National Dex Pokegraphic Chapter 3: Sacred Spirit Vigil
To Those Who Have Come And Gone And To Those Who Can't Be Left Behind
By Invalid Value-anon
The Grass Continent's position in the southern hemisphere of the tentatively named Pokemon World gave it climes more similar to a place known as South America back on Earth, with irregular portions more reminiscent of the African Congo and Queensland in Australia. The weather this time of year had become drier in places, with cooler temperatures all around, which was a relief for me, as my densely furred Zangoose body occasionally found the warmer seasons uncomfortable. The anomalous effects of Mystery Dungeons or other supernatural phenomena are defiant exceptions to these weather patterns. My perilous visit to the storm-riddled Amp Plains in the past had been a powerful testament to these outliers. The behavior of the Pokemon around me did not change as much as I had anticipated in response to weather shifts. I often make the mistake of comparing Pokemon with Earth lifeforms, despite the radical differences. Concepts like diapause, brumation, and even hibernation vary between the Pokemon species, if they apply at all.
This brings up my current concern. Serpes, my snake-like Seviper partner and companion for the past six months since I arrived, has been showing signs of what I can only describe as a bout of seasonal depression. His recent behavior is unlike his typically jovial, ribbing, and sarcastic self. I initially thought his cold-blooded nature and metabolic processes were negatively affecting his mood, possibly indicating a state of the prior mentioned brumation that I'd expect of a reptilian creature. However, he's also been acting especially avoidant and reclusive towards me, despite experiencing fits of low energy. He has regularly vanished for varying periods of time without explanation or clear purpose, only to return, acting as if nothing happened. Any attempts to get him to talk would be dismissed as me worrying too much.
After everything we've been through, I haven't seen him ever act like this. What was he exactly hiding from me? Didn't he remember I was supposed to watch over him? However, the more I think about it, I believe he has been the one truly watching over me. I hope he doesn't think worse of me for my prying concerns, but I have to investigate.
An Undue Checkup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGsRLQwjHjo
Pikabata: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon~♪ Treasure Town (Guitar cover)
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Mustel sighed as he withdrew his clawed mitts from the parchment of his mystical tome known as The Pokedex. He rubbed his weary, green, cat-like eyes with his furry wrist before looking at the midday sky through an adjacent window. The Zangoose had just spent a few moments recording his fleeting observations and thoughts on the seemingly endless pages of the tome, which he could effortlessly retrieve and return to at any time. He idly scratched at his scruff between his steely gray neckerchief and checked on the placement of his guild badge upon his left bicep's armband as he gazed around the mostly unoccupied library of The Clover Guild.
He enjoyed the solace from the typical high-traffic hustle and bustle the rest of the building was prone to experiencing this early in the afternoon. Few guildmates came here unless it was to either hide from their duties, harass people actually doing their jobs, or look up dirty words in one of the many worldly dialects of the rather ubiquitous Pokemon Language that was used across the land.
"I shouldn't pry... He gives me the same level of respect and privacy when I request it, but it's so completely unlike him. It's not like I've ever talked to a snake during the cold season, either... It's not like I've talked to a snake before this, period... I think?" The polecat mumbled to himself as he gathered his things, trying to avoid dwelling on the lapses in his memory of his life and the events prior to ending up in the Pokemon World. Today was going to be about Serpes and not himself, he hoped. He gave The Pokedex one more uncertain gaze, briefly pondering and ruminating once more whether it was responsible for all his misfortunes before he stowed it in his bag and left the study. "I-I can't make every waking moment about you..."
Mustel made his way through the guild with a noticeable lack of hijinks, shenanigans, or ruckus from any other guildmon. He sensed a pervasive vibe of melancholy and malaise among the residents who had chosen to stay indoors, perhaps having succumbed to the lethargy brought on by the weather. Otherwise, the building was relatively empty. The walls still bore remnants of handcrafted decorations from this year's Halloween festivities, which the guild celebrated for the second time during their stay in the Pokemon World in an effort to normalize their human cultures within this ramshackle oasis of humanity. From what the Cat Ferret Pokemon understood, the holiday wasn't a direct analog of the human-born holiday filled with candy and costumes, but it was easier to explain than the long, storied history of Ghost-Type-related mythology and folklore that surrounded the festivities.
The Zangoose spotted Kina, the Audino who was the guild's medic manning the clinic as he neared said facility's entrance while passing through the ground floor lobby. With a wary glance, he decided to drop by and greet her in hopes of divulging the current state of affairs. "H-hello? Kina? Where is everyone? This place is quiet enough to hear the dead... And I don't mean Elm... Not that I'm saying he's... Ghost Pokemon don't actually constitute as deceased, after all! I think, at least... It's a gray area. Err... I'm..."
The pear-shaped, pink physician raised her hand to her mouth in a gesture of silence to the awkward polecat. She motioned for him to come in and step aside. As Mustel approached, he saw Team Misfit's Totodile lying on a cot in the back, looking concernedly bloated and ill. "Funny you should mention ghosts... It's Capim Town's annual Day of the Dead... Actually, it extends to a Week of the Dead and includes various celebrations beyond just honoring the deceased. Our little Halloween was but one of several events that take place during it." She took a quick glimpse at her ailing patient before continuing.
"It's also typically one of my busier weeks because we have geniuses like this one behind me who decided to see how much being a Water-Type means he can drink and eat his weight in every booze and foodstuff that everyone is handing out during the various celebrations in town. Lucky for him, I don't even think Pokemon can get diabetes." She gave the Zangoose a knowing gaze and a wry smirk as she looked at his round belly.
Totodile slowly raised his head with a delirious expression across his blue muzzle, also tinged green with sickness. "D-d-did I win? C-Cyndaquil owes me!" He groaned before falling back onto the bed and desperately reaching for a bucket beside him. The two other Pokemon looked away in disgust as they heard a cacophony of unpleasant noises they would rather forget immediately.
Mustel let out a frustrated whine at the Audino after regaining his composure from the crocodilian's bout of sickness. He braced his gut self-consciously and growled. "I-I'm not fat! My body has a perfectly average amount of fat for a Zangoose! T-the fat layer and looser skin protect me from injuries in combat and are a result of generations of evolutionary adapta-" The physician interrupted his anxious rant with a pat on the head. With a shy chirp from his throat, he looked at Kina, confused by the delicate gesture. "W-what?" The Zangoose asked hesitantly, feeling chided.
"There's no need for any of that now, Mustel. My intention was not to cause harm; I'm just trying to lighten the mood. Where's your other half... your snake friend? Um... Serpes, right? I thought you two were one of our guild's many inseparable pairs." The Audino reached for some assorted containers from a shelf and flipped open a well-used medical text, its cover emblazoned with a Magikarp. From where Mustel stood and what he could see, it looked to be a very in-depth book on Water-Type biology.
The Zangoose lowered and drummed his claws uneasily against the sides of his thighs; his tail fidgeted behind him as the nurse had drawn attention to Seviper's absence. He gave a wary glance at the clinic door to check for any eavesdroppers or newcomers before speaking up. "Y-yeah, about that... Has Serpes dropped by today? He's been acting a bit... off lately, and I'm starting to feel worried. He was already gone when I got up this morning, and I was hoping you'd be willing to share with me something that he hadn't told me. I'm kind of supposed to be his guild liaison, just as I'm also his partner. He has a history, a-and I shouldn't abandon him without a set time and place!" Mustel took a deep breath and shook his head before he continued rattling off his paranoia.
Kina shook her head as she pulled out a mortar and pestle. She started combining the contents of several containers into the bowl before steadily crushing and grinding them into a powder. "Sorry, that's patient confidentiality. I need to keep some degree of separation to prevent this asylum of antisocial lunatics from rumor-mongering each other into a fight. I'm the one that has to stitch and glue you all back together if you somehow outperform the miraculous power of a Revival Seed!"
Mustel tilted his head and frowned, not convinced of that excuse. "Y-you were quite liberal about what's going on with Totodile back there. That's not a very consistent policy, if you ask me." He grumbled and whined in response.
The nurse sighed, stopping her mixing for a brief moment as she considered her next response carefully. "My bedside manners vary quite wildly; you're not wrong, and I apologize. Some members are more prone to running into trouble than others, resulting in them being frequent visitors here. I suppose it's only natural, given the type of work the Pokemon take up here... But it's quite frustrating when it's entirely self-inflicted without a good cause!" She motioned the pestle towards the small and sickly blue reptile, whose only response was an indifferent shrug followed by an unnerving belch.
The Audino shook her head in disapproval at Totodile before returning to her medicine mixing. "Serpes hasn't been in here for anything particular in a while... To the best of my memory, he said you two take quite good care of each other after... whatever it is you two get up to!" She gave Mustel an implicative smile before starting to pour the finely ground powder out of the mortar bowl into a clean receptacle. "There we go... This should be enough doses of antacid powder, more than enough to neutralize whatever hell you wrought on your digestive tract." She glared over her shoulder at Totodile in mild contempt yet again.
The Zangoose cleared his throat at Kina's passing mention of Serpes and him taking care of each other, giving a conspiratorial look behind himself once again as if someone was listening in a moment of unfortunate timing. "Y-yeah... We have each other's backs covered- I mean, we're always there for each other- Err...! We've learned just what the other needs- Agh...! Ghk!" Mustel sputtered and covered his face with both of his paws. He let out a flustered mewl and took a few steps back towards the clinic door, probing his tail behind himself to check that the way was clear. "I-I think I'll head into town! S-surely no one's missed an exceptionally large Seviper m-moving through town like an accordion, as they... as they do... Pokemon here know what an accordion is, right?" The white and red critter peered back at Kina between his razor-sharp digits, doubting his own arbitrary assessment of Pokemon World culture.
"If it doesn't need electricity to work, I'm sure most of them know what it is, Mustel. Now, if you please do go and excuse yourself, I'm going to administer the patient his medicine." Kina started to walk towards Totodile, holding the antacid powder jar and what looked to be a pitcher sloshing with water. "If I got this right, you'll either feel better within the hour or..." The Audino held a pregnant pause of uncertainty, much to the croc's concern.
"O-or what? Urp... Or what?!" Totodile asked fearfully from his prone and bloated state on the bed. He looked at Mustel with pleading desperation, as if the Zangoose was going to somehow save him.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm certain it won't happen... I'll grab a mop just in case, though." Kina responded with the courtesy expected of a nurse, despite the looming dread that both Totodile and Mustel now felt.
Before the Zangoose could be dragged any further into this, he gave a tentative, restless smile to the reptile and nurse. "Err... B-bye! Get well soon, Totodile!" Mustel then fled out of the clinic on all fours like a cat being shooed out with a broom.
The Shaggy Dog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a90QFNiPMH0
The Noble Demon: Pokémon X and Y: Snowbelle City Orchestral Arrangement
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The Zangoose bolted out of the guild entrance, nearly bowling over guild members that were heading inside. He stopped himself on the trail that led into Capim Town proper to catch his breath. As he stood tall on his hind legs once more, he was awestruck by the sight that stood before him, just enough to ignore the name-calling and bickering he was receiving from the guildmon he slighted by his clumsiness.
The city borne of the trunks of titanic trees was set alight by countless lanterns and banners, and most auspiciously of all, countless Ghost-Type Pokemon flitted around in ethereal processions that at first would have resembled the gathering tendrils of a thick fog if it wasn't for the periodic deviations in their movement and the flickering of colors that alluded to the sentience behind the congregation.
