Chapter 25
Route 325
It was a little after midday as Team Ember began the trek back home, the overjoyed Furret in tow.
Broken blankets of dark clouds still spread across the sky, but the rain no longer fell. The sun now found plenty of places to shine through, shedding rays of light onto the drenched landscape and making it sparkle. The ground had become a sea of mud covered in standing puddles, the wet gravel road forming an endless bridge through it and into the horizon. The morning storm had finally passed, and it was looking to become another warm and gorgeous spring day.
Char still wasn't feeling too well as he walked. He felt like half the muscles in his body had been pulled, and the other half paralyzed. The mission had been won and the day's work was over, but he was in no mood for celebration; nothing pleased him more than the thought of getting back to base, plopping himself down somewhere, and endlessly stuffing himself with food until he'd fall asleep. He figured that a visit to the doctor was probably in order as well; he had, after all, just come closer to death than ever before, evidenced by the brand new experience he'd felt of having his body activate its last-resort response. Surely Dr. Orde owned plenty of advanced regeneratives that could help him heal and make him feel better in no time, ready to attack the world anew the very next morning. But, for now, he took the road one step at a time and tried to find comfort in chatting with his companions.
To pass the time, Char exchanged stories with his teammates. Saura explained that he'd caught sight of Char's brutal encounter with the Rhydon, and in his distraction had gotten nearly smashed by a Graveler. He described how, in the last moments before the end, he'd also felt the final surge of power to give his all; that his body was growing so fast that he barely had time to release all his attacks, and that he was able to even produce and control six vines at once, something that he'd never been able to do before. But, it wasn't enough to save him, and the vicious little Aron eventually ganged up on him and finished him. Ray, left alone on the front line, met his end soon after. They knew they were finished when they awoke in the "real" dimension, and together, they waited around in the cave for Char. They knew they couldn't stay forever, or else they'd just be assimilated back into the dungeon and become just as lost and helpless as the Furret. But they stayed as long as they could, and sure enough, Char eventually materialized, beaten up and unconscious. He was easy to pinpoint, as usual, due to being the only source of light in the entire room, and Saura and Ray carried him out of the cave.
Char, of course, had a much more monumental story to tell, and had to assure his friends that he hadn't just dreamed it up—he could still feel the lump on his head from where the Steelix had repeatedly slammed him into the ceiling. Once he convinced them, they were quite impressed, and gave him a hearty showering of praise for his victory.
But in the end, it didn't really matter how Team Ember had gotten thrown out of the cursed cave; the mission was behind them, and it was time to look forward.
"So…" Saura whispered, trying to be discreet around the Furret, "I can't decide. Did we succeed, or did we fail?"
"We won," Ray said. "We accomplished the objective, right? If it wasn't for us, that Furret would still be trapped in there. We saved it. That's exactly what the objectives said. We got lucky, but we still did it. We get to report the victory and get our reward."
"Well, yeah," Saura said. "But…"
"Both," Char suddenly spoke up, his voice betraying his pain. "It was both. It was a win and a loss at the same time. We've got to learn from this… Now we know how weak we are in places like that. We've got to train… and get some better supplies… maybe even a new member…"
Char looked back to the Furret. It was a polite little creature, hanging back a ways to let the team converse in private. But its smile never faltered, and it seemed content to just gaze at the rocky wasteland through which they walked as if it was some sort of gorgeous natural wonder. Char knew that the creature had given up all hope of seeing the outside world again, and just watching the sunlight gleam off the murky puddles was a glorious sight for its little eyes.
"Hey, Furret," Char called to it, causing it to jump to attention. "Who are you, anyway? What's your name?"
It wasted no time in bounding forward, closing the distance between itself and the team.
"My friends call me Fern," it said, a little nervously. "I'm… Well, I'm nobody special, really. I was the only daughter in a family of twelve, so I came to Iron Town to get away from my brothers, and it took me three years to earn a feral-shard. There really isn't much to do around here, you know, if you're not a student at the academy. Just work, work, work… I have some friends around town, and we like to eat at the gardens sometimes, or go swimming , but… yeah. That's me."
Char shrugged. He hadn't asked for the creature's life story, only her name, but he wasn't going to sound rude and cut her off. This was obviously the most eventful thing that had happened to her in years, he figured he'd let her ramble and enjoy herself.
