Normally when N travelled, it felt like his berry supplies were never ending. He wanted to ensure that any possible friends would be well fed after all, and it’s not like they were difficult to carry with the storage technology that had hit the market in recent years. The one time he’d been a bit unsure of his capability to provide had been shortly after picking up Mimikyu, and even then it had been specifically the Cheri berries, given the little ghost’s proclivity for them.
Now, though, it seemed like the group was well on their way to being eaten out of house and home… or at least out of berries.
“More berries! Pretty please!” Mawile begged as she tried, and adorably failed, to get into his supplies herself, tears welling up in her eyes as he was cruel enough to not immediately give in to her demands.
“Where is it all goin’? Yer body is too small ta fit all those berries….” Mimikyu muttered.
“Don’t be mean, Mimikyu,” N chided. He knew that the tears weren’t real. He’d run into enough Gothita to know Fake Tears when he saw it. And yet… he just couldn’t help himself, giving her berry after berry. She was just too cute to say no to!
Lucas was having food problems as well, so long as you counted all those gems as food items. Or rather, it was more like a food shortage in his case. He was stuck in a bit of a loop because of it.
Lucas would hesitantly offer up the next gem. A singular gem, rather than the handfuls he was doing initially, so that he could draw the process out for longer. Sableye would snatch it out of the boy’s hand. Lucas would try to throw a pokeball at the distracted Pokemon…. Only for it to Shadow Sneak out of the way. Rinse and repeat.
Normally N would chastise the boy for such underhanded methods. Capturing Pokemon was wrong on a fundamental level, but trying to trick a Pokemon into joining your team was inherently worse than asking politely if they would be willing. This could be a learning opportunity for the young trainer.
But with how Sableye was giggling, sometimes even pointing and laughing at the failed attempts, it felt a bit too similar to rubbing salt in a wound.
“Ha! Moron! You think you can catch me?” The gem crunched between its teeth. “Just give up already!”
Everyone politely ignored the irritation on Lucas’ face. He was a bit too far gone to reason with at this point. He probably knew that he should give it up just as much as the rest of them did… but it didn’t seem like that was going to happen until he’d completely exhausted his supply of gemstones.
Dusclops hummed. “Do gems actually taste good…?”
“No!” Mawile pouted. “They aren’t tasty at all! They’re gross!”
She hummed happily as N fed her another Pecha berry.
“But you’ve tried eating them…” Mimikyu dubiously pointed out.
“She’d eat anything! Rotom is warning you, you’re next on the menu!” His phone chimed, hiding in front of Riley as they walked.
Lucario gave the ghost a disappointed look. “You don’t actually believe that, do you?”
“I do recall a report of a wild Mawile eating some smaller Pokemon,” Riley pointed out, “But they seem to be fond of swallowing their food whole? So anything larger than a Mawile’s secondary mouth doesn’t have much to worry about.”
“Yeah!” She cheered as she nibbled on her berry with her much smaller mouth. “Berry man is nice to me, I probably won’t eat him. Probably.”
“That doesn’t assuage Rotom’s fears for Rotom’s own survival!”
Mawile just giggled in response.
N was fairly confident that any talk of Mawile eating one of them was a joke. Pokemon eating other Pokemon… while it did happen, it was hardly a regular occurrence. Certainly not something that went on when there was a regular supply of berries available.
“So where exactly are we heading?” Dusclops asked. “I enjoy a surprise as much as anyone else, but if what awaits us in the depths of this cave is anything like the last one… well, let’s just say I think I’ll be avoiding any more of them for the foreseeable future!” The spirit chuckled.
“Our goal is just through that passageway,” Riley explained.
“It is quite a sight to behold,” Lucario nodded.
Up ahead of them was a makeshift doorway carved out of an otherwise nondescript wall of the tunnel. The section they were in continued on, making it clear that this wasn’t the intended route, but from first glances… “Nothing about this seems restricted to me,” N commented.
“Were you expecting caution tape or locked doors?” Riley asked in what was assumed to be a rhetorical fashion. “This island is for the Pokemon that inhabit it now, and we try not to restrict their movement if we can help it. That’s not to say that the restricted areas aren’t in any way actually restricted, however. We just have a more sophisticated way that we go about it.”
