Cherry_BombBees
flying in the name of love
- Pronouns
- he/she/they
- Partners
-
Juniper Island: A tiny island in the blue sea. This secluded area of Hoenn is home to several establishments; the mineralogist heaven that is Granite Cave, the reclusive Newleaf Forest, and the quaint community of Dewford Town. Rumor has it of exotic Pokémon dwelling around every corner, leading to startling superstitions that rustle the rest of Hoenn but comfort Juniper residents. Because of its reclusivity, visitors don’t stay long, which is fine by the locals.
Thick waves of ocean water ebbed back and forth across the shore, as the motorboat came to a grinding halt. Cousteau stepped out of the cockpit as he pulled an anchor off the starboard, grunting as he chucked the anchor into the ocean. As he pulled out a ladder and set it next to the stern, a loud shout caught his attention, the ground rumbling with heavy footsteps coming his way.
The boys climbed out of the bow and stepped onto the dock, glancing at each other for a second. Kidd’s face went green as he covered his mouth, stepping away to the dock’s edge before grabbing a metal rail and hurling right into the ocean. Bile and chunks splattered against the surface like a demented painting.
Benedict raised an eyebrow as he put his wings in his pockets. “Is he gonna be okay or?”
“He’ll be fine,” Tank assured him before turning around and yelling. “Kidd! You good, dude?!”
The sounds of gagging and splattering echoed from the water.
“Sounds fine to me,” Benedict snarked.
An absolute unit of a Hariyama stomped towards the dock, dutifully carrying an animal atop his shoulder. The animal in question was a teal frog with black and green spots on his skin, wearing a wetsuit, loose shorts, and a Sharpedo-tooth necklace.
Frobert cheerfully waved before flipping in the air and landing on both feet. “Morning brah!” He called out as he ran to the port, his faithful Pokémon trudging right behind him with heavy stomps.
“Good morning to you too, kiddo!” Cousteau said as he waved with one hand, the other holding the package from earlier. “Here’s your package, by the way.”
“Thanks a million!” Frobert’s eyes gleamed as he took the box in his hands, eagerly ripping up the tape as he looked inside. Aww yes, it was exactly what he ordered off the Bell Catalog- an aerobics worktape, a bundle of blue fabric with an orange and green circle pattern, a rainbow-patterned rose sticker, and a pair of golden sunflower-shaped sunglasses. “Anything new on the mainland, dude?”
Cousteau shook his head. On one hand, he wanted to tell Frobert about the morning scuffle, but on the other hand, the last thing he needed was to drag the Juniper residents into Hoennian matters. “A trio of mainlanders came with me. You’ll be glad to hear this, but one of them is taking on the League.”
“Mainlanders?” Frobert asked as he looked over at the boat. “Oh, sounds righteous!” He looked back at Kidd. “Uhhh, is that dude gonna be okay?”
Kidd stopped and wiped his face on a handkerchief, his cheeks now strawberry red instead of kiwi green. With a slight huff under his breath, he rejoined his friends, crossing his arms under his chest.
“He’ll be alright,” Cousteau told him before whispering, “That’s not the one taking on the League.”
“I hope not,” Frobert said. “That’d be totally bogus. So, yeah, bruh, which one’s taking on the league?”
“That’d be me!” Benedict said, waving his direction before pointing to himself. “The name’s Benedict Sussex, an’ I just got my first badge!”
“Benedict, huh?” Frobert grinned, placing his package under his arm. “Well, brah, I’m Frobert Grenounille, and you’re looking at Dewford’s top surfer and Gym Leader. Gotta tell ya, man, Coco’s a total pushover compared to me, dude.” He whipped out a blue Rotom Phone from his pocket, swiping it on and skimming over his schedule. “Alright brosciutto, wanna battle tomorrow at one or would that be bogus?”
“Doesn’t sound bogus to me, bro,” Benedict nodded, snorting in laughter from throwing his dialect back at him.
“Sweet, man,” Frobert put his phone away before fistbumping Benedict. “Well I gotta get back to the grind, brah!” He hopped back onto Hariyama's shoulder before heading back to the ocean.
Cousteau sat back on his boat, lighting up another cigarette. “Hey, I have to go back to the mainland, boys,” he said, holding his cigarette between two fingers. He started up the boat. “I’ll be back tomorrow, alright?” he said.
“Yep, that’s alright, sir!” Tank waved to him.
With that said, Cousteau put his cigarette in his mouth, waved goodbye, then drove away from the shore. Ocean waves splattered and splayed across the surface as the boat disappeared on the horizon.
The boys looked at each other for a bit, blushing a little as they grabbed onto their bags.
“Now what?” Kidd asked, flipping his hair behind him.
“Well we could explore for a bit,” Tank suggested. “There’s always something to check out, dude!”
“Like sand, sand, and more sand?” Kidd deadpanned. “Yay.”
“Well to be fair that stuff’s coarse an’ rough an’ irriratin’ an’ gets everywhere,” Benedict snarked back.
“....There’s more to this island than sand, dudes,” Tank rolled his eyes. “Like fishing, eating good food, getting jumped by the locals, and look!” He pointed ahead at a nearby forest. “We could go explore the woods!” Tank ran towards the forest, Benedict and Kidd trailing behind him before a gravelly voice stopped them in their tracks.
“I wouldn’t do that, mainlanders!”
A black dog approached the trio, his body wrapped in eggshell white bandages that trailed behind him. Sand and dirt clung to his lower gauze, staining it at the trails. A single gold eye peered from what little skin was exposed, surrounded by thin jagged scars and stitches. He stopped in front of the boys, scratching at the fabric under his face.
“Would you like to know what happens to mainlanders who enter the Newleaf forest?” he whispered before reaching up to start undoing the bandages on his face.
The boys screamed as they ran away, rushing back to Dewford Town.
A red octopus waddled up to the bandaged dog, slapping him on the back with a wet tentacle. “Lucky!” He hollered. “Were you scaring tourists again?!”
“No, Octavian!” Lucky yipped, scrambling to readjust his gauze.
Octavian glared as he raised an eyebrow. “What was it this time? Oh, let me guess. Pretending to be the ghost of a samurai? A jogger who got buried in a long-gone Pokémon cemetery? Or a girl with a green ribbon around her neck?”
Lucky chuckled to himself before shaking his head no. “Have you heard of the kuchisake-onna?”
Meanwhile, in the heart of Dewford Town..
The boys wandered across sand and dirt, taking in their surroundings. Ten single-story houses were scattered across the beach, their eclectic architecture a strange departure from Rustboro’s uniform brick and terracotta. Right in the center of town were three buildings; a brown and grey town hall, a forest green Pokémon Center, and a beige and white building with a maroon Poké Ball logo on the door.
Benedict ran towards the last building, stopping in front of the door. A wooden plaque was embedded in the door, reading “Dewford Town Pokémon Gym. Leader: Frobert Grenounille. Fighting beyond the cragged waves, fribbit!”
“This way, dude!” Tank called out as he waved in Benedict’s direction.
Benedict ran off from the gym, quiet as he caught up to his friends. “Wait? A way to what?”
“To Dewford Hall, dude!” Tank kept waving, standing on his tiptoes as he did so. “Come on!”
“Huh, wonder what’s in there,” Benedict thought to himself as he chased after them, leaving footsteps behind him.
The titular building in question was a single-story square building with a beige exterior and lapis blue roof. A wooden engraved sign stood right near the door, reading “Dewford Hall.”
Tank swung the door open before leading the way inside. Benedict and Kidd pushed the door shut, staying completely quiet.
Sterile beige walls and muted grey floor closed in on the space, with minimalist decor consisting of a blank bulletin board and a shaggy yellow rug on the floor. Surround sound speakers crackled from the corners, gentle ocarina and acoustic guitars echoing as vendors and customers idly conversed.
A blue and cream otter sat at the registration desk, unexpressive as he typed away at his laptop. Goodness, quite a lot of vendors registering this month, he thought to himself as he looked up and closed his laptop. Ohoho, mainlanders! This will be the deal of a lifetime, Lyle! “Sailing in from the mainland, right? Staying a night here, coming in for the gym badge, in and out like a Saffron City salaryman on lunch break, right? Sweet to come in here, wondering, hey how can I be ready for my battle, and bang. We gotcha goods covered at Dewford Hall’s only market. You come by, look around, buy exclusive merch from any of our vendors, all smooth sailing from here. And if you-”
Kidd groaned out of frustration before interrupting, “On va passer un autre chose!”
Lyle rolled his eyes before going back to his monologue. “Yes, yes, there’s lots to choose from. Poké Balls painted by the Draconids of the Meteor Falls, freshwater tapped straight from Mt. Silver, even nifty items to help your Pokémon get- how do the kids say it now- swole? And you’ll even-”
“Get on with it!” Tank yelled, slamming one of his hooves on the table.
Those smartasses saw right through me. “Oh I wasn’t quite finished,” Lyle tisked as he wagged a finger at the group. “....Admission is twenty-thousand Poké Dollars, each.”
The boys cringed as they shared a side glance. Did Lyle seriously think they were made of money?
Tank stood on his tiptoes as he yelled at another customer. “Excuse me! How much did you pay to get in?!”
The animal in question, a brown duck with a tuft of feathers, hollered back, “Five dollars, brodog!”
“I think this should cover it,” Tank smirked as he handed fifteen dollars to Lyle.
