Early the next day even before the sun has risen above the horizon, I made my way back to the docks and met up with Captain Phillips once more.
"Are you ready kid?"
Captain Phillips said as he was hoisting the anchor of the boat but the series of words brought back memories that had hit a specific part of my brain, causing a instantaneous reply from me.
"Aye aye Captain!"
"Excited aren't we? But stop with the sea talk, I don't know why but I feel that your making fun of me some how."
"Yeah, sorry about that."
"No worries. Now, hop on board, by and large not be the best place to swing a Meowth around but its perfect for navigating treacherous waters that surrounds that island."
We set off under a vast, empty sky, the weather remaining on our side for the better part of the morning. While the boat travelled at a respectable speed, it still took three whole hours before signs that were getting close to our destination appeared.
The area where the island is situated is ravaged by giants whirlpools and scattered rocks as such their is very few water routes known to be safe enough to use as passage to reach the island.
As we sailed on through, turbulent currents immediately surged from every direction, rocking the boat as if the sea itself were trying to hurl us into one of the large maelstroms or the jagged rocks in between.
"Batten down the hatches lad, this be the final stretch."
I held on for dear life as the boat heaved, fighting against the waves. We were weaving around the whirlpools and rocks as Captain Phillips steered with a focus of a well seasoned sailor knowing full well that one wrong turn can leave us at the bottom of the sea and after another hour of intense anticipation, the island appeared beyond the horizon.
"Land ho!"
Captain Phillips called out while maneuvering the boat through specific currents that helped propel the boat forward and before long we were finally able to make land fall in the shore of the island.
"Were here. I don't think I halfta tell ya to not aggravate the islands inhabitants but take this old mans advice and avoid traveling by the rivers as well. This place be a year round evolution ground for Magikarp as such a few dozen Gyarados are known to swim out the shallow waters heading out to sea while thousands of Magikarp can be seen swimming up stream daily but few ever succeed in reaching the lake where they are known to evolve and avoid getting eaten by the islands inhabitants."
"So the Magikarp is one of the main food source of the Dragon types in this island huh."
"Aye, they are. Most may look at wild Magikarp as useless boney fish but the Magikarp as species even before becoming a Gyarados, contains a large amount energy stored within their bodies which they use to fuel their evolution."
(That make sense, that much of an increase in size and power require a lot of energy to go through.)
"Do not travel in the river unless you want to be added in the menu of the Dragons or even the Gyarados themselves. Since your staying for a week then I suggest having one of your Pokémon by your side at all times to act as a guard. I'm not willing to stay a night on this island even if you pay me so I'll meet you back here in this spot high noon at a weeks time, be here before not after or I'll take it so that you did not make it and immediately leave. Trust me when I say you won't like being left high and dry in this forsaken place."
Content in giving his warnings, the Old man dropped me off in a beach located in the outskirts of the Jungle biome. Reading about a place is really different when seen personally, even the atmosphere the island gives is somewhat heavy.
According to the file the environments in the island is comparable to the wild areas that borders most regions. The thick undergrowth and the lack of path ways will certainly make moving around fairly difficult on foot.
(This is not gonna work. I need a ride that can bulldoze through this dense jungle.)
"Come out Steelix!"
'Steelix!'
The massive form of Steelix appeared and I climbed onto its head, finding a secure spot between the icy ridges. Steelix was in my opinion the best company in my team to have in a jungle trek, since he mow down through everything, in addition with me being positioned in a higher altitude provides better view of the area since the foliage plant life makes finding anything particular quite troublesome.
The jungle teamed with Pokémon but mostly a large number of the grass type like the Skiddo, Oddish and Seedot line with the occasional skittering Bunnelby and Fletchling pecking at ripe fruits but still no Dragon types.
"50% population of dragon types, how unlucky can I be to be only finding the remaining half .... Ohh, what's this."
After an hour of cutting through the dense brush, something finally caught my eye. A lone Applin being cornered by a trio of hostile Pokémon. Two of the assailants were a pair of Seedot, their acorn-like bodies bouncing aggressively, while a Nuzleaf appeared to be leading the assault.
The Applin line is mostly overlooked and underestimated by trainers including Dragon type specialist due to their size and less intimidating image as even after evolution the average height of the line still only clocks in under one and a half feet tall except for the rare Hydrapple that is not quite well documented.
As small as they may look they are still not to be trifled with, even the more common evolutions of the Applin line like Flapple and Appletun are found to be able to match most secondary evolution of feared Dragon types such as Dragonair, Gabite and Shelgon in terms of power.
The Applin line was documented to have been introduced to the island centuries ago and the small Apple orchard found somewhere in the Jungle biome allowed them to propagate and thrive. Their current pact leader seems to be a Hydrapple which was also my grand fathers starter Pokémon, befriending and catching it as an Applin during his own coming of age trial.
The Dragon clan of Unova discovered this third stage evolution after finding a rare third branch of the Applin line called Dipplin native to a land called Kitakami, A place located in the very northern part of the same continent as Kanto and Johto regions although geographically closer to the Sinnoh region.
From what I remember it took them years of research on all three of Applins second stage evolution before their effort boor fruit 'No pun intended' which is why many believe that it was not a coincidence that it resembles their regional Apex species the Hydreigon line as its also a multi headed Dragon type.
They have been keeping the requirement of the third evolution a well guarded secret and only shared to those they deem worthy. In other worlds they are Gate keeping the third stage of the Applin line sharing only to the people they like 'Can pay up'.
Even my dear old Gramps Ryuma is said to have befriended a member of the Unova Dragon clan in his youth while visiting Kitakami and hit it off so well that he helped him evolve his starter to its final form a few year later.