He stopped in front of the entrance. “Requesting admittance for Guardian Riley and associates.”
Nothing seemed to happen, but after a short pause, the Aura Guardian-in-training stepped forward, gesturing for them to follow behind.
“What part of that was s’posed ta be sophisticated?” Mimikyu quietly asked.
N shrugged.
The room they were being led into was excessively large, and also extremely empty. A huge cavern that seemed to have no purpose. The only feature that N could make out was the doorway they were walking through. The complete lack of visible Pokemon in the room was a bit strange, though. A place like this would be perfect grounds for more Geodude or Zubat…
Rotom seemed to have caught it, however. “Interesting… do they just stay here at all hours of the day doing that?”
“They work on a rotation, but essentially yes,” Riley nodded.
“What are you-” he let the question drop half formed as the room suddenly changed when he stepped through the doorway completely. Now the walls were interspersed with large metallic panels. Some plates were arranged in an unfamiliar pattern on the floor before them. The most obvious and eye catching change, however, was the new statue on the other side of the room. It was huge, easily three times N’s own height. It had a vaguely humanoid shape, carved only from the waist up, and had its arms crossed over its chest. The chest and belly were quite rotund, and the head, which lacked a proper neck, was close to a ball in shape, with the only features beyond that being a pattern of six dots, not unlike the side of a die, that was printed on both the face and abdomen. If it was a Pokemon, he was unfamiliar with it.
Beside him, Lucas was looking straight up. When N followed his gaze, he found that the ceiling was absolutely littered with Bronzong. Dozens of them at a minimum, all suspended as far from the ground as they could be.
N was still a bit lost as to what had just happened.
“Anyone who reaches a point where they should be able to see within this room and don’t have permission to be here find themselves under the effects of various moves to trick their senses.” Riley explained. “A sufficiently powerful Dark or Ghost type could potentially power through if it were only a handful of Bronzong, so… well, they might have gone a bit overboard with the precautions.”
“...so the League jus’ ‘as a ton of Pokemon laying aroun’ that they use ta hide their secrets in plain sight? That ain’ concernin’ at all…”
Riley frowned at that description. “I assure you, this isn’t something that happens just anywhere. Most places of this nature have sufficient natural barriers to entry, so no further meddling is required. But a few of them, like the Iron Ruins here… well, you all saw how easy it would be to just stumble into this room. If any old random trainer could accidentally wander inside…. There’s a lot of potential for that to end poorly.”
“And how exactly would things end poorly? Is there something special about the statue?” N asked.
“The statue here appears to be identical to the one present in the Snowpoint Temple… is there some connection to the Region Shaper?” Rotom suggested.
Riley’s eyes narrowed. “And when exactly did you enter Snowpoint Temple?”
Rotom let out an electronic giggle. “Now that would be telling!”
There was a bit of an awkward staredown between their guides and Rotom after that, until Mawile spoke up. “This place feels weird.”
“Indeed,” Lucario nodded, breaking from the staredown to gaze at the statue. “For Steel types like us, it is only natural. To answer the earlier questions, the Iron Ruins are home to one of the Giants of Steel. It is said that long, long ago, the Region Shaper crafted other legends in its own image, golems that obeyed its command. They were worshipped, for a time, but when the Region Shaper laid down to slumber within the Snowpoint Temple, fear of what they might do without their commander grew, and the creations were sealed away as well. Many of the details have been lost to time, but this room is one of those seals. If an unsuspecting traveller were to fulfill the requirements, the seal would be broken and a Giant of Legend would roam once more.”
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
Riley sighed. “It is my understanding that most of the seals still stand, and we would rather it stay that way at least for the time being. Simply being in the presence of the seal draws in Steel types like Lucario and Mawile, calling out to them. The Bronzong here are very well trained to resist such things, and their Psychic typing certainly helps, but even they have occasionally reported an urge to break the seal.”
N could feel his blood pressure slowly rising the more that was explained. He had no way of knowing beforehand, but to think that they’d come close to yet another legend so soon after their little “visit” to Giratina… at least he could take solace in the fact that this one was sealed, whatever that meant.
“S’pose my concerns ‘bout the League’s schemes ain’ got much weight to ‘em when they use Steel types ta guard this place instead of literally any other Psychics they ‘ave on hand…”
Riley frowned. “I assure you, they’re quite good at their job. They’ve been keeping guard for quite some time now, and there has yet to be an incident.”