Lyle’s face went white as he begrudgingly accepted the money. “Enjoy the market,” he muttered under his breath. As the group walked into the market, he looked around at his surroundings. With no eyes on him now, Lyle slipped the cash into his blazer’s pocket.
Multiple booths lined the hall, all of them varying in merchandise. Some vendors sold essentials like Poké Balls or berries, while others showed off designer Poké Balls or ritzy merchandise. One row was taken up entirely by multi level marketers promoting questionable products, unsurprisingly lacking in customers.
“What should we get first, guys?” Tank asked as he pulled out his wallet. “Poké Balls, portable chargers, sunscreen, the latest copy of Fame and the Shame…”
“Fame an’ the Shame? Is it the Apollo edition?” Benedict interrupted him.
“....Benedict, if it was the Apollo edition I would’ve already bought it,” Tank deadpanned.
“You know, we could cover more of the market if we split up,” Kidd suggested. “Besides, I haven’t been to one of these since I was still in Lumiose.”
“Sounds good to me, dude,” Tank said. “So, guys, wanna meet up-?” Before he could finish his sentence, Benedict and Kidd ran off to different areas in the flea market. “.....here?” He shrugged his shoulders. “Well, guess I’ll find something nice!” Tank thought to himself.
Benedict wandered about one of the aisles, hands in his pockets as he glanced over at the merchandise. Maybe this could be a chance to start some self expression! One table in particular caught his eye.
The display in question was a white table with a lavender cloth covering the surface. Countless accessories filled display cases and lined miniature shelves- long diamond and pearl pendant necklaces, tight tattoo chokers with black and white stripes, shiny rings with rubies and sapphires embedded in the center, plastic bangles with sun and moon engravings, a harness with sword and shield carvings, and scarlet and violet earrings.
He reached out to one of the display cases, gently rotating it to look at its goods. Several hair accessories dangled from the hooks, including a Lurantis headband, a miniature brown beret with a yellow flower and white feather, and a cherry blossom scrunchie. One item in particular stood out- a large purple flower with five wide petals and a black star pistil in the center. Something about its design was simple, yet fetching, worthy for a future champion.
“Find something you like, sweetie?”
Benedict stopped and took his hand off the display case, his face heating up from the unexpected nickname. Did she call every customer that?
Sitting behind the table was its owner- a purple frog with sleek dark hair, vibrant makeup straight out of a synthwave video, and a simple white dress. Her layered necklaces and heavy bangles jangled as she waved to him.
“Yep, sure do,” Benedict said as he pointed at the flower hairclip. He looked back down at the table- a small card read: ‘Diva Grenouille: Eyes like windows to the soul.’
“A fantastic choice,” Diva flashed a bewitching smile as she pulled the flower out of the case, carefully wrapping it in pastel wrapping paper. “Thirty Poké Dollars, please.”
“Sure thin’,” Benedict said as he whipped out his rainbow-patterned wallet, pulling out exactly thirty dollars and handing them over.
Diva handed him the hairclip, tapping her fingers against the table as she said, “Thank you. Don’t be afraid to come back another time, ya know!”
“Oh I won’t!” Benedict told her, taking the flower and tucking it away in the lowest pocket of his backpack. If Kidd and Tank ask about it, let’s just say it was for Ralts, he thought to himself as he wandered around the aisle.
Meanwhile...
Tank’s eyes gleamed as he stopped in front of a booth. Multiple fishing rods, lures, and tackle boxes lined the table, all in an array of various colors and designs.
A beige octopus scuttled behind the booth, his cherry red tentacles loudly suctioning against the floor as he sat down with a small plop. He pushed two of the racks away and asked, “Wanna buy something?”
“Hmm,” Tank put a hoof to his chin as he looked over all the fishing supplies. One item in particular caught his attention- a green fishing rod with a blue stripe handle. At that moment, he felt something vibrate in his pocket.. “I need a minute, please” he said, immediately whipping out his phone. Oh! It’s Professor Nook!
“Hello, hello! I received your notes on Rusturf Tunnel- I figured any Pokémon found there would be diurnal. I also received your messages about Dewford Island- did you know Juniper Island is home to Pokémon not found anywhere else in Hoenn? Yes yes, let me know what species you can find there, hmm?” - Nook.”
Tank quickly wrote back to him, shoving his phone back in his pocket once he was done. “Actually, I wanted to ask- which lure do you recommend for catching wild Pokémon?”
The vendor jolted up in his spot, placing his arms on the table and crossing them. “Umm….I honestly don’t know, I’m just filling in for my dad,” he said, glancing back down at the lures. “Maybe try one that looks like a Pokémon? They sell pretty well.” He pointed at one that resembled a simple Psyduck lying on its stomach.
“Alright!” Tank picked up both the fishing rod and its lure. “How much are these gonna be, dude?”
“Okay, Zucker, how much does dad usually charge for this stuff?” the vendor thought to himself, tapping a tentacle against the table. “It’s not limited-edition, but I did paint these lures myself…think, Zucker, think!” “Is a hundred Poké Dollars good?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s perfect, dude!” Tank said, nodding as he pulled a fistful of wadded up bills out of his jacket pocket. He swiftly counted them- oh, good, exactly a hundred!- before handing them over to Zucker.
Oh thank Arceus, he made a sale. “Thanks,” Zucker said as he placed the bills in an Octillery-shaped pouch. “Um, come again if you need anything else.”
“Oh, I will!” Tank hooked the lure to the rod’s line, tightly tying it on with three knots. He looked to his side- hey, where’s Kidd?
Over near the entrance…
A yellow duck stood atop a podium, tapping her microphone twice before clearing her throat. “I’d like to open today’s bidding with these,” she said, pulling out a white cardboard box filled with an array of multicolored pastel scarves. “Silk scarves embedded with genuine ethically sourced Volcarona fur, starting at fifty dollars!”
“Fifty-five dollars!” Kidd shouted, holding up one of his hooves.
Another animal, a blue and green ostrich with big orange eyes, stood up and yelled, “Sixty dollars!”
Several animals murmured behind them, some of them leaning in closer. “Did Julia really just go for those scarves?” “Well, was anyone else really going to?” “If you ask me, Maelle should’ve started this auction with some durians.” “Are you an idiot, Goose? Durians smell worse than your gym!” “Not if you keep them closed!”
“Sixty-two!”
“Sixty-five!”
Kidd gave her the side-eye and a smug smirk before hollering back, “Sixty-nine dollars!”
“Going once….going twice….” Maelle slammed a fist against the wooden podium. “Sold! To the young man in the peacoat!”
Kidd beamed in joy as he walked up to the podium, holding out his hooves as Maelle handed him the box of scarves. He handed her the money, bowing to the crowd before taking the box under his arm and walking away from the auction. With a skip in his step, he headed back to the main market and wandered about.
Tank came running his way, stopping in his tracks as he skidded across the tile floors with a loud squeak. “Kidd, look what I just got!” He cheered, holding out his shiny new fishing rod. “Isn’t it awesome, dude?”
“It is pretty interesting,” Kidd noted, holding his hoof out to gently touch the rather cute lure. “Did Nook ask you to catch some Pokémon with it?”
“Yep!” Tank span in his spot, nearly smacking Kidd in the face with his rod. “Oh, whoops, sorry!”
“It’s fine, really,” Kidd waved it off, pulling out his box of scarves.
“Look what I got, y’all!” Benedict jumped up behind them both, holding out a large cardboard bag. “Now we don’t have to worry ‘bout findin’ a place to eat later!”
“Wait, Benedict, what exactly did you get?” Tank asked as he looked into the bag. Several small containers were lined up perfectly inside, all of them with a small fish sticker on the lid.
“Let’s see,” Benedict listed off as he looked inside too. “A couple bowls of rokube, some karasumi made from Alomomola roe, a whole lotta shiitake, an’ some kasumaki!”
Kidd raised an eyebrow, “How’d you get all this food here?!”
“There was a guy sellin’ it out back!” Benedict explained, this time, leading the way outside and spotting a single picnic table near the hall. “Well, he heard me talkin’ to one of the vendors, figured out I was a mainlander, an’ so he talked me into tryin’ some Dewford specialties. Nice guy, I gotta say!” He set the bag down before pulling out several containers. Thank Arceus that Benedict got enough to share!
Kidd and Tank sat together, reaching over to help pull the items out and open them up. While Kidd pulled out some disposable chopsticks, Tank took his time to carefully sniff each dish.
The rich umami smell of light broth and sun-dried roe were a welcome departure from the artificial perfumes and cleaning supplies of the hall. Each piece of shiitake was carefully soaked in a delectable twice-brewed shoyu and ginger sauce, gently topped with a sprinkling of moshio salt. Handpulled sweet potato noodles rested in a bed of dashi broth, topped with a dash of green onions and ginger slices. Every slice of karasumi was charred gently, smelling like a fresh catch from the ocean bay.
The boys dug into their meal, scarfing down their karasumi. Salty and fatty goodness melted in their mouths, accompanied by the rich aftertaste of marinade.
“Mon dieu, this is fantastic!” Kidd gasped in surprise, his cheeks flushed from the smooth texture and rich flavor.
After clearing off every little bite of roe, they helped themselves to the rokube. The tender noodles and light broth were steamed just right, warm enough to be comforting but cool enough to be easily slurped. Each bite of shiitake to follow was a delicate morsel blooming with nothing but savory deliciousness and hints of the sea in every bite.
“If y’all thought that was impressive,” Benedict said, carefully unwrapping the kasumaki in the middle. “Wait ‘till y’all have one of these!”