Mustel tried to discern what kind of Pokemon he was exactly witnessing and pulled out The Pokedex to see if he could affirm even one creature. The book's ability to recognize Pokemon was only as good as the Zangoose's own cognition. "I can't see shit; they're practically blending together from here... Enhanced eyesight doesn't matter when everything's so translucent!" The Cat Ferret concluded in disappointment before he stowed the tome and continued his journey into town in his bid to locate Serpes.
Upon reaching the street level, the studious Zangoose was accosted by an overstimulating cavalcade of sights and sounds. Various groups of Pokemon had gathered around street-side shrines and altars in a display of reverence to various sculptures, paintings, and scriptures. Mustel was briefly taken aback by what appeared to be a trio of Marowak wielding bone clubs that were lit with unearthly green flames from both ends, twirling them in some sort of ritualistic dance.
There were many younger Pokemon children running about in play, while the elderly preached and lectured on esoteric things that Mustel could not parse while passing through hastily. The ethereal whispers and giggling of airborne Ghost-Type Pokemon filled the air, causing the Zangoose's eyes to widen with momentary excitement whenever he caught a glimpse of such creatures, like a gathering of Gastly or a looming Misdreavus. He had barely ever considered exploring the ecology of these spectral beings, and now there was a literal haunting overtaking Capim Town.
"Kina mentioned this was like... t-the Day of the Dead. That's... a vaguely familiar idea? Damn my memory... Is everyone here mourning or celebration? Man, that's a lot of ghosts... I wonder how many of those I've never seen before... Wonder if Elm is trying to mingle with them... Is... Is Serpes in mourning somewhere? I hope he's not off partying without me... Or what if... S-Should I just head back...?" Someone or something bumped the Zangoose from behind, causing him to yelp in surprise and his fur to stand on end.
"N-not again! I d-do not condone those kinds of greetings with you out-of-town weirdos! Stay away from my butt!" Mustel quickly spun in place to face whoever ran into him and saw a small, shaggy dog that stood up to his waist. The Pokemon was panting and lolling its tongue absentmindedly from its jagged muzzle, supposedly peering at him from beneath the messy mop of fur covering its eyes. A candle-like protrusion stood out of the top of its head, lit by a little purplish-yellow flame.
"...Wuh?" Mustel mumbled out as he blinked his weary eyes at the scruffy Pokemon. He motioned for a moment of pause with a raised claw to the dog before reaching into his bag. The Zangoose pulled out The Pokedex once more and quickly assessed the arcane pages to document the stranger before him. A basic entry magically filled out a page within the book in a flourish of golden glimmer for Greavard, the Ghost Dog Pokemon.
"G-Greavard, huh... H-hello there...?" Mustel greeted them hesitantly, feeling awkward tensions rise in his chest as the dog stood there like a pet awaiting a treat. "C-can I help you?" The Zangoose's eyes darted around him as festival-goers walked around them in the crowded street, wondering once again if he should just return home as he held his book close to his chest.
The small hound spoke up in an echoing, gravely voice that, fittingly enough, sounded like it came from the grave. They were seemingly keeping their hair-blinded gaze on Mustel's own averting glances. "You're looking kind of lost for someone who's one of those guildies. Is this your first time at the vigil?" Just as quickly as they spoke, they returned to panting away like an excited puppy.
Mustel was caught by surprise once more when the Ghost-Type spoke, making him flinch. "Y-yes? I'm relatively new to town and haven't experienced much of the culture... Y-you said this is a vigil?" The Cat Ferret scratched at his stubby chin as he considered the word. "W-what do you all call this event? I've heard of a few names for it now... Err, wait... wait... M-my name's Mustel. I'm from the Clover Guild. W-who might you be?"
The Greavard grinned his toothy, skull-like muzzle and snickered. "Clover Guild, eh? The name's Dirge. I'm what you may call... a 'visitor'." The undead dog enunciated the last word with an especially ghastly reverb before giggling to himself again. "But yes, this is a vigil... The Sacred Spirit Vigil, if you will! Let me explain, Mustel... You look like the kind of Zangoose that likes a bit of exposition, right? I bet you just enjoy writing down things in that shiny-looking book there, hehe... It's a time of the year where it's widely believed the veil between the mortal and spirit realms becomes thin enough to let Pokemon commune with their dearly departed friends and family."
Dirge pointed his snout skyward to the congregation of spirits floating overhead. "It's also a time where it really energizes those of us of the spooky persuasion, heh! Perhaps the thinning of veils is true, and we are empowered by forces from the other side! Many Pokemon, not just us Ghost-Types, gather in droves from all around Capim Town to celebrate that very special connection between life and the... hereafter!" He promptly returned to panting like it was his default state of expression, and it may very well have been.
The Zangoose shuddered at the way Dirge spoke, leaving him feeling chilled to the bone. "R-right... I'm actually here looking for a friend... He's a rather large Seviper. I'm supposed to actually keep watch over him from time to time due to... never mind the exact reason. It's important that we're together... Err... It's crucial that we're by each other's side... Egh..."
Mustel pawed at his forehead, letting out a series of grumbles and whimpers as he tried and failed to express his and Serpes' connection. "S-so, have you seen a big Seviper wearing a neckerchief like mine with a guild badge also just like mine? Possibly also a Treasure Bag looped around his neck? ...D-don't ask how a snake carries one of those; I gave up trying to figure that out..."
Dirge leaned in closer to the Zangoose, sniffing at him aggressively in a way that would have perhaps come off as adorable if it wasn't for the fact this was a world of sapient Pokemon with certain cultural expectations and boundaries. It was clear the Greavard didn't share those sentiments and Mustel was too much of an anxious creature to oppose to it otherwise.
The ghostly pooch backed away and tilted his head in thought. "Well, Mustel... Hehe... Those rhyme... I'd reckon what I'm smelling on you is your Seviper friend and just not any old Seviper. Now not to be rude, but aren't your two kinds supposed to be at each other's necks? You figure a Zangoose such as yourself should be capable of... ferreting out any Seviper in town. Then again, what do I know? The world feels like it seems to be moving past me, sometimes... Hehe."
The Greavard then leaned towards the Zangoose's book, taking another whiff, at which Mustel clutched at The Pokedex protectively. Dirge took note of this and curled another cheshire grin at the feline-like Pokemon. "Sorry! It's just a very interesting-looking book... It feels like you have put your very heart and soul into this piece of literature!" Dirge chuckled eerily once more, much to the polecat's distress.
"Y-yeah... I d-definitely know how to put the best part of myself into my work!" With a dry swallow, Mustel surveyed his surroundings, contemplating how to tackle the situation and proceed with his search for Serpes. He drummed his claws with ever-increasing anxiety against the gilded leather cover of The Pokedex before an idea popped into his head.
"L-listen, I'm not the best Zangoose who has ever... Zangoose'd. I'm... I'm not from a tribe! Y-yeah, that's it... Nope! N-never raised with any animosity towards a single Seviper, Ekans, or even Dunsparce! A-as for my friend? I-I didn't want to say it, but... But he... He's actually my brother!" The Zangoose smiled awkwardly, trying to keep up the facade toward Dirge.
Dirge pulled away from the book and stared at Mustel for what felt like an eternity. "He's... your brother. Hehe... Well, that'd be mighty peculiar, given you're a Zangoose and you're telling me he's a Seviper!" The haunted hound smirked at Mustel coyly, as if playing into his ruse knowingly.
Feeling himself about to crack under the pressure of the increasingly odd engagement, the Zangoose nodded frantically. "Y-yep! Same, uh... same... egg group?" Mustel facepalmed with an audible clap against his brow, mewling in embarrassment. He wasn't certain where he'd even heard of the term 'egg group.' He could have just said Serpes was adopted!
The Greavard did his best expression of a shrug that a quadrupedal Pokemon was capable of, letting out a lowly cackle all the while. "Whatever you say, Mustel! Now, I won't hold you up any longer. You look like a Zangoose on a mission, and you appear as lost and unnerved as a Wishiwashi without his school! I can't detect your Seviper sibling's scent beyond the main road... Hehe... Alliteration. I think I saw some of your guildmates near the town square. They wore badges, bags, and similar trinkets. Maybe you'll have better luck with your associates?"
Mustel pulled his paw away from his visage to briefly ruminate over what Dirge said before nodding in agreement, gazing up at the gathering of ghosts above their heads once more. "Y-yeah! The Guild was mostly empty... I figured they would be doing something out here... Town square, I got it... M-maybe someone there saw where Serpes went... T-thank you for your insight, Dirge!"
When Mustel looked back down, Dirge had already vanished and was no longer anywhere in sight. The Zangoose's fur stood on end once more as he felt an eerie sensation crawl down his spine after meeting the strange Greavard. "N-not a paw or candle left of him... Man..." The scholastic creature muttered to himself, wondering how Dirge managed to disperse so quickly. Did every Ghost-Type Pokemon have the ability to just vanish like that? He tried to push these roaming thoughts past himself and continue down the road, towards the town square.
Our Bygone Days
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0slsiUdCCkk
Syntthetix: Pokémon Legends: Arceus - Jubilife Village (Chill Remix)
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Mustel eventually arrived at the town square with little delay caused by the hustle and bustle of the holiday as Pokemon gathered for the lighting of candles, readings of sermons, and viewing of performances. He took some time to listen to the roadside shrines and parties of Capim Town citizens, trying to learn at least a little about what these days meant to them.
Stories of long-past family and friends were the most common. The recollections of brave Pokemon, who lost their lives as explorers followed as well. The most chilling were the stories of disappearances that left no trace, their fates left unknown. The Zangoose was once more reminded that this world differed greatly from the hazy memories he had of the video games it paralleled.
Death and loss were a reality here. Mustel and Serpes had escaped its vicious grasp a handful of times already, much to the Zangoose's disbelief. He was still unsure about the circumstances surrounding his arrival in the Pokemon World, the implications of the magic book bound to him, and whether the occasional strange voice he heard was a reality or insanity caused by his amnesia. No other humans in the Clover Guild could've claimed to suffer a similar fate, and he was unwilling to admit the extent of his situation except to a scarce few people he trusted in fear of being exiled or worse.
"W-what if I already died myself before I arrived here... W-would it be weird to make a grave for a past me I barely recall?" The Zangoose mumbled and pondered, getting himself lost in hypotheticals and anxious thoughts that further worried him. The sight of several Pokemon at the town square's threshold stopped him in his tracks. Mustel recognized a corner of said square as having been occupied by Pokemon adorned in Clover Guild apparel.
Many of the creatures were indeed familiar Clover Guild faces, but few were those that he knew well enough to find the confidence to speak with them. He saw a Raboot and a Pikachu talking it up near a shrine adorned with little clay sculptures of what appeared to be Pokemon, some figures holding vaguely familiar candles and incense sticks. Not far from them was a Shiny Eevee and a Corvisquire cracking jokes while snacking on some sort of festive baked goods in the shape of Duskull and Gengar. It was not the massive gathering he anticipated, but there were more familiar faces than he anticipated during this esoteric holiday.
Mustel cautiously approached the gathering to take a closer look at what his guildmates was doing. He froze and ceased taking another step as his look of curiosity quickly turned to one of worry. He saw before him a trio of Pokemon who he was quite familiar with, if only due to the initially unpleasant circumstances he had run into them under.
A Sandshrew, a Fletchling, and a white-furred Vulpix wearing a newsboy cap made up the trio of creatures. Gathered together, they gazed upon a shrine laden with ceremonial offerings. "Cassie, Bean, and Kiyo... M-maybe they saw Serpes somewhere." Mustel quietly mumbled to himself before taking a deep breath and attempting to approach the trio.