"Oh, come on, there must be something special about you!" Saura laughed. "Don't sound all depressed!"
"No, no, really, it's true," Fern said. "I don't have much in the way of hopes or dreams. Never felt much like starting a family… Never got interested in battling, or training, or exploring… My only real desire is to wake up each day and see the morning sun one more time… and maybe contribute a little bit of work to society along the way… I'm not going to lie to you, my heroes, but I'm about as boring as Pokémon come!"
It took Char off-guard a little bit to hear her answer. A Pokémon without hopes and dreams? Was she really content with just dwelling in some house or burrow day after day, never striving for something great? From the day he first awoke in the Gravelrock Tunnel, Char found himself constantly surrounded by Pokémon who shared a powerful sense of purpose, and rose from their sleep every day to further themselves toward it. Were the Pokémon who lived among the civilizations of Ambera different from the inhabitants of the Gold Division? Were they all such stagnant souls with nothing to do? Or was it just his humanity speaking within him again, unable to acknowledge that Pokémon didn't need the same ultimate desires for fulfillment or greatness that he always did?
"You only have one life to live," Char said. "You can't tell me that you'd just let it waste away without making something of it. When you close your eyes at night to sleep, do you ever dream about anything? Have you ever dreamt about having some sort of power that you could only yearn for? Or doing things you wished you could do? Or do you see people in your dreams you wish you could meet? Or maybe places that you could see?"
Fern smiled oddly, a little surprised at the questions. "Well, I think everybody dreams about flying," she laughed. "But I don't fret over it. Furret can't fly. All we do is stand around and feel jealous of all the Charmander!"
Char frowned, not at the horrible joke, but because the Furret still didn't seem to reveal any further depth to her character. Maybe it was just because of his pain and frustration, but he couldn't accept the thought of a sentient creature living such a shallow existence.
"Well, now that I think about it, maybe there are some things I'd like to do before I die," she said thoughtfully. "I've always wanted to meet a legendary Pokémon and ask them what it's like to be so powerful. Yeah, silly, I know. How many times does that happen? Pokémon spend their entire lives searching for Lugia and Ho-Oh and never even come close to catching a glimpse of them. But since you asked, I suppose that's been a little fancy of mine for as long as I can remember."
"Why don't you?" Char insisted. "Search for them, I mean? If your dream is to see Lugia or Ho-Oh, why don't you start on a journey to find them?"
"Eh, I suppose because it's dangerous," Fern shrugged. "If I stay here in a wealthy city, I know I can live out a good long life, and that's what I want more than anything else. Even coming here from the meadow, I had a few close calls. Traveling is dangerous, you know. Wild Pokémon aren't always safe to be around. And then there's the Master to worry about… never know what he's going to do next, and don't really want to be there to find out. I don't think it's all worth it just for a chance to satisfy some silly little whim."
Char closed his mouth tight, afraid that he'd lose control and start spewing impolite words. You say that now, Char said to himself, but I think you'd change your mind if you were standing face-to-face with Lugia. I can't believe you! You can't just live without a purpose! Settling for just the simple pleasures in life is called being simple-minded! Do you enjoy being simple-minded, Fern?
"Char, are you okay?" Saura whispered in a concerned tone, noticing his flaring tail flame. "She's not bothering you, is she?"
"Nah, not really," Char sighed back. "It's not her. It's just—"
Char's expression changed as he suddenly realized something. Like most of the Pokémon he'd met, Fern said she felt threatened by the presence of the Master. Perhaps… this was the ultimate reason she ignored any dreams she might have felt, writing them off as silly and impractical?
How many Pokémon like this have been robbed of their dreams because of the Master? Char wondered. How many Pokémon live trapped in their cities for survival like this, afraid to live life the way it was meant to be lived?
"…Just what, Char?" Saura insisted, still eying the flame.
"I just want to get home and rest, that's all," Char said. "It's been a long morning."
"Hey, but enough about me," Fern said. "You're the interesting Pokémon! Who are you, if I can ask?"
As Scythe had since taught them, it was best not to talk too much about the Division. Even saying your name could be pushing it, as it could give the Master's agents something to keep track of.