Three pieces of light sponge cake were placed atop the lid, their golden crust as warm as the sun itself.
The boys each grabbed a piece. Kidd broke his in half to take a look at the filling before eating his share, while Benedict and Tank dug right in without hesitation. Thick red bean paste was wrapped around by fluffy dough, accompanied by subtle hints of rich creamery butter.
After everything was finished, Tank gathered up all the trash and ran over to throw it away, swiftly running back to join his friends. “Heh, I gotta admit,” Tank said, kicking his legs back and forth under the table. “That was my first time having anything Dewford related!”
“Wait, really?” Benedict asked, placing his wings on the table. “I thought y’all had a bit of everythin’ from around Hoenn!”
“Nope!” Tank shook his head. “I’ve had some stuff from other cities before, but Dewford’s so cut off that the last guy who tried to open a restaurant here got his place burned to the ground!”
“That does remind me,” Kidd raised an eyebrow. “Why do they call us mainlanders?”
“Let’s see,” Tank tapped his hooves against the table. “Oh, I went over this in school! Juniper Island wasn’t officially part of Hoenn until about….what was it? Oh! Twenty years ago! A lot of researchers came by for the wild Pokémon here, the last Hoenn champion signed a document with the mayor, and you’ll find this part cool, Benedict- their current gym is the first one they’ve ever had!”
“Really? That’s awesome!” Benedict perked up, eyes full of wander as he asked. “I guess it didn’t go well with most of whoever lives here.”
“Mhm,” Tank quickly nodded. “But hey, we wouldn’t have even came here if that was the case! Oh, speaking of research…let’s go fishing!” He explained as he got up. “Professor Nook wanted me to send him some notes about the Pokémon here, and I might as well use this cool fishing rod I got!”
He led the way with a wave, cheerful as he held his fishing rod in one hand. Benedict and Kidd glanced at each other- well, it wasn’t like they had anywhere else to be for the rest of the day!
With a skip in their step, the boys walked away from the Dewford Hall and made their way to the shore. Not a single boat rested near the dock.
They sat right on the bay’s dock, near the edge, legs dangling above the sea. The tide rolled away, wasting time and rolling with the evening skies.
Benedict scooted closer to Kidd, leaning closer to him. Somehow, watching everything ahead with him was a sense of peace, but not one he could realize soon.
Tank pulled out his fishing rod from the bag, attaching a blue fish lure to the string before casting it into the water. Minutes passed as the lure bounced in and out on the water’s surface, bobbing to the waves.
Something tugged on the lure, yanking it down twice. “Whoa, dude!” Tank yelled as he pulled the rod back, stepping backwards before falling onto the dock. The rod smacked against his body, the lure stopping its thrashing to reveal….
A single black tire, laying flat on the dock. Brown and grey stains splattered across the rubber surface, joined with a message that read “The moon rules, #1!”
Kidd scrunched his nose as he looked down at the tire. “Ça vient de quelle voiture??” he asked.
“Huh? What’s there to vent’ bout?” Benedict glanced over. “Tank, are y’all feelin’ tired from fishin’ that up?”
Tank snorted in laughter as he covered his mouth. “Nope, but something smells fishy!”
Kidd facepalmed into both hooves, groaning under his breath. “Sacre bleu…”
Tank kneeled down to try pulling the lure out of the tire. He stuck his tongue out as he yanked harder. “Come on, come on,” he whispered to himself, pressing a foot on the tire as he tried harder.
Benedict wrapped his arms around Tank’s waist as he helped pull. The tire popped loudly as the boys ripped out the lure, both of them tumbling backwards onto the dock.
Kidd raised an eyebrow as he placed his hooves on the tire, then gave it a small kick. That’s bizarre, he thought to himself. Despite the tire pop, it wasn’t deflating whatsoever. “Should we toss it back in?” he asked.
“No way, dude!” Tank shook his head. “In fact, I have an idea on how I can find more Pokémon. Just hear me out!”
Benedict and Kidd looked at each other with puzzled expressions.
“Okay, so I was thinking…” Tank popped the lure back into the tire, then flipped the tire onto its side. “We throw the tire back in, get on it like it’s a boat, catch some Pokémon, then we can throw it out when we’re done!”
Kidd facepalmed as he muttered, “That’s exactly what I said but with more steps…”
“And I suppose you have a better idea,” Tank snarked. He rolled the tire back into the ocean, flinching as the water loudly splashed.
“Well we could-” Kidd was about to suggest, but stopped when he saw Benedict and Tank jump into the tire. Oh, screw it, he thought as he jumped in with them.
The boys adjusted themselves, carefully sitting atop the tire so as not to fall off. While Kidd held onto the tire like a barnacle to a rusty anchor, Benedict and Tank dunked their arms into the water to propel away from the shore.
A cool breeze blew through the air, joined by the faint sounds of cawing Wingull and beaching Wailmer. As the sun gradually set, streaks of marigold and coral smeared across the ocean horizons.
Tank looked down through the tire’s center; several wild Pokémon swam underneath him. A colony of Chinchou swayed at their own leisure, their antennae illuminated under the darkening waters. A single Relicanth stopped to nibble at a piece of seaweed, while a quintet of Clamperl clapped their shells in a simple rhythm.
Without hesitation whatsoever, Tank whipped out several unused Poké Balls and put them in his pockets. He held out just one, ready for a wild Pokémon to pop out.
Benedict raised an eyebrow as he asked, “Tank, are y’all sure this is the best way to find a wild ‘mon?”
“Yep!” Tank winked as he spun the ball in his hooves. “When one pops out, I’m gonna throw the ball like an Olivine Raikous pitcher!”
“I’m sure that will work out great,” Kidd snarked, crossing his arms as he rolled his eyes.
“Wait a sec, didn’t the Olivine Raikous get cursed after they threw a statue in the Goldenrod Bay?” Benedict asked.
“They did? Oh I’m sure we’ll-” Tank brushed him off, before being suddenly cut off.
A gigantic stream of water shot through the surface, torpedoing the tire through the air. The boys screamed as they held on for dear life. Kidd looked back down, his eyes wide at the sight below.
A wild Wailord surfaced, its bright blue back surrounded by dark waters. Its mouth opened wide as it let out a mighty roar, the ocean rumbling from its vibrations.
As the Wailord returned to the deep waters, the tire shot back down through the air. With a heavy splash, the tire dunked underwater before bobbing back up to the top.
The boys, now drenched head to toe, shivered as they spat out mouthfuls of saltwater.
Kidd panted as he tried to shake the water out of his fur. He flipped his wet mop of hair before deadpanning, “I’m surprised you didn’t try to catch it, Tank.”
“Well I think Professor Nook would roast me alive if I sent him a Wailord!” Tank laughed it off. “He just said to catch any water type, but I figured he meant something like..I don’t know, a Clamperl!”
“We could always dive for one if we gotta,” Benedict suggested. “And ‘sides, it’d make it quicker.”
“Oh, right!” Tank facepalmed, shaking his head at not realizing the obvious solution. “And we’re already soaked, soooo…”
Tank dunked his head underwater, his hair and jacket floating like kelp as he looked around at the ocean. Corsola waddling on the floor, Relicanth mouthing at basaltic rock, Luvdisc mouthing at a curtain of sea grapes….but no Clamperl! A heavy splash echoed nearby, briefly catching his attention.
He turned to his right- oh, hey, Benedict and Kidd dove in too! While Benedict cheerfully waved to him, Kidd shrugged his shoulders but still looked around anyways.
Benedict swam over and tapped Tank on the shoulder, pointing over to something in the vicinity. Tank tilted his head to look at what was in question.
A glimmering gold Magikarp zigzagged through the seas, small sparkles trailing off its tail fin and white barbels.
Benedict’s eyes gleamed as he let go of the tire, immediately chasing down the wild Magikarp with fiery determination.
Kidd and Tank glanced at each other in concern, holding onto the fire as they headed back to the surface. Their faces went red as they caught their breath, occasionally stopping to spit out some water.
“Putain merde!” Kidd yelled as he smacked a hoof against the rubber. “Are you seriously letting Benedict get himself killed over a MAGIKARP?!”
“He’ll be fine, dude,” Tank tried to assure him. “I’d join him but I can’t swim very far.”
Kidd closed his eyes as he slammed his face against the tire, letting out a long groan.
Meanwhile, underwater...
Benedict pushed himself through a field of emerald green kelp, parting the leaves as he poked his head out of the seaweed.
The wild Magikarp dove towards the ocean bed, whiskers brushing against the pink coral as it stopped to mouth at a single pearl on the floor. Unbeknownst to it, a Huntail slithered behind the coral, keeping its eyes on the prize as it swayed its tail like a fan.
The Huntail lunged from its spot, baring its fangs before clamping its jaws on Magikarp’s tailfin.
Magikarp glared as it tried to shake Huntail away, wincing as the aggressive Pokémon only chomped down harder.
With a fiery fury in his heart, Benedict threw himself towards both Pokémon. He placed his wings on Huntail’s head, forcefully pushing it away. Magikarp paddled away from its attacker, frantically waving its tail to shake off any loose scales.
“Can’t yall go eat literally any other Pokémon?!” Benedict thought, furiously glaring as he blocked himself with his forearms, swatting away Huntail’s jaws as much as possible. With each frantic bite, he pushed back inch by inch, stopping when two thin trails of blood floated through the water. Wait, blood?!
