Fanfiction Pokémon MD: The Temporal Travesty

Chapter 11: The Great Expedition Part I: Preparations​

Spoiler

Seeing that I was injured, Shinx handed my a couple of sitrus berries from the bags that we left outside the chamber (which he now had with him). After eating them, the healing effects, starting to kick in instantaneously, my muscles felt more loose and relaxed, making it easy to get back on my two, hind feet.

Zangoose, Scyther and Sandslash rushed into the chamber. "Ready for round two?!-" Zangoose and his team halted in their steps, their jaws dropped with shock and awe. "You won?!" Zangoose questioned, clearly they didn't expect us to finish him off.

"Barely." I told him. "But yeah, we won. Just got to wait for him to get back up, so he can give us a scale... I just hope he doesn't force us into a rematch for a second one." Acknowledging the hole in the wall that we encountered earlier, I decided to ask him about it, hopefully he has a HM or TM I can borrow. "Another thing... That hole in the wall. Did you make it by using rock smash?"

"Yes." Zangoose answered. "You wanna borrow it? Seeing that you beat this gabite, you deserve it." He handed me the golden tinted disc, as I held it, electrical impulses instructed my brain on how to use the move. My paws turned white, implying I've learnt the move. Zangoose picked up a sphere of rock, and threw it upwards like a tennis ball serve, I waited for the rock to reach my level, and then punched it, as it shattered into nothing but debris and dust. With the move now learned, I gave the TM back to Zangoose.

The gabite eventually got back on his feet, the pain he felt showed, but that didn't stop him from jumping back onto the high-placed platform he was on before fighting us. He went through two chests, one contained some berries, while the other I could assume had the scales inside them. He jumped back down, and walked over to me.

"Is this what you were looking for?" The gabite asked, holding a couple of shed scales, both of them were as small as a pebble. "You said you needed two, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did." I answered while accepting the scales. "Thanks."

"You and your team sure put up a fight." The dragon pokémon complimented. "Thank-you for giving me a decent battle."

I turned to Zangoose and gave him a scale. "Here, give this to Teddiursa. It only seems fair that you have this one, you did kind of help us after all."

However, he returned it back as a way of declining. "Team Razor Wind don't take credit for other pokémon's work. You've earned it." He told me, right before heading back out with his teammates.

"Now that we've got the scales, we can cure Teddiursa and Chimecho!" Shinx added.

"Our assignment was a big success!" Sunflora cheered. "Hooray for Team Tempest!" She exclaimed, while raising her badge up in the air with her leaf hand, Shinx joining in, with his paw up high, as his badge practically high-fived Sunflora's

"YEAH!" They cheered in unison... As I stood there watching... In awkwardness.

"What are you two doing?"

XX​

We were back in Treasure down, at the tipi Teddiursa was residing. His older brother, Ursaring, was standing at the entrance.

"Teddi!" The bear pokémon shouted, as he called for his younger brother. His movement and expression was lazy, likely suffering from symptoms similar to a flu. Urasring gave his brother the scale, it was eaten whole, Sunflora told me that just like the berries, the effects were instantaneous, in no less than a minute, Teddiursa went back to a healthy condition, as if he never had the illness to begin with.

"Hold on." Before we left, Teddiursa wanted us to have something of his. When he came back, he opened up his paw and gave Shinx some kind of item. "It's a shinx claw, I want you to have it." Teddiursa told him. "It doesn't work for me, since I'm a teddiursa."

After Shinx said his thanks, we made our way back to the guild.

XX​

Shinx and I stood in the second floor, having a group conversation with Bidoof, Corphish and Loudred. I listened quietly as Shinx was the one talking, from all the excitement he still had in him. "And-And even though John took damage from a Solarbeam, he still got back! How he did it, I don't know! But when I noticed he did, he practically told me to distract the gabite..." All the jabbering led him to practically suffocate, he took a deep breath, and continued where he left off. "Where was I?Oh yeah! And John landed the final hit and knocked him out cold!"

"YOU SURVIVED A SOLARBEAM?!" Loudred questioned. "JOHN, YOU GOTTA TELL US YOUR SECRET!"

"He's right yup-yup, please tell us."

"Persistence?" I responded, shrugging my shoulders.

"Is persistence an ability?" Bidoof questioned amongst the group, taking my answer to a literal sense.

"What? No it isn't." I replied. "Strangest thing is, I didn't even feel much pain when I got back up. All I can say really, without sounding over dramatic, is that I almost thought for sure I was going to die. I don't know."