"Just Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Raichu," Char lied. "We don't really have names."
"Oh, I see," Fern said. "You know, until now, I didn't know that Charmander still lived in Ambera! I thought you all left a long time ago to go live in the human countries. So… are you guys all part of some kind of club? Maybe a rescue force or something?"
"We do this for a living, yeah," Char said. "But… it's a secret. We can't talk about it."
"Wow, a secret club!" Fern said. "I bet that's really exciting!"
"You're right about that," Ray laughed. "It really is!"
The rest of the walk was uneventful. Fern fell mostly silent after she learned that her heroes were members of a secret organization and couldn't afford to reveal too much about themselves. Through it all, something about her still deeply bothered Char; although she clearly appreciated the rescue, she was quiet, content, and unquestioning. She was resigned to her life, and truly had no regrets about anything. Char knew that he was probably just looking at it irrationally and it was probably normal for Pokémon to accept their place in life, but something… Something within him disagreed with her.
Of course, he realized, that's why he was on a Resistance Team in the first place: the state of Ambera was unacceptable to him, and the best way to change it would be to defeat the Master.
… … …
After quite a long walk, they finally arrived to Iron Town, an active truly impressive stronghold that spanned miles and easily outweighed the Silver Division in terms of population by at least twofold. The vast Pokémon dwelling was probably the most human-like city Char had ever seen in all of Ambera; buildings and structures were all composed of the area's most abundant natural resources—metals—and, despite their odd shapes and architecture at times, rose high above Char's head like miniature skyscrapers. The sight of the city always made Char happy somehow, sparking faint reminders of his humanity.
Fern lead the team through the network of paved gray roads, and they soon arrived at her house. It turned out to be a little, discreet building among a spaced-out neighborhood near the edge of town. The foundation and pillars of the house were made of some kind of metal, and cemented to them were walls made from the same material as the roads, a blindingly white stone that almost resembled sandstone, sparkling to the eye from every direction.
"Wait here!" Fern said before scurrying into the house. "I'll be right back! I really need to give you and your secret club a reward for what you've done."
Char had long since stopped exciting himself over most of the rewards given by the clients themselves; They rarely amounted to more than a hundred Poké, or maybe an odd possession or article of clothing every now and then. Most Pokémon of Ambera didn't really have much in the way of possessions, or at least that's what it seemed to him by the jobs from the training list he'd taken; he figured that he would probably start to see greater rewards when Team Ember became ready for the more high-priority jobs, but for now, he'd have to rely on the reimbursement set by the Division itself… something like two thousand Poké for this particular job.
That's why Char didn't quite expect it when he saw the Furret struggling to drag a huge, stuffed bag from her home.
"Here!" she declared. "It's all yours! Take it back to your wonderful club with you and keep up the good work!"
With one final yank, she plunked the large bag directly in front of Char. It was filled with coins.
It didn't take a psychic to tell what kind of a reward the Furret was offering them—it was her life's savings.
Team Ember didn't quite know what to say.
"No, really! It's yours!" Fern insisted, nudging the bag a little. "If it can help you save the lives of Pokémon, then it belongs to you! Arceus knows I don't need it. If I hadn't been rescued today, I wouldn't have had much use for it anyway, would I?"
"Listen... Fern," Saura said politely. "Our organization pays us for the jobs we do. We know you're grateful to us, and we thank you for your generosity, but we can't accept this."
"If you really don't care about doing anything with your life, why did we even bother rescuing you?" Char blurted.
Char bit his lip, wishing he could recall the harsh words that had escaped his mouth. He saw immediately that his words had hurt her. He also saw the shocked glances that his teammates cast him, which made him feel like burrowing deep into a hole and hiding from the world. He knew he wasn't in a polite mood; why, oh, why didn't he just let Saura speak for him? He was in no position to say something like that in the first place; Team Ember hadn't even rescued her by conventional means, by proving their skill or strength, but by complete luck. Her rescue was an accident.
"I'm sorry," Char said humbly after a moment of burning silence. "I didn't mean what I said."
At that, Char bent down and accepted a very small handful of coins from the bag, amounting to about fifty Poké. He knew that he hurt her feelings, but the least he could do was not completely reject her heartfelt gratitude. He clutched the coins in his claws and forced a weak smile onto his face, returning a polite nod to the Furret.
