Explorers of Fate chapter 15

Chapter 15: A Watery Grave


    “WAKE UP!! IT’S MORNING!!”
    Carlos groaned, sitting up and yawning. Shaking his head, he woke his teammates up and headed for the main room, leaving Joy and Michael behind to sleep. Once they got there, Carlos felt a shiver run down his spine. Something was up.
    “I have an announcement about the expedition party.” Chatot said. “As the Guildmaster and I decide on who shall accompany us, we have an expert Exploration Team joining us. Since having them join us directly on the expedition would possibly cause conflict between you and them, I’ve decided that they will stay with us for a few days to get used to our routine and their possible traveling companions.”
    “Oh my gosh! Experts? I hope it’s Team Raptors! They’re the best, third only to Team Moonlight and Team Raiders!” Sunflora cried.
    “Sunflora, calm down!” Chimecho giggled. “I wonder if it’s Team Charm? Ooh, I’d be so excited if it was them!”
    Chatot turned to the ladder. “You may come downstairs now!” he called.
    Instead of a group of Pokemon, a cloud of familiar-looking green gas came down the ladder and drifted toward the rookies. Everyone instantly gagged, coughing and sputtering as the foul scent filled the room. Team Legend look at each other in horror.
    “No way… It can’t be!” Carlos cried.
    “It is,” Lucar whimpered. “It’s their aura, all right.”
    Sandra growled. “Team Skull,”
    “Chaw haw haw!” Skuntank climbed down the ladder, followed by Zubat and Koffing. “Hey there!”
    “What are you guys doing here?!” Carlos demanded.
    “Why, we’re joining your little expedition party. Have a problem with that?” Skuntank asked. “We want to lend a hand to friends in need. You’re going on an expedition and might need a bit of help. We’re so happy you chose to let us join you.”
    “So happy, my tail!” Carlos growled.
    “Uh…do you happen to know each other?” Chatot asked, tensing the growing tension between the two Exploration Teams.
    “Yeah, we know them! They stole—” Lucar started, only to be cut off by Skuntank.
    “Of course we know each other. We have a bit of a rivalry and they’re just bitter because we keep winning.” Skuntank said. “That’s what happens when weaker teams challenge more experienced teams. Don’t mind them at all.”
    “Well, all right.” Chatot nodded. “Now that that’s been settled, it’s time to get back to work!”
    The rookies look at each other before half-heartedly muttering, “Hooray?”
    Chatot blinked in shock. “My, what’s the matter with you all of a sudden? Where’s your early morning spirit?” he asked.
    “How can we be CHEERFUL when this whole thing STINKS?!” Loudred cried. “In more ways than ONE, too!”
    “I’m suddenly not feeling so good about going on that expedition anymore. No siree.” Bidoof whimpered.
    “Can’t you see that those guys are good-for-nothing thugs?!” Carlos demanded.
    “Like I said, he likes to be dramatic. We’re the so-called ‘bad guys’ in our little rivalry. Don’t mind him at all, him or his friends. They’re all like that.” Skuntank said.
    “Not true! You guys really are ba—WHOA!!” Sandra stumbled as the ground began to shake.
    In seconds, the whole Guild was shaking. Bidoof and Sunflora declared it an earthquake and tried to hide. Skuntank and his teammates backed up again the walls, suddenly very afraid. Carlos caught Sandra and clutched her close, grabbing Lucar’s arm in the process. The shaking intensified.
    “Chatot! What’s happening?!” Sandra cried, digging her face into Carlos’ fur.
    “It’s the Guildmaster! His rage is building because you aren’t being cheerful!” Chatot replied, flapping desperately. “Everyone, be cheerful! Before the Guildmaster brings this whole place down on us! It’s time to get back to work!”
    “Hooray!” Sandra cried.
    “It’s time to get back to work!” Chatot repeated.
    “Hooray!” Team Legend cried.
    “Everyone! It’s time to get back to work!” Chatot cried.
    “HOORAY!!” everyone shouted at the top of their lungs.
