Pokémon Zero the Hero - A Pokémon Mystery Dungeon story

[Gyeig]

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Hey hey. Been writing and posting this fic on FFN, Ao3 and RR for the past two years now. Since I'm going back to touch up some of the older chapters, now is the best time to start posting it here as well.

This is a fully original PMD story, with its own world, characters and quirks. It starts out in familiar territory, but will quickly spiral into its own thing, while still keeping the tone of the original games intact. If you ever wanted to see PMD written in a more fantasy oriented way, this is the fic for you!

One warning I will give is that this version will likely run behind the versions on FFN, Ao3 and RR for the foreseeable future, which is something I hope to change eventually - but when you've got 99 chapters posted, iiiit gets a little bit trickier.
I'd finally like to thank my beta readers, @Navar and @Kiba Makuro for helping me bring this story to life! Now, without further ado, let's get started.

Rating: K+
Content Warning: Light Blood, Mild Swearing
Genre: Fantasy / Adventure

Spoiler: Links to Parts

Part I - A New World (you are here)
Part II - The Renegade
Part III - coming soon
Part IV - coming soon
Part V - coming soon
Part VI - coming soon
Part VII - coming soon
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George had always longed for more excitement in his miserable life. By some miracle, he was given all that and more. First he awakes as an Oshawott in a strange land, soon discovered by a Charmander who dreams of exploring the world. Quickly they connect, ready to make their dreams come true. Alas, the thorny-rule of this world doesn't take kindly to humans intruding...

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PART I​

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A New World​

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Chapter 1: Voices​

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Even the mightiest forests begin with one mere sapling. No matter how bad the storm, no matter how cruel life gets, the sapling finds a way to grow into something marvellous. It’s the story promised by so many things in life, whether school or books, tv shows or movies. Such a pleasant idea, that all too often turned out to be a mirage.

Reality was often a slap in the face. And George, who’d been living in a foster’s home since he was five, got one daily. Even on his thirteenth birthday, about the only thing he’d be celebrating was his eight year of being here. Right after midnight, rain sputtered up against the window, the wind howling past. A typical birthday gift.

‘...We are through! We have contact! Quick, it might break again!’

‘...Yes, yes! We must hurry now! There he is!‘

In a dusty room, together with dozens of his peers snoring away, George twisted and turned in his bed. The lightning thundering in the distance had kept him up all night, much to his frustration. Now, just when he thought he’d gotten some peace and quiet, voices began talking to him.

‘...George, George! There’s no time for us to explain, but you have to listen to us, okay?’

‘Come on, I’m trying to sleep here. I don’t need another smack on the fingers for everyone to laugh at.’

‘...Your entire world is about to get turned on its head, but we have no choice. We need you. Everyone in Eravate needs you…’

‘Ngh…’

‘...the saviour is a Trojan Horse. The shackles around Eravate are tightening, and you can break them. You’ll be what you always wanted to be, we promise!...’

‘Let me have a halfway decent birthday for once, for the love of god….’

‘...We know how you feel about your life. Your struggles. Your pain. I have felt it myself through the ripples of time.’

‘...This’ll be a rude awakening, George. We’re so sorry. But you’ll have so much more if you stay strong.’

‘Empty promises, voice in head. But might as well accept it. Not like life here’s going anywhere.’

‘...Just open your eyes in a moment… ’

The darkness surrounding George vanished in a flash, and the sounds of wind and rain assaulting the foster’s home disappeared with it. Everything went silent as a mouse. A sample of death before the faint singing of birds reached his ears, as did an ache creep up his chest. He opened his eyes to a bright blue sky.

“Nrghhh… what in the world…”

George pushed himself to his knees, a heave spilling out of his mouth partway through. Somehow this morning was worse than usual. “Urgh, did I fall asleep under a closet last night? Wouldn’t put it beyond her to make me,” he said, rubbing his head, before it hit him.

‘Wait… What is this place? Another dream? Great, a fancy dreamland before waking back up in the foster’s home, just what I needed.’

Gone were the city and the others sleeping in their beds, gone was the cold hardwood floor and the door leading out of the sleeping room. Instead he was face to face with a stream, with trees surrounding him on all sides. His nostrils teemed with the scent of fresh grass, crisp leaves and blooming flowers.

The grogginess persisted as George stood up. Nothing felt right; face, chest, arms, legs, everything seemed condensed. Strangest of all was the feeling flowing out his spine. The only thing normal was how thirsty he was. Without thinking, he waddled to the stream and dipped his head down to drink from it. There was no filthy taste or lecture from the headmistress to not drink dirty water - on the contrary, it was clear. Refreshing. Wonderful to even touch, and all that despite being a dream.

George put his hands in and splashed his face, then drank some more. Cold water in the middle of a forest, and yet he couldn’t be happier.

‘Ah, this is fantastic! This is the best tasting water I’ve ever had! It’s even better than the-’

He froze as if a poisonous needle pierced his skin. Down in the water was a reflection, but George did not see himself staring back. Instead, he saw a small, otter-like creature staring back; first with a happy, then dire expression.

“Wha- What?!” his foot shifted back across the grass. The animal’s reflection followed. George shook his head; nothing changed. The reflection remained the same. A small creature with a white face, black eyes and triangular ears on both sides of the head. His chest was covered in light blue fur and sported a seashell. George slapped himself with his small hands.

‘That’s an Oshawott…’ he thought, then grimaced in the blink of an eye. ‘Wait, did I get knocked on my head again?! ‘Oshawott’? What is that?! How is that the first thing I come with, and not otter?’

George backed away from the stream. It had to be a dream, or so he believed with all his heart. Regardless of what was right and wrong, far more pressing was the situation at hand. Stranded in a place he had never seen before, with no one around to help, if they were even willing to. Frowning, he sat down against the stump of a tree, fiddling with the seashell on his chest, which was strangely sturdy and sharp for a seashell.

‘Okay… This might be a dream, but I’m not waiting around here for it to end, oh no. No chance someone’s getting me out of this mess, and there’s gotta be predators that would love to take a chunk out of me right now-’

“This way. We must be getting close now.”

“Hah, been one big walk just to find ‘im! What kinda Pokemon d’ye think he’s turned into?”

“That doesn’t matter. Let’s get this over with, and save the whole world a lot of bloodshed. End of story.”

George’s ears sprang up. Company. One heavy, beast-like voice, and a feminine one that sounded authoritarian, like the headmistress had come to this world as well. Fearing the worst, he jumped and ran into the bushes, his steps clumsy and unfocused, all while the thumping of heavy footsteps approached. Branches prickled him on all sides, and tree roots made him trip face first. No matter how much pain and muddy smears he’d receive, he had to leave. His lone source of nourishment was gone, just like that.

“Haha, I ain’t afraid of a lil’ water!”

“Skal, you’re part rock. Your attitude will get you killed one day.”

“‘Ey, I know that, Terez. Ain’t stoppin’ me. Ain’t stoppin’ the Othersider either!”

* * *​

George kept running. To where, he didn’t know; anywhere removed from the voices at the stream. From bush to branch, from stump to dirt knoll, he was breathless, but he didn’t dare to stop for even a slight rest. No matter how painful the constant trips and scratches got, he couldn’t stop. What if they caught up with him? What merciless fate awaited him then?

‘Where on earth do I go? I can’t stay around here. Those footsteps sounded like a giant dinosaur. I’m not going to become a dinosaur’s lunch, damn it!’

Adrenaline had taken control, causing him to bump into an oddly shaped spotted bulb. George fell over backwards on the ground; a strange murmur filled the air.

“Shiroo!”

“Ah!”

The bulb, no, the Shroomish turned towards George. It cried out while glaring at him, then began to shake. Terrified, George jumped back to his feet and ran. The peace of the forest was disturbed, as other Shroomish became alerted by the cries, their anger focused like a laser on the trespasser in their midst. Tears began to well up in George’s eyes.

‘Why can’t I just wake up already?!’

His vision now blurry, and his feet aching harder than ever, George was at his wit’s end. Slowly it dawned on him that this wasn’t just another dream gone awry, or a fantasy he was bound to snap out of. The pain, the exhaustion, the dirt under his feet, it was all too vivid for that. A cold wind shrieked behind. It sounded as if nature itself cried out in pain. Whatever it was, the murmuring stopped. No sounds replaced it. Safe for the moment, George crashed against a tree and slid down the bark, panting in the process.

The escape had not been kind on him: He was covered in mud and scratches from the many falls and branches he had scraped by. The mud wasn’t just staining his fur, he tasted it in his mouth too, and no amount of spitting made the taste go away. His throat was sore and his head throbbed, his feet felt like they were about to rot right off. Confused, George’s little body slumped down, his hands resting on the shell attached to his chest.

‘Those voices… what are they? Why am I being followed?‘

George looked around. A gentle breeze swayed the nearby vegetation; the rustling of the leaves above was a small comfort he desperately needed. It gave him an opportunity to think. About the voices in the darkness, about the voices following him in the light, and his own body most of all. The aching was fading, but his eyes were not playing tricks on him.

‘So, I was in my bed, just waiting for my birthday to start. Then voices came, gave me a vague talk, and now I’m an ‘Oshawott’. In the middle of a forest, being chased by other voices, and living mushrooms. ‘Shroomish’. Ugh, somehow that rolls of the tongue, just like ‘Oshawott’.’

He ran a few fingers through the blue fur around his seashell. Since he was an Oshawott, it was no ordinary seashell, but a weapon. Sturdy enough to slice one’s fingertips off, if he wasn’t careful. Slowly, his breathing calmed to a somewhat ordinary tempo. What passed for ordinary in a body this small, anyhow.

“This is me now.. Just when things couldn’t get any stranger… Life is just one surprise after another, isn’t it,” he whispered to himself. “And what did they say again about needing me? Well, I always wanted to do good in the world. Make a difference, help those who need it. Not that I know how, but the idea is pleasant.’'

George’s eyes were drawn to the surrounding area, his ears twitching back and forth out of curiosity. From the thick canopy overhead, to the massive patches of vegetation, the forest had a primeval look to it. Wild, out of control, with just the vague suggestion of a trail here and there. No more order than an animal could bring.

Alas, that idea was disproved by a nearby tree. Chunks had been cut out of its bark, in a pattern that resembled letters of some kind. It resembled… prints, of some kind. As if someone had doodled shapes in the sand, and attached meanings to them.

And yet, despite never having seen lettering like it, George could understand what it said. Perfectly.

THE DRAGON KNOWS - DON’T DENY YOURSELF​

He hopped off the stump, tail dragging across the dirt as he got a closer look at the text. The wood underneath looked worn, somewhat damp from old rains. George gulped.

‘Okay… so there is a civilisation here. I’m not alone, I guess… but who wrote this? And what does it mean? Who is the dragon? And… Why can I read it? Ergh, I guess it’s the same reason why I know what Oshawott are, or why I am one myself-’

All of a sudden, the bushes nearby shook violently. George stirred from his thoughts, and shielded his chest with both arms.

“Who’s there?!” he yelled, forcing his way through the pain in his feet to stand up. He wasn’t taking any chances. Not after the first chase. Little fists clenched, teeth gritted, he watched as a reddish arm poked out of the bush.

And just as he was prepared to face his new visitor, so too was he ready to book it.

“Aahh!!!”

He muscled his way into the bushes. They were thicker than any plants that came before, and he struggled to keep balance. It wasn’t long before he fell into a dark patch of vegetation. Twigs from all sides poked and prodded - George struggled his way to a point of light up ahead, his lone ticket out.

Once close, he threw himself forward, eyes closed, hoping for the best. With a thud, something his size collided against him, and he fell back on his rear.

“Ow!”

“Aah! Hey, watch out!”

“Ow… ow…” George rubbed his forehead before reopening his eyes. He was greeted by the sight of an orange lizard staring at him.

“You could have gotten hurt there!”

The triangular ears on George’s head went flat against his head. “Y-you can talk?!” he said, with eyes wider than a bug’s. The lizard chittered, his flaming tail flickering behind him.

“Um, yeah? Why wouldn’t I?”

George’s cheeks flushed red. “Oh, ehrm, well, I’m not used to seeing li- I mean, I’m not used to seeing… Charmanders talk, that’s all.” ‘Please tell me there’s others who’d say that.’ “Um, haven’t ever heard one talk before. Not where uh, not where I’m from.”

The lizard, whose telltale orange body and flaming tail were unmistakable for anything else, crossed his arms. “You’re weird… Where are you from?” he asked, tilting his head rightwards. George clicked his tongue; his ears once again fell backwards.

‘Okay, what have I gotten myself into. I’m covered in dirt and now I’m talking to a Charmander, all while being an Oshawott. And now it’s asking me questions? What do I even do?! I can’t just tell him the truth, can I? Would he even believe me? Would he attack?’

George put his hands against his chest, and breathed in deep. ‘Gotta come out with it now. I can’t even convince the headmistress I did my homework properly.’ “Okay, this is going to sound weird, but I’m actually a human. Even though I-”

The Charmander jumped backward, wide eyed. “A human?! B-but you look like any ordinary Oshawott!”

George winced, then took another deep breath. “I know. But I’m not lying, I swear! No one expects to be sleeping one moment, then wake up in the middle of the woods right after! It feels like I’ve been run over by a car!”

“A ‘car’?”

“Oh, uh…” George looked off towards a neighbouring patch of grass. ‘Of course he wouldn’t know what a car is, let’s see here…’ “It’s like this big metal box. Really fast. It’s uh, it’s kind of like… like getting hit by… a… steel… ‘Miltank’, I guess?” he said with puffy cheeks and an awkward smile.

The Charmander stared at him; nothing was keeping him or George company aside from a howl of the wind, before the red lizard burst into laughter.

“Haha, you really aren’t from around here, are you?”

George nervously laughed back. “I guess you could say that.” ‘Looks like I won’t have to fight out of this one.’

“You’re weird. But I like you!” The Charmander took a step towards George, who merely stood and watched. For a stranger in the middle of the woods, he sure was one jolly fellow. Especially for a lizard with a tail that’s on fire. “Do you have a name?”

George looked off to both sides first before daring to reply. “Well, my name is George.”

“George? That’s a strange name…”

“Is it?”

“It sure is! Must be a human name, right? Makes sense, actually! Yeah, George! I think I like it, it’s unique!” The Charmander put on a strong, confident smile. “I’m Blitzer!” he said, one finger pointing towards his chest. The Oshawott clicked his tongue.

‘And he said I’m the one with the weird name.’ “Alright, Blitzer I guess. That’s unique as well, right?”

“Darn straight! Nothing beats being unique! I’m sure you know all about it, right George?”

“I… sure do!” said George. “No one’s more unique than me!” ‘Well, unless there’s other people turned Pokemon walking around here.’

“That’s the spirit! You and I… we’re going to be the best of friends, George! I can feel it!” The flame on Blitzer’s tail flared. George shielded his eyes from the light. Somehow, he had somewhat forgotten that flame burning on the end of Blitzer’s tail.

“Hey, what’s the matter?”

“Oh, it’s just the fire there, that’s all,” George said, pinching his cheeks.

Blitzer laughed. “Haha, you’re not the first! I get complimented on it all the time! ‘Ooh wow, Blitzer, you really are full of life!’ It’s great!”

“That sure is neat.” George looked down at the seashell on his chest. “Do you think people would notice my scalchop, too?”

“Sure! I think I remember hearing that Oshawotts are destined to become great warriors through those shells!”

George raised an eye. ‘Warrior? Me?’ he thought to himself. He was so taken aback that he jumped from a sudden poke to the chest.

“Hey, I know, why don’t we go back to my home? I’m sure my parents would love seeing you! And I want to hear more about you too!”

“Oh, yeah, that sounds fine, but wouldn’t they uhm, don’t I look a little dirty?” said George as he scratched the back of his head, much to the Charmander’s amusement.

“I always come home looking like that! You’ll be fine, don’t worry. The village is not so far from here.” Blitzer pointed George to an inconspicuous part of the woods. “Come on, let’s go! Oh, I almost forgot! The rest will be happy to see you too!”

And just like that, George and Blitzer got on their way through the forest. George breathed easy, even as the aching in his body kept at it. It was nice knowing that not everything in this world would attack him right away. Furthermore, some kind of civilization was just around the corner. Nothing spectacular, in all likelihood, but after living in a grey city for years, that wasn’t a bad thing.

Still, what would happen now? Those voices from the stream are still out there. He had lost them for now, but there was no chance they would have simply given up. Could he avoid them forever? There didn’t seem to be a way back to his bed. But even more impactful was the Charmander he had met.

‘We’re going to be the best of friends, George!’

Countless questions lingered in George’s mind, but he didn’t doubt Blitzer for a second. Young, full of energy, happy and optimistic at just about everything George had told him. They might have only known each other for ten minutes, but George felt confident following in his footsteps. Perhaps he would lead to a better life after all.

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[Gyeig]

Chapter 2: Welcome to Greenfield​

“There! Over there! Do you see it!”

Blitzer pointed towards an open field in the distance. George did not follow, however. With the wind blowing into their faces, looking ahead wasn’t an enjoyable prospect. Too cold, too harsh on the eyes, and too much chance he’d end up with a leaf in his mouth, given how hard the trees rustled from all the wind. Birds chirped all around, and the faint chittering of bugs sounded just underneath.

“Okay. Let’s see what else I know. That’s a ‘Tailow’ there, you can tell by the red stripe. Then we’ve got an odd looking… ‘Butterfree’? No, ‘Vivillion’, rather. And- yuck, that’s one big Spina-”

“Hey, Geoooorge!”

“Eh?”

George stumbled backwards onto his tail, ears ringing like a doorbell. “What are you yelling for?”

“The village, George, the village!” Blitzer jumped up and down, throwing his arms in the air with each hop. “Are you coming or not?”

“Yes, of course! Just got distracted, figuring out which Pokemon’s what.”

Blitzer folded his arms. “I figured as much!” he said, a smug smile beaming from his face. “You know I’ve been pointing those out for a reason, right? If you got any Pokemon related questions, just ask! No shame in that, we’re friends! Right?”

“Yeah…” George rubbed his head. Something in the air reeked of sweat.

He followed Blitzer to the edge of the field. There, the sight greeting them took the breath out of his lungs. A sunlit town of vividly coloured wooden houses, gold-brown pathways and gallant stone buildings stood on the other side, brimming with the sounds of life. Various Pokemon could be seen enjoying the day, working in fields or on buildings, gathering water from the stream running through the town. George smiled out of instinct. He felt a joy he couldn’t describe: His body did the talking for him.

“Well, this is Greenfield. What do you think?” asked the Charmander.

“Darn,” answered George, “I wasn’t expecting to see something like this!”

Blitzer chuckled. “Well, what were you expecting? Some holes in the ground? Haha!”

George’s cheeks puffed up. ‘Hit the nail on the head.’ “Well, I didn’t know Pokemon lived in villages. And I’ve only seen villages like this on TV.”

Blitzer’s tail twitched curiously to one side. “Well, what does a human village look like? And what’s a TV?”

George swallowed, his nose twitching. Blitzer looked on with a toothless smile, so full of excitement that was bound to be crushed. Memories of dull, rainy city streets came flooding back, joined by the monochrome cars going over said streets. All lingered in the shadows of high-rises, equally colourless were it not for curtains and potted plants. And how could he forget the people wandering over the sidewalks, their faces as grim as the clouds above…

“It’s hard to explain,” George said, stalling for time. ‘I guess the city’s the dream now. Maybe that’s for the best. And how am I supposed to explain what a TV is? They don’t even have electricity here!’

“You can tell me later, if you prefer,” Blitzer said. A dull growl rumbled in his cream coloured belly. The Charmander frowned. “Especially now that I’m hungry…”

George nodded in response. “Sure. Do you have anything to eat?” ‘What can I even eat?’

“My parents have a whole field of berries and the like. Cheri, Oran, Nanab, Persim, Sitrus! You name it, they have it. Come, I’ll show you!” Blitzer took off with a burst of speed, leaving George scrambling to run after him.

‘He sure is fast when hungry!’

Given how much his tail bounced back and forth, it was a miracle Blitzer hadn’t burned the village down yet. That fire had to be a constant hazard to everyone around him. George winced as he imagined accidentally slipping his hand into the fire.

“We’re almost there, just a little further!”

“Yes, slow down already! I’m still hurting over here!”

“It’ll go away soon! Don’t worry about it!”

Without so much as a breather, Blitzer led George into the village, zipping past houses and people alike. George bit his tongue. No time to look for anything interesting in the village, just the gravel road right ahead. Several Pokemon scolded them as the two ran past. The paths in the village hadn’t been built with children speeding all over the place in mind, and everyone had to suffer the consequences.

“Hey, watch where you’re going!”

“Sorry, I’ll look further next time!”

“Stop running, you whippersnappers!”

“Sorry, miss Eldegoss! Coming through here!”

George was too tired to apologise. Keeping up with Blitzer was hard enough, let alone dealing with other Pokemon. Evidently Blitzer had mastered the art of speedy apologies, given how often he could be heard giving a new one. On the road, over the bridge, even to the people shouting at him from their homes.

‘How do you ever hope to become a well grown man like this, fool!’

George winced and bit his tongue. ‘Headmistress… nrgh, I’m not there anymore. Forget it.’

* * *​

“Here we are. My house! And my parents’ house!”

Blitzer held up an arm, as if he was presenting his house to a crowd. George looked on dumbfounded, panting all the while. Instead of one of the vibrant houses, Blitzer lived in a hovel. The front door reeked of burned firewood; A black spot reeking of soot stained the path right before.

“So this is it?” asked George. “Where’s the field?” ‘And where’s the house?’

“On the other side! But let’s go inside first.” Blitzer ran up to the door and bonked on it with a fist. “Mooom! Daaad! I’m home!! I brought a friend with me!!” George stepped up beside Blitzer as he continued to beat on the door, staying just out of sight.

‘Wonder how nice his parents are. They sure gave him a lot of freedom.

“I’m coming, Blitzer!”

A short while later, the door opened outward; a Nidorina as big as Blitzer stood on the other side. “Ah, back so soon?”

“Yes! I’m surprised too, but I couldn’t wait.”

“You didn’t come back completely muddy this time, I’m impressed. Now where is this friend of yours- Oh. There he is.” The Nidorina raised her head and breathed deep through her nostrils. “Well, you win some, you lose some. Say, Oshawott laddie, why don’t you come in? You look like you could use a bath.“

“s-Sure,” said George, gritting his teeth afterward. If not for the fur, he’d have a red face. ‘She’s huge…’

The house was far cosier on the inside, much to George’s relief. No black stains of soot or mud anywhere, just a simple candlelit home. Well, it looked more like some kind of museum exhibit than a house, what with its dusty furniture and waxy scent, but you had to temper your expectations when visiting a different world. Especially if said visit wasn’t ending anytime soon, if ever.

“Nero? Can you prepare a bath?” yelled the Nidorina.

“Yeah? That rascal got himself dirty again, didn’t he?” a rugged voice deeper in the house replied.

“You’d think, but it’s not Blitzer this time. He’s got a new friend over, and he’s in rough shape. Got scratches all over.”

“Oh for the love of-” A door on the far side of the living room swung open, and the purple counterpart to Blitzer’s mother was standing on the other side. A Nidorino. “Why didn’t you say so before? Infections are nothing to joke about. You there, Oshawott lad,” he said while eyeing George all over, looking for the scratch marks under the fur, “We’re getting you clean first, then we’ll talk, alright?”

“Dad. How long is it gonna take?” asked Blitzer, tapping his foot. His father shook his horned head.

“As long as it’s going to take, son. There’ll be plenty of time to play with your friend later, patience.” His father turned around, sighed, and went to prepare the bath. “You’d think now that he’s finally got a-”

“Nero!”

“Yes, dear, my apologies.”

George, startled, backed off a step. ‘Wait, did he just…?’ Beside him, Blitzer stood twiddling his fingers against each other. “Hey, Blitzer, everything okay?”

“Me?” The Charmander tilted his head a few degrees. “I’m alright, don’t worry. My dad’s just grumpy!” he said with a smile. George didn’t buy it, but didn’t ask any further. Everyone would be happier that way.

After some time, Blitzer was called by his mother to help out with something, and Nero gave a yell that the bath was ready. George went and followed the Nidorino through the house. The family had a combined kitchen and living room, the kitchen primarily made of stone, while the living room was mostly made of dark brown wood, a small window right up by the top. From there, two wide hallways went up and to the left, and aside from some candleholders and sooty black marks on the walls, they were nothing but dirt. And a door or two.

Eventually, George and Blitzer’s father reached a door through which the sun shone. The Nidorino nodded to his right; there stood a wide but shallow tub that came up to George’s head.

“Here it is, lad. Let’s get that dirt off, it’s bound to ruin that coat of yours,” said Nero, waiting for George to get in.

“Coat?”

“You know, your fur.”

“Oh.”

Nero narrowed his eyes. “Thought someone your age would know these things already,” he spoke in a dull tone.

“It’s nothing,” said George, one foot hovering over the water. He caught a whiff; the room smelled like dust and rust; the walls were lined with various tools which had seen better days. Not a place he’d want to take a bath in. Gentle as a spring breeze, he dipped his foot in. ‘Cold!’ shot into his mind. The other foot went in as slow as the first, to the sound of Nero’s groans and foot tapping.

“Lad, you’re not getting clean just standing there. Get down already will you, you’re of Water for Arceus’ sake.”

George frowned. “Do you normally take your baths this cold, though? It feels like I’ve sunk through ice!”

Nero shook his head. “Even Blitzer’s not this afraid of a little cold water, lad. Even Blitzer! That kid can barely sit still, and that tail of his hurts like crazy if it gets even remotely wet. This should be a walk in the park for you.”

George sighed, before sinking into the water. The cold, bitter as could be, spread from tail to chest. He sucked in a breath as the water enveloped his fur, shivering all the while. It felt as if he’d been stuffed in a freezer. Then the water settled. George’s shivering came to a stop. ‘Huh. This… actually feels kind of relaxing!’ He ran his hands through the water and threw some on himself, the sound of splashing water soothing his ears. ‘It’s just water, but I feel free! In my element, even!’

“There you go, lad. Not so bad, is it?” Nero chuckled.

“Yeah, it feels really good! I don’t know why, though.”

Nero chuckled. “You’re one weird Oshawott. Water type and actual water are like bread and berries. Alright, time to wash that mud off. Take your scalchop off for a moment.”

* * *​

Some time later, the whole household was back in the main room. George stood proud with a puffed up chest and hands on his sides, a smile plastered over his face. “Well, how do I look?”

“You look like you’re ready to take on anything!” Blitzer said. His eyes were beaming with the intensity of the sun.

Nera smiled at George from the kitchen. “You look like a wonderful little Oshawott! Did you get all those scratches taken care of too?”

“Of course we did,” said Nero as he came in yawning. “Was a little more difficult finding them under all that fur, but I’ve got plenty of experience patching up Blitzer over the years.”

“Glad to hear.” Nera nodded. “Come, I’ve made us all something. Blitzer, mind helping me with the plates?”

“No worries, mom!”

Blitzer leapt off the couch, unworried about his tail starting a fire by accident. Nothing in the house smelled burnt… aside from the black stains on the walls. What George did smell was the warm, savoury aroma of a pastry. His mouth watered in anticipation, as Nera and Blitzer came carrying two plates each; for a quadruped, Nera was surprisingly capable of standing on two legs, let alone carrying things. She had great dexterity in the claws on her forelegs.

George’s mind was elsewhere, though. His mind and stomach were united and up in arms. Blitzer handed him a plate carrying a gold-brown pastry with some kind of gooey filling. Having gone hours since his last meal, a growl from his stomach broke him at last.

“Whoa, hold on!”

“Hey, easy there now! I haven’t even told you what it is yet!”

By the time Nera finished speaking, George had blue smears all over his mouth, which he sheepishly licked clean as the two parents watched on dumbfounded, and Blitzer couldn’t contain himself. “What? I haven’t eaten all day!”

Nero snorted. “Looks like you’ve got yourself another customer, honey.”

“Well, my Oran berries are irresistible, you know,” Nera said with a hearty laugh. “We haven’t introduced ourselves yet, but you’re quite something, alright! Anyway, I’m Nera, and this is Nero, my partner. We’re Blitzer’s parents, but I’m sure you knew that already.”

“Yeah, Blitzer told me he lived with you,” George wiped his mouth down, staining his hands with jam. “Kind of surprised how different you are from him. You look nothing alike, no offence.“

“Pfft. T’is a long story, lad,” Nero said. “Long story short, when we hadn’t been together for that long, Nera and I discovered Blitzer in the woods near town one day. He was a small child that didn’t even know his own name, all alone with no parents in sight. We found him on a bed of leaves. Had some nasty feral found him before us, well… wouldn’t have ended so rosy. That was all we needed to take him with us. Gotta say though, we weren’t exactly ready to take care of a child. It’s been a long few years, many headaches along the way, but we still love our little Blitzer with all our hearts.” The Nidorino nodded towards his partner.

“Indeed we do. Blitzer has been with us for years now, and he’s always been a bright spot in our lives.” Nera looked towards Blitzer, who was sitting on the ground. “Right, sweetheart?”

Blitzer nodded. “Yes! I love you too, mom and dad. I’m so glad to have you,” he said, visibly biting his cheek. The parents smiled at him, before turning their gaze back to George fidgeting with his fingers.

“That was complicated, yeah, but I think I understand. Well, I’m glad you were the people that found him, you seem wonderful.” George awkwardly folded his arms over his scalchop. ‘Blitzer got lucky. Wish I did too.’

Nera drummed her claws on the table. “So yeah. That is us in a nutshell, unless Blitzer has anything to add,” she said with a flick of her ears. Blitzer shook his head.

“You know, I don’t get it at all. As far as I remember, I’ve always lived here. That’s not so bad, is it?” the Charmander said, staring towards the roof as if he were deep in thought. Something in his eyes felt sad to even look at; George went back to nibbling on his food.

“Of course not, sweetheart. Whatever happened has happened, and we can’t change that now,” Blitzer’s mother said. “In any case, we’re all here, aren’t we?” She took a bite from her own Oran pastry. “Why doesn’t your friend say something about himself next?”

“That’s right” cheered Blitzer. “That’s why I came here straight away, he’s truly special! Right, George?”

The pastry dropped out of George’s mouth and back onto the plate. The parents looked rather stunned, their ears fluttering back and forth.

“George? That’s a strange name if I’ve ever heard one. Where are you from, lad?” Nero asked.

The human turned Oshawott flinched, almost biting his tongue as his jaws forced themselves against each another. Out of the water and into the flames, like vegetables being roasted for dinner. Explaining it to Blitzer was simple, since it’s Blitzer. Explaining it to anyone else was leagues apart. He couldn’t even begin to figure out how to explain it without inviting misery onto himself. As it turns out, he didn’t have to.

“He’s not from here, dad, he’s a human!”

A breath escaped George’s mouth. Two gasps sounded in the room; one full of shock, the other was akin to disappointment in breathing form. Throwing fuel onto a fire is one thing, this was like being the fuel itself. He felt red hot under his skin.

“A human? No… those only exist in legends.” Nera said.

Nero groaned. “Very funny, Blitzer. Can you just let your friend explain where he’s from instead of doing it for him in the silliest way imaginable?”

“It’s not a joke!” Blitzer stood up, fists clenched and tail flaring. “You never believe me, but George told me so himself!” George shook his head and slowly stood up, putting the plate on the wooden table they were seated at.

‘I’ve got to say something…’ “Well… He’s telling you the truth,” George said. Nero raised an eye in response, and lifted a foreleg to scratch himself by the base of his horn. George signalled for Blitzer to sit down, which he did with an ‘I told you so’ look on his face.

“Yes, I look like any ordinary Oshawott right now. But the truth is, I was a human until just a few hours ago. Hence my ‘weird name’. This is going to sound crazy, but I was asleep, and heard voices call to me about how I was needed. Next thing I know, I’m awake in the middle of the woods. As an Oshawott. Exactly what happened.”

Nero’s eyes opened wide, as did his wife’s. They slowly turned their heads at each other, staring in horrified silence. George pinched his skin, both his ears having gone flat against his white head. ‘Great, you blew it, George…’

“Lad. Blitzer. Promise me one thing, okay?” asked Nero. “Do not ever, ever tell this to anyone else, you hear?!” he said with a rising yet breaking voice. George suddenly smelled a faintly sour odour coming from the other end of the table.

“Huh? Why? What’s the matter?” Blitzer was shocked in a way that reminded George of himself and his peers whenever the headmistress spoke.

Nera patted her son on the shoulder; “Blitzer, for the love of Arceus, do not take any of this lightly. Please. I can tell you really like your new friend, you really, really do. But you cannot tell anyone else about what he is, alright? Your friend could be in serious danger…”

“What?!”

“Don’t ask questions, just do as we say, okay? Don’t tell anyone. That’s all we’re asking, you hear?” Nero bared his teeth as if something heavy weighed him down. George felt a chill bubbling under his skin. Whatever the reason, the adults in the room had been caught by the scruff of their neck. His hands hovered over his scalchop, all while he glanced around the room. Suddenly, he wasn’t so hungry anymore.

“But mom…”

“I’m sorry, Blitzer. I know you must be excited about your new friend, but this is grown up stuff we’re talking about. Do you remember what I told you a month ago? About her?”

Blitzer shivered. “Yeah, you told me…” he muttered in the same dreary tone his parents were using. George didn’t know what to think anymore. The air in the room had gotten tense and dreary, like the waiting room at a dentist’s office. Blitzer and his parents had been called in, and George was left stranded.

“Excuse me, is there something bad about me being a human?”

Nera shook her head. “No. It’s not you that’s the problem. It’s something else. Her.” The last word sounded as if she had to force it out of her throat. Her. As if uttering the name would lay a curse upon the whole village. Nera seemed dazed after merely referring to whoever it was.

“Listen, lad.” Nero took over, unprompted. “I do not know how my partner and my son see it, but I’ll speak for myself. All you need to know is that there are plenty of good people in the world, and a few rotten apples. Understood?” George nodded. “Good. One of those rotten apples… is, well, very powerful. And we know she won’t leave you alone if she finds out about you. She is a ruthless, ruthless Pokemon, you hear? We know what she’s capable of, and it’s a terrible, terrible sight. I really don’t want to force you away. I can see that my son truly cares about you. So please, don’t tell anyone.”

George nodded uncomfortably. “Yes sir.”

Out of nowhere, someone started banging on the front door. “Oi! Anyone home? Open up!”

Heads turned to the entrance. In an instant, the air in the house turned frigid from the sudden tension. Nero raised a paw to his mouth, sticking one claw up before he headed for the entrance. Nera and Blitzer nodded, and George merely followed their lead. They waited with bated breath as Nero opened the door.

”Oi, gentlemen, good afternoon. Is there something wrong?”

“Nothing with you, good sir. All we would like to know is whether you have information on this man. He is a highly wanted fugitive, and he has last been seen in this area.”

“Hmm… can’t say I’ve seen or heard anything about ‘im, sorry. Do catch ‘im quick, yeah.”

“Understood. Have a good day, sir!”

“Same to you.”

With a sigh, Nero came back to the table, and sat back on his old spot while shaking his head. “Nothing this time, thank the Creator,” he whispered.

George, still careful with each breath, kept his questions to himself. A fugitive on the run. That didn’t sound good. But he could tell the story didn’t end there; it’s just that Nero did not seem willing to elaborate.

It was quiet for a long, long five minutes, before Blitzer broke the silence.

“Mom? Can you let George stay here? I don’t want to lose him,” the Charmander stammered. His mother gave him a faint smile in return, albeit an uncomfortable one.

“We’ll try, okay? I know how much he means to you, Blitzer. And he is really sweet,” she said, one claw pointed towards George. “We shouldn’t worry so much. Okay? You two should go and play together for a while, unwind a bit. You both look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

Blitzer and George both nodded with frowns on their faces. George moved up to arms’ length with Blitzer. Something inside of him could feel how morose the poor kid was. He extended his arm around Blitzer’s neck. The Charmander looked up with a jolt of energy and did the same. It made George feel a little better, and he could feel a change in Blitzer, too.

Nero cleared his throat. “Well then, lads. You heard her, go play in your room for a while, okay? Don’t worry about the food, we won’t touch it.”

Blitzer gave a hum. “Come George, let’s go.”