Huntail bit down on Benedict’s right arm, puncturing his forearm with razor-sharp fangs. It pulled away from his skin, small red feathers stuck on its left fang.
Benedict gulped as he turned to his right, using his injured arm to block Magikarp. He stared down Huntail like he was a cowboy in a spaghetti western, his hair flowing behind him like fresh kombu.
Huntail lowered its head as it lunged with lightning-fast speed, torpedoing towards its foe like a submarine. Before it could bite down again, Magikarp threw its body underneath its predator, headbutting Huntail’s jaw with all its strength.
The wild Pokémon crashed against a branch of coral with a heavy smack, rattling the seabed underneath.
Magikarp heaved in its spot as it glared back down, aggressively growling before turning around and swimming away from Huntail.
Benedict swam towards Magikarp, slowing down as he got closer. Oh, right! He pushed himself up to the surface, placing a hand on his chest as he heaved in and out. This had to be a new record for him, he thought, letting himself just float in the water without a care.
“Kingu?”
Magikarp popped up to the surface, bobbing in place like a life preserver. It looked up with hopeful eyes, flicking its tail back and forth.
“Heh, y’all came back, huh?” Benedict asked before snorting to himself. “Oh, wait, I was the y’all chasin’ ya down after all. Somethin’ on your mind?”
Magikarp nodded once, swimming closer to nuzzle him with its back fin.
“Oh!” Benedict realized, reaching back to pull a spare Poké Ball out of his pocket. “Was this what ya wanted?”
“Koi!” Magikarp chirped.
Benedict wondered about the opportunity. He hadn’t even seen Magikarp back in Unova, let alone a golden one. A water type was necessary in order to survive Hoenn. Hmmmm….let’s do it! He gently tapped Magikarp with his Poké Ball, watching as the ball absorbed Magikarp in a flash. The ball rocked three times in his hands before stopping with a ding.
“Hey! Benedict! Over here, dude!”
He turned around, hair slapping in his face as he looked to see what was going on.
Kidd and Tank floated atop the tire, holding on and waving at the same time.
“Did you catch that Magikarp?!” Tank yelled as he scooted over to make some room.
“Yep, sure did!” Benedict pushed his hair behind his shoulders before climbing back onto the tire, sitting right next to Tank. “Had to fight off a Huntail to catch it,” he held out his arm, rolling up his sleeve to show off the bite marks.
Tank’s eyes went wide as he looked at the fresh wound. “Damn!” he gasped. “Hang on, I got something for that,” he reached into his backpack, pulling out a small first-aid kit. He rummaged through the kit, pulling out a handful of ace bandages. Tank stuck his tongue out as he wrapped the bandages around Benedict’s arm, tying the ends into a tight knot.
“Thanks,” Benedict said, pulling his sleeve down to cover the bandages. “Was that somethin’ y’all got at the hall?”
“Nope, had it on me the whole time!” Tank shook his head as he closed the kit, quickly putting it away.
Kidd stayed quiet, lightly kicking the water in an attempt to push the tire closer to shore.
Deep howling echoed from beyond the horizons, as the pitch-black sky rumbled in its spot.
A gigantic wave roared as it crashed against the ocean, throwing the boys across the sea. The boys grabbed the tire tightly as they were flung through the air, the frigid ocean water drenching them as their tire crashed onto the shore of Dewford Town.
They crawled off the tire, dragging it behind them and placing it as far away from the shore as possible. Beige and white seafoam bubbled as it sprayed across the beach, reeking of salt and sulfur.
Kidd bent over and spat out a mouthful of saltwater, shivering as he coughed up a blob of seawater.
Benedict grabbed his hair and tried to wring out as much water as possible, only to have it drip onto damp sand.
Tank kneeled down and rummaged through his backpack- somehow, despite the bag’s exterior being damp to the touch, everything inside was completely dry.
With what little energy they had left, the boys dragged themselves off the shore and onto the beach. Wet clothes and exhaustion weighed them down like an anchor on a sailboat.
Kidd loudly yawned as he swayed in his spot, wobbling up and grabbing his bag. “I don’t know about you two but I think sleeping on the sand would be a good idea…”
“And risk another tidal wave, getting swept up so far we’ll end up Sharpedo bait? I think that’s an even better idea,” Tank snarked back. “Maybe we could end up on the news- they could call us the dead boys!”
“Well, ain’t there the Pokémon Center?” Benedict pointed out. “The one in Rustboro had a place for us an’ I figure they’d have somethin’ left!”
“Oh, yeah, right,” Tank groaned, throwing his backpack on before trying to lead the way.
The boys wandered back to Dewford Town, noting how almost every building had their lights off. Was there some sort of curfew they weren’t warned about?
Tank stopped at the Pokémon Center, trying to pull on the door but failing.
Nurse Shizue glared as she looked up from her counter, in the middle of cleaning the surface with a wet rag. “We closed two hours ago! Go away now!”
“But we don’t have anywhere to go for the night!” Tank shouted. “Please, just let us in!”
Nurse Shizue set the rag down, picked up an orange carabiner keychain….and gave Tank the middle finger before going back to her cleaning.
“I’m never going to get my shower, aren’t I…” Kidd sighed in defeat, slumping down as he took off his scarf to wring out the water. Great, now he was going to reek like the ocean for days. There goes that dream of being a coordinator!
Benedict went quiet, facepalming to himself. “I need to get out of here once I get that badge,” he muttered under his breath.
Tank stormed away in a huff, furiously kicking the sand as he glared down. “Who does she think she is, telling us we can’t come in?! Pokémon Centers are supposed to be open twenty-four hours for a reason!”
“Will you mainlanders keep it down?!” A voice yelled from one of the houses. “I’m trying to get some damn sleep over here!”
“At least you have a place to sleep, asshole!” Tank hollered back, rage simmering over him like a volcano. “The Pokémon Center’s closed, there’s nowhere to stay, and we don’t have a way to get back to the mainland until tomorrow! What do you expect us to do about that, huh?!”
“How about shutting the fuck up?” The voice suggested. “That’d help us out! Better yet, make yourselves useful and take a long walk off the pier! That’s all you mainlanders are good for, anyways!”
Benedict ran to use himself as a shield for Tank, while Kidd stomped towards the house and screamed at the top of his lungs.
“Don’t talk to me or my friends that way!” He lashed out, throwing a hoof in the air. “What did we even do to you anyways?!”
“Oh, you really wanna know, huh?!” A dark grey bull, with a brown cowlick and cold grey eyes, hollered. “You mainlanders keep coming here, telling us how oh-so-great your part of Hoenn is, convincing our younger residents to ditch us for Slateport or Lilycove, when we were fine with our town being this way! And all because that gym leader Frobert-”
“Brah, will you just shut up already?!”
Frobert stepped out of his house, wearing a fuzzy blue bathrobe and a pair of matching slippers. “Just for that, Weldon, you’re not invited to any more of my gym matches,” he snapped, crossing his arms.
“Well I never liked them!” Weldon yelled back. “You sold out this town for-”
“Don’t listen to him, dudes,” Frobert assured the boys with a small wave, ignoring the rest of his neighbor’s rambles. “He’s always been this bogus, especially after he hits the sauce. But if you brahs need to, you can crash here for the night!”
“Wait, really?” Benedict asked. “What’s the catch?”
A small gleam was in Frobert’s eyes. “Only catch is you give me a great battle tomorrow, alright, brosky?” he chuckled. “Now come on in, dudes, you look like you hit a gnarly one out there!”
“Thanks so much, bro,” Tank sighed in relief.
Frobert opened the door, letting the boys in first. He turned around, gave Weldon the finger, and slammed the door shut.
“Alright, brosicles, lemme show you the down-low,” Frobert explained as he locked the door. He pointed at each door in rapid succession, “Bedroom, work-out room, guest room, bathroom next to the guest room. Any questions, piebrogis?”
The boys shook their heads no, still exhausted from the ravaging storms. They made their way over to the guest room, gently pushing the door shut.
For a simple guest room, the decor was more camp than expected. Countless artwork lined the yellow polka dot walls, most of them depicting a blue background with green and orange circle patterns. The bedding and rug matched said artwork, accompanied by dark wooden furniture. Two twin beds were pushed against one wall, along with a futon against the opposite wall.
Kidd set his messenger bag down, heading over to the dresser and opening one of the drawers.
Tank yanked him by the scarf, “Dude, what do you think you’re doing?!” He hushed. “Are you trying to get us kicked out by going through his stuff?!”
“...Yes, it was all part of my brilliant plan,” Kidd deadpanned before pushing it shut. He opened another drawer anyways, rummaging through what was inside. “....No, seriously. We’ve been thrown around the ocean three times, none of us have gotten a shower in days, and the last thing I want to end this night with is sleeping in wet clothes.”
“And you didn’t think to bring a spare change of clothes?” Tank pointed out.
“Well, did you?” Kidd snarked back.
Benedict looked up as he tossed his backpack near the door. “Nope!”
Tank shook his head no.
Kidd facepalmed into both hooves. He looked around in the open drawer, pulling out several oversized band shirts and loose track shorts. “Anyone want the Red Hot Capsakids shirt?”
“I’ll take it!” Benedict lifted up his wing, flinching when Kidd tossed the pink shirt and black shorts onto his face. “.....Yep, no take backs!”
Tank reached over to grab the blue Smashing Gourgeists shirt, while Kidd helped himself to a purple Screaming Trevenant shirt.