(So if I want to catch a Applin and get it to turn into a Hydrapple I would need to get on the good side of Unova's Dragon clan, maybe even trade something in exchange that's worth their while. Although now thinking of the steep requirements that would need me to travel to two other continents really makes me reconsider if its truly worth the effort catching one. Well if things comes to shove I could always just try and order one of those local apples of theirs in Kitakami's case.)
....
Despite being outnumbered, the little Applin is showing a surprising amount of spunk. It didn't exhibit an ounce of fear and instead spamming Rollout to both dodge and strike its opponents with its gradually increasing momentum .
(Well if I really want to commit in the plan of catching an Applin it should be at least this daring.)
'Applin Ap!'
'''....'''
Observing the battle unfold, I found that the Applin is even actively taunting the Nuzleaf and Seedots looking at its opponents condescendingly before smugly shifting its gaze away as if letting its opponents know that they are not worth its attention like peasants before the upper-class, showing a level of sass that even I could admire.
(That does it. A Pokémon personifies my inner dark side of being rich. I want it!)
'Applin!'
'Swoosh!'
'Smack!'
'Nuzleaf!'
'Tak!'
Applin kept rolling around, steadily built up speed until it found a good opening in Nuzleaf's blind spot and when it did, Applin ricochet it self from a tree dealing a precise hit on the angry Nuzleaf's head causing its vision to swirl and its stride to wobble before fainting to the ground.
''Seedot!''
After seeing what had occurred, the two Seedot haplessly carried the unconscious Nuzleaf on their head and hurriedly run off in an awkward escape.
'Plop!'
'... Ap! Applin!'
Watching this all happen caused the Applin to put on a smug smile of victory before fully rolling on the ground laughing after seeing one of the two Seedot carrying the Nuzleaf slip, causing the other one to fall over dropping their boss, falling head first to the ground.
'Applin!?'
"'...'"
'Applin!'
'Whoosh!'
It was then that the Applin saw us in the distance observing it. A gigantic Ice serpent accompanied by a human sitting on top of it, just the image was enough to cause it to have a panic attack and run away screaming with Rollout as no amount of smugness can alleviate the terror a one foot tall Pokémon experience when facing a Steelix.
"Steelix, chase after it!"
'Steelix!'
'Applin!'
Letting this one get away would be a disgrace to my inner self. We gave chase as the little apple rolled deep into the forest, its frightful shrieks reverberating through the trees.
As the chase continued on the scenery started changing around us. The jungle became less cluttered as the shrubbery and dense foliage was replaced by open paths in between varying fruit trees.
Gradually we came to a spot filled with Apple trees in which other Applins could be seen cowering, fearful of the intruders that entered their habitat chasing one of their brethren.
After sometime we came to a stop under a large apple tree where a group of Applin's evolved form, Flapple and Appletun surrounded a five feet tall red mossy mound with a thick coiled vine on top that the Applin were chasing hid behind.
(This must be the main colony of the Applin line.)
As we got closer, the vine and the moss covered spots on the red mound shook. The thick vine rose up revealing a horned Syrpent and while several other green Syrpent heads rose up from the moss revealing a Pokémon I've only read about prior in arriving in the island.
'Hydrapple!'
"You must be the pact leader, I take it."
Upon closer inspection this Pokémon has a lot of known sign of ageing for Dragon type Pokémon. The most prominent was the scale deterioration in some parts of its body with dark purple spots discernible amongst the overall green base.
(As much as I'd like to test my skills against my grandfather's partner, it wouldn't be right. Not in its current state since it would be a shallow victory. Then I should go with a more passive approach, In other words the relative card.)
"I'm Albert Ryuma, I'm hopping to catch that Applin to join me in my journey."
I announced, meeting the dragon's many gazes.
'Hydra Hydrapple .....'
Understanding the situation the main head of the old dragon looked towards the cowering Applin behind it then stared on to the enormous Steelix, before all its heads set its sights on me as if saying that using my Steelix a bit of a over kill just to catch one of its brood.
"Fair, but I don't think that anyone in my team could not be considered as overkill at this point. Just let the Applin know that I would like it to be part of my team."
'Hydrapple ...'
'Applin?!'
The Hydrapple carried the small Applin in its mouth and put it in front of me causing the little Applin to show a betrayed expression.
'Hyd, Hydrapple.'
(It want me to talk to the Applin myself. That's fine with me, just need to to do some convincing.)
I leaned down and got closer towards the shacking form of Applin that hid inside its Apple.
"Applin, I want you to join my team and if you accept I will provide you the finest food and training and do my best to make you reach .... no ... surpass this Hydrapple in strength!"
'Applin! Ap Applin'
'.....'
The wyrm Pokémon popped its head out of its Apple and as if not believing my statement look towards the old Hydrapple for assurance and it gave a approving nod with its multiple heads.
'Applin ...'
The Applin went silent as it thought for a bit while observing me. As if it came to an answer, Applin slowly rolled forward, only coming to a stop a feet away before nodding its small head, signaling that it had accepted my proposal but it did not hide its hesitation with its slightly shaking form but its clear that it trusted the old Hydrapple's judgement.
"You won't regret this!"
I said as I took out a Poke Ball specifically a Friend ball from my bag. I considered that it could help make Applin easier to befriend due to the possible trauma we may had caused in our first meeting. It worked esthetically as well with the ball also matching Applin color wise, with the red indentation that marks the ball even looking like apple seeds.
'Tak!'
I lightly tapped the Friend ball on Applins head causing the Pokémon to vanish as it was sucked inside in a ray of red flash.
'Wiggle'
'Wiggle'
'Tik!'
The Friend ball move twice before a familiar ring signifying a successful capture resounded.
'Hydra! Hydrapple'
The old Hydrapple made a resonant call towards me, telling me to take care of the Applin before coiling it self back inside the large mossy mound that suppose to be its apple.