"Thank you," he said softly. "This will be enough."
Fern didn't reply, but managed to nod back in acknowledgement.
"We should get going," Saura said to both Fern and the rest of his team. "We're happy we could help."
And so, Team Ember began their final walk back down the road toward the academy in a sort of contemplative silence. Saura and Ray didn't bother to bring up Char's outburst; they all knew that it had been a long morning, a morning that finally needed to end...
However, when they were halfway out of the neighborhood, a familiar voice called to them.
"Hey! Wait! Come back!"
Char knew the voice belonged to Fern, but couldn't imagine what she wanted now. He'd just insulted her; why would she want anything to do with him now? He turned around and saw her approaching fast, gasping for air as she caught up with them as fast as her little legs could carry her.
"Fern!" Saura said in surprise. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"You're right," Fern gasped, grinding her dash to a halt right before Char. "I didn't want you to go away and think that you hurt me, because you're right about everything, Charmander. I'm selfish, and rude, and there's nothing for me here in Iron Town. I always knew that. I just… always… thought that… I mean, you're right. I should be doing something with my life. I owe it to you after what you did today. I just… never gave any serious thoughts to anything… I was happy here…"
Char noticed a pause in her speech and was about to respond, when she cut him off.
"Listen, Charmander, Bulbasaur, Raichu… There really isn't anything for me here in Iron Town. Could I… come with you?"
Char was absolutely floored. She wanted to… join them? He'd only said a few words to her, and now she was driven to change the direction of her life?
Incredulously, Char glanced at his friends. Their faces had both lit up. He didn't even have to ask them; he knew they both approved of the idea.
But Char had to think about it for a second. There were rules to the way recruitment worked in the Division. Resistance Teams were strictly forbidden from bringing civilians into the base with them, unless they were refugees who were under real and imminent danger from the Master, or unless there would be specific plans to induct the new member onto the team. He could not simply send Fern off to join Team Stripes, as that was against the rules; Fern would need to join Team Ember.
"I heard you talking earlier," Fern admitted. "I thought I heard you said you needed to find a new member. Maybe… that could be me? Could I be part of your secret rescue team? I'll… I'll be a fast learner, I promise! I always am!"
Char knew what he needed to do next: he needed to huddle with his team and discuss the matter. But, since he already knew precisely what his teammates would say, he figured he could skip that step this one time. Besides… he'd already made up his mind.
"No," Char said simply. "Sorry, Fern, but I don't think it would be the right job for you. I don't want to get you into something you'd regret."
"Oh…" Fern said, dashed. "It's okay. I… understand."
Saura and Ray were both equally surprised at the suddenness and bluntness of Char's response. Fern cast longing glances at them, as if expecting them to respond.
"Don't look at us," Saura told her. "He's the leader. He has the final say."
"Don't get me wrong, it's great that you're looking for something to do," Char told her, "But what you need to find is a life's dream, not a moment's impulse. Besides, our job is not the kind of job you can back out of once you commit. If you join us, you're stuck there for a very, very long time, and before you know it, you'll probably be yearning for your old boring life here in Iron Town. You want my advice? You've got lots of money and you live in a big city. Form a team and go chase the legendaries."
Char really couldn't tell if she was taking his suggestion to heart or just disregarding it, but she politely bowed to him one last time, said her final thanks and goodbyes, and scampered back off to her house.
And then, just like any other client, she was gone, out of sight and mind.
"You know, Char, that was actually a very good decision," Saura admitted as they left the city. "I didn't even think about things like that. I was ready to welcome her to the team! But you're right. Now that I think about it, she wouldn't have fit on a Resistance Team at all."
"I guess that's why Char's the leader!" Ray said happily. "He knows these things by instinct! Just like Scythe!"
Division Base
When team Ember finally arrived to the academy, they checked in, recited the proper lines of the Creed to Slaking, and headed back to Team Remorse's quarters room to see if Scythe had returned for the day.
Upon knocking at the front door, they were greeted with a unanimous cry of relief.
"Finally!" he heard Markov the Feraligatr shout jubilantly from somewhere far behind the door. " They're here!"
"It's about time!" Raptor the Gabite grumbled. "Took them long enough. Any longer and I was getting ready to hunt them down myself."