Our conversation was ended by a crowing of Chatot, who was standing in the centre of the room. "Attention, guild members!" He called. "Our great expedition is firmly due tomorrow! The Guildmaster is in the progress of evaluating all of you, one at a time! He'll be a very busy pokémon, so I'd advise you to not disturb him at any costs! I too will help The Guildmaster evaluate all of you! So anything important you want to say or report must be said now!" A brief wave of silence indicated nothing needed to be said. "Another thing! I've been informed by Croagunk himself, that his Swap-Shop has officially re-opened! That is all." Chatot knocked the secret knock on Wigglytuff's door, it took a while to open (not counting the various sounds of locks being... unlocked), but Chatot was eventually let in.

This 'Swap-Shop' Chatot mentioned was on the left of the room. The shop was designed like a small market, built entirely out of stone that was shaped like the head and upper-jaw of an eyeless croagunk, uneven columns, that made the perimeter, also gave it the look of toxic bubbles. A cauldron with some kind of bubbling purple liquid, was sitting behind Croagunk, it almost looked acidic, .

"Meh-heh-heh, I see you both got the memo." Croagunk noted.

"This shop looks familiar..." Shinx said.

"This shop opened when you were a bit younger." Croagunk informed. "Meh-heh-heh, I remember when my cauldron exploded. You were so frightened, you ran straight to your room." Shinx blushed, visibly embarrassed by what Croagunk said. "My customer was furious, I had to pay him back or Wigglytuff would've gotten mad... Good times."

"Was it really that long ago?" Shinx asked himself.

"Now that I had the money for it, I fixed my cauldron. Meh-heh-heh, it's good to be back."

"So what's this swap-shop for anyway?" I asked him.

"Meh-heh-heh, good question. In this shop, I'll put these special items into my cauldron and brew you up a better one. These items are called 'exclusive items', as the name suggests they're only usable for certain pokémon."

"You mean, like a shinx claw?" Shinx asked.

"Yes. And if you get a shinx fang, I can brew both of them together to make a flash tag. Bring me a flash tag, shinx fang and claw, I can make you an energy scarf." Croagunk explained. "Meh-heh-heh, and you could do all that for just five-hundred poké, per swap.

"Another thing, you two might have heard that I'm a pokémon that knows how to get things." Croagunk added. "With a price I can get you certain items in a day."

It sounded shady, but ultimately, it's against guild policy to rip off customers, and I've been meaning to get my hands on something for quite some time... No not a poster used to hide an escape passage. Something a little more practical.

"You know how to get some black powder?" I requested. "It's for an invention I'm planning to make." Both Croagunk and Shinx looked genuinely curious to what I could truly 'invent'

"Black powder? Sure." Croagunk complied. "In return I demand five-thousand poké for five litres of it."

"Deal." I agreed, as I handed him the appropriate amount of money.

"Meh-heh-heh. Pleasure doing business with you."

Before dinner was about to start, Chatot had exited the Guildmaster's Chamber, clearly the meeting ended quicker than he thought it would be. He lured our attention in with a signature bird call of his, and then spoke. "Attention guild members!" He commanded. "The Guildmaster has come to a final conclusion on who should and should not attend the expedition. Whoever is verified to go on the expedition is classified, even for me! With that in mind, we should have our dinner and bedtimes earlier than usual. No slacking or stalling in the morning!"

I turned back to Croagunk. "How are you going to get the powder before today."

"Meh-heh-heh, I have my methods." He alleged, his eyes pointing at the vine that led down to the sentry duty area.

XX​

It was nearing midnight on the second floor, Croagunk, the only one present in the room, leaning back and crossing his legs on his newly placed hammock, pretending to sleep as he waited for the supposed time he'd think everyone would be in a deep slumber.

"Meh-heh-heh, my favourite time of day." The toad pokémon said to himself. He sat himself up and off the hammock, slinging on his explorer bag by the shoulder and carrying an empty five litre barrel, behind his swap-shop, and rolled it near the hole that led to the sentry duty area. He checked below for a mattress that would assure the barrel's cushioned and quiet landing. He knew he could never exit from the main entrance. The exit door was locked, and even if it wasn't, it's Chatot's sleeping area, and Croagunk knew he of all pokémon probably wouldn't be a deep sleeper, and certainly somebody you wouldn't want to wake up.

The toad pokémon pushed the barrel down the hole, a quiet thump indicated it successfully landed on a mattress, Croagunk climbed down the ivy, making his way to the sentry duty room. In front of him was a straight path, walking up to the end of it, dragging the mattress with him, he looked up and saw the grate that was used for identifying a pokémon's footprint. Caged in front of Croagunk would be a perfect view of multiple, crystallised stars. The poison type's smile widened as he admired the obscured night's sky.

In his explorer bag, he pulled out an entirely metal screwdriver, an otherwise common tool that was invented in this world when a craftsman (or crafts'mon'?), analysed a magnemite's rotating screws. The toad pokémon held the screwdriver in his mouth, his knees were bent, as he prepared himself to reach the top.

