from the debris and filled the air, and Rach craned his neck to study it. The Goodra inhaled untainted air before shoving the spider off of her. He wailed and fell to the ground, landing in the cloud of smoke. He choked as he stood up, the gas filling his lungs. It began to dissipate, but the Ariados began to sway and stumble, his eyelids drooping. His limbs gave out as he succumbed to slumber, falling to the ground with a thud. Galena rolled onto her belly before pushing herself onto her feet.

“RACH!” Nida screamed. She glared at Ivan with murderous fury. “I’LL KILL YOU!” 

Nida jumped at him but was thrown away midair, causing her to slam into the ground and yowl. Psychic power lifted her off of her legs, which began to flail underneath her in a frenzied dance. She shrieked as she was dragged through the air like a puppet. Ivan turned to see Chastain controlling her with a deep scowl on his face.

“How do you like being a Poké Doll? Not so much fun, is it?” the Mr. Mime spat. 

Galena trudged up and glimpsed at the performance. “Nice puppet show. Want me to finish it for you?”

Chastain nodded fiercely. “Be my guest, Miss Galena.”

The Goodra slammed the dirt with her tail. Water sprayed up eagerly and swirled before lurching at the Ariados. She stomped her foot, commanding it to fly toward her target. The spider watched in horror as it surged at and over her, enveloping her vision. The filth crashed into her, causing her to shriek as it carried her away. The water quickly cleared, leaving Nida on her back, gargling. Her legs twitched as she lost consciousness.

Ivan panted as his muscles and stance relaxed. “Wow… hah… they were a handful.”

“More like four handfuls,” Chastain remarked as he shook his head. “You know, ’cause Ariados have four arms? Or legs? I suppose they don’t have hands, actually…”

Galena shrugged. “Let’s maybe think about freeing your enforcer friends first? And locking up these nutjobs?”

Ivan gazed at the cocoons containing Sasha and Psymon before following the trail of captured victims around the clearing. “We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Chastain laughed as he nudged Ivan with an elbow. “Cut, hahaha! Get it? Cause we’re going to… you know…”

Galena and Ivan stared blankly at the Mr. Mime. 

He sighed as his expression fell in defeat. “Let’s get cutting.”

---

Ivan slashed open a cocoon with his blades, revealing a Mienshao woman. The enforcer stepped out, nodded, and walked toward a small crowd of freed Pokémon.

The Grovyle wiped the sweat from his brow before joining them as well. He stopped next to Galena, who watched as Chastain, the two Meowstic, and Sheath stood in a circle. Between them was a large box formed from barrier magic, which imprisoned the Ariados. The spiders were now awake and banging angrily against its walls.

Galena took a sip from a bottle labeled “antidote,” and the purple splotches on her stomach began to fade. She sighed in relief. “That was nuts. What makes someone kidnap a bunch of people?” 

Ivan frowned. “I guess sometimes Wildborn Pokémon resent townsfolk, even if we live side by side.” He stared up at the giant flower in the room’s center, which rose higher than the surrounding trees. He followed its stem down to the enormous web strung from it. 

‘This must be their home,’ the Grovyle deduced. He inspected the dead tree aiding the flower to support the web. An axe was wedged in it, leaving a gaping scar in the wood. ‘That’s odd. Maybe a remnant of the park project? Weird they’d leave it behind.’

“Uh, Ivan?” Galena uttered, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned his attention to her. 

“Yeah?” the Grovyle replied. “What’s wrong?” 

“There’s something in that web,” she said, pointing at it. 

Ivan craned his neck and squinted. Small clusters of round objects were embedded in the bottom of the net.

He gulped. “Tell me those aren’t more Pokémon.” 

“Let’s… go find out,” the Goodra replied, her voice shaky. 

Nightscale walked past the enforcers and up to the web. Ivan stepped up on the tips of his toes, barely able to gaze over its rim. His teammate breathed in deeply, preparing herself as she leaned in. The spheres were covered in intricately woven silk. They were silent and still, unlike the victims they had rescued.

Ivan used a claw to count them. ‘Thirteen… fourteen… fifteen? What are they, and why so many? Wait— are they?’