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 3 - Wildest Dreams​

The house now quiet, Blitzer took George to his room. The Charmander used his tail like a torch, despite all the candles on the wall being lit, the air teeming with their waxy scent. To make odd into flat out stupid, the way he held his tail up made his strides slower and far clumsier. Normally a tail kept someone steady on their feet. Blitzer hadn’t quite understood that, however.

“Oomph! Man, these halls are so wide…” said the Charmander, as he managed to catch himself on the wall just before he’d fall over.

George smirked a little. “Why are they this wide, anyway? Neither of your parents need that much space.”

Blitzer peeked over his shoulder, then let out a chirp. “Oh, they do need that much once they evolve! You just wait.”

“We’ll see, I guess,” replied the Oshawott with a shrug. “Can’t deny, you holding your tail like that… you remind me of an explorer.”

The Charmander blushed. “O-oh… thank you,” he hummed.

A few steps later, the two reached a door wider than both of them together. Blitzer threw it open, and ran inside. “Here it is, my room!”

George treaded lightly as he entered. There was a surprising lack of furniture: In fact, the room was empty aside from one dresser and a box full of toys. The air felt a little cramped, and the room lacked lighting: Aside from Blitzer’s tail flame, a single candle on the dresser was the lone light source, and it wasn’t lit. A faint scent of dry grass hung in the air. George smelled it coming off a pile of straws in the back, which Blitzer had thrown himself down upon.

“What do you think?” Blitzer asked. George idled; for a moment, he thought he heard an echo.

“It’s alright, I guess. It’s pretty roomy, and uh… you have plenty of space for yourself. A lot more than I’m used to.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty boring here,” Blitzer deadpanned, much to George’s bewilderment. “Hey, what’s that face for? Why do you think I was in the woods in the first place? That’s where the fun is! Exploring! My parents keep telling me, ‘Noo, Blitzer, you can’t go out there, you know how dangerous it is with all the ferals! And you might get into trouble with some of the Queen’s Soldiers if you aren’t careful and rabble rabble rabble’, but I don’t care! I love the outdoors, I love exploring! It’s how I found you! So I’m not going to stop.”

George cleared his nose with a deep breath. ‘At least you have your own room…’ “You know, you sound a lot like me before I came here, except your parents actually allow you out. The headmistress from where I’m from wouldn’t let me out in a million years.“

“Headmistress?” Blitzer tilted his head.

George swallowed some saliva that had built up in his mouth. “Uh, well, she’s like a parent. Except not really. Actual parents love you in the end. She was just an angry, hateful woman. Extremely rude, only takes care of kids for the paycheck. It’s complicated.”

“Is that something from the human world?”

“I guess so.” George shrugged. “She was always horrible to me and the others, I don’t know why. We were supposed to trust her, but I wouldn’t trust her to look after a lemonade stand. Quite a world’s difference, isn’t it? Your parents still let you out, even though they’re worried about a wild Pokemon catching you.”

“No, they don’t allow me to go out very far, and I don’t know why! I can take ‘em!” Blitzer held his fists before his face, then pretend boxed the air. “I’m strong, and I can breathe fire! And you can breathe water!”

George looked off to the side. “Uh, ‘breathing water’?” ‘Is that even possible? I’m not a fish.’ ”You know, I got attacked by Shroomish in the forest, and all I could do was run away. So no, I can’t. And besides, is breathing the right-”

Blitzer put up a grumpy frown. “Yes you can! You’re a water type! I know you can do it! And I haven’t seen any of the Queen’s soldiers around these parts, so I don’t see why I can’t go outside of the village.”

‘There’s that ‘Queen’ again…’ George took a deep breath, before putting his hands together to twiddle his fingers. “I’d like to know who this ‘Queen’ is, Blitzer. Is that who your parents meant just now?”

Blitzer sighed. “Yeah. No one around her says her real name, but we all know it. It’s kind of hard not to. Her name is Queen Patrina, Patrina… Rosemary the Third, or something. She technically is our ruler, but no one here accepts her.”

“Why not?” asked George, ears twitching off to the side.

“Because she is awful!” shouted the Charmander, his little teeth bared. “She really is! All she wants is more, more, more! It doesn’t matter if we do everything she wants exactly the way she wants it. All it gets us is more contempt. More Soldiers harassing us. You heard those two guys dad was speaking with, right?”

George nodded. “I did. They sounded like loudmouthed thugs to me.” ‘Just like a certain someone I know.’

“Exactly!” Blitzer leaned forward with clenched claws. “We try to avoid them as much as we can, but...”

“But let me guess, they won’t let you?”

“No. Soldiers always come out whenever things get out of control. And that happens way too often, over the smallest things, too! Like, like some oldster getting lost in the forest, here come the Soldiers! It’s awful… They come through the village. They break things, they steal from us, all in the queen’s name. And if we don’t accept that, well… We read her addresses when they’re put on the notice board. She makes examples out of anyone who stands against her. All so we won’t think of protesting.”

“Then those fugitives are the excuse this time, aren’t they?” George put his foot down, scraping the dust off the floor. “Blitzer, you can’t just let this keep happening to you!”

“And I don’t!” yelled Blitzer back with a flare from his tail, visibly pouting. “Maybe mom, dad, or the rest of the village does, but I sure don’t. I’ll explore and no one will stop me! I’ve never seen soldiers in the woods, anyway. What would they even be looking for there? There’s only wild Pokemon…”

George suddenly became uncomfortable. An itch in his head he couldn’t reach, similar to what he felt upon waking up. ‘Those voices… were those…’ “Blitzer, now that I think about it, I might have overheard some of those soldiers looking for me earlier!”

“R-really?!” Blitzer reeled back. “D-did they follow you?”

The Oshawott shook his head. “No, they couldn’t have. They would have found us by now if they had. But they were looking for someone who had turned into a Pokemon, I heard it with my own two ears.” He pointed to his ears twitching back and forth.

“That’s a relief, at least.” Blitzer shook his head. “You would have been in trouble if they found you. No one in the village dares stand up to them if they do something. They’re all big, strong looking Pokemon that look like they pluck the legs off Wurmples for fun. I don’t think ten of us could take even one on. I’m glad I found you in time!”

“You could say that.” George looked away, frowning. “Things just keep getting stranger, don’t they? First I wake up as a Pokemon, then I get chased down by evil Pokemon…” He walked to the other side of the room in a confused stupor, the thuds of his feet loud and clear. “Why did this happen? Why is all of this happening?”

“Well, uh…”

“It’s not like I’m some kind of hero, am I? Sure, that’s a fun fantasy, but it’s nothing more than that.” The former human groaned, his tail falling flat against the floor. “Life’s been kicking me down for way too long. If I actually was a hero, well… then I wouldn’t be losing from the day I was born, would I?” George let out a long, drawn out sigh. ’If anything, this is the moment where I’d wake up.’

“But you can be a hero, though!” said Blitzer. George felt a claw on his shoulder; the Charmander stood behind him, smiling with a puffed up chest. “Everything’s possible if you believe it is!”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes! That’s why I want to explore! I want to get stronger and teach them a lesson they won’t ever forget! When I evolve, I’ll make sure they’ll never come back here! You are with me, right? What do you think you would have done if you had woken up all grown up? Just imagine swinging those swords around, George!”

“Huh…”

George tried imagining it for himself. In the blink of an eye, the headaches gave way to a scene unfolding in his mind. It showed a strong, noble warrior standing proud and tall in the heat of battle. With a curved sword in each claw, he slashed away at his enemies with unmatched ferocity. Slicing through monsters, striking with his horn like lightning, beams of ice and powerful jets of water firing from his mouth; one by one, his foes crumpled to the ground with a gurgle. In the end, the warrior – the Samurott – stood victorious.

And that fantasy, vivid as it was, made George grin in the end.

“You’re darn right I am!”

“Awesome!” Blitzer threw his arms up before wrapping them around George. “You and me, we’re going to do it! We’re going to be the best explorers ever!”

And so, the two Pokemon intertwined their dreams with one another. Even though they spent the rest of the day playing with toys and helping Blitzer’s parents, George was stoked. Never before had this much energy flowed through his veins, energy he couldn’t wait to spend in whatever adventures lay ahead. Blitzer promised they would explore the woods tomorrow, and just like with George’s identity, he promised not to tell anyone, least of all his parents. He had a special place in mind, a place he hadn’t dared to delve deep into before. None of it was discouraging, not even the idea of Soldiers or fugitives lurking in the shadows. It was the first step in a long road to the top; there were bound to be challenges.

One thing George couldn’t shake off, however, was a nagging feeling that things weren’t so simple. Mysterious voices had brought him here… for what? To deal with a Queen? With fugitives? Would they really need someone from a different world to deal with those?

What George did know, however, is that this wasn’t some out of control dream. As time flowed, the chance of waking up from all of this was smaller than a hair. But was that such a bad thing? It’s not like anyone back home would miss him, least of all the headmistress. For now, he was happy to live as an Oshawott, and dream of wonders he couldn’t have imagined for a thousand years.

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 4 - The First Few Steps​

The next morning, a growling stomach pried George’s eyes open. A red lizard loomed over him, each breath landing on his face. “Goood morning George! Wake up!”

“Nrghh…”

“George! Wakey wakey!”

“..Mrph!”

Blitzer prodded George’s feet with the toe claws on his own feet. A sensation reminiscent of splinters burrowing into your toes. Wincing, George rolled off the straw bed, right onto the dirt. It was as cold as a damp cave, and he was left scrambling to his feet, groaning all the while.

“I’m up, I’m up!”

“Time for breakfast!” Blitzer said, before turning tail and running off. George rubbed himself between the eyes. Toys were strewn across the room from yesterday. A growl rumbled in his stomach, thanks to a heavenly smell seeping into George’s nostrils from outside.

‘Smells like berries.’

Patting his belly, the Oshawott walked off to greet the day.

The rest of the household was present and accounted for in the living room when George joined them. Blitzer’s mother had just finished setting the table with a few berry plates; his father leaned on the bench with a scrap of paper in his hands, uninterested in the sound of George’s approaching footsteps.

“Ah, good morning, George! How was the bed?” asked Nera, smiling at the Oshawott upon seeing him.

George stretched his arms. “It was alright, but I’m not used to sleeping on straws.”

“Oh, really?” Nera asked. “What do you normally sleep on, then?”

George placed a hand on his chin. ‘Now how do I explain human beds… a big pile of cloth?’ “Hm, back home, we sleep on a mattress, and we cover ourselves with a blanket. Mattresses are like a huge, soft wedge. It’s very comfortable. I’m surprised you don’t sleep with blankets yourselves, to be honest.”

Nera raised a brow. “Well now, your world must be very prosperous, then! Blankets are hard to come by around these parts. Have to go to Agate to buy them, and they cost a pretty penny,” she explained. George bit his cheek.

‘This isn’t what anyone wants to hear in the morning…’

“Hey dad, can we eat?”

The Nidorino looked up from the paper, scowling. “When I’m done reading the news, Blitzer, which is now. Alright.” Nero slammed the paper on the table, then propped himself up. He resembled a giant compared to the table, which was close to floor level. “Apparently, there’s been trouble with those fugitives.”

“Huh. What kind of trouble?” asked Nera. Nero simply shrugged and grabbed a slice of Pecha off his wooden plate.

“Some kind of fight. Don’t know. Wouldn’t surprise me if that was the case, but there’s damn near nothing written here about ‘em. Nothing about who they are or what they’re wanted for. Lance wouldn’t leave that out, I know him well enough.”

“Who’s Lance?” Blitzer asked his father, with a mouthful of Oran Berry.

“The Druddigon that lives on the edge of town. Red head, blue body? He’s the guy that writes the news. Didn’t I tell you this before? And don’t forget to swallow before speaking.”

“Oh.” Blitzer did as asked.

Nero licked his teeth clean. “So yes, what a big deal. Wouldn’t care about it if I were you. If anything, those Soldiers will use it as an excuse to pull something. Like usual.”

George nodded. Fugitives might’ve been odd news around here, but back home they were as common as days ending in ‘day’. Still, it wasn’t exactly exciting news; for all he knew, those same criminals could’ve found him before Blitzer had. And what would’ve happened then?

“Indeed,” Nera said, then clasped her forelegs together. “Alright everyone, let’s dig in!”

Munching sounds filled up the room. Juices splattered around like rain in a storm, as the berry mix rapidly disappeared from everyone’s plates. Everyone was too busy gorging themselves to take in the mess. It didn’t escape George’s notice, though, whose mouth, chin and nose were now painted in a reddish pink, and smelled of sweet fruit. Looking around the table, he grinned.

‘Good thing everyone here eats even more like an animal than I do. They can’t ever lecture me on table manners, hah. Who needs ‘em?’

By the end, a layer of juice covered everyone’s plates. George licked his lips clean. Blitzer took his plate in his hands and poured the juice down his throat, making slurping noises all the while. His father did the same without the sounds, while his mother drank at a reasonable tempo.

“Aah! Oran berries are the best! Thanks for the meal, mom!”

She smiled. “You’re welcome, Blitzer.”

“Hey George, are you going to drink that?”

Blitzer pointed at the puddle on George’s plate. “Iiii was getting to that,” the Oshawott stammered, quickly lifting up the plate to lick it clean. The Charmander next to him laughed.

“That’s the spirit!”

“You’re not used to how we eat, George?” Nero asked.

George paused his licking for a moment. “You could say that.” The rest of the table chuckled in response.

“You’ll get used to it eventually,” Nera said. “Now come, time to wash your mouth. Got to take good care of your teeth!”

Everyone went to the room where George had gotten a bath yesterday. There was a basin the size of two cupped hands in the corner. Nero would pour in water from a hole in the wall, and everyone took turns washing the juice and berry bits from their face and mouth. Once done, Blitzer turned to George.

“Hey, let’s go out and play together! We can go through the backdoor-”

“Oh no you don’t, laddie!” grumbled Nero. “Last few times, you snuck off and didn’t come back until it was pitch black outside. Not a chance.”

“Okay…” Blitzer let his arms dangle. “Through the front door then.”

“Remember, don’t go out too far!”

“Yeees, mom and dad!”

* * *​

Once the front door clicked back into place, any chance of Blitzer obeying that last piece of advice went out the window. “Alright, we’re going exploring!”

George nodded. “To that special place in the woods you were talking about, right?”

“Darn straight! We’ve got to get stronger somehow!” Blitzer gazed out over the plains. The forest was calling out, and both he and George were about to answer. “Let’s go!”

“Wait a minute,” George said. “Shouldn’t we prepare for this? Food, weapons, that sort of thing? Is it really the best idea to just charge in and hope for the best?”

Blitzer shrugged, his tail curiously swaying back and forth. “Why wouldn’t it be? It’s not that far, we’ll last on our bellies, no issue. And why would we need to get weapons? We’re our own weapons! Don’t you trust your scalchop?”

“Scalchop?” George looked down at his chest, and took the shell off his stomach, almost dropping it in the process. ”Look, I know you said you had faith in me last night. But do I look like I know how to use it?”

“I’m sure you’ll find out eventually,” Blitzer said. “Now what are we waiting for? It will be dark by the time you’re finished practising, let’s get going!”

George shook his head. ‘Here goes nothing.’

The sun shining on his face, George and Blitzer went on their merry way, this time without bumping into others. Despite this, the other Pokemon in the village still turned their noses up as they ran past; older Pokemon, by the looks of it. George wiped his brow. Blitzer was hard to keep up with, what with his jumping and running all over the place.

“‘Ey. Blitzer.”

The Charmander stopped at the village’s edge. George stumbled, coming close enough to Blitzer’s tail to singe the tips of his fur. ‘...Close one!’

“Hey Speedy! How are you?” said Blitzer. George peeked over his shoulder to see a Raichu sitting on a box on a front porch.

“Not bad. Not bad at all. Who is this Oshawott fellow? Haven’t seen this face before.”

Blitzer laid an arm on George’s neck, whose eyes snapped onto him in an instant, before flinching from what felt like water stirring in the back of his throat. “This is George! I met him in the woods yesterday. He’s not from around these parts, but he’s staying with me and my parents now.”

“Odd name if I ever heard one,” the Raichu said. “Whatever. Who am I to judge? ‘Ello there, Oshawott George. Osha-fellow, if you’d prefer. My name’s Speedy. Me and Blitzer talk with each other every now and then, whenever he zips by my front door. Anyway, where are you going? Not to that Mystery Dungeon, I hope?”

“Oh yes we are!” Blitzer said.

Speedy grinned. “No stoppin’ you, is there? Ah, what does it matter? I’m lucky enough that Junior isn’t here right now. He’d have run off with you in a heartbeat.”

“Haha, he would have! Where is Junior, actually?” Blitzer wondered out loud. George stood twiddling with his thumbs, looking back and forth between the forest and back in the village. Nero and Nera might’ve been following them, so it goes.

“Oh, he’s just playing with some other friends, no biggie. That kid’s not the smartest, but he’s smart enough to know he’ll be in deep trouble if he runs off like you are doing,” Speedy said.

“Hey, no telling anyone, you hear?” Blitzer waved a finger in Speedy’s general direction.

Speedy shrugged. “Sure. I’m no tattletale. But remember, you’re on your own out there. Good luck, fellows.”

With that detour out of the way, Blitzer and George traversed the grassy fields, then headed into the forest. Various birds from Swablu to Tailow chirped overhead, like yesterday. George once again studied them. Bird Pokemon behaved just like ordinary birds. A little easier to startle than the pigeons infesting train stations, but birds regardless.

“Alright George, are you as excited as I am? We’re going to explore a Mystery Dungeon!” A flame passed before George’s nose, causing him to jump back in reflex with a pitchy squeak. Blitzer had swerved around, and now walked backwards. “Don’t be shy, now! It’s not super dangerous, or anything!”

George gritted his teeth. “Yeah… Just nervous, that’s all. Didn’t have any forests around my house, and I’m not exactly a forest lover.” ‘You know, in case the squeak didn’t give it away. Damn, to think I’d ever make a sound like that! I’d be an even bigger laughing stock in class.’

Blitzer stopped in his tracks to think. “Hm. Actually, that’s a good idea! You’re not used to fighting Pokemon yet, but knowing what you’re up against makes it a lot easier.”

“What’s it like, though?” asked George, ears perked up. “Does it all come to you on its own?” ‘Because if not, I’ll be in trouble.’

Blitzer nodded. “Indeed it does. Seeing other firebreathers growing up, I wondered what that was like, and how they did it. Did it hurt? It definitely looked painful to me! But then one day, I was being attacked by this bird that was out for blood, and then I just spat a ball of fire at it! That scared it off real quick!” He showed his teeth in a wide grin.

“So, it’ll just come to me?”

“Yeah! We’re not leaving this place without seeing some water from you, I guarantee you that!”

George wasn’t impressed. ‘I doubt it. Why does he even believe I can spit water from my mouth, anyway? Look at how small I am!’

As they continued, George took in deep breaths to try and calm himself down, with little success. Mystery Dungeon. The term sounded familiar. Something involving maps being useless, because the very environment changes on every visit. Not to mention danger and secrets unlike any other. What would he even find in one? An answer to why he was brought here? Fat chance, but curiosity drove George onwards.

The forest grew a darker shade of green. As the wind howled, George and Blitzer reached an open space. A sign blocked the trail, bearing a message written in alien characters that George somehow recognised. Blitzer approached the sign, then tapped it with a single digit.

“You see that, George? There it is! ‘Greenwood Forest MD’, tread lightly! MD means Mystery Dungeon!”
Despite never having seen the characters before, George could make them out somewhat. Not particularly fast, but enough to be readable.

George looked past the sign, into the beginnings of this ‘mystery dungeon’. Aside from the plants being darker, nothing distinguished the scenery from the rest of the forest. “Doesn’t this place not look any different? What makes it so special, aside from that sign? I don’t see anything odd.”

“Well, that’s why they’re called Mystery Dungeons. They seem ordinary enough on the outside, but they’re not. We know they change on every visit, but there’s so much about them that no one knows. And that’s why we explore them, because we want to find out!” Blitzer gently grabbed George by the shoulders.

“Ready to go in?”

“As ready as I can be.” ‘That’s a guess, but it’s not like anyone knows how to be ready for this.’

“Alright! Here goes!”

* * *​

Blitzer and George entered the dungeon side by side; the trail was wide enough to support both. To the ambiance of howling winds, they ventured inside of this strange place. It was cold, and the air reeked of damp grass.

“Hey look, over there!”

Blitzer picked up the pace and ran ahead. George followed in his footsteps without missing a beat, biting his lip all the while. There was some kind of clearing ahead, similar to the one they had entered the dungeon from. Once he’d caught up with Blitzer, George saw that it was just an empty clearing.

“Can you believe this, George? We’re actually inside of a mystery dungeon! Look, there’s paths branching off in every direction here!”

George scratched in between his triangular ears. “All these paths look the same.”

“Let’s try the middle one,” Blitzer said, then sniffed the air. “I think we’ll find wild Pokemon soon, I can feel it!”

George sniffed the air as well. Something was present besides the scent of Blitzer and the grass, but he didn’t know what. It smelled like another creature. The smell was far more potent than Blitzer’s, even though the Charmander was standing right next to him. Something didn’t seem right.

“Skirii!”

George had nary the time to blink before feeling something crawling up his chest. He looked down, and saw a giant green Spinarak staring right at him.

“Aaaah!” George frantically swatted his arms around. “Get it off, get it off!!”

Blitzer jumped back and pumped his fists in front of his face. “Yeah, there it is! Show it what you’re made of, George!”

The Spinarak crawled up to George’s shoulder. “I can’t!”

“Yeah you can! Come on, hit it already.”

The Spinarak pressed its head against George’s shoulder. A burning pain shot inside of him, and he cried out; it was as if he had been poked with a scissor. His attacker’s mandibles clacked. Suddenly, the spider’s legs were yanked off his fur. George looked up in time to see Blitzer throwing the Spinarak onto the ground, then striking it hard with the same claw. It hissed softly one last time, before fainting. Blitzer kicked it away.

“Phew. That was rough there, buddy. Why didn’t you hit back?”

George looked Blitzer in the eye with an exasperated gaze. “I was trying! I don’t know what else to-”

Blitzer put a claw up. “It’s only a Spinarak, George. All I had to do was scratch it and it’s done. Sure, they bite, but they don’t bite very hard. Do you feel it?”

The Charmander nudged the Oshawott on his back to get him to walk further. Sighing, George rubbed the fur on top of his bite mark. It did sting, unlike what Blitzer claimed. Not to mention the itching around the mark, which stung like a nettle patch. ‘What a liar…’ “For a spider, they bite hard.”

“Do Spinaraks in your world not bite, then?” asked Blitzer.

“They do, but you normally don’t feel it! Not the spiders I’m used to, anyway. Ah… I’m going to have to walk around with this now, don’t I?”

“Don’t worry about that little bite, George. I thought you weren’t a chicken?”

George furiously shook his head. “What? Of course not!”

“Yeah! You came here with me, you can’t be! You’re just new to this, that’s all. You haven’t even been a Pokemon for more than a day! Everyone has gotten bitten by a large bug before. It’s like something you have to experience before coming of age, there’s just no stopping it. Nothing to worry about, George! You don’t feel those bruises and scratches from yesterday anymore, either.”

That last statement was spoken like a fact. George was dumbfounded more than anything. How would Blitzer even know how bad those scratches were? Strangely enough, he was right! George pulled the blue fur above his scalchop aside. That was the nastiest of yesterday’s scratches, but it wasn’t there anymore. At all. Not even a scar, let alone any leftover itches.

‘How did it heal so fast?’

“Surprised?” George looked up to see Blitzer laughing. “We Pokemon are a sturdy bunch, George. Our bodies are used to taking a beating, and I think that’s why we heal from scratches and bites so easily. It’s just in our blood!”

“Interesting,” George muttered. None of it made much sense, but he accepted it for what it was. Different world, different rules. If it was true, perhaps it was for the better. More play, less worrying.

The two kept going further down the trail, the air growing colder. George was on edge, his eyes half closed and stern.

‘Alright, so it’s nothing. It’s nothing, alright…’

The sound of rustling leaves reached his ears.

‘Just a bite, nothing more…’

“Do you hear that?” Blitzer looked rightwards past George, into the bushes. A set of eyes crawled among the leaves. George did not respond; Blitzer poked him erratically, attempting to stir him out of his thoughts.

“George, George!!”

‘Yeah, it’s just a bite… I’ve felt worse.’

“Skiiirii!”

A hiss sliced through the leaves. Blitzer fell onto his knees. “Argh! Watch out!” George held his right arm in front of him, grimacing.

‘I’ve felt worse… and I can DO WORSE!’

George flicked his arm rightwards. It struck like a whip against the Spinarak leaping towards him, connecting with a thud. The attacking bug was thrown sideways to the ground, rolling to a stop a few steps away, weakly hissing. George eyed it with hawk’s eyes, anticipating the next move. This wasn’t over. He could smell and taste it in the air. It wasn’t alone.

“Schri!”

A Scatterbug leapt from the bushes. George jumped out of the way. The bug’s large eyes shifted back and forth, panicking. George raised his other arm, smacking the Scatterbug on its head. It cringed and shook it off, when a shadow suddenly fell over it. Before it knew what was happening, Blitzer pounced with a scratch from his claws, knocking it out. George, satisfied with himself, let his arms relax.

“See? I told you that you could do it!”

“Well, seeing is believing!”

Blitzer threw his arms around George, hugging him tightly. George felt too overwhelmed to return the gesture; his eyes barely passed over Blitzer’s shoulders. It was a nice reassurance, though. Those were hard to come by.

When Blitzer let go, he went back on the lookout for other wild Pokemon, sniffing the air. “Hm, it looks like we’re in the clear. I can’t see or smell anything else. Let’s keep going.”

“Do you know how big this place is?” George asked.

“Not exactly, but if I remember correctly what I’ve heard from Speedy and a few others, it shouldn’t be all too big. We shouldn’t be too far off from the end now.” Blitzer grabbed his tail and stuck it out in front of him. “It is a little dark, though.”

Under the guiding light of Blitzer’s tail, the two made their way into the forest’s depths. The leaves above had grown too dense for the sun to shine through. It kept the forest underneath dark and damp. From dew drops on the grass, to the humid air blowing by, it felt alien. Not to mention the lack of Pokemon that didn’t attack on sight. It was a far cry from the village; despite the short distance between the two, a chasm separated both worlds. To George, it was even more distant.

‘So some Pokemon can talk and build their own villages, while others are wild animals. But they’re not though, are they? That Spinarak and Scatterbug were working together, it felt like. Is there something about this ‘Mystery Dungeon' that makes them want to attack?’

The longer he pondered, the desire to find an answer intensified. The trail they followed forked off at random intervals, and would suddenly get thinner or wider. There was no pattern or rule to this place; It was ever changing, as Blitzer had said. Even glancing behind, it was hard to recognise the path they had been following. The only thing consistent were the bugs jumping out the bushes: Spinarak, Scatterbugs, Caterpies and Metapods, Spewpas and even a lone Vivillon. George had to catch his breath every now and then. For small bugs, they sure were out for blood.

“It’s getting a little steeper, George. I think we’re close to the end.” Blitzer took off running.

“Are you sure? What does it getting a little steeper even mean-”

“Here, here! Have a look at this!”

“What are you talking about?” George walked up the hill, and was greeted by field of plants in full bloom. A vast scape of colours like those on a painter’s palette, glistering in the sunlight in front of their eyes. “Oh wow…”

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Blitzer looked on with a wide smile, plucking a flower and spreading the petals over the wind. “No one else knows it’s here! Either that, or they’re hiding it front us.”

George walked into the field, touching and smelling the plants for himself. “Blitzer, you need to come down here to see this!”

Blitzer grimaced. “Ehh, I’d like to, but I’m not sure if I can. Don’t know how sensitive these plants are to fire, exactly.”

“Oh.” George bit his lip. ‘Right. So that flame on his tail can set things on fire.’

Blitzer sat down on the stump of a tree, nestled right in between all the flowers. “You have fun down there, okay? I’ll wait here until you think you’ve seen enough, then we’ll go back. I might not be able to enjoy it as much as you have, but I’m glad I came here.”

George nodded. “Yeah, me too.”

“It must be fun being a water type,” Blitzer said, as George ran through the field. “You never have to worry about starting fires by accident. Something goes wrong in the village, and everyone immediately assumes I did it, haha.” He put his tongue in his cheek. “Wait… there, uh, George? You might want to be careful.”

George pulled his head out of the flowers. “There’s no more bugs around, are there?”

“Yeah, but there might be some grass types around. They can really hurt if you’re not careful!”

“Really?” George looked over the field. As beautiful as it was, he couldn’t help but shake off the feeling that it wasn’t quite as rosy as it seemed at first glance. “Well, okay then. Maybe we should head back, then.”

Blitzer nodded. “I might not have gotten to enjoy it as much as you have, but I’m still glad I came here. This is why I want to become an explorer! To see places like this!”

George smiled. “Yeah, understandable. I never had the chance to do the same,” he said, thinking of the greys of the city as he joined Blitzer on the stump.

“Until now.” Blitzer winked at him.

The Oshawott smirked. “Until now.”

They remained on the log for a good while, taking in their surroundings for all it was worth, while watching purple-eyed bugs crawl around in the distance.

​

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 5 - Crisis in the Village​

It wasn’t until late afternoon that Blitzer and George returned to Greenfield. The road back hadn’t been without holdups, but they managed. Bugs weren’t that threatening at the end of the day. A few bites here and there, a sting or two, but nothing major. The hardest part was finding an excuse for coming home all scratched up, just like yesterday.

“Ah, home at last!” Blitzer put his claws on the back of his head, before throwing his mouth open in a yawn. “All that exploring sure made me tired.”

“It sure has.” George stared down the plain separating them from the village, fidgeting with his fingers all the while. “Are you sure your parents won’t get mad at us? They did tell us to not get into trouble. Which we did.”

Blitzer shook his head. “Of course not. They’re used to me going into the woods by now! It’s not my fault there’s not much to do in the village, is it? There’s only so many kids my age! And no one else wants to go exploring with me!”

George bit his lip. ‘Probably because they haven’t lost their minds yet…’ “I’d like to meet them, actually,” he said in a muted tone.

“Oh, we can go and look for them right now, if you want to. If you’re not too tired, I mean!”

“I didn’t mean right away,” George replied with a roll of his eyes. ‘Especially when I’m covered in scratches!’

Blitzer chuckled. “Haha, no worries. I’m beat too! And that’s proof we did a good job! We’ve both gotten stronger, haven’t we? You especially! I mean, you had even less knowledge of your own body than a baby yesterday, and look at you now, George!”

The Oshawott’s eyes shifted left and right, so he didn’t have to look Blitzer in the eye. There’s being optimistic, and then there’s fantasy. George didn’t feel stronger in the slightest. Sure, it was only a day ago that he was running for his life from a Shroomish of all things, but nothing he faced would’ve been a problem the day before that.

“I’m not sure a few bugs mean anything, Blitzer.”

The Charmander threw his claws up. “Oh, don’t be such a downer! Everyone has to start somewhere. Do you know how often my parents remind me of the first time I tried sneaking out of the village, and how I came back screaming over some Starly? That was when I was just a little kid. But I got older, and I sure got stronger! No Starly is getting in my way now!”

Blitzer posed as if he were a mighty hero, with both his fists pressed into his sides. George clicked his tongue.

‘You’re still a kid, genius.’ “But it’s only birds and bugs. That’s not a high bar to clear, is it? Aren’t there Pokemon capable of breaking mountains and causing floods? I know we’re both getting stronger eventually once we’re old enough, but it’s hard to believe when I struggle to knock a spider off me.”

A wind emerged from the woods behind. Like before, Blitzer nudged George in his back to get him to walk. Were it not for the grass brushing against his tail, he wouldn’t have noticed.

“Look, I don’t know how strong humans are, but I know how strong I am,” Blitzer explained. “And I also know it’s only going to get better from here. One day, I’ll melt boulders and fly! Compared to that, what am I? Not much. Let’s not whine about how hard everything is now, okay? We’re today’s rookies, and tomorrow’s heroes!” He threw a hand up in the air, all while his tail flared with excitement. “That’s who we are, and no one will convince me otherwise!”

George nodded. ‘Well I sure hope you’re right,’ he thought to himself, harkening back to the fantasy of being a mighty warrior, a Seamitar in each claw. Blitzer spoke of it as inevitable, no matter which way you sliced it. One day, that fantasy would become reality. But that day was far off. A long way down a road full of trials and tribulations.

A growl put the fantasies to rest. George’s stomach wasn’t interested in hearing anymore, apparently. “All that worrying is making me hungry. Do you think your parents are preparing something right now?”

Blitzer looked towards the sun, then shook his head, eyes struggling to stay open. “No, it’s too early for that, it looks like. But heroes should always be well fed! We’ll make it ourselves if we need to!” he shouted. His stomach then released a bellow of its own. “Although, I’m really craving mom’s cooking right now… no, no problem! All food is good!”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” said George, clenching his fists. “I’m starving, and we deserve something after all that!” ‘Even though it was the kind of trip the Headmistress wouldn’t consider too far away. …I shouldn’t think like this anymore.’ “I don’t care what anyone else thinks, I’ll reward myself if I have to!”

“Yeah! That’s the spirit!” Blitzer cheered. “Fooood!”

With blazing speed, they ran across the field, speedy and energetic despite them running on empty. Human or Pokemon, moods sure change fast once food gets involved. In that sense, the transition between worlds wasn’t so radical. Blitzer was eager to fill his belly, and George wasn’t any different. Not least of which because he actually ate well here.

But the bliss wouldn’t last. Upon reaching Greenfield, they were greeted by a deserted street, commotion coming from across the stream. Multiple voices yelled over one another. They were too far away to make out any words, but none of it was reassuring.

“George, do you hear that?”

“Yeah, it sounds like everyone is gathered for something. Does this happen often?”

“Not really, only when it’s important. And even when it’s important, people spread it at their own pace. This almost never happens, unless…” The Charmander’s eyes lit up. “Unless it is bad news. George? I think we have to put eating on hold for a while.”

George’s mouth curled up in a frown. “It can’t be that bad, can it?”

Blitzer nodded. “Hopefully this won’t be so bad. I’d like to eat in peace...”

Despite protests from his stomach, George followed Blitzer towards the crowd. The paths on the way there were as eerily deserted as the front. On an ordinary day, you’d see someone regardless of where you looked. The village might have been small, but always full of life on an ordinary day. Now? The roads on the southern bank, the bridge, every place was quiet as a mouse.

Once over the bridge, instead of taking a left to the hovel, Blitzer and George went right. Past a few more streets was the town square, the source of the commotion. Seemingly the whole village was gathered here; at first glance, George guessed that he was looking at two hundred heads, most being new faces. Speedy was here, as were Nero and Nera, and the people Blitzer had a knack for bumping into yesterday, like old miss Eldegoss.

“They can’t just do this, can they? What are we supposed to do?”

“We have to do something! How are we going to explain this to the children?”

“But we can’t do anything. They’re too strong for that…”

“Fugitive hunting, nonsense! It’s all an excuse to steal again, I tell you! An excuse!”

Sheer pandemonium had unfolded in the village square; some shouted at the top of their lungs, others wept for their children, and others were caught in between, confused as to what to do. Blitzer and George anxiously eyed the chaos from a distance, not sure of what to say or think.

“Blitzer?” spoke a voice in the discord. A familiar orange rodent hopped out of the crowd, a sour look on his face.

“s-Speedy?” Blitzer stammered, “What is going on here?”

To this, the Raichu shook his head. “It’s hard enough having to explain this to my little lad later… it’s the Soldiers, lads. The Soldiers came.”

“Wh-what happened?!” Blitzer shouted. George reflexively stepped away from him. ‘All it took was ‘Soldier’ and he sounds like the rest.’

“They’re not happy. You know how we’ve not been willing to do whatever the Queen wants, yes?” Speedy said in a monotone, as if all the emotion had been sucked out of him.

“What do they want from us?” Blitzer asked. Speedy shook his head once again, likely to stall having to tell them. George however, had a nagging feeling scratch at the back of his mind. Deep down, he already knew what the answer to that was going to be.

“It’s about me, isn’t it?”

“Huh?”

“They’re looking for me, aren’t they? I overhead them searching for me in the woods yesterday,” George spoke in a hushed tone. What he had heard was still as clear as crystal.

‘What kind of Pokemon do you think he has been turned into? I don’t care, we’re going to find him’.

