Sterling's Purpose | Episode 7
Starter Arc
https://rentry.org/4uw36 | Episode 1
https://rentry.org/fau75 | Episode 2
https://rentry.org/kcqy3 | Episode 3
https://rentry.org/bdc4o | Episode 4
https://rentry.org/m36g2z | Episode 5
Rookie Arc
https://rentry.org/thu62 | Episode 6
The forest blurred as we raced through the dense foliage, the urgency of our pursuit overshadowed by the ominous silence that loomed overhead. Sentret's words sliced through the tension, revealing a side of her I hadn't seen before.
"Happiny has always been careless like this, and I've had to be the bigger person out of both of us. He got careless. I told you before, one wrong move in this world, and you are snake food."
Her anger was palpable, laced with an undercurrent of fear and worry. I stumbled for words, attempting to offer reassurance.
"I'm sure Happiny will be fine. He may be super timid... and, uh, not the smartest." Sentret shot me a daggered stare, her emotions a turbulent sea. I pressed on, desperately trying to be supportive. "But! But! He's definitely strong enough to hold his own. Otherwise, your Team Mighty Fighties wouldn't even exist, right?"
A heavy sigh escaped Sentret as she moved ahead of me. My attempt at comforting her seemed to have fallen flat. Did I say something wrong? I still didn't know much about Sentret or Happiny. Perhaps they had a deeper history than I initially thought.
In the oppressive darkness, Happiny's senses slowly returned. The air around him was thick and humid, and a viscous substance clung to his skin, reminiscent of a damp and sticky environment. His first instinct was to panic, but a peculiar voice disrupted his thoughts.
A sibilant whisper slithered through the darkness, "Hey! Be still in there, my delectable prey. You are going to wait where you are until you become my dinner." Happiny's eyes widened as the voice resonated in a distinctly snake-like timbre.
As his vision adjusted to the dim surroundings, Happiny realized he was nestled inside the hollowed interior of a tree, its walls coated with a slimy, honey-like substance. The situation became clearer as the Seviper, its purple scales glistening, lowered its head into the tree hollow, locking eyes with Happiny.
Cowering in the confined space, Happiny mustered the courage to protest, "I'm not edible! I may be egg-shaped! But, uh... I am not an egg! I am Happiny!" He took a moment to marvel at his own eloquence, feeling rather proud of his persuasive skills.
The Seviper frowned, its forked tongue flicking out, tasting the air. In a snake-like voice, it responded, "Not smart food, unfortunately..." The disappointment in its tone sent shivers down Happiny's spine. As he remained trapped in the sticky confines of the tree, the reality of the situation sank in – he was still in grave danger, surrounded by the ominous presence of the hungry Seviper.
The clearing in the forest bore the scars of a territorial struggle. Slash marks marred the bark of dense trees, the ground was upheaved and rearranged as if swept by a colossal broom, and detritus—twigs, sticks, leaves, and rocks—scattered haphazardly. A large dead tree on the side wore a sticky coat of honey, a sinister decoration left behind.
As Sentret and Sterling entered this eerie scene, Sentret abruptly halted, dropping to all fours, her demeanor shifting into one of focused alertness. Sterling, puzzled, inquired, "What are you doing, Sentret?"
Hushing him with a finger to her lips, Sentret whispered, "Scouting ahead…This is the territory of another Pokémon.” She replies earnestly. “Since the collapse of many Mystery Dungeons on this continent, these ‘Territorial Dens’ have taken their place."
Sterling, more bewildered than before, pressed for clarification, "Collapsed? You never mentioned that before, just an increase of bad guys."
Sentret sighed, casting an uneasy glance around. She gets down on all fours and her ears raise listening… "It's complicated. Not even I fully understand, nor am I supposed to because apparently, I'm just a kid…" She shushed Sterling again, her senses tingling as if they were being watched.
Before Sterling could make sense of the situation, Seviper leaped into action from above, catching them off guard. Sentret, quick on her feet, turned around and shouted, "Sterling, watch out!" Using her tail, she propelled herself above him, catching Seviper's attention.
Executing a swift Double-Edge, Sentret careened Seviper backward towards the trees. As she landed, taking recoil from her defensive maneuver, Seviper coiled around the trunk, sinister laughter echoing. In a snake-like voice, it taunted, "Big mistake, twerps. Now I have more food to have... and even an oceanic delight..."
Sentret rose from her crouched position, determination etched on her face, while Sterling stood torn, caught in the unfolding chaos, uncertain of what steps to take next.
You can now ask the characters!
Ask them lore questions! Ask them Personality questions! Ask Minor characters! Ask Major characters!
Everything is canon to the larger story, this is just a way to expand on certain characters to make them larger than life. Nothing important will be revealed, but they could hold some secrets to some later development!