The distance between Croagunk and the grate was around five stories high. That didn't seem like a problem for him, as he used Bounce to spring his whole body up like a rocket. His hands were in reach of the grate, and grabbed them immediately. climbing to his left side, he got to work, using the screwdriver in his free hand to unfasten two bolts that were fixed to two corners, as the hatch grew loose, it gave in to Croagunk's weight, hanging on its right. Letting go off the grate, his fall was broke by the mattress he laid down.

Going back for the barrel, he held it in a koala hold, and returned to the night view from below.

"Meh-heh-heh, I'm coming." He told the sky. Using Bounce once more, he sprung up, as his surroundings changed from an enclosure of dirt, rock and ivy to a perfect, blue midnight sky. That however, paled in comparison to the moon in its full form that floated above the horizon, Croagunk admired it in infatuation.

"Meh-heh-heh, hello beautiful." Everything Croagunk witnessed was in perfect serenity... Or it would've, had it not been for a foul stench that crept up his nose. From the smell alone, Croagunk didn't even have to look to know who he was.

"Chaw-haw-haw, I see someone else has used this hatch for sneaking too." Skuntank and his two lackeys stood amongst the outskirts of Wigglytuff's guild, seemingly fascinated by the totem poles that had faces of many pokémon painted on them.

The toad pokémon now faced the toxic trio. "Meh-heh-heh, I had a strong feeling you three were behind the Mess Hall scheme."

"Chaw-haw-haw, guilty as charged, needless to say however, you'd never tell on us."

"Meh-heh-heh, you're right..." From what it looked like, Croagunk couldn't have a care in the world they done it, only knowing they done it, which stemmed from his apparent nosy behaviour. "...Still, getting the kids blamed for not getting the apples, now that's low." No anger came from the statement, it merely seemed passive-aggressive, or at least it did to Team Skull.

"Whoa-ho-ho, an' what'cha gonna do 'bout it?" Koffing inquired, boastfully.

"Nothing." Croagunk admitted. "I'm just letting you guys know you're on much thinner ice than you think." Zubat and Koffing's faces displayed mild discomfort from what Croagunk said, not Skuntank though, he just smiled slightly.

"Chaw-haw-haw, and here I am, hoping we'd get a new recruit." Skuntank remarked.

"Meh-heh-heh, you serious?"

"Chaw-haw-haw, couldn't be more serious." Skuntank stated. "You clearly fit our theme in every category, and you're good with items."

"Meh-heh-heh, not every category." Croagunk remarked with a vague tone. Saying nothing else, he calmly turned away walked down the stone stairs, barrel in arms, as if he never saw them.

The torches aided Croagunk down the stairs as they served their purpose. The cries of hoothoots and noctowls were music to Croagunk's canals, not even worried about the risk of him falling down with the barrel occupying his full hands.

As he neared the bottom, Croagunk could detect a gurdurr waving with the arm that wasn't holding a... girder. Accompanying the pokémon were two timburrs and three tynamo. The gurdurr slung his arm around the back of Croagunk as a friendly gesture.

"Well if it isn't my favourite customer." The gurdurr remarked. "It's been too long."

"Meh-heh-heh, indeed it has." Croagunk added. "You got the powder?"

"Mined it out this evening." The gurdurr confirmed, clearly Croagunk spoke to him over a communic-orb to make the request at such a late time. "It'll cost four-thousand poké as usual." He handed a portion of the money I gave him to gurdurr. "Thanks pal, my misses can sleep well tonight." after the payment was dealt with, he signalled the two timburrs to empty out the powder into the barrel. "This is precious material." The gurdurr told them. "Don't spill a grain of it." As Croagunk removed the barrel's lid, the powder was emptied carefully into the container, filling to the top in a matter of seconds, which was then securely stored by the lid.

"Pleasure doing business with you." Croagunk complimented.

"Same here." The gurdurr returned.

XX​

Shinx rolled around on his bed, struggling to sleep. The anticipation leading to the great expedition has denied him any sleep. "Are you anxious about this expedition, at all?" Shinx asked.

"Huh? No. I'm more concerned about catching a bug, more than anything else." I admitted.

"Weird." Shinx commented. "I know we'll get picked, you told me that. But ugh! This is like a one in a lifetime opportunity, and I don't want to mess it up."

"Considering our apparent 'prodigy' status, I think we'll be fine." I assured him. "Though I get what you mean..." I admitted. "Back when we fought Drowzee, I began to consider not giving this whole guild stuff a try in the first place. I mean, I know a lot about pokémon; more than I probably should if I'm being honest-"

"You're dragging on again." Shinx told me.

"Sappy monologues aside, I've been thinking that I was going to die for quite some time...