It had to have been related. It couldn’t possibly have been anything else. Not to George. His memories were pristine and shining like a pearl. “Do you know what those Solders are named? Is there one named Skal? Or one named Terez?”

Speedy looked at George with a dumbfounded face, then shrugged. “Kid, I don’t know what you’re talking about. They just took half of our food.”

“What?!” Blitzer put his foot down. “What do you mean, they took half of our food?! They can’t just do that! Who do they think they are?”

“Read the paper, lad. Either we give it to them, or they’re taking it by force. It was either this or housing Soldiers in our homes while they’re searching for fugitives, and we don’t want anyone to get hurt, Blitzer. As difficult as it is, we have no choice,” said Speedy.

George felt the hunger gnaw away at his stomach. True hunger was an oddity, something that only existed in dusty history books. Yet here it was in all its horror, all thanks to the Pokemon the village hated most. The Soldiers.

“Lads, we’ll figure something out. Stay calm, okay? You won’t be going hungry,” Speedy said with a shaky voice, before walking off. Blitzer reached out to the Raichu with a claw, but didn’t say anything. Speedy disappeared in the crowd. The last Blitzer and George saw him do was hang his head low.

“Great. Now what do we do?”

George held his arms over his chest. “I’m not getting any less hungry standing here… do your parents still have something? Speedy said only half the food was taken, right? There should still be something.”

“And you’re not just taking whatever you want.”

Alarmed, the two children jumped to face the crowd. Blitzer’s parents were standing right in front of them, one shaking his head, the other erratically scratching one foreleg with the other. “Listen boys, I couldn’t help but keep an ear open to all of that. Remember we’re all in this together, alright? So we’ll figure something out together,” said Nero.

“Is there still something for us to eat?” Blitzer and George asked at the same time.

“Yes, yes, patience. We’ll have to be careful with how much we eat for now. Until we can replenish the stocks.”

“How long is that going to take? What about the field?” Blitzer said while holding his tail in front of his chest.

Nera shook her head. “Can we please go home? I don’t want to talk about this here.” Nero nuzzled her in response.

“Yes, darling, don’t you worry. Let’s get going, you two… speaking of which, how in Arceus’ name did you get yourselves that dirty again? Did you run off into the woods, Blitzer?”

“No, uhh, we just went into a, uhh…” Blitzer let go of his tail to brush a green spot on his arm, which didn’t want to go off. This didn’t escape Nero’s attention, causing him to start sniffing the air loudly. George’s blood ran cold; the air in the dungeon had smelled a little funky. Certainly not like the village.

“Oh for crying out loud…”

* * *​

Grumbling every step of the way, Nero led the children and his partner back home in uneasy silence. George gulped as the front door clicked into its frame. Someone was about to receive the yelling of a lifetime; at least he could claim it wasn’t his idea, but that wasn’t fair on Blitzer. He could’ve said ‘no’ at any time.

“So I told you to not go too far, and what do you kids do? Head off to aMystery Dungeon, because of course!”

“Heey! How did you figure that out?” Blitzer looked shocked.

“I didn’t. You just told me,” Nero said with a wink. “Anyway, what were you thinking? Do you have any idea how dangerous Mystery Dungeons are? The Pokemon that live in them are out for blood, Blitzer! I don’t care if you’re at an advantage, you see them as a game, they see you as a meal. And not only that, you brought George along too! George doesn’t even know how to defend himself, and you just throw him to the wolves! Just imagine if the ferals with the black glow had found you! What were you thinking?!”

“We can defend ourselves, dad! And George can fight for himself, he just-”

“Enough of this!” Nero sat down by the dinner table, letting one foreleg rest on it. He never let Blitzer or George out of his sight for a second. “I could rant for hours and hours on why you shouldn’t have gone. But what’s the point? You’ll head out anyway. There’s no stopping you, Blitzer.”

George lowered his head. Nero sounded defeated, exhausted from what must’ve been years of fighting this fight. “I just don’t want you lads getting hurt. You know what the dangers are. You know you can’t just ask for help out there.”

Blitzer nodded. “I’m not letting that stop me. Not a chance! I’ll go out and get stronger, you’ll see. I’ll win, they’ll lose! And George thinks the same!”

“Preposterous…”

Nera then got in between them. “Honey, you have to admit this isn’t something to be too upset over. I’ve had my worries, but I can’t lie.” She turned her head, revealing a proud smile. “We’ve raised one brave child, haven't we? That’s the kind of bravery we need right now. In these times.”

Nero sighed. “I’ll never forgive myself if either of those lads ends up lost… I can’t imagine the pain his original parents must feel… and what about the ‘wott, we don’t even know where he’s from. He can’t defend himself.”

George bit his lip before raising his hand, still fighting off hunger. “If no one minds, can I say a few things?”

The parents both nodded. “Go ahead,” Nera said. George nodded back.

“Okay. It’s true, I barely know how to defend myself, and there’s not many people around who I know I can trust. Thing is, I think I’m picking things up. Not fast, but I’m starting to figure out how being a Pokemon… works.” He swallows. ‘That sounds really awkward.’ “Look. It’s best if I did go out with him. The more experience I have, the more I’m able to stand up for myself.”

“Yeah, and we need to stand up for others!” Blitzer interrupted, leaving George staring out in front of himself as the Charmander placed a claw on his nape. “We don’t have anything to eat. We’ve got to find some! Isn’t there a place where berries grow like grass?”

“You mean the Azure Hills?” asked Nera.

“Yeah! That’s it-”

“For the love of Arceus, no…” groaned Nero. “As if Greenfield Forest wasn’t dangerous enough. You’re not old enough to go there, Blitzer. And you’re not the only one in the village planning to go there, either! So sit tight and wait, will you?”

Blitzer stomped his feet. “No way! I’m not going to sit here and let everyone stay hungry,” he said, pouting. Nero stood up onto the table with two legs and wanted to shout something back, but was stopped by his partner. George held both arms over his scalchop, pressing it against his chest for comfort.

‘I just want something to eat.’

“We have enough food for tonight, don’t worry.” Nera nodded at the two children. “Can you two prepare a bath for yourselves? I want to talk with your father for a moment, Blitzer.”

“Sure thing,” Blitzer said. “Come George, I know how to set the bath well!”

George bit his lip while following him out of the room. “Are you sure? Your dad told me you’re not good with bathing.” ‘And not someone that remembers to take one regularly.’

“I’ll be fine!”

With Blitzer and George having left the room, Nero slumped over the table. “How could I let them just go like that…”

Nera stepped beside him, caressing her partner behind the ear with a nuzzle. “You know what they say, they’ll have to leave the nest someday. You knew this when we took him with us. There’s just too much of his parents in him.”

Nero sighed. “I know. But they’re not ready, not yet. Not while the Soldiers are on the prowl… Blitzer is bound to get into trouble with them like this. And George… if they find out, he’ll be gone in a heartbeat.” Nero’s voice shook.

“Perhaps it’s their lot in life. The best thing to do is keep a close eye on them, and make sure they’re prepared.” Nera lifted her head. They weren’t ordinary village children. They were bound to grow too big for Greenfield’s britches eventually, and she and Nero had to accept that, hard as it might be. Where they’d end up, only Arceus knew.

“I just hope you’re not wrong, sweetheart.”

“Believe me, dear. I won’t be.”

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 6 - The Road to Here​

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After yesterday’s bath and dinner, George and Blitzer went to bed early. They wanted to rest up for the journey to the Azure Hills, hoping to better the village’s bleak future. Sure, they wouldn’t be the only ones going, but to one expected them to be anything more than a burden. Being so young, it was up to them to change that.

After some light fun and games, they wished each other a good night, drifting off into sleep shortly afterwards.

“...George!…”

’...Is someone there?’

“...George, this is serious. Come out right now…”

‘Who are you?’

“...You think you can get away with everything, don’t you? Did you seriously believe I wouldn’t find out?...”

‘What do you mean?!’

“...Little scamp. Always hiding from his responsibilities. No wonder you ended up here. Karma is a real downer, isn’t it?...”

‘Running from what?! I’m not running from anything!’

“...Sure you are. Think I’d believe that? After every other lie you’ve told me?...”

‘Headmistress?! What are you doing here?’

“...Of course I am here, you little dreamer. Always lost with his head in the clouds! ‘Oh, I’ll get the world to respect me!’ You can’t even get me to respect you. You can’t even get a cat to respect you! You’re an embarrassment! How do you ever hope to become a well rounded adult!...”

‘Just stop it already…’

“...And here comes the apology, of course. Let me tell you one thing, mister…”

‘For the love of…’

“...Your daydreaming ends right here. And you’re not snapping out of it, ever!...”

‘Look, I’m sorry! Cut it out already!’

“...And since your parents aren’t around to bust your behind out, I’ll do it myself. Say goodbye to your little imaginary monster friends, because they’re GONE…”

‘I swear I-’

“...Wakey, wakey! You’re never seeing any of this again!...”

‘I swear to GOD I’LL-’

The cold dirt causing him to wake, George’s head ached from what felt like a fever. Dazed, he stood up, the room dark in spite of Blitzer’s tail light. His eyelids were still heavy, and bits of dirt fell out of his fur. A few bits of straw had gotten stuck in there as well, and he took one to twiddle around with his fingers. It was tangible. Real.

‘I’m still here… why did I hear the headmistress just now?’

“Hey… are you awake?”

George’s breathing slowed down. On the other side of the room, Blitzer’s eyes were half open, his head still pressed against his bed.

“Yes… I’m up.”

“What’s the matter? Why are you awake?”

“I had a bad dream, that’s all.” George eyed the half asleep Charmander from afar. Shivering, he curled back onto the bed, keeping his tail close. Apologies never meant much in the end, but it needed to be done. Perhaps Blitzer might be more receptive than others.

Alas, the value of an apology didn’t change, and Blitzer had plenty of questions. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Is it still night?” George asked, rubbing his eyes. “We should sleep. I’ll tell you more in the morning.”

“Yes, but you’re scared. I can tell.” Blitzer said, sniffing the air. “We should talk.”

“How do you know?” George bit his lip. The worst part is that Blitzer was onto something. George was scared. He was trapped between a rocky excuse and a hard truth. This conversation wasn’t fit for the middle of the night. Talking about past horrors was so very difficult, even a whole world apart. Difficult to understand, let alone accept.

“I can tell you’re scared, George,” Blitzer said, lifting his head. “It’s coming off you. You smell afraid, and look afraid. I just want to know if you’re okay or not.”

George shook his head. ‘I’m going to regret this.’ “No. Can we talk about it later? When we’re on our way.”

Blitzer nodded. “That’s alright. If that’s better for you, I’m all for it. Do you think you can sleep some more?”

“I think so, yes.”

“Alright. Well, have a good night.”

It wasn’t long before Blitzer had drifted back into a slumber, his calm breaths flowing through the room. George laid awake for a little while longer. He wasn’t in the mood for more sleep.

‘Blitzer smelled it. How, though? You can’t smell how people feel inside. Does he really know me that well? You know, maybe he does. Would be nice, having someone who understands me on that level…’

After some minutes of thinking, George’s own tiredness got the better of him, and he fell asleep once more.

* * *​

As the sun emerged on the eastern horizon, they prepared for their journey into the unknown. The time for fun and games had ended: The Azure Hills were bound to be a step above bug filled woods. Berries were rife there, which meant feral Pokemon aplenty.might be lurking there, enraged wild Pokemon or Soldiers not letting them get off so easily.

Of course, the fate of their world wasn’t resting on their shoulders, as they weren’t going to be alone there. As such, Blitzer sported a cheery mood when Nero and Nera saw them off, all throughout breakfast and right when it was time to get going. It was another day of exploring.

“Alrighty then. Do you think you’re prepared?” asked Nera.

The two nodded; Blitzer with a wide smile, while George tried smiling and biting his cheek at the same time. Nero gave both a woven basket that looked like something one would carry picnic equipment in, and Nera took the time to wrap a scarf around their necks. And she sure wrapped it tight. Blitzer’s was blue, George’s was red.

“What is the point of the scarf?” George asked, trying to loosen his a little.

“Against the cold, of course! And to make sure that anyone you might bump into won’t think you’re feral,” Nera said, clasping her paws together. “Honestly, you look cute in those! We should have given them to you sooner.”

George sheepishly smiled back at her. ‘No one asked me anything.’

Nero grunted; his eyes were drawn to the blue sky. “So, do you lads think you can fill up those baskets?”

“Yes!” Blitzer raised his hand; he had put the basket on the floor. “We’ll be there until they’re full!” To this, Nero only shook his head.

“Don’t put yourself in needless danger. You’re still young, and not the only ones making sure we’ll have something to eat at the end of the week. Okay?”

“I won’t let anyone down!” Blitzer said, picking the basket back up. George stuck his tongue into his cheek. The basket was heavy enough as was, let alone with the weight of all the berries added on top of that.

Adamant as Blitzer was, Nera attempted to calm him down with a wave of her foreleg. “Easy now. The most important thing is that you have fun, okay? Take it as a learning experience, both for yourself and for George,” she said. But Blitzer wasn’t so easily stopped.

“We’ll be fine, you’ll see!”

Nera hummed; far less grand than perhaps she had imagined, it was time to send her children off. With a nod, Nera pointed Blitzer and George towards the square. “Then I wish you the best of luck. Stay safe!”

“Yes, stay safe,” Nero said after her.

“See you later!” Blitzer said. George merely put his hand up, before being nudged down the road by Blitzer as the door of the hovel fell back into place. “We’ve got to make them proud of us, George. If we do good here, they might let us explore even further,” the Charmander then said.

George shook his head. “Worry about that later. We haven’t even started this one yet.”

Blitzer shrugged. “That’s true.”

Without further interruptions, the two got to work making their way out of the town. The streets were deserted, and could have been confused for a ghost town. No one to be seen, not even in the square, or in the fields covering the hillsides. There was but one lone shadow visible in the porch of a small wooden farmhouse at the end of the village; the field next to it lay in ruins. George gave it a dreary glance as he and Blitzer passed by.

‘The soldiers must’ve taken even more than half… After they promised they wouldn’t take any more than that. Nera must’ve been lying to make us feel better. Everyone really is counting on us, aren’t they?’

Worries bubbling in his stomach, George kept close to Blitzer. The two came to a crossroad outside of town; three dirt trails met under the watch of a weary wooden signpost, which bore the same lettering as the Mystery Dungeon sign and the tree. The left bore the names ‘Klin, Mossy Hill,’ and ‘Poliwag’s Bend’, the right sign pointed towards ‘Agate Township’. George turned towards Blitzer and poked him on the shoulder.

“Your parents said that we had to go left here, right?”

Blitzer nodded. “Yeah. Go left and keep going until we come to a bridge. Then cross that bridge and follow the first trail left. Sounds simple enough.”

“Do you think we’ll find anything on the road?” George asked.

“Maybe some travelling Pokemon. Maybe Soldiers, I don’t know. I haven’t been out of town much.” Blitzer set his first foot forwards, breathing in the air until his lungs were full. George followed him down to the breath. It was a peaceful day, something remarkable on its own. And the air was clean, too. Compared to the smoggy city, it was like heaven.

They made their way over the road, passing through fields and bogs on their way to the Azure Hills. The skies were filled with birds and the pollen of a thousand flowers, while grounded Pokemon frolicked in the fields all around. Distant yelps kept the tension flowing for a while. Then again, the gravel crunching underneath their feet was a far more prevalent companion than any howling Pokemon, let alone the scarf pressing against George’s neck. The wind wasn’t making any easier to wear. On the positive side, it was at least a little cold out.

On this first leg of the journey, Blitzer and George kept themselves entertained by spotting nearby wild Pokemon. It was something, seeing all the species and how they lived. The groundlings burrowing all over the place, the normals running in herds, the flying types flocking together overhead - George tried calling out to them, but got no response back. They were just animals, as Blitzer would go on to explain. Even some of the species George saw in town were nothing more than feral critters out here. The same, yet wildly different. What separated the wild from the civilised? How did this situation even come to be? There weren’t any feral humans back home, or were there? George didn’t know, but found it fascinating to think about. It was a good way to waste time and not have to think about the prior morning.

‘Wonder what would happen if we ran into a feral Oshawott, or a feral Charmander. That would be funny, not going to lie.’

About an hour and a half into the journey, Blitzer and George reached the bridge they had to encounter. It was a simple wooden one, like the one in town, albeit with a more active stream running underneath. By this time, George felt a little weary in his legs. He wasn’t alone: Halfway across the bridge, Blitzer sat down with his basket, carefully manoeuvring his tail away from the guard rails.

“It sure is a lot farther than I thought it would be…”

George dipped his foot between the rails, then sank until his tail touched the ground. “You could say that again. It feels like I have blisters on my feet already..” He sighed, twirling his toes as spatters from the water below landed on them. “So… we’re resting for a moment?”

Blitzer nodded. “Good idea. I wanted to talk about a few things, anyway.”

George gulped. “You mean my dreams, don’t you?”

“Uh-huh.” Blitzer crawled his way over to George. “I just want to know what happened. You weren’t feeling all too well. Do you still feel that way, or…?”

George shook his head. “No, I’m not sick or anything, if that’s what you mean. All it is, is well,” he breathed in deep through his nose. “I had a dream last night.”

Blitzer gave an affirming hum. “You told me. What was it about?”

For a few seconds, George kept silent to prepare himself. He carefully stroked his scalchop for reasons he once again couldn’t explain. Some sort of instinct he had to have been acting on, like Blitzer interacting with his own tail. “My life before coming here. It was all there again. The dust, the other kids, the grey and the black, and the headmistress…”

“Oh yeag, the headmistress,” Blitzer blurted out. “You told me about a headmistress yesterday, I think. I’ve been thinking about that, actually. What is she like?”

George briefly closed his eyes. In that moment, he heard her voice yell at him, and he could place himself back there in that house. So many memories came rushing back. So many awful, awful memories.

“She was a horrible person, Blitzer. Nothing I ever did made her happy. The way I played, how I interacted with the other kids, or how I did my chores, or how I did my school work. She’d always grab me by the neck just to berate me on everything. It was like she wanted to tear me apart,” he explained, hands resting on his legs. He stared at the water surging beneath him. “I don’t get why. It… just kept happening that way.”

Blitzer grabbed him by the shoulder. “George, that’s awful! Who does this headmistress think she is? Why didn’t your parents say anything?” Blitzer yelled. George could feel the warmth of his flaring tail press against his head, as well as his hand gently squeezing his shoulder. It felt encouraging in a way, yet crushing in another.

‘He really does care…’

George tried to wipe his eyes dry, before turning away from the stream. “I haven’t seen my parents in years. I don’t know what happened. One day I remember being with them, and the next thing I know, I was suddenly living in that foster’s home. There were so many other kids there, and they were all cold. They almost never said anything to me. It was always so quiet when I was around. And that was my life until, well, I woke up in the forest.”

With a sombre groan, George fell silent. Blitzer let go of George’s shoulder; his own gaze turned to the flowing of the stream. George looked up to him. To his surprise, Blitzer was shaking his head. Something in the air felt morose.

“George, I… I understand. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s not your fault.” ‘I’m not sure whose fault it is.’

Blitzer breathed out a lungful, then took one back in, puffing up his chest as if to prepare himself for what lay ahead. “You’re not the only one. I know, I’m not alone, but… Nero, Nera, they’re not my original parents. They’ve told you that, but…”

“Yeah. Do you know what happened to your real parents?”

“It was a long time ago,” Blitzer said. “My earliest memories are hazy. Really dark, for some reason… that’s the main thing. But I still remember that day. I wasn’t able to talk yet. My father had put me down in a bed of leaves. He told me that it was time for us to part ways, that it was for the better. I don’t remember why. And after that, all I remember is feeling water on my chest. His tears, I think. Whenever I’m lying on my back, I can still feel them on my chest.”

‘Blitzer…’ George stood up, gently patting the Charmander on the shoulder. “I never would have guessed. Your parents told me that they just found you there, and I assumed that they just didn’t want you anymore, or something.” ‘That might not have been the best thing to say.’

“That’s what my parents believed as well. I’ve never told it to them, ever,” Blitzer said, looking towards George with just the corner of one eye. “I wasn’t ready to tell anyone, until now.”

George let his hand rest. “Do you think your parents are still alive?”

Blitzer nodded. “Yes. And I want to find them. That’s why I want to get stronger, too. So that when I do find them, they can be proud. And happy again.” He took a deep breath. “Do you feel the same way?”

George hummed. “Somewhat. I want to know why they left me at that foster’s house. But I don’t think I’ll ever see them. Maybe that’s for the better.”

Surprised, Blitzer flicked his head around. “Huh? But they’re your parents...”

“I don’t think it matters much,” George said. To be honest, my memories before ending up in the foster’s home aren’t the best. And I don’t know if I’ll ever see my world again, so it’s best not to think about it,” George said.

Blitzer stepped back up. “That’s very brave of you.”

George nodded. “Thank you for saying that.”

“Come here,” said Blitzer, spreading his arms wide. George gave a slight smile, and spread his arms out as well, embracing the Charmander in a short hug.

“You are so much like me, George. We’ll be the best of friends forever, won’t we?”

“I sure hope so.”

“Thank you. So, do you want to stay here for a little while longer, or are you rested enough?”

“I think it’s time we got going.”

“Alright then, let’s get some berries.”

​

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 7 - Explorers of the Mists​

Reinvigorated, Blitzer and George pressed on past the bridge, taking the first leftward trail they found. The trail was partially overgrown with thorns growing over George’s head. Blitzer had a strategy in mind: If the thorns were too connected to the rest of the vegetation, they’d go around, and if not, Blitzer was more than happy to use his weapon.

“Hey George, watch this.”

He opened his mouth wide, and scorched the thorns back into the ground. George whistled as best as his mouth would let him. “Wow. Your firebreathing’s something to behold, Blitzer!”

The Charmander shrugged. “Says you, waterbreather!”

George sheepishly smiled. “Is that really so impressive? It’s just water.” ‘And that’s if I can even breathe it.’

“And this is only fire,” said Blitzer, scratching his neck. “I can’t breathe fire for more than a few seconds before I start coughing, anyway. It tires me out really quickly, so I have to be careful. And I don’t want to accidentally start fires all over the place, either. It’s rough.”

“Do you think water would be any different?” asked George, twirling his ears around.

“Well, the waterbreathers back home do it real easily, and I’m the only firebreather in Greenfield, so… yeah. It shouldn’t be too difficult. They can do it without coughing.”

“...Sure.” ‘Maybe it’s because they’re already experienced, Blitzer.’

After a good amount of burning and dodging, the trail ended at the base of a hill. The birds had stopped singing, leaving only the howling winds as Blitzer and George arrived. Mist obscured the hill, leaving no clue for what was ahead beyond the grass with a blue tinge. George tensed up, keeping a hand close to his scalchop. There was something off in the air, as if it were telling any guests to turn back right this second.

“Here we are,” Blitzer whispered. “There’s the sign, right over there.” He pointed towards a path leading up the hill. Underneath some moss, the words “Azure Hills MD - Keep out!” were written. George eyed the hill through the mist.

“Do you think this is where we’ll find the berries? It looks very cold up there.”

“Well, half the village was going here to pick berries, right? Why wouldn’t we find any here? If we’re lucky, we might even find one of the villagers, and they can point us in the right direction,” Blitzer suggested.

George crossed his arms over his scalchop. “But it’s a mystery dungeon, remember?”

“Oh, yes, that’s right…” Blitzer smacked himself on the side of the head. “Then we’re on our own. No sense in waiting for others to show up, is there? Yeah, that’s right! We can do this ourselves!” He straightened his scarf with a toothy grin, then stepped forward. “Let’s do this, George!”

George waddled next to him, holding firmly onto his basket. ‘Here goes nothing.’

Mists enveloped all around as they ventured onward. Right off the bat, exploring the hills wouldn’t be simple. The trail was a mess of switchbacks running to the top, leaving little room to move without going into the grass beside. Little separated the trail from a steep drop on one side and the cliff wall on the other. Not to mention the trouble of moving uphill constantly. It was bound to be tiring, and there was no way around it.

At the top of the hill, the mist wasn’t as prevalent. Alas, it was a short celebration. A glance ahead revealed little besides more zigzagging trails running up different hills. Down below in the fog, trails branched off in all directions; some up another hill, some went to nowhere. Or so it seemed. Anyone trying to make sense of it all had nothing but vague outlines and shadows darting across the valley to work with.

“Well, some climb this is. I could do this all day!” Blitzer eyed the fog below with the contempt of a conqueror. George’s eyes were drawn to the shadows moving through the mists. His ears shifted back and forth as cries echoed through the valley, shivers striking him.

“I don’t know about this, Blitzer… This seems like a bad idea.”

The Charmander grabbed George by the shoulder, nudging his chin up to the level of the hilltops in the distance. “Eyes on the goal, George. You see those bushes over there? That’s what we’re after.”

George put a hand over his eyes. Leaning forward, little bits of colour stuck out from the bushes. “Berries! Not that many of them, though.”

Blitzer shrugged. “Who knows, we might find a whole bunch if we look long enough. In any case, we’re on the right track. If we go from hilltop to hilltop, we should be able to get all the berries we’ll need and then some.”

“Does it matter which berries we gather?” George asked, imagining his mouth full of Oran Berries.

“Yeah. My parents always tell me to eat a variety. That’s how you get stronger. But any berries will do, as long as they’re not poisonous.”

“Uh… do you know which ones are poisonous?” George asked.

“Of course I do,” Blitzer said. “Mom and dad taught me when I was four!”

George nodded, and gave one last glance to the hilltops in the distance. “Got it.” ‘Was he running off at four, or do all Pokemon learn it that young?’

Blitzer selected a path down the hill, once again leaving George following behind, much to the latter’s chagrin. He had his own ideas on where to go, but never got to voice them, let alone convince Blitzer of them. Trying to argue or yell to get his attention was a waste of time; it was as if the Charmander’s hearing shut off whenever they were running.

And so he once again ran after Blitzer, the mist growing thicker as they descended into the echoing valley. The mist was a good keeper of secrets; tiny streams flowed across the valley floor, cutting a path through the damp grass and the trail itself. Splashes from stepping inside echoed in all directions - for a brief moment, a mammal howled in the distance.

“We’re going right here.”

“Why though? Wasn’t the- Hey, wait up!”

“Has to be. There’s a steep cliff ahead, I can see it.”

They ran down the trail for half a minute. George couldn’t shake off the feeling that they weren’t the only ones running down the trail, but didn’t peek over his shoulder to look; keeping up with Blitzer was more important. A smell reminiscent of a dog’s crept into his nose once he caught up.

“Ah, it’s a dead end. My bad.” Blitzer wiped down his brow and turned on his heel. George’s ears vibrated as a growl came from behind. “Do you see any other trail we can follow?”

George shook his head. “No. But I do see that!”

The black feet of a Poochyena stepped out of the mist. Its fangs lay bare as it growled, ready to strike. George stepped back as the canine approached. Fighting weak little bugs was child’s play in comparison. Blitzer threw his basket aside and held his claws out in front of him.

“Careful, George, there might be more.”

“How do we fight this off? It wants a piece out of us!” George said, his voice shaking. Blitzer tapped him on the arm.

“Simple. Just like we fought off the bugs.”

“This is not a bug!”

“It’s still a Pokemon, though.”

The Poochyna lunged straight towards George. He gasped, before being thrown into a pool of water to the side. Blitzer struck the Pokemon on the face several time, clawing out a strand of black fur in the process. George rolled out of the water, a pained expression resting on his face. The Poochyena jumped up at Blitzer’s throat; Blitzer grabbed it by the neck, slammed it down on the ground, then fell to his knees with his mouth wide open. Expecting a surge of fire, George shielded his face. A crunch, followed by a yelp, followed by scratching sounded. As George put his arms away and stood back up, Blitzer was dusting the hairs off his scaly body.

“Phew, that was a close one.”

George spat at his feet. Some muddy water and bits of blue grass had gotten into his mouth. “Blegh, you could say that again,” he said, looking for his basket, which had landed further back in the grass.

“You know George, you’re not making things easier by acting all scared,” Blitzer said, basket back in hand.

“What?” George stomped his feet. “Like I can control how I’m feeling! How am I not supposed to be scared? It wanted to eat us!” He kicked the Poochyena in the back, biting his lip in the process. This wasn’t fighting bugs any longer. Going up against creatures his size wasn’t even on the same planet. How could it be? He wasn’t all that fit when he was a human, and now he wasn’t even that. Just a frail otter running around with a basket and an ill fitting scarf.

“Well yeah, but that won’t help us. No one is going to save us down here except ourselves.”

“I know that… It’s just, I can’t do it. I’m not ready to be here.”

“Just stay calm, please.” Blitzer patted George on the shoulder. George nudged him back, shaking his head.

“It’s no use. What am I? Nothing but baggage. You’d have been better off without me coming here.”

“No, don’t say that about yourself, George!” Blitzer got right up to George’s face, close enough for George to feel the warmth of his breath. The Charmander then threw his basket down and shook George around. “You’re not baggage, not ever! It is scary out here, and it is dangerous, and you’re still learning how to fight, but come on! You can’t say you’re useless!”

“But it’s the truth, though-”

“It’s not! You weren’t useless yesterday, either. You were awesome! You should have seen yourself!”

“That was against bugs,” George muttered.

“And? Bugs aren’t a joke, and I can breathe fire on them! They can’t handle that, yet I still can see that they’re dangerous! Let me tell you, Poochyena aren't much more dangerous than the bugs yesterday, George. If you try and fight back, you’ll see.”

George shook his head. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Come, let’s go.” Blitzer said, walking back the way they came, making sure George remained right next to him. “We’ll figure this out eventually. Let’s go and get some berries now, I want to be back home before it’s dark outside-”

The two found themselves face to face with another Poochyena. It stood on the edge of the mist, teeth bared like the one before it. Its eyes burned with rage, staring down Blitzer with monstrous intent. George’s heart pressed against his ribs. ‘Another?! Did it follow the other one?’

“Quick, George!” Blitzer fell back into his fighting stance. George idled for a bit. ‘I’m not a fighter, but…’ he thought to himself. In the end, he couldn’t run or hide from this. Then, when another sent the hairs on the back of his head upright. It was time to bite the bullet. He threw down his basket and held his hands up.

“Ow!”

Blitzer winced and bumped into George, causing him to tumble into the grass next to the road, feet slipping and tail flying into the air. The scalchop pressed into his chest, sending a wave of convulsions through him.

The Poochyena took its chance, lunging straight at Blitzer who was struggling to find decent footing. Blitzer threw his hands forwards to try and block it, but the Pokemon was too strong. They fell over backwards, Blitzer landing on his back, kept from the jaws of the Poochyena only by his hands pressing against the beast’s neck.

“George!! Help me! Help!!”

George scrambled to get back on his feet. Blitzer’s cries rang in his ears, echoing in his head. His feet felt limp, his arms brittle, at the worst time possible. He had to do something, and fast. Blitzer’s resistance grew evermore shaky by the second. George gasped, closed his eyes, and jumped. As he threw himself forward, there was but one thought on his mind.

‘I have to do this.’

Fur, then skin collided against George’s arms. He and the Poochyena rolled to a stop, the ground forcing the scalchop against him. Groaning and sputtering, his arms went upwards to the attacker’s underbelly out of reflex. The Poochyena barked, trying to muscle its way down. George breathed heavily towards the attacking Pokemon. Nothing but air came out, and the only one hurting was George.

‘Where’s the water? Why can’t I do it?!’

Tears welled up in his eye as the pain pulsated around the scalchop. George tried as hard as he could to push the Poochyena off, but it just wouldn’t relent no matter how hard he tried. It had to have enormous energy after seeing one of its kin fall. Vicious and out for blood, didn’t matter whose blood. For the first time of his life, George felt true fear. The end breathed down his neck, its cold teeth hungering.

“Graah!”

A red claw struck the Poochyena in the face. The Pokemon winced, then was swept aside like dust under a broom. George’s arms were knocked to the side; a jet of flame flew over his head, blasting the Poochyena’s back. With a cry, it fell still, leaving George tasting grass. He was then pulled off the ground by that same claw.

“You alright, George?”

George panted out for a few seconds. He was shaking, hands vibrating to the point that picking the basket back up was a herculean task. All that had stood between him and his demise was his arm’s length.

“I feel weak,” George said.

“Why?” Blitzer asked, reaching over to his own basket.

“Nothing went right there. Nothing.”

“We’re both still here.”

“But I tried spitting water. Nothing came out, at all. There was nothing I could do. I thought I was done for! And you just took it out with fire like it was no problem.”

Blitzer shook his head. “Not when I was on the ground. I couldn’t do it until you took it off of me. Maybe the same thing is true of you, George. When you’re feeling hurt, you can’t breathe water. Were you hurt around your chest just now?”

George looked meekly down at his chest, hands resting on the sides of his scalchop. The pain caused by that little shell was unbelievable in how much it stung. “Yeah, I think so. The fall got me pretty bad,” he said, to which Blitzer scratched his chin.

“In that case, we should try again later. Or, well, you should try again later, I mean.” Blitzer chuckled. “We should keep going, before more Poochyena find us here.”

George bit at his cheeks. “Yeah.”

* * *​

Coming out of the dead end, the two discussed which direction to try out next. Having been humbled by the fight for their lives, Blitzer gave George’s suggestion a try, and went straight ahead. The valley had gotten quieter since the fight; this time, hilltops were the source of the Pokemon cries: The barking and howling of canines locked in a clash in the distance. Something George was glad to be far away from.

The trail zigzagged a few times, before pitching upwards against the slope of a hill. Company awaited the two there; a Yungoos and a Geodude, to be more precise. Not wanting to take any risks, Blitzer went on the attack, George reluctantly following after him. Fortunately, the wild pokemon were so dazed by the sudden strike, they were unable to mount much of a defence. The Geodude went down after a powerful blast of fire, while the Yungoos was given a beating until it saw stars, leaving the trail to the top open. Blitzer decided it was a good time to do a few stretches.

“I’m hoping it won’t be too much of a hassle, getting to the top. It’s been pretty tiring so far.”

George gazed up; nothing but mists. “I don’t know about this. Wasn’t the top of this hill further up than the previous one?”

“Yes. But this is where the berries are, and that’s what we’re here for,” Blitzer said, then licked his lips. “Although, maybe we won’t get to fill the whole basket up…”

George was stunned. “But didn’t you want to fulfil your promise? You said you wanted to bring a whole basket back.”

Blitzer’s tail flame spiked; a breath forced its way past his teeth. “Yes, yes I did!” he said, hastily putting his feet forward. George wasn’t so sure anymore.

‘He looks awfully worried. Maybe he’s gotten the idea that we can’t do this? That’s not like him. Not at all.’

A simple road winded its way uphill. After a few zigzags, George glanced back and forth between the mist and Blitzer. ‘Simple’ was giving it too much credit: All between them and the mist was the trail, a grass slope on one end, and a steep cliff on the other. And it went on and on, further up the hill in a frustrating manner.

“Do you see anything up there yet?” asked George.

“Nope. Just more trail,” replied Blitzer.

“Great. I know I said that it looked further up and all, but this is just ridiculous. Why does it have to be like this, anyway?” George said, arms folded over the scalchop. At least his chest didn’t hurt as much anymore.

“That’s what I’d like to know. Doesn’t matter who or what made these Mystery Dungeons to begin with, I just want to know why.”

“Do you think a person made it?”

Blitzer shook his head. “No, because people think about each other! Enough to not make my feet get wet from all the dew on the grass! Aaargh! You know what, to heck with this! I’m going up my own way!”

With an angry flick of his tail, Blitzer threw his basket to the ground and put his claws into the grass beside him, and began to climb his way up to the top.

“H-hey, wait! What about me?” George said wide eyed. Blitzer was set on his ways, however, continuing to climb at a steady pace. Even with the claws on both his hands and feet, Blitzer struggled to get up. He was putting a lot of energy into lifting his body further up, by the sounds of it. Something George didn’t need to try out himself to know it was something he couldn’t manage, not with his stubby arms and feet.

“Can you give climbing a try? It’s not the most difficult- agh!”

Blitzer’s claws slipped. He slid down like a cat in a curtain, leaving a trail of claw marks on the way back as he tried to get a grip, to no avail. “Blitzer! Hold on!” yelled George, as the Charmander fell onto his belly and rolled off the slope, straight towards the steep drop on the other side of the trail.