The boys looked away from each other, blushing slightly as they changed into their clean clothes. Once they were done, it was easy to settle in- Kidd in one bed, Tank in the other, and Benedict on the futon. Without any more words said, they drifted off after an arduous day of getting thrown around like ragdolls. But exactly would await them on Juniper Island?
Thick waves of ocean water ebbed back and forth across the shore, as the motorboat came to a grinding halt. Cousteau stepped out of the cockpit as he pulled an anchor off the starboard, grunting as he chucked the anchor into the ocean. As he pulled out a ladder and set it next to the stern, a loud shout caught his attention, the ground rumbling with heavy footsteps coming his way.
The boys climbed out of the bow and stepped onto the dock, glancing at each other for a second. Kidd’s face went green as he covered his mouth, stepping away to the dock’s edge before grabbing a metal rail and hurling right into the ocean. Bile and chunks splattered against the surface like a demented painting.
Benedict raised an eyebrow as he put his wings in his pockets. “Is he gonna be okay or?”
“He’ll be fine,” Tank assured him before turning around and yelling. “Kidd! You good, dude?!”
The sounds of gagging and splattering echoed from the water.
“Sounds fine to me,” Benedict snarked.
An absolute unit of a Hariyama stomped towards the dock, dutifully carrying an animal atop his shoulder. The animal in question was a teal frog with black and green spots on his skin, wearing a wetsuit, loose shorts, and a Sharpedo-tooth necklace.
Frobert cheerfully waved before flipping in the air and landing on both feet. “Morning brah!” He called out as he ran to the port, his faithful Pokémon trudging right behind him with heavy stomps.
“Good morning to you too, kiddo!” Cousteau said as he waved with one hand, the other holding the package from earlier. “Here’s your package, by the way.”
“Thanks a million!” Frobert’s eyes gleamed as he took the box in his hands, eagerly ripping up the tape as he looked inside. Aww yes, it was exactly what he ordered off the Bell Catalog- an aerobics worktape, a bundle of blue fabric with an orange and green circle pattern, a rainbow-patterned rose sticker, and a pair of golden sunflower-shaped sunglasses. “Anything new on the mainland, dude?”
Cousteau shook his head. On one hand, he wanted to tell Frobert about the morning scuffle, but on the other hand, the last thing he needed was to drag the Juniper residents into Hoennian matters. “A trio of mainlanders came with me. You’ll be glad to hear this, but one of them is taking on the League.”
“Mainlanders?” Frobert asked as he looked over at the boat. “Oh, sounds righteous!” He looked back at Kidd. “Uhhh, is that dude gonna be okay?”
Kidd stopped and wiped his face on a handkerchief, his cheeks now strawberry red instead of kiwi green. With a slight huff under his breath, he rejoined his friends, crossing his arms under his chest.
“He’ll be alright,” Cousteau told him before whispering, “That’s not the one taking on the League.”
“I hope not,” Frobert said. “That’d be totally bogus. So, yeah, bruh, which one’s taking on the league?”
“That’d be me!” Benedict said, waving his direction before pointing to himself. “The name’s Benedict Sussex, an’ I just got my first badge!”
“Benedict, huh?” Frobert grinned, placing his package under his arm. “Well, brah, I’m Frobert Grenounille, and you’re looking at Dewford’s top surfer and Gym Leader. Gotta tell ya, man, Coco’s a total pushover compared to me, dude.” He whipped out a blue Rotom Phone from his pocket, swiping it on and skimming over his schedule. “Alright brosciutto, wanna battle tomorrow at one or would that be bogus?”
“Doesn’t sound bogus to me, bro,” Benedict nodded, snorting in laughter from throwing his dialect back at him.
“Sweet, man,” Frobert put his phone away before fistbumping Benedict. “Well I gotta get back to the grind, brah!” He hopped back onto Hariyama's shoulder before heading back to the ocean.
Cousteau sat back on his boat, lighting up another cigarette. “Hey, I have to go back to the mainland, boys,” he said, holding his cigarette between two fingers. He started up the boat. “I’ll be back tomorrow, alright?” he said.
“Yep, that’s alright, sir!” Tank waved to him.
With that said, Cousteau put his cigarette in his mouth, waved goodbye, then drove away from the shore. Ocean waves splattered and splayed across the surface as the boat disappeared on the horizon.
The boys looked at each other for a bit, blushing a little as they grabbed onto their bags.
“Now what?” Kidd asked, flipping his hair behind him.
“Well we could explore for a bit,” Tank suggested. “There’s always something to check out, dude!”
“Like sand, sand, and more sand?” Kidd deadpanned. “Yay.”
“Well to be fair that stuff’s coarse an’ rough an’ irriratin’ an’ gets everywhere,” Benedict snarked back.
“....There’s more to this island than sand, dudes,” Tank rolled his eyes. “Like fishing, eating good food, getting jumped by the locals, and look!” He pointed ahead at a nearby forest. “We could go explore the woods!” Tank ran towards the forest, Benedict and Kidd trailing behind him before a gravelly voice stopped them in their tracks.
“I wouldn’t do that, mainlanders!”
A black dog approached the trio, his body wrapped in eggshell white bandages that trailed behind him. Sand and dirt clung to his lower gauze, staining it at the trails. A single gold eye peered from what little skin was exposed, surrounded by thin jagged scars and stitches. He stopped in front of the boys, scratching at the fabric under his face.
“Would you like to know what happens to mainlanders who enter the Newleaf forest?” he whispered before reaching up to start undoing the bandages on his face.
The boys screamed as they ran away, rushing back to Dewford Town.
A red octopus waddled up to the bandaged dog, slapping him on the back with a wet tentacle. “Lucky!” He hollered. “Were you scaring tourists again?!”
“No, Octavian!” Lucky yipped, scrambling to readjust his gauze.
Octavian glared as he raised an eyebrow. “What was it this time? Oh, let me guess. Pretending to be the ghost of a samurai? A jogger who got buried in a long-gone Pokémon cemetery? Or a girl with a green ribbon around her neck?”
Lucky chuckled to himself before shaking his head no. “Have you heard of the kuchisake-onna?”
Meanwhile, in the heart of Dewford Town..
The boys wandered across sand and dirt, taking in their surroundings. Ten single-story houses were scattered across the beach, their eclectic architecture a strange departure from Rustboro’s uniform brick and terracotta. Right in the center of town were three buildings; a brown and grey town hall, a forest green Pokémon Center, and a beige and white building with a maroon Poké Ball logo on the door.
Benedict ran towards the last building, stopping in front of the door. A wooden plaque was embedded in the door, reading “Dewford Town Pokémon Gym. Leader: Frobert Grenounille. Fighting beyond the cragged waves, fribbit!”
“This way, dude!” Tank called out as he waved in Benedict’s direction.
Benedict ran off from the gym, quiet as he caught up to his friends. “Wait? A way to what?”
“To Dewford Hall, dude!” Tank kept waving, standing on his tiptoes as he did so. “Come on!”
“Huh, wonder what’s in there,” Benedict thought to himself as he chased after them, leaving footsteps behind him.
The titular building in question was a single-story square building with a beige exterior and lapis blue roof. A wooden engraved sign stood right near the door, reading “Dewford Hall.”
Tank swung the door open before leading the way inside. Benedict and Kidd pushed the door shut, staying completely quiet.
Sterile beige walls and muted grey floor closed in on the space, with minimalist decor consisting of a blank bulletin board and a shaggy yellow rug on the floor. Surround sound speakers crackled from the corners, gentle ocarina and acoustic guitars echoing as vendors and customers idly conversed.
A blue and cream otter sat at the registration desk, unexpressive as he typed away at his laptop. Goodness, quite a lot of vendors registering this month, he thought to himself as he looked up and closed his laptop. Ohoho, mainlanders! This will be the deal of a lifetime, Lyle! “Sailing in from the mainland, right? Staying a night here, coming in for the gym badge, in and out like a Saffron City salaryman on lunch break, right? Sweet to come in here, wondering, hey how can I be ready for my battle, and bang. We gotcha goods covered at Dewford Hall’s only market. You come by, look around, buy exclusive merch from any of our vendors, all smooth sailing from here. And if you-”
Kidd groaned out of frustration before interrupting, “On va passer un autre chose!”
Lyle rolled his eyes before going back to his monologue. “Yes, yes, there’s lots to choose from. Poké Balls painted by the Draconids of the Meteor Falls, freshwater tapped straight from Mt. Silver, even nifty items to help your Pokémon get- how do the kids say it now- swole? And you’ll even-”
“Get on with it!” Tank yelled, slamming one of his hooves on the table.
Those smartasses saw right through me. “Oh I wasn’t quite finished,” Lyle tisked as he wagged a finger at the group. “....Admission is twenty-thousand Poké Dollars, each.”
The boys cringed as they shared a side glance. Did Lyle seriously think they were made of money?
Tank stood on his tiptoes as he yelled at another customer. “Excuse me! How much did you pay to get in?!”
The animal in question, a brown duck with a tuft of feathers, hollered back, “Five dollars, brodog!”
“I think this should cover it,” Tank smirked as he handed fifteen dollars to Lyle.
Lyle’s face went white as he begrudgingly accepted the money. “Enjoy the market,” he muttered under his breath. As the group walked into the market, he looked around at his surroundings. With no eyes on him now, Lyle slipped the cash into his blazer’s pocket.