    The shaking suddenly stopped and Wigglytuff smiled. Terrified, Team Skull and many of the rookies quickly fled to ‘get back to work’ in order to escape the Guildmaster. Lucar, Carlos, and Sandra stared at each other in shock. Chatot sighed in relief and landed on the ground.
    “Remind me never to make Wigglytuff angry…ever.” Carlos pleaded.
    “Deal!” Sandra nodded.
    /This wouldn’t be the first time we’d ever see Wigglytuff get angry. We’d actually see it happen a lot in the future! There’s a lot of mystery concerning Guildmaster Wigglytuff. As we’d get stronger and our adventures more dangerous, we’d learn more about him and the rest of the guild./
    “Me, too,” Lucar added. “I’ll check on Joy and Michael. You guys grab a mission. I’ll be there in a second.”
    The blind Riolu ran down the hall toward their room, already hearing the baby Minun’s crying. Carlos and Sandra quickly climbed the ladder and headed for the Bulletin Board, avoiding Team Skull as they glared at the other rookies from across the room. Finding a good mission, they waited for Lucar to catch up.
    Lucar climbed the ladder and dashed up to them. “Joy and Michael felt the shaking, too. She’s taking care of Michael and wished us luck. Did you find anything?” he asked.
    “Yeah,” Carlos nodded. “It’s a mission to a place called Serenity River. We have to escort a Nincada to the eighth floor for 500 poke and a Pecha Berry. It’s worth 30 points, putting our total at 70 points.”
    “Let’s do it then.” Sandra said.
    “Yeah,” Lucar agreed.
    Climbing up the ladder, Team Legend headed to Treasure Town to drop off their money and any extra items. Carlos chose to keep the Reviver Seed in case anything happened in the dungeon. Returning to the crossroads, they found the Nincada waiting for them.
    “Thank you for accepting my mission!” he cried, wings twitching. “This is going to be great!”
    “I hope so, Nincada. Let’s go!” Carlos cried.
    The four Pokemon took off, arriving at Serenity River around noon. Entering the mystery dungeon, Carlos was shocked to realize they would be walking through water throughout the whole mission. Lucar hardly cared, moving onward…only to crash into a wall made of tall reeds. After a bit of laughter, the group set off.
    Almost right away, a Wooper ambushed them. A single Thundershock from Carlos drove it backward while Nincada tossed in Scratch, taking it down. After a while of peaceful walking, a Barboach tossed mud at Lucar. The blind Riolu struck it with Force Palm and Sandra unleashed a Shadow Ball, defeating it. Upon locating the stairs, they also found something else.
    “What’s this?” Carlos asked, picking up one of the three brown twigs in front of him.
    “Those are Sticks, Carlos. You can throw them at enemies to distract them or cause damage if you find yourself unable to attack.” Sandra explained. “They’re pretty useful against enemies that are a short distance away from you.”
    “Wow! These might be useful later!” The Pikachu scooped up the three Sticks, depositing them into the Treasure Bag. “There’s so much to learn about this place still.”
    “Well, there’s no such thing as too much knowledge, Carlos.” Lucar said.
    “Hey, there’s the stairs! Second floor, here we come!” Nincada cried, racing up them. “Come on, Team Legend! We’ve got more exploring to do!”
    “We’re coming! Wait up!” Carlos shouted, following him.
    As Sandra and Lucar vanished up the stairs to the second floor, a pair of icy blue eyes glared out from the reeds. “Too much knowledge, eh? Stupid brats…” The figure vanished, slinking up the stairs to pursue its targets.
    /This figure would be causing us quite a lot of trouble in the near future. Trouble, as in nearly killing one of us. And add in the fact that trickery is their strong point and that they follow the commands of one of our enemies. Who, you ask? You’ll just have to guess./
    On the second floor, Carlos and Sandra took down a trio of Poliwag that attempted to overwhelm them. Only moments later, Nincada cried out as a Lotad crashed into him. Lucar smashed it into the reeds with Quick Attack, saving the Bug/Ground-type from taking too much damage.