“Aaargh! AH!”

Blitzer rolled off the edge of the trail, just barely managing to hold onto the cliff with both claws, teeth bared and painfully hissing. “No!” escaped George’s throat. He had to help, but fate wouldn’t have it that way: On the other side of the mist, another canine Pokemon emerged, barking at the cliff’s edge. His body ran cold, and the hairs on his head stood upright as Blitzer tried to pull himself back, but couldn’t.

‘n-No! Not now, of all the times… why now?!’

The wild Pokemon steadily up to the edge. As Blitzer once more tried pulling himself up, he got a hold of the scent. In an instant, his eyes opened wide. “R-Rockruff!!” he shouted, shrill and forced. George stood horrified watching, hoping that somehow Blitzer had the strength to breathe fire. But step by step, as the Rockruff came close enough for its breaths to be felt by Blitzer, and as the sound of Blitzer hyperventilating reached George’s ears, that clearly wasn’t going to happen. And George’s fear turned into something else entirely.

“GET LOST!”

His lungs filling up to their maximum, more than he ever thought possible, George felt a strong convulsion inside his chest; the little pain he suffered was soon drowned out. Pressure rose, and he held his arms steady, before a geyser of water shot out of his mouth, right at the wild Rockruff standing haplessly over the edge. George closed his eyes; a yelp reached his ears, before a sharp pain in his chest put the water to a stop, leaving him gasping. Dazed, he looked around. No sign of the Rockruff anywhere.

“Oh, oh!! Wow!” Blitzer freed himself from the cliff’s edge, with the energy he’d have after a long nap. “George, did you just breathe water!?”

George had gone back to clutching his chest. “I did… but that was very painful. Don’t think I have another one of those in me.”

“But you did it! Not just a little, either!” Blitzer grabbed George by the shoulders, who stared back with all the enthusiasm of a sick child.

“What do you mean?”

“Did you not see that? That Rockruff literally flew off of the edge!”

“Huh?” George scratched his head. He expected to see the feral Pokemon lying somewhere nearby, but it was nowhere in sight. “Where is it?”

“Somewhere below! I told you. I saw it flying myself!”

George raised a brow. “Did a little water really do that? Is that even possible?” he said, as he picked his basket back up.

Blitzer went to pick his basket back up. “A little water didn’t do that. You did!”

George was awestruck. “M-me?! How?”

“Don’t act so surprised. You’re a water type, you should be able to do that! You have that strength inside of you, and you just used it on a Rockruff! They hate water! Honestly, I think you’re a cut above the average water type, too,” said Blitzer.

George’s mouth curled up; that pleasing image of himself with two swords in his hands came rushing back. “You’re, you’re not making that up, are you?”

Blitzer nodded. “What I’m saying is that I’m very glad to have you on my side, George.” A smile appeared on his face. “You know, it was stupid idea to try climbing, but I’m glad I did it.”

George nodded back. ‘So am I.’

Having regained their footing, the two continued further up the trail. Although his chest hurt, George was proud of himself. Slowly he got the hang of his new body. There was still much to learn, though. The pain in his chest made that clear enough. And as they reached the top, he realised that perhaps he hadn’t been learning fast enough.

“Here we are- stop… D-do you see that?!”

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 8 - Dragged Back​

A serpentine tail stuck out from the bushes. Blitzer and George froze upon spotting it. They weren’t alone out here, and it wasn’t long before their presence went noticed. A scaled head arose from the bushes, a hawkish glare aimed straight at the two.

“...What are you kids doing out here?”

A Druddigon walked into view, an annoyed growl rumbling in his throat. He too had a basket in his hands, filled to the brim with berries sporting a rainbow of colours.

“Wait, Lance?” Blitzer’s arms hung in disbelief. “Is that you?”

The corners of the Druddigon’s mouth went up, revealing the largest teeth in his mouth. “Of course it’s me, you little fool! Who else do you think I was, your grandma?”

Blitzer almost bit his tongue. “N-no, of course not, I just-”

“You just what?”

“Well, ehrm, I’m just uh, just surprised to see you out here? Heheh…”

“Could say the same about you kids myself,” Lance spat at the ground beside him. “I’m a full grown adult. See these claws and teeth? Half the Pokemon living here won’t even dare get close to me. Meanwhile, you kids get attacked by just about everything that moves. So again, why did you come here? Your parents not teachin’ you right?”

“N-no, we’re not, our parents, uhhh, let us…” Blitzer stammered. George shrank back out of embarrassment, trying his damndest to distract himself by scraping the ground with his foot. The less he had to explain himself to any authority figures, the better.

Lance wheezed out a laugh. “Hah! Kid, I know more about you than you realise. You’re Blitzer. That Charmander lad Nero and Nera found in the woods several years back. Oh, we all know about the trouble you’ve been causin’ the whole town ever since. Only reason they let you out is ‘cause you wouldn’t take no for an answer. Ever. Doesn’t matter what. You’d jump off a cliff if you thought it was cool.”

“Hey! I wouldn’t do that!”

“Yes you would.”

“No I wouldn’t!!” Blitzer stomped a foot.

“Kid, do you know how many bulletins I’ve had to write because you got lost in the middle of nowhere?” asked Lance.

“No.”

Lance shrugged. “Me neither.”

Blitzer leaned back, his tongue pressing into his cheek. “Okay, but that’s when I was younger and weak! I’m stronger now! I can breathe fire, and I’m not afraid to use my claws, so I’ll be fine!”

Lance rolled his eyes towards George. “Suuuure. And apparently you can breathe water too, since it definitely was that Oshawott kid I heard screamin’ for help just now.” He leaned in closer. “Listen kid, my ears work fine, and I’m not a fool. You might be capable of defending yourself a little, but you’re still not much. And neither is that Oshawott kid, for that matter. Let the grownups handle things, alright? Place is too dangerous for kids.”

“Not for me!”

“Yes it is.”

“I can handle myself!”

“No you can’t.”

“Yes I can!”

“Yeah, in your dreams maybe, kid. Damn Charmanders…”

As Blitzer and Lance went on a back and forth tangent, a sigh came from the quiet party in all of this. ‘I shouldn’t be quiet. This’ll go nowhere otherwise.’ “Sir?” The bickering ceased for a moment, as George opened his mouth. “We’re not trying to cause trouble. We just wanted to help with gathering food,” he meekly said, to which the Druddigon raised a claw.

“Lad, that’s noble of you and all, but get real. You’re kids. You should be playing with your friends, not going out in the wild. You have any idea how dangerous the world is? Imagine how your parents would feel if you didn’t come home one day. Don’t be reckless.”

It was a simple thing to say, and yet it struck like a hammer onto a nail. George’s face shrivelled up. His parents. Ever since that fateful day at the doorstep of the foster’s home, they were more distant than ever. Where they were, how they were doing, it was all a blur.

“...what’s with that face?”

Lance had folded his arms. George attempted to bury the sinking look on his face by appearing brave. “Nothing, sir. My parents just… You’re right, I shouldn’t be reckless.”

“Who are your parents, anyway, lad?”

George swallowed. “They don’t live in the village. It’s complicated. But I’m staying with George’s parents in the meantime.” He glanced at Blitzer, and got a smirk in return.

The Druddigon grunted. “Fine by me. So yes, you’re here to gather berries. Like I said, yes there is a crisis. No, it’s not your job, not your responsibility, not something you kids should be doing. But since you’re here, might as well.”

“You’re saying that we can join you?” asked Blitzer with beaming eyes.

“Yes, yes, you little scamp,” Lance grumbled, fiddling with the dark green scarf wrapped around his neck. “Wouldn’t put much value in that if I were you. Only reason I’m even bothering is because you’re here already. Now, if you just follow me, we’ll get that basket filled up in no time, and then we get out of this dump.”

Blitzer pumped his fist. “Yes, yes!! We’re really going to do it! We’re really going to help people out, George!” he cheered, with a celebratory flare of his tail to boot.

“What did I tell you, kid?! No fiddling around!”

“Ah!”

George clicked his tongue. ‘Aren’t we heroes.’

* * *​

True to his word, Lance guided the children through the Azure Hills until their baskets were filled. All Blitzer and George did was follow him; directions and ferals were dealt with by the Druddigon at the front. It didn’t take long for George to get bored, Blitzer to get annoyed, and both to be disappointed. All that boasting and fantasising about heroism and strength, only to stand and watch as Lance swatted everything out of the way, without even having to put his own basket down. Not to mention the silence; no one said anything. George was certain that talking would annoy Lance even further, and thus kept to himself, picking berries and throwing them into his basket.

The good news is their baskets were full in no time at all. Lance had a nose and a knack for finding berries, it turned out. George couldn’t see or smell the berries, and Blitzer said he couldn’t, either. Lance insisted that this wasn’t his first time here, and that there was a trick to it. He also insisted that the children shut up, which they did.

At last, after having harvested enough, they were led out of the Mystery Dungeon. Their feet were weary, their arms were strained, and nothing sounded or felt nicer than the warmth of their beds, but they were out at last.


“Phew…” Blitzer sat down under a tree. “Can we rest here for a while? We still have to walk all the way back.”

George grimaced. ‘Uuughh… I forgot how far out we are.’

Lance rolled his eyes, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. “Not for too long. It’s already past noon, and I’d like to get back home before it’s dark. You hear?”

“Sure,” Blitzer said. “How long do we have?”

“Five to ten minutes.”

“What?”

“You heard me, five to ten minutes.”

“But I’m tired!”

“And that’s why you shouldn’t play hero, laddie.” Lance shook his head. “Always the Chars.”

“h-Hey! What do you mean, always the Chars?! What does me being a Charmander have to do with anything?” Blitzer was flabbergasted, his eyes going back and forth between his cream coloured belly, which he now shielded with his arms, and Lance standing in front of him. The Druddigon grinned, letting his oddly shaped wings flutter in the wind.

“Kid, pay attention, ‘cause I’ll say it once. I’m a well travelled man. Went all over Eravate in my youth, and got to meet many different Pokemon in those days. Let me tell you, Chars have a penchant for startin’ all sorts of trouble. Always stubborn, always making themselves out to be tough, always spoilin’ for a fight, always wanting to be big damn heroes. ‘Tis in your kin’s blood to be that way, I swear.”

George struggled to hold in a snicker. ‘That explains a lot, actually.’

“But we’re not all like that,” Blitzer said. He didn’t sound convinced himself. “And why is wanting to be heroic a bad thing?”

“‘Cause most of the people who want to end up in trouble. Stubbornly charging into things headfirst with brute force never ends so well. Kind of like you and your little trip out here. Just because you can fight off some bugs doesn’t mean you’re ready to go toe to toe with other creatures, kid,” Lance said.

Blitzer let out a soft groan, and resorted to playing with his fingers. George waddled over to a tree, not letting the Charmander out of his sight for a moment. A soft breeze brushed up against his fur, carrying a grassy scent. As it teemed in his nostrils, George looked down; his scalchop had found its way into his hands.

‘This isn’t funny. I shouldn’t be laughing. Why did I find it funny in the first place? That’s not fair to Blitzer... I’m supposed to be on his side.’

Lance kneeled down in front of Blitzer and placed a claw on his shoulder. “Again, lad, I’m not saying you’re bad. Especially now that there’s a food shortage. But look. I’ve seen many people end up gettin’ far more than they bargained for, all ‘cause of their hero fantasies. That’s bad enough in better times. But now, with the Soldiers around? You have to be even more careful. They can do whatever they want, as long as the Queen’s got no problem with it. And she’s no friend of ours. We wouldn’t be here if she was.”

“...Yeah,” whispered Blitzer.

“Exactly. Don’t take any of this too harshly, kid. We live in difficult times, and we’ll have to live with ‘em. I sure would love things to be better, but I’m afraid that’s not going to happen.” Lance’s head pitched up at the skies, his eyes gleaming with a longing spectre.

“But, if no one does anything, who will?” Blitzer stammered.

Lance cut Blitzer off. “Oh, there’s some people that are doing things. But you know what? It’s unlikely their efforts will bear fruit. Trust me, you don’t wanna know. You really do not,” he said with a dire glint in his eye.

“...Okay,” Blitzer said, trying to shuffle away.

“...is everything really that bad?” George pondered out loud. Lance turned his head. “I mean, they took our food-”

“That’s only the beginning, lad. Calm before the storm, mark my words. Those Soldiers will be back for more. I fear appeasement will only get us so far. But we have no choice. Whatever they’re planning, we can’t resist much”

George leaned back against the tree, gulping. Lance spoke in a dull, serious tone. It sounded as if all his emotions had been sucked out of him. No, his eyes told another story. One filled with agony and suffering, fire, and worse.

“Can we not talk about this any longer? ” Blitzer asked. He too looked sad. The Druddigon gave a nod in his direction.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, we’ve wasted enough time around these parts. Let’s go back, shall we? Sooner we hit the road, the sooner we’ve got this done and over with.”

And with that, Lance turned tail and made his way back. While Blitzer got up to follow, George carefully raised his back against the tree, one hand on his basket, worrying.

‘Why does no one want to talk? What are these soldiers even doing that no one wants to say anything about them?’ “Maybe I’d understand you better, right?” he said out loud.

“Oi, Oshawott kid, get over here! I’m not waiting for you to get those legs up!”

“Aaah!”

Swift on his feet, George sprinted back towards Blitzer’s side, with whom he followed Lance back to the bridge, once again not saying much on the way. At the bridge, however, two strange Pokemon with green scarves wrapped around their necks leaned against the guard rail, watching the stream flow into the horizon. A slight grumble from Lance and a meek ‘hi’ from Blitzer failed to get any response out of them. George stared at the back of Blitzer’s head as they passed, and didn’t look back.

‘They’re a creepy bunch. Know ‘em when I see ‘em…’

It wasn’t until after they had passed that George’s ears caught wind of them talking.

“So, Sergeant Machoke. The criminals should be close by.”

“Yeah, and there’s no tracks anywhere. Great.”

“Damn criminals. Must’ve ran off in the water. Or hiding out in Azure Hills. One of the two.”

“Yeah, that’s not stopping you though, is it, Sergeant Crawdaunt. We’re catching those sons of vermin.”

“Hey, hurry up, you!” Lance growled.

“Huh?”

George’s attention had been so focused on the two strangers that he had failed to notice Blitzer having walked ahead, and not just a little bit either. He hurried his way back to Blitzer’s side, bit his lip, then poked the Charmander on the shoulder.

“Those two Pokemon, who are they? They don’t look like ordinary folk.” ‘They look like criminals, alright.’

Blitzer winced out loud. “Hng, yeah, you’re right. Those were Soldiers.”

George almost jumped out of surprise. “How do you know?”

“Did you see what they were wearing?”

“No? To be honest, I didn’t want to look at them. They just had this… aura around them, or something.”

Blitzer nodded. “That’s for the better. I’ll tell you more about it later. Can you pretend you didn’t see anything until we get back home? Trust me, that’ll make the trip back a little easier.”

George frowned. “If you say so…”

“I mean it, George.”

“Yes, yes I understand.”

“Alright then. You’ll feel better soon. It’s about time we got back home, anyway. I’m starving!” Blitzer rubbed his stomach. George felt a growl come out of his own stomach, and forced a smile to his face.

“Yeah, me too.”

And so, they walked back home, spending the time spotting wild Pokemon and having Blitzer tell stories about his experiences with said Pokemon. It was a fun little distraction from all the worries about the Soldiers, which George appreciated. Of course, the longing for information persisted, but it would come in due time. For now, it was time to go back home and get some well deserved rest.

* * *​

“Ya think that’s ‘im?”

“No doubt about it. The energy coming off that little Oshawott is unmistakable. Whether he’s ready, though…”

“...’s another matter, ya mean to say.”

“Yes, Skal. Let me finish before you yammer over me.”

“Blegh. Don’t need any psychic powers t’know what I’m lookin’ at. Feels like this whole mission was a waste of time. Ya think Artanouk’ll accept him?”

“Give it time. He’ll get there. He has to.”

“We ain’t got forever, Terez.”

“Yes, I’m more than aware of that. But don’t worry. One day he’ll be ready… Whether he believes that himself or whether he will be forced is none of my concern. That child has a great role to play. You know this. That’s why we’re keeping an eye on him. And I’m not about to turn my back.”

“Sure hope you ain’t jokin’.”

“I’m not a jokester. Especially not about these things.”

“Have it your way then.”

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 9 - A Quiet Moment​

As the sun sank towards the horizon, the two boys came back home, a full basket in their hands and their lips stained purple. Lance put his basket down, stretched his limbs, then turned towards the children with a grimace on his face.

“Alright kids, here you are. Did you learn your lesson?”

Blitzer and George nodded. “Yes. Don’t go out exploring when you’re too young,” Blitzer said. George puffed his cheeks out like a hamster while listening.

‘Well, at least we can repeat the lesson to ourselves.’

“Good. Off with you.”

With a lash of his tail, the Druddigon returned to his house at the edge of town. Blitzer and George sped off towards the village square, the former grinning intensely.

“Haha! He totally bought it!” Blitzer said. George's eyes opened wide; Blitzer’s cheers had attracted the attention of every pair of eyeballs in ear range. Without further ado, he threw his hand in front of the Charmander’s mouth and nodded awkwardly at all the dumbfounded stares coming their way.

‘’Maybe don’t celebrate too loud, Blitzer.”

“Oops… hihi.”

With George having quieted the mood, the two made their way home. A few knocks on the door later, Nera answered.

“Blitzer! George! You’re back!”

“Yes! And we’ve got the berries!” Blitzer said with a smile.

Nera wrapped her forelegs around Blitzer, who returned the gesture. “I’ve been worried sick! You were gone for so long, I was starting to imagine awful things. Oh, I shouldn’t have. I really shouldn’t.”

“Nope! I’m still here! It’s like I’ve told you, mom. No one bests me so easily!”

“...What about me?” George looked on unamused, tapping a foot. “Don’t just leave me standing…”

The Nidorina pulled him into the hug, getting a yelp out of George in the process. “Of course! You two must be hungry after an entire day out there. Come on in, it’s about time I got to work on dinner…” Nera suddenly sniffed a lungful. “...Wait, is that… Persim on your mouth? Why does your mouth reek of Persim, Blitzer?”

“Oh, well....” Blitzer sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “I did get a little hungry on the way back, so uhm… I snacked a little. And George did, too.”

George shook his head. “I only had one. You had like four, Blitzer.”

Nera chuckled. “Why now, you both must be famished! And why wouldn’t you be? You’re both hard workers, and hard workers deserve a good reward! So come on in.”

Once inside, they were greeted by the sight of Nero laying slumped out over the table, his head resting on top of his forelegs. It looked as if he had passed out from a drunken stupor.

“Please tell me you didn’t get hurt back there.”

“Of course we didn’t, dad! We’re better than that!” Blitzer said. Nero peeked up from his forelegs, carefully studying the two.

“Hm. No scratches, aside from a few spots… Wait, what? You’re not all scratched up?” Nero’s head shot up. “Well now, colour me surprised! You managed to get out there and come back without any injuries!” he said, his voice far more energetic and jovial.

“Yeah, we did really well today!” Blitzer ran up to his father as if he had a report card to show. “We’ve got a whole basket full of berries, and we got a whole bunch stronger, too! George even learned how to breathe water!”

Nero grinned. “I’m glad to hear life’s been treating you and your friend well. I sure hope it stays that way.”

“Indeed it will!” Blitzer said with a cheer. George raised his hands in a mocked cheer with a fake smile. Of course, if it hadn’t been for Lance, their time in the Azure Hills wouldn’t have such a happy ending. But it was best not to tell Nero that. George liked getting to leave the hovel unsupervised, let alone how Blitzer felt about it.

After dinner, Blitzer and George went into their room, leaving Blitzer’s parents alone for the night. The Charmander yawned upon arrival, having struggled to keep his tail off the ground. George crashed on his bed, his body begging for some rest. He still wanted answers to the Soldier questions. The silent meeting on the bridge had raised far more.

“Aah, I’m tired, and yet I’m still not spent! Maybe I’ll stay up a little longer,” said Blitzer, stretching his arms.

“Yeah, that’s fine by me,” George said, curling up on the straws. They felt a little more comfortable than in the morning. Either he was getting used to straw beds, or he was just that tired. He couldn’t tell.

“Don’t go to sleep right away, I need to show you something!” Blitzer held up a toy in front of George. It was some sort of paper spinner, each arm wrinkled and stained with dirt. “Watch!”

He breathed on the toy, careful to make sure no flames got out. The toy spun like a fan, each arm producing whirlwind-esque sounds as they rotated around the centre. It was a hypnotising thing, simple yet clever. Look for too long, and one may just get dizzy. Blitzer blew on it a few times more, giggling all the while.

“Oh, that’s nice,” George muttered. Such a simple toy, yet Blitzer could get so much joy out of it. George’s thoughts wandered off to his own toys, back at the foster’s home. By now, either they had all gone into the garbage, or some other kid was playing with them to relieve some stress. Not that he had touched them in years.

‘If only I could have been so happy… that would have been very nice, wouldn’t it. Maybe I wouldn’t have to feel bad, being a ‘juvenile loser who plays with toys’... isn’t that right, headmistress? Wesley? Maybe I wouldn’t even be here...’

“Hey, what’s the matter?” Blitzer had noticed George sulking to himself and put the toy down.

“Me? Oh, it’s nothing,” George replied, his tail curled around his body.

“Are you sure? You don’t look so well.”

George gulped. “I’m just tired, that’s all. It’s been a long day.”

“Well yeah, it’s been exhausting, but you don’t look very exhausted. More like you’ve seen a ghost,” Blitzer said, pointing a finger at the ceiling. George sighed, and steeled his nerves.

‘Shift the conversation.’

The Oshawott sighed. “Okay, that wasn’t honest. My mind’s… still on the Soldiers from back at the bridge. You knew right away who they were, just like that.” George imitated the snap of a finger. "Didn’t second guess yourself either.”

Blitzer sat down on his bed, careful to not drop his toy or to let the flame on his tail touch the straws. George reflexively reached for his scalchop; there was no turning back now.

“Recognizing Soldiers isn’t hard,” the Charmander explained. “They’re all wearing something green. A wristband, a scarf, anything else… You see it, and you’ll know. Did you see what those Pokemon on the bridge wore?”

George pictured himself back on the bridge. Below his feet raged the waters, and the sun shone with volcanic intensity. Overwhelming as it was, he forced himself to concentrate on the two Pokemon. ‘Machoke and a Crawdaunt… hang on. Wait a minute. The Machoke had a scarf on… And the Crawdaunt had… some kind of ribbon or band?’ With a thump of his tail, George dropped his scalchop. “I think I remember. The Machoke had a helmet, and the Crawdaunt had something around his tail. Right?”

Blitzed clicked his tongue. “Well, both had scarves around their necks, but close enough.”

“Oh…” George took his scalchop back into his hands. Blitzer shrugged.

“Close enough. But yes, that’s what Soldiers were. That’s how you recognize one.”

George held onto a frown. The questions had only begun. “Why the green scarves?”

Blitzer shrugged again, then blew on his spinner. George’s eyes dashed back and forth over the room; the shadow of the spinner flickered.

“No one really knows. Kind of like this, I don’t know why it spins, but it does.”

“Okay…” George slumped back against the wall. “Do you know how many of them there are?”

Blitzer looked away and shivered. George felt his own body shake as well; as if thousands of spiders had fallen into the room. An audible gulp from Blitzer made him clutch onto his shell with the intensity of a nail.

“Well, um…” Blitzer sounded as if he was being choked. “I’ve only ever seen about ten at the same time,” he muttered, “but there’s supposed to be thousands… no, tens of thousands. Each stronger than the whole village combined. And that’s why everyone is afraid of them. Make one upset, you’ll get the rest.”

George breathed in deep. ‘But the ones on the bridge didn’t look that strong.’

“Can I ask you a question, George? Why do you want to know this?” Blitzer asked.

George backed up against the wall, as if cornered by Blitzer. “Because nobody has been telling me anything. All I know about the soldiers is that they’re bad and that they serve some queen.”

Blitzer sighed. “But George, I don’t know much about them either. No one in the village tells me anything either.”

George raised an eye. “Wait, why?”

Blitzer shook his head. “They say that I’m too young to know more, and that’s all they tell me. No matter how much I ask, nothing. Or they just tell me to go away.”

“But even you have to know something more than just this, right? You’ve lived here for almost all your life.”

“You know, we haven’t actually had many run-ins with Soldiers here in town, ever. Yesterday was the first time in a year at least. Although, I think we’ll be seeing more of them now….”

George sat and listened, his breaths sounding evermore fatigued with each exhale. Blitzer’s voice betrayed a greater worry. There had to have been more he wasn’t letting on. With how late it was, and George being glad to be on Blitzer’s good side, he had to let it slide. For now, at least. So many questions remained unanswered.

Blitzer went on to throw his mouth wide open in a yawn. “So, do you have any idea what we could do tomorrow? Because I can’t think of anything, really.”

George shrugged. “Go exploring again?”

“Eh, maybe. But where?”

“Greenfield Forest?”

“But we’ve already been there.”

“Well, we both want to get stronger, right?” George flexed a frail arm for emphasis. “We could train there tomorrow.”

The Charmander shook his head. “Nuh uh. That sounds boring to me. I want to explore something new,” he said. George stared at him, unamused.

‘I thought you were the one that wanted to get stronger so badly.’

“Okay. Well, if not that, can we go back to what we were going to do a day ago, and meet the other kids in the village? I’d like to meet them.”

Blitzer nodded. “Sure, if that’s what you want to do, then I’m all for it. Even if the kids might not like me.”

George bit his lip. “What do you mean, don’t like you? Why would the other kids not like you? You seem perfectly fine to me.”

Blitzer clicked his tongue. “Well, erhm… I was playing with them once, and uh, I didn’t really look where my tail was going, and, well, uh… it didn’t end so good,” he said, covering his face with his hands to hide a few awkward chuckles.

George slapped his forehead. ‘You know, for being born with it, he sure forgets about it easily.’ ”Great. Well, do you think they’ll accept you now, or is that not going to happen?”

Blitzer gave a quick shrug in reply. “We’ll see. It’s sure worth a try.”

George’s head leaned further and further to one side, even with him propping it up by one arm. Time doesn’t slow down for anyone. Ready or not, you best be prepared for anything, preferably as fast as possible. Especially basic sleep. “Okay then. But say that it goes completely wrong tomorrow, do you have any other suggestions? Anything else that we can do in this town?”

Blitzer curled up on his straw bed. “I don’t know. The café, maybe.”

“There’s a café in the village?”

“Yeah. Didn’t you see that big building in the main square?”

George thought back to earlier in the afternoon, all while sliding onto his side until his head rested on the straws underneath. Nothing in particular came to mind, however. The town’s board, some houses flanking the square’s perimeter, and some Pokemon gathered around. Besides that, just an empty slate. He shrugged.

“Not really. All I remember are houses and other people.”

“You didn’t see that big building? Or the crowd around the entrance?”

George rolled onto his back. “The crowd, maybe. I didn’t notice any café, though. You were louder than everyone there put together.”

“Oh well.” Blitzer followed George’s lead by rolling over. “Anyway, that’s the café. There’s a bunch of Pokemon gathered there. But I doubt they would let us in. Only adults are allowed in there. Believe me, I tried.”

George’s eyes were drawn to the wall. “Then that’s not going to happen.”

“Probably not, no.”

“Alright, so who do you think we should meet first?”

“I was thinking of Jinni. I still haven’t apologised for last time. Or Corst. Or Junior. Or actually, maybe Alcia-”

“Maybe we’re better off deciding that tomorrow, actually,” George said, then yawned.

“Sure. I’m too tired to think, anyway.”

Blitzer and George bid each other good night. Not too long after, George was half dreaming and half daydreaming, kept from proper sleep by the company of Blitzer’s snores. Perhaps tomorrow bore more answers. Or better company than a snoring Charmander. Which was still preferable to the headmistress' company.

---

​

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 10 - The Letter​

“Alright, who wants it?”

“I do!”

“I choose… you!”

“Yes! Finally!”

“Hey, I haven’t had it in a while!”

A week had passed since the food crisis concluded. Life in the village had largely returned to normal, minus a few extra worries about everyone getting fed. Fortunately, plenty of capable foragers resided in Greenfield, and news of the seizing had spread far enough to attract merchants, who were all too happy to profit from it. Despite it being as moral as stealing family relics, no one complained. No one complains when someone offers them a hand in a dark time, even if the hand was covered in mud.

For Blitzer and George, normalcy meant a week of peace. They got to meet others their age after some hard convincing on Blitzer’s part, went to Greenwood Forest a few more times, and spent their days playing around=. George gained a little more control over his water breathing, though not much, while Blitzer stuck to what he already knew. The forest wasn’t teaching him anything new, according to him.

Today was another day of sun and nothing. They were throwing a ball around with other kids in the village, every participant fortunate to have hatched with two arms. For a while they went at it, enjoying themselves as they tossed the ball back and forth. Eventually, the game died down, with George being the one holding the ball at the end.

“Ha, this is fun, but it sure is exhausting!” said Junior, a Pikachu. The son of Speedy, who was also named Speedy, and went by Junior instead.

“You’re right about that!” Blitzer said right after.

“Heey, what are you all complaining about? I’m not tired at all!” said a Cubone named Corst. “I thought fires and electrics were supposed to be all energetic.”

Blitzer crossed his arms. “Ah don’t be such a downer, you. Just because you like wearing a rock on your head doesn’t mean the rest of us are lazy!”

“What? What did you say?!” Corst yelled, the voice echoing through the skull-shaped helmet he was wearing.

“Blitzer, noo…” Junior approached Corst to try and comfort him a little, his ears laying low. Corst wasn’t pleased to hear anyone making fun of his hat, let alone the only fire type in the village.

Realizing what he’d done, Blitzer hurriedly followed in Junior’s footsteps. “Wait, no, I didn’t mean it that way-” he said. He got halfway to Corst before coming to a stop. It hadn’t been his choice to.

“Just shut up, Blitzer.” An Abra hovered in between the two. “Let him explain himself before you start coming with excuses. Please. We gave you another chance, don’t make us regret it,” she said.

“Okay…” Blitzer let his arms hang in defeat. By this time, George had dropped the ball and walked over to get closer to the rest.

“I don’t care what you thought you were saying, it really hurts to hear you say that. My mother made it for me! She put all her heart into it, and you now want to make fun of me for it?” Corst said, his voice echoing out of the eye holes. “That’s low, even for you!”

George didn’t want to stand around while everyone argued. What came Blitzer’s way was bound to come his way too; Blitzer had introduced him, after all. And given where things were headed, they were on the verge of being left in a dust cloud. With the way the Charmander hung his arms and struggled to look anyone in the eye, something had to be said.

“Everybody, can we not argue? This isn’t how I want things to end.”

Junior folded his arms. “Well, Blitzer should apologise. That was uncalled for.

“Yeah, he should!” a Buizel about George’s height said. Her size was an odd sight.

George nodded. “I agree. He shouldn’t have said it. But don’t take it personally. I’m sure he didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

“Yeah,” Blitzer meekly said.

Corst nodded. “Alright then, new guy... Well, Blitzer?”

“I’m sorry, Corst. It was uncalled for.”

“Will you not do it again?”

“Yes. I’m so sorry. It won’t ever happen again, I promise.”

“Thank you, that’s better.”

Corst sat down on a tiny bench at the edge of the village’s stream, watching the water flow by. Perhaps it wasn’t the cleanest way to ease the tension, but George was glad it didn’t get any worse. The last thing anyone needed was a reignited feud.

A yellow finger tapped George’s shoulder; he whipped his head around.
“You know George, I was initially nervous about you, what with Blitzer and all, but you’re pretty nice,” Junior said.

“Totally! When I first saw you, I was like, ‘no way’!” the Buizel said.

George stared at both with a sheepish, unamused face. “Thanks, I guess…” ‘Do I really look that silly?’

“Well, that’s George for you,” Blitzer said, laying an arm around George’s neck, which made George glad he wasn’t wearing his scarf any longer. “Sure, he’s a little different, but he’s a good friend. I’m glad you’ve all given him a chance.”

“You’re right about him being different. You have to be a little out there to stick with Blitzer for that long!” the Buizel said. The whole group laughed except for George, who kept his reaction to a few pretend chuckles.

‘I thought we had this whole no bullying thing down.’

“But really, I mean it. He might have an odd name and it’s weird how he doesn’t even know here he’s from. But George is just who we needed, I think,” Junior said, scratching a cheek hard enough to draw sparks. “I’m glad that we made up with Blitzer. It’s not any good to kick people aside forever. That’s what my dad told me.”

The Buizel nodded. “That’s right. George, you’ve been a real surprise. A welcome one!” she said, much to the delight of most in attendance. George couldn’t help but notice Corst in the distance however, watching the stream as if he were meditating.

“Well, I’m glad to hear it, but I’m not so sure if Corst agrees with any of you.”

“Oh, that’s just Corst for you,” the Buizel said. “He’s always been shy to accept things, don’t worry about it. He’ll come around eventually.”

“Why is that, though?” asked George. The Buizel shrugged, as did Junior and all the others.

“No particular reason,” Junior said. “What I do know is that he still has his parents, so that’s not it. Corst is just the way he is. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m glad we’re all different and not the same. Makes it all more fun!”

“Yeah! That’s why I took George here to begin with!” Blitzer said. “He’s not like anyone here at all!”

Junior nodded. “You told us, Blitzer. But did he really never tell you where he’s from?” George rested his arms in front of his scalchop, and kept his tail close by. This wasn’t the time to spill the beans. Then again, would there ever be a right time for it?

“Nope!” Blitzer excitedly shouted. The less confident Blitzer was, the louder he got. George bit at his cheeks; his turn was next.

“Well, George? Where are you from?”

“Uhm…” George’s hand shot up to scratch an itch behind his ear. “To be honest, I don’t really know where I’m from. Up north, I think.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know where you’re from? Have you never seen a map before?” asked Junior. George shook his head.

“No, actually. I don’t know if my family was too poor for one, but I haven’t seen one. What I do know is that I come from a place that’s colder than here, so that’s why I’m guessing I’m from up north.”

“Cool!” said the Buizel. “You mean around Luminity, or all the way in Whitiara? What’s it like? Did you grow up with other Oshawott? I’ve never seen any other Oshawott around.”

Blitzer cleared his throat. “Heey, this is great and all, but maybe we shouldn’t pile the questions onto George so much. He’s still new here, after all,” he said, as he got in between the Buizel and a thus far silent Sentret, placing his claws on their backs. “We should give him some space, he’ll tell us eventually, right?”

George tepidly nodded. “...sure.” ‘I’m going to regret saying that.’

“Yeah, so give him some room!” Blitzer continued. Junior shrugged.

“Oh, sure thing. Although, couldn’t you have let him say that himself?”

“Oh, yeah.” Blitzer sheepishly backed off. “Anyway, does anyone know what we should do next? I think we’ve thrown the ball enough for today.”

“Not really, no,” said Junior. “Do you have any ideas?”

Blitzer was hardly able to contain himself; from his movements to the gleam in his eyes, it was clear there were plenty of ideas buzzing around in that head of his. But he wouldn’t get the opportunity to tell anyone about them; someone had come to nip those plans in the bud.

“Excuse me. You’re Blitzer, right? The Charmander?”

The group’s attention was drawn to a Tangrowth that had snuck up on them. Blitzer leaned backwards, unsure of what to say. “Um, yeah, that’s him,” Junior said. “Is there something wrong?”

The Tangrowth shook its head, the tendrils hanging off its face shaking back and forth. “Oh, not really, no. Nothing I’m aware of, I’m a simple courier. Oh yes, this message is also for one… Jor-Je? Geyorj? Something like that? The Oshawott kid over there, most likely. Yes.”

George’s cheeks puffed themselves up. “Err, yes. That would be me. Unless there’s another Oshawott named George you’re looking for.” ‘And another Charmander named Blitzer.’

The Tangrowth nodded. “Ah yes. Most pleasant. Most pleasant indeed. Normally I would be one handing you a message, but not this time. How odd. In any case, I’ve been asked to tell you there’s a letter with your names on it waiting for you in the local café. You know where the café is, correct?”