Multiple booths lined the hall, all of them varying in merchandise. Some vendors sold essentials like Poké Balls or berries, while others showed off designer Poké Balls or ritzy merchandise. One row was taken up entirely by multi level marketers promoting questionable products, unsurprisingly lacking in customers.
“What should we get first, guys?” Tank asked as he pulled out his wallet. “Poké Balls, portable chargers, sunscreen, the latest copy of Fame and the Shame…”
“Fame an’ the Shame? Is it the Apollo edition?” Benedict interrupted him.
“....Benedict, if it was the Apollo edition I would’ve already bought it,” Tank deadpanned.
“You know, we could cover more of the market if we split up,” Kidd suggested. “Besides, I haven’t been to one of these since I was still in Lumiose.”
“Sounds good to me, dude,” Tank said. “So, guys, wanna meet up-?” Before he could finish his sentence, Benedict and Kidd ran off to different areas in the flea market. “.....here?” He shrugged his shoulders. “Well, guess I’ll find something nice!” Tank thought to himself.
Benedict wandered about one of the aisles, hands in his pockets as he glanced over at the merchandise. Maybe this could be a chance to start some self expression! One table in particular caught his eye.
The display in question was a white table with a lavender cloth covering the surface. Countless accessories filled display cases and lined miniature shelves- long diamond and pearl pendant necklaces, tight tattoo chokers with black and white stripes, shiny rings with rubies and sapphires embedded in the center, plastic bangles with sun and moon engravings, a harness with sword and shield carvings, and scarlet and violet earrings.
He reached out to one of the display cases, gently rotating it to look at its goods. Several hair accessories dangled from the hooks, including a Lurantis headband, a miniature brown beret with a yellow flower and white feather, and a cherry blossom scrunchie. One item in particular stood out- a large purple flower with five wide petals and a black star pistil in the center. Something about its design was simple, yet fetching, worthy for a future champion.
“Find something you like, sweetie?”
Benedict stopped and took his hand off the display case, his face heating up from the unexpected nickname. Did she call every customer that?
Sitting behind the table was its owner- a purple frog with sleek dark hair, vibrant makeup straight out of a synthwave video, and a simple white dress. Her layered necklaces and heavy bangles jangled as she waved to him.
“Yep, sure do,” Benedict said as he pointed at the flower hairclip. He looked back down at the table- a small card read: ‘Diva Grenouille: Eyes like windows to the soul.’
“A fantastic choice,” Diva flashed a bewitching smile as she pulled the flower out of the case, carefully wrapping it in pastel wrapping paper. “Thirty Poké Dollars, please.”
“Sure thin’,” Benedict said as he whipped out his rainbow-patterned wallet, pulling out exactly thirty dollars and handing them over.
Diva handed him the hairclip, tapping her fingers against the table as she said, “Thank you. Don’t be afraid to come back another time, ya know!”
“Oh I won’t!” Benedict told her, taking the flower and tucking it away in the lowest pocket of his backpack. If Kidd and Tank ask about it, let’s just say it was for Ralts, he thought to himself as he wandered around the aisle.
Meanwhile...
Tank’s eyes gleamed as he stopped in front of a booth. Multiple fishing rods, lures, and tackle boxes lined the table, all in an array of various colors and designs.
A beige octopus scuttled behind the booth, his cherry red tentacles loudly suctioning against the floor as he sat down with a small plop. He pushed two of the racks away and asked, “Wanna buy something?”
“Hmm,” Tank put a hoof to his chin as he looked over all the fishing supplies. One item in particular caught his attention- a green fishing rod with a blue stripe handle. At that moment, he felt something vibrate in his pocket.. “I need a minute, please” he said, immediately whipping out his phone. Oh! It’s Professor Nook!
“Hello, hello! I received your notes on Rusturf Tunnel- I figured any Pokémon found there would be diurnal. I also received your messages about Dewford Island- did you know Juniper Island is home to Pokémon not found anywhere else in Hoenn? Yes yes, let me know what species you can find there, hmm?” - Nook.”
Tank quickly wrote back to him, shoving his phone back in his pocket once he was done. “Actually, I wanted to ask- which lure do you recommend for catching wild Pokémon?”
The vendor jolted up in his spot, placing his arms on the table and crossing them. “Umm….I honestly don’t know, I’m just filling in for my dad,” he said, glancing back down at the lures. “Maybe try one that looks like a Pokémon? They sell pretty well.” He pointed at one that resembled a simple Psyduck lying on its stomach.
“Alright!” Tank picked up both the fishing rod and its lure. “How much are these gonna be, dude?”
“Okay, Zucker, how much does dad usually charge for this stuff?” the vendor thought to himself, tapping a tentacle against the table. “It’s not limited-edition, but I did paint these lures myself…think, Zucker, think!” “Is a hundred Poké Dollars good?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s perfect, dude!” Tank said, nodding as he pulled a fistful of wadded up bills out of his jacket pocket. He swiftly counted them- oh, good, exactly a hundred!- before handing them over to Zucker.
Oh thank Arceus, he made a sale. “Thanks,” Zucker said as he placed the bills in an Octillery-shaped pouch. “Um, come again if you need anything else.”
“Oh, I will!” Tank hooked the lure to the rod’s line, tightly tying it on with three knots. He looked to his side- hey, where’s Kidd?
Over near the entrance…
A yellow duck stood atop a podium, tapping her microphone twice before clearing her throat. “I’d like to open today’s bidding with these,” she said, pulling out a white cardboard box filled with an array of multicolored pastel scarves. “Silk scarves embedded with genuine ethically sourced Volcarona fur, starting at fifty dollars!”
“Fifty-five dollars!” Kidd shouted, holding up one of his hooves.
Another animal, a blue and green ostrich with big orange eyes, stood up and yelled, “Sixty dollars!”
Several animals murmured behind them, some of them leaning in closer. “Did Julia really just go for those scarves?” “Well, was anyone else really going to?” “If you ask me, Maelle should’ve started this auction with some durians.” “Are you an idiot, Goose? Durians smell worse than your gym!” “Not if you keep them closed!”
“Sixty-two!”
“Sixty-five!”
Kidd gave her the side-eye and a smug smirk before hollering back, “Sixty-nine dollars!”
“Going once….going twice….” Maelle slammed a fist against the wooden podium. “Sold! To the young man in the peacoat!”
Kidd beamed in joy as he walked up to the podium, holding out his hooves as Maelle handed him the box of scarves. He handed her the money, bowing to the crowd before taking the box under his arm and walking away from the auction. With a skip in his step, he headed back to the main market and wandered about.
Tank came running his way, stopping in his tracks as he skidded across the tile floors with a loud squeak. “Kidd, look what I just got!” He cheered, holding out his shiny new fishing rod. “Isn’t it awesome, dude?”
“It is pretty interesting,” Kidd noted, holding his hoof out to gently touch the rather cute lure. “Did Nook ask you to catch some Pokémon with it?”
“Yep!” Tank span in his spot, nearly smacking Kidd in the face with his rod. “Oh, whoops, sorry!”
“It’s fine, really,” Kidd waved it off, pulling out his box of scarves.
“Look what I got, y’all!” Benedict jumped up behind them both, holding out a large cardboard bag. “Now we don’t have to worry ‘bout findin’ a place to eat later!”
“Wait, Benedict, what exactly did you get?” Tank asked as he looked into the bag. Several small containers were lined up perfectly inside, all of them with a small fish sticker on the lid.
“Let’s see,” Benedict listed off as he looked inside too. “A couple bowls of rokube, some karasumi made from Alomomola roe, a whole lotta shiitake, an’ some kasumaki!”
Kidd raised an eyebrow, “How’d you get all this food here?!”
“There was a guy sellin’ it out back!” Benedict explained, this time, leading the way outside and spotting a single picnic table near the hall. “Well, he heard me talkin’ to one of the vendors, figured out I was a mainlander, an’ so he talked me into tryin’ some Dewford specialties. Nice guy, I gotta say!” He set the bag down before pulling out several containers. Thank Arceus that Benedict got enough to share!
Kidd and Tank sat together, reaching over to help pull the items out and open them up. While Kidd pulled out some disposable chopsticks, Tank took his time to carefully sniff each dish.
The rich umami smell of light broth and sun-dried roe were a welcome departure from the artificial perfumes and cleaning supplies of the hall. Each piece of shiitake was carefully soaked in a delectable twice-brewed shoyu and ginger sauce, gently topped with a sprinkling of moshio salt. Handpulled sweet potato noodles rested in a bed of dashi broth, topped with a dash of green onions and ginger slices. Every slice of karasumi was charred gently, smelling like a fresh catch from the ocean bay.
The boys dug into their meal, scarfing down their karasumi. Salty and fatty goodness melted in their mouths, accompanied by the rich aftertaste of marinade.
“Mon dieu, this is fantastic!” Kidd gasped in surprise, his cheeks flushed from the smooth texture and rich flavor.
After clearing off every little bite of roe, they helped themselves to the rokube. The tender noodles and light broth were steamed just right, warm enough to be comforting but cool enough to be easily slurped. Each bite of shiitake to follow was a delicate morsel blooming with nothing but savory deliciousness and hints of the sea in every bite.
“If y’all thought that was impressive,” Benedict said, carefully unwrapping the kasumaki in the middle. “Wait ‘till y’all have one of these!”
Three pieces of light sponge cake were placed atop the lid, their golden crust as warm as the sun itself.
The boys each grabbed a piece. Kidd broke his in half to take a look at the filling before eating his share, while Benedict and Tank dug right in without hesitation. Thick red bean paste was wrapped around by fluffy dough, accompanied by subtle hints of rich creamery butter.