Huh? Char wondered, waiting for the door to open.
"I got it," Ursa said with his deep voice. "Stand back, want to give them some room."
The door slid open, and Char found himself faced with Ursa, Raptor, Markov, and Raon all crowding around the door and standing at eager attention…
…Only to see their smiles immediately fade.
"Oh, it's you," Ursa said. "Sorry, we thought you were Bellossom. We're all starving to death. Oh, and congrats on your first mission alone, hope that went well and all."
"Hey, we'll come in and be hungry with you, okay?" Ray said as they headed inside.
For the past month, Team Remorse had continuously demonstrated just why they were the most hardy and capable team in the entire division. Every single day, the team pulled double-time across several ongoing missions at once, most notably Basin Canyon and Red Haven. Although they'd formed a strong partnership with Team Absolution to help lighten the load, the whole idea was still completely insane to Char. Members of both teams were continually coming and leaving at all hours of the day and night, staying only to take a rest, eat, or to discuss plans with one another. A lot of times, they even stayed multiple days and nights at the destination; sometimes groups left with massive bags stuffed with supplies, only to come back an entire week later. It was always impossible for Char to tell who was going and returning and when, but Char figured that all he had to do was focus on his own team. Through it all, until the most recent mission, Scythe had always been at Team Ember's side to continue their training, even through the backbreaking effort he and his team gave.
And the effort was certainly taking its toll on Team Remorse. Char saw how every member of the team was gradually showing serious signs of strain, both physically and mentally. One thing that never wavered, though, was their confidence; they were the Team Remorse, and they knew it. They would see the missions out until the end. They did not intend to fail. They did not make mistakes.
Char, Saura, and Ray lounged in Scythe's room, waiting lazily for Bellossom to deliver the food. Before the appearance of Adiel and the straining effort they gave in response, it was a service that Team Remorse had not abused; but now, they had requested a steady stream of four deliveries a day. Seeing how the team clearly deserved enough respect to not have to descend to the mess hall for every meal, the Division complied and sent them all the food they wanted. Although, Team Ember ended up getting themselves spoiled with the service.
Char wondered sometimes if Team Remorse was coming close to draining the Division's entire supply of Chesto Berries, as they devoured dozens of them many times per day in an effort to keep themselves awake and alert.
As Char lay sprawled on the rock floor, feeling his muscles throbbing back to life, he reflected upon the day's events, especially about Fern. What if she had joined the team? While he was convinced that he made the right decision, and had no regrets about doing so, he couldn't help but imagine the polite, withdrawn little Furret on the team. As he pictured her going on adventures with Team Ember, it only made him feel more of the same way; not just because he didn't think she was up to the task, but also for another reason entirely…
I don't even completely trust our third member yet, Char realized. How would I handle a fourth? I'm not ready for another member, not until I can bring myself to trust Ray like I trust Saura. But… that still means I have to tell him I'm a human. How would he react? Would he think I'm crazy? Even if he did believe me like Saura did… would he take it well?
Char's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knocking at Scythe's door.
"Hey, Scythe, I need to talk to you," a voice said. "Got something to ask you."
Char recognized the voice as a member of Team Remorse, but couldn't quite place it. It was one of the members he hadn't been as thoroughly acquainted to. Realizing he was the closest one to the door, he groaned as he climbed to his feet to answer it.
"Uh, Scythe's not here," Char responded, pushing the door open. "It's just us…"
Char's eyes nearly popped out of his face when he saw what was standing at the door: it was a Pokémon that he'd never seen before in his life! It was a brown-furred, bipedal rodent, almost looking like—if there were such a thing—a male, middle-aged Kangaskhan. Its head had the distinct shape of a dragon's, but also somewhat resembled that of a mouse or a rabbit, with small, cup-shaped ears and a long, toothy snout.
"Oh, then, sorry to disturb," the unidentified Pokémon said. "I thought I heard Scythe come in, but I guess it was only you after all. When he gets here, tell him that I… what?"
Suddenly, the strange Pokémon's eyes widened, as if he just realized he'd forgotten something. He grasped at his face.
"Oh, lovely," it groaned. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you out of your wits. It's impolite of me."