"No worries, I will make sure of it."
'Hyd'
I replied honestly to the request and a faint, appreciative grumble echoed from within the red mound as I turned away.
(This makes my first capture here, now time to try my luck on the other ones.)
We didn't linger in the orchard. With the trip to the island and the chase with Applin had already ate up the entire morning, and with the sun already at its peak, we needed to find a good spot to set up camp for our week long stay.
Considering that in the next few days, I plan to roamed around the island through every biome listed in the document in my phone, puts the best place to put up a camp to be near the lake in the middle of the island.
"Lets go buddy, straight ahead!"
'Steelix!'
I climbed back up on Steelix's head and we began the slow process of cleaving through the jungle once more. It took nearly two hours before the dense canopy finally gave way to a wide, sparkling clearing by the lakeside.
"Good work Steelix, take a bit of rest."
'Steelix'
Steelix was tuckered out since we were wandering the dense jungle for several hours already and after we reach the camp site it was clear their was no more exploring to be had for the rest of the day as it curled its body.
I unpacked the gear and by the time I finished setting the camp it was already mid in the afternoon with the sun already casting long shadows across the water of the murky lake.
"I guess its time for the rest of the team to meet our new addition."
I called everyone one out and it did not take long for the rest to notice the new inclusion to the group. I kept a close eye on their reactions and on my command, Milotic moved to intercept Zweilous and Gabite since both dragons tended to get... well, 'bitey' when faced with something new.
Gabite observed Applin from a distance and was befuddled by the food shape creature while Zweilous twin heads was also trying to put to memory the new scent.
'Gabite?'
'Zwei Zweilous'
It was interesting to see the confused looks of the two mid stage Dragon types as they tried to understand how something that looks and smells so much like food, not be food.
'Mi!'
'Steelix!'
Milotic on the other hand simply gave a small cry towards Applin welcoming it to the team which was followed by Steelix resting behind me who Applin still looks onto with slight caution.
Applin was fairly comfortable socializing with Milotic as it did not take much to figure out that our new friend is Female. Under Milotic's watchful gaze the two dragons also started to interact with Applin all to the little wyrms dismay.
"Okay, every one get off of Applin and Zweilous for Arceus sake, stop licking her apple. After we eat, will have Applin show us what she can do but for now, give our new friend your best regards."
My announcement was followed by a series of cheers from the older members of my team but its obvious it was because of the food.
When I set down the bowls, Applin was skeptical but getting a taste of the Pokémon food, she was immediately hooked and like everyone on my team, the delectable ambrosia that is a Poffin had firmly rooted itself in her heart.
(It must be in content since when compared to the others, with its size, a single Poffin must have felt like eating an entire gourmet cake.)
Contrary to popular belief Applin does not primarily consume apples and that includes it own apple. Their insistence on living near apple trees is driven by survival against their main predator's, avian Pokémon.
The Applin line is said to only eat apples twice in their lifetime. At the start as their first sustenance after they hatch, they eat their way upon a apple to hollow out a cozy fit inside for their body before releasing a special bodily fluid that reinforce their new home from the inside out. Amazingly enough, this also repairs the apple from damage while stopping any form of internal degradation occur which includes rotting.
The second time they specifically seek out to eat an apple is to fuel their evolution when they feel that it is time and depending on the flavor of the apple will decide the genetic change they will under go.
...
"Alright, now that we're full, let's see what you're capable of, Applin."
'Applin?'
The little dragon tilted its head as I motioned to the clearing.
"As I said earlier I want you to show everyone what you are capable of, like what moves you know of or any special talents, so don't hold back."
'Ap Applin!'
Understanding what I wanted it to do. Applin begun rolling around the campsite using Rollout and when it gained enough momentum it shot into the air, its wyrm body partially emerging to deliver a sharp, whipping strike radiating a dark energy..
"Rollout and Sucker Punch, those will come in handy. Anything else? Even the moves you don't use often."
'....'
'Applin!'
'Tuk!'
Applin paused, thinking hard. Suddenly, it called out to grab my attention as it tucked itself deep into its Apple, wiggling in a defensive posture before popping back out, wailing loudly with the best scary expression it could make.
(That's Withdraw and Astonish. I know that those two moves are naturally learned by Applin species which makes both Rollout and Sucker Punch, egg moves. Rollout and Sucker Punch huh, A few of its ancestors must be from the Seedot line for it to have learned both.)
"Good work Applin, I will be teaching you the ropes soon but for now try to get to know everyone."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, I let my team acclimate to our new friend while I think of which areas we will be visiting tomorrow since wandering aimlessly will do me no good in catching another Dragon type and will just waste a lot of time and resources.
(The best thing to go for next is a Bagon and if I wanted to catch one then ...)
I decided as tracing the maps on my screen.
(...will need to trek the northwestern face of the mountain range, right where the Salamence line is known to roost.)
Early the next day we made our way to the Mountains while leaving Zweilous behind to guard the camp site. Considering his size it was doubtful that anything would willingly go out their way to make trouble with him. He seemed perfectly content with the arrangement, especially once I provided double his usual daily rations as a trade off for being on guard duty.
Following the lake shore we passed through the Desert Biome. Aside from the scotching sun the desert biome is covered by flowing sand dunes, quite different from Lumiose badlands that was composed of a more rocky terrain with towering plateaus.
It took three hours just to pass the Desert biome's lakeside border into the elevated area of the Mountain biome. It is the place where the Salamence line had taken roost due to the presence of the rocky cliffs faces that its first stage Bagon love to jump off from while its sluggish second stage Shelgon lurks motionless deep within caverns that bore into the mountain slopes.
An interesting fact I learned in my studies back home is that similar to a Pupitar of the Tyranitar line, Shelgon does not need the sustenance of food and water. It was observed that both species second stage uses the abundant energy they gathered during their first stage to function and after a few years when they have used up all their stored energy they will then evolved into their final stage.