Blitzer nodded. “We sure do. I probably know it better than anyone in the village,” he said, harkening back to all the times he’d been kicked out when attempting to sneak in. Then the realisation hit him in the face. “Hey, wait a minute, no one except adults are allowed in there! How are we supposed to pick up the letter if we’re not allowed in?”

“Oh, no worries,” the Tangrowth said, lifting up the tendrils around his mouth in the form of a smiley. “I also meant to tell you that you are allowed to go in to pick up the message, no problem. Apparently it is a special delivery! Now I must say, you are both quite young to be moving up in the world, but congratulations.”

George scratched the back of his head. “Wait, who sent us this letter, exactly?”

“Oh, I don’t know!” The Tangrowth put its arms up. “No one ever told me. You will have to wait and see. Now, if you excuse me, I need to get going. I have some other deliveries to make, if none of you kids mind.”

“Wait, is there anything you can tell us?” Blitzer asked. But the Tangrowth had already made up its mind, and had begun waddling off elsewhere.

“As I said, I do not know! You will have to go and see for yourselves. Have a nice day, children.”

And with that, the Tangrowth was gone. Blitzer and George were left dumbfounded. Why they of all people would receive a letter from a stranger was something neither of them understood. At first George was a little suspicious, but now he didn’t know anymore.

“What is this?” George asked. “Soldiers? No, I don’t think so.”

“I can guarantee you it’s not them,” Blitzer said. “They wouldn’t send weird letters, they’d just come straight for you.”

“Um, guys? What are you going to do?” asked Junior. Blitzer pulled a sour face.

“We’re going to have a look. I’m curious about this. You in, George?”

“...right.” George docked his tongue in one of his cheeks. While Blitzer jumped the gun without asking as usual, he wasn’t the lone curious soul among them. Why someone in the world outside of this village would want to contact them of all people is a mystery, one George longed to know the answer of. No word about him had gotten out there, had it? In any case, it also meant getting to see the one piece of forbidden territory in the village, and that had to have gotten Blitzer’s curiosity tingling.

Junior nodded. “That’s fine by me. Even though my dad tells me to not accept things from strangers, I don’t see why a mailman wouldn’t be trustworthy!”

“I don’t know,” said Abra, curiously bobbing up and down using her telekinesis. “All of it seems very suspicious to me. Okay, why exactly that is, I don’t know, but there’s something about all of this…” She shook her head. “Has anyone seen that Tangrowth before?”

The whole group shook their heads. “Well, no, but he’s a postman from outside town, isn’t he? We occasionally get those coming in, right?” Blitzer asked.

“Yeah, we do,” said the Buizel.

“That’s right. Maybe he’s just a new postman!” the Sentret added.

“I don’t know about that, guys,” Abra said. “Don’t postmen normally have a bag to carry the mail in? That Tangrowth didn’t have one. This might be just a bunch of nonsense I’m saying, but it seems so odd.”

Blitzer nodded. “Don’t worry. I don’t see how this could go wrong if we just go to the café. The worst that might happen is that we’ll get kicked out again, that’s all.”

“Okay. But do be careful, please? I don’t want either of you getting hurt.”

“We can handle ourselves, Alcia, don’t worry.”

And with that, Blitzer dragged George off to the town square, leaving only enough time for a goodbye and a wave. George frowned as he waddled off, eyeing the back of Blitzer’s head the whole time.

‘Well thanks for that. Barely had the chance to even learn their names yet, and it’s been a week! So that Pikachu is Junior, I know that much, and that Cubone is Corst. Now that Abra is named… ‘Alcia’, something like that? Ugh, I’m already lost… never heard any of these names before.’

Sunlight beamed through a gap in the clouds onto the town’s square. Once again there was plenty of activity here, from discussions around the billboard, to the people passing through, to the crowd gathered at the entrance to the café. Blitzer put a hand before George, then gulped.

“This is it, George. Moment of truth, either we’re getting in or we’re not getting in.”

George tepidly gazed at the building before him: Larger than any house around town, the café was painted in a fascinating bright red. Through tiny windows, one could see patrons inside enjoying themselves. Something about it seemed inviting; a band could be heard playing music inside, the occasional laugh sounded, too. It made the sign on the side of the door reading ‘NO CHILDREN ALLOWED’ all the more bitter.

“Are you ready, George?” asked Blitzer.

“I don’t see why you would need to be ready for this, but I guess I am,” George said.

“Alright then, let’s do this!”

Side by side, they stepped inside the café. The place sure seemed a lot more inviting from outside; it was dim, and there was an odd cramped smell in the air. Under the sound of a lone musician strumming on some sort of leaf guitar was the murmur of a handful of conversations between the patrons. There were no familiar faces anywhere in sight. George bit his lip.

“So, this is it?”

Blitzer nodded. “Yeah,“ he said, holding onto his tail. “This is it, alright. Normally I’d be getting kicked out now, but-”

“Why yes, you’re right.”

A voice echoed through the walls. The kids gasped, jumping away from the wall to their immediate left. There was no one to be seen.

“Wh-who is there?!” Blitzer stammered through his chattering teeth.

“Oh, just the bartender of this little hovel, that’s all.”

The voice came from below Blitzer’s feet this time. The Charmander yelped and jumped for George’s side, who stepped backwards in response. George quaked as the adrenaline flowed through him. The voice spoke with an echo from the world beyond, as if filtered through a crystal, yet felt so close to the soul. Something that existed only in movies back home.

“Wh-where are you?” Blitzer said, choking on each of his words. At the very least, he had the bravery to say anything. George had been overwhelmed. His heart beat against the walls of his chest in an attempt to escape, his feet were on the verge of crumpling, all while every speck of thought in his head was telling him to get out.

All the while, the musician continued to strum, and the other patrons merely looked up from their drinks to see what the commotion was all about.

“Right here.”

Large gray hands appeared on both of their backs. Blitzer and George anxiously turned their heads. From the antenna, the lone eye, and the gigantic stomach mouth, both knew from instinct what they were looking at.

“GHO-”

The hands moved over their mouths. “How predictable. Always the same story, ‘Oh, no, a ghost!’ Why, thank you. I definitely needed to hear that for the millionth time in a row. Why is it so strange that I am a functioning member of society? Did I ask to be created this way?” he spoke with a bitterness in his voice. “No, I don’t think so. So please. The next time, no yelling, no screaming, no crying, nothing. Understood?”

Blitzer and George slowly nodded back at the Dusknoir behind their backs. The ghost rolled its lone eye back at them. “Good,” he said, before taking his hands back. “The name’s Hein. Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

George was left feeling disturbed. ‘Of everything so far, the Grim Reaper as a bartender… has it all beat.’

“Where… where is the guard?” Blitzer asked, keeping his tail close by.

“Home. It’s his day off,” Hein said. “Enough lollygagging, follow.”

Blitzer and George did as was asked by Hein as he hovered his way behind the bar, then into a room behind the bar. Despite being a single door removed from the rest of the building, the café atmosphere had vanished. In the darkness sat barrels and cupboards, in addition to a few mats on the wooden floor. Hein took something off the shelf, then gestured towards the mats.

“There. Have a seat.”

“Yes, sir.”

George dropped onto his backside, cringing as he got settled; his tail had gotten under him. Standing back up to fix that wasn’t in the cards. Hein didn’t seem in the mood to allow that, and George wasn’t willing to find out the consequences.

Hein hovered to the end of the room, and folded his arms. “So then. Of all the people I’d expect to talk to, you two snotnoses were just about the last ones on my list. Yet here we are,” his voice echoed.

Blitzer grimaced at the black ghost. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t understand.”

“What I mean is, I wasn’t expecting you idiots to be the ones I’d have to talk to, but here we are,” Hein said, his body bent forwards to get the children’s blood pumping. “Anyway. You have gotten yourselves… a letter. Someone’s taken notice of what you’re doing and has a little request for you. That person, whoever they are, is asking you to go somewhere.”

“R-really?” asked Blitzer, eyes beaming. “Is it, is it telling us to go and explore?”

“Yes,” Hein answered.

“WOOHOO!” Blitzer leapt into a cheer, an uncontrollable smile all over the earlier frights and scares, not to mention his tail flaring with excitement. “George, George!! We’re exploring for someone! We’re going to be official explorers!! Can you believe-”

The Charmander’s cheers were stopped dead in their tracks by a gray hand grabbing onto his head. “Shut it, kid. Someone asked you to go and look at something for them, nothing more. And what even is ‘an official explorer’? There’s no Explorer’s Guild. There hasn’t been an organisation of the sort for sixty years. Put the fantasies down, will you?”

Blitzer sank back onto the mat. “...Sorry.”

Hein shook his antenna around. “Right… where were we. Ah yes, the assignment description. Here it is.” With all the subtlety of an elephant in a china shop, he pressed the letter into George’s hands. “Read it carefully. It contains the instructions on what it is you need to do.”

“But didn’t you know them yourself?” Blitzer asked. “That’s what the postman said-”

“No. I didn’t even open the letter. How would I know?”

‘Magical ghost powers?’ George thought to himself.

“Why didn’t you read them?”

Hein scoffed back at the orange lizard. “What, is that normal to you? Do you go around reading other people’s mail? Kid, learn some manners. Last thing the world needs is another Charizard like you.”

Blitzer folded his arms and stared through the window. “I could’ve sworn that postman said-”

“Maybe you should get your ears examined. Or that postman was lying. In any case, I know nothing. Now please, you’ve got your message. Off with you, yes?”

“Yes.”

With a grumble and a hum respectively, Blitzer and George went away, lacking the courtesy to say goodbye on their way out. Hein himself wasn’t in the mood for it, either, it turned out. For a chance meeting, the energy had been lacking. A saying from an old story George had read came to mind. No matter the situation, never play around with the Reaper; his scythe’s touch is as cold as the grave. All throughout the meeting, Hein had been in control, whether through dulling emotions or shutting down any words that stood against his own. Despite Hein’s earlier voice, George couldn’t help but feel that they had gotten off lucky.

“Boy, I’m sure glad that’s over…”

“No kidding, right? Who does that ghost think he is?!” Blitzer pouted.

“At least he gave us our mail.” George held up the letter in front of Blitzer’s face to try and calm him down. “Do you think he hasn’t read it?”

Blitzer shook his head. “I don’t care.”

George’s ears flattened. “But didn’t the Tangrowth say the barman would know? You said it yourself.”

“I don’t care. I don’t even want to read our mail right now, okay? Ugh!” A warm breath escaped Blitzer’s mouth, causing George to take a step back as he felt it breeze past his face. “Let’s just go home for now.”

“Shouldn’t we go back to the others?”

“Maybe later. I don’t want to talk right now.”

George sighed, and began to walk out of the square. Today had gotten ten hours longer.

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 11 - Suggestions from Afar​

It wouldn’t be until the day after that the message crossed their minds again. Blitzer had felt so humiliated that the idea of following up on anything related to Hein made him sick to his stomach, and George wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of doing anything the Charmander was uncomfortable with, even something as simple as reading a letter.

One day of whimsical activities later, the two snuck out to the other side of the village, Nero and Nera unaware of the message’s existence. Both agreed it was better that way. But even after agreeing the time was right, they procrastinated for a while, staring at the yellowed paper in George’s hands instead of reading it.

“Honestly Blitzer, I don’t know about this. What if it’s all a trap? Some elaborate joke a Soldier came up with, just so they can toy with me before yanking me off to god knows where?”

Blitzer hummed a dull note. “I don’t believe that, no. But I don’t know what to expect, either. I don’t like ghosts. Especially that Dusknoir. Not after what he said to me. I’m not some unruly monster that’s going to burn everything in sight. I’m not some slob that only cares about myself, am I, George?” Shimmers appeared in both of Blitzer’s eyes.

George felt the anxiety come off the Charmander, and put a hand on his back. “Of course not. You’re just energetic, that’s all,” he said. His heightened senses had sounded the alarms. The smell and feel of the air had shifted, so discomforting that George felt the need to act. He didn’t need to guess what, either. As a Pokemon, smells and air felt like an extension of himself and other Pokemon, a mirror into their souls.

“Then why did he say that?! And why did Lance say it too?!”

George patted Blitzer on the back with enough force to make an audible thud. “Don’t take them seriously, Blitzer. They’re both old farts that hate anyone younger than them. You’re just making them jealous with all that energy. It’s no different than the headmistress I dealt with, or certain teachers. Sure, it’s annoying, but they’re only angry that they’ve lost their youth. That’s all.”

Blitzer shook his head, scattering a few droplets to the wind. “No, George. Us Pokemon, we… we have our assumptions about one another, just because of our species. And they’re telling me I’m the worst example of mine. That I don’t listen to others. That I’m aggressive and easy to upset. That I often hurt others. That I am prideful and arrogant.”

“But that’s not true, Blitzer,” George said.

“How would you know?”

George clenched his fists. “Because I’ve been with you for as long as I’ve been a Pokemon! And I’ve seen plenty of arrogant idiots around, believe me. If any of that were true, I would have seen it! You’re a good person at heart, and I know it. Always excited, always optimistic, always meaning well even if he doesn’t come over in the best way. That’s the Blitzer I know.”

Blitzer turned to face George, his eyes partially closed. “Do you mean that?”

“Of course I do.” George held a fist up. “Let those rusty old grandpas yammer. It’s not worth it to try and please them.” ‘You’ll spend all your life trying to, nothing will change.’

Blitzer swallowed, his tail carefully curling up around his side. “Okay.”

George cleared his throat, then held the letter back up. “Alright then. Should we open up the letter? Do you think it might be a trap?”

Blitzer nodded. “It might be a prank by that Dusknoir to laugh at us.”

George stared at him. “Blitzer, I meant the Soldiers. Do you think they sent this?”

“No one in town would join in on it,” said Blitzer while shaking his head. “And I do mean no one, George. Soldiers are nothing to joke around with. The less we have to deal with them, the better.”

George folded his arms. “But does that Dusknoir live here?”

“Yes,” Blitzer said with a tired nod. “Of course he does. I’ve seen him a bunch whenever I tried sneaking in there. That café is his house, believe it or not.”

“Doesn’t he look kind of creepy to you? Why would anyone just accept the Reaper living among them?” George asked.

Blitzer waved his hands around in front of George’s face. “That’s what I was thinking for the longest time too, but my parents told me he’s lived here for as long as I have without any issues. Well yeah, he likes to hide in walls, but that’s ghosts for you, they do that. Nothing else is strange, they say,” he said, nudging George. “Also, what’s the Reaper?”

“...You mean you don’t know?” George said, surprised, before remembering that this was a different world, and that Pokemon wouldn’t know about human fairy tales. It also dawned on him that making comparisons with death itself weren’t going to win favours with anyone, and that he had gotten himself into quite the pickle.

“Yeah, I don’t. Is it a human thing?”

“Um, yeah, it is,” George said, scratching his head then biting his tongue with a closed mouth. ‘Ugh, how stupid can you be, George?’

“Well, what’s it about?” the Charmander asked with a curious flick of his tail.

“Oh, not much, it’s uh, it’s a story my parents told me, yes. The Reaper is a character in that story, and uh, if I remember correctly, it’s uh…” George drew a blank. It was quiet in the streets. The whole town must’ve been listening in. ”...he would reward kids who did well and punish kids that were bad, and take their candy away. That’s why they call him the Reaper. And he was a ghost, too, and he looked like Hein.” George exhaled. ‘...Very stupid, apparently! Who is going to buy that?’

Blitzer leaned over. “Interesting! You should tell me more of these stories some time!”

George let his hands sink like dead weights. ‘...Oh.’ “Yes, some other time. But do you think it’s a good idea to read the message now? If Hein’s not suspicious or anything, then I don’t mind.” ‘Something tells me I’ll get into trouble anyway.’

Blitzer sighed. Right after, he began dragging his feet along the ground. From his body language, it was trivial to discern that he was far more interested in hearing George ramble about fairy tales than the message. All the excitement from earlier had sunk into the ground. Hein had gotten him good, something George had no solution for. Not an easy one, anyway, beyond a tap of the shoulder.

“It’s okay. We both know you’re better than that.”

“Yeah. I sure don’t want to lower myself to running errands for that ghost.”

“But who says that ghost is the one who wrote this?” Blitzer was silent. George lowered himself down upon the grass next to the street; it was more comfortable that way. “For all we know, this is someone else’s. That Tangrowth, maybe?”

“That would be silly.”

“It is possible, though.”

“I guess…” Blitzer shook his head. “Alright, let’s get this over with, then. No one says I have to do what is written in there, anyway.”

As Blitzer dropped himself onto the grass next to him, George unfolded the message. It had been written in that same strange language that had been written on the signs leading to the Mystery Dungeons, which George somehow was capable of reading.

“To the receiver of this message,”

“It is crucial that you do not share the contents of this message. This is information which could put you at risk, should the wrong people learn of its existence. Soldiers, or otherwise, the consequences can be severe. Do not share a word contained within this page with any stranger, unless a future instruction written on one of these pages says otherwise.”

“Dear reader. I want to start off by writing that you are not required to follow up on any of this. If you wish, you may shred this message and forget it ever existed. I do not know what your heart truly longs for, but I believe I might have something that interests you and your companion. You long to explore and see the world, to grow stronger and protect all that you love. You may seek answers to a great amount of questions you may have on your true lot in life. This message may provide you with fulfilment for all of those desires.”

“Nearby your village, directly north of its link with the greater world lies an entrance to a realm hidden from the eye of the Leo. It is deep within that place where you will find a treasure. Finders are keepers: If you lay your hands on that treasure, it will be yours. Of course, the road to get there will not be easy. This hidden world is affected by the same energy that has taken the forests nearby in its grasp. Ferocious Pokemon will be awaiting you.”

“Should you wish to venture out there, I wish you the best of luck. Your exploration will be worth it. Should you choose to not follow up on this instruction, may your lives be long and filled with light. No matter which path you choose, remember to never share a word of what you have learned with another. Their forces are watching.”

“Until our paths cross,”

“A friend.”

With all the enthusiasm of an owl come daylight, George folded the message back together. Once again, he was left in the deep end. Mystery Dungeons, waterbreathing, Soldiers, and now strangers sending instructions on how to find treasure. Blitzer didn’t seem too impressed either. He was scratching the gravel with the claws on his feet, his eyes drawn away from the yellowed paper and its instructions.

“I take it you aren’t very excited about it,” the Charmander said.

George shrugged. “Well, it sounds alright? Incredibly strange we’d just be told there’s treasure out there… at the same time though, it says to not tell anyone, literally so there’s no chance Soldiers find out. That doesn’t scream ‘trap’ to me.” ‘Even though I don’t know who this is from. Egh… it’s hard.’

“It’s still from a stranger, though,” Blitzer said. “Okay, all the adults around here know Hein, and they say he’s not a bad guy, but…” He shook his head. “How come you’re so sure we can trust this from him?”

“That’s because I’ve been the victim of traps plenty of times. I know how to recognise one,” George said. ”The headmistress back at the foster’s home would always play tricks on us. Throwing everyone’s stuff around so that we would all blame one another for the mess, which would give her an excuse to force all of us to clean,” he explained, recounting events from less than a month ago. Time sure had slowed to a crawl.

“Wow. For someone your age, you sure have gone through a lot,” Blitzer said, the warmth of his tail creeping up on George, who sighed in response.

“I know. None of it was anything worth remembering. That foster’s home is a horrible, horrible place. And I don’t know why, but even though I’m not there anymore, it still feels like there is a piece of me that is.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I wish I had the answer to that question myself.”

The two fell silent. A pedestrian walked past, not paying the two children any attention before vanishing behind a house down the road. They moved on, like the water in the stream.

“So, about the message… what should we do?” George asked.

“I want to talk with my parents about it,” Blitzer responded, his head resting against his claws.

George’s ears went flat against his head. “Hello? Whoever sent us this doesn’t want us telling anyone. I don’t think your parents are an exception to that.”

“Yeah, that is true, but you can never be too sure.” Blitzer pondered out loud. “My parents might know more about these things.”

George stared at the Charmander in disbelief. ‘Is this even the same Blitzer I’m talking to?’ “I thought you were looking forward to exploring new places if it meant getting stronger. You don’t even care about treasure all that much. You’re always like, ‘Oh, treasure’s secondary, it’s not that important’, and now we find out about a new dungeon we can go and explore, and you turn it down.”

Blitzer didn’t respond for a while. Aside from a few clicks of his tongue, nothing came out of him. A surge in the stream and a sweetening breeze passed, and he began playfully kicking his feet around.

“You know what? Maybe I am talking nonsense. I’m starting to sound like my dad!” He smiled. “You’re right, George. It’s not the treasure we’re after, it’s the journey that counts! I don’t care if it’s a rotten apple we find, that’s not what the fun in exploring is, I’m not like that. Not one bit! I’m not going to be a greedy Charizard when I grow up. No! Hein be damned!”

George stared at Blitzer with a dumbfounded face. ‘Sure didn’t take long to change his mind!’ “Well, I’m glad to hear it. I’ve been looking forward to exploring again, actually.”

Blitzer smirked at George with folded arms. “Let me guess, you’ve been dreaming about being a Samurott again, haven’t you?”

The teeth stuck out of George’s mouth as his lips curled up into a smile. “Of course I have,” he said, fantasising about the armoured blue sea lion warrior he was destined to become. The thoughts were so soothing to get lost in, almost like a taste of the finest wines. So noble and heroic, so strong and fearsome, and so pleasing to imagine himself being.

Alas, the day that dream would become reality was nowhere in sight, and most likely romanticised. “I hope you’re not going to become an arrogant one,” Blitzer said with a wink.

George spat out his breath. “Of course not. That’s not me, is it? I can barely breathe water, let alone use this silly scalchop as a weapon. I’m supposed to wield a seamitar one day?”

“Apparently!” Blitzer bumped George on his upper arm with his elbow.

“Yeah, that’s a new one for me too,” George said, scalchop in hand. “What’s with calling me arrogant, by the way?”

Blitzer stuck out his tongue. “Hey, you heard all about Charizard stereotypes, I thought I’d share a Samurott stereotype with you!”

George awkwardly chuckled back. “Well, that’s cool to know, I guess.” ‘Why would anyone think I’d get arrogant when I get older?’

“Don’t worry, it’s all nonsense some people invented as a joke one day, and then those jokes got completely out of hand. Would you know how many people in the villagers make jokes about my parents being awake all night? You wouldn’t know!” Blitzer kept on laughing. In spite of all the negativity coming his way, he kept up his cheery laugh and smile, no matter how bad he got. Defiant to it all, he’d keep laughing until his lungs would fly out of his mouth, so George believed. And even then, if there was a way to laugh without lungs, Blitzer would probably find it.

George peeked in the direction of the sun; there were at least a few hours of daylight left. “So, what do we do now?” he asked with a thump of his tail, much to his own amusement. ‘What, am I starting to do this too?’ A shrug came back from Blitzer, cheeks all puffy.

“I don’t know. Should we go to the others?”

“Sure thing. Let’s first put the note back, though. Holding onto it the whole time gets real irritating, let me tell you. Plus, we don’t want anyone to try and have a peek at it. Plus, I’m thirsty! What do you say to going home first?”

“Definitely. I could use a drink, too.”

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 12 - Boiled Hardships​

“Morning kids! Time to get up!”

A foul wind howled over the battlefield. Scarred, he stood on his rear legs, exhausted yet defiant. The green beast facing him approached with growled breaths, each step sending shocks through the earth. He clanged his seamitars together, a cocky yet cold smile spreading over his snout. Even as sand pelted him in the snout, he was ready, his heart pumping with the energy of a thousand suns.

“Breakfast is almost ready!”

With a colossal roar, the monster charged. The seamitars rose up in anticipation. Feet steady on the shaking ground, eyes steeled and sharp, he waited for the right moment. His claws buzzed with the desire to plunge both swords into the foul creature, that terrorizer of thousands. He would put its terrifying reign to an end. He would be the knight slaying the dragon, and win the peace for a generation The thought set him ablaze. As the beast charged in, he bared his teeth and leapt with every ounce of strength in his legs...

“GEORGE! BLITZER! BREAKFAST IS READY, GET OUT OF BED OR IT WILL GET COLD!”

Arms flailing, George flopped on the bed until his eyes were open. He propped himself upright, then looked towards his body. Light blue fur, scalchop attached to said fur, and little stubby feet. He sighed. ‘That was fun while it lasted. Back to reality it is.’

“Uuuurgh…”

Blitzer had rolled off his bed and onto the cold floor, eyes spinning and limbs flailing as if he was making an angel in the snow. Smears of dirt stained his cream-coloured chest. George cringed at the sight. ‘Oh dear. Last thing we need is his parents getting even crankier.’

After polishing the dirt off, George grabbed the Charmander’s arm and pulled him upright.

“Gooood mooorning, Geooorge…”

“Good morning to you too, sleepyhead.”

Mornings were tiring. That was a truth in life that carried over to everyone, regardless of who, where or what. Little by little did George drag Blitzer to the living area, where the parents had been waiting on them for several minutes. Nera was looking the other way, while Nero had an air of ire hanging around him.

“There you little scamps are. I was about to give up hope in you two coming on your own. Seriously, one more minute and I’d have dragged you both out of bed by your feet.”

George pulled a sour face. “Why do you have to be so rude?”

Nero let his teeth stick out of his mouth. “We’ve been over this yesterday! We were having a treat for breakfast today, and that jumpy bag of orange right there was practically tearing up the house when we promised! Now we’ve been sitting here watching it get cold for the past few minutes, and where are you two? Not even able to get out of bed. Look like a bunch of Goomy, the both of you!”

“Aaaahh….” Blitzer leaned on George, oblivious to his father’s words.

“Honey, please calm down. It is only morning,” said Nera, still looking in the other direction.

“Yes, yes,” Nero muttered. “Have a seat already. Food’s not getting any warmer.”

“...food?” Blitzer sniffed with the power of a vacuum cleaner. With a burst of energy, he stood on his own two legs and slid his way to the table. “Food!” George almost fell over as Blitzer jolted off him. Shaking his head much like Nero did, he joined the rest of the family at the table.

‘A little warning would have been nice…’

Once the two were seated, Nera finally took her attention away from the nearby wall. “Morning sweetheart. I made your favorite soup this morning.”

“I smelled it!” Blitzer said. “Vegetable soup is the best! Thank you mom!” Nera chuckled back at him. He struggled to contain himself from just lifting up the bowl over his head and dumping its contents straight into his gullet.

“No worries. I found some leftover vegetables in the pantry, and you know I don’t like things going to waste.”

George studied the soup for himself. It wasn’t the prettiest looking concoction, to put it mildly. Vegetable bits bobbing around in a mixture of dim, acidic greens. It at least smelled appetising, but his eyes weren’t feeling it. Long after the family had dug in, George cautiously sipped from the bowl. The broth was salty, with a hint of sweetness inside. It had an odd texture, one which made it difficult to swallow. His taste buds weren’t a fan. Not one bit.

‘Blegh, I’d be surprised if even the headmistress would approve of this.’

Off as the broth was, George didn’t want to just stop right there. With how Blitzer was audibly snarfing it down, there had to have been something George was missing. He took a bite out of one of the vegetables. Softer than jelly with a texture even further in bizarro land than the broth, it slid down George’s narrowing throat. He panted afterwards.

‘Never mind, she would. Urk...’

Blitzer slammed his bowl on the table. “Aah, that was the best! You’re such a great cook, mom!”

“Thank you, son. I always put everything I have into every dish,” Nera said. George stared with sleepless eyes at all the soup he had left, as the others licked their mouths clean. Unable to stomach another bite, George was trapped. They had eaten their fill, while he had hardly taken more than a few bites. The soup stared back at him. Through him, even. It was rude to just leave it standing there. Yet guilt couldn’t bribe him into continuing.

“You romantic fools.” Nero hacked up a chuckle.

“Hey, George? Are you not going to eat that?” Blitzer asked.

All eyes were on George. Despite the guilt now being stirred up, he couldn’t bring himself to lift that wooden spoon up to his mouth one more time. It wasn’t edible. He just couldn’t do it. No amount of struggling could get him to do it. It just wasn’t in him.

“George? Are you okay?” Nera asked, leaning in a little.

The Oshawott shook his pale head. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m not hungry.”

“What do you mean? It is breakfast, you’re supposed to be hungry. Do you not like the soup?”

The wooden spoon fell out of George’s hand. “No. I don’t like it.”

“Whaaat?! That’s not possible! How can anyone not like mom’s soup? It’s the best!” said Blitzer with curious twitches of his tail. He then leaned forward over the table towards George, resting his elbows on the table and letting his head rest on his claws, his arms acting as support columns. George didn’t want to look him in the eye. His face had been slathered in a mixture of tiredness and anxity, all over some soup. Of course, Blitzer had been eating said soup his whole life. All creatures in this civilised world had been eating it. Except George, of course. The human in him was still present as ever on his taste buds.

“Calm down, you,” Nero grumbled. “Big deal, kid’s been here for a week and you expect him to like all the food we eat right away.”

Nera nodded. “Yes, dear. George is different. That’s all.”

The frown on George’s face grew wider. Different. That’s what he’d be in the end. Not like the others. Oshawott on the surface, the human kid from the foster’s home on the inside. Everyone in the world would eventually see that in one way or another. Not someone who could live an ordinary life here, if that was even possible. The idea of it all being a dream made some noise in his head. Sure, it had been more than a week. Ten days of adventure and sleep and everything in between, all so vivid, but was it truly meant to be? Or was he going to wake up in bed again, ready to receive another scolding? The thought sent a chill down his spine. A cruel joke, that’s what it all was.

“But, but,” Blitzer stammered, “it’s so delicious! Irresistible! How can anyone not like it? That makes no sense.”

Nero rolled his eyes. “Kid, he’s not from here. I just said that.”

“But it’s so good!”

Nera tried calming Blitzer down, who by now had reduced himself to beggarly pleas. George found it hard to watch, keeping his eyes to the soup under his nose. Food for a Pokemon, not a human. It wasn’t going to be the last dish he couldn’t eat. No, his true self was bound to come out. And what would happen then?

‘Headmistress…’

“Blitzer, we know, you like it a lot, but George doesn’t. Don’t take it so hard, will you?” Nera asked her son. George felt a foreleg drape around his neck. “Let little George take his time getting accustomed to things, none of us know what he’s really going through. Thrown in here with us, and there’s no way back home.”

“T-that’s not true, he-”

Blitzer was stopped from talking any further by a purple foreleg. Nero’s ears were flat against his head. “Lad. You’re not one to talk about handling change. Remember the time we suggested you find another roof to sleep under for a day? ‘Cause I sure do. You spent the whole day crying your eyes out.”

“H-hey! That’s not true!”

“Oh yes it is. Still remember it like it was yesterday.”

“But it was years ago!”

Nera beat the table a few times with a foreleg. “Alright, I think that’s enough breakfast for today. George, I’ll get you some berries. We’re having something else tomorrow, don’t worry. We might not have much, but we still have choices. As long as the gatherers remain successful and the merchants keep coming, we should be fine… yes,” she said with a hint of anxiety in her voice. “Let’s clean this up. You two can have leftover soup if you want.”

“Yaay!”

“Fine by me.”

* * *​

Having cleaned up after breakfast and after wiping off the berry juice that made up for the soup, George put on his scarf and went outside on his own. He wanted time alone to think, and sat down at the side of the path. From here, it was a slope down to the stream. Fortunately, no other villagers would bother him, with the house being located at the end of a path. It was a good place for a small respite. Some alone time to calm the senses. In theory, anyway.

“Wait for me!”

The door of the hovel audibly fell into its frame. Footsteps came up behind; who else, besides Blitzer? George’s head dipped as he turned to face the Charmander, whose protests over the soup had long been forgotten.

“There you are. Man, you are fast when you want to be!” said Blitzer, still fidgeting with the scarf he’d tied up in hurry. It looked as if he had gotten into a fight with the scarf while putting it on.

“Well, you did say you wanted to set out as fast as we could, right?” George replied.

Blitzer nodded. “Yeah, of course. That’s me, alright. But that didn’t mean you had to hurry ahead of me, right?”

George bit his tongue. “Yeah.” ‘Telling him is only going to make things worse. Let’s not.’

Company at his side, George had to leave his respite behind for now, and walked through town with Blitzer. The message had vaguely pointed them north from the signs at the entrance to the village, so they believed, and so that was where they were headed. Passing by the ever so peaceful houses and fields in bloom, there was a noticeable lack of energy. Something was missing, yet what was a question mark for both.

In any case, the village seemed fine after half of the food supply had been confiscated a week earlier. There was a lively atmosphere coming from the café, people treated their neighbours with respect. War, famine, oppression, disaster, it could all come and go, and Greenfield would still go on as usual. This little town had a spirit unmatched by anything else. Out of all places, George was glad to have ended up here.

Upon approach to the entrance, Blitzer poked George on the shoulder. “So, do tell me. Why don’t you like mom’s soup?”

George glanced at Blitzer, his mouth curled into a slight frown. “Why do you ask?”

To this, the young Charmander shrugged. “I don’t know, I just think it is odd. Her soup is the best.”

“Not to me it isn’t.”

“But how?”

George gulped. “My tastebuds are just the way they are, that’s why. You have your own, right? Sometimes they agree with what you’re sticking into your mouth, and other times they don’t. This was one of the times that they didn’t.”

“But why? How could they?” Blitzer had now grabbed George by the arm with one claw, the underdeveloped nails on the end of each finger digging into George’s skin, much to the latter’s displeasure.

‘Damn, he really isn’t giving up on this, is he?’

“Like I know, I’m not a cooking expert! All I know is that it felt funky, tasted salty, and wasn’t pleasant to eat, that’s all.”

Blitzer shook his head. “Well, clearly something isn’t right, then. No one dislikes my mom’s cooking, especially not her soup. That’s a meal fit for a hero!”

“Yeah, right on!” A voice spoke from the bushes.

“Aah!” Blitzer jumped backwards, only to be startled further by a voice from the other side.

“Last part’s overselling it!”

“Wh-what’s going on?!” Blitzer cried out. A yellow tail shaped like a lightning bolt stuck out from the left side, followed by the tip of a large white object. From behind, some kind of magical activity bristled the fur on the back of George’s head, sort of like his body tried to communicate something in a language he couldn’t speak.

“Haha! You didn’t think we’d just let you leave like that, right?”

Junior came out of the bushes bearing a smug grin. Next to him was Corst, eyes as expressionless as the day prior. Behind them, Alcia hovered her way over the shrubbery, while the Buizel whose name George had not caught wind of walked onto the path, a face covered in crumbs from breakfast.

“Wait, how’d you know?!” Blitzer asked.

Junior giggled. “Well, Alcia?”

“You might not know it, Blitzer, but I have the power to read minds! And when I saw you yesterday, it was written all over you: Tomorrow morning, I and George will be going out exploring!”

“Whaaat! You never told me!” Blitzer said, visibly exasperated. The other children were all giggling at them without much to hide. It was written all over them, and George wasn’t having any of it.

“No you can’t! That’s nonsense!”

“Well, how’d ya be so sure of that?” asked the Buizel.

George folded his arms. “Alright. Where am I from?” he asked, his voice stern and clear.

“Alright, alright, you got me,” Alcia said, chuckling all the while. George wasn’t impressed. It all was too obvious of a trick. Mind reading wasn’t a thing. Not at that early of an age, anyway. Even this world had to have some rules.

All the while, Blitzer’s head was spinning. “But then how did you know?”

“How wouldn’t we know it is more like it!” Corst said. “You’d have to be stupid to believe you two weren’t up to anything. You got called away by some Tangrowth no one’s ever seen, then when you come back you’re all like ‘oh no, no big deal’ with the stiffest faces in the world! We weren’t born fifteen minutes ago, anyone could see you were hiding something, and it was probably exploring related, since you love exploring so much.” Corst walked up to Blitzer, and bonked him on the shoulder with a stick. “So no surprises here.”

Blitzer sighed. “Alright, you got us. But could you please not tell anyone? It’s important.”

“Why not?” asked Corst. “You’re just going exploring, the whole village knows that’s what you like doing.”

George bit his lip. “It was in the message. We shouldn’t tell anyone where we’re going. That includes you, but I guess the cat’s out of the bag.”

Junior looked saddened at the ground. “Oh. That’s a shame. But if that’s how you’d prefer it, then sure, I have no problem with it. You’re both good in my book.”

“Hey, what’s a cat?” the Buizel asked. George’s hand flew up to the back of his head to scratch away an itch.

“Uh, I’ll tell you some other time, alright?”