A sharp, cold glare from the fox immediately stopped the Zangoose. Kiyo glanced over his shoulder and glared at Mustel, seemingly threatening him to retreat. Cassie took a moment to glance over, a dour expression on her typically cheery face. She gave a timid smile before turning back towards the shrine. The Fletching perched on top of Kiyo's cap and quietly pointed a small foot in the opposite direction, silently offering the Zangoose guidance.
Mustel quickly looked behind him and saw the one-eyed Combusken known as KFC sitting cross-legged in a form of meditative prayer before another sculpture-adorned shrine. The Zangoose looked back for a moment and quietly nodded before walking away to speak to the avian martial artist.
"H-hello, KFC... I'm not... I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" The Zangoose felt like he was lesser than the oddly nicknamed Combusken. KFC was born in a strugglesome time for his species, and not all his plights were known to most Pokemon in Clover Guild. He was technically the youngest in the guild, perhaps physically the strongest despite his setbacks, such as his inability to use Fire-Type maneuvers, but was also considered wiser beyond his years and one of the most persistent explorers among them.
"No, you're not, Mustel. I was just finishing up here." KFC replied, not breaking his meditative posture before the altar. Upon closer inspection, the effigy that the combative cockerel was paying respects to resembled a Lucario. "Hm... I can sense that book of yours has grown more vivid since we last spoke, but I expected as much. Did the festivities encourage you to come out of your shell a bit and see what Capim Town has to offer?"
The Zangoose's expression became a bit flustered, feeling like the rooster was prying at his very character without even looking at him directly. He clutched at the Treasure Bag where his tome resided self-consciously. "Y-you could say that... W-what's going on with the guild? I'm getting mixed feelings here..."
Nodding in agreement, the Combusken opened his good eye and looked up towards the furry book-bearer's visage. "The Spirit Vigil is a period that isn't simple to convey in one form of emotion or expression. Many people here are celebrating and reminiscing about their bygone days, family, and friends, and just as many are mourning those same things..."
KFC motioned a taloned arm towards a trio of awfully familiar Pokemon in the guild whose antics have become tales of infamy and intrigue. It was Phanpy, Torchic, and Cyndaquil of the self-deprecatingly named Team Misfits.
Cyndaquil was holding a bottle of some beverage like it was the last thing that mattered to him. He looked absolutely plastered as he leaned against a prayer table with a clay effigy of a Cyndaquil. The sculpture was, regrettably, anatomically flourished and well endowed. He was pushing Phanpy and Torchic away from the table with a paw and foot, respectively, as he babbled in a drunken stupor.
"HIC... H-heeere lies Cyndaqui-...Cyndi-Cinderella... Nyquil... HE NEVER SCORED! Not... N-not as a maaaan, and n-never as a... hamster." The Fire Mouse Pokemon was eventually overpowered and accidentally shoved against the table, causing the effigy of himself to fall to the ground with a shatter. "NOOO!!! Y-you CASTRATED me in DEATH! HIC... O-oooh the shaaaaame!" Cyndaquil fell to his stubby haunches and tried to gather the shattered pieces of his figurine before plopping onto his side in grief.
Phanpy and Torchic looked at the mess that had become of their friend in silence before the small firebird spoke up. "Are you going to do this every time?" Torchic snarked, poking her talon at Cyndaquil's long snout to make sure he was still alive.
"Give him a moment or two, Torchic. I'd rather not risk carrying him while he's like this... O-oh! Hello, Mustel! Do you have a Pecha Berry on hand? Cyndaquil's in a bit of a situation here." Phanpy looked the Zangoose's way with a welcoming smile, hoping the Pokemon most familiar with poisoning would perhaps have something to help with the Fire-Type's inebriation.
KFC and Mustel stared on for a brief moment, mortified by the entire display. The Zangoose slowly shook his head with a fazed smile. "I... I'm sorry, I didn't prepare for anything like this! Haha... M-maybe you should take him back to the guild... I think I saw Totodile there with Nurse Kina!" He excused himself by grabbing the Combusken by the shoulder and turning them both away from Team Misfits, much to their confusion. "I-I think I get it. Some of the guildmates are mourning their former... ambitions? Their past... Humanity?" He said in hushed tones as he glanced around conspiratorially, making sure the taboo subject of humans wasn't about to cross the ears of any unknown Pokemon.
KFC shook himself out of his own stupor, letting out an unnerved cluck before responding. "To be more specific, they mourn what could have been and pay respects to it so they may come to terms with it and continue to grow as individuals. For some, it may take longer than others." The Combusken stood up and retrieved the sculpture of the Lucario, looking at it fondly before stowing it in his own Treasure Bag.
The Zangoose contemplated this for a few moments, grappling with his own fractured memories. His ears flattened against his skull as he sighed, nervously running his claws through his fur. "I wish I knew exactly what it is I lost, and why? It feels like I'm being kept from understanding specific things about myself... E-even my own name." He froze upon letting this piece of information slip, casting a sheepish glance towards KFC. "E-erm... I..."
The Combusken waved it off with a smile. "You're not the first to come in claiming you don't remember your name or memories. As for names, do you really think I deliberately chose to be called KFC? The guild has a... peculiar sense of humor. Is Mustel a name you were assigned, or perhaps something you made up on the spot?" The chicken craned his head, trying to engage in light conversation about their aliases.
"I... It's something that I... sort of pulled out on a whim when I first met Serpes, before that accident in Treasure Town! I... I can't thank you enough for bailing us out of that! Maybe Cyndaquil too, for being there before us? As for my name... It's short for Mustelidae, a family of mammals... It's a classification of human world creatures that I assumed Zangoose fit under... Similar Pokemon would be species like Linoone, Sneasel, and Furret... I-I'm probably wildly off, though, haha... While trying to fill out this book, I find it difficult to compare my world's creatures to those of this world... And the weirdest thing is... I don't understand why I'm doing it." The Zangoose ceased rattling off his exposition when he noticed KFC's expression changed to one of mild confusion and concern.
Mustel looked back at his Treasure Bag in a moment of unease, as if hearing The Pokedex itself telling him to get to the point already.
"B-but... that's not exactly why I'm here. I was hoping you or somebody here had seen Serpes pass through? He's been acting evasive towards me... And I'm trying to find him." Mustel tented his claws together against his chest, looking hopefully at KFC for an answer about where his partner may be.
KFC looked surprised before nodding in the affirmative. "Why, yes, actually. It's difficult to miss a Seviper of that size. He's the one who delivered all these candles and incense for the shrines and altars. He apparently has family in the business of making these things?"
The Zangoose slowly blinked and rubbed his paws up against his face, letting out another anxious groan. "Y-yes! That sounds... very familiar! I-I think I know just the place! Haha... Ah... I-I'm off, then... Er-I mean... I need to go right now! Thank you, KFC!"
Mustel felt his fur stand on end, as it all seemed obvious now. He broke away from the perplexed Combusken and darted out of the opposing end of the town square. His destination was Madam Anna's, aka the shop and home of Serpe's Auntie Anna, purveyor of candles, aromatics, and even more exotic sundries.
The Zangoose once more hoped that the Seviper wouldn't be perturbed by him being inquisitive in his friend's affairs.
The Ghost's Trap
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4G2StXpAr4
Zame: RUINS OF ALPH: Remastered ► Pokémon Heart Gold & Soul Silver
* * *
With each step Mustel took, the festival grew quiet and distant behind him. As he continued to advance, the Ghost-Types swarming overhead grew fewer. Something didn't feel right... Was this street always this long and winding? Shouldn't he have been at his destination by now?
"It shouldn't be this long of a walk... W-why don't I hear the city anymore?!" The Zangoose darted his head in every possible direction. The street felt like an endlessly stretching parody of itself with no visible horizon. There was not a single Pokemon walking it, either. The moment he turned behind himself, he nearly fell over in fright as behind him suddenly stood a familiar figure. "GAH!!! W-what the hell?!"
The little Greavard known as Dirge that he had met a few hours prior was standing there, sneering eerily at the other Pokemon. "Hehe... Why hello there, Mustel. You seem quite lost. Still looking for your Seviper... sibling, was it?"
Mustel struggled to pat down his fur as the startled scholar's hackles were raised like that of a threatened beast. "Y-yeah... I... I'm in a hurry... Sorry, but I need to go!" The air felt stagnantly cold around the Zangoose, and it felt like it was coursing straight to his very bones. He quickly turned again to continue where he was initially going, only to slam into a very solid surface before him. "OUGH!!! F-fuck! W-what just... Ow...!" Mustel stumbled back, rubbing his now throbbing forehead.
The Cat Ferret Pokemon gathered his bearings from the collision and looked before him to see that a large, golden coffin blocked his way. A small facsimile of a human-like face adorned it, akin to that of an Egyptian pharaoh's masked sarcophagus. The ornate plating retracted, exposing a pitch black void within the coffin's face. A pair of red eyes and a toothy white grin manifested in the opening, staring down the Zangoose with seemingly malicious intent behind it.
Mustel backed away slowly and reached for his Treasure Bag to pull out The Pokedex. The book quickly flipped open and the start of a new Pokemon entry was born. "U-uh... C-cofagrigus! T-the Coffin Pokemon! Uh... N-not a lot to o-off of h-here... Shit, shit, shit..." The Cat Ferret Pokemon grew panicked and unsteady while combing through the pages.
As the Zangoose tried to uncover what little knowledge the book had granted, the gilded grave manifested four shadowy limbs that waved about wildly. Before he knew it, one of the appendages lashed out and snatched The Pokedex out of his hands. "W-WHAT?! WAIT! G-GIVE THAT BACK!" Mustel yelled out in a mixture of anxious rage and horror. "I... I NEED THAT! GIVE IT BACK RIGHT NOW! RAAGH!!!" With his teeth and claws bared, he attempted to charge the Cofagrigus, but it quickly intercepted him. Another ghostly arm swiped the ground out from right under him, making the Zangoose crash into the ground. "Ooof! A-a-agh! S-stop...!"
The Greavard laughed sadistically as he walked around to face the now ailing Pokemon. Mustel already felt the negative effects of the book being taken away from his person. It was like a noose being pulled against his very essence and spiritual being. The Zangoose struggled as his body became heavy and his mind grew foggy.
"And just what will happen if we don't? Are you going to try to bite and scratch us some more, kitty? Hehehe! Not in the state you're going to be in! Keeping a chunk of your soul in a book is a pretty strange practice, I have to tell you! Carrying such a vulnerable part of you into a town just swarming with us ghosts... Just look at you! You're practically at death's door already! I wonder whose bright idea that was? You certainly don't look like the type to have designed it yourself... Hehehe..." Dirge glanced over towards the Cofagrigus, who seemed to be having some issues with holding onto the snatched tome.
The casket-like creature restrained The Pokedex with two spectral hands, raising a confused brow at it as it seemed to wriggle within his grasp. "Boss, this thing feels like it's trying to pull it's way back to the Zangoose! But it's... not doing it when I'm looking at it? I think it's twitching each time I blink too! I... I can't keep up Trick Room and deal with this weird thing at the same time!" The environment around the three Pokemon began to ripple and waver, revealing the illusory nature of the endless road.
Mustel was reduced to a groveling and feeble state as he laid on all four paws against the ground, clawing at the street to try and stand. He felt his vitality withering away as the magic book fought to find a lapse in it's captive's awareness to reposition itself near it's bearer. "P-please, s-stop this!"