After everything was finished, Tank gathered up all the trash and ran over to throw it away, swiftly running back to join his friends. “Heh, I gotta admit,” Tank said, kicking his legs back and forth under the table. “That was my first time having anything Dewford related!”
“Wait, really?” Benedict asked, placing his wings on the table. “I thought y’all had a bit of everythin’ from around Hoenn!”
“Nope!” Tank shook his head. “I’ve had some stuff from other cities before, but Dewford’s so cut off that the last guy who tried to open a restaurant here got his place burned to the ground!”
“That does remind me,” Kidd raised an eyebrow. “Why do they call us mainlanders?”
“Let’s see,” Tank tapped his hooves against the table. “Oh, I went over this in school! Juniper Island wasn’t officially part of Hoenn until about….what was it? Oh! Twenty years ago! A lot of researchers came by for the wild Pokémon here, the last Hoenn champion signed a document with the mayor, and you’ll find this part cool, Benedict- their current gym is the first one they’ve ever had!”
“Really? That’s awesome!” Benedict perked up, eyes full of wander as he asked. “I guess it didn’t go well with most of whoever lives here.”
“Mhm,” Tank quickly nodded. “But hey, we wouldn’t have even came here if that was the case! Oh, speaking of research…let’s go fishing!” He explained as he got up. “Professor Nook wanted me to send him some notes about the Pokémon here, and I might as well use this cool fishing rod I got!”
He led the way with a wave, cheerful as he held his fishing rod in one hand. Benedict and Kidd glanced at each other- well, it wasn’t like they had anywhere else to be for the rest of the day!
With a skip in their step, the boys walked away from the Dewford Hall and made their way to the shore. Not a single boat rested near the dock.
They sat right on the bay’s dock, near the edge, legs dangling above the sea. The tide rolled away, wasting time and rolling with the evening skies.
Benedict scooted closer to Kidd, leaning closer to him. Somehow, watching everything ahead with him was a sense of peace, but not one he could realize soon.
Tank pulled out his fishing rod from the bag, attaching a blue fish lure to the string before casting it into the water. Minutes passed as the lure bounced in and out on the water’s surface, bobbing to the waves.
Something tugged on the lure, yanking it down twice. “Whoa, dude!” Tank yelled as he pulled the rod back, stepping backwards before falling onto the dock. The rod smacked against his body, the lure stopping its thrashing to reveal….
A single black tire, laying flat on the dock. Brown and grey stains splattered across the rubber surface, joined with a message that read “The moon rules, #1!”
Kidd scrunched his nose as he looked down at the tire. “Ça vient de quelle voiture??” he asked.
“Huh? What’s there to vent’ bout?” Benedict glanced over. “Tank, are y’all feelin’ tired from fishin’ that up?”
Tank snorted in laughter as he covered his mouth. “Nope, but something smells fishy!”
Kidd facepalmed into both hooves, groaning under his breath. “Sacre bleu…”
Tank kneeled down to try pulling the lure out of the tire. He stuck his tongue out as he yanked harder. “Come on, come on,” he whispered to himself, pressing a foot on the tire as he tried harder.
Benedict wrapped his arms around Tank’s waist as he helped pull. The tire popped loudly as the boys ripped out the lure, both of them tumbling backwards onto the dock.
Kidd raised an eyebrow as he placed his hooves on the tire, then gave it a small kick. That’s bizarre, he thought to himself. Despite the tire pop, it wasn’t deflating whatsoever. “Should we toss it back in?” he asked.
“No way, dude!” Tank shook his head. “In fact, I have an idea on how I can find more Pokémon. Just hear me out!”
Benedict and Kidd looked at each other with puzzled expressions.
“Okay, so I was thinking…” Tank popped the lure back into the tire, then flipped the tire onto its side. “We throw the tire back in, get on it like it’s a boat, catch some Pokémon, then we can throw it out when we’re done!”
Kidd facepalmed as he muttered, “That’s exactly what I said but with more steps…”
“And I suppose you have a better idea,” Tank snarked. He rolled the tire back into the ocean, flinching as the water loudly splashed.
“Well we could-” Kidd was about to suggest, but stopped when he saw Benedict and Tank jump into the tire. Oh, screw it, he thought as he jumped in with them.
The boys adjusted themselves, carefully sitting atop the tire so as not to fall off. While Kidd held onto the tire like a barnacle to a rusty anchor, Benedict and Tank dunked their arms into the water to propel away from the shore.
A cool breeze blew through the air, joined by the faint sounds of cawing Wingull and beaching Wailmer. As the sun gradually set, streaks of marigold and coral smeared across the ocean horizons.
Tank looked down through the tire’s center; several wild Pokémon swam underneath him. A colony of Chinchou swayed at their own leisure, their antennae illuminated under the darkening waters. A single Relicanth stopped to nibble at a piece of seaweed, while a quintet of Clamperl clapped their shells in a simple rhythm.
Without hesitation whatsoever, Tank whipped out several unused Poké Balls and put them in his pockets. He held out just one, ready for a wild Pokémon to pop out.
Benedict raised an eyebrow as he asked, “Tank, are y’all sure this is the best way to find a wild ‘mon?”
“Yep!” Tank winked as he spun the ball in his hooves. “When one pops out, I’m gonna throw the ball like an Olivine Raikous pitcher!”
“I’m sure that will work out great,” Kidd snarked, crossing his arms as he rolled his eyes.
“Wait a sec, didn’t the Olivine Raikous get cursed after they threw a statue in the Goldenrod Bay?” Benedict asked.
“They did? Oh I’m sure we’ll-” Tank brushed him off, before being suddenly cut off.
A gigantic stream of water shot through the surface, torpedoing the tire through the air. The boys screamed as they held on for dear life. Kidd looked back down, his eyes wide at the sight below.
A wild Wailord surfaced, its bright blue back surrounded by dark waters. Its mouth opened wide as it let out a mighty roar, the ocean rumbling from its vibrations.
As the Wailord returned to the deep waters, the tire shot back down through the air. With a heavy splash, the tire dunked underwater before bobbing back up to the top.
The boys, now drenched head to toe, shivered as they spat out mouthfuls of saltwater.
Kidd panted as he tried to shake the water out of his fur. He flipped his wet mop of hair before deadpanning, “I’m surprised you didn’t try to catch it, Tank.”
“Well I think Professor Nook would roast me alive if I sent him a Wailord!” Tank laughed it off. “He just said to catch any water type, but I figured he meant something like..I don’t know, a Clamperl!”
“We could always dive for one if we gotta,” Benedict suggested. “And ‘sides, it’d make it quicker.”
“Oh, right!” Tank facepalmed, shaking his head at not realizing the obvious solution. “And we’re already soaked, soooo…”
Tank dunked his head underwater, his hair and jacket floating like kelp as he looked around at the ocean. Corsola waddling on the floor, Relicanth mouthing at basaltic rock, Luvdisc mouthing at a curtain of sea grapes….but no Clamperl! A heavy splash echoed nearby, briefly catching his attention.
He turned to his right- oh, hey, Benedict and Kidd dove in too! While Benedict cheerfully waved to him, Kidd shrugged his shoulders but still looked around anyways.
Benedict swam over and tapped Tank on the shoulder, pointing over to something in the vicinity. Tank tilted his head to look at what was in question.
A glimmering gold Magikarp zigzagged through the seas, small sparkles trailing off its tail fin and white barbels.
Benedict’s eyes gleamed as he let go of the tire, immediately chasing down the wild Magikarp with fiery determination.
Kidd and Tank glanced at each other in concern, holding onto the fire as they headed back to the surface. Their faces went red as they caught their breath, occasionally stopping to spit out some water.
“Putain merde!” Kidd yelled as he smacked a hoof against the rubber. “Are you seriously letting Benedict get himself killed over a MAGIKARP?!”
“He’ll be fine, dude,” Tank tried to assure him. “I’d join him but I can’t swim very far.”
Kidd closed his eyes as he slammed his face against the tire, letting out a long groan.
Meanwhile, underwater...
Benedict pushed himself through a field of emerald green kelp, parting the leaves as he poked his head out of the seaweed.
The wild Magikarp dove towards the ocean bed, whiskers brushing against the pink coral as it stopped to mouth at a single pearl on the floor. Unbeknownst to it, a Huntail slithered behind the coral, keeping its eyes on the prize as it swayed its tail like a fan.
The Huntail lunged from its spot, baring its fangs before clamping its jaws on Magikarp’s tailfin.
Magikarp glared as it tried to shake Huntail away, wincing as the aggressive Pokémon only chomped down harder.
With a fiery fury in his heart, Benedict threw himself towards both Pokémon. He placed his wings on Huntail’s head, forcefully pushing it away. Magikarp paddled away from its attacker, frantically waving its tail to shake off any loose scales.
“Can’t yall go eat literally any other Pokémon?!” Benedict thought, furiously glaring as he blocked himself with his forearms, swatting away Huntail’s jaws as much as possible. With each frantic bite, he pushed back inch by inch, stopping when two thin trails of blood floated through the water. Wait, blood?!
Huntail bit down on Benedict’s right arm, puncturing his forearm with razor-sharp fangs. It pulled away from his skin, small red feathers stuck on its left fang.
Benedict gulped as he turned to his right, using his injured arm to block Magikarp. He stared down Huntail like he was a cowboy in a spaghetti western, his hair flowing behind him like fresh kombu.