"...Still, I'm pretty sure that's what everyone at the guild thought that too. And hey, I'm unwillingly separated by everyone and everything I once loved, so what do I have to lose, right?" I asked rhetorically and jokingly. Although I wasn't looking at Shinx directly, something told me he wasn't pleased by what I said. "Anyway, I'm pooped. We should worry more about getting some sleep, than we should about what's ahead. Night."

XX​

The sun was close to rising, Shinx was already awake and ahead of me. Which more or less caused me to grudgingly force myself away from the comfort of my own bed. I changed out of my pyjamas and into my clothes.

"Why do you even wear that stuff?" Shinx questioned.

"You mean my clothes, or just my pyjamas?"

"Both." Shinx replied.

"Because, human tradition, I guess...?" I replied. "It just doesn't feel right walking around bare skinned, you know."

"Not to me it doesn't." Shinx answered, though he can't really say much about the matter anyway, since most of his body was covered by black fur.

Loudred came storming in the room. "UP AN' AT THEM, IT'S MORN-" Clearly Loudred didn't expect us (or more accurately, Shinx) to be up so soon. What can I say? Just got a big day to look forward to. "UP ALREADY?!" Loudred questioned, with a small amount of embarrassment. "Well... GOOD! KEEP IT UP!" He encouraged, leaving our room and heading to the assembly.

XX​

Like Shinx, almost all the guild members showed some sign of anxiousness. Sunflora was constantly using 'Oh my gosh!' in nearly all of her sentences, Bidoof had some signs of goosebumps by the looks of it, I'd be lying if I didn't have some myself, but as I put in my head multiple times. 'They need me for this expedition.'

The Guildmaster and Chatot were present too. Chatot held a sheet of parchment in his wing.

"Attention Guildmembers!" Chatot called. "Held in my wing, is a memo listing the chosen members for the expedition. Should your name be spoken, please step forward!"

This was at the point where some of the guild members' goosebumps were at their maximum. Croagunk seemed pretty calm about it, Shinx of all pokémon was the most hopeful. As for myself, I was kind of in grey area of partial goosebumps and reasonable confidence.

"Oh my gosh, it's finally happening!" Sunflora squealed.

"My heart's a-pounding, by golly!" Bidoof exclaimed.

"Without further ado, I'll announce those who've been chosen." Chatot continued. "Our first member...

"...Loudred!"

Loudred jumped up with his fists held high. "Y-YES!" He exclaimed simultaneously, the shout seemed loud enough to shatter reality. He stood at the back of the room, on Wigglytuff's right. "BUT IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, IT'S ONLY NATURAL THAT I WOULD GET PICKED! WHOO-HOO" My poor, poor canals... Following Loudred's remark, a few guild members let out a sigh of annoyance.

"Next up is...

"...Corphish!"

"Hey, hey, hey! I got it!" He chanted, snipping his claws in joy. "I got picked! Hey, hey!" He joined the back, and stood beside Loudred.

"Next is..." Chatot tilted his head in mild surprise. "Oh, what's this...? Well this is a surprise! Our next member is Bidoof!"

The beaver pokémon stood there in stiff disbelief. "Really?! Really and truly?!" His entire body was shaking in excitement, it actually made me feel pretty happy for him, even with little time knowing each other. "Golly... Me?! I'm going on the expedition?!" It almost seemed he was on the verge of joyful tears.

"Is anything the matter, Bidoof?" Chatot asked, concerned. "Come on, step forward."

"Urf... I sure want to step up I truly do, but..." His squirming knew no bounds, it was like watching jelly on a wobbly table. "I'm feeling a might overwhelmed here. My legs aren't moving..."

"So be it. We'll ignore it and move on." Chatot continued. "Next, we have Sunflora and Chimecho!"

"Oh? Us too?" Chimecho questioned.

"Eeek! Oh my gosh!" Sunflora squealed, with her leafy hands cupping her cheeks. They too stepped forward and stood in front of Corphish and Loudred.

"Erm, yes... Of course there's our guest members: Trubbish, Grimer, Skuntank, Zubat and Koffing... And that is it for the expedition members..." The thoughts of disappointment struck me in the head, the moment I got my hopes up... I looked on my right to Shinx, and from his face alone I could already tell his heart sunk quicker than a rock in the ocean. Skuntank, whose team was in their own circle on the right end of the assembly gave us a smirk, which I quickly looked away from, Shinx didn't even notice, his whole world went blank.

My attention turned back to Chatot, hoping he made a mistake. All I could make out is his head tilting at the piece of parchment... It almost looked like, he had difficulty reading the hand writing...