    On the third floor, the downpour began. Sandra instantly complained as her fur got soaked. Carlos offered her the Treasure Bag as a makeshift umbrella. The Eevee accepted, shielding herself from the rain with the bag.
    “Why is it raining in a mystery dungeon? I can understand the fog from Lush Prairie but this is ridiculous!” Carlos cried.
    “The weather is known to change in these places. It’s something else explorers had to adapt to when they first came into these places. Nobody knows what causes it.” Lucar said.
    “Stupid rain!” Carlos growled.
    After defeating a pair of Barboach and a Lotad, they found the stairs and headed for the fourth floor. The weather changed instantly to cloudy, much to Carlos’ joy. Along with defeating enemy Pokemon, Carlos picked up a few Pecha Berries, a Cheri Berry, a Max Elixir, and four more Sticks.
    It was cloudy on the fifth floor, too. The group encountered their first Masquerain, who attacked them with Ominous Wind and Bubble. Carlos and Lucar attacked it, leaving Sandra to guard Nincada. The Masquerain was fast, dodging Lucar’s Force Palm with ease and weaving through Carlos’ Thundershock. Growing frustrated, the Pikachu used Double Team and then Thundershock to nearly knock it out. Nincada used Leech Life to restore some of his own health, leaving Lucar to Force Palm it unconscious.
    On the sixth floor, a thick fog suddenly rolled in. Lucar, Sandra, and Carlos fell into a triangle formation around Nincada to protect him from harm. They traveled quietly through most of the floor, even picking up a few more items along the way. Just before spotting the stairs, a pair of Wooper cut them off through the deep water and attacked.
    “Geez! These guys just don’t give up, do they?” Carlos growled. “Quick Attack!”
    One Wooper stumbled backward, only to be knocked out by a combination of Nincada’s Leech Life and Sandra’s Shadow Ball. Carlos electrocuted the second, only to have the damage halved since it was part Ground-type. Lucar used Force Palm, knocking it down and ending it with Quick Attack. Free at last, they climbed the stairs to the seventh floor.
    The fog seemed even thicker on the seventh floor, making the strange silence stand out even more. Keeping in formation, the group continued onward. Suddenly aware of every sound, the group became more frightened the further they walked. It was almost as if all the enemy Pokemon had…vanished.
    “I don’t like this.” Sandra whimpered. “It’s too quiet!”
    “I know.” Carlos said. “Let’s just find the stairs and get out of here.”
    Lucar’s ears twitched. “There’s someone ahead,” he reported. “Someone that’s not supposed to be here.”
    /Eerie silences in a place that supposed to be noisy are never a good sign. We should’ve turned back right then and there. It would’ve saved us quite a bit of trouble. But this is the past and I can’t change that. I can only tell you what happened…even if I don’t like it very much./
    Continuing onward, they entered a large room. And on the other side of the room…was the stairs to the final floor. Overjoyed, Nincada leapt forward…only to be held back by Lucar. The Riolu growled, tensed.
    “What’s wrong?” Carlos asked softly. “Is something there?”
    “Yeah,” Lucar nodded. “I’ll check it out. If I think it’s clear, run to the stairs.”
    “Okay,” Sandra said. “Be careful.”
    “I’ll try,” Lucar promised.
    The blind Riolu hesitantly entered the foggy room, becoming only a dark silhouette to his companions. Every step brought him closer and closer to the stairs, but Lucar wasn’t focused on them. He was trying to locate the aura. Whoever it was definitely knew how to hide themselves well from aura-sensors like him.
    Since finding it wasn’t working, he decided to try a new tactic. “Whoever you are, come out right now!” he shouted.
    The fog shifted slightly but nothing else changed. The aura didn’t move from wherever it was hidden at. Looking around, Lucar still couldn’t find it. At one point, he nearly tripped as he located the stairs. Stepping away from them, he continued his search. It he hadn’t been blind, he would’ve seen the reflection of a dark figure clinging to the ceiling of the room.