Upon arriving at the base of one of the towering mountains, I immediately caught a glimpse of a small blue therapod like Pokémon with a thick head crest in the form of gray ridges.
"A Bagon!"
It was standing on the ledge of a cliff face clearly preparing to go for a dive and judging from the several crushed stones and craters on the bottom it had done this several times.
(Well that was fast, then I just need to wait for it to jump off then we could get close to catch it.)
Right on cue the Bagon started running into a sprint before leaping off the ledge, free falling head first straight to the ground.
'Boom!'
The impact was far more destructive than I'd anticipated. The weight compacted into that small frame hit like a falling meteor, pulverizing the ground into a massive cloud of dust.
"Steelix, hurry! Get to the Bagon quick before it could recover!"
'Steel, Steelix!'
Unexpectedly Steelix did not rush onwards but instead set its sight to the sky.
"What's wrong?"
I followed his gaze and felt my stomach drop. Three looming shadows were descending rapidly, growing larger by the second.
(I guess it won't be that easy this time around.)
'''Whoosh'''
Three fully grown Salamence slammed into the earth in front of us. Their Intimidate ability hit like a physical wall, carrying a heavy suffocating pressure that washed over us, leaving me feeling a bit strained and weakened however Steelix's Ability Mirror Armor left it not only unaffected but also sending the Intimidate de buff back towards the group.
'Salamence?!'
The leading Salamence looked confused on what had occurred but still stood tall keeping us at bay and got the other two to follow suit. While the trio of dragons kept us pinned, a fourth Salamence landed beside the Bagon and carried it back up to the safety of the cliffs. Looking up, I saw at least four more circling above. A total of eight final-stage dragons had us dead in their sights.
"So ... I don't expect that any of you will be willing to allow me to catch one of the Bagon in your group?"
'Salamence!'
Hearing my question the biggest of the three Salamence in front of us gave a guttural growl as if sending a universal message of a 'fat no'. Aside from its size the scars that run along all over the Salamence body showed that it was not only the pact leader of the Bagon line in the island but also the raining ruler of the Mountain Biome and disrespecting it especially in its home was not a wise decision to make.
"Yeah, understandable have a good day. Lets go buddy, we can go look some where else."
'Steelix!'
Fully knowing when were beat, I decided for us to make a hasty retreat since staying below those cliffs would only result in being hounded by the entire nest of dragons.
It was an all to familiar dilemma as just like in the Lumiose Badlands when I was trying to catch a Gible. Their is no situation of me being able to successfully nab a Bagon without getting the ire of five to eighth Elite level Dragon types and it ending with a horde battle.
My team could take on several Salamence at the same time but I knew better than to push my luck considering that the ramification of such action is too great. Pokémon resentment is known to stick and even passed on and if I forced the confrontation the next human that sets forth on the island might immediately be attacked with no remorse. The worst case scenario being that they even make their way to the main land and start blindly attacking towns and cities to look for the captured Bagon.
(Simply put, I need to find a lone Bagon outside their territory, Similar to how I captured Gible back then. Well that's easier said than done.)
Moving a distance away from the Salamence's area of surveillance, I begun setting up a bait trap. It was able to initially work successfully getting a Bagon to come out of the nest but after seeing my approach it let out a loud cry that was followed by four Salamence arriving, forcing me to do another quick retreat.
As another day come and gone, we made our way back to camp but as the clearing came into view, the sight that greeted us from the distance wasn't the quiet evening I expected.
While the camp itself remained intact, the surrounding earth had been scorched black, with several fallen trees scattered across the clearing, evidence of a harsh battle that had taken place. In the center of the wreckage stood Zweilous, howling at the sky as he pinned another Pokémon firmly to the ground.
(Did something try to attack the camp?)
I tapped on Steelix head to urge it to pick up the pace and as we drew closer, a familiar pair of red wings and a heavily scared blue body came into view and I saw that the Pokémon in question was actually the pact leader Salamence. I quickly figured that it must have aimed to destroy our camp to send a message but was stopped by Zweilous.
(How was it even able to find our base? Did it send other Salamence of its group to scout the whole island? Wait why are they ....)
Despite Zweilous being on top, the way their tails were awkwardly entwined made it clear this wasn't a simple conflict. It was at that exact moment I realized the shocking truth that we were about to ruin Zweilous's day.
"Steelix stop!"
I tried to halt our advance, but it was too late as it did not take long for the two to notice our approach. The large Salamence wore an expression of pure shock and scrambled away, putting distance between herself and Zweilous before taking to the sky in a panicked flutter. Zweilous watching his partner go, looked absolutely devastated.
(While we were out their busting our behind trying to catch a Bagon, Zweilous here is busting a behind trying to make one. Not gonna lie, I respect the hustle, a team player if I ever seen one.)
I thought jokingly of the situation but it was clear that the two headed dragon was far from amused that its date was disturbed.
''Zwei! Zweilous Zwei!''
Zweilous roared in protest, his two heads snapping toward me as if demanding to know why we haphazardly returned early.
"I don't' know what tell you bud but the sun had already begun set."
Zweilous paused before getting a feel for its environment. The warmth of the day had indeed faded. I glanced over at the corner of the camp and found that the food I have left for him were barely touched. It was evident he had been enjoying the unexpected company for quite some time.
'Zwei Zweilous'
Both of Zweilous's heads bowed shyly as he realized his folly.
"No worries, all things considered you were also trying to get Bagon in your own way ..... I guess."
I said, patting Zweilous on the shoulder as I walked to the camp. I had no qualms if my team wanted to breed since they are simply following their instincts, but I have always taught them to have a bit of class. At the very least, Zweilous certainly had high standards, going straight for the local mountain queen was a bold move that even I could admire.