"Erm... W-what...?" He painfully swallowed his words, clearly he didn't want to offend the Guildmaster, with... Whatever it was. "Erm... It appears there are more expedition members." It was like a drum roll was being played in my head! Shinx quickly jumped back into reality, surely he and I would be picked! Surely! "The others are... Diglett, Dugtrio... Croagunk..." His eyelids became more and more narrow. "A 'J'...?" He barely muttered. There was only one person here with that letter in their name- "Oh, John and Shinx!"

"YE-E-ES!" Every muscle in Shinx's body begged to come out! he was jumping up and down like a pogo stick from all the excitement!

I looked back at Team Skull and winked with my right eye, and holding my paw in a 'thumbs up' position... Shame I don't actually have thumbs... Nevertheless, their reaction to us being picked was priceless. Their eyes looked as if they were going to pop out with jaws that dropped to the floor.

"That is all- Wait a second! What?!" Chatot flapped his wings in sudden shock "Whaaaat?! Guildmaster! This list seems to include... every member of the guild!"

"Yep! That's right!"

Chatot faced the Guildmaster, and fluttered endlessly in panic. "Well then! It seems that the whole selection progress was meaningless! Moreover, if we were to all go we would be leaving the guild empty!" Clearly Chatot was concerned about the whole arrangement. Wigglytuff wasn't, he just smiled back. "Are you sure it will be alright to leave with nobody looking after the Guild?"

"It'll be fine. We'll lock up properly." Wigglytuff assured.

Skuntank stepped forward from his team's circle and spoke up. "Guildmaster, I also have some misgivings." He said. "Do you think perhaps we have too many members for an expedition?"

"Hmm... When a friend asks something like that, I have to wonder why..." He asked himself, with his stubby paw on his lip.

"I mean first of all, why does everyone have to go?" His fake concerns didn't seem to phase Wigglytuff one bit. I knew what he was trying to do. "What's the point in everyone participating?"

"Huh? Of course there's a point!" He answered, cheerfully. "That is... If everyone went it would be more fun!"

"What?!" Take that, gas-heads, we're going on the expedition!

"We'll be noisy and excited and having fun! I started thinking about it, and it made me excited, I couldn't sleep!" He raised his stubby arms high in celebration. "So that's how it is, everyone! We're all going on the expedition, and it will be fun, fun, fun! Let's all do our best!"

"HOORAY!" The guild members all cheered in unison for one last time.

Chatot ultimately gave in, and decided to trust the Guildmaster. "Urgh ...Well, that's settled." He acknowledged. "Fine. Let me explain the schedule...

"In four hours time, I will hold a briefing on the expedition." Chatot said "As such, each of you should get prepared to embark on the expedition." That should hopefully be enough time to craft my soon to be new invention. "When you are prepared for the journey, you should report back here. Not a minute late." He spoke that last bit as clearly as possible, from the get-go, everybody understood, which Chatot could see. "That is all. Dismissed."

Wigglytuff returned to his chamber, while Team Skull moved upstairs, Chatot was minding his own business, which left the remaining guild members to talk amongst themselves.

"Wow-wee! We're all going on the journey!" Grimer exclaimed.

"Our Guildmaster has done it again. I'm so shocked I'm tingling!" Quite, literally. Chimecho's bell could faintly be heard ringing.

Croagunk broke me away from the group conversation. "Meh-heh-heh, I got the powder as promised." It sounded really shady when put out of context.

"Where is it?" I asked him.

"Meh-heh-heh. Follow me."

XX​

As Croagunk led me down the Guild's outside stairs, he began to talk. "Meh-heh-heh. I must say, since you've been here, I've never seen the kid so happy." Before asking 'who?' I instantly knew who Croagunk was talking about.

"Well, I guess you could do with a new friend once in a while."

"Yeah..." Croagunk noted. "From what Bidoof and Sunflora told me years ago, he used to cry a lot when he was younger."

"Can't blame him, really." I responded. "He is just a kid after all, and he doesn't even know who his real parents are."

"Meh-heh-heh, in a strange way, you're kinda like a big brother to him."

"We've only known each other for a few weeks at most." I told him.

"Well, Shinx always used to say how much he wanted one. Besides, some bonds just grow quickly." I nodded my head in agreement, but still. A brother figure? Best friend I could understand, but a brother?

The stairway came to an end, from that point on, Croagunk led me into the bunker that was Spinda's Cafe. The lights and music were up as usual, Spinda even waved over to us, to which I waved back. Sadly for him, I wasn't here to stay. Croagunk took a barrel without needing to ask and left, to which I quickly followed. Once both of us where on the crossroads, outside, I stopped him in his footsteps.

"Keep an eye on Team Skull." I advised him. "I-"

"Meh-heh-heh, don't worry, I know what they're planning." Croagunk told me. "We all know Team Skull are bad guys." 'Well, except for Chatot and Wigglytuff.'