"What… are you?" Char blurted out, not yet making the connection.
"Oh, it's just Marrow," Ray said, also approaching the door, amused at the sight. "Hard to recognize without his helmet, isn't he?"
Marrow? Char repeated to himself. The... Marowak? But... he doesn't have his skull!
"But… what… I mean…" Char babbled. "I thought…"
Marrow snickered. "Heheheh, yeah, I admit, I get this a lot when I forget I'm not wearing the thing," he laughed. "I'm really not supposed to show my face in public, but yeah, in case you're wondering, it's just a helmet. It's not attached to my head. Although, some Marowak wear them for so long that they do actually get stuck in there, and can't take them off without breaking them apart. Not me, though. It gets really sticky in there, I like to clean it out once in a while."
Char still couldn't stop staring blankly at the unmasked creature, which combed its claw through the matted fur on its face as if to illustrate its point.
"I thought…" Char started to say absently. "I mean… is it… really… your… mother?"
Marrow rolled his eyes. "What are you, a human?" it scoffed lightheartedly. "Maybe there was one Cubone in the entire history of the known world that killed its mother and tore out her skull, or something, I honestly don't know, but it gave the rest of us a bad name, and all the humans started spreading ridiculous myths. I mean, I knew both my parents, I grew up with them, I had a happy childhood… I don't quite understand what the big deal is. Just because we like bones. Char, you like fire, right? Well, I like bones. It's just my nature. They're lightweight, durable, make good weapons… and if you polish them, they can get as hard as ivory. My helmet is actually a Charizard skull. Scythe gave it to me when I joined the team, beats me where he got it, probably sent for it from overseas or somewhere."
"… … …Oh." Char managed to say after trying to digest everything.
There was an awkward moment of silence. Marrow snickered once more, and Ray looked like he was about to burst out laughing.
"Well, I really should, you know, finish polishing this thing before I forget again," Marrow said, starting to walk away. "Tell Scythe I wanted to talk to him, a'ight?"
"Yes, sir!" Ray said cheerily.
"Oh, that reminds me," Marrow said, suddenly doubling back and lowering his voice. "You know Scythe's got a pretty big gift to give you, right? Hope you've got good news to tell him from today!"
Ray shut the door as soon as Marrow was gone, leaving Char staring blankly at the wall. I just saw a Marowak's face! He realized. Have I just witnessed one of the greatest mysteries of Pokémon-kind?
"We had a Cubone on Team Stripes a while back," Ray said offhandedly, returning to his resting place. "That's how I recognized him, in case you're wondering. Though, I don't remember very much about that Cubone… except that he cried a lot, and we eventually let him go."
Thankfully, the food arrived soon enough. After fighting with Team Remorse over a tray of fruit and bread, Team Ember was rewarded with a filling lunch and a nice long rest for the remainder of the afternoon. The last thing to do was to wait for Scythe's return, so they could retell the day's events and possibly even find out what the big reward would be. But Team Ember didn't keep their hopes too high; depending on the work he had cut himself out, they knew it was very possible they wouldn't be seeing him again until the next morning.
… … …
That evening, Ray awoke from his nap. Having felt rested enough for the time being, he decided to leave the room and travel about the base. One thing that the team had completely forgotten about, ironically enough, was to record their victory at the registry. After he took care of that little technicality, he wandered around in search of other things he could get done while he was around.
He remembered something the team had discussed earlier that day, about better preparing themselves against wild rock Pokémon. He figured he could schedule another session with Domo, and ask him to teach them some new techniques to help them…
Ray was greeted by the sound of clashing blades as he pushed aside the curtain and entered the dojo.
Two Kabutops sparred in the center of the room, constantly yelling and conversing as they leapt around each other and lunged with their blades. They almost reminded him of watching Scythe's furious battles against his doppelganger, except with much less finesse and acrobatic skill than a Scyther match, and much more brute force and berserker techniques.
"YAAH! Nice try!"
"You were lucky!"
"There is no luck! Only skill! YAAAAH!"
"Your defense is faltering. You will not last much longer."
"Nonsense, I am only fooling your subconscious into thinking that I am weakening!"
"Your movements are so painfully obvious, you couldn't fool a rabbit into playing dead!"
"Perhaps not, but I could do THIS!"