The pair froze, their eyes widening, before slowly looking back at each other.

“Those are Pokémon eggs,” Galena muttered in disbelief.

Ivan bit his claw. “Stolen eggs?” 

“Awful small. I’m no biologist, but they could be Spinarak,” she remarked.

‘Spinarak eggs,’ Ivan’s thoughts repeated. ‘That means—’

“Those Ariados are parents, and this is their nest.”

Galena nodded. “Guess so. That explains the defensive behavior, but doesn’t make things better. Those guys are going to jail, for sure.”

“Parents… in jail?” Ivan uttered as he turned to the Goodra, his eyes filled with worry. “That sounds terrible, even if they attacked everyone.”

“Well they didn’t poison you,” Galena scoffed. But as she met his eyes, her own expression softened. She sighed. “But… yeah, maybe they were just protecting the nest. Don’t get me wrong, they’re crazy. But family is family.” 

The Goodra clutched her necklace. “And you fight for family.”

‘You fight for family,’ Ivan’s thoughts echoed. Muffled thoughts and voices filled his mind, and at its forefront, a low but jolly voice laughed. He let out a quiet breath. “You got me there. Maybe there’s a story here. Wanna find out?” 

Galea smiled. “Let’s get this mess untangled.”

---

“So what if they have eggs? They tried to kill me— I mean us!” Sheath shouted in protest.

Ivan huffed. “Can we at least listen to what they have to say?” He looked to Chastain, who was fixated on maintaining the Ariados’ prison with his colleagues. 

“I suppose that would be fair,” the Mr. Mime remarked without taking his eyes off the barrier.

Sasha hissed. “Are you serious? These freaks won’t say anything useful!”

Nida jabbed at the wall closest to the Meowstic. “Typical civilian, discounting us!” 

“Shut up!” the Meowstic hollered back. 

Psymon glanced over to Sasha. “Calm down. They’re right, this could be a misunderstanding. We have to be open to other perspectives.” 

She rolled her eyes but said nothing else. 

“We won’t answer to you!” Nida growled. “Now that you know of our nest, we must escape and stop you! You will not harm our family!” 

Galena cocked her head. “Why do you think would we hurt your eggs?” 

“Because you are all the same! All you do is stomp on us! You pillage and ruin lives!” Rach replied. Though his words were coated in venom, there was a pained look in his eyes. 

“We’re not like that. We really were just trying to find some nectarwort without stepping on anyone’s toes,” Ivan explained. “Some civilians hate Wildborn, but that’s very few of us. What made you think we were like them?” 

Rach and Nida exchanged a look. The woman turned to glare at Nightscale. “A group of ‘civil’ Pokémon came here, just weeks ago. They invaded our home and chopped down our nectarwort. The web we weaved with all our love fell with our eggs still inside! They stole what nectar they could, and when we tried to defend our home—”

She pointed furiously to the axe stuck in the tree. “They swung at us with that vile thing! They almost chopped my Rach’s head off!” 

“Thank Arceus they fled before they killed us, but the damage was done. We had to shelter our eggs ourselves until the flower grew back, weeks later,” Rach explained.

“You’re kidding,” Galena said, gritting her teeth. “These jackasses came and just destroyed your home with your kids inside?” 

“I can see how you’d be distrustful, after that,” the Grovyle said with a frown. 

“As is our right to be,” Rach remarked. 

“What isn’t your right is attacking us, assuming we’d do the same thing!” Sasha interjected with a growl.

“Maybe so,” conceded Chastain. “But this is quite the conundrum. You’ve broken countless laws. It’s my duty to uphold the law. However, it would leave quite a mess behind, with all your eggs.”

He looked at Nightscale. “You kids have a newfangled sense of justice and morality. What should we do?”

Sheath’s jaw fell to the ground. “You’re going to let those two decide our business!?”

“Let them at least speak, Sheath,” Psymon scolded.

Ivan tilted his head as he looked at the Ariados. “If they let you go, would you promise not to attack?”

“I cannot promise anything, especially not with you! You’d wail on us again!” Nida shot back. 