Huntail lowered its head as it lunged with lightning-fast speed, torpedoing towards its foe like a submarine. Before it could bite down again, Magikarp threw its body underneath its predator, headbutting Huntail’s jaw with all its strength.
The wild Pokémon crashed against a branch of coral with a heavy smack, rattling the seabed underneath.
Magikarp heaved in its spot as it glared back down, aggressively growling before turning around and swimming away from Huntail.
Benedict swam towards Magikarp, slowing down as he got closer. Oh, right! He pushed himself up to the surface, placing a hand on his chest as he heaved in and out. This had to be a new record for him, he thought, letting himself just float in the water without a care.
“Kingu?”
Magikarp popped up to the surface, bobbing in place like a life preserver. It looked up with hopeful eyes, flicking its tail back and forth.
“Heh, y’all came back, huh?” Benedict asked before snorting to himself. “Oh, wait, I was the y’all chasin’ ya down after all. Somethin’ on your mind?”
Magikarp nodded once, swimming closer to nuzzle him with its back fin.
“Oh!” Benedict realized, reaching back to pull a spare Poké Ball out of his pocket. “Was this what ya wanted?”
“Koi!” Magikarp chirped.
Benedict wondered about the opportunity. He hadn’t even seen Magikarp back in Unova, let alone a golden one. A water type was necessary in order to survive Hoenn. Hmmmm….let’s do it! He gently tapped Magikarp with his Poké Ball, watching as the ball absorbed Magikarp in a flash. The ball rocked three times in his hands before stopping with a ding.
“Hey! Benedict! Over here, dude!”
He turned around, hair slapping in his face as he looked to see what was going on.
Kidd and Tank floated atop the tire, holding on and waving at the same time.
“Did you catch that Magikarp?!” Tank yelled as he scooted over to make some room.
“Yep, sure did!” Benedict pushed his hair behind his shoulders before climbing back onto the tire, sitting right next to Tank. “Had to fight off a Huntail to catch it,” he held out his arm, rolling up his sleeve to show off the bite marks.
Tank’s eyes went wide as he looked at the fresh wound. “Damn!” he gasped. “Hang on, I got something for that,” he reached into his backpack, pulling out a small first-aid kit. He rummaged through the kit, pulling out a handful of ace bandages. Tank stuck his tongue out as he wrapped the bandages around Benedict’s arm, tying the ends into a tight knot.
“Thanks,” Benedict said, pulling his sleeve down to cover the bandages. “Was that somethin’ y’all got at the hall?”
“Nope, had it on me the whole time!” Tank shook his head as he closed the kit, quickly putting it away.
Kidd stayed quiet, lightly kicking the water in an attempt to push the tire closer to shore.
Deep howling echoed from beyond the horizons, as the pitch-black sky rumbled in its spot.
A gigantic wave roared as it crashed against the ocean, throwing the boys across the sea. The boys grabbed the tire tightly as they were flung through the air, the frigid ocean water drenching them as their tire crashed onto the shore of Dewford Town.
They crawled off the tire, dragging it behind them and placing it as far away from the shore as possible. Beige and white seafoam bubbled as it sprayed across the beach, reeking of salt and sulfur.
Kidd bent over and spat out a mouthful of saltwater, shivering as he coughed up a blob of seawater.
Benedict grabbed his hair and tried to wring out as much water as possible, only to have it drip onto damp sand.
Tank kneeled down and rummaged through his backpack- somehow, despite the bag’s exterior being damp to the touch, everything inside was completely dry.
With what little energy they had left, the boys dragged themselves off the shore and onto the beach. Wet clothes and exhaustion weighed them down like an anchor on a sailboat.
Kidd loudly yawned as he swayed in his spot, wobbling up and grabbing his bag. “I don’t know about you two but I think sleeping on the sand would be a good idea…”
“And risk another tidal wave, getting swept up so far we’ll end up Sharpedo bait? I think that’s an even better idea,” Tank snarked back. “Maybe we could end up on the news- they could call us the dead boys!”
“Well, ain’t there the Pokémon Center?” Benedict pointed out. “The one in Rustboro had a place for us an’ I figure they’d have somethin’ left!”
“Oh, yeah, right,” Tank groaned, throwing his backpack on before trying to lead the way.
The boys wandered back to Dewford Town, noting how almost every building had their lights off. Was there some sort of curfew they weren’t warned about?
Tank stopped at the Pokémon Center, trying to pull on the door but failing.
Nurse Shizue glared as she looked up from her counter, in the middle of cleaning the surface with a wet rag. “We closed two hours ago! Go away now!”
“But we don’t have anywhere to go for the night!” Tank shouted. “Please, just let us in!”
Nurse Shizue set the rag down, picked up an orange carabiner keychain….and gave Tank the middle finger before going back to her cleaning.
“I’m never going to get my shower, aren’t I…” Kidd sighed in defeat, slumping down as he took off his scarf to wring out the water. Great, now he was going to reek like the ocean for days. There goes that dream of being a coordinator!
Benedict went quiet, facepalming to himself. “I need to get out of here once I get that badge,” he muttered under his breath.
Tank stormed away in a huff, furiously kicking the sand as he glared down. “Who does she think she is, telling us we can’t come in?! Pokémon Centers are supposed to be open twenty-four hours for a reason!”
“Will you mainlanders keep it down?!” A voice yelled from one of the houses. “I’m trying to get some damn sleep over here!”
“At least you have a place to sleep, asshole!” Tank hollered back, rage simmering over him like a volcano. “The Pokémon Center’s closed, there’s nowhere to stay, and we don’t have a way to get back to the mainland until tomorrow! What do you expect us to do about that, huh?!”
“How about shutting the fuck up?” The voice suggested. “That’d help us out! Better yet, make yourselves useful and take a long walk off the pier! That’s all you mainlanders are good for, anyways!”
Benedict ran to use himself as a shield for Tank, while Kidd stomped towards the house and screamed at the top of his lungs.
“Don’t talk to me or my friends that way!” He lashed out, throwing a hoof in the air. “What did we even do to you anyways?!”
“Oh, you really wanna know, huh?!” A dark grey bull, with a brown cowlick and cold grey eyes, hollered. “You mainlanders keep coming here, telling us how oh-so-great your part of Hoenn is, convincing our younger residents to ditch us for Slateport or Lilycove, when we were fine with our town being this way! And all because that gym leader Frobert-”
“Brah, will you just shut up already?!”
Frobert stepped out of his house, wearing a fuzzy blue bathrobe and a pair of matching slippers. “Just for that, Weldon, you’re not invited to any more of my gym matches,” he snapped, crossing his arms.
“Well I never liked them!” Weldon yelled back. “You sold out this town for-”
“Don’t listen to him, dudes,” Frobert assured the boys with a small wave, ignoring the rest of his neighbor’s rambles. “He’s always been this bogus, especially after he hits the sauce. But if you brahs need to, you can crash here for the night!”
“Wait, really?” Benedict asked. “What’s the catch?”
A small gleam was in Frobert’s eyes. “Only catch is you give me a great battle tomorrow, alright, brosky?” he chuckled. “Now come on in, dudes, you look like you hit a gnarly one out there!”
“Thanks so much, bro,” Tank sighed in relief.
Frobert opened the door, letting the boys in first. He turned around, gave Weldon the finger, and slammed the door shut.
“Alright, brosicles, lemme show you the down-low,” Frobert explained as he locked the door. He pointed at each door in rapid succession, “Bedroom, work-out room, guest room, bathroom next to the guest room. Any questions, piebrogis?”
The boys shook their heads no, still exhausted from the ravaging storms. They made their way over to the guest room, gently pushing the door shut.
For a simple guest room, the decor was more camp than expected. Countless artwork lined the yellow polka dot walls, most of them depicting a blue background with green and orange circle patterns. The bedding and rug matched said artwork, accompanied by dark wooden furniture. Two twin beds were pushed against one wall, along with a futon against the opposite wall.
Kidd set his messenger bag down, heading over to the dresser and opening one of the drawers.
Tank yanked him by the scarf, “Dude, what do you think you’re doing?!” He hushed. “Are you trying to get us kicked out by going through his stuff?!”
“...Yes, it was all part of my brilliant plan,” Kidd deadpanned before pushing it shut. He opened another drawer anyways, rummaging through what was inside. “....No, seriously. We’ve been thrown around the ocean three times, none of us have gotten a shower in days, and the last thing I want to end this night with is sleeping in wet clothes.”
“And you didn’t think to bring a spare change of clothes?” Tank pointed out.
“Well, did you?” Kidd snarked back.
Benedict looked up as he tossed his backpack near the door. “Nope!”
Tank shook his head no.
Kidd facepalmed into both hooves. He looked around in the open drawer, pulling out several oversized band shirts and loose track shorts. “Anyone want the Red Hot Capsakids shirt?”
“I’ll take it!” Benedict lifted up his wing, flinching when Kidd tossed the pink shirt and black shorts onto his face. “.....Yep, no take backs!”
Tank reached over to grab the blue Smashing Gourgeists shirt, while Kidd helped himself to a purple Screaming Trevenant shirt.
The boys looked away from each other, blushing slightly as they changed into their clean clothes. Once they were done, it was easy to settle in- Kidd in one bed, Tank in the other, and Benedict on the futon. Without any more words said, they drifted off after an arduous day of getting thrown around like ragdolls. But exactly would await them on Juniper Island?
←—To be continued—