"Your attacks are insulting to my intelligence. A blind Squirtle could defeat you."
"And a Cubone could defeat you! YAAH!"
"Oh! Excellent move!"
"Ah, it's all in the distraction, my brother!"
Ray waited for a few minutes, but the battle didn't show any signs of stopping. Eventually, he rolled his eyes and stepped forward.
"HEY!" He called to the combatants.
The two Kabutops froze stiff at the sound of Ray's voice, and for a second seemed like a pair of statues depicting an intense snapshot of the action.
"Um, yes, can we help you?" one of the Kabutops said, straightening up and addressing Ray.
"Uh… which one of you is Domo?" Ray asked. "I was watching you two fight, and I can't tell!"
"Oh, neither of us," the other Kabutops said. "Domo is actually not within this base at this moment. This morning, the base received word from a messenger of the Black Division that there's been a Registeel sighting down in the southern mountains, and Domo took off like a rocket."
"We can't blame you for not knowing about it yet," the first added. "It's going to be announced in the news post this evening."
"Hmm…" Ray said, disappointed. "Interesting. I guess we can't train, then… We were hoping to learn some new fighting techniques…"
"Well, we can't help you with that," the first Kabutops said. "Neither of us would have the slightest idea about the physical capacities of a Raichu such as yourself. But here's a tip: try going to Kecleon's and asking the Pink-colored brother for… Training Machines. He might be able to help you."
"Training Machines?" Ray repeated. "You mean, the human… things? We have them here?"
"Oh, of course," the Kabutops said. "Kecleon tries to keep them discreet, but yes, he's what you could call an expert on them. He can get you what you need."
"Whoa, no way," Ray said. "I had no idea. Well, thanks…"
Unfortunately, when Ray hurried over to Kecleon's market, the pink brother was nowhere to be seen, and the green brother refused to comment on his whereabouts. Not wanting to waste the trip, he took the opportunity to purchase some supplies and have them sent over to storage. As he was browsing the shop for the usual things, something caught his eye.
"Hey, Kecleon… are these for sale?"
"My boy, everything is for sale at the right price!" Kecleon answered, hurrying over. "What is it you have your eye on?"
The store was so cluttered and filled with merchandise that even after visiting time and time again, new surprises always waited… for today, just behind the enormous pile of Escape Orbs, Ray spotted a long pegboard filled with things that looked like long, gray nails. The items looked, somehow, strangely familiar.
"Ah, yes, the Silver Spikes!" Kecleon sang. "One of Iron Town's specialties. Each one is forged from pure steel from the caves of the Great Plateau. An especially popular item to use against those pesky Rock Pokémon, especially for those not naturally suited for fighting them. Your friend Char would fall under this category, yes?"
"Yes!" Ray said. "That's… awesome! I'll take them! I'll take… fifty!"
… … …
Later that evening came the moment everyone had been waiting for: Scythe's return.
The exhausted, frustrated, and ruffled warrior was met with a warm welcome as he marched through his team's front door. His meeting was short and to the point, since only a small fraction of the team was actually there that night, as usual, the rest all out on the ongoing missions. Char and his team waited patiently for him to finish his business, wondering more than ever how he'd receive their story.
The Scyther's weary scowl turned to a warm smile when he opened the door to find Team Ember waiting for him inside.
"Good evening, you three!" he said. "So, tell me everything! How'd it go?"
So, they all gathered around, and to the best of their memories, they told him of the torrential rain, the confusing Golbats, the ground-shaking Gravelers, their encounter with Team X, their last stand against an endless wave of feral Pokémon, and how they accomplished the mission against all odds. They told him about Fern, the way Char exploded at her, and how she was turned down from joining the team. Through it all, he sat and watched them thoughtfully, listening intently to every word, giving only a nod of understanding from time to time…
And when they could think of nothing more to say, they fell silent and awaited his response.
"Well," Scythe finally sighed. "I'm… disappointed."
Char gulped. He thought this may have been coming, but he was hoping the fact that they accomplished the mission would at least offset some of his trainer's displeasure…
"Ray," Scythe said, turning to the Raichu. "How many times do I have to tell you this? Even your best electric attacks cannot harm Pokémon with lightning rods!"
"I know," Ray responded.