“Is it a Pokemon up north?”

George nodded. “Yeah, something like that.” ‘Close one.’

“You two shouldn’t worry,” Alcia said. “We’ll have your backs. That’s what friends do for each other, right?”

“Right!”

“Yeah, we wouldn’t tattletale on anybody, ever!” Junior proclaimed as if giving a speech. “Wherever you’re going, I hope you will enjoy yourselves. Maybe you’ll find some treasure, too!”

“Why anyone would ask you two to go diving into a Mystery Dungeon for them, I don’t know. But I sure can’t complain! It’s about time something happened around here!” Corst said with closed eyes.

“You guys… thank you so much…” Blitzer whispered.

“After last week, you deserved this much,” Corst said. “I’m glad that you’ve changed.”

“H-have I?”

“Yes, you have.”

George watched as the Cubone grabbed Blitzer by the wrist. Blitzer’s eyes were full of disbelief. He had a miserable history with Corst, one whose scars were slowly healing. George felt much better watching it take place. It was good seeing them come together. They lived in a small world, one where you’d best get used to one another.

After a few seconds, Corst let go, and Blitzer nodded.

“Again, thanks so much for coming here, guys. I really appreciate it. And… I want to say sorry again for everything. Goodbye for now, I guess… we should get going.”

“Goodbye, Blitzer and George! Best of luck out there, eh?” Junior said with a wave. The others soon joined the Pikachu with waves of their own. The two nodded in approval, before setting out over the fields past the sign, glancing back to give a final nod before the two camps went separate ways. With the belief of the others at their backs, George and Blitzer felt ready for whatever was out there. It may be scary, life-threatening even, but they’d always be wearing their determined smiles with pride in their hearts.

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 13 - Explorers of Bright Depths​

Half an hour later, Blitzer and George stumbled upon an opening at the base of a large hill. They hadn’t encountered anything on the way there besides a handful of wild Pidove, which were easy to dispatch. Strong from the encouragement of the others, they gazed into the opening.

“So, this is it?” George asked Blitzer, who nodded back.

“Should be. We did as we were told, didn’t we? North from the village, hidden from the sun. That’s what ‘eye of the Leo’ should mean. There’s the sign, right there. ‘Little Rock MD - keep out!’ Has to be it.”

George stared further down the bright descent. “Are you sure this is the place meant with ‘hidden from the eye of the Leo’? It sure looks bright for a cave.”

Blitzer shrugged. “Well, it’s worth a try, right? And if it’s not, we’ll try again some other time. Because heroes never give up. Right?”

“Right.” George nodded.

“Awesome!” Blitzer said with a tough smile. “It does look oddly bright in there. But you want to know what that means? We won’t have to rely on my flame just to see!” He held up his tail with one claw. George chuckled back, drumming his belly in anticipation for what they’d find down there.

“You’re right. I’ve never told you, but that fire of yours doesn’t light anything up particularly well. Sorry if that comes off as rude, but-”

“Why would it be?” Blitzer asked with a shrug.

“Oh, well…” George scratched the top of his head. “Can’t be nice to say that to a fire type and all. Might be like calling someone weak, saying that they don’t have powerful fire.”

Blitzer reassured George with a nod. “You’re right, actually. But it’s not in the way you think. My fire is weak right now because I’m still young. It gets stronger as I get older. You’ll see.“

“Oh, okay.” George swallowed. ‘That almost went really badly.’

“Alright then…” Blitzer stretched his arms out in front of him, the sound of his bones cracking as he prepared his claws powerful enough to make George step back. “...let’s do this!”

George breathed in deep. “Here goes nothing.”

And so, with their hearts full of courage and their steps heavy, the two began their exploration of Little Rock. It was time to see whether the message’s promises of treasure held any water, or whether it was all hot air from someone out to prank them. Whatever intentions the sender had, the joke was on them; Blitzer and George were happy enough to have explored at all. Another step up that ladder towards the life of their dreams; that was all the motivation they needed to enter worlds unknown.

The tunnel started on a downwards slope, before widening into a tunnel that two fully grown Pokemon could traverse side by side. Light emanated from torches attached to the wall, bright enough for the smallest pebbles to be seen. Despite their crackling, the torches bearing the flames never showed any signs of burning up. They emitted no smell, smoke, or much in the way of heat for that matter. They burned in perpetuity, casting their light over the walls of the cave in a lonely glory.

Sometime into the tunnel, George's feet began to ache from the pebbles and the cold stones underneath. While Blitzer happily marched on without worry, George found the stress of walking pressing deeper into his skin. If his feet were taste buds, the stone below would be that morning’s soup.

“Blegh.”

“Something wrong, George?”

“It’s just my feet being cold. And lumpy. Maybe going in here barefoot wasn’t the best idea.” ‘They don’t have shoes here, do they?’

“Huh? I’m feeling fine.” Blitzer lifted his feet off the ground to study them for a few seconds. Upon putting them back down, his teeth stuck out of his mouth in a smile. “Actually, I’m feeling great! You have to admit this is better than the dewy grass from Azure Hills, George. And why does it matter that you’re walking barefoot? What Pokemon doesn’t?”

George sighed. “I don’t know. That wasn’t nearly as bad on my feet.”

“Well no, of course not. You’re of water, remember?” said Blitzer, pointing at the scalchop on George’s chest. “Of course you wouldn’t mind wet grass. That’s another way in which we’re different. Different kinds feel at home in other places. That’s why you enjoy bathing so much, while I hate it. Or why I like walking on stone, while you find it clumsy. Deep down, you want to feel water course through your fur, while I’d love to go hiking in the mountains!”

George stared towards the Charmander with a raised eyebrow. “Thought I could handle stone. And grass is still grass, isn’t it?”

Blitzer bit his lip, slowly dragging his pupils across his eyes as if he were tracking something on the ceiling of the cave. “Well, it’s complicated. Very complicated, ha. I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you.”

“Sure thing,” George said. Even after his halfhearted explanation, Blitzer was still preoccupied with the ceiling. Any and all attempts to try and handwave it away were betrayed outright by his body language, which didn’t do anything to bolster George’s confidence. Between his pupils, the odd way he held his arms, and him now falling silent, George had an inkling that Blitzer was seeing something he’d rather not be looking at.

‘Something doesn’t feel right. It was only a stupid question, why is he looking at the ceiling…? Wait, what is that smell?’

A musk of mushrooms and dusty fur emanated from above. George dreaded having to look up to see it for himself. The growing frown on Blitzer’s face told him to shirk back, to move on and forget the matter. But the smell marched further up his twitching nose, and down his throat, leaving a taint on everything it touched. It was alluring, irresistible to anyone who couldn’t look danger dead in the eye. And so, he looked.

“George, no-”

“SKREE!”

As if thunder had struck, a flock of bats awakened from their slumber and swarmed over the tunnel. One flew past George’s face with a piercing screech; George’s ears went flat as he fell backwards, the cold stone pressing into his fur with blunt force.

“Aaaah!”

“Geeeorge! Quic-, br- b-e!” Blitzer’s yells were buried under the screeching of the dozen Zubats and Woobats that swarmed around them like wasps.

“What?! I can’t hear you!” George yelled back. The bats screeching and beating their wings drowned them out. Like a little flame having an ocean dumped over it. The shrieking echoed off the walls. George reached for his ears, only to suffer a stinging pain on his arm. He cried out, when the tides suddenly turned; the shrieking faltered to the sound of flames bursting from Blitzer’s mouth.

‘That’s it!’

George pulled on the energy inside him. Water surged to his mouth and shot out in the blink of an eye, just as one Zubat flew past. The Pokemon was blasted backwards, straight into another. George closed his mouth from fatigue. A wing slid past the top of his head; his eyes snapped shut, but George forced them back open in time to see a Woobat fly past. George pulled on his energy and doused the attacker with half a second of water.

‘Argh, there are so many of them!’

The volleys of water and fire kept up, and the swarm gradually thinned out. George spat in short bursts with varying degrees of accuracy. For every hit there was a miss, and there’d be another attempted strike on his body. Over time, his head started spinning, and his stomach began to ache. Water breathing was taking its toll on his body. And all the while the bats continued buzzing around, waiting for the moment where they could all converge upon George.

But George wasn’t alone, as a gust of flame whizzing past showed. Blitzer fought back with strong control over his fire. Many Zubats and Woobats lay spread over the ground, singed with twitchy wings. If any tried attacking still, Blitzer had his claws ready. It was thanks to him that the bats eventually fled. They were smart enough to not stick around on the losing side.

Once the last of the bats had disappeared, George sighed, as he rubbed at the ache in his head. The energy had been sucked out of his body from all the water spitting, and that lack of energy now left its mark. A sore throat, a pain in his belly, the headache, they had all flared up as the fight came to an end. George gasped, his feet asking for a reprieve which he was all too willing to give. The aquatic energy flowing through him demanded someone far stronger than George.

“Phew… that has got to be the last of ‘em. Sorry for not warning you,” Blitzer said, sidestepping the knocked out bats like ordinary rocks. Aside from slightly faster breathing, he looked no different than before the attack. Not a scale out of place. “That’s something to remember for the next cave: Don’t forget to watch the ceiling! Zubats and Woobats left right and center, eh? No Noibats though. Maybe they live deeper? Or not here at all? I wonder.”

George crawled up to a cave wall to rest his back. The aching had simmered down enough to not leave him vulnerable should another bat show up, but still it stung hard. The scratches on his arms were barely noticeable over the exhaustion and soreness, something not helped by the cold hanging in the tunnel.

”I’m just glad we got out of that alive… thank god.”

“Uh, are you alright over there?” Blitzer asked.

‘Does it look like I’m alright?!’ George shook his head. “I’m tired.”

Blitzer tilted his head. “Oh, how come?”

George’s head rolled in one direction, then back in the other. ‘Like he needs me to answer that for him.’ “I breathed too much water.”

“Too much?” A flicker from Blitzer’s tail could be felt throughout the room. “What do you mean, too much? You should be able to breathe water to your hearts content, that’s in you!”

George shook his head. “Apparently not… I spat as much as I could,” he said, pointing at the puddles scattered over the ground. “And I must’ve gone too far, because it really began to hurt after a while. If we hadn’t chased ‘em off right then, I don’t think I would’ve lasted for much longer.”

Blitzer licked his lips while looking at the ceiling again. “Huh. That’s odd… I haven’t felt like that in a long time. I’m not kidding, I could probably breathe fire for an hour before feeling that exhausted.”

“Are you sure?” George asked. ‘I’d like to not be defenceless against anything that can take a little water.’

“Maybe you just need some more time with it,“ said Blitzer with a nod. “You’ve only just started, after all… hold on a second.”

“Well I-”

Before George could finish, Blitzer shot a glob of fire from his mouth, which crashed into the ceiling not far from where the Oshawott sat. A Paras fell from that spot with a weak screech. George watched it fall, then jumped as he felt a tap on his head. A mushroom rolled on the ground beside him. Frowning, George rose back to his feet.

“Sorry about that, heh.”

“...like I was saying, hope it happens soon.” George pressed his lips shut. ‘Great. Sure hope the end of this place isn’t far off..’

* * *​

Venturing deeper into the cave, the two found themselves at odds with other feral Pokemon. Nothing on the scale of the swarm from earlier, fortunately - the two encountered the occasional bats or Geodudes, some Roggenrola and a lost Drilbur as well. The encounters were short lived, as George and Blitzer now anticipated foes around every corner; the echoes of rocks being smashed in the distance had put them on edge. In addition, George was healing from the struggle earlier; the receding pain made him unafraid to use his energy again.

“Boy, am I glad to have you here with me, George,” Blitzer remarked, smiling.

“Tell me about it. Whole bunch of rocks and groundlings in this cave,” George replied, keeping his eyes peeled for threats in the distance.

“Earthlings scare me,” Blitzer said, arms crossed over his chest. “Rocks, ground, mud, it’s everywhere and they use it to attack. If I’m not careful, one could just sneak up on me, just like that!” He snapped his fingers and pointed at his face. George had but a shrug to give.

“It can’t be that bad, can it?”

Blitzer shook his head back and forth, letting his breath sizzle in between his teeth. “Oh yes it is. You’re water, you wouldn’t know, but I’ve had moments before. There’s some Drilburs that live near Greenfield, and they hurt me pretty bad a few times.”

George turned his head. “Why did they attack you? Were you on your own, did they see you as an easy target? Do wild Pokeon tend to be out for blood? …Were they even wild?“

Blitzer began twiddling his fingers around. “Well, ehrm,” he blurted out through his puffed cheeks, “Feral Pokemon are generally dangerous. Depends on the Pokemon of course, but still. Six year old me did not believe my parents when they told me that, and well, I thought it would be fun to stomp on Drilbur hills, haha…” His voice fizzled out. If not for his scales, his orange face would’ve been redder than a cherry. The tone of his voice revealed enough. George rolled his eyes as the corners of his mouth pulled upwards.

‘Yeah, that’s something you would do alright, Blitzer. Then again, I can’t say I blame him. Some dangerous fun, that’s what all kids want to experience at some point, right?’

“Aah, that wasn’t one of my proudest moments,” said Blitzer, eyes drawn back to the path ahead. “But it’s one to remember. Although, it’s not entirely a fun memory. I’ve had an, uh, an aversion to Drilbur since then.”

“Aversion? How so?” asked George, one hand over his scalchop. Blitzer swallowed before responding. George could sense the fear in the air and frowned. ‘This isn’t going to be good news, is it?’

“Well, have you ever had nightmares in which you were attacked?” Blitzer asked. George nodded back. “Okay. Now imagine being in the middle of a dark place, when suddenly a bunch of things jump out of the ground to attack you.”

George pictured the scene in front of him: Total darkness on all sides, as if the room had been smothered in tar. Suddenly, shrieks filled the air as the earth split open on all sides. A sharp claw flew at his face; a chill shot up through his back. George smacked himself in the face. “Okay, I’ve heard enough.”

“Yeah…” Blitzer hung his head. “It’s not fun. Not at all. You’re shivering now, but it’s worse when you’re dreaming.”

With a deep breath, George sped up his strides. “Let’s keep going. We should be pretty deep by now.”

“Do you think the treasure is nearby?” asked Blitzer. George shrugged at him, his tail falling flat onto the ground.

“I’m not sure, but I haven’t seen any other paths through here. Have you?”

Blitzer shrugged. “I might have, but it was too dark to see anything.”

“Too dark? What do you mean, too dark? There’s plenty of torchlight everywhere, right?” George said, looking behind him as the path took a turn.

“Yeah,” Blitzer replied with a nod. His tail bounced around the back of his head, getting close enough to the head to make George cringe. “But didn’t you notice the gaps in the torches? I could’ve sworn this cave branches off in multiple directions. What Mystery Dungeon just goes straight?”

George raised his shoulders. “This one? I don’t know.”.

“That makes no sense,” said Blitzer as he seized his tail in one hand and pulled it out in front of him. “No dungeon does that. There’s always more to it. What I’m going to say might be a bunch of nonsense, but… don’t you get the idea that we’re being led somewhere?”

“...What do you mean?” George replied. As much as he wished it wasn’t the case, something about the concept did not sit right with him. He took his scalchop off his chest, fidgeting it around between his fingers. The cave walls nearby rumbled.

“Isn’t it strange that there’s torches conveniently placed on the walls, and that they don’t burn out? It’s like they have the energy to keep the fire for as long as possible, like I do. Only Pokemon have that energy.”

George licked his lips. “But couldn’t it be something from the Mystery Dungeon? They shift around and change constantly, isn’t there some kind of energy flowing through here as well?” he asked, hoping for some reassurance. The walls next to them both rumbled once again, this time a little louder than before. Blitzer’s attention briefly shifted to the wall, before he sighed.

“Maybe there is. But it’s too strange for me.” The Charmander breathed in, then out. “What’s happening with the walls?”

Another rumble sped past them as Blitzer finished speaking. Startled, the Charmander ran over to George’s side, anxiously eyeing at the walls. Aside from the sound of their feet shifting, the caves were silent. Not an echo or crunch to be heard. George’s eyes dashed over the area, looking for threats that were nowhere to be seen. His fur heated up from the nerves and the flaring from Blitzer’s tail, forcing his breaths out of his body rapidly. This was not imaginations running wild.

“What is that…?”

“I wish I knew, George…”

Blitzer’s teeth chattered. The two crept their way deeper into the cave, unable to keep their eyes off the walls for long. Something had to have been close. Something out of a nightmare. The two kept a hand on each other’s back, out of fear that they’d lose each other in an explosion of chaos. Not a word had to be spoken for them to understand the other; instinct thrived where primal fear ruled.

Slowly, the rumbling seemed to cease, although neither believed it. George was at least willing to take his hand off Blitzer’s back, but the same did not happen in reverse. Blitzer’s pupils were dilated out to the edges of his irises, and the claw on George’s back shook. It kept George uncomfortable, looking for a way to relieve the tension. And perhaps there might have been a way up ahead.

“Blitzer, look! Right there! I think that’s it!”

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 14 - Treasure Terror​

It was like stumbling into a treasure trove, minus the piles of gold and precious metals. In the centre of a circular cavern stood a crude earth pedestal. An object rested on top, covered up by a cloth.

George pulled Blitzer’s arm with him, to the latter’s annoyance. “I still hear it,” the Charmander muttered, hyperventilating from noises rumbling in the walls. Whatever it was, George wasn’t about to let it stop them, and dragged Blitzer into the chamber.

“This is what we’re here for, Blitzer. Look at this.”

The Oshawott ran up to the pedestal. Despite it being twice his height, he didn’t have to break a sweat to reach its peak: Narrow steps at the base of the pedestal gave him a way up, similarly shaped from the earth. What caught him off guard was the smell. For reasons unknown, the earthy smell coming off the pedestal was far stronger than the regular atmosphere in the cave. It was as if it hadn’t been created until a short while ago.

In spite of this, George wasn’t about to let himself be stopped. He jumped up the steps, putting his hand on the pedestal. On a closer look, the white cloth covering the treasure was nothing spectacular. In fact, it was less of a cloth and more of a rag some bum had been wearing. George grimaced at the filthy lop. Evidently, whoever had left the treasure here wasn’t very fond of it. Or perhaps there was no treasure, and it indeed had been a trick. George rubbed his hands together, glanced at the still distracted Blitzer, then turned back.

‘Only one way to find out what’s under here.’

“George, I don’t like the sound of this.”

With a deep breath, he tossed the rag aside. On the way to this place, all sorts of objects came to mind when thinking about what they would find down here. Gold in all shapes and sizes, beautiful gemstones or minerals, fancy trinkets or clothing, even weapons like swords encrusted with beautifully cut diamonds. But what he wasn’t expecting was a piece of a flute. Which was just what he found.

“...This is the treasure? Huh.”

“Hey, George? You might want to come down here. Please...”

George twirled the piece around in his hand. The flute had an azure colour, and was made out of metal, which shone bright in the light. The tone holes were dust free, and the flute’s broken state seemed to have been by design, as some sort of locking mechanism was present on both sides of the piece. What struck him as odd was why the flute had been broken apart to begin with. And if this was one piece, then where were the rest?

But he didn’t have long to wonder about it further. A wave of rumbling crept in from the lone way into the treasure chamber. Blitzer staggered back as a gasp escaped his throat, his tail flaring and flickering with the strength of a furnace. “George!! Get down here, hurry! I know what this sound is!”

A startled George almost dropped the flute piece out of his hand. He quickly stuffed it in the folds of his scarf once he had gotten a grip of it, then ran back down the steps in a hurry.

“Wh-what’s the matter?”

Blitzer let out a sharp whine. “I-it’s them… they’re here!!”

The rumbling rose to a fever pitch, as the ground before the two split open. Like creatures from the dark, out rose three sets of claws, shining and sharp like knives. With an angry shout, the three Pokemon jumped out of the holes with their claws drawn out, a manic glint in their eyes.

“d-Drilbur!!”

Crying bloody horror, Blitzer breathed a wave of fire out. George yelped from a white hot scratch on his feet: The flames vaguely flew at the Drilbur, a few sputters flying off sideways to where George was standing. The attacking Drilbur screeched back, spreading their knife-like fingers and burrowing back into the earth. The ground betrayed where they were; they hadn’t gone deep.

“g-George! We need to get out of here!!” Blitzer said, his breaths having disintegrated into rasped gasping. George watched as three trails zigzagged across the dirt,cone headed straight for him.

“I don’t think running is an option!” George yelled, just as the ground in front of his feet opened up. A reflex kicked in, and he jumped back; two claws went past his chest and right arm, knocking some hairs loose. George threw his hand in front of him, only striking empty air. The Drilbur had gone back under and buzzed around him like a hornet. George backed away; shots of fire and an audible struggle sounded not far, when pain jolted up his feet.

“Argh!” ‘The steps!’

The earth next to him broke apart. With a gale-like force, the Drilbur struck George across the chest, almost cleaving his scalchop in two. George responded by blasting the Drilbur with water. It yelped and scurried away, its head poking out of the ground as it frantically clawed back up the tunnel. George held his fists out, sternly looking at his surroundings.

‘Where’s the others?’

Fire roared behind George; he whipped around in time to see Blitzer with his back turned, desperately trying to chase off the Drilbur with his breath. He took a deep gasp between each breath, each hoarser than the one before. The Drilburs shrugged off the heat. Even in the narrow tunnels they dug, the scorching meant little in the heat of the fight. They were resilient, and Blitzer was not. One of the Drilbur had broken loose from Blitzer’s panicking eyes, and had circled around to his back.

“Blitzer!! Behind you!”

The Charmander’s head flicked back and caught several dirt spatters. “AAAH!” screamed Blitzer as three claws struck him on the arm. He fell over backwards into the pedestal, crying out as he landed onto his back. “AUW! AAAUW! AAAAUW!”

Seizing the moment, both of the Drilbur leapt at him. George immediately pulled on the energy in his body, spitting out a blast of water at the attackers as they were about to land on Blitzer.

“Aaaaaaaaaaahh…!”

The two Drilbur were blown back; one hit its head on the wall and passed out, the other one yelped and vanished. George closed his mouth to a sizzling sound, with pain squeezing his stomach and throat in its grip as it had done moments prior. Coughing, he waddled over to Blitzer, who squirmed on the floor.

“Blitzer, Blitzer, are you okay?!”

Tears streamed down the Charmander’s face. “I got hit with water…” he said, pointing at his belly. George, realising how he’d spat out the water, shook Blitzer back and forth.

“I’m sorry! They were about to jump on top of you, I had to do something!”

“Not your fault, we need to get out of here, aaah…” Blitzer groaned as he pulled himself up against the pedestal, which had lost its rectangular shape. George’s eyes widened; some scales on Blitzer’s back had been dented or knocked loose, from the middle down to the base of his tail.

“Can you walk?”

“Y-yes, just give me a moment, aaah…” Blitzer grimaced. “We need to get out of here, George- Ah!”

“Don’t worry, we’re going to make it out of here, Blitzer, I promise…”

But the truth was that George had no idea. The hole the two had slipped into was deep. Very deep. The road leading back to the mouth of the cave was bound to have filled back up with feral Pokemon left right and center, and the odds weren’t in their favour this time. With Blitzer struggling to stand up on his feet, let alone walk on them, and George’s aching throat, it would take nothing short of a miracle for them to make it out.

“Nrrgh…” Blitzer gritted his small, undeveloped teeth as he took his first steps out of the treasure chamber. George kept a hand on his back to try and support him, his other hand going back and forth between his scalchop and the flute piece stuffed in his scarf. Even if it was any ordinary flute, neither of them had gotten this far just to stumble over the hurdles. They had to get out, Drilbur, bats and other creatures of the dark be damned.

“Easy, easy now, see, you can do it.” George moved at Blitzer’s pace, keeping his tail close by lest a Drilbur sneak up on him. ‘So far, so good, come on…’

All the while, Blitzer remained in a tense, shocked state. His eyes were darting around whenever they weren’t pressed shut with each step he took. “No Drilbur, nrgh, Please no Drilbur, argh, No more, ahh.”
Once they had gotten out of the treasure chamber, Blitzer put a claw of his own on George’s back, and tried smiling at him, for as much as it was possible to smile, anyway. A rumble sounded in the distance.

“As long as we keep going, right? Argh.”

“Yes, until we’re out of this hellhole.”

“Hellhole? Is that, ah, another human thing I’m, arghh, not smart enough to aaahh… to understand?”

“Just imagine a pit with a thousand Drilbur in it, and you’ll have a good idea.”

“Don’t think I need to nrgghh, need to imagine.”

As if he’d ordered something at a restaurant, in came two of the killer moles from behind. George jumped around. “Here they come,” he said, hands clenched into his fists. While Blitzer worked his way into a halfway decent fighting stance, George’s right hand was oddly drawn to his scalchop. An Oshawott’s weapon, which he had no experience with. He quickly pulled his hand up. ‘What am I doing? It’s broken!’

“Steady, steady…”

“Here comes!”

The two Drilbur leapt out of the ground, claws spread wide. Blitzer breathed in deep, letting his tail flare up before unleashing his fire. The Drilbur shielded their faces, unable to advance. Alas, the energy Blitzer put into his fire came at the expense of the little grip his feet had on the ground. Seeing this, George threw his arms around the Charmander’s chest, his own wellbeing be damned. His face pressed against orange scales, he left fate to the hand of whatever gods reigned in this world, no matter how many flames he’d catch or accidental scratches he’d sustain.

After half a minute, Blitzer shut his mouth. The two Drilbur were long gone. Relieved, he panted and nudged George to get him to make some distance. George did just as Blitzer wanted, taking a step backward and wiping his face down with both his hands. ‘Scales are weird.’

“Okay, we’ve still got this, still got a chance,” Blitzer muttered.

“How do you feel?” George asked again, even though the answer was self explanatory.

“A little better. At least I’m not, completely helpless.” Blitzer let his arms hang.”We should, keep going.”

“If we keep this up, we’ll get out of here,” George said, then stepped in to support Blitzer’s steps.

“We’re making, aghh, we’re making it out here alright… nggrh! Heroes never give up…”

The two struggled their way up the torchlit tunnel. Blitzer’s steps were improving slowly, as he learned to bite his way through the burning pain shooting up his spine, yet he still limped. This struggle didn’t sit well with George. How long would it take before he’d heal from his injuries? Days? Weeks? Maybe the speed at which his own throat was healing was a bright light at the end of the tunnel, but that was just one light in an ocean. It could be worse than anything either of them had experienced thus far. Perhaps the injury had left its mark, and Blitzer wouldn’t walk properly ever again. George gulped. Pokemon might have been magical creatures, but even they couldn’t be safe from the bitter pill of reality forever.

“Nrgghhh…”

“It’s okay, just keep going.”

“Argh, heroes don’t give up, ever, agh.”

“We have to be halfway across now. Just a little more and we’re out.” ‘I wish’.

“As long as there won’t be any Drilbur, ahh… Then we’ll, then we’ll be aghh, okay…”

“I think I hear something.”

“No…”

An enormous rumbling sound emerged from the way they came. George’s blood ran cold; he couldn’t put another foot forward anymore. Through his hand, he could feel Blitzer’s body cool down and shiver. This was no ordinary Drilbur. It couldn’t have been. Not even three Drilbur had given him this sense of dread, this feeling of being surrounded and crushed into little bits.

“Blitzer, I don’t like this…”

“m-Me neither… I think I know what this is…!”

“What is it? Before it gets here!”

As Blitzer opened his mouth to speak, the trail surged to a mere ten steps away from them. There, the attacker revealed itself at last; with a cry fierce enough to shake the earth, it rose from the ground with its claws spread out wide. Bearing an iron helmet on its head and blood red stripes on its chest, waving its sword-like claws in the air with a high pitched roar, the creature struck terror into Blitzer’s heart.

“E-EXCADRILL!!”

Blitzer almost immediately stumbled over backwards, yelping in pain as he did. The fear in him had made him try to bolt out, overruling the sear of his injuries begging him not to. The tears resumed as he hit the ground, as he clawed his way up the passage in a vain attempt to escape. Now shaking as well, George’s attention dashed all over the place. The monster from below took the first step towards them, its claws glistering in the light. George couldn’t reach the energy in his body. He tried, he desperately tried to douse the beast with all that he had, but it was hopeless. He couldn’t do it.

“b-Blitzer…!”

As the Excadrill closed the distance, its mouth spread open with the most unsettling grin George had ever seen. Its eyes were staring right through him with the force of a bullet. Whatever went on inside of the head of that creature, only a madman could guess. All George knew is that the smile widened with every step, and the claws spread further open, and that he and Blitzer were completely helpless. He shut his eyes.

Close to the edge, an explosion ripped through the caves. George and the Excadrill were knocked off their feet. George rolled onto his back to find the torches on the Excadrill’s side had gone out. He backed away, dragging his tail across the floor. A sharp cracking sound came from deeper within. In the new dark, the vague outline of the Excadrill could be seen confused, then panicking, then screaming, before it vanished as if the ground had opened up to devour it whole..

“Wh-what was that?!”

“Argh, I don’t know!”

George’s heart was beating against the walls of his chest. Deep in the void, two azure eyes stared back. Immediately, George understood. Azure. The treasure.

“B-Blitzer!! Run!”

“How?!”

“No time to think, just run!!”

 

[tomatorade]

Blitz time ring-a-ding.

I'm not sure what kind of feedback you're into, so I'll just do what I usually do and see how it goes.

Here, I'm just covering the first two chapter because sleepy :(

General PMD stuff

So I must reveal my bias. I have said before (though not to you) that I've never been a huge fan of the general PMD starting structure. I recognise that it's a strong way to start a story, but spending a large portion of my life reading a lot of similar takes on it has me a little exhausting.

But I do think yours was enough to hook me to next chapter and make me want to write a review, at least, so it's clearly doing something right.

First and most obvious, it's quite brisk. That feels almost like a backhanded compliment, but I do mean it genuinely. You don't feel the need to overly linger on anything. My only complaint on this front is the more surreal sequence right at the start could have a bit more buildup to George entering the pokemon world. As much as I complain, it still feels worthwhile to have that be an Event with a capital E. Here, it gets about as much weight as anything else.

Which is a shame especially because I quite liked some of your prose. Prose is important to me as a reader and I think it's clear you've put thought into yours. A specific aspect I'd like to point out is the way you include a lot of senses besides sight. There's moments of intense noise or taste or or feel that really help create a more rounded picture of the world and George's experience in it.

But here, maybe my biggest complain on a prose front is the way you handle thoughts. You use single quotes and tend to stick them at the end of George's dialogue. Unfortunately, this makes them more confusing than they should be. I would definitely recommend italics, at least. Probably even give them their own paragraph and treat them like you would a piece of dialogue in their own right.

A couple parts of the PMD opening I like are here, too, which help with the hook.

Mysterious, omnipotent voices are a blunt but effective way to create some mystery and a bit of context to George's (apparent) summoning. More importantly, I think it sets up a promise of what the story will eventually be. Following along the two chapters otherwise, I could almost be convinced this is actually a cute slice-of-life story, so it helps to have a sense of what you're going for beyond just the summary.

I also like the other mysterious voices searching for George in the woods. Their dialogue is a little... blunt, maybe. It's plain exposition that doesn't feel like a natural conversation, but I'm nitpicking a little. Still, I like the uncertainty of their threat. They seem like they want to save the world, but knowing how these stories go, I doubt they're so benevolent. Then George runs, which I think makes sense.

They're the kind of threat I can get behind. Something just to keep in the back of my mind as the story goes on.

Cute :3

I mean, you said you were aiming for the classic PMD tone and I think you've nailed it so far.

The characters are all very cute and wholesome. Protag and partner skewing noticeably younger than most, I think, what with the general banter and bonding a lot more quickly. Like best friends at first sight lol. Which is a lot of what I liked about OG PMD, actually. It's a lot of just guys bein' dudes, everyone's inherently trusting, and the whole exercise feels like a more charming, innocent version of standard isekai wish fulfillment.

And while I don't have an immediately strong sense of character beyond Blitzer being the more reckless, energetic one, I really liked all the little details between them--George leaning into his name being weird here despite having the most generic human name, the parents immediately taking him in a and bathing him like it's no big deal, Blitzer instantly believing he's human and thinking it's cool. Charming, like I said. And the type of wish fulfillment here is turned to the dreams of a lonely foster kid who just wants a family, which is sweet if a little heartbreaking.

It's good to see his past in a foster home isn't shrugged off, though. I still wonder how much relevance it will have down the line, but I'm hoping we get more on how it shaped him as a person (pokemon). Blitzer seems to be adopted, too, though under mysterious circumstances. I have to wonder if he's also a secret human, but I also doubt it will be that simple.

It’s interesting how much being a human seems to matter in this world. And not for good reasons. I tend to like this approach. Like with everything else PMD, it works for me more and vibes and implementation, but I’m always down for some stakes. It’s good that we get something to look out for even if the only clue is ‘her’, too. It's something to scrutinise as I read further.

And finally, I do wonder if introducing the idea of a fugitive could have been done more naturally. Like, having the boys run across a wanted poster or something. The way it is now, the knock at the door just interrupts the scene for very little reason or payoff. It feels somewhat random in a distracting way.

Anyway, hopefully I will be back sometime later with more to say. I figured his was the best time to read since you've started posting on TR so I get to follow along as it unravels.

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 15 - Rainy Mood​

“There it is! A little further, Blitzer!”

Light shone in from above, as if Arceus itself had come to bless them. The two valiantly struggled up the final slope, groaning as the adrenaline came close to running out, and their feet were on the verge of giving up. Yet tired as they were, to give up meant to subject themselves to the vivid horrors they imagined in their heads.

The caves were empty on the way back, despite the infestation of bats that had greeted them on the way in. With what little energy he had left, and with Blitzer limping along with him, George couldn’t help but smirk a little.

‘Talk about expectations subverted… Just hang in there, Blitzer!’

With loud heaving, ragged gasping, and gritted teeth, George and Blitzer stumbled out of the cave and into the sunlight, elated as the stone under their feet turned to grass.

“We’re out… we’re out!” George cheered, his voice shaking as let himself fall over. He thrashed his limbs around, revelling in the funny sensation of having all the little blades of grass and clovers twirl around his body.

Blitzer dropped onto the plains with a heavy sigh. “I thought I wasn’t going to make it…” he whimpered in between pants, trying to keep his tail from sparking up the grass. He felt beside him until he found a tuft of George’s light blue fur. “T-that was, the s-scariest thing I’ve, I’ve ever seen…”

George rolled onto his side, then reached out to the Charmander. “It’s okay, we’re safe now.”

“I never, never want to see another Drilbur, ever again, ever.”

Blitzer’s breathing slowly returned to a healthy rhythm. Despite everything, he wore a slight smile on his face. George drummed his belly in a lazy rhythm. Treasure or no treasure, brave or cowardly, it didn’t matter. They were safe. They were safe. That thought alone kept them smiling. As long as they had each other, everything was going to be alright.

“How are you feeling, Blitzer?”

“All I want to do, is sleep in my bed. My legs hurt, and my back does too.”

“Can you still walk?”

“Yes, just give a moment. I want to rest a little.” Blitzer rolled onto his back, his lower back coming to rest on a dewy piece of grass. His tail dipped downwards, scorching a portion of grass black in the process. “Ah, that hits the spot.”

George sat upright, putting a little pressure onto his tail. “As long as you’re okay,” he said, twirling his ears back and forth. “I didn’t come all the way out here just to lose you. I’d never forgive myself.”

Blitzer spread his arms and legs over the grass, much like a star in the night sky. “What about you? Are you feeling alright?” he asked, eager for an answer. George tilted his head backwards.

“Me? Just a little tired, that’s all.” George waved the smoky air away.

Blitzer chuckled back at him. “Haha, that’s fantastic! You know, after all that water breathing, back there, what I saw and heard from you, I was kind of worried. You’re still not used to it, right?”

George nodded. “Not really, no. Still feel like I’ve been wringed out to dry. But I’m getting a little better, at least. Either I’m learning how to handle myself, or I’ve gotten used to the aching,” he said, then gulped. “Sorry for spitting water onto you back there, by the way.”

“No worries.” Blitzer’s smile took a sinister turn. “...Georgie.”

George frowned. “Hey, what’s that all about?!”

Blitzer laughed right back at him, body rocking back and forth in the grass like a baby in a crib. Apparently, it was highly amusing for him to say that after a near death experience, one George had pulled him out of. Doing his best, yet still laughed at. His frown grew deeper the longer he watched Blitzer bob around. If it wasn’t for his back, the Charmander would have been rolling all over the place, laughing his way into a coma all the while.