XX​

Shinx was still standing with his fellow guild members, Croagunk was still with me, and left the barrel of black powder by his swap shop. The moment Shinx saw me, we decided to discuss what we're going to bring with us.

"So what should we take on the expedition?" He asked.

"X-ray specs are a definite." I told. "So is the communic-orb, food and water's a must or we die. Any good orbs?"

"Yeah, Corphish gave me some rollcall orbs to replace the ones we lost, I've got some escape orbs and some rainy orbs."

"Good, good." I said. "I better get those isomniscopes, maybe some chesto berries too. We're gonna need them when Team Skull turn on the guild." He nodded at that. We both knew all too well that they couldn't be trusted.

"John! Shinx! Over here!" Chimecho called over. Something was levitating behind her back, a plate carrying food of some sorts that was being held by telekinetic energy. "I wanted to say thank you, for getting that gabite scale for me, I never would've gone on this expedition, if it wasn't for you two and Sunflora."

"Well, it's what friends do, right?" I remarked.

"Yep. And I thought there wouldn't be any other way to say thank you, then some freshly baked cookies."

"Really?" I asked, excitingly. The cookies behind her back, were now revealed, a counted number of six warm, doughy cookies, seasoned with flour, inside of them were... raisins... Doggonit.

"I hope you don't mind raisins, chocolate is just not good for you."

"Nope. Don't mind at all." I replied insincerely.

"That's good. We do like to keep it healthy here in the guild." The small plate was hovering over my two paws, I grasped it in both of them, and felt the warmth coming from the china, which I placed down on the floor for both Shinx and I to eat.

"How you enjoy." She said, heading upstairs.

"Is it a bad time to mention that I hate raisins with a burning passion?" I asked Shinx.

"I love raisins." Shinx responded. Eagerly eating one them, in a matter of a few bites.

"Come on, there's a reason 'sin's' in the name." I said jokingly. "I mean look at them, they look like tiny turds."

"Just be grateful you have them." Shinx said.

"I'm just being hyperbolic." I answered defensively, as I ate one with mild discontent, although the warm, soft dough with the spice of cinnamon did help make up for it. "Y'know, if there wasn't the Devil's spawn in this, it wouldn't be half bad." I admitted

"Still miss chocolate?" Shinx inquired.

"Getting chocolate might as well be my character arc at this point." I joked.

XX​

At the Kecleon shop on Treasure Town, they were selling just what I requested. Better yet, it was a two for fifty percent off, saving Shinx and I 1.35k in poké.

When that was all over, I got the key to the gardening area from Sunflora. All three of us were at the site, with me I grabbed a ball of string, a trowel a handful of blast seeds and some hemp bags. The powder barrel was with me too, it was a lot easier to move it around thanks to Sunflora.

"Mind if we watch?" The sunflower pokémon inquired.

"Don't mind at all." I told her. All the items I needed were organised in a circle on the flooring. To start out with, I used the trowel to get a scoop of black powder. I would then empty it out in an open hemp bag, filling it almost to the top. The blast seed was next; one was all I needed, with it I tied some string to it, serving as a fuse, once tied together I planted it in the soot, all that had to be down then was to close up the hemp bag and secure it with more of the string.

"Be careful with it." I told my two observers, as they... observed it.

Looking at the short fuse, poking out of the pouch, both of them knew what my invention was all about.

"Oh my gosh, an explosive?"

"That's right." I told Sunflora. "All I need now is some matches, and I get take my new invention for a test drive."

"I have some." The flower pokémon added, handing me a small paper box of them. Sliding open the container, I noticed matches were quite different from the ones in my world. These ones were made out of pinewood and tipped with dried sulphur, while the ones in my dimension were more modern, and tipped with the likes of potassium chlorate. Anyway, history lessons aside, I went to the woods, outside to test this powder bomb, can't risk damaging anything in here.

I scanned my surroundings. No trees were surrounding me, just an oval of grass and dirt. I placed the hemp bag in the middle of the area, the sulphur on the matchstick scraped against the igniter on the box. A small flame danced on the tip, my right hand hovering over it, to prevent being put out.

"You know this is my first time using a matchstick?" I told my observers. The flare met with the fuse, already it burned through the string. I lightly spat on the match with water gun, and distancing myself from the hemp bag, while still watching the flare travel on the string. Sunflora held her two leaf-hands together as the fuse was seconds away from touching the blast seed, Shinx's legs limped up and down, waiting for the fuse to meet its end...

A cracking sound escaped the hemp bag, bringing an explosion of black dust clouds, it released the smell of set off fireworks.

"Guy Fawkes be proud." I remarked "Should've played '1812 Overture'." Like usual, nobody got my references, but hey, I still do them, cause why not? "Anyway, what do you think? Ten out of ten?"