"Then, what about that Onix you mentioned before you arrived to the cave?" Scythe asked. "What were you thinking, trying to hit it with a bolt of lightning in the first place?"
"It was storming," Ray insisted, "So I thought I could do some damage… I know that the rock Pokémon always take some damage, even if it's not a lot, so…"
"No, no. Wrong!" Scythe said vehemently. "The damage is negligible. You are not to waste your energy like that. Kain did not survive twelve days at Onix Mountain by the strength of his electricity, and neither could you. Do you understand me?"
"Yes… sir," Ray said, fidgeting with his tail as he would usually do when he got nervous. He hung his head, acknowledging Scythe's disappointment and taking his reprimands to heart.
"And Char," Scythe said even more angrily, "Getting distracted by some shiny orbs and running headfirst into a corridor without looking? Arceus knows all the horrible ways that could end up!"
"Sorry," Char said meekly. "I wasn't thinking…"
Char was cringing, expecting an entire wave of criticisms about his bad judgment or poor planning skills, when Scythe's frown suddenly turned into a gleaming smile.
"Well, other than that, I'm very proud of you. I can't say I have any other complaints. Congratulations on a job well done!"
"Wow, that's it?" Saura said. "You're not going to call us on how we basically failed the mission? We won by a complete stroke of luck!"
"I can't fault you for any of your judgments," Scythe said. "I probably wouldn't have done things exactly your way, but… I taught you how to think for yourselves, and you've made your own decent decisions. To be completely honest with you, if I'd joined you in the cave today, I would've questioned your final judgment to let yourselves be destroyed… but, then again, if I convinced you to escape, the Furret wouldn't have been so lucky, would she have? There's nothing wrong with being lucky sometimes. I can't count the number of times I've won missions due to dumb luck. I know Daemon would be quick to tell you that you can't rely on it, but, you see, the thing is, whenever you find yourself lucky, it usually means that, somewhere along the way, you really did something right."
Scythe then proceeded to congratulate them on all their good decisions, from the judicious use of their berries, to their idea to use the silver spikes to counter the rock beasts, to the triggering of the rainfall, to even the handling of Fern's sudden desire to join the team. Char felt his ego growing like a bonfire at each of his praises, convinced that it would be enough to see the big reward that Marrow had hinted at…
"The only part that confuses me… is Team X," Scythe admitted. "Just when I thought I had enough on my plate already, I can't imagine what they're up to…"
"What do we do if we see them again?" Saura asked. "They really freaked us out when they appeared out of nowhere. They were stalking us!"
"If they appear again, just… fight them off, don't agree to their demands," Scythe told them. "You could try tricking them if you think you can get them to spill something, but if you ask me, it looks like they're just some no-name thugs trying to get into the base—the least of our worries. You're strong enough; if they come back, I have no doubt that you could even be their rivals."
Char exchanged a glance with Saura. He never thought about it like that before. Rivals? Really? Could they really Rival the sinister poison team?
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired," Scythe finally said, changing his tone, "I think we should all get some rest. Oh… I had a good surprise in store for you today if you completed your mission, but… I'm not convinced you deserve it quite yet. You did basically fail the mission."
Scythe smirked as he said this, making Char really have to wonder why he suddenly chose to send the mixed signals.
"But, I think you're more than deserving of a second chance" he said. "Tomorrow, I've got to head out for Red Haven to check on the progress out there. You'll be on your own again. If you can succeed a second time in a row, Not only will I gladly hand over my prize, but I'll throw in something else, and it's something extremely valuable. I don't think you can afford to disappoint me."
Ah, typical Scythe, Char thought, shaking his head. He's just trying to buy time for himself out at Red Haven. Well, I can't say I blame him. We won once, we'll get up tomorrow and do it again!
"You'd better have those prizes ready for us tomorrow, because we'll deserve them!" Ray declared. "No excuses this time! We'll pass your test!"
And so, after an eventful, draining, but successful day, Team Ember finally settled down for a well-deserved night's—
"Guys," Ray suddenly said, breaking the silence just as the team was starting to float away into peaceful sleep, "Char. Saura. We didn't take a mission for tomorrow..."
Char blinked.
"Aww, nuts," Char grumbled, rising back to his feet.