    Growling, Lucar slowly turned back to the entrance of the room. The aura hadn’t done anything, so maybe it was harmless. At least, he really hoped it was. But something was nagging him. Why was the aura so familiar?
    “Curse my bad memory,” he growled. “Okay, guys! I think it’s sa—AAAAH!”
    The dark figure on the ceiling released its grip, landing directly on top of Lucar. At the room entrance, Sandra cried out in fear and Nincada quickly hid behind her. Carlos stared in shock before coming to his senses.
    “Lucar!” he cried, racing into the fog.
    “Carlos! Wa—” Sandra started, only to be cut off by Carlos.
    “Stay there! Protect Nincada!” Carlos ordered.
    Sandra just stood there, frozen in terror. Lucar and Carlos were in trouble and all she could do was sit and wait for them to come back. Why? the Eevee thought. Why am I so…useless?
    /Yep, you heard me. Useless. I felt useless in that situation and I’d feel that way in future situations, too. It’s a feeling everyone gets, even in situations where it’s not really true. It’s natural. You just have to remind yourself of the usefulness you do have. But I know that for some people, that just isn’t enough…/
    Carlos ran toward the silhouettes of Lucar and the figure, sparks shooting from his red cheeks. Suddenly afraid of hurting Lucar with his attack, he reached into the Treasure Bag and pulled out one of the seven Sticks he’d found. Remembering Sandra’s words about hitting long-distance opponents, he threw it as hard as he could.
    “Let him go!” Carlos shouted.
    The figure winced as the stick collided with his shoulder and glared into the fog, spotting the silhouette of the Pikachu. Smirking, he stood up straight and kept one foot on the struggling Riolu. He lifted his left hand, his claw glowing bright purple.
    Carlos grabbed another Stick and threw it. The figure smacked it out of the air with his claw, breaking the twig cleanly in half. Carlos finally got close enough to make out the figure’s features and skidded to a stop. Fear hit him hard.
    “Y-y-you! W-what are you doing here?!” Carlos demanded.
    “Oh, me? Just doing my job, baby.” The figure smirked. “You brats just happen to have gotten in my way…again!”
    Before Carlos could respond, something crashed into him from above. Sharp talons dug into his back, drawing blood. The Pikachu managed to twist his head enough to see what hit him. An all-too-familiar Staraptor glared down at him.
    “Hey, brat! Nice meeting you again! Don’t say you forgot about us?” the Staraptor cried.
    Carlos looked at the figure and growled. “Thrax…”
    The Toxicroak smirked, waving fog out of his face. “Bingo, baby! Glad to see you missed me.” he laughed.
    “What do you want?” Carlos demanded.
    “Nothing from you, of course. We just decided to…drop in.” Thrax said. “Is that so bad?”
    Carlos tried to wiggle free, only to have Raptor the Staraptor press down on his back. The Pikachu coughed, the water nearly reaching his chin. Any further and he could drown! Lucar seemed to be having the same problem, trying to keep his head above the water with his paws.
    “Anyhow, since you asked, I may as well give you an answer.” Thrax continued. “I’m here in search of a runaway Piplup called Luv. Have you seen her?”
    “No,” Carlos replied. “And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you!”
    “He’s just as cocky as last time, boss!” Raptor growled.
    “Maybe even cockier,” Thrax added. Turning toward the stairs, he frowned. “Get out here, brat! Or will I be forced to show you a little more pain?”
    A silhouette slowly emerged, stepping closer to the group. Then appeared…the black Pikachu! He quietly walked to Thrax’s side and blinked curiously at Carlos. Carlos glared back at him.
    “You…from the beach,” the black Pikachu said.
    “So the reports were true. You really are one of Thrax’s goons!” Carlos cried.
    The black Pikachu flinched. “Goon?” he repeated.
    “Ignore him, brat.” Thrax ordered. “Now then, where’s that Eevee from before? I know she’s still with you on your pathetic excuse for an Exploration Team.”
    “Sandra? She’s…not here.” Carlos lied. “Lucar and I took this mission on our own. She’s back at Wigglytuff’s Guild, where you can never get your hands on her!”