“We wouldn’t have done that unprovoked. We were fine picking nectarwort from the fields, we wouldn’t rough you up just up the stuff,” Galena explained. “We all have families, and I of all people know how important they are. I wouldn’t be who I am without mine. If you calm down, I bet we can work something out and keep yours intact. We didn’t come to bully and torment you. Trust me, I hate those kinds of Pokémon.” 

Nida and Rach looked at each other. They silently pondered the words for a moment, and their wild eyes began to soften. 

“I would simply die if our precious family was broken up,” Rach said. A tear formed in his eye. “We’ve invested too much love and care for that.”

“Nor would I, my love,” Nida replied before nuzzling her mate. She turned to Chastain, who was watching expectantly. “On what condition will you free us?” 

Chastain tapped his chin with a finger. “Hm… if you’re willing to cease your attacks and apologize, we could put this behind us as a misunderstanding.”

“Oh good, that whole stressful, traumatic ordeal for nothing,” Sasha groaned.

“Not for nothing,” he replied, still facing the prisoners. “We simply came for a little nectar, so could we have a small fraction of your supply? That will allow us to leave, and you’ll still have plenty for your children. It’s a win-win.”

Nida turned back to Rach. “I don’t like it, but what do you think?”

“If it means our nest is undisturbed… it is reasonable enough,” he replied. 

The pink spider sighed before glaring back at Chastain. “Fine. But take any more than promised, and we will strike.”

The Mr. Mime smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” 

He lowered his arm, and his side of the cage faded away. The others cautiously let down their safeguards, and within moments the cage disappeared, releasing the pair.

“Very well. Take what you need, and we shall stay out of your way. For now,” Nida said.

Rach looked up at Ivan and Galena and gave them a small smile. “Perhaps we were wrong about you. I must apologize. I can no longer make assumptions about you civil Pokémon.”

“If we can continue tending our nest, I will also apologize,” Nida added reluctantly. 

Chastain grinned. “On behalf of AIRTA’s enforcers, I accept your apology!” 

Sasha and many of the nearby enforcers groaned and murmured. 

“Glad we have this sorted out,” Ivan said with an exhale. “Can we collect some nectar now? Galena and I shouldn’t need all that much.”

“Yes, but be swift about it,” Nida reminded him. 

“So that after, we may recover and tend to our family. That is what matters most to us,” Rach added. His mate looked at him before turning her twisted scowl into a smile. 

Galena reached into her bag and pulled out a jar. “And I respect that, believe me.” She turned to Ivan and the enforcers. “Now that we’ve come to an understanding, let’s get some nectar and bounce.”

---

Chastain and Nightscale stood on an idyllic forest path just outside of Gnarly Gardens. The breeze blew quietly as the world eased into a calm evening. The three’s arms and bags were filled with countless jars holding glistening golden nectar. 

“Great work in there, kiddos. Saved not only my enforcers and myself, but also a family,” Chastain said to the pair. There was a glimmer of pride in his eye. 

Galena put her hands on her hips. “All in a day’s work. Family is worth protecting, even if yours is a little nuts.”

“True,” Ivan said with a laugh. “I’m just glad we did the right thing, and that everything worked out for us, the Ariados, and the town. With all this nectar, we’ll please a lot of people.”

The Mr. Mime placed a hand on Ivan’s shoulder. “Doing the right thing is what being a leader’s all about. You two are amazing. How you fought, how you considered others? It makes me giddy knowing I’ll be working with rescuers like you.”

Ivan’s eyes twinkled at the praise. “Wow, do you really mean that?”

“Have I ever lied to you?” he asked. “A Mr. Mime cannot tell a lie. That’s why we tell jokes.”

A grin slowly crept onto Ivan’s face. “That means a lot!  Thanks for rooting for me.”

“Anytime,” Chastain replied with a wink before gesturing toward Galena. “As for you, Miss, you are a powerhouse. The isle’s in good hands with self-assured Pokémon like you.”

She smiled back. “Glad you think so, Chief. I’ll be sure to bring you loads of bad guys to put in jail.”

The Mr. Mime chortled. “I’ll be looking forward to it. I should be getting back to my team, but you two stay safe. We’ll meet again soon enough, I’m sure.” His eyes lit up as an idea struck him. “I know, why don’t we get together sometime? I Could take you kids out for Casteliacones, like I used to with Ivan!”