“Yet bein’ the keyword,” Mimikyu snarked. “But I s’pose of all the legends ta get loose, a Registeel wouldn’ be too crazy ta deal with…”
“A Giant of Legend isn’t much to deal with? You sure are funny!” Dusclops laughed.
His laughter was cut short when the room was suddenly cast in a red light.
Sableye laughed. “You did it! You actually did it! Come on, step on another one!”
Lucas, standing beside the mischievous ghost, looked like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
However, instead of merely stealing a cookie, he was standing atop one of the plates on the floor, which had begun to slowly pulsate with red light.
“Are you two insane?!” With the blur and white glow of a Quick Attack, Lucario was beside the pair in an instant, quickly grabbing onto them and dragging them away from the pattern on the floor. “Of all the boneheaded–” Lucario growled with frustration, turning on Sableye. “You! Do you think this is another joke? Goading a human who doesn’t know any better into something so foolish?!”
“Of course, of course!” Sableye laughed. “If only you could feel how terrified you and the blue one were!”
Lucario’s eyes narrowed. “Then it seems you need to be taught a lesson before you go and–” what are you doing?
Midway through the chewing out, Lucas had stepped between the two Pokemon, arms outstretched, and a guilty look on his face.
Step aside, I need to get it into this fool’s head just how dangerous that stunt was before I deal with you.
Lucas shook his head in denial, not moving an inch.
N wasn’t sure what to do. On the one hand, Lucas really should have known better than to blindly follow along when dealing with something dangerous after the whole Spiritomb fiasco. But on the other…. Well, Lucario looked very upset and he wasn’t keen on finding out what a well trained Pokemon like that could do to Lucas’ squishy human child body.
Riley made the decision for him.
“Calm yourself, friend,” Riley interrupted, putting a hand on his partner’s shoulder. “Witness with an open mind and heart, not ones clouded by anger. It would seem Lucas here is trying to accept the blame for the incident.”
Hesitantly, Lucas nodded.
Lucario’s anger dulled. “....I see. I still want that idiot banned from the Iron Ruins, though!”
“That… is more than fair.”
“Come on, come on! I was only having a little fun!” Sableye complained, but when he got no sympathetic looks, he sulked.
Mawile stuck her tongue out at him. “They don’t want you anymore. Leave.”
“Now is not the time for that, Mawile….” N lightly chastised, but it was too late for that. Sableye scowled at the little Steel type before scampering off, leaving them behind in the Iron Ruins.
Lucario watched the Pokemon go, before turning to Lucas, seemingly ready to tear into him.
“Why didn’ the Bronzong do anythin’?” Mimikyu’s question put that on pause.
Dusclops gave him an odd look. “You expect Bronzong to do something?”
A shadowy hand slithered out to adjust a false pink head that was tilting a bit too far forward. “Well, yes? Ain’ the whole point that they guard this place?”
That… was a good point. They went through all that effort to keep this place disguised from outside view, and yet when the seal itself was threatened they didn’t react at all. It seemed contradictory.
Lucario hesitated, so Riley spoke up. “Bronzong are very good at their jobs, but unlike some of the other Psychic types in the League’s employ they can have very… one track minds.”
“They’re dummies!” Mawile shouted.
Rotom let out an electronic giggle. “Correct! Well, maybe calling them dummies is a bit much, but they become hyper fixated on tasks they’re carrying out! They can get past that with enough training, but… well Rotom suspects that the League likes having the ones that guard this place so hyper focused on their job! Judging from the command issued when at the entrance, the assumption seems to be that nobody who can gain access at all would be trying to sabotage the League’s efforts to keep the seal in place. Not a terrible line of thought, but it doesn’t account for situations like this.”
Riley looked like he wanted to argue with at least parts of that, but couldn’t. “...perhaps it would be best if we all left the Iron Ruins.”
N gestured to the pulsating plate on the floor. “You’re just going to leave it going off like that?”
“It will deactivate on its own shortly after we leave.”
There wasn’t much argument to be had after that.
The mood of their little expedition had taken an understandable downturn after the events in the Iron Ruins.