"So Zweilous, care to explain what happened here? And try not to go to much on the details the main points will do just fine."
'Zwei! Zweilous .....'
Zweilous began to recount his day. It had started normally enough, with him keeping a diligent watch over the campsite. But early in the afternoon, the large Salamence had arrived intent on causing a ruckus. According to Zweilous, he'd managed to take her down in the skirmish but before he knew it one thing led to another.
(So it did try to attack the camp.)
I thought, my gaze shifting to the charred perimeter. Looking closer, I noticed Zweilous hadn't walked away unscathed. He had a few nasty bruises and fresh burn marks scattered across his hides from the confrontation.
"Well, good work on keeping the place standing, even if the means was a bit... unconventional. Now, let's get you patched up."
I said, reaching into my pack and taking out a Full Restore. I sprayed the potion all over Zweilous's injuries using up a whole canister of the stuff to make sure I coated every spot.
"There, good as new. Now, try to rest in your ball for some time. Even if most of the damage is healed you still need to recover your stamina."
'Zwei'
Zweilous let out a low, vibrating huff from both throats, looking remarkably pleased with himself as he dissolved into a beam of red light that settled him back into his Poke ball.
...
The third day arrived and with the little success I had in my pursuit for a Bagon the other day due to the problematic Salamence that kept us at bay, I thought of giving the next best thing of a Flying Dragon type a shot.
The Noivern line nested on the northeastern face of the mountain range, but capturing a Noibat may prove to be even more complicated than a Bagon for a totally different reason.
The species it self is lower in terms of raw power compared to the Salamence line, however they posses greater senses, especially in terms of hearing. Even the smallest Noibat will be able to know of my approach a kilometer away.
It did not help that as nocturnal species the Noibat line comes out in the dead of the night and catching a Pokémon that could fly away and escape in the curtain of darkness unseen is another troublesome dilemma I will face.
It took a bit to cross the lake shore that encompasses the Marsh biome to reach the Northeastern half of the mountain range but upon arriving I put my plan to motion and that was to try and converse with the group first.
I tried going to the caves where they slept during the day. I entered the cave and yelled out my goal of wanting to add one of their Noibat to my team but what I got was a echoing boom that blasted me out of the cave entrance.
It was again a resounding 'No' with several Noivern and Noibat using a mix of Boomburst and Whirlwind to send the message it did not help my case that the cave acted like a natural megaphone.
The odds are completely stacked against me now that I further ruined my chances with my earlier stunt of trying to communicate, since not only did I lost the element of surprise, now most Bagon and Noibat in the island must already been told to avoid me at all cost.
Since it proved impossible to catch them while protected in a group, I moved on to the other biomes hoping to find either a lone Noibat or even a Bagon.
Based on their habits, encountering a Noibat or a Bagon for that matter in the dessert is highly improbable. Similarly in the middle of the island where the Tundra biome was located, situated on top of the largest mountain on the island that is covered in a layer of snow and ice. Searching in this places will bare little to no result which makes the Marsh and Jungle biome my only options.
The Marsh Biome was as its name implied wet and muddy caused by the occasional torrential downpour. It is home to several of the Goodra line that was considered as the more friendly specie on the island.
This was the main go to starter the older generation of my family due to their less violent nature making it a safe choice for most. Even with its calmer demeanor its still the apex specie of Kalos and its final form Goodra is a power house in its own right with the only limiting factor working against it aside from its Pure Dragon typing is its lack of flying capabilities that most feared Dragon types are known for.
(To bad I'm looking for more diversity on my team at the moments or else I would have not mind nabbing one of the many Goomy wandering around. For what its worth its the Dragon type line I know most about, that even include its extinct variant forms.)
For the next few days, I fell into a grueling routine. During the morning, I searched for any sign of a Bagon while at night was when I try my luck on catching a Noibat.
I switched between Steelix, Milotic, and Gabite to accompany me on the hunt while Zweilous was more than happy to volunteer to remain to guard the camp every time but our return is usually met with a grumpy dragon, Zweilous laid down irritated as the rendezvous it hoped to have with the Salamence pact leader did not happen again.
Sad as it may, Zweilous day was not uneventful though. Funneling its frustration into training, specifically trying to learn a Ground type move and to my surprise he had actually gained good progress. Zweilous is now capable of generating Ground type energy evident by the orange glow that he radiates in his front limbs during training but control is a whole other matter.
(With this, I expect it won't be long before he actually learns a Ground type attack.)
By the end of the fifth day, I had very little to show for my efforts. We had even extended our search into the Tundra and Desert biome just in case, but we couldn't get within fifteen meters of a Noibat, let alone catch a glimpse of a lone Bagon. Everyone was exhausted. Seeing the toll the it was taking on my team, I made the call to take a full day of rest at our camp site.
Zweilous and Gabite went out and about scouting the area surrounding the camp like usual, while Milotic and Steelix made the most of the day by lounging in the lake.
A few Gyarados seemed to not like Milotic And Steelix's presence and attacked but they quickly found that to be a stupid move and was quick to run away into the rivers flowing out of the lake after getting a beating.
The newest member of our group Applin however remained tucked up in its apple, sleeping by my side, seemingly uninterested in what the others are doing and perfectly content to keep to itself.
"Every one gather around, time to eat."
I called out and it didn't take long for the campsite to become a flurry of activity.
'Applin! Ap!'
'Zwei!'
'Gib Gible!'
'Steelix!'
Amidst the lively cries, one was noticeably missing.
"Milotic come out and eat!"
On my second call, Milotic finally breached the surface of the dark lake, moving with an unexpected frantic enthusiasm.
"Woah, I did not know you were that hungry."