    “Yeah!” Lucar quickly agreed. Good thinking, Carlos! Great Arceus, I just wish that lie was true. What’s Thrax going to do to us this time?!
    Thrax snorted. “You liars!” he accused. “But don’t worry. I know a good way to get you to talk. Raptor, hand me that mouse and you take the puppy.”
    “Okay, boss!” Raptor nodded, smirking.
    The Flying-type let Carlos up, only for the Pikachu to be snatched up by Thrax. Raptor placed his foot firmly on Lucar’s back, keeping him pinned to the watery ground. The black Pikachu just stood there, watching as Thrax carried Carlos to the edge of the room where there was a deep water path commonly used by the mystery dungeon’s inhabitants.
    Thrax held Carlos by his throat over the deep water. “I’ll give you one last chance to answer my question before I hurt you, baby. Where’s the Eevee?” he asked, his tone daring Carlos to lie again.
    Carlos frowned. “I told you once with the Piplup and I’ll say it now. I’m not going to tell you!” he cried. “Do whatever you want to me but I’ll never betray my friends! Ever!”
    Thrax smile deviously. “Awww! How sweet!” he laughed. “Too bad it’s wasted. Your life now rests in that puppy’s hands. If he doesn’t confess to where the Eevee is, you’ll drown.”
    “What?!” Lucar cried.
    “You heard me, baby. Your time starts…NOW!!” Thrax roared.
    Carlos yelped as Thrax suddenly shoved him underwater, pinning him there by his throat. The Pikachu struggled, having very little air. Lucar, you can’t tell him! Slowly opening his eyes, he could see a hazy silhouette of Thrax above him. Carlos’ lungs felt like they were caving in as his air grew thin. Is this what…Sandra feels like? Is this why…she hates water so much?
    Above the water, Thrax smirked. “Better think fast, baby. Your friend doesn’t have very long,” the Toxicroak said, looking over his shoulder at Lucar. “Where is the Eevee?”
    “I…I…” Lucar was mentally panicking. What do I do? What do I do?! Carlos could die because of me! I can’t let that happen! But I can’t betray Sandra either! Arceus, why are you doing this to us?!
    “Better hurry, puppy!” Raptor laughed.
    “I…I…I…” Lucar’s throat squeezed shut, preventing him from speaking.
    “Stop it!!” a young voice cried.
    “What the?!” Raptor turned toward the voice, only to be pelted with bubbles. “Boss! She’s here! That Piplup!”
    “What?!” Thrax released Carlos and stood up, facing the direction of the attack. “Come out, Luv! I’ve finally found you!”
    “No, Thrax. You haven’t found me. If anything…” the Piplup replied. She raised her foot. “You’ve lost me! Earthquake!”
    She stomped the ground, causing a huge tremor. Raptor yelped, quickly becoming airborne to dodge the attack. Thrax and the black Pikachu were sent crashing to the floor, setting Lucar loose. As the Riolu sat up, he remembered Carlos and looked toward the water. He was sinking!
    “I’ll get him!” the Piplup cried. “You get your friends by the door!”
    “Okay!” Lucar nodded, running toward the entrance.
    Underwater, Carlos sank until he hit the bottom. Bubbles burst from his mouth, the last of the Pikachu’s air escaping from him. Carlos blinked his blurry vision, watching with an odd fascination as the bubbles floated toward the surface. He closed his eyes, tired.
    Is this what it’s like? He thought. Drowning? No wonder Sandra hates water. It takes its time killing you. How cruel… I’m sorry, Sandra. I guess you and Lucar have to make Team Legend great…without me.
    Opening his eyes again, he noticed a silhouette swimming toward him. Once it got close, he realized it was a Piplup. Could it be the one Thrax was after? Or…was that an angel coming to bring him to heaven?
    His vision darkened as the Piplup reached him, grabbing his hand in her flipper. “Hang on!” she cried.
    Too…tired… Carlos closed his eyes, falling unconscious as water poured freely into his lungs. He was drowning.