Dirge sighed and gestured dismissively both at Mustel and the Cofagrigus with a paw. "Lock up our new friend here once we're finished here, and keep a close watch on that book as well, Locker. I don't know what kind of funny business this guildie has up his bandanna, but we don't need any unnecessary complications. I do think he's the perfect bargaining chip we've been looking for, though. Hehehe... Didn't you say you had no friends, Kaikai?" The Greavard mused to himself before turning back to Mustel. "This Zangoose practically reeks of you! What a strange twist of fate that you, Mustel, are the only Zangoose in town who happened to strike a kinship with the only Seviper in town! A very special, Seviper too!" His Majesty will be so pleased by this! I must sincerely thank you for your... upcoming service. Hehehe!"
The Zangoose gasped as he felt another pair of limbs grapple at him and pull him up by his underarms. He felt his Treasure Bag get taken off his shoulder as he was roughly handled by the Cofagrigus. Mustel struggled pitifully and growled weakly as he tried to escape their tightened grip. "Ngh! N-no! W-what are you talking about?! W-who's His Majesty?! What d-do you want from Serpes?!
The golden grave-like Pokemon's body swung open, exposing the dark void within. The macabre monster continued to sneer at Mustel as he dragged him inside the otherworldly space within his body. "Now, now, Mr. Zangoose! You look dead tired... Let me tuck you in!" The Cofagrigus now known as Locker remarked mockingly.
"N-no... Don't! L-let me go! LET ME GO! S-SERPES!!!" The Zangoose wailed out before being locked within the ethereal abyss inside Locker's body with a slam of his heavy golden lid.
* * *
Suspended in a sea of pitch black, the polecat felt himself barely clinging on. Mustel didn't know if he was inside the strange pocket dimension for a few minutes, several hours, or many days. The delirium from his weakened state made it hard to think, much less tell time. The presence of The Pokedex was so close, yet it also felt so far, likely still somehow withheld from him in the Cofagrigus thug's spectral clutches. The Zangoose slowly drifted his paws along his own body, trying to assure himself that he was still in one piece and alive despite the perilous state he had been left in before his entombment.
"N-not dead... C-can't die... S-Serpes is in danger... G-ghost-Types... Normal-T-types... are i-immune to ghosts... T-the book... Is n-not immune to ghosts, b-because of my s-soul? F-fucking s-stupid! N-need to focus on s-something, anything..." The Zangoose continued to mutter Pokemon trivia and hypotheses to himself, trying to maintain some semblance control as he distracted himself from the bleak circumstances. He had to live through this cruelty, especially for his partner's sake.
* * *
The dimly lit shop was adorned with countless shelves and cases displaying a vast variety of trinkets. Scented and unscented candles, small home shrines dedicated to various Legendary Pokemon, and precious baubles adorned in gold and gems were only some of the items on show. Among this array of treasures, an Aromatisse sat upon a stool behind the store's counter. She was busy preparing several bags of Poke coins and setting them aside on the countertop.
The shopfront had shuttered all its display windows and displayed a 'Closed' sign on the front door. Despite these clear indications that the shop was not open for business, there was a firm knock upon the door.
The Fragrance Pokemon perked her head up and peered at the door from across the shop, as if waiting for some kind of confirmation. There was another series of knocks, this time slightly more aggressive.
"Isss it them, Auntie Anna?" A lisping, hissing voice came from a door behind the Aromantisse. It slowly creaked open to unveil a red eye peering back and glinting golden scales illuminated by the lit candles adorning the shop. "They sssound a bit more insistent this time around... Ssshall I accompany you?" The Seviper peeked his head through the door, looking at the smaller Pokemon with a concerned grimace.
"I'm sure it's nothing, Kaikai... Just in case, let's be prepared!" The diminutive bird grabbed a flowery sidebag from beneath the counter and slung it around her shoulder. With a flick of her claws, the pouches of coins were drawn towards her with a psychic pull and stowed in the bag. "You never know what to expect!" With another flourish, Anna leapt over the counter and practically skipped her way to the front door.
The Aromatisse unlocked the door and opened it ajar to peek at who was outside. Her expression soured slightly the moment she saw the Greavard and Cofagrigus on the other side. "Hoho..., hello, you two... Dergil and Goldilocke, was it? I haven't seen them send you two in a while." Before Anna stood Dirge and Locker. The feigned manner which Anna had just addressed them seemed to upset both Pokemon.
"That's Dirge now, Annabella." The Greavard grinned facetiously at the perfumed bird, clearly not enjoying being in her presence for longer than necessary than she did.
Upon hearing the second name, the Cofagrigus' toothy smile transformed into an embarrassed frown. "Sssh!!! I-it's Locker! It's L-O-C-K-E-R! Don't call me that name again!" He dismissed the insult when he felt the strange book he was holding onto trying to struggle free again.
Anna showed a coy smile and nodded in response to the two Ghost-Types. "Well pardon me, Dirge and Locker! Let's cut the chit-chat and get straight down to it, hm? Hoho... I imagine you're both here for the yearly tithe, which I just so happen to have here-..." Dirge broke off the Aromatisse by clearing his throat.
"There'll be no need for that... I believe there's been a change in plans... On behalf of His Illustrious Majesty and Sultan, Althubinkai IV, I offer a trade for the custody of the vassal child and heir of His Majesty's own divine bloodline, the esteemed-yet-errant Lord Kaikai..."
The Aromatisse furrowed her brows and crossed her arms with a huff. "I have worked this shop for years with Kaikai's aid to pay for these ludicrous tithes! You've earned several king's ransoms in Poke—more than the lad's worth for whatever horrid things you wish for him back home! There's nothing you have that would warrant his return! Take your money and leave before I show you what you're worth!"
The Greavard and Cofagrigus both broke into chattering cackles before Dirge spoke again. "Hehehe! Please take a moment to see what's behind door number one. It may change the way you see things..." With a swift tap of his paw against Locker's flank, the Coffin Pokemon swung open and presented the ghostly duo's hostage.
Mustel groaned as the early evening light hit his eyes, sensitive from being withheld inside the Cofagrigus' shadowy demiplane, as well as drained of his strength from being deprived of vital connection he had with The Pokedex. He was partially suspended by tendrils of inky shadow, like prey wrapped and mummified in a spider's web. Once his vision cleared, he stared at a distraught Anna who looked back at him in fright and worry. "A-Anna..." The Zangoose managed to mutter out, trying desperately to focus his gaze upon her worried eyes.
Anna shook her head in a fit of frustration and anger, hovering her claws fretfully over her sidebag. "Let. Him. Go. He has nothing to do with any of this!"
Locker grabbed Mustel by the throat with two of his clawed appendages, drawing a panicked gasp from the Zangoose that made Anna recoil away from her bag. She continued to stare daggers at the despicable pair, desperately trying to find a way to change the circumstances.
"Hehehe... I was taking quite the gamble on this whole hostage situation, what with Little Kaikai being such a lonely, sad snake for most of his years... He couldn't possibly have made friends with a Zangoose, especially not one of those stuck up guildies that moved in recently! But I'm clearly on a winning streak tonight, Annabella darling!!! Your dear Mustel here should have known better than to talk to strangers like little old me, especially during The Vigil! Hehehe! Hahaha!" The Greavard gloated and guffawed before letting out a slow sigh, staring back at the Aromatisse.
Dirge's eyes began glowing through his mop of fur in the same necrotic green as the candle on top of his head, the faux jubilance he had held until now breaking its facade. "The Seviper. Now. Get that goddamned overgrown Caterpie-of-a-bastard here right now or we'll see how many bits and pieces we can break off a Zangoose before he stops breathing! From the look of things, he doesn't look like he has a lot of breathing left in him... Locker, stow him!"
The Cofagrigus snickered as he dragged Mustel back inside, slamming the lid on him once more. "Time is ticking, Anny!" Locker mocked the Aromatisse. He flaunted the sharp claws of his spectral limbs if she dared to get close.
Busting The Busters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hTU9u-DK1g
GlitchxCity: Pokémon Red and Blue - Lavender Town (Remix v.II)
* * *
Serpes sat coiled in a corner of the store, having descended from the domicile upstairs that made up the Aromatisse's and formerly the Seviper's home. The large snake gently traced his tailblade along the wooden flooring, tracing patterns idly in the dust. This routine of being extorted each year of his life for merely existing has been a stressful trend that tortured the depths of his conscience as long as he could remember. As usual, he waited in silence while Aunt Anna dealt with whoever was sent this time to claim the tithes for his accursed heritage, as agreed upon many years ago.
"Sssigh... Just want this day to be done with... Mussstel thinks I'm sssick or insssane by now! I can't drop my burdensss on him like thisss... Maybe I can ssshow him where the more exotic Ghost-Types like to hang around in Lower Capim... Better bring sssome Nacli Salt just in case, though..." As the Seviper finished speaking to himself, he hear an urgent series of knocks on the door. "Sssigh, again... I bet they want to sssee that I'm ssstill alive. Wretched pricks... Wonder who they sssent this year!"
Serpes slithered his way to the storefront door and gently opened it with a coil of his tail. He felt a shock run through every vertebrae in his long body upon seeing the haunted look on the Aromatisse's face. "Auntie? What's wrong?" The snake peered over head small body to see the Greavard and Cofagrigus standing in the alley road behind her. He quickly lowered his head to the fragrant avian's level and spoke in hush tones. "Do we have a problem with our guesssts?"
Anna looked up at her nephew with a grim expression and got to the point. "Kaikai... They... they found Mustel. I don't know how it all happened, but that Cofagrigus has him inside his coffin. The lad looks very unwell... T-they want you to come back home in exchange for his life..."
The Seviper choked back a hiss of outrage and took several deep breaths before extending the tip of tail toward his aunt, motioning for something to be placed on it. He peered at the two thugs one more time before further confiding in Anna. "Doesss your bag have have anything to throw in there? Sssomehing with extra kick, perhaps?"
The little bird looked at the bag on her flank, taking a moment to understand what Serpes meant. "Something with extra kick... Oh-ho! I guess I do... But it's such a rare piece! I doubt I'll come across anything like it ever again! Oh... I guess there's no time like the present to use it... It isn't anywhere as nice as my other display pieces. ...What do you plan to do with it?" Anna quickly retrieved and presented a shiny Golden Fossil. The peculiar weapon resembled a throwing disc made of a hard gold-like mineral in the round shape of an Omanyte shell.
Serpes snatched the shell onto the side of his tailblade, tucking it behind the bulk of his body to hide it from immediate view. "Sssomething really crazy, Auntie. I've got a sssafe to crack wide open; maybe followed by some spooky skulls, too..." The serpent made his way through the doorway, gently nudging the Aromatisse to the side.
The Fang Snake Pokemon slipped out through into the sunset lit sky. His eyes had become razor thin slits that were full of all the embittered rage and hostility of a feral Seviper on the prowl. He stopped mere feet from Dirge and Locker, giving both of them a quick glance.
Serpes took a deep breath once more and exhaled to still himself, bearing a stoic gaze at the two goons. "Gentlemen! I believe you've both come into possession of sssomething, or perhaps sssomeone that has no business being involved in our affairs! Isss it correct you both wish to arrange an extracurricular transaction for said sssomesuch, despite this?"
Dirge let a frustrated groan before replying in turn. "Stop with your games, snakeboy! I have the nose of an Arcanine and the wit of an Alakazam! I know that Zangoose must mean something to you! He's a lousy liar, by the way... Hehehe! Or is this the true face of Garrote again? Sweet little Auntie Anna's complicit little thief who robs the streets of Capim and every trade road you could point to on the map to keep your debt paid to your father! Is this Mustel guildie just an asset for you to dipose of once he's been useful? Hehehe!"