'Mi Milotic'
'Splash'
As if offended, Milotic hit the surface of the lake with its tail splashing water on my face.
"Hey! What was that for?"
I asked dumbfoundedly before grabbing a towel to dry my self.
'Milotic!'
"You found something? Then we could check it out later for now let have our lunch first, okay?"
'Mi Milotic'
After finish our lunch, I rode on the back of Milotic down the bottom of the lake with the help of a breather, a tool that allows a person to breath underwater, just one of the many miraculous devices in this world.
As we were diving to the depths of the lake a Seadra suddenly appeared and started swimming excitedly around us.
(Is this what Milotic trying to show me, a Seadra? I'm sure she knows that what we want is a Skrelp, a different Dragon type seahorse. I doubt Milotic could mistake the two since I showed her a pictures of it.)
'Sea Seadra'
"Milotic!"
'Swoosh!'
Seadra danced around the water following Milotic as it seems that the sea dragon was an admirer of her but it was sadly a one way attraction as Milotic sent out a ray of Ice Beam which froze it in a block of ice.
'Sea Seadra'
(I guess the Seadra was not what Milotic wanted to show me.)
On another note, I swear I saw a single tear drop from Seadra's eye before sinking to the bottom but since were under water it might just be my imagination.
As we swam further down I turned on the flashlight on my Travel Gizmo to light the path of our descent. At the very bottom, a massive rock face loomed, revealing the mouth of a dark, jagged cave.
'Milotic Mi!'
(So its inside.)
I pointed at the cave to signal Milotic to continue on and inside we found ourselves rising to a wide underground cave with breathable air.
"An air pocket? or ...."
I swept my light across the walls, revealing several branching pathways that disappeared into the gloom. It was apparent that this wasn't just a simple cave but an entire subterranean system.
"Yeah, just as I thought. I guess were going cave diving. Milotic lets return to the surface for now, if were going exploring deeper we will need to prepare."
Driven by curiosity, we headed back to the camp and packed everything since this was a unknown area, best to have the whole team with me incase of the unexpected.
When everything packed up Milotic once again guided me to the underwater cavern and inside I switched her with Gabite since he would be a better guide on caves and together we begun exploring the underground world.
The cave was deeper than I first thought. Making use of a proper lamp to light the way we continued on hoping to explore the undocumented area. As we pushed deeper into the cave, I caught a glimpse of a pair of glowing yellow eyes peering from a corner that was shrouded in darkness.
"What Pokémon is it?"
'Ga Gabite.'
Gabite tensed, stepping between me and the unknown observer to keep it at a distance. I swept my flashlight toward the corner hoping to see what Pokémon it was but it quickly vanished as if it was never their in the first place.
"Strange, must be some kind of Ghost type. Well, dark and damp is also an environment they tend to enjoy."
Ignoring the unknown Pokémon, we continued on deeper into the cave but unbeknownst to us, after turning our back from the corner several more pair of eyed peaked through the darkness observing our departure.
Using a compass and the approximate location of the spot we entered through in the lake, I was able to deduce that this cave system is leading towards the tundra biome in the middle of the island where the highest mountain stand.
Aside from the owner of the pair of glowing yellow eyes there were very few Pokémon species that seem to inhabit these lower depths. We passed but a few stray Geodude and a lone Sableye clawing at a wall, likely searching for gemstones to eat.
Time is a fickle thing underground as before long, a heavy drowsiness began to overtake me. I checked my Travel Gizmo and was shocked to see that twelve hours had passed since we first entered the underground cave.
"Gabite lets camp here we need to properly rest."
'Gabite.'
I slept for some time with Gabite at my side, with us finding little of interest so far I was starting to feel that it was better to return above ground but a strange gut feeling was urging me to continue.
After a quick meal, we continued traversing the tunnels. Judging by the time and the mostly straight path of the caverns, I suspected we were nearing the center of the island but without any proper map of the paths I had taken to compare to, I could only assume it to be so.
It was not long however before we stumbled upon a unsettling sight. Directly in front of us was a pair of skeletal remains of what seems to be children that laid against the cavern wall.
"The clothes and items they carry with them looks modern, Can they be ....."
I knelt down and rummaged through the old rugged bags and found name stags stitched on the leather.
"Charles and George Ryuma? What are the odds ..... they're my missing uncles that dad spoke about. They must have found a way into the underground caves and got lost, never finding their way out."
(The standard protocol is to bury the remains of trainers found in the wild, only taking identification to notify the authorities but I can't leave them here. Since they are relatives I might as well take them back to have a better burial rather than leaving them here in this dark secluded place where they must have suffered in their last moments.)
It did not take long to put each of the skeletal remains in separate zip bags along with their belongings before storing both in my own bag.
"I ventured underground long enough, better get out of here. Steelix come out and create a path outside!"
Finding the remains of my relatives was enough to drain my adventuring spirit for the time being as such I switched Gabite out with Steelix to dig upward and create an exit.
'Steelix!'
'tak tak tak'
"Well .... that's not good."
The moment Steelix materialized, his massive weight proved too much for the cave floor to handle, causing fractures to spread like a spiderweb from beneath his body and triggering a rippling effect that collapse the whole area where we stood.
"Ahhh!'
'Steelix!'
We plummeted deeper into the ground, but instead of an endless dark void, a speck of light appeared far below, growing steadily as we fell. After a few heart-stopping moments of freefall, we dropped through a massive opening before crashing into a vast body of water.
I was stunned and disoriented but alive none the less. Steelix surged beneath me as he carried me towards the surface. I wiped the water from my eyes and was confronted by a truly surreal sight.
"A forest?"
I whispered, my voice sounding small in the vastness. Steelix brought me to the shore of what seem to be a underground lake. The banks of the lake where we rested was on the edge of a forest. It was a true hidden world contained in a dome made of stone that sealed the whole biome like a terrarium.