"Oh my gosh, that was so cool! Ten out of ten!" Sunflora squealed. 'Okay, maybe you're being a bit too kind. But hey, love the praise!'

"I plan on making these for the whole guild." I stated. "Chatot isn't against the idea of explosives, is he?"

"I don't think so." Shinx answered.

"Good. Hey, er, Sunflora? You don't mind if I use some of your hemp bags and blast seeds, do you?"

"Not at all." She answered.

"Great. I can't wait to show the entire guild my invention."

Both Shinx and Sunflora left the garden area, which meant I was by myself. In no less than half an hour, I created ten powder bombs (with 200% more blast seed), to give the guild members. On my way out of the gardening area, I snagged a few seeds from various plant beds. From what I could tell from their labels and descriptions, I took three vanish seeds, two stun seeds and two blinker seeds, alongside some small sacks of colours I hadn't used before.

XX​

Four hours had past, and I was back at the meeting assembly with Shinx, fully equipped with food and items. As for the powder bombs, some of the guild members seemed to like my invention, I kept two with me to see how they'd work against actual pokémon. Everyone was with us, not a second late, and thus, no time was wasted for Chatot's announcement.

"I see we're all accounted for." Chatot acknowledged. "Well then, I shall explain the expedition plan.

"First the objective: reach Fogbound Lake."

"Fogbound Lake?" Shinx inquired.

"Correct. It is a lake that is said to be located at the end of Steam Cave."

"How would you know that?" Trubbish questioned, curiously.

"Erm, well... It's perpetually enshrouded by a dense layer of fog." Chatot answered. "As such, it's actual existence has never been confirmed."

"What about Uxie residing there?" Trubbish questioned again.

"Mythology." Chatot quickly answered. "We'll mean to contact the legendary, to warn it of the time thief, should they reside there."

"What kinda nonsense is he spouting?" Zubat muttered amongst his toxic peers. Skuntank shook his head, not understanding what Chatot said either.

"Anyway. We have belief that Steam Cave is hiding within Foggy Forest, hence the name: Fogbound Lake." The macaw pokémon continued. "In order to get to Foggy Forest, we're going to have to pass Mount Horn." He explained. "Does everybody have their maps with them?" We all folded out our maps for Chatot to see. He was given a quill pen from Wigglytuff to mark our maps (being that he was a bird, he had to use one of his talons to hold the pen). He marked two red circles, one on a mountain, east of the Hot Springs, and another one on a row of fog covered trees.

Once he finished marking everyone's maps, Chatot had more to inform. "The markings I have drawn on your maps are the locations of both areas. From Treasure Town, you'll proceed with Mount Horn and work our way up."

"We will encamp at the highlands near Foggy Forest. That will serve as our base camp; we will be sure to make smoke signals, should any of you have difficulty finding us.

"I'd recommend we all split apart too. Travelling all at once could restrict our mobility." The guild all agreed with Chatot's suggestion, Guildmaster Wigglytuff included. "I shall announce those groups now." Chatot noted. "The first group is Sunflora, Loudred, Diglett and Croagunk."

"YOU BETTER NOT HOLD ME BACK!" Loudred warned his group, his face and words directing mostly at Sunflora.

"You should talk!" Sunflora replied bitterly. I guess even after working together to beat triplet ghosts, they're still bitter towards each other.

"The next group is Dugtrio, Chimecho, Corphish, Trubbish and Grimer."

"We're a solid group." One of the heads of Dugtrio spoke... Now that I think about it, which one is Diglett's farther? I probably shouldn't ask.

"I promise to try me best!" Chimecho told her group.

"Hey, hey, likewise." Corphish joined.

"The Guildmaster and I shall travel as a pair." Chatot stated, turning to Wigglytuff. "...That is acceptable, yes?" He asked his superior.

"Awwww?! I have to go with Chatot?!" The Guildmaster whined. I couldn't tell if he was joking. "That's so boooooring!"

Chatot groaned at his master's childishness "Please, don't be difficult, this is a key element of our strategy."

"...Meanie." Chatot shrugged off the guildmaster's laments, and went back to business.

"Our guests, Team Skull should travel independently, I imagine they're capable enough of doing so."

"Chaw-haw-haw. Indeed we are."

"That leaves the final group: Shinx, John and Bidoof."

"We're in the same group! I hope I can keep up. Yup yup!" Heck yeah, the two prodigies teamed up with the Jirachi slayer, nothing can stop this devastating alliance!

"Here's to another year of fun, fun, fun!" Wigglytuff sang.

"HOORAY!" Everyone cheered. Even I joined in this time. Nevertheless, this is all for the sake of the time gears. So here's to hope of not getting trapped in temporal paralysis... Yeah!