Serpes trembled in rage before shaking his head in refusal, letting out a hissing sigh. "You don't know ssshit! That gods-be-damned and pompous vegetable of a snake is not my father." The Seviper glared at Locker and let out another fierce hiss. "Open up before I show you that even your golden carcass can be tarnissshed. Show me that Mustel is alive, right now!" Every muscle in his long and sinuous body tensed up, practically creaking like straining mast ropes on a galleon ship.
Locker glanced over at the Greavard for approval, where Dirge nodded back, unamused. The Cofagrigus opened up and hoisted out Mustel once more for Serpes, the Zangoose no worse for wear than he was mere minutes ago, which wasn't saying much.
Mustel slowly opened his eyes again, struggling to get used to the change in light once again. He stared at Serpes with an expression of shock, unable to find the words for the predicament he got himself into. His eyes dropped to the ground, finding it hard to face his companion in the dire moment.
Serpes looked at the sickly Zangoose with pity and rage boiling up inside him. The snake couldn't have imagined something like this ever having happened. He darted his eyes around the alley, planning his next series of actions. "Mustel... I'm sssorry! I'll explain everything as soon as possible! No more sssecrets! Just... Trussst me!!!"
Serpes lashed outward, triggering several events barely visible to the naked eye. The serpent's broad bulk sidelined Dirge, knocking the small canine into an adjacent wall with a thwack. This was followed by the Seviper lashing out his tailblade at Locker, grazing Mustel's chest with a Poison Tail-infused slice. The Zangoose stared on in shock and pain as the tail continued to swing past him. In that same swift motion, the Golden Fossil that was held precariously on the tailblade was flung off, and it collided into the Cofagrigus's coffin lid, causing it to partially crack open and leave a disfigured fissure in the thick golden plating.
Locker's shadowy face quivered in pain, unable to hold back a stammering wail of agony once the powerful projectile damaged his coffin-like shell. "A-a-a-AHHHH!!!" Distracted by the injury, the Cofagrigus dropped the book he was holding close to his eye level. The Ghost-Type's grip released the book in a microsecond, and it disappeared from everyone's sight. Locker slammed his damaged lid shut on Mustel in response to the attack, revealing the visible break in the plating was now leaking ectoplasmic smoke.
Dirge growled at Serpes and Anna, the candle on his head burned brightly as he stood back up and prepared to fight. "You have made a BIG mistake, Kaikai! Locker! Pull yourself together! We're taking all of them back with us!"
* * *
Mustel fought to clutch at his chest, feeling the shadowy binds suspending him inside the Cofagrigus' body trying to restrain him. He managed to clasp at the shallow wound that Serpes had deliberately inflicted on him, feeling the rising pulse of his heart in response to the poison now coursing through his veins. In his other paw, he felt the familiar weight of the Pokedex between his digits. The book had finally returned to his side. Questions started to ring out through his disconcerted mind...
"S-Serpes... WHAT THE FUCK?! D-did you... Did you have to... N-no... I don't have anything to... cure it... O-oh fuck... Serpes?! What's the plan here? S-Something... Something's wrong on the inside... F-fuck... I don't want to do this again!" The Zangoose clawed at his body, as if trying to fight an itch he couldn't reach as the toxins stirred inside him.
"Glad to have you back, Mustel. I think it's best that you go with the flow on this one. Just let it all out, okay?"
"W-what?! Who are... Why are you... What... flow? L-let it out...? But I... I don't..." Mustel repeated to himself. He lifted up his free paw and watched it tremble before him. His muscles had visibly condensed beneath his fur, stimulated by the poison.
"You need to get a grip on this situation for that to happen. You need to reach out and grab what's yours."
"W-what.... C-can't... Need to... Going to... get a grip. Get a grip on the... I... I need to reach out. I need to... I need to... BREAK OUT!" The Zangoose lunges out with his claw at the darkness in front of him, attempting to grab at something. He swiped again and again until he felt his sharp digits find purchase in the void.
"There you go! Just keep at it, and don't mind the screaming. This is all going according to plan. Just keep going forward."
"But I... But I want to hear them scream, though... I... I... FUCK YOUR PLAN! Let me HEAR THEM SCREAM!!!" Mustel dug his razor sharp mitt deep into the darkness. A faint holler resonated from outside the void.
"Goodness! You're perhaps the most interesting one yet..."
* * *
Dirge and Locker were caught in intense melee with Serpes and Anna respectively. The alley had become defaced by the carnage that was expected of an impromptus 2 vs. 2 Pokemon battle. Broken containers and cracked walls marred the formerly quaint alley corridor. As far as anyone could tell, there was not a soul nearby as most of citizens had gone far away from the fringes of the Capim Town to participate in the festivities.
The Greavard found himself physically outmatched by the Seviper's unnatural size and power, barely having dealt more than a few superficial scratches to the serpent's scaly skin. He found himself cowed into a corner and trying to avoid being minced by Serpes' Iron Tail strikes. "H-hey! It's all just an elaborate Spirit Vigil joke! A gag! Trick or Treat?! Hehehe... ...LOOK, IT'S DARKRAI!" The Pokemon pointed his snout skyward in a pitiful attempt to distract his opponent.
Serpes squinted at the Ghost Dog Pokemon and blew a hissy raspberry in disapproval of his trick. "You expect me to fall for that?! Do you jussst expect me to look up and ssseee the Master of Nightmares floating along like he'sss on holiday- Where'd you go? ...Damn it."
Dirge grinned as he had merged with the growing shadows along the ground, slinking his way behind the snake by using the power of Shadow Sneak. He popped up behind the serpent like a ghoulish mole only for his spectral attack to be immediately intercepted by another heavy swing of the serpent's sharp tail. The Seviper sent the dog tumbling along before he collided with a wall.
"OW! Ow... Ow! Hehehe... Ow... Err... We'll just take the money like originally planned and- YIPE!" Dirge barely slipped through the snake's coils before the tailblade could snip the candle off his head, dropping Mustel's Treasure Bag in the process. "H-hold on there, Kaikai! Let's not do anything we can't take back!" The hound bit down with his sharp teeth to parry the tailblade, growling and grunting in defiance of the attack before the Seviper pulled back.
"Ngh! You'll be getting zilch, you literal ssson of a BITCH! You'll return home empty-handed, and you'll pray that my so-called father doesssn't turn you into a filthy foot stool for being such a brown-nosing mongrel! You have no jurisssdiction over me anymore! Not you, not anyone else he'll send, and NOT MISTER HIGH AND MIGHTY ALTHUBINKAI HIMSELF!" Serpes mocked and rebuked Dirge as he continued to trade attacks with ghostly hound. "AND HOW DARE YOU SSSPEAK OF TAKING THINGS YOU CAN'T GIVE BACK!!!"
Meanwhile, Locker was suffering Anna's onslaught of Fairy and Psychic-Type maneuvers, feeling his powerful physical defenses meet their match. He gripped at his midsection and howled out in pain once more, finding himself unable to fully focus on the battle. "A-agh... AAAHHH!!! Y-YOU SLITHERING FUCKER, KAIKAI! T-THAT ZANGOOSE IS TEARING ME APART FROM THE INSIDE! I CAN'T OPEN MY LID. YOU BROKE IT!!! BOSS! H-HELP ME! AH!!!"
His yells of suffering and agony were momentarily interrupted as Anna used her Psychic power to smash a barrel across his face. "Ah-ah...AAGGHH!!! WHY?!" The Cofagrigus charged the Aromatisse in a blind fury, lobbing Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball at the Fairy-Type with furious abandon. "AGH!!! DIE YOU OLD HAG! DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!"
Anna leapt and twirled evasively past the volley of spinning, spectral spheres. The Aromatisse seemed to be enjoying herself as she turned her counter maneuvers into a vivid performance within itself. She froze and ceased her dodgeful dance when she heard something break behind her in a cacophony of shattering wood and glass. A wayward projectile obliterated one of her storefront windows, much to the frilly bird's visible disdain.
She looked back at Locker with a placid expression before it quickly turned into a scowl that wished for the Coffin Pokemon to be buried in a shallow grave, where he appropriately belonged. "Oh dear! I believe you've caused significant damage to my property! I do think that will have to come out of the tithe to make things fair, don't you think? Oh... how unfortunate. You've broken quite a few irreplaceable wares too. I'm sure we can make an arrangement in retribution! Hohoho!"
Anna pointed her splayed paw towards Locker. Moonbeams gathered from the sky into the center of her palm, manifesting into a massive glowing nova of pink and blue energy. "Now be a nice little casket and hold still! This will only hurt a LOT!" With a pitch of her arm, the huge Moonblast orb flew through the air and collided explosively with the exhausted Cofagrigus, too worn out from his own flurry of attacks.
Locker was launched onto his back with a resounding metallic clang, groaning and moaning in further pain. He tried to levitate himself upright, only to crash back down and scream bloody murder once again. "G-GAHHHH!!! HE'S TEARING ME APART! HE'S TEARING ME APART!!!"
Everyone stopped for a moment to look at the fallen Cofagrigus clank and shake violently upon the ground. With a creaking and bending of metal, a furry red forearm exploded out of the fissure that Serpes had inflicted upon Locker. The claws were glowing a dark, spectral sheen, reminiscent of the Ghost-Type energy that permeated the insides of the Coffin Pokemon's interior. The metal carapace continued to widen as the claws sheered through the Pokemon's body like a hot knife through butter, much to the victim's distress and torment.
Mustel burst out of Locker's body with a final shudder, causing a gaping, fragmented hole in the Pokemon's body. The creature landed on all fours; his fur stood wildly on end, as if he were a feral Zangoose on the prowl for a Seviper. What were once green and calm, if not worrisome, eyes were now tinged a toxic pink, maniacal, and criss-crossed with dark veins.
The Zangoose's muscles had grown firm where they showed the most in his arms, legs, and chest, coursing with Seviper toxins. His posture was wild and twitchy, unable to stand in one place for long. "O-oh yeah... I'M REALLY FEELING IT NOW!!!" He snapped his head around wildly, seeking to sate his poison-addled lust for battle. "Oooh honey... I'M HOME!!!" He snatched his Treasure Bag off the ground and slung it around himself, hastily shoving the Pokedex inside.
Dirge looked in horror at what just unfolded and started backing away while everyone else was astonished by Mustel's entrance. He wasn't sure if his Cofagrigus lackey was straight-up dead or just very injured, as it was quite difficult to tell with certain Pokemon and their strange anatomies. However, the Greavard appeared prepared to completely abandon him to preserve his own ghostly skin. "O-oh, that is... That is certainly not something you see every day! Hehehe... Heegh..."
Serpes stared on in shock at what had become of his ferret friend. He knew Mustel carried the Toxic Boost ability and was well aware of the manic consequences when a Zangoose becomes poisoned. He felt terrible all of a sudden for deliberately putting him through it. He hoped his partner would forgive him for inducing the poison fueled power in him, even if it was ultimately for the Zangoose's survival. "Mussstel! Buddy! You look... great! I didn't know you were familiar with Sssshadow Claw."
Mustel sprang towards Serpes, shocking the Seviper with his clawed climbs as he scrambled up his neck, exerting just enough force to grip his scales without causing any harm. As he cackled, he bent forward over the snake's snout, looking Serpes directly in one eye while upside down. "HAHAHA! HAHA! Haaaah... NEITHER DID I, TUBE LIZARD! I think it had something to do with that HANDY. DANDY. BOOK!" The Zangoose yanked the Pokedex out of his bag for a moment and held it towards Serpe's face, as if it was completely necessary.