Enormous clusters of glowing crystals were encrusted into the ceiling, with the largest mass fused at the very top that acted like an artificial sun illuminating the entire place in a perpetual evening light.
I looked back at the hole we had plummeted through and found that we had fallen near the cavern's perimeter where the ceiling was only about thirty meters high which was incomparable to the vast expanse in the far distance.
(This could have been a nasty fall but beside that this place does looks worth checking out.)
I urged Steelix to continue on through the towering trees and so far the forest was similarly filled with fruiting trees like those on the surface but the more we wandered, the more unsettling the place became. The air was unnervingly cold, and the silence was deafening. Even though there wasn't a single Pokémon in sight, it felt as if my every action were being watched by things just outside my field of vision.
In any other day I would have followed my instincts, backed off and called it quits but a strange urge to continue on kept me from leaving, as if being beckoned by something. It was then that in the distance, I took notice of a pyramid structure sticking out beyond the canopy of trees.
"I guess were goin that way?"
'Steelix'
We continued paving our way deep into the undergrowth, after a few minutes of trekking the forest gave way to ruins of an ancient city. Houses and streets crafted from mud and stone stretched toward the far end, where a massive pyramid loomed, similar in design to the Aztec architecture of my past life.
Encircling the city were tall were cylindrical columns, their surfaces etched with intricate engravings of an ancient language but the most striking feature was the life-sized statues found in between the columns of Pokémon from across various regions. Each one crafted in varying types of stone from white marble to deep green jade, standing tall and rigid, staring off into the distance.
"The Infrastructure is similar to the Sinnoh ruins from mom's research. I'll take a few pictures to show her later, this is the stuff that could make her day."
The road in the middle of the city that leads to the pyramid was paved in white stone that gave a clear contrast to the light brown houses. Almost every thing looked well preserved even though I suspect that they could be old enough to turn to dust with a simple touch.
The houses were still packed with fragile relics of the past like clay pots and even ragged cloths once used as rugs as such I switch out Steelix with Gabite to avoid accidentally destroying the place.
Upon reaching the pyramid entrance I found the front of which to be adorned with marble columns carved with vivid depictions of people worshiping several legendary Pokémon.
(This must be some kind of temple, a place of worship for this civilization.)
As I stepped into the pyramid, the corridor widened, the walls covered in intricate carvings that depicted the creation myths of Sinnoh followed by some sort of grand narrative pertaining the many Legendary Pokémon with Arceus in the fore front flowed across the stone wall until it reached a far corner dedicated to Regigigas and its titans. Regice, Regirock, and Registeel stood in clear rigid formation but the section of the wall meant to display the final two figures was partially shattered however based on the faint, jagged outlines that remained, I could surmise they were meant to be Regieleki and Regidrago.
The temple is lighted by crystals inserted in to the walls, it seem to be the same type that illuminated the cavern outside. The place was silent and remained as so until I stepped on a peculiar tile, one of the many stone tiles that covered the floor of the temple. As soon as my foot exerted pressure, it begun sinking into the floor with a heavy rumbling noise.
"What the ..."
Before I could process what happened, a sudden force slammed into my chest, knocking me backward.
"Woah!"
Laying in the floor I noticed a white blur pass through me before disappearing from view which I figure to be the one that pushed me down.
"Is that a Pokémon? It must be another Ghost type, Mom told me that they're quiet the mischievous group especially ones that inhabits old ruins."
Just as I was standing back up, I notice that the spot where I was formerly standing on was now filled with what look to be several sharp metallic spears that jutted out from round groves in walls.
"What the ... So, that little guy saved me."
The lowered tile that I stepped on slowly begun rising back up and was quickly followed by the metal spears that also retracted back into the wall with a mechanical hiss.
(Okay ..... so we're in a full blown Indiana Jones situation right now.)
'Ga Gabite'
Gabite who was behind me is visibly shaken on what he had witnessed and was directing his attention towards the entrance of the temple and back to me several time as if his suggesting for us to leave not hiding his discomfort of the place.
"Yeah, I'm with you buddy. I also don't plan be a shish kebab in any way shape or form but we've come too far to back away now. I think I have an idea how to by pass the traps so return for now. Come out Milotic!"
I swapped out Gabite with Milotic and climbed on her back.
(Mom told me that when it came to ancient ruins booby traps, they can always be worked around in some way.)
'Mi?'
"Yeah, I need a ride. Do you think you can float through this corridor without touching the floor or the walls?"
'Milotic Mi!'
Milotic chirped confidently, her body floating gracefully above the floor tiles.
"Neat! Let's move, and again avoid touching anything or a giant boulder may come rolling our way."
'Milotic?'
"Its a possibility."
Understanding the danger, Milotic floated cautiously through the winding passageways. Eventually, the cramped corridors opened into a vast chamber where a single ten feet tall golden figure stood in the center, shimmering from the light casted by my lamp.
(A statue of Arceus? It's made of pure gold!)
As I stared on the glimmering monument the feeling of being called to became apparent as a humming sound started to echo in my mind like a silent whisper.
"Do you hear that, Milotic?"
'Mi?'
Milotic tilted her head, giving me a confused look.
"Nothing huh ..."
Looking back at the statue the mental hum grew louder, like a persistent pull urging me to step off Milotic's back and approach the golden idol. I did my best to hold my self back as every instinct I had screamed danger.
(Hell, Nah.)
"Change of plans. It's time to leave, now!"
Unsettled, I tapped Milotic's neck to direct her back towards the way we came.
'Mi'
Milotic chirped in agreement, didn't need to be told twice as she hastily distanced us away from the chamber, the humming snapped into silence but the beckoning feeling lingered as if calling for me to return.