Their remaining tag-along seemed to be fully capable of ignoring that, however. “I want more pink ones! Gimme!”
N sighed. “Mawile, I’m afraid I’m all out. I’ll need to restock when we go back to Canalave.”
“Then I’ll come with you weirdos!”
N paused, quietly ignoring the insult tacked onto the end there. “You want to come all the way to Canalave just for some berries? You do realize that it requires a lengthy boat ride to reach it, right? You’d have to go all the way there and then back….” And that would require Captain… Eldritch, had it been? To make an extra trip just to feed her newfound addiction to berries. N wasn’t sure he could sign the man up for such a thing.
“Have ya ever even been off the island?” Mimikyu inquired.
“Nope!” she beamed up at them.
“Kid, look, ya shouldn’ go aroun’ causin’ problems for people jus’ cuz ya want some berries. Ain’ like ya can surf yer way back on yer own.”
“Bzzrt, but isn’t she coming along regardless?” Rotom buzzed, a confused tone playing through the speaker.
N frowned. “Rotom, you shouldn’t assume things like that. I don’t particularly mind if Mawile decides to tag along for a bit, but that’s up to her to decide.”
“Well Rotom doubts she’ll be allowed to stay here!”
“And why wouldn’t we allow that?” Lucario asked. “Or Byron, rather, but the point stands.”
“Because last Rotom checked, if Champion Cynthia found out there was a Fairy type living in a League reserve full time she would flip out!”
“But Mawile is a Steel type?” Riley pointed out.
“....shit! I knew I was forgettin’ somethin’!” Mimikyu cursed.
A sinking feeling formed in N’s gut. “...Mawile are on the list, aren’t they?”
“What sort of list?” Dusclops asked.
“The list of Pokemon that can be infected with the Fairy type, I s’pose…” Mimikyu dejectedly explained.
Riley and Lucario shared a look. “Would someone please explain what’s going on?”
Not very connected to the League, then. Good to know.
“Congrats on gaining a new typing, Mawile!” Rotom cheered.
“Does this mean I get more berries?!”
Lucas looked back towards the island as the boat took them away, trying his best to avoid getting the sea spray in his eyes.
This little outing had not gone the way he expected it to.
On the plus side, he’d managed to pick up all sorts of goodies while N was distracted! Discarded pokeballs, star pieces, weird metal things, another one of the strange plates with the words on them…
It felt like there were a lot more downsides, though.
That stupid Sableye had eaten through most of his gemstone collection and hadn’t even ended up on his team in exchange! Though after what happened in the Iron Ruins, maybe that was for the best. Sure, maybe he should have been paying more attention to what the others were saying about the place. And sure, maybe he shouldn’t have just done whatever Sableye had gestured for him to do. But at the end of the day he had messed up, and caused a… bit of a stir.
That was probably downplaying it…
“Lucas?” Riley spoke up from behind him.
Ah. Here comes the tongue-lashing that had been put off earlier. Turning, Lucas accepted his fate.
But Riley didn’t look very mad. Lucario… well, Lucas wouldn’t say that he could read the Pokemon so easily after having known the Pokemon for all of half a day. The two of them seemed deep in thought, however.
“While I certainly can’t condone fooling around in a place like that,” Riley began, “I was impressed by your willingness to take the blame when it really should have come down on Sableye for the most part.”
Impressed? What part of that was impressive? Lucas had fully intended on catching the thing, and everyone knew that a trainer had to take ownership of the mistakes their Pokemon made.
Part of me wants to deny you this, Lucario spoke into his mind, making Lucas startle. However, we had already been considering you beforehand, and seeing your attitude then gives an indication that you really do have what it takes.
Lucas raised an eyebrow. Have what it takes to do what?
“If you’re willing, Lucario and I would like for you to take an egg off our hands. I’d like you to show the Pokemon inside it all sorts of new places, and based on what I’ve gathered of your group so far, that seems like it would be an easy request for you to handle. Your high level of Aura would make you quite an ideal candidate as well, which is what initially made us consider you for it.”
My offspring are sure to be powerful… and perhaps the inherent righteousness of my kind will aid you in keeping out of trouble. You seem like you need it.
Lucas stuck his tongue out at the Fighting type.
It wasn’t the Sableye he had been after… but it seemed he’d be getting a new teammate after all.