“I’m, I’m sorry George, I just couldn’t resist!”

“Yeah, I’m sure you couldn’t.” George stared off into the plains leading back home. No wild Pokemon to spot anywhere, just when he had the craving to spot some. Anything to take his mind off from things would’ve been welcome, but alas.

Seeing that laughing wasn’t impressing George, Blitzer took a different approach. “Oh, come on now. You have to admit that I deserve a little fun, especially after you leaked a little water on me back there,” he said, gritting his teeth through the pain until he sat up straight. “It’s only a joke-”

“Yes, I know!” George snapped back. “I just don’t like being called ‘Georgie’, okay?”

The Oshawott’s response came out a lot angrier than he had anticipated. Worse than that was that he wasn’t shocked about it. Blitzer wouldn’t understand.

‘Come on, try to do something, Georgie!’

‘Aw, you wanna go cry? Cry to your mommy?’

‘Your mommy even thought you were stupid!’

“George? George!!”

A cold wave washed over George.Confused, he looked over his shoulder to see Blitzer sat upright, tail curled around him, bearing a morose look which he didn’t want to show.

“George, um… I’m sorry,” Blitzer muttered, his muscles tensed up. “Is there… is there any reason why you don’t… why you don’t like being called ‘Georgie’?” he asked, his voice soft. “a-And again, I’m really sorry. I mean it.”

A tear crept out of George’s eye. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he blurted out. Right after, he slapped himself in the face. ‘You’re only making things worse for yourself, George!’ Frustrated, he grabbed onto the soft white fur on his head and started to pull.

“g-George! Don’t do that!”

By the time Blitzer’s pleas reached his ears, George had already yanked a tuft out. He let it slide through his fingers, and allowed a frigid wind to carry it away. Moments after, he let his hands sink to the ground. Now was not the time to wave things off. Not to a friend.

“If anything, it should be me who’s sorry, Blitzer. Not you.”

“n-No, don’t worry about it-”

The Oshawott sighed. “Me acting out like that was completely uncalled for. And I get it. It’s a joke. You should be allowed to make jokes. It’s just.” George clicked his tongue. ‘Your mommy didn’t even love you, Georgie!’ “There’s something I can’t explain. And it goes deep…”

Blitzer let out a deep breath through his nose. “Do you know why?”

George’s body vibrated at the thought. “Yes. Yes I do. It’s… it’s my old life. it’s too much,” he said, ears pressed against his head. A tear rolled down his cheek. Of all the times and places to think about the past, right this second had to be one of them. Even though that past was so very far away, it was only right around the corner.

‘If only I hadn’t been such a bad person. Maybe then I wouldn’t have ended up there. Maybe I could be telling Blitzer actual good stories about myself. But I can’t.’

A hand suddenly touched George, whose ears perked back up. He looked up to see Blitzer having crawled up to him, patting his shoulder.

“If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn’t ever want to make fun of you on purpose,” the Charmander said. “I mean, you saved my life back there! If I had gone down there alone, I would have been toast! And not the kind my mom makes, either.” Grinning, he wiped the tears off George’s cheeks, who tepidly nodded in return.

“You could say that.” ‘And I would’ve laughed if I could, honest…’

Blitzer poked George with his elbow. “More like the kind my dad makes, am I right?” he said, to which the corners of George’s mouth sharply curled up.

“You mean Nero, or your biological dad?” ‘Was that too far?’

“What’s the difference?”

Blitzer spread his arms wide and wrapped them around George. The two keeled over backwards, laughing. One final tear left George’s eye, before those emotions were put to rest. He turned back to Blitzer, this time with the frown turned upside down.

“Thanks Blitzer, I needed that.”

“No worries, George. Glad to help out anytime!” he said, scratching the back of his head with a thump of his tail. A burnt smell hung in the air, before being blown off by another cold wind. A glance above revealed darkened clouds gathering, which made Blitzer audibly swallow. “We should probably head back before Kyogre drops an ocean onto us.”

“Yeah,” George replied, pulling himself onto two feet. “Does it often rain around here?” ‘And Kyogre makes it rain, huh…’

“Absolutely,” Blitzer said, groaning as he got up. “In fact, it rains so often, it’s a miracle you haven’t seen any yet. It’s been really dry these past two weeks. Oh well,” he said with a shrug. George folded his arms over his scarf, reeling as he imagined getting doused in water from a passing car.

“Well, I’ve seen plenty of rain back in the city. At least here I won’t get scolded for getting myself wet in the rain.”

Blitzer cracked up. “Wait, what? Why would anyone do that? It’s rain!”

“Ha, yeah,” George said, glancing at the grass for a split second. “City rules. Or… what was that word again… Eh-tee-ket. Apparently it was very important. Not here, right?”

“Nope,” Blitzer said with a sly grin.

“That’s better.” George put his hands together. The idea of laying on a warm bed while it poured outside was like hot cocoa on a winter morning. “We haven’t forgotten anything, have we?”

“What about the treasure?” Blitzer pointed at the fold in George’s bright red scarf with a curious flick of his tail.

“Wait, ah!” The Oshawott’s hands flew up to the scarf to rummage through the folds; fortunately, the flute piece still sat snug as a bug inside one. “Phew, that was a close one. Thought it was gone for a second, there.”

Blitzer wiped the sweat off his brow, despite the fact that he was a Charmander, and thus incapable of producing sweat to begin with. “After all the fighting, it’s a miracle that you didn’t lose it! Better, because no one is getting me back in there, no chance.”
George raised the flute piece up to his nose. With it now being quiet, spare for Blitzer’s mouth, he had ample opportunity to study it. The piece gave off a dull shine. Even without sunlight, there was an elegance to it unlike anything back home. This wasn’t something you’d find in the middle of nowhere. The flute’s touch revealed a level of sophistication only a master would be able to achieve. Was such a thing even possible? Were there great cities in this world where civilization had bloomed to such an extent? And if they existed, why would a stranger ask a small Oshawott and a stubborn, zippy Charmander to dive underground for it? Unable to answer these questions himself, George handed Blitzer the piece, and explained his thoughts.

“Huh? So you think an ordinary Pokemon made this?” Blitzer twiddled the piece around, observing it from many directions with exaggerated motions.

“No, I said a great craftsman, not anyone ordinary,” George grumbled, his tail swatting at the air. Blitzer shook his head back.

“That’s not what I meant. You think there are people out there capable of making these sorts of things? Ordinary Pokemon, and not Legends? Because, uh, I don’t think there are any people like you describe, George.”

George tilted his head. “What do you mean?” he said, then leaned back. ‘To be honest, I might already have an idea. Soldiers, or something.’

The Charmander took in a deep breath, as if to prepare himself for a lecture he was about to give. “Well, I have never heard of anything like that. You know, I vaguely remember being in a city when I was really young. But there was nothing like this there. Not at all. I don’t know what human society is like, George, but maybe you would find things like these there? If you’re telling the truth, then wow!”

As the wind howled yet again, George felt uncomfortably dry. Something in his body was telling him to jump into a pool of water. “So, uh, does that mean no?” he asked, clenching his gut to try and shake off the feeling that he’d been lost in a desert for hours.

“What I mean is, this is probably not made by an ordinary Pokemon,” Blitzer said. “Makes more sense that way. Why else would it be lying underground?”

George laid a hand on his cheek. “I don’t know..”

“We might have gotten our hands on something special, George. Or, in other words… Treasure!” Blitzer’s tail suddenly flared happily. It didn’t take long for him for his arms to fly through the air; were it not for his injuries, his feet would’ve been up there too.

“Haha, yeah, I guess,” George awkwardly mumbled, while scratching at an itch near his freckled cheeks. ‘Some treasure it is, though. We can’t even show it to anyone.’

An extra cold wind blew onto George’s back. The tension in his muscles lessened; a wave of humid air had been blown over by the wind. Given the clouds, the rain couldn’t have been far off. Believing Blitzer would want to be indoors by the time the rain arrived in full force, George turned tail to start the trek home. But, much to his annoyance, Blitzer wouldn’t have it that way.

“Heey! Where are you going?”

“Back home. Where else?”

“Why though?”

“Doesn’t it look like it’s about to start raining?” George pointed up with a slap of his tail.

“Yeah, but it’s only a little rain. No worries!” Blitzer said, stretching his arms out to let the wind flow over his body. “Cold, though!”

Thoroughly stumped, George tried pointing out the obvious to the Charmander. “But you’re a fire type. Don’t fire types hate rain?” He made rapid gestures all around his face with both hands to try and bring his points across, complimented further by flicks of his ears and twitches of his nose. “You know, with getting wet and all being actually bad for your health? Or that fire types just don’t like that? Getting cold in general being bad? Water gets pretty cold. Especially in the rain.”

Blitzer’s response was to put one hand on his head, the other on his side, and to start rubbing. “I don’t know. Other fires, maybe, but not me! I can handle getting a little wet! If bathing’s no issue, rain is nothing! I’ve handled rain before, it’s nothing big.”

George rolled his eyes. “Are you sure?” ‘Your father sure told me a different story. With bathing, which I’ve seen for myself. And smelled more than enough times, too...’

“Sure am! Now then, the flute…” Blitzer took the piece between two fingers. “What should we do with it?”

The former human folded his small arms over one another. “Well, we can’t go around showing it to anyone. Least of all your parents, either. They’ll probably start asking questions if we do.”

Blitzer nodded, and straightened his tail. “You’re right. Don’t need the whole village to find out. Especially not with Soldiers around. I don’t want them getting their greedy paws on it.”

George hummed in agreement. “Yes, and don’t forget the message. They explicitly told us not to, didn’t they?”

The expression on Blitzer’s face soured. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot… we can’t tell or show anyone. But why though? Why does whoever wrote us that message want that so badly?”

“I don’t know,” said George while shaking his head, “but I don’t want to find out what happens otherwise.”

“Uh huh.”

George breathed in deep, and back out. Blitzer held the piece out in front of him, and George eyed it further. It couldn’t have been so simple, could it? Would anyone just leave a piece of a flute lying at the bottom of a cave? He closed his eyes, and reimagined the encounter with the Excadrill. Those azure eyes right after it disappeared. The way they stared right back at him was off. Hatred, or anger... No, it wasn’t that. It was far more like the gaze of a police officer keeping watch over a playground.

His eyes were pried open by a large drop landing square on his nose. Surprised, George twitched it around, as more drops started falling. Another large one fell square on the crown of Blitzer’s head, causing the Charmander to jump. “Ah!”

“Blegh, here’s the rain I was talking about,” George said.

“You know what, how’s about we get out of here?” Blitzer said as more drops started falling all around the two. “I wanna go home.”

George looked off beside him, bearing a smug grin. “Feeling homesick, Blitzer?”

“Yeah, somewhere warm and dry sounds fine right about now.”

Grinning as the rain caressed his fur, George once again put a foot forward. “Well, what are we waiting for? It’s a good half hour until we get back.” ‘Knew he was fakin’ it.’

Blitzer gulped. “Are you sure?”

“Well, it depends on how fast you can walk.”

“Uuurgh…”

And so, the two made their trek home, the flute piece once again tucked away into George’s scarf. Of all the danger they had gotten themselves into, one thing was certain about today’s adventure: They had better come up with a darned good excuse by the time they got home.

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, it’s been a while since I crossed paths with this story, and my understanding is that you’ve put quite a bit of fresh paint over your earlier chapters. I did make a point of trying to reciprocate reviews with everyone who shot me one over the past year, and you quite generously left a chunky one for Fledglings earlier today, so that sounded like as good a reason to shoot a review back at you a bit sooner:

Chapter 7

Spoiler

Reinvigorated, Blitzer and George pressed on past the bridge, taking the first leftward trail they found. The trail was partially overgrown with thorns growing over George’s head. Blitzer had a strategy in mind: If the thorns were too connected to the rest of the vegetation, they’d go around, and if not, Blitzer was more than happy to use his weapon.

“Hey George, watch this.”

Not fully convinced that George is going to be able to use his scal- oh wait, that’s Blitzer, never mind.

He opened his mouth wide, and scorched the thorns back into the ground. George whistled as best as his mouth would let him. “Wow. Your firebreathing’s something to behold, Blitzer!”

The Charmander shrugged. “Says you, waterbreather!”

What does an otter sound like whistling anyways?

Blitzer: “Really, it’s not all that special. I’m sure that your scalchops could hack them apart in a flash!”

George sheepishly smiled. “Is that really so impressive? It’s just water.” ‘And that’s if I can even breathe it.’

George: “I imagined it was more ‘spitting out’, really. Which I suppose should bug me a bit more in terms of how gross that sounds when you say that out loud.” ^^;

“And this is only fire,” said Blitzer, scratching his neck. “I can’t breathe fire for more than a few seconds before I start coughing, anyway. It tires me out really quickly, so I have to be careful. And I don’t want to accidentally start fires all over the place, either. It’s rough.”

“Do you think water would be any different?” asked George, twirling his ears around.

“Well, the waterbreathers back home do it real easily, and I’m the only firebreather in Greenfield, so… yeah. It shouldn’t be too difficult. They can do it without coughing.”

Since I’m not convinced at all that George, as someone who’s been an otter for all of like two days, would be able to use water attacks anywhere near as smoothly as Blitzer expects.

“...Sure.” ‘Maybe it’s because they’re already experienced, Blitzer.’

See? Even George agrees with me here.

After a good amount of burning and dodging, the trail ended at the base of a hill. The birds had stopped singing, leaving only the howling winds as Blitzer and George arrived. Mist obscured the hill, leaving no clue for what was ahead beyond the grass with which carried a blue tinge. George tensed up, keeping a hand close to his scalchop. There was something off in the air, as if it were telling any guests to turn back right this second.

Oh, they’re about to enter a Mystery Dungeon, huh? Since this sure feels like “entering an unnatural and dangerous space” right about now.

“Here we are,” Blitzer whispered. “There’s the sign, right over there.” He pointed towards a path leading up the hill. Underneath some moss, the words “Azure Hills MD - Keep out!” were written. George eyed the hill through the mist.

Well, I suppose the blue mist or grass, or whatever’s supposed to carry that tinge helps this place live up to its name. Though I figured.

[ ]

“Do you think this is where we’ll find the berries? It looks very cold up there.”

“Well, half the village was going here to pick berries, right? Why wouldn’t we find any here? If we’re lucky, we might even find one of the villagers, and they can point us in the right direction,” Blitzer suggested.

While I get that it’s a priority of ZtH to keep chapters on the shorter and more digestible side, I wonder if there was a bit of a missed opportunity here to get in George’s head for his surroundings. Since from that passing mention of him grabbing at his scalchop, it sounds like he’s meant to be tense here, but it’s not really expanded on.

George crossed his arms over his scalchop. “But it’s a mystery dungeon, remember?”

“Oh, yes, that’s right…” Blitzer smacked himself on the side of the head. “Then we’re on our own. No sense in waiting for others to show up, is there? Yeah, that’s right! We can do this ourselves!” He straightened his scarf with a toothy grin, then stepped forward. “Let’s do this, George!”

George waddled next to him, holding firmly onto his basket. ‘Here goes nothing.’

<><><>
Mists enveloped all around as they ventured onward. Right off the bat, George realized that exploring the hills wouldn’t be simple. The trail was a mess of switchbacks running to the top, leaving little room to move without going into the grass beside. Little separated the trail from a steep drop on one side and the cliff wall on the other. Not to mention the trouble of moving uphill constantly. It was bound to be tiring, and there was no way around it.
At the top of the hill, the mist wasn’t as prevalent. Alas, reaching it was a short celebration. A glance ahead revealed little besides more zigzagging trails running up different hills. Down below in the fog, trails branched off in all directions; some up another hill, some went to nowhere. Or so it seemed. Anyone trying to make sense of it all had nothing but vague outlines and shadows darting across the valley to work with.

Part of me wonders if there ought to be a hard scene break between your first and second paragraphs in this block since it feels like we zoom ahead quite a bit time and place-wise. Either that or maybe there should be more of a transition where we actually see Blitzer and George step ahead instead of it being dealt with after the fact. I also left a couple suggestions for clarifying a couple spots that seemed vague to me, but unsure if they were quite what you were intending.

“Well, some climb this is. I could do this all day!” Blitzer eyed the fog below with the contempt of a conqueror. George’s eyes were drawn to the shadows moving through the mists. His ears shifted back and forth as cries echoed through the valley, shivers striking him.

“I don’t know about this, Blitzer… This seems like a bad idea.”

I actually wonder if that little deet about Blitzer’s expression is specifically from George’s point of view or not. Since if it is, it makes me wonder what sorts of stories he used to read for fun back at the orphanage.

The Charmander grabbed George by the shoulder, nudging his chin up to the level of the hilltops in the distance. “Eyes on the goal, George. You see those bushes over there? That’s what we’re after.”

George put a hand over his eyes. Leaning forward, little bits of colour stuck out from the bushes. “Berries! Not that many of them, though.”

George: “... Wait, do the soldiers really just steal everything nailed down around Greenfield to the point that we have to risk life and limb in a place like this for berries?”

Blitzer: “Er. Well. Yeah. Now that you put it that way, it is pretty messed up, isn’t it?”

Blitzer shrugged. “Who knows, we might find a whole bunch if we look long enough. In any case, we’re on the right track. If we go from hilltop to hilltop, we should be able to get all the berries we’ll need and then some.”

“Does it matter which berries we gather?” George asked, imagining his mouth full of Oran Berries.

“Yeah. My parents always tell me to eat a variety. That’s how you get stronger. But any berries will do, as long as they’re not poisonous.”

Ah yes, so they have to deal with that as a part of things, too.

“Uh… do you know which ones are poisonous?” George asked.

“Of course I do,” Blitzer said. “Mom and dad taught me when I was four!”

I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not, but this definitely gives a lot more of a meager and precarious vibe to Greenfield in retrospect versus what I remember of the original version of the first six chapters. No wonder this story takes a turn towards a revolt storyline later on.

George nodded, and gave one last glance to the hilltops in the distance. “Got it.” ‘Was he running off at four, or do all Pokemon learn it that young?’

Again, there was literally a throwaway line last chapter about how Greenfield was getting half its food seized, George. I’m not sure if Blitzer and his family would’ve survived if they weren’t all able to bring home edible food after moments like that.

Blitzer selected a path down the hill, once again leaving George following behind, much to the latter’s chagrin. He had his own ideas on where to go, but never got to voice them, let alone convince Blitzer of them. Trying to argue or yell to get his attention was a waste of time; it was as if the Charmander’s hearing shut off whenever they were running.

Which will surely never, ever cause problems at some point in the future! /s

And so he once again ran after Blitzer, the mist growing thicker as they descended into the echoing valley. The mist was a good keeper of secrets; tiny streams flowed across the valley floor, cutting a path through the damp grass and the trail itself. Splashes from stepping inside echoed in all directions - for a brief moment, a mammal howled in the distance.

George: “...”

Blitzer: “Eh, you get used to it after a while. Come on, George, I think I see berries up ahead!”

“We’re going right here.”

“Why though? Wasn’t the- Hey, wait up!”

“Has to be. There’s a steep cliff ahead, I can see it.”

George: “... Which I didn’t see at all up to this point. Seriously, Blitzer, how are you just this at peace rooting around through a dangerous place like this for berries?”

Though that actually makes me wonder if it’s occurring to George at all just how messed-up things are meta-wise that Blitzer’s going through all of this for some extra food for himself and for the village. I mean, it not occurring to him because of the moment being tense is a perfectly valid take, though it would potentially be a way to foreshadow things to come in the narrative based off what I’ve heard through the grapevine about where your story goes.

They ran down the trail for half a minute. George couldn’t shake off the feeling that they weren’t the only ones running down the trail, but didn’t peek over his shoulder to look; keeping up with Blitzer was more important. A smell reminiscent of a dog’s crept into his nose once he caught up.

Well, I guess that would explain the howling noise that he heard earlier. Though I wonder if that’s a feral or not.

“Ah, it’s a dead end. My bad.” Blitzer wiped down his brow and turned on his heel. George’s ears vibrated as a growl came from behind. “Do you see any other trail we can follow?”

George shook his head. “No. But I do see that!”

The black feet of a Poochyena stepped out of the mist. Its fangs lay bare as it growled, ready to strike. George stepped back as the canine approached. Fighting weak little bugs was child’s play in comparison. Blitzer threw his basket aside and held his claws out in front of him.

Ah yes, I suppose that answers the ‘feral or not’ question.

Blitzer: “Wait, but Poochyena are hyenas-”

George: “Look, it looks like a dog, okay? It’s my perspective handling the narration, so I’m going to call it a ‘canine’.” >_>;

“Careful, George, there might be more.”

George: “Oh yay me. Like this day couldn’t possibly be going any worse right now.”

“How do we fight this off? It wants to take a piece bite out of us!” George said, his voice shaking. Blitzer tapped him on the arm.

“Simple. Just like we fought off the bugs.”

“This is not a bug!”

“It’s still a Pokemon, though.”

Blitzer: “Also, the bugs were also trying to take a bite out of us in the last dungeon, so…”

George: “Blitzer, this isn’t helping!” >.<

The Poochyna lunged straight towards George. He gasped, before being thrown into a pool of water to the side. Blitzer struck the Pokemon on the face several times, clawing out a strand of black fur in the process. George rolled out of the water, a pained expression resting on his face. The Poochyena jumped up at Blitzer’s throat; Blitzer grabbed it by the neck, slammed it down on the ground, then fell to his knees with his mouth wide open. Expecting a surge of fire, George shielded his face. A crunch, followed by a yelp, followed by scratching sounded. As George put his arms away and stood back up, Blitzer was dusting the hairs off his scaly body.

“Phew, that was a close one.”

George: “... Blitzer, did you just kill that thing, or-?”

Blitzer: “Don’t think too hard about it. The important thing is that it’s not getting back up and we’ll hopefully be able to get out of here before the rest of its pack catches up.”

George spat at his feet. Some muddy water and bits of blue grass had gotten into his mouth. “Blegh, you could say that again,” he said, looking for his basket, which had landed further back in the grass.

“You know George, you’re not making things easier by acting all scared,” Blitzer said, basket back in hand.

George: “Blitzer, you almost had your throat torn out by a dog!”

Blitzer: “Hyena.”
George: “Whatever! Look, the point is, how are you just okay with any of this?!” O_O;

“What?” George stomped his feet. “Like I can control how I’m feeling! How am I not supposed to be scared? It wanted to eat us!”

He kicked the Poochyena in the back, biting his lip in the process. This wasn’t fighting bugs any longer. Going up against creatures his size wasn’t even on the same planet. How could it be? He wasn’t all that fit when he was a human, and now he wasn’t even that. Just a frail otter running around with a basket and an ill fitting scarf.

George: “Well, the good news is I think that you didn’t kill it, Blitzer.”
Blitzer: “Wait, how on earth is that good news for us?”

George: “Because we’ve got a K+ rating on FFN to maintain, alright?”

“Well yeah, but that won’t help us. No one is going to save us down here except ourselves.”

“I know that… It’s just, I can’t do it. I’m not ready to be here.”

Yeah, while I kinda gathered that this was how George was feeling in live-time, I kinda wonder if it’d have had more impact showing more of his internal freaking out about “Aaah! Monster!”, “Blitzer, how are you just okay with this?!”, and the various thoughts swirling about his mind before this point.

George: “Which… I suppose would’ve been better for me to realize before I came here, but…”

[ ]

“Just stay calm, please.” Blitzer patted George on the shoulder. George nudged him back, shaking his head.

“It’s no use. What am I? Nothing but baggage. You’d have been better off without me coming here.”

I kinda wonder if this moment would be more effective showing George pausing and freaking out a bit before Blitzer tries to reassure him. Though I see that some of that internalized messaging from the orphanage is leaking through right about now.

“No, don’t say that about yourself, George!”

Blitzer got right up to George’s face, close enough for George to feel the warmth of his breath. The Charmander then threw his basket down and shook George around.

“You’re not baggage, not ever! It is scary out here, and it is dangerous, and you’re still learning how to fight, but come on! You can’t say you’re useless!”

Did… a soldier bully Blitzer or call him useless when he was younger or something like that? Since he sure had a reaction there to George’s earlier remarks there. .-.

“But it’s the truth, though-”

“It’s not! You weren’t useless yesterday, either. You were awesome! You should have seen yourself!”

“That was against bugs,” George muttered.

[ ]
“And? Bugs aren’t a joke, and I can breathe fire on them! They can’t handle that, yet I still can see that they’re dangerous! Let me tell you, Poochyena aren't much more dangerous than the bugs yesterday, George. If you try and fight back, you’ll see.”

Yeah, Blitzer totally got bullied and called useless by a soldier or someone else earlier on in life, I can already tell. Since it would explain a lot about this reaction. Though it might make sense to slip in a little bit about Blitzer’s body language or something here, especially if you do want to hint at there being a deeper story behind his remarks here.

George shook his head. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Come, let’s go.” Blitzer said, walking back the way they came, making sure George remained right next to him. “We’ll figure this out eventually. Let’s go and just focus on getting some berries now, I want to be back home before it’s dark outside-”

IMO, it probably makes sense to avoid having two “Let’s go” constructions in the same paragraph as each other to avoid repetition.

The two found themselves face to face with another Poochyena. It stood on the edge of the mist, teeth bared like the one before it. Its eyes burned with rage, staring down Blitzer with monstrous intent. George’s heart pressed against his ribs. ‘Another?! Did it follow the other one?’

Feral!Poochyena: [growling intensifies]
George: “I’ll just take that as a ‘yes’.”

“Quick, George!” Blitzer fell back into his fighting stance. George idled for a bit. ‘I’m not a fighter, but…’ he thought to himself. In the end, he couldn’t run or hide from this. Then, when another sent the hairs on the back of his head upright. It was time to bite the bullet. He threw down his basket and held his hands up.

I think that you’re missing a word after ‘another’ there. Is that supposed to be ‘howl’? Did another Poochyena show up?

“Ow!”

Blitzer winced and bumped into George, causing making him to tumble into the grass next to the road, feet slipping and tail flying into the air. The scalchop pressed into his chest, sending a wave of convulsions through him.

Well, this battle is certainly going well™ for these two at the moment.

The Poochyena took its chance, lunging straight at Blitzer who was struggling to find decent footing. Blitzer threw his hands forwards to try and block it, but the Pokemon was too strong. They fell over backwards, Blitzer landing on his back, kept from the jaws of the Poochyena only by his hands pressing against the beast’s neck.

“George!! Help me! Help!!”

George: “Blitzer, what on earth am I even supposed to do right now?!”

Blitzer: “I don’t know! Breath water on it or something!”
George: “But you’re literally in prime position to spit fire and-”
Blitzer: “George, just help me before this feral eats my face, okay?!” >.<

George scrambled to get back on his feet. Blitzer’s cries rang in his ears, echoing in his head. His feet felt limp, his arms brittle, at the worst time possible. He had to do something, and fast. Blitzer’s resistance grew evermore shaky by the second. George gasped, closed his eyes, and jumped. As he threw himself forward, there was but one thought on his mind.

‘I have to do this.’

George: “I mean, every bone in my body is telling me this won’t end well, but I’m trying not to pay too hard of attention to it.”

Fur, then skin collided against George’s arms. He and the Poochyena rolled to a stop, the ground forcing the scalchop against him. Groaning and sputtering, his arms went upwards to the attacker’s underbelly out of reflex. The Poochyena barked, trying to muscle its way down. George breathed heavily towards the attacking Pokemon. Nothing but air came out, and the only one hurting was George.

George:

‘Where’s the water? Why can’t I do it?!’

Blitzer: “George, this isn’t funny!”

George: “Yeah, I figured!”

Tears welled up in his eye as the pain pulsated around the scalchop. George tried as hard as he could to push the Poochyena off, but it just wouldn’t relent no matter how hard he tried. It had to have enormous energy after seeing one of its kin fall. Vicious and out for blood, didn’t matter whose blood. For the first time of his life, George felt true fear. The end breathed down his neck, its cold teeth hungering.

George: “This- This is really it. I’m going to die becoming dog food.”

Blitzer: “Hyena food-”
George: “Blitzer, can we not right now?!”

“Graah!”

A red claw struck the Poochyena in the face. The Pokemon winced, then was swept aside like dust under a broom. George’s arms were knocked to the side; a jet of flame flew over his head, blasting the Poochyena’s back. With a cry, it fell still, leaving George tasting grass. He was then pulled off the ground by that same claw.

“You alright, George?”

George: “Obviously not, no.”

George panted out for a few seconds. He was shaking, hands vibrating to the point that picking the basket back up was a herculean task. All that had stood between him and his demise was his arm’s length.

George: “And Blitzer coming in for the save at the last moment. Seriously, Blitzer, how on earth does this just not bother you?” o_o;

“I feel weak,” George said.

“Why?” Blitzer asked, reaching over to his own basket.

“Nothing went right there. Nothing.”

“We’re both still here.”

George: “Oh yay, what a high bar to cross there.”

“But I tried spitting water. Nothing came out, at all. There was nothing I could do. I thought I was done for! And you just took it out with fire like it was no problem.”

Blitzer: “... You’ll get better with practice and a chance to manage your nerves better?”

George: “Yeah, I’m doomed. I can already tell.” ._.

Blitzer shook his head. “Not when I was on the ground. I couldn’t do it until you took it off of me. Maybe the same thing is true of you, George. When you’re feeling hurt, you can’t breathe water. Were you hurt around your chest just now?”

George looked meekly down at his chest, hands resting on the sides of his scalchop. The pain caused by that little shell was unbelievable in how much it stung. “Yeah, I think so. The fall got me pretty bad,” he said, to which Blitzer scratched his chin.

“In that case, we should try again later. Or, well, you should try again later, I mean.” Blitzer chuckled. “We should keep going, before more Poochyena find us here.”

George bit at his cheeks. “Yeah.”

George: “Look, Blitzer, isn’t there a ‘dojo’ or something in Greenfield where I could practice against opponents that aren’t trying to eat my face?” ._.;
Blitzer: “I… don’t think that we have one of those in Greenfield, actually. Though admittedly, we didn’t really look around town all that much in the past.” ^^;

Coming out of the dead end, the two discussed which direction to try out next. Having been humbled by the fight for their lives, Blitzer gave George’s suggestion a try, and went straight ahead. The valley had gotten quieter since the fight; this time, hilltops were the source of the Pokemon cries: The barking and howling of canines locked in a clash in the distance. Something George was glad to be far away from.

Aaaaaaand he jinxed it by bringing the Poochyena back up as a topic.

The trail zigzagged a few times, before pitching upwards against the slope of a hill. Company awaited the two there; a Yungoos and a Geodude, to be more precise. Not wanting to take any risks, Blitzer went on the attack and George reluctantly followed after him. Fortunately, the wild pokemon were so dazed by the sudden strike, they were unable to mount much of a defence. The Geodude went down after a powerful blast of fire, while the Yungoos was given a beating until it saw stars, leaving the trail to the top open. Blitzer decided it was a good time to do a few stretches.

I’m a little surprised that it’s the Geodude that would go down to the Fire attack as a ‘mon with a type resistance. Guess it must not have been all that high-leveled compared to Blitzer.

“I’m hoping it won’t be too much of a hassle, getting to the top. It’s been pretty tiring so far.”

George gazed up and saw nothing but mists [ ]. “I don’t know about this. Wasn’t the top of this hill further up than the previous one?”

I think that it might make sense to more explicitly note that George is feeling a bit uneasy here. Like is there something about this hilltop further than normal in the distance that’s giving him a bad feeling? If so, what?

“Yes. But this is where the berries are, and that’s what we’re here for,” Blitzer said, then licked his lips. “Although, maybe we won’t get to fill the whole basket up…”

George was stunned. “But didn’t you want to fulfil your promise? You said you wanted to bring a whole basket back.”

George: “I mean, not that I would really complain about it given that we’ve both had a near-death experience just getting here, but…”

Blitzer’s tail flame spiked; a breath forced its way past his teeth. “Yes, yes I did!” he said, hastily putting his feet forward. George wasn’t so sure anymore.

‘He looks awfully worried. Maybe he’s gotten the idea that we can’t do this? That’s not like him. Not at all.’

George: “... Actually, considering how I’ve known George for all of like two days, how sure am I that that’s not like him?”

A simple road winded its way uphill. After a few zigzags, George glanced back and forth between the mist and Blitzer. ‘Simple’ was giving it too much credit: All between them and the mist was the trail, a grass slope on one end, and a steep cliff on the other. And it went on and on, further up the hill in a frustrating manner.

“Do you see anything up there yet?” asked George.

“Nope. Just more trail,” replied Blitzer.

I kinda wonder if it’d have made more sense to be a bit more explicit about what about the way the path continues on is frustrating for George and Blitzer. Is it really long? Really windy? Are there a ton of obstacles in the way? Just feels like something that could be expounded on with not a lot of extra detail that would make things clearer for the reader.

“Great. I know I said that it looked further up and all, but this is just ridiculous. Why does it have to be like this, anyway?” George said, arms folded over the scalchop. At least his chest didn’t hurt as much anymore.

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Blitzer sighed. “Doesn’t matter who or what made these Mystery Dungeons to begin with, I just want to know why.”

“Do you think a person made it?”

I mean, MDs being made by a person would definitely be a take that I haven’t seen done in a story before.

Blitzer shook his head. “No, because people think about each other! Enough to not make my feet get wet from all the dew on the grass! Aaargh! You know what, to heck with this! I’m going up my own way!”

With an angry flick of his tail, Blitzer threw his basket to the ground and put his claws into the grass beside him, and began to climb his way up to the top.

I… didn’t get the vibe that Blitzer was gradually getting frustrated and losing his patience prior to this. It might have made sense to reflect it a bit more in little mentions of body language, even if it’s something as simple as noting that his tail fire was starting to burn a little hotter or that the fire looked agitated or something like that.

“H-hey, wait! What about me?” George said wide eyed.

Blitzer was still set on his ways, however, continuing and continued to climb at a steady pace. Even with the claws on both his hands and feet, Blitzer struggled to get up. He was putting a lot of energy into lifting his body further up, by the sounds of it. Something George didn’t need to try out himself to know it was something he couldn’t manage, not with his stubby arms and feet.

Yeah, this just screams “something bad’s gonna happen” right now.

“Can you give climbing a try? It’s not the most difficult- agh!”

Blitzer’s claws slipped. He slid down like a cat in a curtain, leaving a trail of claw marks on the way back as he tried to get a grip, to no avail.

“Blitzer! Hold on!” yelled George, as the Charmander fell onto his belly and rolled off the slope, straight towards the steep drop on the other side of the trail.

Well, that was fast.

“Aaargh! AH!”

Blitzer rolled off the edge of the trail, just barely managing to hold onto the cliff with both claws, teeth bared and painfully hissing.

“No!” escaped George’s throat. He had to help, but fate wouldn’t have it that way:

On the other side of the mist, another canine Pokemon emerged, barking at the cliff’s edge. His body ran cold, and the hairs on his head stood upright as Blitzer tried to pull himself back, but couldn’t.

This paragraph IMO works a bit better split up into a few parts since you have multiple ideas going on in the span of one paragraph at the moment.

Blitzer: “Are you kidding me right now?!”

‘n-No! Not now, of all the times… why now?!’

The wild Pokemon steadily up to the edge. As Blitzer once more tried pulling himself up, he got a hold of the scent. In an instant, his eyes opened wide.

“R-Rockruff!!” he shouted, shrill and forced.

George stood horrified watching, hoping that somehow Blitzer had the strength to breathe fire. But step by step, as the Rockruff came close enough for its breaths to be felt by Blitzer, and as the sound of Blitzer hyperventilating reached George’s ears, that clearly wasn’t going to happen. And George’s fear turned into something else entirely.

Not that it doesn’t make sense for Blitzer to be losing his head over a Rockruff feral given that it’s essentially a Poochyena with a type advantage, but I wonder if this moment could’ve been foreshadowed a bit more earlier by something like him giving a passing comment / comparison with the Poochyena and how Blitzer wasn’t really afraid of them because “could be worse, we could’ve run into Rockruff” or something like that.