(Its a no for me. Sorry, you might be shaped in the likeness of the creator of this universe but something about this whole thing just don't sit well with me for some reason.)
I thought to my self since it should have not taken me this long to realize that continuing on exploring a pyramid ridden with deadly traps was not a smart move to make from the start. If I go by the scenarios in the movies of my past life, this places usually not only try to keep others out but also keep something in.
Upon exiting the threshold of the temple we found ourselves surrounded by a hundreds of pairs of yellow eyes that covered every direction.
"Are they here to stop us from leaving?"
I observed the multitude of what I assume to be some kind of Ghost type Pokémon, waiting to see if I could get a clue on what they wanted from us.
Ghost Pokémon may be mischievous and tricky but they follow their own set of rules and avoid continuously meddling with humans and other Pokemon unless they are after something.
(I know little of how that all works as its far from my expertise but from what I read, one must not actively try and get the ire of Ghost type Pokémon.)
Its for good reason if Psychic and Dragon types are currently considered at the top power wise. Ghost types are known to be the most dangerous type above that of Dragon and Dark. Possessing mystical abilities from separating souls of the living from their body, stealing said body with possessions, causing low level reality warping and even spiriting people away to another dimensions, they are a group to be warry of especially ones that's hundreds of years old.
'Mi... Milotic'
Milotic hissed softly, her body tensed ready for a fight.
"Easy, girl. I don't think battling a whole colony of unknown Ghosts types would do us any good ..... Hmm?"
While I was thinking of how to get out of the situation another pair of eyes materialized beside me, lingering for a moment before floating off to join the group.
(So that's it, I thought that they are connected to the stature and was here to stop us but it seems that they only wanted to pick up their friend, that I assume to be the same one that saved me earlier.)
Once the pair of eyes beside me joined up with the rest, they all slowly started disappearing into a haze of mist.
'Mi'
Milotic sighed, her posture relaxing.
"Yeah. It's a strangely spooky day, indeed."
Not wanting to linger a second longer, I swapped Milotic for Steelix as soon as we cleared the ancient city. We bulldozed through the subterranean forest until we hit the cavern wall, where Steelix began digging out a inclined tunnel going upward.
'Steelix!'
'Whoosh!'
With a final push, Steelix burst through the surface. A sudden blast of frigid air rushed past us, carrying a few specs of ice and snow.
"Fresh air! We're finally above ground!"
We had emerged onto a snow-covered slope near the center of the island's tundra biome. Looking around, I realized we were not that high up on the central mountain which puts the location of the underground ancient city somewhere below the frigid mountain.
(I was right the caverns under the lake did led here.)
The ruckus of our sudden appearance spooked a group of Snorunt away while a few Cryogonal floated near by observing us from a distance. Before leaving the area I looked back at the opened entrance leading to the underground city.
"We can't leave it like this. Steelix close the tunnel with Rockslide."
'Steelix!'
Steelix materialized several large crystal rocks that fell towards the entrance of the tunnel, sealing it from the outside.
"That's better, some wild Pokémon might wonder inside and accidentally make a wreck of the place and we can't have that can't we."
As we trekked down the mountain, I noticed the group of Cryogonal were actually tailing us in our descent.
"Hey Steelix looks like we have a few stalkers"
'Steel, Steelix'
Steelix grumbled a response, his deep voice vibrating through the snow.
"They want to make you their boss? Well, I can't take them with us so you may need to break a few hearts."
'Steelix!'
In a echoing roar Steelix told the Cryogonal to go back to the Frozen tundra biome, although hesitant the floating snowflakes still obeyed the Ice serpents command.
"Aren't they an obedient bunch."
'Steelix.'
Steelix grumbled softly, looking a bit disappointed, it seems that he was actually interested in leading the Cryogonal that had left.
(I think that I may have made Steelix larp as a ice king too much on our battles with the likes of Crystal Nova and Armament that he actually now wants to play the part. I respect the dedication to the bit and to be honest having a group of Ice types following Steelix around like a posy is so gangster that I actually want it to happen but sadly the Cryogonal species don't last long in temperate climate zones and would quickly dissipate into a gaseous form that will inevitably leave in search of colder areas to reform their self.)
Today was my last day in the island and reaching the coast I was dropped off, I saw that Captain Phillips had arrived early and was already their pacing beside his boat waiting for me.
"What took you so long its almost past noon."
"Sorry, I got caught up in some things."
"Getting caught up in things is what gets a person six feet underground my boy, better be careful."
(Yeah, I was way deeper underground than just six feet though.)
The old man was clearly irritated that he arrived at the pick up point before me but still immediately boarded to start the boat.
"So did you catch any good Dragon types on the island?"
The old man asked, glancing at my bag.
"I caught one."
"You were only able to catch a one? ..... Well coming back alive is already an achievement all to it self in my opinion. Besides its not like you're barred from entering again."
"Yeah, I'll come back soon since I would like to have another go at catching another one or two but for now I need to call home since I found a few stuff that takes priority."
"What, did you find the remains of your dead relatives or something?"
"....."
Captain Philip took notice of my awkward expression and realized that he hit the mark.
"Well I'll be a Mankey's uncle"
"....."
"I did not mean to make fun of the situation but seriously? You found your missing uncles?"
"Yeah, I put them in my bag."
"I guess I will finally be able to ferry them home. You're father will be happy to know that his two brothers have been found."
As we begun sailing back to Ambrette town I noticed Captain Phillips eyes were red and a bit teary as he may had some guilt on what happened to my uncles taking some of the blame since he was the one who took them in to island.
(I guess, dad is not the only one getting some closure .... strange why do I still feel I'm being watched.)
In the dark corner of the ship unbeknownst to any one, a pair of small yellow eyes peered through the shadows of the deck for a split second before fading away.
.....