XX​

AUTHOR'S NOTE

In case anybody was asking why: Craggy Coast will be skipped in the story. I simply saw it as nothing more than a filler dungeon, that's more or less an easier version of a dungeon later found in the story.

 

Hey, guys it's been a while.

Although I've only written around a sixth of chapter twelve (as far as my estimation skills are concerned), I've got a preview for ya'll to enjoy.

Spoiler: Here's the Preview!

To give some context on said preview, Team Tempest and Bidoof devise a plan to follow Team Skull, on suspicion that they'll attack Wigglytuff at any given moment. Zubat overhears this and Skuntank forms a plan of his own.
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Chapter 12, Scene 2: The Macinations of a Gas-Fuelled Skunk​

Little did we know, Team Skull were travelling down a tubular tunnel tight enough to contain and carry sound. Although our conversation wouldn't have been heard by the likes of Koffing and Skuntank, a certain venomous, purple bat easily picked up on it. "Heh-heh, hey Chief. You aren't gonna believe what I just heard."

"Chaw-haw-haw, really? Does it involve those two wimps and that doofus?" He spoke quietly to minimise the risk of being overheard.

"Heh-heh. 'Yup-yup'." Zubat spoke mockingly, yet not noticing the irony of having a catchphrase of his own.

"Well, keep moving. If we stop now those wimps will be suspicious of our movements." Skuntank advised. Using the x-ray specs, his eyes were staring at three orange spots standing near the entrance of Mount Horn

"But Chief," Koffing interjected. "If we don't stop to teach 'em a lesson won't dey just keep followin' us?"

"You're missing the point of their plan.

"They're not trying to follow or attack us, they're sending a message to stay away from Wigglytuff." He told Koffing. "And even if we stop and fight back, Wigglytuff and the rest of the goody-too-shoes from the guild will notice thanks to those x-ray specs they have.

"However, there's a way around this..." On his pair of x-ray specs The skunk pokémon noticed a group of red dots around the left vicinity that were sure to pass near the end of this tunnel, once Team Skull were out of said tunnel, Skuntank led his crew to the direction these pokémon were taking.

The plan had left Skuntank with a toothy grin, but his underlings remained clueless "I still don't get where ya goin' with dis Chief." Koffing admitted.

The red dots and the yellow ones were soon to cross paths , Skuntank had averted his gaze away from the x-ray specs, his attention now fixed onto a group of five beautifly. Despite what the vibrant oval patterned wings and cute faces would tell you, they were aggressive in nature, and the expressions of these beautiflies showed that. Their cyan, black-pupiled eyes showed nothing but frustration, and said frustration seemed to grow at the sight of Team Skull.

"Easy now." Skuntank passively told them. "I know what you're thinking, and I'm just gonna say that you shouldn't."

The beautiflies' expressions remained unchanged, but surprisingly, one of them chose to talk rather than fight, it was female given its smaller wingspan. "Care to give a reason?" She asked.

"Chaw-haw-haw. Thanks to my friend Zubat, he picked up on a loudred that was raving about reaching the top of Mount Horn." The beautiflies noticeably looked slightly more agitated at the mention of the species Skuntank mentioned. "Sound-based moves are stronger here, aren't they? Must be painfully annoying to hear so many sounds bounce back and forth."

"Cut the act." The beautifly scorned. "Although I doubt you want to take advantage of this mountain's hollow structure, I already know you plan on using us to get rid of somebody. It wouldn't benefit you to help us otherwise."

"Chaw-haw-haw, you're right about something. But since the Loudred's with them wouldn't that be a problem for you as well?"

"Sure, whatever." The beautifly dismissed. "Just means more EXP for us."

The grin on Skuntank's face spread to the point all his teeth were visible, clearly it went the way he wanted it to. "He's also travelling with a bidoof, shinx and mudkip. See any of them, as well, you take them out too." Both groups turned their backs on each other, ready to pursue their objectives.

However Skuntank halted in his footing "Another thing..." Picking up his vague statement, the beautiflies attention took note of Skuntank's backside which began to produce a fiery substance, only a second after, the flare ignited into a stream of fire, scorching a beautifly on the right, fainting it in one hit!

As the shock of the insect group still remained, Team Skull took the opportunity to flee "Chaw-haw-haw! I had to make it look like a fight!"

"Should we go after them?!" A male member of the beautiflies asked in terror.

"No." Although she was insulted by the idea of one of her group members being beaten that easily, the leading beautifly knew not to take it upon herself to fight an opponent she'd have no chance against. "Let's just take down that Loudred..."

Another thing, before I post this... post. What is your opinion on previews? Would you like them to remain a part of this thread, or would you rather that I'd only post the full chapter? Your feedback will be very helpful

Axolotl out.