"That mean old Cofagrigus tried to keep it away from me! IT REALLY, REALLY SUCKED! But then... In what felt like my darkest moment, it spoke to me... It told me to... GET. A. GRIP! But now? BUT NOW?! I feel GREAT! Now you too can have this ZANGOOSE WITH AN AWESOME POWER and more at your side for the very low price of your continued unwavering companionship and affection, FRIEND!" Mustel then purred with a toothy smile while staring the snake in the eye, much to Serpes' growing discomfort and concern.
"Uhhh... T-the book... Right... Still don't know what... S-sssure? I... I wouldn't call it... I wouldn't phrase it like that... Pleassse get off of my neck, bud...?" Thankfully, no one else seemed to be paying attention to what his partner was saying as Serpes darted his eyes left and right.
The screwy Zangoose slowly tilted his back straight, overlooking the field of chaos from atop the Seviper's head. "Do you see what I see?" The poison-crazed Pokemon pointed one of his claws accusingly at the Greavard, who was still trying to make his escape. "I think I see a basketball. Gasp! And there's only thirty seconds left on the clock! CAN I MAKE IT ON TIME?" He snapped his head toward the Aromatisse, appraising the damage to her shop. "Well... CAN I!?"
Anna perked up, her feathers fluffing up in surprise and looked over towards the Zangoose sitting on her nephew's neck, amused and confused by the situation. "O-oh... I apologize, Musty! I stopped paying attention when you turned Locker into confetti... I'm sure you can do whatever you put your mind to, darling!"
"THANK YOU, POTPOURRI PARROT!" Mustel blurted out before using Serpes' head as a springboard to jump off of and close the distance between him and the undead dog. The Zangoose crashed into Dirge from behind, tumbling with the Greavard gripped between his claws before rolling to a stop. "Hi, Dirge! Dirgy Dirgeee! Guess what?!"
The Ghost Dog Pokemon wriggled in the feline's grip, desperate to escape. "W-what? W-what do you want?! Y-you tore my henchmon to bits! I... I concede! Hehe... P-please put me down and we can settle this like gentlemon! What do you say, Mustel?"
"Awww... But Dirge, after what you did to me... I REALLY WANT TO HURT YOU!!!" Mustel beamed maniacally as he ran towards Locker's unconscious form with Dirge tucked beneath his arm like a football. "Come along, my friend! I'm going to make SUCH A MESS OF YOU!"
Preoccupied by his own poison-driven insanity, the Zangoose did not acknowledge that Dirge had managed to wriggle himself upright within Mustel's grip. "Well the same to you, you freak of nature! RAGGH, LET GO!" The Greavard opened his jaws wide upon which they darkened with a wicked power. He bit down on the Zangoose's arm with a vicious use of the Crunch move.
Mustel skidded to a halt, yowling out in pain as Dirge clung to his inner elbow like a bear trap. "YEOUGH!!! Take me out to dinner first, you naughty little thing! I think you hit the bone! LET ME HELP YOU WITH THAT!" With a frenzied gaze, the Zangoose performed an unimaginable move, dropping his wounded elbow on the Greavard while the Ghost-Type remained firmly gripped upon it. A loud crack of shattering cobblestone echoed through the alley as the two Pokemon made contact with the ground.
Mustel let out a pained grunt in the aftermath of the attack. He slowly pulled himself back up, clutching his wounded elbow. "Nrgh... That's DEFINITELY gonna smart in the morning! THAT'S WHY THE GOOD LORDS ABOVE BLESSED ME WITH SEVERAL MORE LIMBS TO THRASH YOU WITH!!!"
Dirge recovered from the crash, looking better than expected. After shaking off some dust and pebbles from his fur, he laughed in defiance at Mustel's state. "Hehehe! You're crazy! You're really going to tear yourself to pieces just to deal with me, aren'tcha?!" The Greavard barreled past the Zangoose before he had a chance to recover, running towards his Cofagrigus lackey's side.
Serpes and Anna flanked the Zangoose before he continued his rampage. The Seviper coiled in front of Mustel to wall him in, and the Aromatisse tried to administer some berries to the poison-powered Pokemon.
"LET ME AT THEM, COACH! IT'S ONLY A FLESH WOUND! You buff those scratches right out and it can get at least two dimes and a corn chip at the local dealer- Ough!" Mustel ceased his rambling for the moment when Anna shoved a ripe Sitrus Berry into his muzzle. "Mrph... Tas' lik' chim'ken..."
The Seviper shook his head in disappointment at the state Mustel was in. "...Nice ssshowboating there, buddy... But that's still a Ghost-Type you're trying to manhandle, Shadow Claw or no Sssshadow Claw! Auntie! What do we do now?" The Seviper coiled over his allies as he glanced back at Dirge. "And... what is he doing?"
The Aromatisse squinted at the pair of thugs before letting out a frustrated huff. "Oh, that's just cheeky... I think that Locker brute is not just Dirge's personal kidnapper, but also his luggage!"
Dirge frantically dug through the broken opening in the Cofagrigus's body, throwing various dungeoneering items into the air like a child searching through a toy chest. "Hehe... Where is it? Where is it... AHA!" The Greavard pulled out with some effort a small wooden box covered in various symbols and tags. With a tug of his sharp teeth, he opened the container and started pulling out several seeds from compartments within.
"Hehehe! I didn't think I'd have to end up using these... WAKE THE FUCK UP, LOCKER!" Dirge flicked one seed toward the Cofagrigus' dazed mouth and popped the second seed into his own sneering maw.
Locker groaned and grumbled as the seed pelted him in the face. He slurped down the morsel and slowly chewed on it. His eyes snapped open as he seemed to regain all his vitality in an instant burst of energy. The Cofagrigus lifted into the air as his wounded carapace molded back into its origial shape. An ominous glow of prismatic energy started to overtake him once he finished mending, increasing his size by nearly double what he originally was. The coffin-like Pokemon let out a haunted roar once his rejuvenation and empowerment finished taking place.
Dirge soon followed in the transformation, no longer a diminutive Greavard. He grew to a more threatening size that one thought he might have become his next evolutionary state. The undead dog let loose a deep, demonic chuckle before howling at the nightscape above them.
Anna scowled at what just unfolded, as if she had seen it before. "Awakening Seeds? N-no... This is something more foul... It's like they're infused with..." The Aromatisse's thoughts were interrupted by the thunderous lashing from one of Locker's shadowy limbs, whipping a fissure into the cobblestone road before her.
"Eek! Ho-hoooh my! The fighting never ends when there's brutes like you two! Kaikai! Mustel! Keep up with that dastardly dog! I'll deal with Goldielocke!" She cried out, regaining Locker's attention in a fit of ghostly attacks aimed at her as she boldly declared that forbidden name.
"Hohohooo! I'll be fine! Go!" Anna leapt into battle, defending herself from the embiggened Cofagrigus' attacks using Psychic to parry the ghostly claws as they came slashing down, and then tying them into a knot by the wrists like they were a present bow. Locker howled out in a feral rage as he tried to untie his limbs while the Aromatisse smirked as she started charging yet another move.
"LET'S. GO. TEAAAAM!!! F-A-N-G-C-L-A-W! WHAT'S THAT SPELL? VICTORY! DINNER'S ON ME, ALL OVER ME! ON THE FLOOR!" Mustel leapt through Serpes' coils like the snake was an obstacle course and bolted towards Dirge. The Zangoose's grin grew wide as his poison tinged eyes were focused on the Greavard.
"What in the whole wide whacky world just is this day... Wait for me, Mussstel!" The snake burst after Mustel to back him up in the second and hopefully final act of their battle.
Exorcism Down Town
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVmbzwyYdzY
Unexpectancy 3 but with the PMD Explorers of Sky soundfont
* * *
"Graahhahah!!! Let's review! There will no longer be any second dealings, or changes in plans! I'm going to FLATTEN you troublemakering SHITS so thin that I'll be able to deliver you back to His Majesty in an envelope!" Dirge pounced at Mustel, forcing the Zangoose to practically throw himself aside before the large Greavard collided with the ground, sending splintered stones showering the alley. "Grgh! Grehehe... How do you STILL have this much pep in your step, you NUISANCE?! Is it that book that's keeping you going?! Don't think I didn't notice! Give me that fucking thing!"
"LESS TALKING, MORE THRASHING, BIG BOY! JUST LIKE I PROMISED!" Mustel paused his frantic movement and fanned out his claws after gaining a fair bit of distance between himself and the Greavard. The edges of his digits glistened in the moonlight as he started to literally dance the Swords Dance with all the grace that could be expected of a poison drunk Zangoose. "I CAN'T STOP THIS FEELING FROM DEEP INSIDE OF ME! GIRL, YOU JUST DON'T REALIZE WHAT YOU DO TO ME!"
Dirge stared in a moment of disbelief before slowly turning his gaze to a frustrated scowl at the Zangoose. "No more of that funny business, Zangoose!" The Greavard sank into the ground like a giant inky puddle and rushed towards Mustel, attempting to burst out from beneath him with a deluge of volatile energy in the form of Shadow Sneak.
The Greavard yowled out in pain as Serpes emerged and sidelined him with a driveby strike of his tailblade across the ground, kicking up sparks and wisps of Ghost-Type energy as Dirge sheared himself by passing under the Seviper's blade. "YEARGH!"
Dirge erupted from the floor prematurely and immediately tackled the large snake, attempting to subdue him with his paws bearing down against the serpent's neck. "TRY THAT AGAIN, YOU GODS-BE-DAMNED EKANS WITH AN OVERBITE! I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHY HIS MAJESTY PUTS SO MUCH EFFORT INTO SLIGHTING YOU! JUST. RETURN. TO. HIM. ALREADY!!!"
Serpes viciously hissed out and repeatedly stabbed the empowered Dirge in the belly. Every seemingly fatal blow was endured by the ghost dog, despite each grimace of pain and discomfort. Each strike was audible and sounded like a knife ripping into a matress. "Never!" Shunk. "I will never ever speak to that unpleasant Pokemon in person." Shink. "You, and everyone else under his so-called authority will just have to learn to live with my spite until the day the grave either takes him, or me." Shank.
The Greavard growled out defiantly and kicked away from the Seviper to stop sustaining anymore damage. "I won't kill you, but I'll certainly make sure you wish that was an option! Don't think I won't smash every rib in your body until even breathing is pure hell for you, Kaikai!"
Mustel emerged to blindside the distracted dog with a powered up Quick Attack squarely to his jaw. The collision sent Dirge staggering to the side as the Zangoose landed on all fours. "SURPRISE, MOTHERFUCKER! ...Owww, you have a really thick skull for a ghost!" He shook out and clutched his paw in pain for a moment before breaking into another sprint to keep the Greavard occupied. "Catch me, Dirgey! Catch me!"
Dirge coughed and huffed as he shook his face. He let out a frustrated roar before bowing his head down and scratching his paws on the ground like a Tauros preparing to charge. "Hold still, scarbelly... Hehehe... I'LL SHOW YOU THICK SKULLED!!!" The dog ran after Mustel with his head held low, attempting to run him over with a Headbutt.
Serpes intercepted with his own body, hissing in pain as the Greavard struck his flank. "SSSSSS!!! Mustel Thisss dog is taking everything we're throwing at him! What doesss your book say?!" The Seviper tried to surround Dirge with his coils before he could break away and continue his assault.