Also, how clearly can Blitzer and George see this Rockruff right now, since we didn’t get a lot of mention of what this Rockruff looks like to lean into the “oh gods, oh gods, I’m gonna die”-ness that Blitzer is radiating right now + George getting unnerved, while we did get that sort of description from the Poochyena encounters.

“GET LOST!”

His lungs filled up to their maximum, more than he ever thought possible, George felt a strong convulsion inside his chest; the little pain he suffered was soon drowned out. Pressure rose, and he held his arms steady, before a geyser of water shot out of his mouth, right at the wild Rockruff standing haplessly over the edge. George closed his eyes; a yelp reached his ears, before a sharp pain in his chest put the water to a stop, leaving him gasping. Dazed, he looked around. No sign of the Rockruff anywhere.

Yeah, he dead.

George: “Um. Well. I suppose I can be a bit less judging about those Poochyena Blitzer dealt with earlier.”

“Oh, oh!! Wow!” Blitzer freed himself from the cliff’s edge, with the energy he’d have after a long nap. “George, did you just breathe water!?”

George had gone back to clutching his chest. “I did… but that was very painful. Don’t think I have another one of those in me.”

Not with that attitude, he doesn’t. But I suppose it does make sense that the first time a move is used by a Pokémon would potentially feel awkward if not outright painful, doubly so for one that’s technically a human undergoing bodily dysphoria.

“But you did it! Not just a little, either!” Blitzer grabbed George by the shoulders, who stared back with all the enthusiasm of a sick child.

Wait, a “sick” child? But isn’t that the sort of condition where one would expect a child to be less energetic? Did you mean something like “excited”?

“What do you mean?”

“Did you not see that? That Rockruff literally flew off of the edge!”

“Huh?” George scratched his head. He expected to see the feral Pokemon lying somewhere nearby, but it was nowhere in sight. “Where is it?”

“Somewhere below! I told you. I saw it flying myself!”

George: “I feel as if I should be a bit more bothered by how chipper you are about me just casually killing something here.”

Blitzer: “Nah, it was a feral. It’s all good.”

George raised a brow. “Did a little water really do that? Is that even possible?” he said, as he picked his basket back up.

Narrator:

Blitzer went to pick his basket back up. “A little water didn’t do that. You did!”

George was awestruck. “M-me?! How?”

“Don’t act so surprised. You’re a water type, you should be able to do that! You have that strength inside of you, and you just used it on a Rockruff! They hate water! Honestly, I think you’re a cut above the average water type, too,” said Blitzer.

Huh, guess that attack George used really must’ve been a cut above, since Blizter knows other Water-types from Greenfield and he still found George’s particularly impressive.

George’s mouth curled up; that pleasing image of himself with two swords in his hands came rushing back. “You’re, you’re not making that up, are you?”

Blitzer nodded. “What I’m saying is that I’m very glad to have you on my side, George.” A smile appeared on his face. “You know, it was stupid idea to try climbing, but I’m glad I did it.”

George nodded back. ‘So am I.’

George: “Wait, so you did find those berries, right?” ^^;

Having regained their footing, the two continued further up the trail. Although his chest hurt, George was proud of himself. Slowly he got the hang of his new body. There was still much to learn, though. The pain in his chest made that clear enough. And as they reached the top, he realised that perhaps he hadn’t been learning fast enough.

“Here we are- stop… D-do you see that?!”

Oh boy, a cliffhanger ending. Though I suppose that’s a way to keep your audience hooked and coming back for more.

Alright, onto the part where I give a final recap over everything. So I know that you’ve been hard at work editing the first fifteen chapters of your story, and by and large, I think your efforts have paid off quite well. This seventh chapter feels a lot more put-together than what I remembered of the original versions of the first six that I read. It does a pretty good job at selling George and Blitzer’s characters when things are going sideways, and seeing George learn how to use Water Gun (or at least I think it was Water Gun) was a pretty decent chapter climax.

There’s still a couple bits here and there where I think that there’s room for improvement. There’s a couple parts that would likely benefit from a bit more description, mostly body language or else getting into George’s head a bit more to show how he’s ticking, and there’s a couple parts where I thought you left a bit on the table from diving into the implications behind the happy exterior of your world, but it’s still a considerable step forward from the way things used to be. If this is the general quality that your later chapters are already at, it bodes pretty well for the future.

Kudos, @Gyeig . I can’t exactly give firm commitments for how many chapters I’ll get through during Review Blitz since I’ve got a pretty full plate of targets that I’m working through, I do hope to come back to this story sometime in the future, since you’ve got a charming cast with this one, and I can already tell that watching them grow and develop is going to be quite a journey.

 

[Gyeig]

Time to reply to some reviews.

@tomatorade

Spoiler

Glad you've been enjoying it so far. Keeping a brisk pace has always been one of my major goals when writing anything - never been a big fan of stories that just ramble on and on about things that don't really matter in the long run. More often than not, that 2.5-4k chapter size is plenty to get things done with.

Shame to hear that about the fugitives plot. That was a more recent detail I added to make things more intriguing at the start, evidently it might not have been too cleverly implemented as of now. Maybe if I come back to these early chapters yet again, I can touch that up further.

@Spiteful Murkrow

Spoiler

Definitely glad to hear you think these are improved - to be entirely honest, I always thought you didn't really like what you had read up until now, given how much time you spend on suggested fixes to prose.

 

[Gyeig]

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PART II​

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The Renegade​

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Chapter 16 - Entrusted​

Far away from Greenfield, in a chamber hidden from the world…

Light shone through pristine glass windows into the antechamber, brightening the green carpet spread out over the floor. The guards,a Throh and an Electivire, hastily put their masks on as a bang sounded on the wooden door they were in charge of. It was early in the morning. It was never too early in this keep.

With lumbering sighs, the guards opened the door. In stepped a brute figure they were all too familiar with, followed by two of the Queen’s less finer Soldiers. They were a Toucannon and a Magmar, the former uncomfortably fluttering its way into the chamber, and the other fidgeting with the green band around its arm. Despite having the task of taking charge, they were shirking back from the one they’d escorted here. The other guards in the room, and those in the room beyond had steeled their nerves. A growl rumbled throughout the antechamber. She was here. And it couldn’t have been anyone else. Her Sharpedo-like bipedal body, the teeth sticking out of her jaws, the colossal fin on her back, not to mention those talons.

What other Garchomps lived in this land, aside from the Queen’s most prized henchwoman?

“Lady Gareda, you’ve arrived.” The Sawk and Magneton on the other side of the hall saluted her, one with a hand, the other with a magnet. The Garchomp scowled at them both. The Sawk guard audibly gulped. They might play third fiddle to her teeth and talons, yet those reptilian eyes ran through them like spears through their enemies.

“Don’t bother stating the obvious. I’m here for the Queen. Now open the door.”

“y-Yes, my lady.”

A large stone door bearing a painted sigil stood between her and the queen. The Sawk guard knocked on the door; the Magneton put one of its magnets against a panel on the wall.

“Bzzt! Door will open soon, my lady!”

“Quiet..”

“Yes, my lady, Bzzt!”

Gareda shook her head. None of this miserable crew had any chance against an attacker.. How can one fight when they’re afraid of their own shadows? Let alone her? She’d only been present here for ten years. They wouldn’t last long in contact with the enemy if the sight of an ally caused this reaction. She crossed her talons over one another and keened her senses. Trembling all around her. Deep down, it was a good thing to be in a room full of fear. That is the kind of motivation one needs in hard times.

Like clockwork, the mechanism in the wall slowly pulled back the door, revealing the way into the audience chamber. Gareda and her entourage walked in. She scowled her way over the carpet to the other side of the chamber, clenching her talons against her sharp fins. Masked guards flanked them on all sides, partially covered by large white statues of previous rulers, except for one on the end. He had no such statue to hide behind. A handful of critters - A Bidoof, a Munna and a Nickit - scurried out of sight, not taking their cleaning equipment with them. Gareda kept her scowl trained on them for a second as they ran out, before turning back.

‘Poor sods. Must be new here. They’re bound to learn the hard way.’

Gareda’s guards stayed behind in the rear end of the room. She did not care. The thuds of her footsteps were better guardians than anything a rich Pokemon could hire. Even here, in the presence of the Vined Crest. That crest was everywhere; on banners hanging from the roof and on the walls, on the carpet, and on the throne. The Queen was not one to accept half measures. Even in the walk to the steps, you’d get a feeling of inferiority coursing through your veins. And thus, burying her scowl, Gareda knelt a few strides before the steps leading to the throne, pitching her head up at her Queen, who had been waiting on her for a while.

“Your majesty, you have summoned me. What for?”

The Serperior staring down at her was not amused. “Why yes, Gareda. I have. And I find your lack of enthusiasm odd.”

The Garchomp shook her head. “No, my queen, you must be quite mistaken. My spirits and energy couldn’t be higher.”

“Silence.”

The queen’s voice went through the air like a shockwave; Most of the guards staggered at their posts. Gareda’s mouth fell shut. The remnants of the scowl left her eyes like fallen leaves being carried off by the wind.

“My apologies, your-”

“No apologies, Gareda. I expect the best, and nothing but the best from everyone that wishes to sit at my right hand. You sauntered in here with no drive or emotion. I don’t care if you had to cut your way through a thousand Corrupted on your way here. In my presence, you are at your best. Understood?”

“...Understood, your majesty,” Gareda said after a slight pauze, straining her eyes into a serious gaze.

“Good. Now then. Allow me to explain why I have summoned you here. You may be aware of our little rebel issue, aren’t you? What am I saying, of course you are. I have seen your claws run red myself. You, the one who single handedly crushed the attacks on my family, and destroyed them when they foolishly believed they could take Torrevan City away from me, you know better than anyone what we are dealing with.”

“...Yes, your majesty.” Gareda kept her eyes trained on the Serperior’s neck. Her feet felt weary on the soft, silky carpet. Arceus did not create her to dwell in places like these. The mountains she pictured in front of her were as far away from here as the world would allow. Yet she did not budge from her kneel, even as the Serperior hollered for a Golduck servant to come bearing a drink. He too knelt, offering her a sip of the drink, before fleeing back to whatever dark corner he’d crawled out off. Gareda could taste the fear in her mouth, and faintly smell it amidst the soapy smell in the air.

Queen Patrina smacked her tongue on the water, twirling the sip in her mouth before swallowing. “Now, where were we? Ah yes… Gareda, I am eternally thankful to our creators to have you in my service. My gratitude is as vast as the great oceans, as infinite as the cosmos the Lustrous One created, and as vast as our realm,” she said. Gareda’s eyes were shut for most of it. “Alas. How unfortunate it is that my whole army is not staffed by others such as you,” she said, slithering her way onto her throne.

“What happened?” Gareda asked.

“You must know of it by now. The rebel theft of our piece of the Azure Flute.”

“I am aware.”

The queen scoffed. “Hmpfh. You better be, Gareda. I am entrusting you with the task of retrieving it.”

A passive grumble passed through Gareda’s throat. “Have the others failed to get it back?”

“Of course they have!” shouted the Queen with a loud whip of her tail, denting the stone floor as a result. “Those fools are less than useless! They let them escape with the flute, and now they cannot catch the brigands responsible! It is an embarrassment, no, they are an embarrassment! All because these brigands and thieves loyal to that steel cretin are so persistent, my finest are all scattered across the land keeping order, and I have to put a bunch of ragtag, bottom line commoner filth in charge of getting the flute piece back. Filth who have no clue of the sacrifices it took for them to have their measly, half feral lives!”

Gareda was silent, partially meditating as the queen’s tirade continued.

“I will not stand for this. I will discipline those fools myself! You, Gareda, show them how it is done. That steel cretin, who left all Pokemon to rot for his own sake… If they get their hands on that flute… If they harness its power to break the seal… you know what the consequences are, is that clear?”

“Yes, it is understood, your majesty.” Gareda’s eyes had fallen shut. The sensory organs on both sides of her head went wild, straining her mind with the pressure of a headache. Her breathing intensified, against all her wishes. Weakness was not an option. Failure was not an option. Not in a million years. Not for as long as the Temporal One lived.

“Good. Very good. Now then. I want you to take over. We know the general area of where these brigands have been hiding. Find them. Retrieve the flute piece. You are dismissed.”

“Understood, your eminence.”

“Now, if you excuse me, I have some fools that require my attention.”

As the queen slithered off to deal with the people originally in charge of retrieving her precious treasure, Gareda got off her knees and shuffled her way out of the room. An even deeper frown visible on her face than when she walked in, her entourage kept their distance even further this time. In times like these, she wished she had been born as a different Pokemon, if only so she wouldn’t have to be cautious not to scratch up the carpet with her sharp feet. If only so she wouldn’t be disciplined for asking her what her damned orders were supposed to be. If only so she were more than a puppet dancing on a string.

Grumbling, she left the chamber the way she came, the guards reeking with the sour stench of fear more than ever. She gave them snide looks as she walked past, her stomping feet and swaying tail bound to leave an impact on them if it hadn’t already. Some would’ve revelled in being seen that way. An unbreakable titan to whom everyone bent their knee, if they knew what was best for them. Gareda merely kept her head low, stomping her way out of the fortress much to the relief of the guards she was leaving behind..

“Idiots. Bloody idiots.”

Once she’d gotten past numerous security checkpoints, cussing out the troops stationed at each one, she left the fortress at her back, only to be greeted by wind and rain as she stepped outside. For a moment, she stood hanging her arms, letting the rain slide over her dark blue scales and down her tail, the scowl growing sadder by the second. ‘Just what I always wanted. Rain after meeting with Patrina.’

She and her escorts wandered down the steps into the city below. Luminity City, as the commoners called it. About the only place in the world where there was a steady supply of electrical power, thanks to the Queen demanding the power plant on the horizon be constructed specifically for her. Memories of the one time Gareda was there came rushing back to her. Everyone who could harness electrical powers worked there, and weren’t particularly fond of having an earthling like Garena observing them. Her scowl did her a lot of good that day.

In any case, the efforts at that plant meant that the city was bright even on rainy nights. One had to be careful not to step on any wires strewn over the ground, though. Gareda shook her head as she looked at the tightly wrapped bundles running through the streets. How any non-earthlings accepted this unnatural mess was beyond her. If they even accepted it. No one here, from the Grovyle walking past, the Hypno standing at a half empty market stall, to the Orbeetle flying overhead were staring at anything but the ground. Gareda shook her head; a grumble escaped her throat.

“Lord Gareda, where are you going?” the Toucannon escort suddenly said as the trio stopped. Growling, Gareda turned her head; the guards gave her shaky legs in response.

“Where does it look like I’m going?”

The Toucannon sounded as if he was on the verge of choking. “My lady, t-To the Cathedral, yes. Hm hmmm…”

Gareda sharpened her eyes. “Congratulations, banana beak. You’ve guessed that right. I’m going to do what any good Pokemon would do, and take some time out of my day to appreciate my Creator. While I do that, why don’t you and she go and make yourselves useful? Patrina, our oh so great queen, never bothered to mention where I am supposed to head to. Go on, then. Ask some of your fellow fools if they know. Maybe the previous morons in charge after the Queen’s done beating the devil out of ‘em!”

“But, my lord. I mean no disrespect, but are you disrespecting the queen?”

In an instant, Garuda’s arm struck out at the Magmar, pressing the blade on her arm against her neck. “What was that you said?”

“n-Nothing, my lord!!”

“Keep those lips shut then, duck face. Be a tattletale, and I won’t be stopping here.” She pressed the blade against the Magmar’s neck, who quivered in response. The Toucannon watched on with horror.

“y-Yes, my lord…”

“Off with you two.”

With all the grace of a falling anvil, the two soldiers ran off into the streets. Gareda shook her head. She met them this morning, was likely going to be stuck with them for the foreseeable future, and knew they were hopeless already: Her sensors told the whole story. Getting them to leave her alone for a while was enough of an accomplishment for today. Sauntering through the streets, throwing aside object and Pokemon alike, she headed towards the cathedral.

For the first time that day, she gazed up at the sky. The spire of the great cathedral of Luminity City. A monument in honour of the great creator, Arceus. Breathing in deep through her nose, and keeping a steady hold of her tail so that it wouldn’t sway around too much, Gareda knocked on the front door, and was let inside.

“...Lord Gareda? Do come in.”

“Gladly.”

The doorkeeper, an elderly Chimeco, pointed the Garchomp to a collection of bead necklaces, then left her on her own. It hadn’t been her first time here, and the people of the church were more than aware of who she was. Content to let the dragon run unsupervised in their house, they largely left her alone. Gareda knew full well she couldn’t just answer them with a scowl, nor did she want to. One should keep a firm grip on the light inside of them, especially when adrift in a dark sea. And the seas weren’t getting any brighter.

‘Here we are. Even if it’s just for a minute, I need to be here.’

The familiar aroma of incense poured up Gareda’s nose as she walked up the aisles to the other end of the cathedral. Spare for the sounds of her feet gripping onto the stone floor, the doorkeeper chiming away behind, and distant sounds of what must’ve been the other ones in charge of watching over this house, it was silent. Quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

A light headed feeling came over Gareda as she knelt down by the altar. Her whole life, ever since she was nothing but a wee Gible, she’d heard people from all across the Eravate region sing the same song. It was an instinct, something ingrained in everyone’s mind, like birds wishing to fly free, or earthlings desiring the underground. The desire to judge others. Some spoke of potential, others spewed pessimism. Some sang praises, others croaked negativity. Some laughed and shook their heads, others groveled for mercy. Collectively, everyone’s judgement ran society. It’s how one of Gareda’s scowls could get even the bravest to sweat. Because that is how people viewed her. Something to be feared. But in this cathedral hall, the judgement of others meant nothing. Whoever entered this place was on their own. Here, the true self would come out, just as Arceus intended.

Gareda crossed her arms, and leaned over kneeling in front of the altar.

“Please, for the love of Arceus, make this mission end well. I have to get this right, for them. I know you have been watching over me. I know you wish to speak to me, and I know that I have had to let you down… I’m sorry. Forgive me. Despite all the pleading, all my energy… something has not been going well. I’m sorry. I must come to you again, Creator. I require your strength again for this. For all of this. Please…”

Gareda’s voice shaked, the echoes reverberating through the hall. With visible pain streaming down her face, she continued, kneeling deeper and deeper.

“I promise you, I will not falter. I will not fail in this. For them, and for Eravate..”

Gareda’s confession went on for a long time. By this time, her tail was laid out over the floor, and the knee she supported herself on was shaking. No pain could stop her. It couldn’t stop her. It couldn’t, lest she ended up forsaking her own words.

And the consequences for that betrayal were well known.

 

[Gyeig]

Chapter 17 - An Unwelcome Guest​

“Arceus almighty, Blitzer… How do you keep managing to do this to yourself?”

“Look, it wasn’t my fault, okay? I just tripped and fell! It happens!”

“Blitzer, who do you think you’re talking to? I’ve been your father for damn well over a decade, do you honestly think I can’t see through any lies you’re trying to tell me?”

“No, it’s not a darned lie, dad! It’s the truth!”

George walked in on the argument that had erupted in the living room on the hovel after they had come back from exploring Little Rock. While Blitzer was busy arguing over how he’d suddenly acquired a limp, George took the time to hide the flute piece inside his straw nest. Like the message, they wouldn’t be doing themselves a favor if anyone found out. Once the flute was buried deep enough to cause a headache when George’s head would inevitably fall onto it later that night, George went back to give Blitzer a hand..

“Ask George if you don’t believe me, he was there with me the whole time!” Blitzer shouted, his tail viciously swaying through the air. George twitched his nose and thumbed his ears back slightly. ‘Damn, he is not happy about this little argument. Not one bit. He can be real angry when he wants to.’

While Nera was busy preparing the night’s dinner, audibly grumbling the whole time, Nero looked at the Oshawott with a disapproving stare. “Well? Go on then. What happened?”

George gulped. “It’s like Blitzer says. We were exploring this cave we had found, and he tripped and fell onto a sharp rock. It was pretty bad, alright. There were a lot of wild Pokemon all over the place,” he said, gesturing to the Charmander with a spare hand. Nero’s large ears gradually flattened.

“Why you two kids can’t find less dangerous spots to play in, Arceus knows.”

A loud clang echoed through the house. It came from the kitchen. “Listen, I’ve defended this kind of behaviour before, but I have my limits.”

“M-mom?” Blitzer stammered.

“Listen to me, Blitzer. I like getting to see you grow, I really do,” Nera said, having left her cooking work to the side for a moment, “but I’m not going to let you hurt yourself just because you want to go adventuring. Look at you! You’re struggling to stand on that leg of yours!”

Nera nodded at the foot Blitzer was struggling to stand on. Realizing how bad it still looked despite the progress he made since exiting the cave, Blitzer tried standing onto it, but quickly wobbled backwards; a quick hand from George was all that stopped the injuries getting worse.

“See? Look at you! You can’t do this to yourself, Blitzer? What if George gets hurt, too? We can’t afford someone that can come and save you two!”
“Mom, I’m sorry…” the Charmander stammered. He hung his head and tail low; the flame at the tip was weak. George felt guilty just standing next to him. The one parent who had their backs was now throwing in the towel. This was a side of Nera that George never believed in. Even Blitzer seemed in disbelief.

“You’re sorry? Then show me. Please.”

“Yes mom, I will.”

“Promise?”

“...promise.”

The slight pause Blitzer replied with hadn’t gone unnoticed. Nero wasn’t having any of it. “See what I mean, Nera? This is what he always does. ‘Oh, sorry’, then tomorrow it’s the same damn story.”

“No, I-”

“Shut it! You’ve made enough excuses already!”

“No dad, please-”

“Blitzer. You heard your father. Listen to him.”

The Charmander sighed. “Okay, mom…” he said.

Nero went on to recite a whole bunch of incidents that Blitzer had gotten himself into before George had woken up in this world. For George, it was eerily reminiscent of the so called ‘discussions’ the headmistress would hold with all the foster kids. Nero and Nera were leering down at their heads, going on long diatribes about everything the two had done wrong. When they were done, all he felt was that same stinging sensation of defeat he’d feel at least once a week back home.

“So then, mister. How much do you think that was? I think we’ve barely even scratched the surface on just how much of a troublemaker you are.”

“I swear dad, I didn’t mean to be that way…”

“Well that really makes a difference, does it? You didn’t want to make anyone feel that way? Do you know what I really do not want to do to you, or that Oshawott laddie? Have to ground you.”

A gasp shot out Blitzer’s throat. “Dad, no,” he said. George couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Not anymore.

“I’m sorry, but you’re pushing me and your mother to the limit, lad. Either you’re going to be more cautious from now on, or we’ll have to keep you in here for a week straight.”

Thankfully, the argument ended right then and there. George and Blitzer could at least find relief in the fact that no one had spotted the flute piece in George’s scarf. But at what cost? Their freedom to pursue all the adventure and fame they loved to fantasize about was hanging on a thread. And whether that thread would hold was something neither of them could guess. All they knew is that they were facing an uncertain future.

* * *​

Three days went by. Life in the village continued, with George and Blitzer sticking to playing around with the other kids. At least they still had the tale of their little underground adventure to tell, which the other kids enjoyed hearing about in between games of hide and seek, tossing the ball around, tag and the like. Fearing the worst, they spent their time in a peaceful manner. George was happy to be having a good time with children his age, and Blitzer was happy to keep bridging the gap between himself and the others.

Of course, it wasn’t all peaceful. Over the past few days, the question of the flute piece and the messenger came up several times. They tried looking for the Tangrowth again, but he was nowhere to be found. They tried asking Hein, and were told that if they stepped in uninvited one more time, he’d punt them a few villages over. How he could do that without feet, George and Blitzer weren’t keen on finding out.

So they went back to their lives, letting the idea of the messenger slide for now. If the flute piece they’d found was important, then someone would come looking forward eventually.

* * *​

“Tag! You’re it!”

“Aah! I’ll get you, Blitzer!”

“He’s coming this way, quick!”

“Not if I can-”

“Tag!”

“Aww!”

“That’s what you get for always teleporting away!”

Feeling numb in his feet, George put his hands against the mossy walls of a house. ‘Tag sure is exhausting when there’s Pokemon involved.’ he thought to himself, panting all the while. The others seemed to agree, and were wrapping up the game. George was glad: It was good to not be all alone in the dust, and instead have others with you. As the warmth from Blitzer’s tail reached his fur, George felt a little less numb in his limbs. Life here was simple, but good.

“Aah, I’m beat!”

“Says the kid that’s always running off and getting himself into trouble,” Alcia said chuckling.

Blitzer puffed up his cheeks. “Hey, I can’t float around all over the place like you can! It’s not my fault I get tired!”

“Sounds like you’re makin’ excuses…” Alcia replied in a jovial tone. The rest of the group laughed, much to the pouting Charmander’s chagrin.

“You know, I’m not good at tag, but it’s always so much fun!” Junior then said.

George raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, you’re not good at tag? You’re pretty fast.” ‘I sure had a hard time getting away from you, anyway.’

Junior tilted his head. “Because I have to get down on four feet if I want to stand a chance! I don’t like getting on four feet, it’s annoying.”

George had to tilt his head. ‘But I thought Pokemon relied on their instincts. Don’t Pikachu run on four feet, or am I getting something wrong?’

A gathering crowd was making noise in the distance. “So, uh, has anything been going on these past few days?” Corst then asked. “Because it doesn’t seem like much is going on ever since those two went exploring.”

Blitzer shrugged. “I dunno. Do you, Junior?”

Junior followed in Blitzer’s footsteps. “Nope. What about you, Sweitelle?”

“Nope, nothing,” the thus far Buizel answered. George put a hand under his chin. ‘Her name is Sweitelle? Who knew Pokemon had such strange names…

“What about you, George? Anything else you’ve been up to? That Blitzer hasn’t been willing to talk about yet?” Alcia asked with a joking grin plastered all over her face. Upon seeing this, Blitzer resumed pouting, this time with his arms crossed. George only had a shrug to give. Outside of the forbidden, they had nothing but the same talk to tell.

“Nah. What you’ve seen is just about it. Well, aside from Blitzer’s parents lecturing me too.”

“Aw, your parents give you lectures all day too?” Junior asked. George and Blitzer both nodded.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t they? As much fun as we had, we’re just kids, and we need to know our limits.” Blitzer said.

“Yeah. I guess.” Junior sighed. “You know, you’ve never told us, but did you find any treasure out there?”

George eyed Blitzer, and gulped. He had that silly look on his face that would always come out when he had to think about something. Was he considering spilling the beans, despite promising George he wouldn’t earlier? George shook his hands around and put his ears down, hoping that Blitzer would take the hint. ‘Come on, you promised you wouldn’t tell anyone.’

“Not really. We found a rag down there. So yeah.”

The other children gave dull stares, their tails lowering to the ground as Blitzer’s words set in. “Oh…” George let his tail sink as well, relieved.

‘Thank goodness, he realized. Well, I don’t know what would happen if he said the truth, but I don’t want to know..’

Junior bit at his cheeks; a little spark flew out. “Why a rag?”

Blitzer shrugged back with a flick of his tail. “Don’t know. It just was there.”

“Do you think someone might have dropped it?” Corst asked, then tilted his head.. “Or, do you think it might have been from someone that, uh…”

“Nope! Nope.” George took it upon himself to answer. ‘I know where this is going.’ “It wasn’t on the ground or anything like that. It was on some pedestal. You know, like a real treasure! Or something in a museum!”

“Oh. Oh… okay. Sorry, I didn’t think I’d be so stupid.” Corst nervously chuckled, before bonking himself on his rocky helmet with the stick he had been lugging around all day.

“Nah, it’s not stupid to think that, I was expecting more too,” said Blitzer.

“...what’s a museum? Another one of those northern things you talk about so much?”’ asked Sweitelle, twirling her tails around. George put his hands on his cheeks, prickling himself right on the freckles.

“Yeah, something like that. It’s uh, well it was a place where they showed off minerals and the like. On pedestals. It uh, yeah. In a city, in a city in the north, but I forgot the name. It was run by a Rolycoly and his parents.”

“Okay.” Sweitelle shrugged. ‘Yeah, she’s not buying a word of it,’ George thought to himself.

“Hey, do you hear that?” Junior’s ears had gone straight up into the air. He was staring across the stream in the direction of the village’s roadside entrance. The others poked their attention in that direction as well; something odd was making noise, hidden by the houses of a few town residents. A sharp crunching, as if a hundred feet were marching in unison.

“I don’t like the sound of this,” Corst said.

“Soldiers…” Blitzer whispered.

“What?” Alcia said. Blitzer’s body spun around.

“Soldiers. It has to be. I know what this sound is.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Trust me, this can’t be anything else. We’ve got to check this out.”

“I don’t know Blitzer, I’m scared…” Sweitelle said.

“Me too,” George followed, albeit for different reasons. ‘Blitzer was that close to telling them, and now they’re here?’

“I know, I don’t like this either, but we have to see it for ourselves.” Blitzer said in a level-headed tone. All the cheers and smiles were buried now. Soldiers were no laughing matter. When he gestured to the party to follow him to the village square, where the crowd they had heard earlier had likely been waiting for the Soldiers to come in, everyone followed in spite of their reservations.

“Do you think they’ve come to take food again?” Junior asked.

“I don’t know. We’ll have to see,” Blitzer replied, swinging his tail around.

“I don’t want to go hungry again…” Corst stammered.

“Me neither, but if it comes down to that, me and George are ready to help out. Right, George?”

George gulped. “Right,” he said. Blitzer wasn’t exactly giving him a lot of options here. Then again, were the Soldiers? Everyone needed to eat. Either he’d follow Blitzer to the ends of the earth, or he could lay down and starve. And that was unacceptable.

All together, the children arrived at the town square, and fidgeted past the crowd until they found a free spot on the very edge of the square. The road leading from the square to the village entrance was flanked by strong, vicious looking Pokemon from various species, whose very presence was enough to get one’s skin to shiver under their fur. All voices gathered fell silent, as the Soldiers raised their heads to greet what had to have been their leader. None of the children could see, they could only judge. Their parents and neighbours were aghast, half of them were adrift in confusion, the others were on the verge of curling up into a ball.

An air of menace came into the square, and the children were like insects caught in a stormwind, scaredly whimpering as the crunching of the gravel path they were so familiar with became louder. George’s fingers squeezed into a fist. He had to fight to keep his eyes open, just to catch a glimpse of what beast had come to the village now. His breath hissed between his teeth. Worse than last time, when they were being confronted with starvation, how was that even possible? It would be a few seconds until he had his answer.

‘Stay calm, stay calm...’

Into the square stepped a large Pokemon. Coated in dark blue scales everywhere except for the chest, and scythe like arms, the whole crowd was speechless. It was like seeing a creature from a world beyond this one, perhaps that wasn’t so far off the mark, either. George’s whole body ran cold as he looked up at this beast. He felt Blitzer’s claw hold his back, the familiarity of it a lonely comfort in this . The human turned Oshawott felt utterly puny. A small fish in a big pond. Together with this. The fins, the tail, the hammerhead like a shark, with the reaper’s scythes embedded on both arms, and those agile, lizard-like feet. A killing machine, glaring everyone down into the ground, ready to slice them into pieces should they make one wrong move. Living without knowledge of this beast was a luxury they had now lost. A glimpse of that scowl was like a knife running under the skin.

“Let’s get this over with, shall we?”

The Pokemon cleared its throat; its voice sounded decisively feminine. The dusky green scarf, and the badge pinning the scarf down on the red part of the Pokemon’s chest nullified any feeling of safety they might have gained. George found himself reaching for Blitzer’s arm. Anything to feel just a little protected.

“Villagers, I take it that everyone here is as disinterested in this as the others. Keep an ear open, and this won’t take long. Brigands have been passing through this area, making off with stolen goods. We want those goods back, and that is why we are here. To collect information on these thieves…”

The Pokemon’s scowl crossed the audience; from the edge, George saw all the passed fears come back at full force. ‘First our food, now everyone’s treasures?’ Soft whispering crept up from numerous points in the square. Suddenly, the shark stomped her feet, causing a vibration in the earth below. Any murmuring disappeared instantly..

“...As I was saying, thieves are running amok in this area. They’ve made off with an important treasure. We want it back. Our request to you is that you report any shady folks or activity to us immediately. This is in your interest. Do you want your most prized possessions to be stolen, too? If your answer is no, then you will do as we suggest. I hope you see the urgency in this.”

As she finished speaking, her eyes briefly glanced off to the side. For a second, George met her scowl head on, causing a shiver to pass through him. It only lasted for a second, but it felt as if that Pokemon was crushing his bones into the pavement. Even she let a glimpse of satisfaction be visible on her; the scowl lessened as she turned her head away.

With a swish of her tail, the bestial Pokemon left the square. Row by row, the Soldiers that had come with her followed in lockstep, the crunching of their feet . Once the people of Greenfield had gotten the idea that they had fallen out of earshot, the soft murmuring spread like wildfire throughout the crowd. Still feeling uneasy, George turned to the Charmander standing next to him; the other children were nowhere to be seen. No one was in the mood for fun and games; the air they now breathed tasted very dreary.

“What was that…?”

“I think… that was a Garchomp, George.”

“A what now?” George said with a sudden slap of his tail.

“A Garchomp. It’s a dragon type,” Blitzer softly said. George gulped.

‘Garchomp? I never saw …’

“Haven’t ever seen one of them in my whole life, and I’m glad I never did,” Blitzer continued, staring right down the path the Pokemon had come in from. Out of the blue, a Mankey wearing a dark green wristband ran into the square with a flyer and some sort of bottle in its hands. A wanted poster, by the looks of it. Blitzer shook his head.

“If they want to make us feel safe, why would they bring a Pokemon like that here? She looked like she could kill anyone just by staring at them.”

“Yeah,” George whispered, all while his hands met over his scalchop. For a brief moment, he felt that glare pass through him again. To think that was just the eyes, and not any of the other tools at that beast’s disposal. “I want to go home.”

Blitzer grimaced. “Me too.”

Around them, the square had already thinned out. Most were in the process of going home, or heading into the cafe to drown out their sorrows. The people left were Lance, who was the lone Pokemon reading the flyer the Mankey had put up, and Nero and Nera, who were sitting on their hindquarters, waiting.

“About time you two noticed us,” Nero said. “T’is about time we headed home for the day, what do you say?”

“Uh, dad? Can I-”

“Not right now.” Nera cut Blitzer right off. “We can talk, but not here of all places. Let’s just go home, shall we?”

Blitzer audibly gulped. “Um, sure, Mom. George? Let’s go, okay?”

George didn’t have a say in the matter. Even if he wanted to leave, that wasn’t an option. And by the looks of it, no one else had a say, either. When they had a view over the stream, he could see the other children being led back home as well. A storm had gathered. No one was willing to weather it outside. An unspoken command had been ordered, and everyone old enough to obey did as was asked.

It wasn’t until the door of the hovel clicked back into frame that anyone in the household had the guts to say another word. Nero and Nera gathered around the table, and ordered the two children to sit opposite to them. The children eyed each other with a nervous, but confident stare. They had each other, and the familiar smell of candle wax in their nostrils.

“First off, and this should go without saying, but I will drill this into your heads until you can repeat it in your sleep. Do not, ever, EVER, talk to the Soldiers. Don’t care for what. Thieves? Give me a break. Another excuse to pry whatever they really want out of your lips. Is that clear?”

Nero’s words rang loud through the hovel. The two children nodded. His stare, though not in the same stratosphere as that of the Garchomp, made any protesting seem foolish.
“Yes.”

“Good.”

Nero shook his head. “What in Arceus’ name are they planning this time?”

“Blitzer, George.” Nera looked on with eyes as stern as her husband’s. George felt very uneasy. “This is not a joke. If they come here, if we give them an inch, they’ll take it all. Everything in this village, okay? It’s better if you don’t go outside for the rest of the day. Alright? Just stay indoors.”

“Wh-what?”

“You heard her, Blitzer. We told you, didn’t we?”

“But dad, they’re gone now! We’ll be fine! We haven’t left the village in three days!”

Nera suddenly slammed the table. “We’re serious here, Blitzer. You’re not leaving this house today. Either you’re waiting until tomorrow, or you’re waiting until next week. I’m not allowing you anywhere near them, is that clear?”

“...yes, mom…” whimpered Blitzer.

‘A week?! They can’t seriously be thinking this after three days!’

George put his hand up, only for another slam to land on the table.

“You, don’t you dare! To your room, right now!” Nero shouted.

Neither Blitzer nor George said a word back. It was raining outside, anyway.