The Grovyle chuckled. “That sounds great, but you know I’m old enough to drink now, right?”

“Are you now? When did that happen?” Chastain uttered in surprise.  “Gosh, I’m old. Ah, it can’t be helped— see you kids later! Say hi to my husband for me!” 

“Will do!” the Grovyle replied. “See you around, Chie— I mean, Uncle Chester.”

The Mr. Mime took a bow before spinning around and walking back toward the dungeon. He parted a curtain of hanging vines and disappeared through it. 

The remaining pair turned as well. They began to make their way home, carrying with them their delicious golden haul. 

“Hey, didn’t get to say it, but great fighting back there. Sorry you got poisoned though,” Ivan remarked to Galena.

“It’s no biggie,” she replied with a dismissive wave. “Those Ariados weren’t going to do me in, no matter how much poison they wanted to inject me with. But it’s alright, at first they seemed like the bullies, but in their eyes we were. And I understand what it’s like to feel helpless like that.”

The Grovyle raised his brow. ‘She can? Wait, she’s been saying things like that since we met. Does she have experience with this sort of thing?’

“Hey, Galena? I noticed you talk a lot about bullies and being targeted. Sorry if this is a personal question, but why is that?” 

Galena suddenly stopped walking, causing Ivan to freeze as well. 

“It’s no problem, I’ll explain,” she began with a sigh. “There’s a reason I talk about standing up for weaker Pokémon, why I hate people who prey on others. When I was a Sliggoo… I got bullied real bad in school. There was this awful Zoroark chick who singled me out every day, and between school and work, I didn’t have time to train. I couldn’t fight back.”

Ivan gritted his teeth. “That’s awful! How did you deal with that?” 

Galena shook her head. “I couldn’t. I was slow and shy, an easy target. She’d harass and hit me, tell me I was worthless, ugly, stupid. Disguise herself as friends or people I was dating to screw with me. She convinced me I was pathetic, gross, all those things. For a while I accepted it.”

“Did you ever tell her off?” the Grovyle asked.

“No, but my brother Gil caught on and stepped in. He taught me how to fight, training me not to be a punching bag for Pokémon like that bitch. As I learned more moves and got stronger, I felt powerful, like myself again. Or even a better version. It even allowed me to evolve early,” she explained. “That was way after I graduated, so didn’t get to give her a piece of my mind. But hey, now I’m this awesome, super-strong Goodra! Being big and sturdy did wonders for my self-esteem.”

“It’s amazing to know that, about why you fight! Sorry it took that awfulness to make you this way though,” Ivan said. “Don’t be. I love this body, nothing can touch me!” Galena boasted. “But yeah, that’s why I’m a rescuer. I can use my power to help those who can’t stand up for themselves. I wish I could’ve faced that Zoroark, but I’ll settle for outlaws. Fighting for justice or whatever you wanna call it.”

Ivan smiled. “Thank you for sharing that. It makes a lot of sense, and now I feel like I know you better. Today’s done a lot for that!”

The Goodra smiled back. “Glad it did. Great to know more about you too, about your dad and the Chief. Been a good day, despite the crisis.”

“It’s been a good day for the town, too. Look at all this nectar!” Ivan remarked, holding up a jar filled to the brim. “This’ll make lots of festival-goers happy.” 

As he looked at the jar, he envisioned the festival. ‘I can see the crowds now. Everyone indulging, children cheering with cakes and other treats made with nectar. Their parents laughing.’ It made him smile gleefully.

“It’ll make me happy too,” Galena replied with a smirk. “I’ll probably down a whole jar and fall into bed.”

Ivan snickered at the image. “Not a bad idea. Nice to reap the reward of our good deeds now and again. Although, you could say that doing good is sweeter than the finest nectar.”

“Oh, dear Arceus, tell me you’re not becoming like the Chief,” she said before slapping him playfully with her tail and chuckling. 

“Sorry, I had to,” Ivan replied with a goofy grin.

Now with a deeper understanding between them, the two continued to walk down the path, toward a slowly falling sun and a day of joyous laughter.