"The book... the book... TAKE A LOOK, IT'S IN A BOOK, READING ZANGOOSE!" Mustel whipped out the Pokedex tome and a Oran Berry from his bag, snacking on the fruit in the middle of the melee while browsing through the magical tome's pages.
"MUSSSTEL!!!" Serpes barked out upon seeing the Zangoose taking his time trying to divulge their opponent's weakness, struggling to hold back Dirge as he grew more and more irritable.
"KEEP YOUR SCALES ON, I'M GETTING TO THE GOOD PART! Ah... Here we go... Greavard's abilities! Mhm... Mhm..." The studious Zangoose continued to hum to himself as he parsed through the pages until he heard a loud smack.
He looked up from the book to see that Serpes was thrown to the side by Dirge into an alley wall, leaving him bruised and winded. The hound looked very annoyed and very ready to tear Mustel apart. "You were born with a case of Fluffy, weren't you Mr. Dirge?"
"Grrrggh! AND WHAT'S THAT TO YOU, ZANGOOSE?!" He started to boldly stomp towards Mustel until a resounding crash of metal stopped Dirge in his tracks.
Everyone spun around to see that Locker had been pummeled, toppled, and bound in his own tendriled limbs, ironically like a mummy. Anna was standing on top of the Cofagrigus with her paws proudly on her hips. The Coffin Pokemon looked to be struggling in vain to unbind himself. In a flash of light, he shrank down to his original size and let out a pitiful moan. "G-gaaah.... S-sorry, Boss..."
"Hohoho! Skill-Swap, never leave home without it, dearies!" The Aromatisse gloated before she hopped down and rushed to aid Serpes with his wounds. "Hold still, love..."
"LOCKER! YOU USELESS GOLD-PLATED FILING CABINET!!! Rragh! Enough! Getting you involved was a mistake, Zangoose! One that I will correct right this second!!!" Dirge howled out in anger once more before diving into the floor as a pool of shadows. His semi-corporeal state slithered through the cobblestone like streaks of black lightning, erupting beneath Mustel uninterrupted at last.
Mustel let out a surprised yowl as he was battered and launched into the air by the eruption of energy. "WAHAHAH-HOOOOIE!!! Whoah! What falls up must come down, DIRGEY!!!" The Zangoose twisted his body mid-ascent and fell upon the large Greavard's back with both claws clinging to his shaggy fur. "BUCKLE UP, BUCKAROOS!" He held on tight as he was appropriately and violently bucked and thrashed against like a cowboy on an ornery beast.
"Now before you so RUDELY interrupted my late night reading... TURNS OUT I KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WITH THIS BATTLE IS!" The Zangoose ranted with a toothy grin as he continued to hold onto Dirge's back like a stubborn Joltik. "Oooh... AUNTIE!!! I'll have one Blast Seed, to go! Put it on my tab, if you will, PRETTY PLEASE?!" Mustel held out one paw in the air expectantly as he kept clinging onto the Greavard's wooly fur.
"Hoh? What is that mad critter plotting..." Anna searched her bag and retrieved a Blast Seed Pod, much to her surprise. "O-oh! This is perhaps..."
"Nggh... Jussst what that dirty dog deserves! Give it to him, Auntie!" Serpes said through gritted fangs as he slowly rose up to watch the fight unfold, rubbing at a patched over wound on his long body. "R-right in the spot where Mustel first stuck me too... Agh..."
"When Musty did what?" The Aromatisse glanced back at the Seviper, who promptly feigned ignorance and shrugged nervously.
"I've got to make a pickup! HOPE YOU LIKE IT EXTRA SPICY, DIRGE! ¡OH, NO TIENES IDEA DE LO PICANTE QUE SERÁ!" Mustel looned as he grabbed the Greavard's unruly coif of fur and tugged on them like a pair of reigns. "¡MUÉVELO, PERRITO!"
"GRAGH! WHY ARE YOU TALKING LIKE THOSE GODDAMNED CACTUSES?!" Dirge found himself submitting by the forced attempt to be steered by the insane Zangoose. "GRAGH! LET GO OF MY HEAD!"
"First of all, it's cacti. Second of all..." Mustel snagged the seed pod out of Anna's paw as they charge by. "THANKS, BABE!~" He pulled sharply on Dirge's neck to force him to turn in the narrow alley and back out towards the main street. "THIRD OF ALL!" The Zangoose shook out several seeds from the pod with his free paw into his mouth. "Mmmph... Tn'gy."
"GRRRGH... OFF!" With one final buck of his back, Dirge dislodged the Zangoose off of him and sent him crashing into a wall at the opposite end of the street. He slowly cornered in on him, his teeth saturated in dark energy once more as he prepared to Crunch down upon Mustel's crumpled state. "Gehehe... GAHAHA!"
Mustel slowly sat up, clutching at the side of his head in a short fdaze. The Zangoose then held up one claw, as if asking for a moment to pause and gather his bearings.
"Geh? Do you really think I'm going to stall for you?!" Dirge barked out, spitting out sparking wisps of darkness. He jumped toward the Zangoose to deliver the deadly blow.
The Zangoose opened his mouth and let out a disturbingly loud belch, unleashing a spiraling inferno at the Greavard in the middle of his lunge. The flames overwhelmed Dirge, sending him howling and flying skyward with explosive force. The undead mutt soared off like a firework and was tailed by a burning trail until he vanished over the treeline outside of town, landing with an audible boom.
Serpes quickly slithered towards Mustel with Anna on top of his head, concern in his typically non-chalant gaze. "Mussstel! Are you alright?!" He stopped to curl around the Zangoose protectively as the Aromatisse dismounted to investigate any wounds.
"Hahaha... My ears are ringing... My tongue tastes like flavor town... A-and I... I think my heart stopped!" Mustel stammered out, finally overwhelmed by his long Toxic Boost trip. He threw up two thumbs towards the snake and bird before falling over backwards, with a soft thump.
No More Secrets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWmCDT1YcpM
AquaStars: Pokémon OrAs - Let's Go Home (AquaStars Remix)
* * *
Mustel awoke to the quiet crackling of a fireplace, the scent of Pecha Berries, and the embrace of a quilted blanket around his furry body. He felt the tightness of bandages and patches clinging to his arms, legs, chest, and head. He found himself seated on what looked like a large sofa which he practically molded into, finding it practically clinging to him.
The Zangoose let out an ache-filled groan as he slowly rubbed at his weary eyes, adjusting to the dim lights of the room. The were various exotic fixtures, made of crystals and carved stone, adorned the shelves, walls, and mantelpiece, reminding him of Anna's shop. It quickly came to his realization that he was infact inside her home, located in the back of the store. Since his initial visit with Serpes, which led to their journey to the Amp Plains, he had returned here a handful of times to browse the rare goods that the Aromatisse had come across.
He attempted to stand up but immediately jolted back down from the intense burn coursing through his bones and muscles. The pain was all too familiar; it was the aftermath of his body recovering from poison and the unnatural level of strain he had placed on himself after using Toxic Boost. His ears perked toward an adjacent door, alerting him to someone approaching. The small pitter-patter of footsteps made him realize it was Anna herself.
The Aromatisse was carrying a tray of steaming tea and some sort of sweet-smelling baked goods. She looked surprised and glad to see that Mustel had regained consciousness not long after his wild onslaught against the two Pokemon thugs. "Oh-ho! Musty, my sweet cottonball! How are you faring right now, child? Do you need another blanket? How about some herbal tea and a slice of Pecha cobbler to perk you up? You look far too gaunt for a Zangoose, you poor boy!"
The Zangoose slowly shook his head and relaxed back into the sofa. "N-no. Thanks you, Auntie... W-where's Serp-... Where's Kaikai at? He... He has to be worried about me, right? O-or he's upset with me... I... I must've made such a mess of your personal affairs! S-shit... W-wait! What about those thugs?!"
Anna set the tray aside on a table before the sofa and walked up to Mustel, shaking her head dissmissively of the ferrety creature's perspective. "No! No, no... That's not it at all... Oh, goodness... I knew a day like this would have eventually come... Kaikai isn't upset at you. The poor boy was blaming himself the entire time he was beside you... He had gone upstairs not that long ago. And don't you worry about those two terrible tax collectors. Dirge hadn't returned since you detonated him and I tossed Locker out of town myself! Now, do you feel well enough to stand, limber up a little, maybe?"
With a uncomfortable grimace accompanied by several growls, grunts, and mewls, Mustel managed to pull himself off of the sofa and slowly stretch out his arms, legs, and even tail. "Y-yeah... Probably... I'll be fine...!" He tried to assure Anna, who didn't seem all that convinced due to his constantly strained voice.
"C-come on I'll be fine- MMPH!?" The Zangoose staggered back when the Aromantisse leapt up towards him and shoved a wedge of the cobbler off the tray and into his muzzzle. "Fmph! Mph... Es gud. Thenk yew..." He savored the dessert, finding himself enjoying it despite having been nearly force-fed it, before reaching for the tea to help wash it down.
"Pecha Berry cobbler and Lum Berry herbal tea, dear! This snack is ideal for a Zangoose recovering from Toxic Boost! I had no idea you were born with such a rare trait and with such a… unique way of channeling it too! It's definitely nothing like the folktales of when your kind and Seviper fought each other, goodness no!" Anna remarked cheerily as she helped tug off the blanket still clinging to Mustel's body with a psychic flick of her hand.
Setting aside the teacup, the Zangoose gave an awkward gaze toward the stairwell in the corner of the living room, not sure how to address Anna's musings. "I-I'm definitely not an average Zangoose, haha... And... Kaikai isn't an average Seviper, is he? N-not that I mean anything by it... It's just... why did all of this happen?"
The Aromatisse nodded solemnly before answering. "No, he isn't... I'll try to explain the situation the best I can, Mustel. But... you must promise to keep it between us three for now... I'm not certain if what happened back there may affect you or your guild's future. It's best to take precautions, though!" Anna strided over to a shelf and retrieved a book, setting it down on the table before the two of them.
"I-I promise! At least... I'll try my best to keep this close to home, so to speak... What's this book about?" The Zangoose bent over the weathered piece of literature, watching as the Fragrance Pokemon flipped through its pages.
"It's just an old piece of home, Musty... You could call it a journal or diary. It's a bit of this and that! Hm... hm. Ah, here we are!" With a jab of her finger, Anna stopped on a map of the Desert Continent. She traced her digit along the weathered page until she stopped at the tip of the bay that left a wedge in the bottom center of the continent.
"Here, at the very tip of the Eversand Bay, where the waterfalls and rivers of the Apex Mountains gather, is a long-standing city-state known as Althuqante Mande... My 'Old Desertspeak' is a bit rusty, but I think it means something along the lines of 'City of the Snakes.' Now, as you might imagine by that name, the city and the region around it are historically home to various tribes of serpentine Pokemon!"
The Aromatisse flipped a few pages ahead, stopping on stylized hieroglyphic pictures of various large Pokemon towering over smaller versions of themselves. It was reminiscent of sandstone carvings and murals from various ancient desert-borne Earth cultures. "Ah... Here we are... People believed that a powerful champion, bearing the Blood of the Alpha, conquered and claimed the land the city was built on. This old belief entails that many species of Pokemon can trace their lineage back to the gods and creators of our very world. Hm… Imagine how remarkable that would be! The most noticeable trait is that they'd be a Pokemon of significant size, power, and ability!"
The Zangoose's eyes widened in surprise, looking over the pages several times over in hopes of better understanding the mythology set before him. "Is... Kaikai one of these Alpha-blooded Pokemon, Auntie Anna? Or is...-"
"That I cannot say with any certainty, Musty. A myth remains just a myth... Except when it drives someone to do terrible things... You see, darling... The city over the last thirty years has been ruled by a rather terrible sultan.. I don't know whether you heard us speak of him or not during our battle with those two thugs that you sent sailing out of town. His name is Althubinkai IV, and he is perhaps the most self-absorbed, narcissistic, and just outright insane Serperior I've ever had the misfortune of working for." Anna shook her head in grief before letting out a tired sigh.
"Sorry, dear... That terrible Serperior believes himself to be of Alpha blood and had, for a time, tried to sire several Alpha children through many wives that he believed had the characteristics necessary. He tried to alter the outcome of the eggs with what I could only stomach to describe as dark and twisted alchemy... I ended up sabotaging the labs that made his concoctions for these terrible experiments once I became aware of the lengths that leafy demon would go to. The fact that I was the former majordomo of his palace and a skilled brewer at the time made it all the easier! Ah... I successfully escaping with one of the latest wives on a ferry who... was a close friend of mine before her destitute family accepted a generous bride token from Althubinkai." The Aromatisse gently closed the book, dusted off the cover, and looked up at the Zangoose with a plain expression that seemed to hide heavier emotions.
Mustel stood in silence for a while, his ears flat against his scalp as he listened to the ambience of the fireplace and the faint sounds outside as Capim Town's Sacred Spirit Vigil continued into the night. "W-were those seeds the thugs used related to those experiments? And... w-who was the Pokemon you escaped with? Was she... Was she Kaikai's...?" The Zangoose tried to harness a guess, but looked unsure of himself.
Anna was quiet for a moment before answering, peering down at the book. "Mmm... I'm still not certain about whether those seeds are related to all of this... I've never seen them before. As for who I escaped with... Yes, dearie. Her name was Eulalia. She was perhaps the most beautiful, charismatic, skilled, and smartest Seviper in all of the city! Unfortunately, the treatment she endured to ensure the strength of her offspring led to her becoming very ill..."
She frowned and rubbed at the top of her beak, composing herself. "Hum... When we made it to the Grass Continent, we took shelter within a village of friendly tribal Pokemon. She ended up laying her egg, but passed away not long after due to her sickly state... Before she left us, she blessed Kaikai with his name."
The Zangoose's ears perked up and swiveled about as if it had heard something from the stairs. "What... does the name mean? And how did you end up in Capim Town?" He quickly glanced toward the stairwell, believing he saw a shadow looming for a brief second.
Anna looked at what supposedly caught Mustel's attention. "Hmhm... I think Lil' Kaikai himself would be willing to tell you, wouldn't you, dear?" The Aromatisse ignited a fairy light at the tip of her fingers and cast it towards the stairs, illuminating a coil of black and gold scales hiding at the edge of the threshold to the second floor. Serpes' eyes suddenly peered down from above, followed by an inquisitive flicker of his tongue.
"Fine. You caught me. Give me a moment..." The Seviper slithered down to the ground floor and piled himself onto the vacated sofa behind Mustel, laying some of his long body over the back of it. "I think it meansss... 'King of Kings'. Or maybe it means... 'Lord of Lordsss'?" The snake wrapped his tail around Mustel and secured him onto the cushion beside him. "Ssso... How much have have you two gone over without little old me?"
The Zangoose yelped as he was plopped down beside the Seviper, self-consciously combing down ruffled his fur. "D-did you have to do that? Er-erm... I learned you're from the Sand Continent, that your father isn't the greatest, and who your mother was... I'm sorry to hear what happened to her, by the way." Mustel twiddled his thumb claws, feeling a bit of gloom creep in. "S-sooo... How did all of this... start?" The feline critter motioned nebulously at the entire room. "How did you get settled into Capim Town? What were you two doing here before meeting me?"
"L-lisssten, don't feel sorry about that, it's fine. Now then... What we were doing before we met... Way before our fateful encounter...." Serpes smirked guiltily, craning his head to the side, shifting the coils of his entire body across the sofa, and startled Mustel again.
"Yeek! W-why are you doing this to me... C-can't you stay in one spot? I still feel sore... Y-yes! I am now quite curious why you were robbing people out on the roads, that includes me during that 'fateful encounter'. Why would you do that when you've had your aunt here looking out for you all this time? Y-your behavior over the last few weeks with you avoiding me very concerned... Y-you're still a liaison, Serpes! W-we need to keep performing guild requests! We don't even need to do anything too difficult... W-we just need maintain a record." The Zangoose glared up at the Seviper, crossed his arms, and scowled at the snake's snide remark about his past misdeeds.
Serpes stared back, darting his eyes between his partner and his Aromatisse aunt, who crossed her arms along with Mustel, also expecting an explaination. "Aha... Ha... Auntie! You know I would have never intentionally hurt anyone in my... sidejobs! A-as for the liaisonship, t-the reason for the guild..."
"Oh Kaikai... You know it can make things more dififcult if you get caught! You're telling me sweet Musty here was one of your victims? Oh... No wonder you've been suddenly working for that strange guild... I guess I can't argue with the results, dearie! You've been bringing in more money than you ever did dealing with those awful outlaw-types in the slums. Hoho!" Anna tapped her chin, thinking over these new revelations.
Mustel's jaw dropped agape when he saw that Anna was in on Serpes' antics prior to him arriving to the Pokemon World. "WHAT?! O-oh man... Y-you're both both going to make me have a headache... Were you both running a scam here?!"
The snake stifled a hiss-filled laugh as his companion tried to process everything and his aunt's sudden approval at his new career path. "I apologize, Auntie! I guess I ssshould have been more thorough about what happened when I introduced you to Mustel... As for you, buddy... I'm sorry. I don't know what else I could possibly say... I'm. Very. Sssorry!"
Serpes did his best to convey a remorseful expression with his rigid serpent face and continued attempting to explain himself. "I shouldn't have been so evasssive and... obtuse about what I was getting up to... I was a bit afraid you'd try to be a hero and solve it or get other people involved!"
The snake took a deep breath and continued explaining. "And, no. We are not running a scam. I sssimply developed a certain set of skills over the course of my life and got in touch with certain... people in Capim Town during that appreciated said ssskills... Which may or may not have involved trafficking goods, counting cards, cutpursing, conartistry, Slowpoke racing... Hrm... There's probably more... But it helped us financially!"
The Zangoose turned his gaze towards Anna and lifted his paws in a questioning manner, hoping for a reasonable response from the small bird. "A-and this was all... fine with you, Auntie Anna?"
Anna smiled sheepishly, shrugging at the confounded creature. "The poor boy was born without limbs, Musty! He found people that taught him some tricks, and I watched from a distance to make sure he wouldn't get hurt. It was fine. When we first arrived, I sold what few valuable treasures and expensive trinkets I pilfered from the palace to get ahold of our own little place to call home, and decided to follow in the family trade of aromatic goods. Hoho! Oh... over time, we gained a small following made up of odd explorers and seedy strangers that lurked in the corners of Capim Town but didn't want to risk delving right into the lower districts! Sure enough, it grew into the business you see here! Hoho! Yes, it's unfortunate that our beginnings weren't the cleanest, dear."
The Seviper lowered his head beside the Zangoose to chime in further. "And it didn't get any better when Father's goons eventually found us. It was around thisss time of the year when it first happened, and they ssseemed to decide to make a tradition of it after the fact. It took them their sssweet time, though! By then, Auntie Anna had already built up the store, and I had grown into a ssstrapping young snake! Turns out the fat old Ssserperior wanted compensation for me being snatched away from his care and tutelage. He was no longer able to groom me into being one of his ssso-called vassals for him to rule with. Yuck. To put it in ssssimpler terms, that despot was looking to tax my very exissstence as a grudge for all that I could have been, but didn't become! If we didn't pay up, I could only imagine it would have gotten quite dangerousss for us... It hasn't stopped any of his thugs from trying to coerce my capture either, perhaps in hopes of getting on His Majesssty's good side."
Combing away at his fur obssesively, Mustel processed the heavy burden of information. He then looked between Serpes and Anna with a worried gaze before responding. "D-do you think Althubinkai will send someone again once the news arrives of what happened here? I really don't want to be on the front page news that I started some sort of international conflict..."
The Aromatisse laughed as she approached the Zangoose, patting him comfortingly on his knee. "Hoho! Oh, I doubt to happen. I don't believe that fat snake holds that kind of expendable military power, dear! Unfortunately, his sovereignty on another continent does make holding him accountable for any of his messes a bit difficult... I doubt the Federation would be much help either!"
Serpes flickered his tongue in contempt of all the red tape surrounding his life. "A wissse Sneasler once told me that rules exissst to be broken.... As well as bones, those also exist to be broken. I think we've been fine just living by the ssseat of our tails until now, don't you think?"
Mustel tilted his head at Serpes and let out a subdued growl. "R-really? So there's no plan, then? Ugh... I’m too exhausted to keep going like this tonight, but I can’t seem to fall asleep, either... A-all of this newfound worry and energy buzzing through me..."
The mention of the Zangoose fit of insomnia caused Anna to ponder what to do with their time, and she turned her attention to her nephew. "Kaikai, perhaps you can show Musty what you've been tending to upstairs? I'll be tidying up here if you need me!"
The Seviper cast a glance at his aunt before turning his attention back to Mustel. With the tip of his tailblade resting beneath his chin, he gave a thoughtful consideration to the circumstance before nodding with a flicker of his tongue. "Sssure. I'm not getting sleep after all that ruckusss myself. Come along, bud!"
The Zangoose trailed along behind the snake's long form, holding onto the hilt of his tailblade as if fearing falling over due to his still slightly unsteady gait. They headed down a hallway lit by mounted candles and adorned with more mystical paraphernalia. The Seviper took a sharp turn into an open door and directed Mustel inside.
The bedroom within featured a huge cushioned bed designed for a big Pokemon with a more amorphous or non-bipedal shape, such as a snake. Shelves were lined with books and various trinkets, both valuable and of sentimental significance. A large covered window let in a beam of moonlight, showing a glimpse of the Capim Town horizon and the night life that had overtaken it during the ongoing festivities.
In the corner was a small shrine lit by candles and sticks of incense. The main fixture of the shrine was a small, intricately detailed black stone sculpture of a Seviper. The effigy of the snake was coiled around a Seviper fang that pointed upwards, resembling a spire ascending toward the sky.
Serpes watched the shadows cast by the candle lit sculpture flicker on the walls in a moment of reflection before speaking. "Auntie sssaid Mother dropped this fang during a rough dungeon delve in her youth... Ssshe gave it to me when Old Al's enforcers made their first visit here and told me about where I came from, and what happened... It... wasss pretty difficult to hear at the time. She helped me turn it into this, inssspired by the ceremonies that happen around thisss time of year."
Stepping closer to the Seviper's flank to observe the statuette, Mustel joined in watching the illuminated sculpture's silhouette dance in front of them. He felt the melancholy of the Sacred Spirit Vigil envelop him once more, overshadowing the persistent anxiety of his troubles in favor of someone else. "...D-do you wish you could have had a chance to meet her?"
The snake breathed through his narrowed lips, letting out a low and exhausted hiss. "Auntie once said I make her feel like ssshe never left. Ssspitting image, and all... I think Mom and I are well acquainted in ssspirit. Hrm... I suppose I do kind of wish I could, though... But instead, how about we jussst... have a moment of silence for Mom, Mussstel?"
Nodding slowly in agreement, Mustel sat down before the shrine and joined Serpes in paying his respects to Eulalia with a tired smile on his face. "Hah... Sure thing, Serpes."